89th Annual Sarasota Tarpon Tournament

For the past 89 years, many anglers have competed in the great Sarasota Tarpon Tournament and the tradition continues this May – June. Weighing in at up to 300 pounds and eight feet long, tarpon are one of the most exciting fish to catch; known for spectacular leaps and determined fights. However, more battles seem to be won by the tarpon rather than the angler, making the reward of catching one a momentous occasion for the angler!  The Sarasota Tarpon Tournament event is the oldest, continuous running, public tarpon tournament in the entire State of Florida. The Sarasota Anglers’ Club began this tournament in the year 1929 in an attempt to bolster the local economy, and it has been running strong and gaining popularity ever since.

Entering the “World’s Oldest Tarpon Tournament” makes this ‘game’ even more exciting because anglers not only have the chance to compete against the Silver King, but also their fellow anglers for the top prize!  The tournament is open to fishermen and women of all ages and will run May 11th through June 16th (5 weeks).  For an entry fee of $125, anglers not only compete for an overall winner’s title, but also weekly, junior, ladies, fly, most releases, and His & Her division winners.  Weekly winners will compete in a fish-off to win the overall tournament.

For the second year in a row, based on feedback from our anglers, the Kick-Off Celebration and Captain’s Meeting for the start of Tarpon Season will be held on Wednesday, May 8th at The White Buffalo Saloon, 5377 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota.  Registration begins at 6 pm and the party starts at 7pm.  Your $125 entry fee into the tournament covers the party for participants and is only $25 for non-participants.  All are welcome to attend and enjoy a BBQ dinner, live music, live auction, raffle prizes, and a cash bar.  Prizes include gear, tackle, paddle boards, coolers, artwork and more!  Five weeks of tournament fishing take place May 11th – June 16th.  The Fish-Off takes place Saturday, June 22nd with alternate dates for rain scheduled for Sunday June 23rd and Saturday June 29th.

Sponsorships are also available and has help kept this tournament running for 89 years. Please contact us if you would like to be a sponsor of this great event!

For more information: http://www.sarasotatarpontournament.net/ or email SarasotaTarponTournament@gmail.com