JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For the 45th year, the Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament has taken over the local waterways, with more than 300 boats from across the East Coast casting off in pursuit of the big catch.
“We’re just putting a focus on the Kingfish and getting back to the roots,” Tournament chairman Chris Ebreo said. ”No boundaries this year on the GT. They can go as far as they want as long as they’re here by 5:30 p.m.”
Past winners have brought in Kingfish in the 40 to 50-pound range—and this year’s anglers hoped for the same, with one major prize on the line: a brand new $230,000 fishing boat.
“It’s one of the originals,” Ebreo said. ”When we started there weren’t many tournaments at all and now they’re up and down the East Coast. Every inlet you have there’s probably a local tournament, but this is one of the originals so I think that name holds weight for people.”
Some competitors, like Wayne DeCosta and his crew on the Frizzy Lizzy, chose to stay close to shore.
“Right after a barracuda, we caught that,” DeCosta said. ”I was honestly thinking 30s. I wouldn’t think a 40-pound fish, but you know, I got him on the boat and put him in the bag.”
Others, like James Drysdale and Daniel Samurin on the Anuket, spent hours chasing schools of fish.
“We caught it about midday,” Samurin said. “We were on a good school of fish. We caught four and threw back a couple so it was a good day. We tried to keep all the big ones and release all the small ones.”
“I knew it was a good fish, but it doesn’t matter until it gets in the boat,” Drysdale said. “Once it got in the boat we knew it was a serious fish.”
It’s not just about the competition—it’s also a family tradition. Like University Christian head football coach David Penland III, who brought his son along for the ride.,
“It’s always fun to get out,” Penland said. ”It’s just his second year getting to do this, so it’s a good time. It’s hot, long days so it’s always fun to get out and enjoy the outdoors.”
And when the scales close, the spirit of the tournament continues. All non-winning catches are donated to Safe Harbour Seafood—feeding families and supporting the local community. A celebration of competition, community, and conservation—the Kingfish Tournament shows why, after 45 years, it’s still a catch.
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