JULIE JEAN TEAM EDGES THE COMPETITON TO WIN DRAMBUIE KEY WEST MARLIN TOURNAMENT

KEY WEST, Florida Keys -- By less than one point, the Julie Jean fishing team, captained by Jimmy Robertson of Boca Grande, Fla., won the top $25,000 cash prize at the three-day Drambuie Key West Marlin Tournament that ended Saturday, July 23, in the Florida Keys.

One of Robertson's anglers, Chase Wise released a blue marlin and a sailfish Thursday, during the first day of angling. Eight other boats also released one blue marlin and top finishers were determined by entries in the fun-fish division where each day either one dolphin, wahoo or tuna could be weighed or a sailfish released for point.

After their excellent first day, the Julie Jean team couldn't catch any additional fish and that set the stage for a lot of nervousness Saturday for anglers Chase and Howard Wise of Birmingham, Ala.; Brian Holeman of Edmond, Ok., and Travis Holeman of New Orleans.

"Of course, we were nervous," said Chase Wise, who caught the marlin and sailfish, his first ever of either species during his first fishing tournament. "We thought were going to be happy with just finishing in the top five."

Finishing second, was Dreamin' On, skippered by Randy Hodgekiss, with a marlin release and two dolphin weighing 21.1 and 28 pounds. Hodgekiss' anglers included Steve Keinath and Bob Strewe of Rifle, Co., as well as Christifer Whelan of Orange Beach, Ala.

Business Calls was third, with a blue marlin and a 46.8-pound wahoo. The boat is skippered by Bill Rohde with anglers Darren Doop of Summerland Key, Randy Reynolds of Barre, Vt., and Mark Staats of San Ramon, Calif.

"We include the fun-fish division (in the tournament) because want to keep people in action for three full days," said tournament chairman Tim Greene. "We're weighing fun fish to the hundredth of a pound so it is very unlikely we'll have a tie."

The largest marlin of the tournament was estimated at weighing about 550 pounds. It was released by Bruce Wood of Tallahassee, Fla., fishing on the Petticoat III with captain Frank Kerwin.

Bradley Wells, 10, of Naples, Fla., caught a 31.6-pound dolphin to win $5,000 for the largest dolphin.

More than 320 anglers, aboard 65 boats, fished the competition held in conjunction with Key West's annual Hemingway Days Festival. The 2006 edition is set for July 19-22.

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