VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — With there typically being few customers for charter boats in the fall, fisherman Zach Bowles created a swordfish tournament that’s now in its fifth year, but until now, he hadn’t won it.
The Oceans East Swordfish Tournament had a record 78 entries that were allowed to fish for up to three days during the month of October, and an estimated purse of $126,360.
“It really opens the tournament out for boats of all sizes because, whether you’re a 22-foot boat or a 60-foot boat, you can find some really pretty days in the month of October,” Bowles said.
At 8 a.m. Wednesday, the last day of the contest, the score was zero for team Reelin and Dealin as they searched for swordfish 65 miles off the coast and 1,200 feet below the surface. Twenty minutes later, there was a game-changer.
“So yesterday was actually a special day because on our very first drop, as we’re letting the bait out, the fish decided to eat it before it even hit the bottom,” Bowles said. “And three-and-a-half hours later, we were able to to harvest the fish, and there was lots of high-fives and hugging. We knew we had something special.”