Boca Grande Guides Assn. Tarpon Tournament Slide Show

There were 96 tarpon caught and released in the Boca Grande Fishing Guides Association Tarpon Tournament held Wednesday, May 21 and Thursday, May 22 in Boca Grande Pass. Linda Foster was the winning angler of the two-day tournament with a 180.6-pound silver king.

"It went rather well ... it was more than I expected. I've still got the blisters to prove it," Foster said following the win.

Coming: Guides Tournament Video Slideshow

Foster, a Tampa resident, was fishing with Capt. Lamar Joiner Sr. and the team aboard the Miss Sarah . The winning tarpon was worth $35,000 to the team.

This was Foster's fourth year participating in the guides tournament. Her first year she took second place, and her third year she took second as well. According to her, this was the biggest tarpon she has ever had weighed, and quite possibly the biggest she has ever caught since she started fishing in 1972.

So what's her secret?

"I have a good captain," she joked.

Joiner had his own input on this year's tournament.

"It's the best fishing we've had ... it was as good as it gets," he said. "The second day, especially, had plenty of action."

It was on the second day that Foster hooked the big one. According to her, it was around 6 p.m. when her team announced, "fish on," and she fought it for just over 2 1/2 hours. She got the mighty fish to the boat after regulation fishing had come to an end, at about 8:30 p.m.

"I've never fought one that long," Foster said. "I had a loose drag, it didn't jump much. For the first 30 minutes or so, at least, it didn't jump much, it came up for little gasps, then went right back down. Fishing with monofilament leaders you have to be cautious ... I just waited until it was tired out."

The team caught two tarpon in all over the two days. Joiner said on the first day they had plenty of hits, and one big fella fought for a long time but was lost.

Second place, and $21,000 in prize money, went to Capt. Matt Coleman and the team aboard Momma Leslie.

Third place, awarded for the team releasing the most tarpon, went to Capt. John "Tater" Spinks and the team aboard Anejo. Third place was worth $14,000.

There were 22 boats entered in the tournament.

"It was a fantastic tournament," said Capt. Jon Zorian, a spokesman for the guides association. "We caught and released 96 tarpon during eight hours of fishing spread across two days."

At more than 180 pounds, the winning tarpon is believed to be the largest fish caught in a traditional live bait tarpon tournament in Boca Grande Pass in the past 25 years.

"It was an exciting conclusion to a great two days of fishing," Zorian said. "This year we caught more than double the 45 tarpon that were caught in last year's event."

Category:

Sports

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• Grande
• tarpon
• Pass
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