Are you ready?

Do you love spending quiet time with a line in the water, enjoying the Gulf breeze while waiting for a bite? Maybe you’ve thought about meeting other anglers or even fishing competitively. You might have seen photos of fishing tournament teams holding up their entries and thought, “I have caught bigger fish than that!”. Even though summer is almost over, fishing tournaments in the North Bay area continue through the fall.

There are several large professional tournaments along the Gulf coastline from Texas to the tip of Florida, but a smaller local tournament is the place to begin. You meet new anglers who might become new friends and you can even help raise money for a charity.

Most of the North Bay local fishing tournaments kick-off with a Captain’s Meeting on Friday evening, followed by fishing Saturday morning at dawn then the weigh-in Saturday afternoon.

Most of the weigh-ins are open to the public. This is a beginner’s chance to see exactly how different weigh-ins are handled and meet some of the fishermen.

To find just the right tournament for yourself, search online for fishing tournaments in the city and state where you are interested in going or search for “your charity of interest” fishing tournaments. If you are looking for something which includes kids, search for fun tournaments or clinics. If you do not own a boat, there are always fishing guides willing to help you land the trophy fish. There are even tourneys for kayaks and even ones for bank fishing.

Following are just a few of the different types of tournaments you can find in the North Bay:

In my coastal world, there are two tournaments which include musical entertainment open to anyone. The largest one is the Texas Game Warden Fishing Tournament and Music which was held in Fulton in June. If you are looking for a long 2019 weekend of entertainment benefiting the ones who strive to maintain our resources, this is it.

Vets Fishing with Vets is being held this coming August 10-11, 2018, at Redfish Bay Boathouse in Aransas Pass. Proceeds benefit Fisher House in San Antonio and local veteran outreach. Non-tournament guests are welcomed to join the patriotic celebration’s Saturday evening dinner/dance for a $65.00 donation or $10.00 for the favorite local bands’ entertainment only.

Ingleside Cove Park hosts several small but growing tournaments. Best of the Bay’s proceeds go toward scholarships for the current year’s high school graduating seniors. Held on July 27-28, 2018, a special kids-only division was added, food was enjoyed, and music closed the event.

Still ahead is the Ingleside Chamber of Commerce’s Trash & Treasure Fishing Tournament with No Captain’s Meeting and No Boat is OK. Follow HWY 1069 south from Ingleside on August 18, 2018, and look for the crowd by Ingleside Cove. Fish where you like and weigh-in at 4:00 p.m.

The area holds four ladies only tournaments. Search online for next year’s dates and early registration discounts for Ingleside Woman’s Club Cinco de Mayo Tournament, Babes on the Bay, Hotties on the Harbor and Saltwater Sweeties. Besides fishing, the events usually include shopping opportunities, food and adult beverages with music to end the day.

August 23 is the final Rudy’s Pro Series for the 2018 season at Redfish Bay Boathouse in Aransas Pass. Although this is not for a “first-time tournament”, on Sunday, August 26, a kid’s event will be held. Stop by and watch the fun.

Many tournaments are hosted by companies for their employees, customers or guests. Even though the public is not invited to participate, many will show South Texas hospitality when asked about their company and the event. Put on a smile, introduce yourself and ask politely.

So, search online for details, come to my coastal world, enjoy the bays, wet a line, meet new friends and check out the late 2018 season tournaments.