LOUISIANA GULF COAST
BILLFISH CLASSIC

Hunter Smith smiles for his “Kodak Moment” on the way to an early season victory. Team Supreme successfully released 4 blue marlin in the first leg of the 2024 Louisiana Champions Cup, the first tournament of the LCC series.
 
The Louisiana Gulf Coast Billfish Classic finished out in exemplary fashion of true sports fishing excellence, Louisiana style. Hosted by Classic Fishing Events and Cypress Cove Marina in Venice, Louisiana, the LCC inaugural event drew teams from the Gulf states of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and the Bahamas. 
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The beginning two days of the tournament, April 29th and 30th, teams traveled through the Mighty Mississippi River to a fisherman's paradise, Cypress Cove Marina & Lodge.
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Come Wednesday, May 1st, the stage was set, dinner served and teams engaged in the highly anticipated cash jackpot entries. The payouts increased and teams became more excited about competition the next day. There was almost a quarter of a million dollars on the line.
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As the sun rose, on Thursday, May 2nd, the engines roared. The entire fleet marched out of Venice in a single file line, as Mardi Gras floats in a parade route. They gained momentum and exited via Bayou Baptiste Collette and the mouth of the Mississippi River.
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Friday, May 3rd, Team It Just Takes Time jumped into the unofficial lead with one blue marlin caught by Nick Pratt, and one blue marlin and one white marlin successfully caught by his daughter, Leah Pratt. Four other teams who reported their catches weren't far behind, each with one blue marlin released. It was anyone's game going into the final day.
 
The final day, Saturday, May 4th, held a surprise for everyone… It Just Takes Time and Miss Remy battled each other from sunrise until 3 pm, allowing just enough time to arrive back in the Louisiana Bayou for weigh-ins. However, when everyone thought it was over, Team Supreme reached out to tournament headquarters and reported four blue marlins were successfully released.  We had a new leader and Champion of the 2024 Louisiana Gulf Coast Billfish Classic. To add a little Lagniappe to the mix, Rene Cross of Miss Remy, weighed his personal best yellowfin of 200.6 lbs and earned 1st Place Tuna.
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