Doing it All/Hardway Goes Back-to-Back as Slam Champions!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2023
Email: Chris@bluewatermovements.com
Phone: 954-725-4010
Kicking off The 28th Annual Mercury/Seavee Pompano Beach Saltwater Slam
The 28th Annual Mercury/SeaVee Pompano Beach Saltwater Slam kicked off with the Captain’s Meeting on Thursday evening at the Pompano Beach Civic Center. Captains, teams, and families, accompanied by tournament sponsors including Eddie Forbes Art, Taylor Builders, Islamorada Beverages, Bonefish Macs, Apex Lighting, Hooters, and our Charitable partner Missin’ Fishin’, gathered to celebrate the weekend of competition ahead.
A fleet of 64 teams set out on Saturday, June 10th, in search of a fishbox full of Kings, Tuna, Wahoo, Cobia, and Dolphin hoping to claim their portion of the $136,907 cash purse and prizes while rising through the ranks on the chase for the Showdown Crown. The competing teams weighed in at the newly renovated Cove Waterfront Restaurant & Tiki Bar, serving as the Weigh-In HQ. Jersey Mikes, Landshark Lager, and Islamorada Beverages generously provided the anglers with food and drinks, handed out by the Hooters Girls of South Florida, while the spectators were treated to the show of teams hitting the scales to weigh their haul on the Landshark Lager-sponsored stage.
Slam Recap
The race for the Showdown Crown, Presented by SIMRAD, started to heat up as 141 fish, totaling 2686.8 lbs, were brought up to the scales at Sailfish Marina and The Cove on tournament day.
Overall Leaderboard
In 5th Place, Captain Eric Neidorf of How Ya Reelin’ Fishing & Tackle led Team Caught Slippin to success, securing a cash prize of $1,200. Their box consisted of four Kings and four Tuna, weighing a total of 163.7 lbs. Team Caught Slippin now occupies 4th Place in the series standings, following their 4th Place finish in the Saltwater Shootout, and has accumulated 53 points going into the Showdown.
Claiming 4th Place, team Seapremacy reeled in Tunas and Kings, totaling 167.4 lbs and earning themselves $1,500. Seapremacy currently holds 3rd Place in the series standings after a 3rd Place finish in the Saltwater Shootout, collecting 55 points.
In 3rd Place, The Tight Family, Top Family of the Slam on team Off The Wall, reeled in 168.4 lbs of fish, including the three heaviest tuna of the tournament, weighing 28.5 lbs, 27.1 lbs, and 25.5 lbs on their Mercury Powered 32′ Seavee. Earning them a grand total of $8,329 in prize money, along with 1st Place in the Mid-Range Division, 1st Place in the Mid-Range Bonanza Calcutta, and 3rd Place in the Bluewater Bonanza Calcutta. Team Off The Wall currently leads the series standings after securing a 2nd Place finish in the Saltwater Shootout, accumulating 57 points.
Securing 2nd Place, Team Slob City, the reigning champions of the Showdown Crown, hauled in 175.1 lbs of fish, including the heaviest Kingfish of the tournament weighing 42.4 lbs, earning them a cash prize of $17,533 across multiple categories, The Winner-Take-All Fish & Chips Calcutta, 1st Place in the Holy Mackerel Calcutta, 2nd Place in the Ante Up Calcutta, and 2nd Place in the Bluewater Bonanza Calcutta. Team Slob City now occupies 5th Place in the series standings, following their 8th Place finish in the Saltwater Shootout, amassing 52 points.
Top Small Boat
The Top Small Boat in the Slam was the four-man Crew from team Short Handed. The Short Handed crew put two tunas on the deck weighing a total of 48.8 pounds earning them the 5th spot on the Semi-Pro Division leaderboard. They also won the Small Boat Bonanza Calcutta and landed a 9.3 pound mutton snapper using the slow-pitch jig for a total of $4,384 and some fresh JYG Pro-Fishing gear.
Small Boat Division
1st Place – Short Handed – 48.8 Points – $2,500
2nd Place – On Point Fishing – 43.3 Points – $1,250
3rd Place– Village Idiots – 42.3 Points – $500
2023 PBSC Small Boat Standings
1st Place – The Program – 119.7 Points
2nd Place – HOO WE BiLLiN – 113.3 Points
3rd Place – Cool Runnings – 104 Points
Top Semi-Pro
The Top Semi-Pro team of the Slam was Bobbers Under, finishing 9th overall and 2nd in the Mid-Range Division, and 1st in the Semi-Pro Bonanza Calcutta maxed out on Kingfish and two tuna for 113.9 lbs making out with $4,398. Bobbers Under now sits at the top of the Semi-Pro Series Standings.
Semi-Pro Division
1st Place – Bobbers under – 113.9 Points – $2,000
2nd Place– Runnin Game – 66.9 Points – $1,500
3rd Place– Wayt-N-Sea – 62.6 Points – $750
4th Place– Sails & Tales – 51.5 Points – $500
5th Place– Short Handed – 48.8 Points – $250
2023 PBSC Semi-Pro Standings
1st Place – Bobbers under – 113.9 Points
2nd Place – LowKey – 105.7 Points
3rd Place – Reel Conchy– 96.2 Points
4th Place – Outnumbered – 93.6 Points
5th Place – Reel Line – 91.8 Points
Other Notable Top Finishes:
Top Male Angler
Juan Ruiz – Doing it all / Hardway – 102 Points
Top Female Angler
Sharri Beswick – Spiced Rum III – 43 Points
Top Junior Angler
Wyatt Bergeron – Gator One – 64 Points
Top Pee Wee Angler
Breyden Hunt – Tigress/Rebound – 57 Points
Top Family
Off the Wall – 109.4 Points
Big Fish Division – Dolphin
Mow Money – 10.2 Points – $1,000
Big Fish Division – Wahoo
Doing it all / Hardway – 66.4 Points – $1,000
Big Fish Division – Kingfish
Slob City – 42.4 Points – $1,000
Big Fish Division – Tuna
Off the Wall – 28.5 Points – $1,000
Show Me the Mahi
Mow Money – 10.2 Points – $750
Snapper/Grouper – Slow Pitch Jig
Short Handed – 9.3lb Snapper – $500
Mid Range Division (27 to 32 feet)
1st Place – Off the Wall – 168.4 Points – $2,500
2nd Place– Bobbers under – 113.9 Points – $1,250
3rd Place– Runnin Game – 66.9 Points – $500
Doing It All / Hardway Making It Look Easy
Team Doing It All / Hardway has made a name for themselves, making what they do look too easy. With an impressive resume in the PBSC, including three tournament victories (two from the Shootout in 2009 and 2018 and one at the Slam in 2022), they became the first team to achieve back-to-back victories at the Slam this year, adding a fourth title to their name. Weighing in an impressive total of 209.4 lbs of fish, including a 66.4 lb wahoo caught by Juan Ruiz, who was recognized as the Top Male Angler of the Slam. This year, Doing It All / Hardway claimed 1st Place Overall, 1st Place Wahoo, 1st Place in the Bluewater Bonanza Calcutta, 1st Place in the Ante Up Calcutta, the Winner Take All Bluewater Challenge, 1st Place in the Big Three Calcutta, and The Charity Calcutta, for which they generously donated back to our charitable partner Missin’ Fishin’. In total, they earned $25,333 and the title of the first back-to-back Saltwater Slam Champions. With their 6th Place finish in the Saltwater Shootout, Team Doing It All / Hardway currently holds 2nd place in the series standings, accumulating 56 points.
The Chase For The Showdown Crown Continues
The race for the Showdown Crown, presented by SIMRAD, is as intense as ever, with just eight points dividing seven leading teams in the series rankings. The outcome remains uncertain, as anything can happen. Will Slob City achieve a consecutive victory? Can the second generation of Off The Wall replicate their success from 2008? Or will Caught Slippin prove their system works? Only time will reveal the answers. However, what we do know for sure is that the third and final leg of the PBSC, The Mercury/SeaVee Pompano Beach Saltwater Showdown, still has two significant Calcuttas up for grabs. The KDW Jackpot is projected to reach approximately $60,000, while the Pick 3 Jackpot is expected to reach $50,000. The entry fee for each category is only $200. You can register for the Saltwater Shootout by clicking here.
About the Pompano Beach Saltwater Circuit
If you like fishing for Dolphin, Wahoo, Kingfish, Tuna and Cobia, then you will love the format of the Pompano Beach Saltwater Circuit. The PBSC is a 3-leg tournament that takes place annually in South Florida from May to August. Leg 1 of the series begins in May with the Saltwater Shootout, followed by the Saltwater Slam in June and the Saltwater Showdown in August. In addition to a $600,000 purse, teams that register for the tournaments will enjoy premier hospitality, including free drinks, great food, live entertainment, tournament shirts and a team bag loaded with sponsor swag! It’s no wonder why the PBSC has become one of the most popular series on the east coast.
About Bluewater Movements
Bluewater Movements, Inc., is a sports marketing company based in South Florida, the sport fishing capital of the world. Throughout the past 27 years, our team has developed some of the most successful competitive fishing events in the industry. Our background in tournament fishing, coupled with our expertise in event marketing, has enabled a premium experience for tournament anglers and sponsors. Within our portfolio, there are seven wildly popular fishing tournaments, all hosted at various venues across South Florida.
