Annual Key West Fishing Tournament

For serious anglers, the only thing better than catching a big fish is getting an award for doing it, which is why anglers flock to the Annual Key West Fishing Tournament.

Fishing tournaments draw anglers in record numbers each year. Fortunately, in the southeastern states, there is a tournament for just about every type of fish and every type of angler; you could fish in a different tournament nearly every weekend throughout the year. But there is one tournament that covers every type of legally caught fish in a region, is open to every type of angler (young and old, male and female, professional and amateur), doesn’t care if you’re fishing from a boat, a bank, a beach, or a bridge, and runs continuously for six months. Welcome to the 54th Annual Key West Fishing Tournament, which begins on New Year’s Day and continues until August 31st.

It was founded in 1965 by a Key West legend, Capt. Gainey Maxwell, as a way to support the Lower Florida Keys fledgling charter fishing business. Today, the tournament’s goal is to promote sport fishing, conservation, and tourism in the Lower Keys. According to tournament officials, “Each year, more than 2,000 anglers receive the Outstanding Angling Achievement award to commemorate their catch or a Sportsmanship Award for released catches.”

Awards are available for 44 different species in nine different line classes from 8-pound to stronger than 50-pound test line. Categories also include fly, spin and plug tackle. As a way to promote conservation and the release of fish, the tournament sets minimum weights in each class to discourage the loss of smaller fish. Awards are also limited to minimum lengths for some species in the release category. Entering the tournament couldn’t be any easier. Just have your catch weighed at one of the participating weigh stations by an official weigh master, fill out an entry form and mail it to the tournament office or deposit it in one of the entry drop boxes at Garrison Bight City Marina, Esky’s Rod Shop, Sunset Marina, or Sugarloaf Marina.

Encouraging the next generation of anglers is an important part of the tournament’s mission. Two of the most popular categories are the Junior Division for anglers up to 15 years of age and the Pee Wee Division for anglers under 10.

keywestfishingtournament.com

By Bob Arrington, Southern Boating January 2018

Check out more fishing tournaments.

Sport Fishing Tournaments in the Caribbean

Back to Back Sport fishing Tournaments in Antigua & Barbuda

Big boat, little boat, sportfish or billfish, there is something for everyone at back-to-back sport fishing tournaments hosted by the Antigua & Barbuda Sport Fishing Club in May.

For those who like marlin fishing, there’s the Mikie Pigott Jr. Memorial Classic on May 18th. This is followed by the 52nd Annual Antigua & Barbuda Sports Fishing Tournament (ABSFT) May 19-20, which offers both billfish and sports fish divisions.

“The chance to win the US $100,000 is a big attraction. It should be awarded when more boats take part in the Marlin Division,” says Tournament Director Robert Hall. “They will attempt to break our blue marlin record of 771.25 pounds.”

On land, spectators can watch the fish weighed, mix with anglers, buy from food and drink vendors, and join in nightly parties complete with live bands hosted in the Nelson’s Dockyard venue. The ABSFT is a qualifying event for the Offshore World Championship held each April in Costa Rica.

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Photo courtesy of the Antigua and Barbuda Sport Fishing Club

By Carol Bareuther, Southern Boating May 2018

More Caribbean Updates:

Dolphinfish Tagging

Chesapeake Fishing

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: winter Chesapeake fishing!

Anglers can enjoy fishing for striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay and on the Atlantic Coast year-round, and December is typically one of the best months to catch large fish.
Striped bass, known locally as rockfish, tend to congregate in locations where the rivers and tributaries come into the Chesapeake. Jigging with heavy sinker lures such as Stingsilvers and large plastics is typically the best tactic to reach down and catch them, and it’s also a fun and active method. When a large rockfish hits your lure, there’s no doubt about it, especially when using braided line. Trolling large lures down deep is another effective tactic. As the water temperatures drop into the 40s, the fish get a little sluggish, but they need to eat all year long.

A fully heated cabin will keep you warm for the run to the fishing grounds. Hiring a professional charter is also an option, and many captains continue to run their boats until the end of the month. Under current regulations, the season in Maryland turns into catch-and-release only beginning January 1st until the opening of the spring trophy season in mid-April. The spring trophy season on the Chesapeake for stripers in Virginia usually begins in mid-May. The season is open all year on the coast with a 28-inch minimum size.

The Chesapeake is the largest striped bass nursery area on the Atlantic coast. Seventy to 90 percent of the Atlantic striped bass population uses the bay to spawn, which occurs from April to early June. After spawning in the spring, most large stripers move to coastal waters. They spend the summer along the New England coast and the winter near the mouth of the Chesapeake near Virginia Beach and on down to North Carolina.

A 73-pound striped bass caught January 23, 2008, by Frederick Barnes of Chesapeake is the Virginia state record. Barnes made the record-setting catch in the Atlantic about a half mile north of the 4A buoy located north of Rudee Inlet and off Fishermen’s Island. The fish hit a trolled red and white Stretch 30 lure.

The North Carolina striped bass record is a 64-pound fish caught by Keith Angel off Oregon Inlet in 2011. The Maryland state record fish of 67.5 pounds was caught by Devin Nolan in 1995 Bloody Point just south of Kent Island.

By Chriss Knauss, Southern Boating December 2017
Photos: midatlanticrockfishshootout.com

More Chesapeake Fishing News

Saltwater Sisters Fishing Tournament

As one of the oldest sportfishing clubs in the country, the Stuart Sailfish Club—founded in 1941—has worked hard to encourage and support sustainable game fishing. On October 13th and 14th, it continues that tradition with the 32nd Annual Saltwater Sisters Lady Angler Tournament at Pirate’s Cove Resort & Marina in Stuart, Florida. Fishing categories
include dolphin, kingfish, bluefish, and wahoo. Awards will be given for Top Boat, Billfish Releases as well as for Best Costumes and Best Boat Décor to keep things fun.

Proceeds from the Saltwater Sisters Tournament go to organizations involved in breast cancer research and to patient support groups. A schedule of the activities can be found on the Club’s website: stuartsailfishclub.com.

By Bob Arrington, Southern Boating October 2017

More Southeast Seaboard Reports:

Rock Shrimp Festival
Piglet
Hurricane Mathew Updates

IBT Turns 65

The International Billfish Tournament (IBT) turns 65.

The IBT is the longest consecutively held big game fishing tournament in the world.

The tournament is hosted by Club Nautico de San Juan in Puerto Rico, takes place October 15-21. Longevity is far from the IBT’s only claim to fame.

Over the past decade alone, organizers have maintained a cutting-edge vibe to this event by introducing elements like hotspot metrics to identify water qualities consistent with a good bite, critter cams in coordination with the National Geographic Society for research purposes, conservation conscious rules for 30-pound test line only, and most recently, a mobile app to track real-time bites, hook-ups and releases during the tournament.

This year, the new twist is a date change. The October IBT dates were purposely chosen to take advantage of a trio of plusses. Those include a perfectly full moon, warm water temperatures and a diversity of billfish. This time of year, fish swim through the world famous “Marlin Alley,” a mile-and-a-half deep trench located off the island’s north coast.

“In October, anglers will be able to hook different billfish species such as blues, whites, and sails, rather than just blue marlin, which are more prevalent in September,” says Salvador Egea, Jr. He’s the IBT chairman for the third year. Visiting anglers have a unique opportunity to fly in and fish on a different boat each day. There are also nightly parties, all for one set price.

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by Carol Bareuther, Southern Boating Magazine, September 2018

3rd Annual Cheeca Lodge Backcountry Fishing Tournament

November 13^th-15^th marks the 3rd Annual Cheeca Lodge Backcountry Fishing Tournament at mile marker 82 on Islamorada’s Oceanside. This prestigious fishing event lures anglers from around the world to compete for individual and team prizes for the release of snook, redfish, bonefish, tarpon, and permit with tackle divisions that include fly, artificial and general. The fishing headquarters is World Wide Sportsman, just half a mile from Cheeca Lodge & Spa.

This tournament’s new format hosts a Welcome Reception and Cocktail Party November 13^th in the Sunrise Ballroom and Terrace at 5:30PM with the rules meeting at 7:00PM mandatory for all guides. The tournament begins the 14^th with an extravagant All-American BBQ on Cheeca’s beach, and an awards ceremony and banquet on the 15^th to conclude the event. “This new format allows our guides to get home early on Saturday evening, and allows our anglers to have a full day Sunday to relax or travel home,” says Tournament Director Julie Olsen.

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The entry fee of $2,000 per angler includes entry into each of the three social events for the individual, a guest, and the angler’s guide and guest, plus breakfast and lunch each day. The event’s goal is to raise funds for the locally based Guides Trust Foundation, which assists Florida Keys fishing guides and awards scholarships to local students. For information or donation forms, visit guidestrustfoundation.org. Contact Julie Olsen for questions or entry forms. (305) 517-4449; jolsen@cheeca.com; cheeca.com/all-american

By Christine Carpenter, Southern Boating October 2014