GULF

FINAL RECAP — Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic: Fleur de Lis Wins with a 631.2-Pound Blue Marlin

June 12, 2026

Gulf

Science of Fishing Editorial

Team Fleur de Lis closed out the 29th annual Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic as 2026 Grand Champion, riding angler Matt Cosci's 631.2-pound blue marlin to a $225,949.01 winner's check on the Biloxi waterfront. The fish — caught Sunday, June 8 from the 63-foot Hatteras under Capt. Rusty Smith — stretched 117.5 inches and topped a leaderboard that had belonged to Miss Virginia for most of the weekend.

How a 631-pound June 8 marlin reset the tournament

The 2026 MGCBC drew a 60-boat fleet to Point Cadet Marina for a fishing window that gave teams two ways to play it: a Saturday-through-Monday block (June 6–8) for the 17 boats that chose to leave early, and a Sunday-through-Tuesday block (June 7–9) for the 43 that wanted the back end of the week. Tournament organizer Robbie Carter, who has built that two-window scheduling into the event's identity, summed it up: "I know it sounds cliché but we try to keep everyone happy."

Through Monday morning, the leader was Billy Stimpson aboard Miss Virginia. The Mobile angler's 509.1-pound blue marlin — boated June 7, measured at 110 inches — sat at the top of the heaviest-fish board through the early weigh-ins, and the spread of the fleet meant the only boats left who could beat him were the ones still on the water Sunday and into Tuesday.

Fleur de Lis was one of them. Cosci's marlin hit the scale Sunday evening at 631.2 pounds and 117.5 inches — about a foot longer than Miss Virginia's fish, and more than 120 pounds heavier. That single weigh-in flipped the Grand Champion category and held through the rest of the weekend. Miss Virginia took second in the blue marlin division at 509.1 pounds, but the team still topped the overall payout list for the tournament at $292,180.24 once category prizes were stacked.

Release race went to Boujee Marlin

Team Boujee Marlin aboard All In holds the billfish release division check at the 2026 Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic awards ceremony. — Team Boujee Marlin, fishing aboard the 62-foot Viking All In under Capt. Hunter Smith, collects the 2026 MGCBC first place Catch & Release check for $123,303.33 after tallying 4,200 points on the leaderboard. Photo courtesy Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic.

While Fleur de Lis took the weight win, the Catch & Release division was its own fight. Team Boujee Marlin, fishing aboard the 62-foot Viking All In under Capt. Hunter Smith, put up 4,200 points to win that race and pocket $123,303.33. Two teams tied at 3,500 points right behind them: Nikki Bella earned $109,983, and It Just Takes Time — a name familiar to anyone who has followed this tournament — banked $110,962 for the same release total.

Gamefish: tuna, wahoo, and dolphin

Team Devotion poses with the 2026 Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic first place tuna check and spray-painted tuna trophy after Josh Tice's 177.5-pound yellowfin won the gamefish division. — Team Devotion, the 60-foot Viking captained by Jason Hallmark, takes home the 2026 MGCBC 1st Place Tuna check for $43,642.34 behind Josh Tice's 177.5-pound yellowfin. Photo courtesy Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic.

The gamefish divisions delivered the kind of dockside theater that MGCBC built its weigh-in audience on. Josh Tice aboard the 60-foot Viking Devotion, captained by Jason Hallmark, won the tuna category with a 177.5-pound yellowfin worth $43,642.34. Mitch Jurisich and the crew of Second Wind — a 72-foot F&S under Capt. Marlin Brown — took the wahoo division with a 47.1-pounder. The heaviest dolphin came across Cold Motion's scale: a 53.9-pounder boated by Helen DeLaney.

By the numbers

Fleet: 60 boats, split across two fishing windows (17 boats June 6–8, 43 boats June 7–9).
Total payout: roughly $1.45 million.
Total catches: 106 fish — 69 blue marlin, 7 white marlin, 2 sailfish, 19 tuna, 4 wahoo, and 5 dolphin.
Grand Champion: Fleur de Lis (Capt. Rusty Smith, angler Matt Cosci) — 631.2-pound blue marlin, $225,949.01.
Heaviest blue marlin runner-up: Miss Virginia (Billy Stimpson) — 509.1 pounds; top overall payout at $292,180.24.
Catch & Release winner: Boujee Marlin aboard All In (Capt. Hunter Smith) — 4,200 points, $123,303.33.
Top tuna: Devotion (Capt. Jason Hallmark, angler Josh Tice) — 177.5 pounds, $43,642.34.

Editorial note

The Science of Fishing newsroom did not publish Day 2 or Day 3 dailies for MGCBC 2026. With the two-window schedule rolling teams in and out of the boundary on different calendar days, we made the call to consolidate coverage into this single final recap once the awards ceremony delivered verified, public results. Daily-recap routines will resume on the next event on the summer slate.

Sources

Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic official site — mgcbc.com
Marlin Magazine 2026 MGCBC results — marlinmag.com/tournaments/mgcbc-2026-results
WLOX / WDAM — Mobile angler leads Mississippi Billfish Classic with 509-pound blue marlin (June 9, 2026) — wlox.com
WXXV News 25 — Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic nears finish as anglers compete for big prize (June 8, 2026) — wxxv25.com