SFC: Team Gypsea Wins The Catch Inaugural Tournament
Fish Finders
Sport Fishing Championship (SFC), the governing body of saltwater tournament fishing, is pleased to share the results for The Catch Presented by Fritos. Team Gypsea, comprised of SFC angler Taylor Sanford and NFL teammates Matthew Judon and Dalvin Cook won the made-for-TV competition which aired live Saturday on CBS. Team Gypsea earned a $100,000 donation to the Coast Guard Foundation, provided by Cheniere Energy. The tournament was held at the Fontainebleau Resort in Miami Beach.
Using SFC’s billfish catch-and-release scoring system, The Catch featured four teams in head-to-head competition. Team Gypsea landed three sailfish (75 points each) and eight bonus fish (25 points each) for a total of 425 points. The final results, based on number of fish landed and species of fish:
Team Gypsea, comprised of SFC angler Taylor Sanford and NFL teammates Matthew Judon and Dalvin Cook, with a total of 425 points
Team Quantified, comprised of SFC angler Justin Drummond and NFL teammates Justin Herbert and Chris Jones, with a total of 300 points
Team Rising Sons, comprised of SFC angler Jaselyn Berthelot and NFL teammates Quinnen Williams and Patrick Surtain II, with a total of 75 points
Team Polarizer, comprised of SFC angler Bill Davis and NFL teammates Tyreek Hill, DeAndre Hopkins and A.J. Brown, with a total of 50 points
“These NFL guys are so coachable; they did an incredible job on this boat,” said Sanford. “We weren’t sure we were winning right till the end, and I knew we had to push it the whole way. I like winning and now we get some motivation to start our journey north as the (SFC) season gets underway.”
“I had an amazing time, I loved it,” said Judon. “I thought it would be easy, but it’s a pretty good workout, and I think we gained a lot of appreciation for every fisherman that’s out there.”
“The action of The Catch from start to finish was intense,” said Mark Neifeld, CEO and commissioner of SFC. “We made history as the first fishing tournament to broadcast live from the sea, and all the participants did a fantastic job. It’s clear they had as much fun on the water as we did watching from shore.”
Partners and sponsors of the tournament included (in alphabetical order): BIOLYTE, Coast Guard Foundation, Discover Puerto Rico, Dr. Squatch, Durabrite, Fathom, Garmin, IceShaker, Louisiana Office of Tourism, Michelob Ultra, OneWater/Invincible Boats, Pernod Ricard, Salt Life, Starlink and Visit South Padre Island. The Coast Guard Foundation is the premier non-profit organization that supports active U.S. Coast Guard members, veterans, and their families through investments that support families, boost unit morale and honor the Coast Guard’s national mission.
The Catch was broadcast live from four boats, four chase boats, helicopters and more. It sets the stage for the 2023 SFC Billfish Championship which will have 88 hours of live tournament coverage across its 12 tournaments on CBS Sports Network, with the season kicking off at the CNSD White Marlin Tournament in Punta Cana, DR on April 27. The SFC’s 2023 full season schedule is found on the website.
