Ladies Kingfish Tournament expects 300 anglers
This one is all about the women. The last of three big fishing tournament weekends, anglers will take to the water for the 33rd Annual Ladies Kingfish Tournament on Saturday.
But unlike the Port Mansfield Fishing Tournament and the Texas International Fishing Tournament that precede LKT, the only anglers allowed to compete are women.
Sponsored by the South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce, LKT is expected to draw about 300 fisherwomen, according to Chamber Executive Director Roxanne Guenzel.
“Registration is strong and we’re getting ready for 300 entrants, that’s what we’re expecting,” she said. “We’re scurrying around at the last minute taking care of all the details.”
Many of the competitors don’t bother to early register, instead waiting until the last minute, Guenzel said. “They wait and see what the weather is going to be like and what their families are doing that weekend,” she said.
The only men allowed at LKT are boat captains and deckhands. Women are the only people that can get a line wet. “The ladies enjoy having the focus on them and their fishing abilities,” Guenzel said. “It’s always a fun time.”
LKT has both bay and offshore divisions and are limited to certain species. Bay anglers will be going after redfish, trout and flounder, while the offshore catch is limited to kings, dolphinfish, blackfin tuna and bonito.
Spectators are invited to come out to watch the fish brought to the dock for weigh in at Sea Ranch Marina II at Southpoint in Port Isabel. The weigh in starts at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and runs until 5:30 p.m. for the bay division and 7 p.m. for offshore catches.
On Friday from 4-7 p.m. at the South Padre Island Convention Center is late registration for those last-minute anglers. The awards ceremony will start at 11 a.m. on Sunday at the convention center.
Guenzel said artist Dinah Bowman gas again created original artwork for the trophies.
“This is the ninth year she’s done the artwork, and she does something new and fun every year, so it keeps it fresh,” she said. “We’ve also got some great raffle prizes for the drawing.”
George Cox
