The tournament is one of several events surrounding the upcoming 100th anniversary of the completion of Henry Flagler’s Over-Sea Railroad, being celebrated throughout the Keys now through Jan. 22, 2012.
In the early 1900s five-acre Pigeon Key served as a base camp for workers during construction of the original Seven Mile Bridge, the centerpiece of the Over-Sea Railroad.
The tournament targets snapper, grouper, mackerel, cobia and amberjack species. Fishing days are Friday, Nov. 25, from noon to 4 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 26, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Daily weigh-ins are to be held at the Pigeon Key dock.
A post-tournament party with food, drinks and more fun is planned for 6 p.m. Saturday at Castaway Restaurant, 1406 Oceanview Ave. off U.S. Highway 1 at mile marker 47.5.
Cash prizes include awards for first- through third-place finishers of $2,500, $1,500 and $1,000, respectively. Other prizes include charterboat trips and overnight stays at the Pigeon Key guesthouse.
If they choose, anglers can donate their fresh daily catch to a local organization such as a shelter or nonprofit group. Tournament organizers and volunteers can help make recommendations and facilitate the donation.
Weekend-long "non-fishing" events are to include historic tours of tiny Pigeon Key and its grounds and buildings, as well as educational workshops. Live music, food and drinks are to round out the fun.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Pigeon Key houses a museum chronicling the construction of the Over-Sea Railroad. Many of the original railroad buildings from 1909 still stand.
Admission fee to the island is waived during the days of the fishing tournament, though a $5-$10 per person donation to the Pigeon Key Foundation is suggested.
The tournament entry fee is $160 per angler, and a minimum of two anglers per boat is required. If anglers register on or before Nov. 11, they can save $10 per person. An unlimited number of anglers can participate.
Tournament entry form: http://www.pigeonkey.net/events.html
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