The AT&T Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament, an SKA sanctioned event, is on slate each July. Billed as the largest fishing tournament in the U.S., it normally draws 900 to 1000 entries for the two day event.
The entire week is tournament week. The Media tournament was held last Saturday and if it was any indication, there should be a lot of fished at the weigh-in scales.
Monday is the VIP tournament followed by the Junior Angler event on Wednesday.
The actual two day tournament runs on Thursday and Friday. Saturday is the awards and party day.
The rules are pretty simple. There is a one fish per boat weigh-in limit each day. The biggest fish wins, and the heaviest two day aggregate of two fish wins!
My son had a shot at some aggregate money in one year's event with a 28 pound fish on the first day. A second fish that size would have netted his crew some prize money. But as fishing goes, they chose to run another direction in deference to the forecast wind and did not weigh a fish the second day. Oh - the wind never materialized and the winning fish came form the area they fished the first day.
This is always a good tournament. There is a ton of bait on the beaches - pogies to be exact - and we catch some good sized kings at this time of year. The spawn is beginning and there will be some big fish in close to the beach.
It is conditions like this that make the tournament exciting and win-able by someone in a small boat. When seas are bad and fish are scarce, the professional boys in their 37 foot, 600 horse boats run as far as 200 miles one way to find the winning fish.
That puts the odds in their favor, and they generally win. One professional in the recent Ancient City Kingfish tournament out of St. Augustine ran 200 miles south to Fort Pierce, caught a money fish, and ran the 200 miles back to the weigh-in - believe it or not!.
I'll be reporting on the winners and the winning fish - so stay tuned!
Tell us your fishing experiences and reports on the Saltwater Fishing Forum.
The entire week is tournament week. The Media tournament was held last Saturday and if it was any indication, there should be a lot of fished at the weigh-in scales.
Monday is the VIP tournament followed by the Junior Angler event on Wednesday.
The actual two day tournament runs on Thursday and Friday. Saturday is the awards and party day.
The rules are pretty simple. There is a one fish per boat weigh-in limit each day. The biggest fish wins, and the heaviest two day aggregate of two fish wins!
My son had a shot at some aggregate money in one year's event with a 28 pound fish on the first day. A second fish that size would have netted his crew some prize money. But as fishing goes, they chose to run another direction in deference to the forecast wind and did not weigh a fish the second day. Oh - the wind never materialized and the winning fish came form the area they fished the first day.
This is always a good tournament. There is a ton of bait on the beaches - pogies to be exact - and we catch some good sized kings at this time of year. The spawn is beginning and there will be some big fish in close to the beach.
It is conditions like this that make the tournament exciting and win-able by someone in a small boat. When seas are bad and fish are scarce, the professional boys in their 37 foot, 600 horse boats run as far as 200 miles one way to find the winning fish.
That puts the odds in their favor, and they generally win. One professional in the recent Ancient City Kingfish tournament out of St. Augustine ran 200 miles south to Fort Pierce, caught a money fish, and ran the 200 miles back to the weigh-in - believe it or not!.
I'll be reporting on the winners and the winning fish - so stay tuned!
Tell us your fishing experiences and reports on the Saltwater Fishing Forum.