ATLANTIC

FINAL RECAP — Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament: Rascal Claims 58th Annual Win With 2,825 Points and a $107,010 Check

June 22, 2026

Atlantic

Science of Fishing Editorial

The Rascal team celebrating their 58th Annual Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament victory in front of the Georgetown lighthouse — image via SC Governor's Cup Billfishing Series

This is the final recap from the 58th Annual Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament at Georgetown Landing Marina in Georgetown, South Carolina, the second of five legs of the 2026 South Carolina Governor's Cup Billfishing Series. The boat Rascal — owner Foster McKissick, Captain Mark Rogers — released two blue marlin and eight sailfish to lock down the win with 2,825 points and a $107,010 payout.

How the Win Came Together

Rascal's number got pulled into a strong release bite over the three-day fishing window of May 20–23, fishing two of three days under the tournament's captain's-choice format. The team's eight sailfish releases at 100 points each were the engine of the score, with the pair of blue marlin releases (300 points each) sealing the gap over the rest of the fleet. Georgetown Landing is Rascal's home port, which made the win sweeter for owner Foster McKissick and the crew of regular anglers fishing the South Carolina circuit.

The Rascal program has run deep in this tournament's history — the same boat name took the overall SC Governor's Cup in 2014, and Captain Mark Rogers is one of the most experienced billfish captains running out of Georgetown Landing.

Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament 2026 official winners graphic: Rascal first with 2 blues and 8 sailfish, Star Fish second with 2 blues and 6 sails, Claytime third with 1 blue, 1 white and 7 sails — graphic by SC Governor's Cup Billfishing Series — Official top-three at the 58th Annual Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament. Graphic: SC Governor's Cup Billfishing Series.

Top Three Boats

1st — Rascal (Capt. Mark Rogers / owner Foster McKissick): 2 blue marlin, 8 sailfish, 2,825 points, $107,010 payout.
2nd — Star Fish: 2 blue marlin, 6 sailfish.
3rd — Claytime: 1 blue marlin, 1 white marlin, 7 sailfish.

Both Star Fish and Claytime are familiar names along the South Carolina coast — Claytime led Day 1 of the HMY Lowcountry Cup in late May, and Star Fish was a top finisher at the Carolina Billfish Classic earlier in the week of June 20.

Fleet Catch Totals

Fifty-six boats fished the 58th Annual Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament. Per Carolina Sportsman's recap and the official Governor's Cup Catch Summary, the fleet logged:

26 blue marlin releases
9 white marlin releases
76 sailfish releases
Zero billfish weighed (all-release format)

That release count keeps the SC Governor's Cup tracking near the front of the East Coast release standings for the 2026 season. The tournament's conservation-first format awards every billfish release at the same points value regardless of weight class, and points-only formats like this one consistently produce some of the strongest release numbers on the calendar.

What It Means for the SC Governor's Cup Standings

Georgetown is leg 2 of the five-leg South Carolina Governor's Cup, which started with the Edisto Invitational, continues through the HMY Lowcountry Cup and the Carolina Billfish Classic, and finishes at the Megadock Billfishing Tournament in Charleston in July. The Rascal win — combined with the boat's release production across multiple legs — puts the team squarely in the conversation for the overall season trophy. We covered HMY Lowcountry Cup leg 3 and the Carolina Billfish Classic Day 3 leaderboard; Georgetown is the connective tissue.

Awards Around the Tournament

The Governor's Cup also recognized meat-fish category winners (dolphin, tuna, wahoo) and Timed Weight Tournament (TWT) honors, with Viking 64 and Sea-Tiger picking up TWT distinctions per the official wrap-up. Full awards detail is on the Governor's Cup Awards Summary page.