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Fourth Annual Islamorada Dolphin Tournament to Draw Anglers June 1-3

ISLAMORADA, Florida Keys — The Islamorada Dolphin Tournament is simply about catching fish. Set for Friday through Sunday, June 1-3, the boat tournament offers loads of flexible fishing fun.
A guaranteed minimum of $10,000 in prize money is to be divvied up between the top boat team with the largest three dolphin weighed, as well as anglers whose fish qualify for first through third place.
An unlimited number of anglers per boat can participate in the challenge, and all anglers per boat do not have to fish the same day. Some can fish on day one, others on day two. Only two fish can be weighed per day, but it takes the three biggest fish to win.
Prizes also are to be awarded for the largest dolphin, largest blackfin tuna, yellowfin tuna, bonita, wahoo and kingfish.
Kickoff and final angler registration are scheduled for 5-8 p.m. Friday, June 1, at tournament headquarters at the Whale Harbor Restaurant and Marina, mile marker 83.5 oceanside. Fishing days are Saturday and Sunday, and an awards ceremony follows the 5 p.m. weigh-in Sunday.
The entry fee is $150 per angler or $650 per boat with an unlimited number of anglers. After May 21, entry fees increase to $175 per angler and $700 per boat with unlimited anglers.
Tournament information: 305-852-2102 or ditournaments@aol.com
Posted by Reel Mell-O Charters at 5/12/2012 6:53 AM | Add Comment

Key West Gator Club Dolphin Derby to Entice Anglers June 22-24

KEY WEST, Florida Keys — Anglers targeting dolphin fish can compete for more than $25,000 in guaranteed cash, prizes and fine marine artwork during the annual Key West Gator Club Dolphin Derby. The tournament is scheduled Friday through Sunday, June 22-24, to coincide with the height of the Florida Keys dolphin fishing season.
Events are headquartered at Oceanside Marina, 5950 Peninsula Ave.
The boat team with the largest aggregate weight in dolphin during the derby’s two fishing days will take home a grand prize of $4,000 cash. The second-place team will earn $2,000, while $1,000 awaits the third-place finishers.
Individuals in the tournament’s divisions for male, female and junior participants can compete for artwork, prizes and cash totaling more than $18,000. The angler who catches the single largest dolphin is to receive a cash prize of $1,500.
Team and individual winners receive framed fine art by leading American marine painters. Featured artists are Don Ray, Carey Chen, K.C. Scott and Jason Mathias.
The tournament kicks off with a final registration, reception and captains meeting beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, June 22, at Oceanside Marina.
Fishing is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with weigh-ins at Oceanside until 5:30 p.m. each day. Each participating angler is allowed to enter one qualifying fish on each fishing day.
A tournament dinner is set for Saturday night at the marina. Sunday’s post-fishing schedule includes a cocktail reception, dinner and awards ceremony beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Key West Marriott Beachside Hotel, 3841 N. Roosevelt Blvd.
Entry fees are $150 per adult angler and $75 per junior angler under age 14. Proceeds benefit Gator Club scholarship funds for local students attending the University of Florida.
Tournament information and registration: http://keywest.gatorclub.com/Event.htm or 305-304-7674
Posted by Reel Mell-O Charters at 5/12/2012 6:52 AM | Add Comment

Burdine’s Waterfront Dolphin & Blackfin Tuna Tournament Set for June 22-24 in Marathon

MARATHON, Florida Keys — Anglers targeting fine-tasting fish and on-the-water action know to steer toward the Dolphin & Blackfin Tuna Fun Fishing Tournament set for Friday through Sunday, June 22-24.
The event’s 12th year kicks off Friday, June 22, with a 5 p.m. captains meeting at Burdine’s Waterfront restaurant at the oceanside end of 15th Street in Marathon. Participants in the family-friendly angling challenge can enjoy a high-energy happy hour overlooking picturesque Boot Key Harbor with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a raffle for prizes.
Anglers fish Saturday and Sunday with prizes of $700, $350 and $200awaiting individual adult anglers who catch the tournament’s three heaviest dolphin. The top three anglers in the junior division are to be awarded $300, $200 and $100.
Cash prizes of $750 each are to be presented to the anglers catching the heaviest blackfin tuna and wahoo.
The awards banquet is set for 6 p.m. Sunday at Burdine’s.
Entry fees remain at an affordable $100 per adult and $50 per junior angler.
Tournament information: Brenda Duff at 305-743-5317 or burdineswaterfront@gmail.com
Posted by Reel Mell-O Charters at 5/12/2012 6:52 AM | Add Comment

May Features Two of Marathon’s Oldest Tarpon Tournaments

MARATHON, Florida Keys — Historically, participants in Middle Keys tarpon tournaments get the best bites during evenings of fishing either at or near any of three landmarks — Seven Mile, Bahia Honda and Long Key Viaduct bridges — as tarpon run close to those Keys spans between April and July.
Headquartered at a new common venue, the 7 Mile Marina and Salty’s Waterfront Grill at mile marker 47.5 bayside, two long-running Keys tournaments provide passionate tarpon anglers back-to-back weekend challenges in May, allowing ample opportunities to confront the explosive silver king.
The all-release Marathon International Tarpon Tournament’s 46th year is to kick off with a late signup, captains meeting and lunch at 12 p.m. Thursday, May 3. Fishing is scheduled for Thursday and Friday evenings, with lines-in at 4:30 p.m. and lines-out set at 8:30 p.m. both nights. Saturday’s fishing is scheduled 4-8 p.m.
The 36thannual title of “fairest one of all” is up for grabs at the two-night Ladies Tarpon Tournament slated for the following weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 12-13. Late registration and captains meeting is set for noon Saturday, May 12. Lines-in begins at 4:30 p.m. and fishing continues until lines-out at 8:30 p.m. both evenings.
During each catch-and-release tournament, individual anglers and two-angler teams compete for trophies awarded for first through third place as well as first- and second-place captains.
This year the tournaments have adopted a circle-hook-only policy as part of an overall conservation effort to protect and enhance fish stocks, for decades a fishing ethic of the Keys where catch-and-release fishing was pioneered.
Entry fee for each tournament is $295 and includes the angler and captain. Dock parties, prizes, raffle drawings, live music and awards banquets are being planned for both weekend events, to be held at Salty’s Waterfront Grill following each tournament’s final night of fishing.
Proceeds from both tournaments benefit the Marathon Youth Club.
To register for either tournament: 305-289-1542 or tarpontournaments@yahoo.com
Posted by Reel Mell-O Charters at 4/23/2012 5:53 AM | Add Comment

Popular Coconuts Dolphin Tournament Set for May 17-20 in Key Largo

KEY LARGO, Florida Keys — One of South Florida’s largest fishing tournaments, the annual Coconuts Dolphin Tournament, is set for Thursday through Sunday, May 17-20, in Key Largo. The event typically attracts more than 400 strategy-minded anglers looking to capture up to $50,000 in cash and prizes.
A grand prize of $10,000 cash is to go to the angler who brings the heaviest dolphin to the weigh station. If that fish exceeds 63.9 pounds — the current tournament record — the angler wins a two-year lease on a silver 2012 Honda Ridgeline RT pickup truck valued at more than $10,000 in addition to other prizes.
Registration is set for Thursday, May 17, at Coconuts Restaurant, near mile marker 100 oceanside in Key Largo.
A mini warm-up tournament, exclusive of the weekend’s two-day tournament, is set for Friday, May 18, with $2,000 in cash and prizes for first- through third-place anglers.
Saturday and Sunday, May 19-20, anglers compete for the $10,000 grand prize or one of the other cash prizes awarded to first- through sixth-place finishers. Cash prizes also are awarded in divisions for female, senior (age 60 and over) and junior (age 17 and under) anglers.
A standings party with live entertainment and prizes is to follow the first day’s tournament fishing. A barbecue dinner with an awards ceremony is to take place Sunday at Coconuts after the weigh-in concludes at 5 p.m.
Early entry fee is $150 per adult angler if received by April 28, and includes a T-shirt, gift bag, complimentary drink tickets and admission to the awards ceremony and barbecue. After April 28 the entry fee is $170 per adult angler. The entry fee is $50 for junior anglers and social-only tickets.
Posted by Reel Mell-O Charters at 4/23/2012 5:53 AM | Add Comment

More Than $35,000 at Stake in June 8-10 Lower Keys Dolphin Tournament

BIG PINE, Florida Keys — Anglers targeting dolphin fish also can “catch” cash and prizes totaling more than $35,000 in the 19th annual Big Pine & Lower Keys Dolphin Tournament.
The long-running tournament’s action is set for Friday through Sunday, June 8-10. Events are to be headquartered at Boondocks Grille, Draft House & Miniature Golf at mile marker 27 bayside on Ramrod Key.
Any tournament angler who catches a dolphin weighing more than 50 pounds is to earn a cool $20,000.
In the open division, a guaranteed first prize of $7,500 cash awaits the angler who catches the tournament’s largest dolphin. Second- and third-place winners and the top female angler are to receive cash awards as well. Entrants who catch the largest wahoo and tuna can expect prizes
Awards in the tournament’s youth division, created for anglers age 15 and under, are to include rods and reels and trophies through third place.
Presented by the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce, the tournament is set to kick off at 5 p.m. Friday, June 8, with a registration party featuring hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar at Boondocks. A mandatory captains meeting is scheduled at 7 p.m.
Anglers can begin their pursuit of dolphin at 8 a.m. the next two days. Scheduled weigh-in times are 4:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 9, and 3-5 p.m. Sunday, June 10.
The tournament dinner and awards ceremony follow the close of Sunday’s fishing.
Entry fees are $150 per angler in the open division and $50 per angler in the youth division. Proceeds from the event benefit the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce.

Event information and registration: www.lowerkeyschamber.com
Posted by Reel Mell-O Charters at 4/9/2012 7:16 AM | Add Comment

Mother’s Day Dolphin Tournament to Benefit Habitat for Humanity May 11-12

MARATHON, Florida Keys — Avid family anglers can treat mom to a fun fishing competition while contributing to a Middle Keys charity during the sixth annual Mother’s Day Dolphin Tournament set for May 11-12.
A captains meeting and dinner are to be held at 6 p.m. Friday, May 11, at Salty’s Waterfront Grill, located at 7 Mile Marina, mile marker 47.5 gulfside in Marathon.
Saturday, May 12, lines-in is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. and lines-out at 3:30 p.m. A weigh-in is to follow from 3 to 5 p.m. at 7 Mile Marina, 1090 Overseas Highway. The tournament awards banquet and ceremony is set for 7 p.m. at Castaways Restaurant.
Cash prizes of up to $15,000 are to be awarded, including a top prize of $5,000 cash to the angler who catches the heaviest fish and other prizes for second through fifth place. Raffles and giveaways also are highlights of the tournament that raises funds for Habitat for Humanity of the Middle Keys.
Registration is open through May 11 at the captains meeting.
The fee of $200 per angler includes entry, one meal ticket for both evening dinner events, a tournament shirt and goodie bag. Interested anglers who register online can save $15 off the entry fee.
According to tournament organizers, more than $41,000 was raised for Habitat for Humanity of the Middle Keys during the 2011 event.
Posted by Reel Mell-O Charters at 4/9/2012 7:15 AM | Add Comment

Tarponian Invitational Migrates to Marathon April 29 - May 2

MARATHON, Florida Keys — For enthusiastic tarpon anglers, “hot spots” have nothing to do with WiFi Internet speeds. Instead, they are active fishing areas shared among participants in Marathon’s Tarponian Invitational tournament set for Sunday through Wednesday, April 29 through May 2.
Rules of this high-energy tournament mandate that teams fish with a different captain each day, and they also rotate among the three major bridge channels in the Middle Keys — the Seven Mile Bridge, Long Key and Bahia Honda bridges — so the field of competing anglers is level, with no one advantage.
Tournament participants are to gather Saturday, April 28, for the event’s 7-9 p.m. kick-off party at Annette’s Lobster and Steakhouse, mile marker 48 bayside in Marathon. A meet-the-captains banquet is set for noon Sunday, April 29, also at Annette’s.
Three days of fishing are to get under way Sunday with lines in the water at 5 p.m. Lines-out is to be called at 9 p.m.
Monday’s fishing is scheduled 7-11 a.m., while Tuesday is a free no-fish day. The third and final fishing day is Wednesday, May 2, from 4:30-8:30 p.m., followed by an awards banquet set for 9 p.m. at Annette’s.
The entry fee is $900 per angler. Twenty-four teams have already signed up and up to three anglers per team can register.
Tournament information: David Breznicky at 267-210-1952 or dbreznicky@breznickyassociates.com
Posted by Reel Mell-O Charters at 4/9/2012 7:14 AM | Add Comment

Jim Bokor Islamorada All-Tackle Spring Bonefish Tournament Set for April 10-13

ISLAMORADA, Florida Keys — The angler who accumulates the most points for releases and weight fish is to take top honors in the demanding Jim Bokor All-Tackle Spring Bonefish Tournament, set to kick off Tuesday, April 10.
Bokor is known locally as “the winningest flats angler of Islamorada.” The tournament was named after him in 2010 to honor his longstanding support of Keys fishing.
An anglers meeting and cocktails begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Islamorada Fishing Club, mile marker (MM) 82 bayside in Islamorada. Dinner is to follow at 7:15 p.m.
Fishing days are Wednesday through Friday, April 11-13. The challenge is limited to 25 invited anglers, with a maximum of two anglers plus guide allowed per boat.
Anglers can fish in the tournament’s general division — essentially a bait class with no restrictions on rod, reel or bait — as well as plug-casting, spin-casting and fly-casting divisions. All non-fly tackle classes are to be limited to 10- or 12-pound line. The official line must be obtained and spooled at World Wide Sportsman, MM 81.6 bayside.
The Lorelei is to serve breakfast at 6 a.m. each morning. Hors d’oeuvres are to be provided between 3:30 and 5 p.m. each fishing day at the Islamorada Fishing Club, and the awards banquet is set for 7 p.m. Friday, April 13.
Tournament information: Betsy Bullard at 305-587-1460 or fishnfever@bellsouth.net
Posted by Reel Mell-O Charters at 3/2/2012 6:46 AM | Add Comment

Key West Fishing Tournament Kickoff Set For March 16-18

 

KEY WEST, Florida Keys — Fifteen target species and $5,000 in cash prizes are key figures in the Key West Fishing Tournament’s Kickoff 2012. The angling action is scheduled Saturday and Sunday, March 17 and 18, with introductory events Friday, March 16.
Participants are to vie for cash awards for catching the heaviest dolphin, kingfish, cobia, blackfin tuna, mackerel, mutton snapper, wahoo, mangrove snapper and grunt. In addition, cash awaits boat teams that score the most releases of tarpon, permit, bonefish, barracuda, marlin and sailfish.
Awards also are presented each year in the junior division for anglers under age 15.
The final registration and captains meeting are scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, March 16, at the Doubletree Grand Key Resort, 3990 S. Roosevelt Blvd.
On the following two days, anglers can fish from lines-in at 8:30 a.m. to lines-out at 3 p.m.
An awards dinner is to conclude the tournament Sunday at the Doubletree Grand Key.
The entry fee for the kick-off tournament is $200 per boat, with a maximum of six anglers allowed to fish per boat.
Entries in the kickoff also are eligible for the 47th annual Key West Fishing Tournament, which runs through Nov. 30, 2012, and is open to the general public.
Participants can target more than 30 species of fish, with divisions for men, women, junior anglers (ages 10 to 14) and Pee Wees (under 10 years old). Visiting and resident anglers can enter their catches free at tournament weigh stations.
The Key West Fishing Tournament strongly encourages the release of all game fish and will not recognize killed sailfish, marlin, spearfish, tarpon or sharks for award purposes.
All participating anglers receive certificates noting their catches and qualify for prizes.
Event information and registration: www.keywestfishingtournament.com or 305-295-6601

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Posted by Reel Mell-O Charters at 2/9/2012 6:59 AM | Add Comment
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