History

Established ~1930

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC !!

The Sarasota Tarpon Tournament is one of the oldest fishing tournaments in the world.Famous industrialist and radio magnate, Powel Crosley Jr. as a guest of Robert Ringling hooked his first tarpon while fishing in Sarasota. He was so impressed with the area and the sport of tarpon fishing that in 1929 he moved to Sarasota.In 1930 Crosley was elected president of the new Sarasota County Anglers" Club and to gain national attention the tournament was carried on Crosley's Cincinnati radio station WLW and relayed via telephone lines to Ohio and affilate stations nationwide. The Palmer family commissioned the sterling silver four foot Tarpon Trophy in the early 1930's. This trophy nows resides at the Sarasota History center.In the 1990's the Sarasota Anglers Club united with the Sarasota Sportsfishing Club and now the Sarasota Anglers Sport Fishing Club now hosts the Annual Sarasota Tarpon Tournament and continues the fine tradition.This tarpon tournament was one of the first tarpon tournaments to become an "all-release event.A DNA study of tarpon by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute is conducted during this tournament for their Genetic Recapture Study.Proceeds go to the Big Brothers and Big Sisters on the Suncoast.

World's Oldest Tarpon Tournament

May 22 to June 27, 2010

Local artist Brendan Coudal has again been chosen to design this year's tournament artwork, which will be used for shirts and other promotional material, with prints awarded to certain levels of winners in the tournament.