Furuno Gulf Coast Division
CAPT. CHASE LAKE
Team Supreme // 2,200 pts.
Louisiana Gulf Coast Billfish Classic
1st Place – 500 pts.
Orange Beach Billfish Classic
3rd Place – 100 pts.
MBGFC Gulf Coast Masters
1st Place – 500 pts.
Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic
1st Place – 500 pts.
Pensacola International Billfish Tournament
3rd Place – 100 pts.
Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic
1st Place – 500 pts.
Matching the Gulf’s Rhythm
If the Gulf has a heartbeat, Captain Chase Lake at the helm of the Viking 72, Team Supreme, learned to match it. The season began with serendipity, when a light on the horizon guided them to a productive fishing hole, and ended with a hometown win secured by a last-light sailfish.
In between, there was a sheared rudder, an overnight parts run, tough calls on kill-versus-release, and ultimately, a final-day tiebreak that landed Team Supreme four firsts and podium finishes across their six-tournament season, for Lake’s three-peat COTY.
“I tried not to,” says Lake, about the possibility of a three-peat. The Destin, Florida native has been fishing since age 12, when he spent a summer working as a second mate on a neighbor’s boat.
“I focus on the next hour, the next day, the next week. The fleet keeps leveling up. What used to win at two or three releases became five, then seven. Everyone’s efficient, sonar-savvy, and moving fast.”
Setting the Tone Early
A win in the Louisiana Gulf Coast Billfish Classic set the tone for the season.
“We prefished and stumbled on an oil rig no one seemed to be fishing, our ‘secret rig’ in the Gulf off Louisiana,” Lake said. “Having it to ourselves was a big edge, especially with a slow bite east of the river. We camped there and stacked releases. Fishing alone matters.”
A Costly Lesson at Orange Beach
Placing third at the Orange Beach Billfish Classic proved a cautionary tale, but it wasn’t for lack of preparedness.
Near the Louisiana opener’s end, Team Supreme sheared a rudder. The fix was pure grit: wheel watches in a car, a 40-plus-hour straight drive to Viking in New Jersey to grab parts off a 68-footer, then blast back south, install, splash, fish.
“I left fish to find fish, a mistake,” he says. “A buddy stayed on the oil rig side and did better, finishing second. We still placed, but leaving them probably cost us a shot at the win.”
Closing the Deal at Masters
Lesson learned, at the MBGFC Gulf Coast Masters, Lake returned to the zone he’d marked the week prior (albeit not the “secret” rig) and closed for the win.
“Same ocean, different day,” he said, “but this time they cooperated.”
They caught five blues and a white.
Cajun Canyons Drama
Venice delivered the fireworks. The Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic is one of Lake’s favorites for a reason. Over three years, Team Supreme has released 21 blues there.
On day one, they bucked their usual slow start with three releases. On day two, “We finally broke my weird ‘can’t get past seven’ wall and nearly grabbed number eight at the leader and lost it by inches,” Lake said.
The final day turned nerve-wracking. Bites went cold while a rival lit up CatchStat from the east. Both boats ended on eight, and both lost a ninth late. Team Supreme took it on time.
Lake calls it a “total nail-biter.”
Playing the Long Game
“You can’t kill a mediocre fish,” Lake said. “If it’s not clearly podium-caliber, we protect release points and the fishery.”
That strategy mattered. Early in the tournament, the crew argued about letting a legal “kill” fish go to stay strong in release points. As it turned out, they needed the release more than the dock weight, and it was ultimately the correct call.
Pensacola and the Numbers Game
The Pensacola International Billfish Tournament used the inverse scoring format, a system that folds dock weight into the total.
Team Supreme finished second in tag-and-release, but another team’s 20-some-pound blackfin tuna bumped them down to third overall.
Finishing Strong at Home
Finally, in the heart of home waters at the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic, Lake launched a bold plan. That was to burn a full fishing day running nearly to Texas and then sit on one rig.
Unusual for him.
By 8:30 a.m. the next morning, nothing.
“I was sweating,” he said. “Then it clicked, steady bites. The clincher was a sailfish right at dark on the last day.”
Team Supreme and a friendly rival were tied for the 2025 Gulf Coast Triple Crown Championship title going into this tournament. The friend ultimately won as Team Supreme’s hookup ratio dipped.
Still, Lake landed on top as the Captain of the Year.
The Team and the Target Ahead
In addition to Lake at the helm, Team Supreme members this season included owner/anglers Allen Krake, wife Lisa, and sons Allen Krake Jr. and Alex Krake—the latter of which is also the sonar operator—and mates Hunter “GAM” Smith, Seth “Cray/Crayola” Brennan, and James “Tuesday” Arnold.
Looking ahead, Team Supreme’s north star is simple: log the time, keep the mechanics clean, and chase a 100-blue season.
“It’s doable,” Lake says. “First to seven still usually wins, but we’re always hunting eight, nine, and 10.”
Divisions: East Coast / Florida / Gulf Coast / International / Hawaii
Sanctioned Tournaments Rules Past Standings 2024 / 2023 / 2022 / 2021 / 2020 / 2019 / 2018 / 2017 / 2016 / Past Winners
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