After a two-year sabbatical to the Dominican Republic, owner Billy Ingram and his veteran crew aboard Reel Passion were back in familiar territory in the summer of 2015 – along the South Carolina coast and atop the standings in the S. C. Governor's Cup Billfishing Series.

Ingram and his crew, led by Capt. Gary Richardson, captured the Governor's Cup title in 2011 in record-breaking fashion, accumulating a series record 6,075 points during the five tournaments. In 2012, Reel Passion finished ninth after competing in a limited portion of the Governor's Cup schedule.

Reel Passion then spent the next two fishing seasons in the Dominican Republic, with the crew honing their craft on the prolific billfish action available just offshore of the Caribbean island nation.