Grand Lagoon Billfish Classic Returns to Panama City Beach for Second Annual Tournament |
Offshore fishing teams will compete for billfish releases, trophy gamefish and cash awards during five days of competition and waterfront activities at Lighthouse Marina. |
The waters off Panama City Beach will welcome some serious offshore fishing action as the 2nd Annual Grand Lagoon Billfish Classic returns August 5–9, 2026.
Presented by the Gulf Coast Sportfishing Club, the tournament brings competitive anglers, captains and crews to Lighthouse Marina for several days of Gulf fishing, tournament competition and family-friendly waterfront excitement.
The Grand Lagoon Billfish Classic begins Wednesday, August 5, with registration, food and drinks at Lighthouse Marina. On-site registration opens at 5:00 p.m. and closes at 7:00 p.m., followed by the mandatory captains meeting. Teams will also have until 8:00 p.m. to enter the tournament’s optional cash-award categories.
Boats Head Offshore Thursday Morning
The official tournament start is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Thursday, August 6.
Participating boats may depart from eligible inlets between Apalachicola and Fort Walton Beach, allowing teams from across the Florida Panhandle to take part. Fishing begins after departure and continues through Saturday.
There is no public weigh-in scheduled for Friday, August 7, as teams remain offshore searching for billfish and other prized Gulf species.
The competition includes catch-and-release points for blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish, spearfish and other qualifying billfish. Teams can also earn tournament points by bringing eligible tuna, wahoo and dolphinfish, commonly called mahi-mahi—to the scales.
Under the tournament’s scoring system, a released blue marlin is worth 500 points. Released white marlin, sailfish, spearfish and qualifying unidentified billfish are worth 200 points each. Weighed tuna earn one point per pound, wahoo earn two points per pound and dolphinfish earn three points per pound.
Blue marlin may not be brought aboard or weighed during this tournament and qualify only through catch-and-release competition.
Saturday Weigh-In Open at Lighthouse Marina
For spectators, the main attraction arrives Saturday, August 8, when the official weigh-in takes place at Lighthouse Marina.
The scales open at 5:00 p.m. and close at 8:00 p.m. Tournament boats will return to the marina with their catches as crews wait to see which teams land the heaviest tuna, wahoo and dolphinfish.
Drinks, tournament merchandise, sponsor displays and additional weigh-in activities are expected to be available during the evening. The tournament describes the event as a relaxed, family-friendly weekend, making Saturday’s weigh-in an opportunity for residents and visitors to experience the excitement without heading offshore.
Lighthouse Marina is located at 5325 N. Lagoon Drive in Panama City Beach.
Multiple Tournament and Cash-Award Categories
The base tournament entry fee is $1,600 per team, plus applicable Florida sales tax.
Awards will be presented to the Tournament Champion, second- and third-place teams, the heaviest tuna, dolphinfish and wahoo, and the top-performing boat measuring 32 feet or less. Recognition will also be given to the tournament’s top lady angler and top junior angler age 17 or younger.
Registered teams may enter additional cash-award divisions for white marlin, swordfish, catch-and-release billfish, dolphinfish, wahoo and tuna. Optional entry levels range from $250 to $5,000, with payouts determined by the number of boats entering each category.
The weekend concludes Sunday, August 9, with an awards breakfast beginning at 8:30 a.m. at Deckhand Social, located at 3901 Thomas Drive. Tournament awards will be presented across the overall, species, angler, boat and optional cash-award divisions.
Founded in Panama City Beach in 2025, the Gulf Coast Sportfishing Club promotes recreational and competitive fishing while helping educate members and guests about fishing along the Gulf Coast.
With offshore competition, big-game fish and a lively Saturday weigh-in, the Grand Lagoon Billfish Classic offers another exciting reason to visit the Grand Lagoon waterfront this August.
Event Details
Event: 2nd Annual Grand Lagoon Billfish Classic Presented by: Gulf Coast Sportfishing Club |
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25 Comments
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How do you even land a wahoo without getting sliced up? Those fish are fast.
Nice to see lady anglers getting recognized. About time!
That entry fee keeps out the amateurs, but it must be a wild scene in those boats.
Gotta get there early, parking fills up fast every time there’s something at the marina.
Does anyone know if pets are allowed at Lighthouse Marina during the event?
Will there be music during the weigh-in? It’d be nice to have a little entertainment.
So cool they give an award for smaller boats. Not everyone has a 60 foot yacht!
I'm just here for the drinks and seeing huge fish up close.
Props to the Gulf Coast Sportfishing Club for putting this on two years running.
The registration is only 2 hours? Hope teams don’t get caught up in traffic.
No blue marlin at the scales to see, but I guess it's better for the fish.
I like that the event is family-friendly, some of these tournaments can be rowdy.
Will Fresh Off The Dock be open during the weigh-in? Their fried shrimp is the best.
Never tried fishing offshore but this makes me wanna give it a go.
So there are cash prizes? That’s a lot at stake!
I hope the weather holds up this August. Would be a shame to have storms again.
Glad they include junior anglers! My son would love to enter someday.
Do you need a boat to just come watch the fish weigh-in, or is it open to anyone?
That marina's a great spot for an event, lots of parking and food.
I went to the weigh-in last year, so much fun, the crowds were wild when a big tuna came in.
Nice that they have catch and release for blue marlin. Keep those fish in the ocean!
Wish I knew how to fish for mahi-mahi, they taste so good.
$1,600 to sign up is steep but I guess serious anglers pay it no problem.
Always love seeing the big boats head out. Might check out the weigh-in this year.
Wow, 500 points for a blue marlin. That sounds like a rush.