Walker’s Cay state-of-the-art marina
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Walker’s Cay in the northern Bahamas has always been a “legendary” fishing destination because the fishing has always been “legendary.” But unfortunately Walker’s also became “legendary”—in the past-tense—because it suffered significant hurricane damage and was virtually abandoned by its previous owners since the 1990’s.
But the good news is now that owners Carl and Gigi Allen are spending millions to rebuild the island, Walker’s Cay is coming back better than ever. And now that the second annual Walker’s Cay Invitational will take place from May 18-21, and Fly Zone Fishing will be producing the event, the present-tense legend will continue to grow.
The state-of-the-art marina at Walker’s Cay in the Abacos, Bahamas
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“During its heyday in the 1970’s through the 1990’s, Walker’s was home to some of the best fishing in the southern Atlantic,” says tournament director Robert “Fly” Navarro. “In addition, the dockside hospitality was legendary. It was home to tournaments like the Bertram-Hatteras Shootout and the Bahamas Billfish Championship. The participating boats read like a Who’s Who of the sport, and you knew you were fishing against some of the best teams and anglers in the world. It’s our intent to recreate some of those great old memories while also building on a solid foundation for the future growth of the sport in the Bahamas.”
This year’s event will be capped at a maximum of 45 boats; according to Navarro, the top 20 from the 2021 tournament will receive invitations, with the remainder drawn at random from a waiting list.
Superyachts and sport fishing boats in Walker’s Cay marina
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Last year’s event attracted big names like #1 ranked golfer in the world Dustin Johnson who competed aboard his custom-built sport fishing boat Just Chillin.
And now that Walker’s state-of-the-art marina has been enlarged and strengthened to accommodate superyachts, Johnson and other A-listers will again be able to compete on their large offshore fishing boats during the day, then retire to comfort and service of their much larger yachts in the marina at night.
And while Allen loves to fish, it’s obvious he loves Walker’s and the people of the Bahamas even more.
Walker’s Cay in The Bahamas
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“While Hurricane Dorian was devastating for much of the northern Bahamas, it’s a bump in the road compared to the pandemic,” says Allen. “We need to do our part to help get people back to the Bahamas so we can help these people continue to recover and also move forward. The Walker’s Cay Invitational is a key part of that movement to better days ahead.”
Amen to that.
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