2025 DeepSea Classic: Deep Impact Sweeps $108,000 BZD among 54 Boats
Grand Caribe’s DeepSea Classic made its triumphant return to renowned tournament base, Caribeville, for its 9th anniversary of the international fishing tournament! A total of 54 teams were treated to an elevated four-day event of competitive fishing, food, live music, family-friendly fun, and their signature Belize Connect Expo event—from a host committed to continuously raising the bar. From July 31st to August 3rd, 2025, crews from Belize, USA, Jamaica, and Honduras went head-to-head to compete for over $168,400 in cash and prizes!
Here are the details of the 9th Annual Grand Caribe DeepSea Classic 2025 at a glance, including the first place winning boat that left with over $103,000 in prizes.
Captain’s Dinner: Rules, Prizes, & More
The calm before the storm: Grand Caribe’s West Room officially kicked off the tournament weekend with a briefing and Captain’s dinner on Thursday, July 31. Outlining rules, the tournament’s Weighmaster was formally introduced for all and any queries ahead of the competition: none other than BGFA’s very own Giovanni Duran. During fishing time from 6 am to 6 pm, all catches must be reported by any means necessary to qualify—anglers reporting must include name, team, and location via VHF radio channel 68, Garmin Connect, text, WhatsApp message, or a good old phone call, each team’s timestamp is recorded as the time once the Weighmaster at Grand Caribe receives the report. All catches must be reported before lines out.
And as a 100% catch-and-release tournament for billfish, all teams must capture both the fight, identified fish, and the successful release of the billfish in one continuous video, along with the tournament’s video qualifier that changes for each day—in this case, a release flag available exclusively at the briefing and at the end of Day 1. A release is accepted once the swivel touches the rod tip or the wireman touches the leader, with 10 extra points awarded for hook removal. Submitted video must clearly how the species of the fish being released, along with the face of angler who fought the fish—applicable for all categories, including Junior Angler.
Given the growth of the Grand Caribe DeepSea Classic, officials voted upon a special allocation to the previously shared rules to accommodate docking all boats. For boats unable to reach the dock due to Draft constraints, a tournament official will facilitate the transport of any qualifying fish or video from the participant to the weigh station/weighmaster.
With the prize table looming in the distance, including world-renowned marine artist Carey Chen’s artwork hand-delivered by the artist himself, excitement built ahead of Day 1.
Points per billfish released:
1,500 per White Marlin 1,500 per Spearfish 1,000 per Sailfish 2,500 per Blue Marlin
There is a Bimini start on both days of fishing at 6:00 AM as teams leave from tournament base with the day’s flag, ahead of lines out at 6:00 PM on Day 1 and reporting to tournament base by 6:00 PM on Day 2. Within eyeshot of waves breaking over the Belize Barrier Reef, the tournament base’s location in San Pedro, Belize, provided plenty of opportunities for the anglers to capitalize on pelagics just offshore.
Wahoo, dorado, and tuna all qualify for 1 point per pound once the minimum weight requirements of 20 lbs, 15 lbs, and 10 lbs is met at the weigh station of the tournament base, which are listed in respective order of species. Any pelagic species under the minimum weigh-in weight requirement still qualify, awarding points per fish instead: 10 points per wahoo, 5 points per dorado, and 5 points per tuna.
DAY ONE
The bite began shortly after the Bimini start at 6:00 AM, where “Man O War” had the headstart with the tournament’s first reported fish: a dorado on board by angler Trent McMahan, running along Tres Cocos. While dorado proved to be the most prevalent catch of the morning, team “Ms Darlene” opened the floor for billfish with the first reported Blue Marlin—landed 8:15 am by angler Chad Gruwell. By day’s end, adrenaline ran high: a total 75 dorado, eight billfish releases, two wahoo, and one tuna awarded the top ten boats little wiggle room on the scoreboard—differentiated by time of reported catch.
Unofficial results from Day 1 deemed Catchin A Buzz with 2,531 points; Barana with 2,525 points; Carpe Diem with 2,525 points; Reel Escape with 2,525 points; Top Buoy with 2,515 points; Ms Darlene with 2,510 points; Ben Avi 2 with 1,035 points; Bobby C with 87 points; In The Spread with 70 points; and Cerca Del Sol with 53 points.
DAY TWO
With another Bimini start at 6:00 AM from tournament base of Grand Caribe, teams raced out for the last day of fishing: all boats must report back to the Weightmaster and be docked by 6:00 PM. With a steady billfish bite, some lost while some landed, it was still anyone’s tournament to win: Reel Escape began the day with angler Pete Neally’s dorado landed two miles east of San Pedro Town, the first reported catch of the day. Less than 90 minutes in, Rene Reyes Jr. released the first Blue Marlin of Day 2 for team Do It Nice, landed 18 miles east of San Pedro. Minutes later, female angler Judie Zabaneh lands her team Marintime a successful Blue Marlin released five miles east of Northern Ambergris Caye. While dorados, tuna, and even the odd wahoo remained steady throughout the day, things heated up as team Deep Impact reported back-to-back hookups outside of Turneffe: a Sailfish release by Jules Diab and a Blue Marlin release by Brendan Buoloy. In the end, it was Team Deep Impact who secured a narrow victory.
PRIZE GIVING
“DEEP IMPACT” Takes Top Win Home to Belize City
With Prize Giving held on Sunday, August 3rd inside the West Room, “Deep Impact” brought home the prestige plus armloads of trophies and prizes—including $108,000 in cash—to their home port in Belize City, with Top Junior Angler going to Deep Impact’s very own Jules Diab.
Total species caught in the tournament amounted to 13 marlins, 3 sailfish, 6 wahoo, 14 tunas, and 216 dorados! Congratulations to the entire Grand Caribe DeepSea Classic fleet—past and present—as well as to the Caribeville team for representing nine successful years in one location as no small feat.
Weighmaster Jovy Duran, who also serves on our board of directors, was gifted Carey Chen artwork for his participation!
Catch up with us on @fishingbelize and any of the international participants, which included Carey Chen, The Marlin Ladies, and Emmanuel Williams.
And for those keen to know about the next sportfishing tournament: the 15th Annual Belikin Blue Water Classic takes place at Old Belize, Belize City on October 10-12, 2025! Learn more here, and stay tuned for any upcoming details on the 10th Anniversary of the Grand Caribe DeepSea Classic 2026.
