13 West Palm Beach Fishing Club Southern Run Takes 81st Derby in Down to the Wire Finish time, an impressive angling feat.  The best of the sail- fish bite was taking place between Juno Beach and Hobe Sound.  The heavy weight fish on the first day was a 25 pound, 12 ounce cobia landed by angler Lev Mullins of Palm Beach Gar- dens aboard Princess Lily.  Mullins had the presence of mind to pitch out a flat line bait while his fellow crew members were occupied untangling their fishing kite that had become fouled in an outrigger.  Mullins’ fish would end up earning the 'Top Weight Fish' award in the Derby.  A total of 142 sails, of which 23 were tagged, were re- leased the first day.  Nearly twenty teams had posted 4 or more releases during the day setting the stage for a very competitive finish. A brisk wind out of the south greeted Derby anglers Team Southern Run breaks out the champagne dockside to commemorate their 2018 Derby win. Team Southern Run The Fishing Club’s 81st running of the Silver Sail- fish Derby, the World’s Oldest Sailfish Tournament, concluded with one of the most exciting finishes in recent history.  An impres- sive fleet of 41 boats par- ticipated in the prestigious event, held in early January out of Sailfish Marina in Palm Beach Shores.  The fleet faced mostly southerly winds during the course of the tournament, a wind direc- tion that is typically not consid- ered to be ideal for sailfishing. Derby anglers dispelled that premise by amassing a respectable catch of 317 sailfish releases during the two days of fishing.  The week prior to the Derby below average tempera- tures and rough sea conditions helped push sailfish down the Florida coast creating optimism among anglers.  The morning of the tournament southerly winds warmed temperatures and brought scattered showers to the re- gion.  Angler Todd Willard aboard Fish On posted the Derby’s first fish just minutes after the start.  As the day progressed nearly the entire fleet was radioing in fish.  It was not a fast paced bite, but rather a steady pick.  Team Old No.7/Propayroll led by Captain Jamie Ralph and Team Remix/Freebird  led by Captain J.C. Cleare dueled at the top of the scoreboard most of the day.  They both would finish the day with 8 releases, with Old No. 7/Propayroll winning the Top Daily Boat award on time.  Team Kite Keeper finished the day in third place with 7 releases on time.  Angler Mike Simko of Palm Beach Gardens would earn the 'Top Daily Angler' award catching all 7 of Kite Keeper’s fish on day one.  At one point Simko found himself battling two sails at the same