The Tampa Tarpon Tournament Thrilled Anglers for 40 years

11-year-old fisherman Doug Kersey stands with his 108 lb catch. Gandy Collection. Courtesy of the USF Digital collection

Fishermen flocked to the annual contest every year to compete for prizes and bragging rights. Image courtesy of the Gandy Collection, USF Library

The Tampa Tarpon Tournament was a big deal every year, bringing anglers from all over to participate. It eventually led to corporate sponsorships, television coverage, and even a Tampa Tarpon Tournament Queen.

It all began in 1934 when the Tampa Junior Chamber of Commerce (AKA Jay-Ces) and the Tampa Daily Times joined forces to co-sponsor the event to foster community and camaraderie among local fishing enthusiasts. There were trophies for the biggest fish, the most caught, and other prizes, too. In those early days, there was no catch-and-release. The contest was open to everyone, regardless of age, and boats could venture anywhere in local waters. Local guides could be hired for a modest $7.50. Participants would engage in epic battles with those inedible silver giants for hours, with some fish reaching over 150 pounds. By the late 1940s, the Hillsborough County Wildlife Federation was involved in helping coordinate and regulate the event.

It was a huge success. The tournament was on hiatus during World War II due to fears of attacks on the water. But it came back even stronger after the war; by the late 1960s, it was one of the largest tournaments in the state, running from the end of May to the first of August. By 1963, the contest had nearly 100 businesses sponsoring the event.

Prizes, including trophies, outboard motors, and other fishing equipment, were sponsored by local businesses.

Nearly 100 businesses participated in the Tarpon event in 1963. Image courtesy of the Gandy Collection, USF Library

A fisherman lifts his tarpon catch from the boat to the weigh station area. Image courtesy of the Gandy Collection, USF Library

Some competitors brought their catches to the weigh-in station by car. Image courtesy of the Gandy Collection, USF Library

The Channel 8 Live Truck covers the Tampa Tarpon Tournament on Bayshore Blvd. Image courtesy of the Gandy Collection, USF Library

The Tampa Tarpon Tournament Queen tries her hand at fishing on the Hillsborough River. Image courtesy of the Gandy Collection, USF Library

By 1974, the Tampa Tarpon Tournament had ended. Concerns about increased water pollution and overfishing, which had led to a decline in the tarpon population, had taken their toll. The contest briefly returned around 2000 with a new catch-and-release format. Anglers had three days to catch, take photos, and release their prize. The $200 registration fee benefited the University of Tampa marine science program.

The first weighing-in station on Bayshore Blvd was a wooden structure. By 1970, a concrete station was built, becoming an iconic part of the boulevard near downtown. It sat unused for years after the contest ended. In 1995, the city commissioned artist, painter, and photographer Lorraine Genovar, who received $4,500, to create a work of five brightly colored fiberglass fish: a redfish, a barracuda, a bull dolphin, a tarpon, and a snook, to blend old Tampa with the new. She called the work Fish on Bayshore. A month after the art installation, the tarpon and the snook were taken from the stand, and officials assumed students executed the fish caper. They were returned two days later after city officials threatened to prosecute. Frequently vandalized, in 2004, the fiberglass fish were removed and refreshed, giving them new metal tails, fins, and eyes to make them stronger. While the stand shows signs of deterioration with flaking concrete and rusty rebar, the structure remains a reminder of the memories of the Tampa Tarpon Tournament.

A concrete structure, part of the tournament weighing station, became an iconic fixture along Bayshore Blvd. Circa mid-1970s. Image courtesy of the Gandy Collection, USF Library

After sitting for years after the Tampa Tarpon Tournament ended, city leaders commissioned the 1995 exhibit Fish on Bayshore by artist Lorraine Genovar. © Chip Weiner.