“Body of water” is a relative term in these days of big, high-speed, tournament boats. Some boats run over 100 miles from the launch site at speeds in excess of seventy miles an hour. Pre-fishing, or an earlier tournament produced fish in a given area, and they run to that area to catch them.
Most tournaments have given in to the little guys – those local anglers who enter in smaller boats. They have generally instituted a category for boats 23 feet and under – a tournament within a tournament. These smaller boats compete amongst themselves and also compete for the overall winning prize. It gives the little guy a chance against all the pros who run great distances and generally catch the bigger fish. While this gives the little guy a chance, it also brings in more money for the tournament because the little guys pay an additional entry fee to fish the tournament within a tournament.
This year’s Greater Jacksonville (Florida) Kingfish Tournament, billed as the largest of its kind in the world, begins next week. This is the 25th anniversary for this week long event that draws almost 1000 boats launching from three locations in north Florida, fishing for cash and prizes totaling over $500,000.
Yours truly will be fishing in the Tournament of Champions, a part of the first day VIP Tournament on Monday, July 18, with one of last years winners in the 23 and under division. I’ll keep a running report on the week’s happenings and update the site daily with results.
It should prove to be an exciting week. The water has stayed warm, and big smoker kings are running the beaches. This gives the smaller boats a real chance to win the big prize. Who knows, maybe we can win the $50,000 first prize in the VIP!! Stay tuned!
