CASTAFARI TOURNAMENT FISHING
Tournament fishing is like a Porsche and...there is no substitute. If
you're looking for one of the best and most exciting challenges the
ocean has to offer, try fishing an offshore sportfishing event. If you
win, you'll enjoy a memory that will last a lifetime...if you lose,
you'll enjoy a memory that will last a lifetime! Tournament fishing is
an absolute blast. Team Castafari has been fishing tournaments in the
northeast since the company started. If there's an event up here worth
fishing, we try to fish it. We've endured thrilling 1st place
wins...and heartbreaking losses. We missed a weigh-in with a winning
fish by 6 minutes. We were knocked out of 1st place by a pound. We
were knocked out of 2nd place by an ounce! Yes...that's right...an
ounce...on a tuna fish! But there's one thing we never miss out
on...the fun that's involved. My crew and I always take tournament
fishing very seriously. We fish like we're competing for the gold!
When the start whistle blows, the sport of big-game fishing becomes a
relentless obsession, a pursuit of glory that pushes some captains and
crews to do things far and beyond the norm. Team Castafari falls into
this category. I've run the Castafari back to the weigh station on
fumes more times than I care to remember. When it comes to tournament
fishing, we go whenever and wherever we need to go to find the fish,
and more importantly, we always have a blast doing it. I enjoy the
comradery that takes place when you get a group of determined souls
together all in search of the same thing, and all willing to do
whatever it takes to get it. Some of my best memories on the water are
from tournament fishing adventures.
THE TEAM
On the Castafari the standard set-up is a crew of 4 guests, 2 mates,
and one captain. If we're not fishing overnight we can go with more
crew members, but I strongly recommend not exceeding 5 as crowding in
the cockpit is the enemy! The Castafari is a very stable platform, and
a great tournament fishing vessel. She is outfitted with all the bells
and whistles needed to get the job done correctly. Not to mention she
is a fish raising machine! My crew and I always make the effort to
prepare ahead of time for each event. We continually have an excess
amount of bait on hand, and our tackle inventory is always far more
than necessary. We are very confident in our approach, so much so that
the boat always contributes into the calcutta. Betting on yourself is
the best bet as far as I'm concerned. I always fish with my top mates,
and they are more than accommodating when it comes to helping anglers
conquer winning fish.
CALCUTTA
For those of you who are unaware, a calcutta is simply an optional
cash side bet (tax deductible) that every boat has the opportunity to
participate in. The Castafari always enters into the calcutta. In some
events, the calcutta winnings can be in the hundreds of thousands! The
last thing you want to do is participate in a fishing tournament and
not enter the calcutta...especially if you win! If that happens you're
shmuck number one. The Castafari has a more than generous set up when
it comes to calcuttas. The way it works is you get back what you put
in. The boat doesn't claim any percentage of the calcutta like some
other charter boats do. If you contribute 10 percent of the calcutta
bet, you get 10 percent of the winnings if the boat places...very
simple. As far as regular prizes go, the boat splits the prizes 50/50
with the charter.
HISTORY
The Castafari has placed 14 times in the top three positions including
almost all of the major sportfishing events up here in the Northeast.
In 2007 the boat placed in the top 3 in every event it fished. In
2009, 2012, and 2015 we secured first place finishes, including a
140,000 pay day at the Block Island Tri-state. Our most recent
tournament achievement was placing 2nd place overall in the 2016
Northeast Offshore Cup. The Castafari was featured on national
television 4 years in a row in the Oak Bluffs Monster Shark
Tournament, and we caught the biggest shark of the event 2 out of the
4 years the show was filming. Our goal is to continue working hard at
maintaining our success rate and to keep up the momentum team
Castafari has created over the passed several years. We've enjoyed
some very fortunate runs...and some unfortunate slumps as well. But
all in all, Castafari tournament fishing is always a positive
experience.
If you're interested in possibly fishing a tournament with us, please
check the Tournament Schedule link on the Castafari Trips And Prices
Page for more information on upcoming events. Maybe we'll see you in
2017!
Tight lines!
Capt. Damon Sacco
The new Castafari entered Cape Cod waters in early June...
Fish ranging from 50 to 900 pounds have been showing up in June...
Three day offshore trips to the gulf stream...
