Queen of Kings
Date: June 4, 2011
Location: Paradise Bar and Grill / Pensacola Beach
Species: King Mackerel
Top Prize: $150
Contact: Joe Z (850) 516-0709
Website: www.saltwater-events.com
Additional Info: Entry Fee $150

The 36th Annual Optimist Fishing Rodeo will be held May 14th and 15th at Shoreline Park South. This year promises to be filled with fun, young and not so young anglers, and lots of wonderful prizes.

The entry fee of $20 is waived for all children under the age of 10 who have an adult registered for the event.

Anglers can purchase tickets at Gulf Breeze Bait and Tackle, Hot Spots Bait & Tackle, Dizzy Lizzy Bait & Tackle, Outcast Bait & Tackle, West6 Marine at W. Barrancas Avenue, or Tight Lines Bait and Tackle.

The weekend begins Saturday, May 14th, 2011 at 5 AM, and goes through Sunday, May 15th, 2011 at 5 PM. Weigh-in is on Saturday 3-6 PM, and Sunday, 2-5 PM. Awards will be presented after weigh-in is complete.

In 2010, there were over 180 anglers of all ages, and prizes were awarded in 14 different categories. For 2011, the categories include amberjack, blue fish, croaker, dolphin, flounder, grouper, king mackerel, ling/cobia, pompano, redfish, sheepshead, snapper, Spanish mackerel, speckled trout, trigger, tuna, wahoo, white trout and whiting.

For children under 6, anyone who catches any size pin fish will receive a rod and reel award for their efforts.

The weekend promises to be great fun for adults and children alike. The prizes are substantial and numerous. Many local companies support the efforts of the Gulf Breeze Optimists by providing awards in the form of gift certificates to their businesses, or by placing ads in the program that everyone receives. Each fishing category will have the following awards: First Place: $100 gift certificate, Second Place: $50 gift certificate, and Third Place: $25 gift certificate. First place winners in each fish category will be eligible for the Grand Prize Drawing of $1,000 presented by Optimist Club of Gulf Breeze

The Optimist Fishing Rodeo is one of the oldest fishing tournaments in the Pensacola area.

This month’s topic will be “How to Catch Bait” and we will detail how to catch bait using nets, sabikis, and much more. The Seminar Series is held each month at Flounder’s on Pensacola Beach. The free dinner buffet will be put out at 6:30 p.m. and the seminar will begin at 7 p.. For more details visit their website www.pensacolafishingseminars.com or call Hot Spots Bait and Tackle at (850) 916-7176.

Anglers will take to the water looking for redfish this Saturday April 30 for the Spots & Slots Redfish Tournament. Normally during a redfish tournament everyone is trying to catch the fattest fish within the eighteen to twenty-seven inch Florida slot limit.

Although that’s not the case this weekend, the amount of spots on your redfish will make or break your day. Each fish brought to the scales will be awarded one point for each inch up to twenty-seven and one point for each spot. For example a twenty-two inch fish with fourteen spots would have a score of thirty-six.

Another great thing about Spots & Slots is that you don’t even need a boat to participate. You can fish from land, on a pier, wade fish, kayak, or of course by boat.

There are four different divisions; open, team of two, kayak, and junior. First, second, and third places will be awarded in each division.

The open division winner will be determined by the individual angler who brings in the redfish with the highest score. Entry into the open is only $100 and the winner will win a guaranteed top prize of $1,000.

The “team of two” division is what makes this event special. You can team up with anyone you wish and enter for $100 per team. The top team will also be awarded a guaranteed $1,000. You can enter as a team with as many people as you wish whether they are fishing on a boat with you, on another boat, or by land, and your scores will be added together at the count-in.

For more information visit spotsandslots.com or call Hot Spots Bait and Tackle at (850) 916-7176.

The First Annual Paradise Bar & Grill Small Boat Cobia Tournament will be held April 16 & 17 on Pensacola Beach. Anglers will battle to see who can bring in the biggest cobia for cash prizes!