Team ’Don’t Blink’ Releases Two Blue Marlin to Win Key West Marlin Tournament

KEY WEST, Fla. — Two blue marlin releases earned first place for the Don’t Blink team at the Key West Marlin Tournament that ended Saturday, July 20, off the Florida Keys.

Chris Hagin of Tampa, Florida, released both blues on the second day of the three-day tournament while fishing with Captain Billy Currie of Nokomis, Florida. 

Currie, who has fished the tournament for some three decades, said the boat was near the western part of the Wood’s Wall area where Hagin hooked the two marlin. He reported they were in water about 1,000 feet deep for the first release and about 750 feet for the second, later in the day.

The veteran captain credited the win to consistency, extensive knowledge of the region’s waters, and taking a pre-fishing day before the tournament began.

“The pre-fish day definitely paid off for us this year and set us up for where we wanted to be in the tournament,” said Currie. 

As well as Hagin and Currie, the Don’t Blink team consisted of Ruben Sierrra of Tampa and Josh Hovey of Nokomis. 

Hovey released a sailfish on the tournament’s third and final fishing day, bringing the team’s total points to 850.

Dream Weaver, skippered by Captain Cody Darbie of Tampa, Florida, ended the tournament in second place with 500 points. As well as tallying a blue marlin release, the team released two sailfish on separate days. 

The Keep ‘Em Tight team, led by Captain Ed Thompson of Tampa, took third place with 422.5 points after releasing a white marlin and catching a 22.5-pound dolphin fish. The dolphin catch also earned Keep ‘Em Tight first place in the tournament’s fun fish dolphin division. 

Taking top honors in the ladies division was team BoylenPoint after Michelle Boyle of St. Pete Beach, Florida, released a blue marlin on the tournament’s first fishing day. The team was captained by the angler’s husband Stephen Boyle, also of St. Pete Beach. 

Organizers said the 2024 tournament drew 215 participants fishing on 32 boats, who released a collective total of six marlin and tallied 17 marlin hookups. 

The angling challenge was held in conjunction with Key West’s Hemingway Days festival, an annual salute to author and angler Ernest Hemingway, who lived and fished in Key West during the 1930s.