Cowboy Cowgirl SportFishing Key West Florida (305) 294-5888 or email us at mark@keywestfishingdeals.com
Big king mackerel migrate to the waters around Key West each winter, and a fittingly large prize awaits the winner of this challenge. The angler who weighs in the heaviest mackerel, also known as kingfish, is to go home with $10,000.
Contact: Lee Murray 305-296-0364
Email: lee@murraymarine.com
Shallow water flats anglers and guides are invited to hook-up and fight their barracuda rivals. Event is to be headquartered at Hurricane Hole Marina, Stock Island. Prizes are to be awarded for top angler and guide in light tackle spin and fly divisions, including a substantial gift certificate to Hurricane Hole Restaurant & Bar plus a trophy. Entry fee is $250 for one angler, $300 for two anglers.
Contact: Justin or Loren Rea 305-744-0903
Email: info@cudabowl.com
A charity flats-and-fly-only tournament with a twist - in addition to catch and release, anglers earn extra points for tagging their caught fish. Held at the Key West Harbour Yacht Club on Stock Island.
Contact: Jon Ain 303-888-4546
Email: falcatusdude@gmail.com
Fifteen target species and $5,000 in cash prizes highlight this open-to-the-public event, heralding the beginning of more than eight months of exciting Keys fishing. Cash awards await individual participants who catch the heaviest dolphin, kingfish, cobia, blackfin tuna, mackerel, mutton snapper, wahoo, mangrove snapper and grunt, and for boat teams that score the most releases of tarpon, permit, bonefish, barracuda, marlin and sailfish. Junior anglers under age 15 can also fish. Entries in the kickoff also are eligible for the Key West Fishing Tournament, which runs through Nov. 30, 2012.
Contact: Doris Harris 305-295-6601
Email: kwft@comcast.net
More than 40 species of fish are targeted during these months, with divisions for men, women, junior anglers (ages 10 to 14) and Pee Wees (under 10 years old). In a March kickoff event, anglers target 15 species and $5,000 in cash prizes is split between the top anglers.
Contact: Doris Harris 305-295-6601
Email: kwft@comcast.net
With a guaranteed top prize of $100,000, the prestigious sailfish challenge draws top teams and benefits the Don Shula Foundation for Breast Cancer Research, Camp Boggy Creek for youngsters with chronic and life-threatening illnesses, and other national and local charities.
Contact: Chris King 727-631-0072
Email: cking@csmgroup.net
Headquartered at Key West's Historic Seaport, competitors vie for first-place honors and more than $13,000 awaits the angler scoring the highest total combined weight of three dolphin catches. Other prizes include four-night tropical fishing vacation for four, among many more. The tournament is open to all anglers, entry fee is $750 per boat. There is no limit on the number of boats that can register.
Contact: John Stuempfig 305-304-7674
Email: wave.whacker@hotmail.com
A grand prize of $5,000 cash is to be awarded the boat team with the largest aggregate weight in dolphin during the derby's two fishing days, with teams allowed to enter one qualifying fish each day. Second- and third-place teams will earn $2,500 and $1,000, respectively. Individual anglers can compete for trophies, prizes and cash totaling more than $20,000 in the tournament's divisions for male, female and junior participants.
Contact: John Stuempfig 305-304-7674
Email: wave.whacker@hotmail.com
Anglers fly-fish on the flats in a challenge that honors the late angling pioneer Del Brown, who caught and released more than 500 permit off the Keys. Professionals and guides are allowed to compete as well.
Contact: Justin or Loren Rea 305-744-0903
Anglers ply the waters once fished by novelist Ernest Hemingway, vying for $50,000 in guaranteed cash prizes. Held in conjunction with Key West's annual Hemingway Days, the event awards $25,000 to the first-place team. Teams can enter one fun fish (dolphin, tuna, wahoo or released sailfish) per day to add to their point total.
Contact: Jane Greene 305-292-2710
In the first of three tournaments in the annual Redbone Celebrity Tournament Series, also called The Trilogy, anglers target tarpon, permit and bonefish to achieve the coveted "flats grand slam." The event raises funds for the fight against cystic fibrosis.
Contact: Gary or Susan Ellis at 305-664-2002
Email: susan@redbone.org
More than 40 species of fish are targeted during these months, with divisions for men, women, junior anglers (ages 10 to 14) and Pee Wees (under 10 years old). In a March kickoff event, anglers target 15 species and $5,000 in cash prizes is split between the top anglers.
Contact: Doris Harris 305-295-6601
Email: kwft@comcast.net