Skip to main content

Ladies Day Tarpon Tournament

2014 Ladies Day Tournament Artwork

What Ladies Day Tarpon Tournament means ...

For more than a decade, my mom and I fished the Ladies Day Tarpon Tournament together in Boca Grande Pass aboard my dad's boat - the SALTY CRACKER. Mom and I love fishing, and it is something many mother-daughter teams share in this particular tournament.

 Ladies Day has traditionally been fished on Mother's Day weekend because it is the one weekend during tarpon season when captains would reserve a tide and take their spouses and daughters out on the water to have a family day instead of taking a charter. In the beginning we were all just out there together, taunting and fishing and waiving to the other women in the Pass. Through the hard work of some very special ladies, the first official tournament was fished in 1990.

 Forward, 27 years later, there is as much camaraderie and competition as ever. There are great prizes and shenanigans too. It's the one big tournament where female anglers flood Boca Grande Pass to raise the mighty Silver King. Most teams are comprised of mothers, daughters, sisters and kin that have been fishing here since the beginning. It is wonderful to be among them and as a tournament artist in 2012, 2013 and 2014.. 
Throwback to 2013 when I presented JoEllen Morris with the winning angler prize ... A framed print of the tournament artwork.

 JoEllen is celebrated her first Mother's Day in 2017 as a mom of a beautiful little girl! I love seeing this cycle continue and look forward to the day we are fishing with her daughter in the Pass.
In 2014, the theme was "Anchored in Tradition" and I created this art piece of the same name with a mermaid, tarpon and lighthouse along with a coral and rose bouquet for the tournament. The winning angler was Tricia on Team Mama Leslie.

 Here's to all the moms and future moms out there! Through our teaching the cycle of conservation and enjoyment will continue!

 2017 tournament: Saturday, May 13.
Labels:
Location: Gulf Blvd, Boca Grande, FL 33921, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2019 World's Richest Tarpon Tournament

Each year that I create the artwork for the World’s Richest  Tarpon   Tournament , it is a very special honor to me. I love the Boca Grande fishery for so many reasons. The people I’ve fished with and the exhilaration of catching the mighty silver king are priceless. We are blessed to live in such a special place where the  tarpon  pile up and present us with the spectacle of huge rolling and feeding schools. Watching the crabs run on the tide or a fish evading a large and looming shadow of a bull or hammerhead are sights common here, unlike anywhere else. When I sit back in my chair on a drift off the pass, I often think about my previous  tarpon  experiences. Every single one was an event shared with friends and loved ones that I truly cherish. Fishing is as much about people and relationships as it is about the fish.  This year is a year of setting sons for our fishery. A few of the boats and people that I grew up fishing with or ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Metamorphosis

Since 2002, I have lived or worked on Gasparilla Island. The beautiful surroundings and Florida wildlife here have always inspired me. I grew up vacationing on the island - fishing here with my family. My father has captained a tarpon boat here every season since the 80's.    Many of you know me from my work in the community as a luxury real estate agent. I took my position as a Realtor very seriously and successfully closed deals each year, bringing happiness to both buyers and sellers. To each person I have had the opportunity to work for or with, I am very thankful. It was for these customers that I was able to achieve the awards, leadership roles, and accolades that I did achieve as an agent.    I've been an artist since I was a child, and professionally working as an artist for about 10 years in my time between real estate closings. In 2013, I have finally come to a position where I can follow my heart and pursue art full time.  ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Tattooed Tarpon in Boca Grande

In 2017, I created the "Johnson Shoals" tarpon mount for a Bonefish & Tarpon Trust auction in Boca Grande. King Sailfish supplied the fish mount for this project. The idea for the painting came to me from the many times I have drifted in the Pass, watching the waves and the shadows dancing beneath them. The shoals are on the south side of the pass, so when you look back across it you can see the Boca Grande lighthouse. From this perspective, the Gulf waters are to the "left".  The fundraiser was a success and one of Boca Grande's own purchased the fish to hang in a local office building. Artist Kelly Reark www.TattooedTarpon.com
Post a Comment
Read more