Captains, mates, ladies, juniors and seniors are all eligible to fish the annual Skippers Dolphin Tournament, one of the Upper Keys’ most popular summertime fun fishing tournaments.
Presented by Island Arms and Indoor Range, the challenge is set for Friday through Sunday, June 2-4.
Significant prize money will be shared by the event’s top six teams, including $20,000 cash to the overall first-place team, $10,000 for second place and $5,000 for third place. Cash prizes will also be awarded to the leading daily angler and leading lady, senior and junior anglers.
A kickoff, final registration party and captains meeting are set for Friday, June 2, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Skippers Dockside Restaurant. Serving as tournament headquarters, the restaurant is located at 528 Caribbean Dr., behind the Holiday Inn at MM 100.
Fishing begins at 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, followed by a dockside party each fishing day and an awards event following Sunday’s weigh-in and party. Anglers must get their fish to the weigh-in by 5 p.m. each day.
Eligible species for the tournament are dolphin fish, tuna, wahoo and kingfish. Only dolphin fish are eligible for overall prizes. Each team may weigh in two fish per day and the combined weight of a teams’ three largest fish will determine the winners.
Online registration is recommended at skipperstournaments.com. Junior anglers must be under age 16 and seniors at least age 65 on the first day of the tournament.
Nonrefundable early entry fees are $275 per angler until June 1. In-person registration is available Friday for $350 per angler. An unlimited number of anglers is allowed per boat.
