Sailfish Fever…Coming to an Inlet Near You

Sailfish doing sailfish things.
Photo credit: Derek Goodrich@webshots.

The air has turned decidedly crisper, time has has been turned back an hour, and scores of world class captains, anglers and mates are beginning to show up on the docks and tackle shops along the Treasure Coast can only mean one thing:  Sailfish Tournament Season is just around the corner!

Long nicknamed the Sailfish Capital of the World, for the next three months Stuart and Treasure Coast offshore waters will host some of the world's best in the sportfishing world. This Friday, we will feature our annual Sailfish Tournament Season show bringing incredible insight into several local tournaments that have molded our past as a sportfishing destination and major tourism generator.

Talkin’ Tourism resident fishing and boating guru, Ed Killer will be with us dockside at Finest Kind Marina on the Manatee Pocket to provide historical perspective on the tournament scene and share his perspective on what the future of these historic tournaments may be. World-class competitor Fa-La-Me Captain Rob Moore, a consistent top-placer in local tournaments, as well as those in the Virgin Islands and beyond, will share his views on the tournament scene as well.

The first local tournament, the Finest Kind Quickie, will be represented by Krista Chasmar. As a relative newcomer to the tournament scene, the "Quickie" has rapidly gained the reputation of being a great event. Next is the Pirates Cove Sailfish Classic, the first tournament in the Treasure Coast Sailfish Championship Series. Dave Berard, a consistent tournament winner, will be give us details on the Classic. The Stuart Sailfish Club’s 57th Annual Light Tackle Tournament, one of the country’s oldest, will be represented by Tournament Committee co-chair Char Griggs. The Stuart Sailfish Club is credited with being the first tourism promotion group on the Treasure Coast.

So ladies and gentlemen and fishing fanatics, dust off your rods and reels, strap on your fighting belts, slap on your favorite SPF lotion, fill your coolers with ice and your favorite beverages, and “let go fishing”!