We've just completed the first ever
Bimini Sands Lionfish Bash, and it was INCREDIBLE!!!
The
Bimini Sands Lionfish Bash was set up as a fun, family spearfishing tournament that was aimed at helping Bimini's marine ecosystem by removing as many invasive Lionfish as possible. Not only that, but it was a charity event as well, with all profits from the tournament and related activities going to the
Jackson Memorial Paramedical Trust in honor of our friend Woody Beckham.
With 13 boats entered in the
Lionfish Bash tournament, we were able to remove a total of 318 lionfish from Bimini's waters in one day!
There were prizes going to the teams with the most lionfish caught, as well as the contestants who snatched up the biggest lionfish, the smallest lionfish, and the biggest lionfish for a Jr. angler.
Our Jr. angler winner was
Kaylee Fantis, from the boat
Extra Expense, who caught a lionfish weighing 12.65 oz.
The winner of the prize for Smallest Lionfish Caught was
Charles Slick, from the boat
Bloody Bill, who was able to grab a lionfish weighing just 0.05 oz.

The angler who brought back the Biggest Lionfish Caught was
Jim Barley, from South Bimini's
SharkLab, who hauled in a huge 31.30 oz lionfish.

Prizes were then awarded for the Most Lionfish Caught, and the second-most Lionfish Caught.
Our 2nd Place prize went to the Mills Family on the boat
Extra Expense, who brought back an incredible 110 lionfish!

And the Grand Prize winners of the first annual Bimini Sands Lionfish Bash was the team from the
SharkLab, who brought back a whopping 153 lionfish!!!

We finished the tournament with a fantastic awards dinner down at the
Bimini Twist restaurant, where the honoree of the Lionfish Bash, Woody Beckham, thanked all of the incredible donors and sponsors who helped make this event such a wonderful success. In addition to slaying over 300 of the harmfully invasive lionfish, we were also able to raise over $15,000 for the
Woody Foundation and their charity of choice, the
Jackson Memorial Paramedical Trust.

A HUGE thank you goes out to all of the wonderful individuals and companies who sponsored this event and made it the enormous success that it was. Please support these generous people to thank them for their generosity:
Sir Galloway CleanersBonefish Ebbie DavidBimini UnderseaBimini Healing ArtsDivers Direct Hammerhead SpeargunsA-Plus Marine SupplyNatalie's Bread - Bimini Craft Centre
Adventure Sports MiamiMcNett Sea DropsNeckzTitanic Restaurant & BreweryThe Bahamas Ministry of TourismAnd the
Bimini Sands Resort & MarinaAll in all, the Bimini Sands Lionfish Bash was a wonderfully fun and positive event, and we can't wait to do it again next year!!