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Contact:           Judy Layne, Managing Director            

Ph:                   305-598-2525                                                

Email:               fish@miamibillfish.com

PHOTOS available for download at http://www.miamibillfish.com/pressphotos.html

Or upon request, via electronic or standard mail.

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YAMAHA CONTENDER MIAMI BILLFISH TOURNAMENT EXPANDS FOR 2005

Wind up your reels for a really great time at the 2005 Yamaha Contender Miami Billfish Tournament presented by Berkley !  The tournament will be held the weekend of April 7 through 10, 2005, out of the beautiful Miami Beach Marina on South Beach in Florida.

Weekend festivities will commence with a spirited Kick-Off Party on Thursday, April 7^th with final registration and captain’s meeting.  The next three days will be all about fishing for top cash awards, prizes and trophies.

The public is invited to attend our free daily festival and dock parties. This year, along with great food and drink specials, live music, exhibitors, raffles and entertaining weigh-station action, tournament spectators can also enjoy an arts and crafts festival and farmer’s market. On Sunday, our Live and Silent Auctions will be held, with incredible opportunities to bid on merchandise such as fishing trips, artwork, tackle, and electronics – all in an effort to raise more money for marine conservation. With the best saved for last, the awards ceremony will be held in the air-conditioned tournament tent on Sunday evening featuring our famous raffle drawings. The first is for a 200hp 4-Stroke Yamaha Engine, followed by the drawing for a 25’ Contender Boat complete with a Bluewater Towers T-top and Lean Post, Continental Trailer and 250hp Yamaha Engine.

Total cash awards of over $175,000 were proudly paid out to 2004 top anglers of the participating 442 fishermen and women, not to mention the great trophies and prizes that decorated some of the sport’s best! This year, 4,000 spectators are expected on the docks of the Miami Beach Marina and more than 100 boats are anticipated to register, making this a great competitive and social event for everyone! Even juniors, ladies and families can join in special divisional competition thanks to the focus on Family Fishing Fun!

Participation is easy and here is how to catch a piece of the action: Basic competition entry fees starts at $250 per person (early entry discounts available) with a variety of added value categories available. Anglers compete for billfish (all release), as well as Fun Fish which include dolphin, tuna, wahoo or kingfish. This year, along with the $5,000 Dolphin Challenge for the heaviest Dolphin, there is now the Kingfish Challenge, awarding another $5,000 for the Heaviest Kingfish, sponsored by Blanchard Machinery! In addition, the Libertad Challenge, sponsored by Shelley Realty, is an even more exciting battle as the cash award has increased to $30,000!

Many international anglers are expected this year, as the YCMBT is a qualifying event for two growing international tournament series - The Rolex IGFA Invitational Tournament of Champions and The World Billfish Series. All out-of-town anglers are invited to take advantage of special YCMBT dockage and hotel discounts by contacting the tournament office or visiting our newly redesigned Web site at www.miamibillfish.com.

The Yamaha Contender Miami Billfish Tournament was founded 23 years ago with the goal to raise money for marine conservation and promote preservation awareness. In the last decade, over $388,000 has been donated to various organizations such as The Billfish Foundation, The Coastal Conservation Association, and the Florida Keys Marine Laboratory. The event is supported by sponsors and product donors nationwide interested in giving back to the marine industry.  Principal sponsors this year include Yamaha Motor Corp., Contender Boats, Berkley Fishing, Lowrance Electronics, Boater’s World, Costa del Mar and Okuma Fishing Tackle.

Media coverage for the 2004 tournament will be provided by WTVJ-NBC6, WKIS-99.9FM KISS Country Radio, WLRN, WIOD, WAXY, Zeta 94.9, InTheBite.com and www.fishwbs.com.

For additional information, visit www.miamibillfish.com or call 305-598-2525.

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