El Cheapo XVIII is approaching fast and will be here before you know it. With all the excitement of last year we are anxious to see what this year brings. Captain Kirk Waltz, (Enterprise Charters), held the lead for the longest time with an impressive 11.34lb fish caught not far from the Mayport boat ramp. We all thought he had it in the bag for sure until Chris Beasley’s Team Head Hunter pounded their way in from offshore with a tournament record breaking 14.3lb fish!
Jessica Tison Valerio, daughter of Captain Vic Tison, (Vic2Fish), nailed the lady’s division with a nice 8.8lb fish. The biggest fish in the junior division at 7.7lbs was brought in by Errol Dedic to take the win there, and Tan Raulyn was in line EARLY in the day with a very respectful 9.10lb fish to win the kayak division.
Hurricane Irma hit the area and the marine industry hard this past year and we may see some changes to our prize structure, but we will, as always, put on the very best tournament we possibly can. This fun, affordable, family friendly tournament is the primary fundraiser for the Jacksonville Offshore Sport Fishing Club. Portions of the proceeds are donated to local schools and organizations that encourage interest in the marine industry and our fishing community. The tournament will be held on March 3rd, 2018 at the JOSFC club house located on the east side of the Mayport Boat Ramp. The captains meeting will take place Friday night, the 2nd at 7:30pm, though we will begin accepting onsite registrations at 5:30. Entry is only $80 before February 17th and online registration is now open. We look forward to seeing you out there!