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BOCA GRANDE, Fla. — One of the smallest tarpon in the event ended up being the biggest catch in the Miller High Life Professional Tarpon Tournament Series presented by Century Boats.

Although the tarpon were rolling, each of the top five teams competing was only able to hook one or two fish during Sunday's finale of the two-day competition.

None of the teams had one in the bag until the last 10 minutes of the competition when team Tropic Trailer/Electrolube radioed a fish on. Eleven minutes later, in overtime, the team had leadered and gaffed their fish and was headed to the scale.

With only 14 pounds separating them from first place and with no other fish weighed during Day Two, the weigh-in was a formality. At 102 pounds, one of the smallest fish weighed during the entire 2008 PTTS season was enough to give them the win.

The 2008 Tarpon Cup Championship, held Saturday and Sunday in Boca Grande Pass, Fla., featured the top 25 teams based on point standings at the close of the regular season's Yamaha Team of the Year Race. Teams were allowed to weigh-in two tarpon during Day One with the top five teams moving on to Sunday.

At the end of Day One, Team Yamaha, led by Capt. Troy Sapp, was atop the leaderboard with a two-fish combined weight of 283 pounds. Sapp and crew landed their first fish, a 112-pound Tarpon, three hours into the five-hour event.

"We knew we had a lot of ground to make up, and not a lot of time to do it," Sapp said.

However, time was on Team Yamaha's side. Twenty minutes after weighing their first fish, Jill Sapp dropped down a jig rigged with a "secret worm tail" and hooked another Tarpon.

   
Team Tropic Trailer/Electrolube pose with the winning Tarpon.
"The fish came right up and I knew it was the one we needed," Sapp said.

Seventeen minutes later, Team Yamaha gaffed their fish and was headed to the Wing House Weighboat. The large tarpon tipped the Tires Plus Scale at 171 pounds, the largest fish of the day, giving them a two-fish total of 283 pounds and a 14-pound advantage over second-place team Tropic Trailer/Electrolube.

"We knew 14 pounds could easily be made up, but we also knew the bite may be tough" said Capt. Jess Messmer, a Lee County Fireman.

By all accounts, the bite was more than tough on Sunday. During the three-hour event, each team managed to only hook one or two fish.

Team Yamaha F350, led by Capt. Ozzie Fischer, landed the first fish an hour into the event. After looking at the fish, the captain and his team decided to release it.

"The fish was small — maybe 80 pounds." Fischer said. "We were fishing for the win, not second place, and we didn't think that fish would hold up."

   
Team Yamaha had the lead after Day One, but couldn't hang on to it on Day Two.
But it would have come close. After Yamaha F350, no team landed a tarpon. It wasn't until the last 10 minutes that Team Tropic Trailer/Electrolube even had a reasonable bite. And it wasn't until overtime that they were able to bring it in. At 102 pounds, it was small, but it was enough.

"We couldn't be happier." Messmer said. "This is only our second season fishing the PTTS. Last year we struggled — we were dealing with a learning curve. This year we put our time in, pre-fished, and it payed off."

With the victory, the team won a Century 2202 Inshore powered by a Yamaha F250 and Continental Aluminum trailer valued at $45,000. They also won the $1,000 Yamaha incentive bonus and each received Championship rings.

The Tarpon Cup Championship marks the end of the 2008 Miller High Life PTTS presented by Century boat season. The PTTS nationally broadcast television show begins airing on July 3 and will run for 13 weeks, four times weekly.

The Miller High Life PTTS presented by Century Boats is the largest and richest live-release tarpon tournament in the world, featuring five regular season events and one championship event all held in Boca Grande Pass, Fla.

Teams may weigh one fish daily and obtain points towards the Yamaha Team of the Year Race by releasing placing, weighing and releasing fish. Camera crews are on hand during the PTTS to capture the action for a 13-week television series that airs on Sun Sports Network and World Fishing Network. This year the show will be available in over 37 million households nationwide and in Canada