Custom boats go after the billfish grand slam in the Bahamas.

Kenny McLean barely had the words “Bahamas” and “billfishing” out of his mouth when I asked when and how. Within days I was flying into Eleuthera in the Bahamas, where McLean’s 80-foot custom fishing boat, Big Gin, was docked at Harbour Island in preparation for her first tournament, the Custom Shootout. This invitation-only annual event for custom-built inboard sportfishing boats allows premier builders to showcase their latest creations and their owners to compete among the sport’s best for the coveted titles of Top Angler and Top Boat.

McLean picked me up at the Teledyne Mattituck FBO in Fairhope, Alabama, in a Citation Shares’ XLS fractional, which has a capacity of 1,800 nautical miles and seats 8 in oversized buttery, soft-leather seats. The benefit of fractional ownership proved obvious when the original plane en route was delayed with a mechanical problem. Citation Shares immediately provided another plane so we could stay on schedule, proving their reputation as a leading service provider in the fractional industry.

After a brief stop at Fort Lauderdale’s Jet Center, we cruised down to the Bahamas at an altitude of 41,000 feet and roughly 429 knots. Just 35 minutes later we were circling over the sparkling variegated aqua waters as we prepared to land at the tiny North Eleuthera International Airport, where we were warmly greeted at the FBO and escorted through the customs process. Total time door to dock clocked in at just under four hours.

Both of the marinas on Harbour Island were filled with an amazing array of sportfishing boats carrying an average price tag around $4.5 million, and some of the biggest names in the business were on hand to show off their craftsmanship. Custom sportfishing boats have very plush interiors outfitted with leather sofas, kitchens, staterooms, baths, and crew quarters as standard features—and the boats just keep getting bigger and better. McLean’s 80-footer, a Donzi created by Roscioli, ranked the second largest and one of the most lux-uriously appointed, and while McLean wasn’t involved in the building process like most owners, he wouldn’t change a thing.

He recalls that it was love at first sight when he happened upon her at the March 2006 Miami Boat Show. He named her Big Gin perhaps, as rumor suggests, in honor of winning his first fishing boat at a card game of gin some years back. “I saw her and just had to have her!” he exclaims, his eyes twinkling as he speaks about his latest passion. McLean’s current love incorporates a way for him to compete in sports and include his family in the action. His children, Jim, Landon, Sadie, and Charlie, who was named Gulf Coast Junior Angler of the Year for 2005, are all part of the Big Gin team.

While custom sportfishing boats are designed to be luxurious, functionality and “fishability” are key, according to industry icon Roy Merritt, of Merritt Boat & Engine Works, a third-generation builder out of Pompano, Florida. With an impressive client list that includes country music stars Alan Jackson and George Strait and NASCAR’s Hendrick Motorsports founder Rick Hendrick, Merritt builds his boats for serious fishing, but he can’t pay less attention to the amenities his high-end clients require. Merritt says he tries to come up with something new on each new boat while preserving trademark “Merritt” elements. He notes that a piece of his heart goes into every boat he builds—and his pride runs deep. “The owner may pay the bills on the boat,” he explains, “but I will own it forever in my heart.” Delivery on a new Merritt takes 20 to 22 months for 72 to 80 feet, and his new standard, an 86-footer he has on the drawing board, will be completed in three years.

H. Wayne Huizenga Jr. of Huizenga Holdings (owners and managers of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins among other interests) took the short trip from Florida in a Gulfstream G-4 because “that is what the runway could handle,” but he confessed his personal favorite plane to fly is Wayne Sr.’s Boeing Business Jet 737. Wayne Jr. came in to fish aboard the Rosemary, which was built by Rybovich, a legendary boat-building company he acquired 2½ years ago. After acquiring the company Wayne Jr. brought Rybovich blood back to the brand by teaming up with Michael Rybovich, another third-generation builder who had been working under the Ryco name for the past 20 years. Rybovich currently has four boats under construction starting at $4 million for 60 feet. Wayne Jr. explains that “the buyers who are spending these significant dollars want to have a unique vessel. In my mind, there is nothing worse than spending $4 or $5 million and pull up to the dock and see a boat just like yours sitting in the slip next to you. Since each Rybovich is custom built to a customer’s exacting standards, each boat is a unique work of art never to be duplicated.”

Mark Willis, another Florida builder, drew a lot of attention for his entry, Mehl Ticket, a 67-footer that many of the other owners and captains made mention of when asked to select a favorite boat (besides their own, of course). When asked to talk about what it’s like to build a custom boat, Willis replied, “It’s probably most like raising a daughter and then giving her away at the altar. You raise her, love her, and endure the ups and downs, and just when she’s all grown up she is off to start a life with someone else. You just pray the owner loves and cherishes her as much as you do.” Mark Willis boats carry a $4-million-plus price tag, and he only builds one every three years, each involving more than 70,000 man-hours to complete.

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