FINAL RECAP — Carolina Billfish Classic: Bull Pen Wins with 2,800 Points and Late Day-3 Surge

This is the final recap from the 2026 Carolina Billfish Classic, the fourth leg of the South Carolina Governor's Cup Billfishing Series, hosted at Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina from June 17 through June 20, 2026.

Bull Pen took the win at the 2026 Carolina Billfish Classic with 2,800 points, edging Star Fish (2,600) and 56 Freeman (2,400) in a top-three finish that was not locked in until late Day 3. The closing-day surge reshuffled the leaderboard after Star Fish closed Friday at the top of the cumulative standings; Bull Pen's Saturday push delivered the title and the largest single payout in a $326,500 prize pool spread across 28 boats and 92 catches over three fishing days.

Top Five Boats — Billfish Total Points

1. Bull Pen — 2,800 pts
2. Star Fish — 2,600 pts
3. 56 Freeman — 2,400 pts
4. Claytime — 1,800 pts
5. Game On — 1,600 pts (tied with Double 07)

Bull Pen has been a fixture in the SC Governor's Cup conversation for several seasons — the program led the series outright in past years and has finished first or second in multiple legs. Saturday's win at Charleston puts the boat squarely back in the 2026 Series picture heading into the Edisto Invitational Billfish Tournament finale in July.

Behind the podium, the leaderboard was tight through the middle of the fleet. Double 07 tied Game On at 1,600 points for fifth, while Geddy Up and Legal Holiday matched at 1,400 each for seventh. Undue Risk and Mister Pete rounded out the top ten at 1,000 points apiece. Notably, series leader Rascal — who entered Charleston with the overall 2026 SC Gov Cup points lead — finished the event well off the podium at 200 points, leaving the door open for Claytime, Star Fish, and now Bull Pen to close the gap on the season trophy.

Gamefish Standouts

Three boats stamped their names on the gamefish leaderboards over the weekend:

• Dolphin: Legal Holiday with a 53.90-pound bull dolphin — the heaviest gamefish weighed at the event.
• Tuna: Bellabroka (The Salty Belles program) at 23 pounds.
• Wahoo: Bellabroka at 21.50 pounds — a Bellabroka double on the gamefish side.

Lady Angler and Youth Awards

Star Fish's Cynthia Starosta took Outstanding Lady Angler honors with 2,400 points — a meaningful chunk of Star Fish's 2,600-point team total. Starosta also finished first in the same category at the HMY Lowcountry Cup three weeks earlier (1,400 points), making her the in-form female angler of the 2026 SC Gov Cup season.

On the youth side, Ford Schlicksup aboard Undue Risk topped the Youth Angler 10-16 leaderboard with 800 points, contributing more than three-quarters of his team's points total.

Series Implications

With four of five Governor's Cup legs in the books, the 2026 season trophy is now a Charleston-dominated chase. The current top-five cumulative standings (per the SC DNR Governor's Cup Top Boats summary, pending CBC ratification) are Rascal at 5,650, Claytime at 5,250, Viking 64 at 4,650, Star Fish at 4,450, and Game On at 4,050. Bull Pen's Charleston win is expected to push the program meaningfully up the cumulative table once SC DNR rolls in the CBC points.

The series concludes at the Edisto Invitational Billfish Tournament, July 15–18 at Edisto Island, with the perpetual Governor's Cup trophy still in play across the top five boats.

By the Numbers

• Boats: 28
• Total catches: 92
• Prize pool: $326,500
• Heaviest weighed gamefish: 53.90-pound dolphin (Legal Holiday)
• Awards ceremony: Saturday June 20, 2026, 6–9 pm at Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina (Shem Creek Boogie Band; awards presentation 8 pm)

Sources

Unofficial results sourced from the official Reel Time Apps live leaderboard at reeltime.app. Series cumulative context from the South Carolina Governor's Cup Billfishing Series Top Boats summary and the SC Governor's Cup official channels. Tournament details from fishbcbc.com and the InTheBite tournament profile. Awards ceremony details verified via the Charleston City Paper Tickets event listing. Adapted with reporting from InTheBite.

All catch-and-release point totals and gamefish weights are unofficial pending South Carolina Governor's Cup ratification. We will revise on official confirmation.

Photo: Carolina Billfish Classic / fishbcbc.com