UPCOMING TOURNAMENT: The Sarasota Sportfishing Anglers Club will be hosting the 79th Annual “All Release” Tarpon Tournament benefitting Big Brothers Big Sister of the Sun Coast

The Sarasota Sportfishing Anglers Club hosts its 79th Annual “All Release” Tarpon Tournament with the proceeds to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast. This five week “OPEN TO THE PUBLIC” tournament will begin on May 23, 2009 and run through June 28, 2009. There will be a “Fish-Off” on July 11th for the five weekly winners who produce a tarpon with the biggest girth for that week. The tournament will include a Junior Angler’s along with a Fly and Women’s Division. Anglers will be able to fish from the north tip of Anna Maria Island to Stump Pass.

This is an individual tournament with a cost of $100.00 per angler. For additional information or to sign up for the tournament there will be a Kick-Off event and Captains Meeting on May 19, at 6:30, Potter Building, Sarasota Fairgrounds. The Awards Banquet will be on July 25, 2009. Be a part of the most fun and historic tarpon tournament in the world! All ages welcome. Come show off your angling skills.

If interested please contact: Mason Tush by phone at (941) 356-8470 or by email here.

If you can not make it to the Kick-Off please visit the website for registration information: www.sarasotatarpontournament.info/


Tournament Results

Results of the 14th Annual CCA Sarasota
“Photo All-Release Challenge”

The Sarasota chapter of Coastal Conservation Association held their 14th annual “Photo All-Release Challenge” fishing tournament out of Sarasota Hotel and Marina (formerly Sarasota Cay Club), 7150 N. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota on Saturday, April 25, 2009.

Below are the results of the 2009 Sarasota CCA "All Release Challenge" tournament.

Angler Division
Grand Champion (Slam)
Chuck Cress (Sarasota) – 72.50”
26.25” Snook 29.00” Redfish 17.25” Trout

Runner Up
Alec Hoffner (Palmetto) – 70.50”
25.00” Snook 26.00” Redfish 19.50” Trout

Largest Trout – Clint Johnson (Sarasota) – 21.25”
Largest Redfish – Tim Palmer (Sarasota) – 30.00”
Largest Snook – Brian Marcey (Sarasota) – 30.00”

Trout High Point Total
1st Place – Bruce Burkhart (Sarasota) – 144.00”
2nd Place – Christopher Campbell (Sarasota) – 130.50”

Redfish High Point Total
1st Place – Robert Brown (Venice) – 72.50”
2nd Place – Jim Milner (Sarasota) – 67.00”

Snook High Point Total
1st Place – Mark Fuller (Sarasota) – 28.50”
2nd Place – Randy Beckham (Longboat Key) – 25.25”

Fly Division
Trout High Point Total
Jim Knowles (Bradenton) – 84.75”

Ladies Division
Largest Trout
1st Place - Megan Matarazzo (Sarasota) – 23.50”
2nd Place – Aledia Tush (Sarasota) – 20.50”

Youth Division
Ben Hoffner (Palmetto)
Redfish – 28.00”
Redfish – 24.00”

Trout – 17.50”
Zach Hatfield (Sarasota)
Trout – 17.00”
Trout – 17.00”

Matthew Berman (Sarasota)
Trout – 16.50”
Dalton Comer (Sarasota)
Trout – 15.00”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tournament Results

Saturday, November 1 - 2008 MCFF/CCA Fall Fly Fishing Challenge - The Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers (MCFF) and the Sarasota Chapter of Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) held their 4th annual “Fall Fly Fishing Challenge” on Saturday, Nov. 1st, 2008 out of the Ken Thompson Park boat ramp on City Island in Sarasota. The event was followed by an awards BBQ held at the Sarasota Outboard Club attended by about 50 people.

33 fly anglers in 2 divisions fished the event. Winners received handsome plaques and gift certificates from tournament sponsors. The top prize in each division was an Orvis Helios fly rod. Fishing was good as 5 slams were reported (snook, redfish and trout) in the catch-photo-release format event. In addition to promoting the sport of fly fishing, the event raises money for CCA's conservation efforts and the MCFF scholarship fund.

Tournament sponsors were Orvis, CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, Economy Tackle, Casey Key Anglers and Outfitters, Cook’s Sportland, All About Fishing, Fisherman’s Edge, Discount Tackle Outlet and New Pass Grill and Bait Shop.

Everyone,
Thanks to all who came out to fish the tournament. Also, thanks to Orvis, CB's Saltwater Outfitters, Economy Tackle, Casey Key Anglers & Outfitters, Cook's Sportland, All About Fishing, Fisherman's Edge, Discount Tackle Outlet and New Pass Grill & Bait Shop for helping make the event possible as sponsors. Your comments are welcome. Below are the tournament results.

Check out photos from the event by BoatingObsession.com here...
http://www.boatingobsession.com/articles/read.php?id=232

Hope to see you at the tournament next year if not sooner.
Captain Rick Grassett

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2008 MCFF/CCA Fall Fly Fishing Challenge Results

Fly Angler Division- open to all fly anglers except for licensed captains and guides
1st Place-Mike Kmon, Sarasota, FL 221 pts.
2nd Place-Brent Wilson, Sarasota, FL 91.25 pts.
3rd Place-Steve Gibson, Sarasota, FL 63 pts.
4th Place-Justin Hamblett, Sarasota, FL 50.5 pts.
5th Place-Brad Pederson, Bradenton, FL 47.5 pts.
6th Place-Frank Bush, Hartsville, SC 18.5 pts.

Open Division-for guides, licensed captains or anyone fishing with a licensed captain and any other fly angler that wishes to compete

Grand Champion (Slam consisting of largest snook, redfish and trout)
Walter Hamm, Sarasota, FL 70.25”

Snook Divison-Total inches
Leigh West, Tampa, FL 44.5”

Redfish Division-Total inches
Capt. Austin Lowder, Placida, FL 166”

Trout division-Total inches
Capt. Bryon Chamberlin, Land O’Lakes, FL 180.25”

For more information, call Rick Grassett at 923-7799 or send e-mail to: snookfin@aol.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Results from the 13th Annual CCA Sarasota “Photo All-Release Challenge”
The Sarasota chapter of Coastal Conservation Association held their 13th annual fishing tournament out of Sarasota Hotel and Marina (formerly Sarasota Cay Club), 7150 N. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota on Saturday, April 26, 2008. This tournament featured a catch-photo-release format for snook, redfish and trout with anglers only using identical boxes of lures or flies that were provided.

The tournament, raised money for CCA’s conservation projects, also featured an upscale raffle, a silent auction and an awards dinner on Saturday evening. Cost was $85 per angler and $30 for youth anglers (12 years old and younger).

RESULTS

Angler Division
Largest Trout – Chris Hamblet (Sarasota) – 23.00”
Largest Redfish – Jamie Purcell (Sarasota) – 27.75”
Largest Snook – Randy Beckham (Longboat Key)– 27.25”

Trout High Point Total
1st Place – Lance Pocock (Plant City) – 174.50”
2nd Place – Ken Taylor (North Port) – 169.75”

Redfish High Point Total
1st Place – Dave Turgeon (Sarasota) – 69.50”
2nd Place – Doug Forde (Sarasota) – 66.75”

Snook High Point Total
1st Place – Anthony Katsarelas (Sarasota) – 52.25”
2nd Place – Blake Hekter (Venice) – 24.75”

Grand Champion (Slam)
Rusty Driver (Sarasota) – 66.50”
25.00” Snook 23.00” Redfish 18.50” Trout

Fly Division
Trout High Point Total
Robert Fischer (Tampa) – 88.00”

Snook High Point Total
Frank Lanzisera (Bradenton) – 27.25”

Fly Division Champion
Brent Wilson (Sarasota) – 41.50”
25.25” Snook 16.25” Trout

Ladies Division

Largest Trout – Patricia O’Hara (Palm Beach Shores) – 20.75”

For more information, contact Brian Gorski at (941) 531-4019 or Capt. Bruce Burkhart at (941) 302-1164 for an application or more information

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers and Sarasota Chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association held the Third Annual Fall Fly Fishing Challenge on Oct. 27, 2007.

Here are the Results...

Forty fly anglers participated in the 3rd Annual “Fall Fly Fishing Challenge” held out of Ken Thompson Park on Saturday, October 27th, 2007.

Fly anglers fished in 2 divisions; an open division for guides, their fishing partners and anyone that opted to participate in that division targeting snook, redfish and trout and a Fly Angler division that targeted snook, redfish , trout and 7 other species with a point system (guides not allowed in this division).

The tournament also featured an awards BBQ catered by The Oaks BBQ, a raffle and a silent auction for an Orvis Zero Gravity 8-wt. fly rod.

The Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers, Tampa Bay Fly Fishers and Suncoast Fly Fishers all had club members participating in the event. Despite rainy conditions, anglers had a successful day catching multiple species with a fly including 4 slams (snook, redfish and trout).

The event, which features a catch-photo-release format, is one of the largest fly fishing only tournaments in the state. In addition to promoting the sport of fly fishing in a friendly competition, the event raises money for CCA-Florida’s Conservation efforts and Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers Scholarship Fund.

Sponsors of the event were: Orvis, Temple Fork Outfitters, CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, Casey Key Anglers and Outfitters, Fisherman’s Edge, Cook’s Sportland, Economy Tackle, All About Fishing, New Pass Grill and Bait Shop, Discount Tackle Outlet and State Farm Insurance-Heath Marston and Jason Flatch.

Open Division Winners

Grand Champion (Slam-consisting of largest snook, redfish and trout)
Capt. Ray Markham, Terra Ceia, FL - 63.5”
Award-Plaque and Temple Fork Outfitters 8 wt. fly rod

Snook-total inches
Steve Gibson, Sarasota, FL - 157”
Award-Plaque and $75 sponsor gift certificate

Redfish-total inches
Capt. Keith Pratt, Bradenton, FL - 67.5”
Award-Plaque and $75 sponsor gift certificate

Trout-total inches
Capt. Nick Angelo, Land O’ Lakes, FL - 146”
Award-Plaque and $75 sponsor gift certificate

Fly Angler Division Winners

Grand Champion-Total points
Brent Wilson, Sarasota, FL - 221.25 points
Award-Plaque and Temple Fork Outfitters 8 wt. fly rod

2nd Place-Total points
Preston Jones, Palmetto, FL - 165.5 points
Award-Plaque and $75 sponsor gift certificate

3rd Place-Total points
Tony Saviano, Bradenton, Fl - 163 points
Award-Plaque and $50 sponsor gift certificate

4th Place-Total points
Steve Gibson, Sarasota, FL - 118.5 points
Award-Plaque and $25 sponsor gift certificate

5th Place-Total points
Bill Hopper, Sarasota, FL - 100 points
Award-Plaque and $25 sponsor gift certificate

6th place-Total points
Tom Hummel, St, Petersburg, FL - 76.25 points
Award-Plaque and $25 sponsor gift certificate

Thanks to our Sponsors and to tournament co-chairs Rick Grassett and Steve Gibson for organizing this great tournament!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keep watching here for more tournament news!