Phenom Yachts Fishing Team Kicks Off Tournament Season with a Win at the Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament

Jim Isaac

Technical Sales Rep

The Phenom Yachts fishing team launched our 2025 tournament season with a bang, competing in the 57th Annual Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament in the historic coastal town of Georgetown, South Carolina. As one of the longest-running tournaments in the South Carolina Governor’s Cup Series, Georgetown always draws a strong fleet of boats, experienced anglers and an enthusiastic crowd — and this year was no exception.

Nestled among old rice fields and steeped in maritime history, Georgetown offers the perfect backdrop for a classic bluewater showdown. With favorable weather in the forecast and promising reports coming in, we had high hopes heading into the event. A glance at Roff’s SST charts showed a warm-water eddy pushing a finger of blue water off the Gulf Stream — a promising sign that conditions were just right for billfish.

After enjoying a lively captain’s meeting and dinner with fellow anglers, our team was prepped and ready for action. At 5:30 a.m., we left the dock aboard the Phenom 43 for the 70-mile run to the fishing grounds. Lines went in at 8 a.m., and the action came fast. Within 30 minutes, a large blue marlin charged our left teaser and hammered the short rigger lure. The fish erupted on the surface in a stunning display before throwing the hook.

Undeterred, we quickly reset the spread, confident we were in the right spot. Just 10 minutes later, another blue marlin crushed a dink ballyhoo on the right long rigger. Shaun, our National Sales Manager, grabbed the Shimano BFC 20 and went to work. As the team cleared lines, another marlin appeared on the right short rigger — and just like that, we were hooked up with two blue marlin at once.

It was controlled chaos on deck. Unfortunately, the first fish pulled off the line mid-fight, but we still had one on. Richie Rodgers, our Director of Sales, fought hard on the Shimano Tiagra 80 and successfully released our first blue marlin of the season after a 10-minute battle — putting us on the board in style.

The rest of the day brought only a few short strikes, and by late afternoon, we headed back to the dock at a swift 50 mph, thanks to the performance of the Phenom 43. After a well-deserved cleanup, we capped the day with another great tournament dinner and prepped for the next round.

The following morning brought a change in conditions, with 15–20 mph north winds and 3–5 ft seas making for a rougher ride out. But the Phenom 43 handled the chop with ease, and we adjusted our strategy accordingly — switching to lure fishing, which is easier to manage in high seas and often attracts bigger fish.

Despite our efforts, Day 2 was slower on the water. We landed a small mahi and had a single billfish encounter that wouldn’t eat. Still, we made the most of the day and returned to the dock at 3 p.m. when lines out was called.

Back at the docks, we got the news: our blue marlin release from Day 1 secured us the Non-Sonar Division win! It was a huge moment for the Phenom Yachts team, and a testament to everyone’s hard work, preparation and teamwork.

Winning our division at the Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament is a fantastic way to start the season and sets the tone for what we hope will be an exciting and successful tournament series.

Stay tuned for more updates from the water — and tight lines from all of us at Phenom Yachts!