Introducing the Florida Panhandle’s version of the Great Marlin Race!
The Florida Panhandle Billfish Series is proud to announce a partnership with the International Game Fish Association through participation in their internationally renowned billfish satellite tagging program, The IGFA Great Marlin Race. In the first year of this partnership, satellite tags will be deployed on white marlin during Billfish Series events through the IGFA’s grant from Bass Pro Shop and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund.
Spearheading this project for the billfish series is Pensacola Big Game Club’s Co-Tournament Director, Robo Whibbs, in partnership with IGFA’s Conservation Director, Bruce Pohlot. The idea of the satellite tagging race is to learn more about the behavior and habitat use of Gulf white marlin as well as engaging young anglers through scientific presentations and facilitating collaboration among the scientific community through IGFA and Stanford University’s data sharing of results. Race results and graphics will be provided to participants and shared on websites and social media sites worldwide.
Through various methods, the Panhandle Series will be distributing satellite tags to three teams who are planning to fish the Panhandle Series’ events. The IGFA team has offered to provide a short training session for the teams receiving the tags. The ideal team for deploying a satellite tag will be one with tagging experience and a heartfelt desire to properly deploy a tag in a manner where the data will have a high probability of being captured. Fees for the opportunity to deploy a tag are being developed but without the IGFA’s generous contributions this opportunity would not exist.
For more information, please reach out to:
Robo Whibbs (850-324-0390)
Bert Merritt (850-380-8961).