Author: Nikki Carol

  • Band the Billfish Tournament: Good Fishing. Good Company. Ducks Unlimited.

    Band the Billfish Tournament: Good Fishing. Good Company. Ducks Unlimited.

    Band the Billfish 2026: Sailfish and a Damn Good Time With Reel Priority

    68 boats. 160 billfish released. A $444,253 total purse. This year’s North Carolina Ducks Unlimited Band the Billfish tournament gave the fleet plenty to fish for—and ECSL was aboard Reel Priority for a piece of the action.

    We spent our time offshore releasing sailfish, capturing the action, and having a damn good time with the crew. Competition gives every bite a little more weight, but sharing it with good people makes the trip.

    Two Sailfish on the Board

    Reel Priority finished with two sailfish releases and 300 points. Getting those fish on the board added to the excitement of being part of a tournament that brings serious fishing and a good crowd together.

    That’s what keeps the camera close. A fish shows in the spread, the cockpit gets moving, and everyone has a job. Getting to capture those moments with Reel Priority made this another highlight of ECSL’s summer offshore.

    A Busy Scoreboard

    Across the tournament’s three fishing days, the fleet released 37 blue marlin, 12 white marlin, and 111 sailfish. The second day produced the most releases, with 85 billfish recorded by the 64 boats fishing.

    Double B topped the Level 3 and Level 4 total-points standings with 2,050 points, releasing four blue marlin and three sailfish. Free Ranger followed with 1,900 points, and Sunday Funday rounded out the top three with 1,650.

    Those numbers tell the competitive side of the story. Aboard Reel Priority, the fun was getting to be part of it—watching the spread, putting releases on the board, and enjoying the time with the crew.

    From the Duck Blind to the Cockpit

    Since its start in 1989, Band the Billfish has connected tournament sportfishing with Ducks Unlimited’s conservation work. The event’s history includes promoting billfish tagging and supporting habitat projects in North Carolina and surrounding areas.

    It’s a fitting crossover. The same willingness to put in the hours in a duck blind carries offshore: show up, pay attention, and be ready when the opportunity comes.

    A big thanks to Reel Priority for having ECSL aboard this year. Two sailfish releases and plenty of fun with the crew made this one worth revisiting.

    A First Blue Marlin for the Wound Up Crew

    Our friends aboard Wound Up had a tournament worth celebrating. William Freeman released his first blue marlin with his father, Captain Jeffery Freeman, at the helm. Catching your first blue is a milestone. Doing it with your dad running the boat makes that fish mean even more.

    The crew also took first place in the Level 7 Gamefish Total Aggregate division, weighing a 52.8-pound wahoo and earning $29,100.

    A first blue marlin, a winning wahoo, and a check to take home. Hell of a tournament for the Freeman family and the Wound Up crew.

    Browse the gallery below for a look at our time on the water at Band the Billfish.

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    Tournament statistics and results: NC Ducks Unlimited Band the Billfish leaderboard.

  • A Full Summer. A Lot to Catch Up On.

    A Full Summer. A Lot to Catch Up On.

    Summer left me with plenty of footage, full memory cards, and a growing pile of photos to work through. Between offshore trips and tournament days, more made it onto the camera than onto the website. I’m catching up.

    From the HVOO to the MidAtlantic, there’s plenty from this season still to share: boats heading out before daylight, fish in the spread, cockpit action, and the ride home with release flags flying. Some moments made it to social media. Others deserve a little more room.

    Over the coming weeks, I’ll be working through the photography and video, adding galleries, and sharing stories from those days on the water. If you’ve been waiting for pictures from a trip, keep an eye out as new collections go up.

    That’s also where the new East Coast Saltwater Living website comes in.

    I’m building a better home for the work—somewhere you can find tournament coverage, browse photos, watch videos, and catch up on the trips behind the posts. Social media moves fast. A day offshore takes more than a fifteen-second clip to tell.

    The direction is straightforward: more offshore photography and video, more coverage of the boats and teams, and more of what actually happens out there. The fishing, the work, the laughs, and the occasional mess that makes a good story afterward.

    You’ll also find more information about working with ECSL for boat and team coverage, tournament photography, and video projects.

    There’s still editing to do and plenty to add. Take a look around, check back for new galleries, and subscribe for the latest stories and trip recaps.

    Now, back to the photos.

  • Reel Priority Wins the Mahi Division at the 2026 MidAtlantic Tournament

    Reel Priority Wins the Mahi Division at the 2026 MidAtlantic Tournament

    A 33-pound dolphin, a one-pound margin, and six white marlin releases on the final day. Reel Priority finished the MidAtlantic with plenty to show for the week offshore.

    At the 2026 MidAtlantic, Reel Priority’s 33-pound mahi won the Dolphin Division by one pound. The team also finished 11th overall, with blue and white marlin releases throughout the week.

    Starting the Week With Billfish

    Reel Priority opened the tournament with two blue marlin releases and one white marlin release.

    The 33-Pound Mahi That Won the Division

    The winning fish came on the final day: a 33-pound dolphin that took the division by one pound. In offshore fishing, dolphin is another name for mahi-mahi, and the MidAtlantic calls this category its Dolphin Division.

    Six White Marlin Releases on the Final Day

    Along with landing the winning mahi, Reel Priority recorded six white marlin releases on the final day, giving the team a strong finish in both the Dolphin Division and billfish action.

    Reel Priority’s MidAtlantic Highlights

    ResultTournament highlight
    1st place, Dolphin Division33-pound mahi
    Winning marginOne pound
    Opening-day releasesTwo blue marlin and one white marlin
    Final-day releasesSix white marlin
    Overall finish11th

    More Than a Fish on the Scale

    The results capture the numbers, while the photos and footage show the crew and moments behind the week offshore. Congratulations to Reel Priority on its MidAtlantic Dolphin Division win: 33 pounds, first place, and one hell of a finish.