Team Executive Decision wins $9,000 at IFC Captain’s Cup Tournament in Florida Keys
ISLAMORADA, Florida Keys (July 1, 2025) — Stormy conditions did not deter thirty anglers on Thursday, June 26 during the Islamorada Fishing Club’s Captains Cup Dolphin Tournament. The teams headed out from Islamorada to capture dolphin (mahi-mahi), hoping the combined weight of the biggest three fish would win the tournament’s $9,000 in prize money and trophies.
Executive Decision’s Captain Chris Ware of Alva, Florida would lead his team to victory with the largest fish of the tournament, weighing in at 14.8 pounds, captured by Jill Paglia from Ocala, Florida. Jill fished with her husband John along with Mike Kasten of St. Petersburg, Florida, and Captain Ware. The team weighed two more fish at 6.1 and 5.7 pounds for a total of 26.7 pounds, winning the Caribee Boat Sales and Yamaha Outboards first place awards and a check for $9,000.
The second largest fish, only one tenth of a pound less than Jill’s fish, was weighed by Joey Murphy of Islamorada while fishing with Captain TJ Zinkand, also of Islamorada, and Juan Roman from Florida City, Florida, aboard the Heavy Guns. The team took home the second-place awards sponsored by Regan Roth Insurance and CBT Construction with their three-fish combined weight of 23.5 pounds.
Travis Bennett and Andy Cone from Tavernier, Florida, along with Don DeLeon from Miami, Florida, took third place. The team was fishing with Captain Brian Cone aboard his Islamorada charter boat Contagious. They weighed three fish, 6.0, 7.0 and 7.9 pounds for a total of 20.9 pounds winning his own Travis Bennett DDS and Live Action Charters sponsored awards.
All the tournament’s anglers, captains, mates and sponsors are excited and ready to be a part of next year’s event which will be held in the Islamorada Fishing Club’s impressive new building that is nearing completion.
For more information on the tournament and the Islamorada Fishing Club, call the club at 305-664-4735 or visit www.theislamoradafishingclub.com
High-resolution images, captions and photo credits are available at this link.
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Captain Chris Ware and Team Executive Decision won first place and $9,000 with the largest fish of the tournament and a total catch of 26.7 pounds. (Photo courtesy of Islamorada Fishing Club)
Jill Paglia of Ocala, Florida landed the tournament’s largest fish at 14.8 pounds, helping Team Executive Decision secure first place and $9,000. (Photo courtesy of Islamorada Fishing Club)
Captain TJ Zinkand and Team Heavy Guns earned second place with a total of 23.5 pounds, missing the largest fish title by just 0.1 pound. (Photo courtesy of Islamorada Fishing Club)
Captain Brian Cone and Team Contagious took third place with a three-fish total of 20.9 pounds, earning Caribee Boat Sales and Yamaha Outboards third place awards. (Photo courtesy of Islamorada Fishing Club)
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