2013 DeSoto Fishing Tournament: What to Know If You Go

The 17th Annual DeSoto Fishing Tournament will be held at Tarpon Pointe Grill and Tiki Bar in Bradenton this weekend. The public is invited to attend the fish weigh-in and awards celebration on Sunday, July 14, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

On Saturday, a Pee Wee fishing tournament will be held from from 9 -11 a.m. for kids ages 5-12. It will be immediately followed by an awards ceremony. Regardless of what they catch, all children will receive a goody basket and participation medal.  

Those planning to attend should arrive early, the $10 registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. (Save time by registering online.)

While the inshore division will be catching and releasing snook, redfish and trout, Butch Powell, chairman of the event, said people attending the weigh-in on Sunday should expect to see cobia, tuna, mahi mahi grouper and much more brought in by the offshore division.

Powell said the reason organizers opted for the catch and release method in the inshore division was to protect the fish as well as be able to include those fish that were not within the legal slot.

“It used to be that if someone caught a 42-inch snook, they had to throw it back because it was legally too big to keep,” he explained. “Now they can take a picture and get points for it in the tournament.”

Snook season has been closed for the last three years after an unusually cold winter in 2010 killed approximately 15 percent of the species in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. However the season is set to reopen Sept. 1, authorities say.

Procrastinating anglers still have the opportunity to register up until 5 p.m. on Friday. The registration fees are $300 for inshore, $400 for offshore and $125 for the junior division. Fishing will begin immediately after the 6:30 p.m. captain’s meeting on Friday night. Visit the event website to register. 

The tournament is one of many annual events organized by the Hernando DeSoto Historical Society in Bradenton. It was first held at the Bradenton Yacht Club for 15 years but moved to Tarpon Pointe, 215 8th St. E., Bradenton, last year. 

Powell said he expects a big turnout with up to 100 boats participating in the event. Members of the society estimated about 1,500 to 2,000 people attended the event last year.