PRIORITY REGISTRATION
Open to all boats who fished in a previous Walker's Cay Invitational and finished top 15 in 2023 or 2024.
PRIORITY CONSIDERATION
Open to all boats who fished in a previous Walker's Cay Invitational (2021-2024).
GENERAL INVITATION REQUEST
The Invitation Request period for the 2025 Walker's Cay Invitational is OPEN! Click below to request entry.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
The "Event Tent Style" fishing tournament at Walker's Cay offers a more formal and structured experience, featuring sit-down Captain's Dinner and Awards Banquet inside a large, indoor air conditioned event tent. While providing an added touch of elegance and hospitality, this format still embraces the breathtaking Walker’s Cay setting and the camaraderie of great fishing, blending tradition with a stunning island atmosphere.
WELCOME TO THE WALKER'S CAY
BLUE MARLIN INVITATIONAL
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Wednesday, May 21
Captain's Meeting
Thursday, May 22
Day 1 Competition
Friday, May 23
Day 2 Competition
Evening Entertainment
Saturday, May 24
Day 3 Competition
Evening Entertainment
Award Ceremony
Welcome to Walker's Cay! Carl & Gigi Allen are pleased to announce the 5th Annual Walker's Cay Blue Marlin Invitational. This event will be held May 21-24, 2025. Anglers from all over the world are invited to request entry into this headline event.
For over fifty years, Walker’s Cay has been a legendary fishing resort known by fishermen worldwide as the premier, deep-sea fishing location. We look forward to what will no doubt be another stellar tournament featuring some of the best anglers in the world.
PAST RESULTS
77' Bayliss
57' Bertram
70' Spencer
70' Spencer
76' Viking
2021
6 MR LTD
70' Viking
7 Ohana
70' Spencer
8 Duchess
50' Hatteras
70' Spencer
10 Island Rover
70' Spencer
2023
JACKPOT
ENTRY FEE
$5,000
CANCELLATION POLICY
Each team is required to pay the $5,000 entry fee in full to register. Entry fee is non-refundable unless tournament is cancelled by Walker’s Cay. Walker’s Cay has the right to move, postpone or cancel day(s) of the tournament due to severe weather.
CALCUTTA
Walker’s Cay will run the Calcutta and take 10%. The remaining 90% will be paid out to the winners.
The CASH ONLY Calcutta $23,000 Across the Board is Mandatory.
1. $10,000 Daily = 1st, 2nd and 3rd place daily category. Overall points per day. 50%, 30%, 20% payout.
2. $5,000 Overall Tournament =1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Overall points in the Tournament. 50%, 30%, 20% payout.
3. $5,000 Largest Blue Marlin = Minimum length to harvest a blue marlin is 107’ lower jaw fork length. Pays 1st & 2nd place largest blue marlin 60% / 40% payout. If only 1 qualifying fish is caught it will be winner take all. If no qualifying fish are caught, the Largest Blue Marlin Pot will roll over to the 2026 Walker's Cay Invitational Pot.
4. $3,000 Meat Fish = 1/3 winner take all for the largest dolphin, largest wahoo, and largest tuna. If only 2 qualifying species are weighed the pot will be split in half. If only 1 qualifying species is caught it will be winner take all.
GALLERY
REQUEST ENTRY
TOURNAMENT RULES
The Captains Meeting will be at 6:00 P.M on May 21, 2025. A representative from each team should attend the Captains Meeting as each team is responsible for knowing the rules including any clarifications made during the Captain’s Meeting.
1. PERMITS & LICENSES
All teams must possess a Bahamas Fishing Permit.
2. FISHING HOURS
The Walker’s Cay Invitational will begin with the call of "lines in" at 8:00am and continue until 4:00pm on May 22rd, 23th and 24th. No baits, sonars or teasers in the water before lines in. Boats may leave the marina at 5:00am. Any fish hooked before 4:00pm and reported to the tournament committee may be fought until caught, lost or released; any fish hooked after 4:00pm is ineligible. All boats must be inside of the marina (crossing into the entrance of the marina marked by the rocks/breakwater) before 6:30pm each evening. If you are not in the marina prior to 6:30 your catch/points will be disqualified, unless you have notified the tournament committee on channel 71 of a hook-up prior to the call of the lines out. In the event that a fish is caught after lines out, you will have 2.5 hours after the release, boating or loss of fish to be inside of the marina. Any gamefish requiring a weigh-in must be in the marina prior to 6:30pm. (Exceptions Below) There are no lay days or weather days, unless determined by the Committee. Fish at your own risk.
Largest Blue Marlin Cut-Off Harvested:
If you are hooked up to a Blue Marlin after the closing of fishing on Day 1 or on Day 2, you may continue fighting the fish until you catch the fish. You will then have 2.5 hours to get inside of the marine after the Blue Marlin is the released, boated or lost. There is no time limit to harvest or release a blue marlin hooked up prior to the call of lines in. A blue marlin weighed after 6:30 PM on Day 1 and Day 2 will only count towards the Largest Blue Marlin Calcutta & Overall Points. No Daily points awarded for any blue marlin on Day 1 and Day 2 weighed after 6:30PM.
On Day 3, you must be inside of the marina by 11PM for a harvested Blue Marlin hooked prior to the call of lines out to count towards the Largest Blue Marlin Calcutta. No Overall points or Daily Points will be awarded to a blue marlin weighed after 6:30PM on Day 3.
Billfish Release Points Cut-Off:
If you are hooked up after the closing of fishing on Day 1 or on Day 2, you may continue fighting the fish until you catch the fish. You will then have 2.5 hours to get inside of the marina. A billfish release time prior to 6:30PM will count towards your daily and overall points. There is no time limit to release a billfish, but any release past 6:30PM will only count only towards your overall points.
On Day 3, all billfish hooked prior to lines out must be released by 6:30PM for daily and overall points to be awarded.
3. ANGLING & EQUIPMENT
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International Billfish Tournament Regulations Apply
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Six anglers per team per day are permitted, with no restrictions.
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Hook and hand is permitted with one pass as soon as possible, then IGFA rules apply.
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An unlimited number of teasers and lines are allowed. “J-hooks” are allowed with lures only. Natural baits must be deployed with non-offset circle hooks. No live bait allowed.
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Maximum line 130-pound test.
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To be eligible to compete as a Junior Angler, the angler must be 16 years old or under at the start of the tournament registration.
4. BOUNDARIES
There is a 50-mile boundary rule - radius from the marina.
5. TOURNAMENT SPECIES
Blue Marlin, White Marlin, and Sailfish are eligible for catch and release. Blue Marlin, Tuna (Bigeye, Yellowfin or Blackfin only), Wahoo, and Dolphin (Mahi-Mahi) are eligible for weigh-in, with a 10 lb. minimum weight requirement.
6. MUTILATION TO THE FISH
Mutilation to the fish, prior to landing or boating the catch, caused by sharks, other fish, mammals, or propellers that remove or penetrate the flesh with lead to Disqualification of the fish from weigh-in and points. Injuries caused by leader or line, scratches, old, healed scars or regeneration deformities are not considered to be disqualifying injuries.
7. BLUE MARLIN WEIGH-IN/GAFFING PROTOCOL
Minimum length to harvest a blue marlin is 107’ lower jaw fork length (LJFL). Fish meeting the minimum length will weighed and awarded 1 point per pound and will count towards your daily and overall points as long as you are in the marina before 6:30PM. In the event that you are not in the marina prior to 6:30PM, your weighed Blue Marlin will only count towards the Largest Blue Marlin Calcutta. No overall or daily points will be awarded.
In the event that the fish does not meet minimum length it will NOT be weighed, and the fish will be disqualified, and no points shall be awarded. Only one blue marlin may be taken per day, per boat. All white marlin, sailfish and spearfish must be released.
*If you touch the gaff, you are not required to attempt to harvest the marlin. You may hang and hold the gaff over the gunnel/covering board and still decide to release the fish with points awarded. If you swing, swipe the gaff at the blue marlin, the fish will no longer qualify for release points. The attempt to harvest a blue marlin must be recorded for verification.
8. REPORTING OF BILLFISH
A billfish hook-up must be called in to the "Committee Boat" within the first minute on VHF channel 71. The "Committee Boat" will validate your hook-up by announcement. A billfish release must be called in to the "Committee Boat" with the following information: species released, boat name and angler name. The "Committee Boat" will then verify your information by announcement and give you a release time, which must be recorded on your daily catch affidavit and turned in at the end of the fishing day, with your video evidence. It is unnecessary to call in any other species besides billfish. If you lose your fish prior to release (i.e. jump off, pulled hook, etc.) please inform the "Committee Boat" as soon as possible. If you call in a release, then it will be recorded as a release. The time stamp of the digital image is the official release time and must be within (plus or minus) fifteen (15) minutes of the time reported by radio to the "Committee Boat". If the timestamp of the identification of the fish is over fifteen (15) minutes from the VHF call, then the release time will be over to the time of the identification time. If there is an error in the reporting of a release or loss of fish, VIDEO evidence is final and will override any miss-communication on the radio.
9. GAMEFISH DIVISION WEIGH-IN
Teams may weigh in one of each species per day. Scale hours are 4:00p.m. – 6:30p.m. each fishing day. The minimum weight of each species is 10 pounds. Any fish eligible for weigh-in must be brought to the scales by a team representative, preferably the actual angler.
10. CATCH & RELEASE RULES
All billfish must be released to qualify. A billfish is considered released when: a) the swivel between the mainline or double line and leader hits the rod tip b) the mate grabs the leader or c) the wind-on leader comes through the rod tip. Please release the fish in good condition by either removing the hook-set or cutting the leader as close to the hook-set as possible. "Popping" the leader is not a good method of healthy release, and we ask that you refrain from doing so.
11. CATCH & RELEASE POINTS
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Boated Blue Marlin over 107” will earn 1 point per pound and will count towards your daily and overall points
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Blue Marlin 600 points
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White Marlin 100 points
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Sailfish 50 points (including unidentified billfish and Spearfish*)
In the event of a tie in total points between two or more boats for the same award, the winner shall be the first boat to reach the score.
12. CATCH & RELEASE VERIFICATION
Identification Markers - each team will obtain 10 colored silicon bands prior to the day’s fishing. This marker must be displayed during the fight and recorded. Failure to show the marker in your video proof will disqualify your catch, even if it is time-stamped.
Release Verification Recordings - each team is required to show video evidence of billfish catch and release. This recording shall be TIME and DATE stamped in accordance with the "official time" as stated by the "Committee Boat" prior to each day's fishing. Your video proof shall include: 1) registered angler fighting the fish 2) proper identification marker 3) sufficient footage of the fish in order to accurately determine the species 4) proper release evidence - see Rule 10 above. All recordings submitted must be easily viewed by the Committee. It is the team's responsibility to have these items and the video cued up for immediate viewing. Failure to do so will delay the verification process. We highly recommend you have at least two recordings on different cameras, and underwater shots are the best way to accurately identify the species.
Billfish Release Affidavit - each billfish release is required to be noted on the day's affidavit and submitted with your video to the Committee each fishing day. Failure to turn in your affidavit will disqualify that day's catch(es). Affidavits are supplied with your registration package. If you do not have one for each day, please see the Committee for a replacement.
Submission of Recordings - Verification recordings must be submitted to the Committee by 6:30 p.m. each day of fishing. All recordings, images, sounds, etc. may become property of Walker’s Cay and Allen X Exploration may be used at any time. Recordings and/or images will be downloaded from the team’s device(s), if needed.
Disputes or Protests - All disputes will be settled by the Committee. All decisions are final.
13. TOURNAMENT POLICY & LIABILITY WAIVER
By signing the entry, you adhere to all tournament rules.
Walker’s Cay has right to move tournament dates in case of severe weather and can refuse entry/participation to anyone for any reason at any time.
All participants are expected to maintain a reasonable and sportsmanlike demeanor at all times throughout the tournament. Unsportsmanlike or threatening conduct towards tournament organizers or other participants, or any other behavior which the tournament organizers deem inappropriate, in their sole discretion, will result in immediate disqualification of the entire team with no refund of entry fees.
Participants of this tournament enter at their own risk. Officials, committee members, sponsors and ALL persons connected directly or indirectly with the operations of the Walker’s Cay shall be exempt from any liability for loss, damage or negligence, harm or injury suffered by any participant, entrant, sportfishing vessel, captain, crew members, vessels and equipment which may occur during this tournament.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Each team is required to pay the $5,000 entry fee in full to register. Entry fee is non-refundable unless tournament is cancelled by Walker’s Cay. Walker’s Cay has the right to move, postpone and or cancel a day(s) of the tournament due to severe weather.