Sport Fishing magazine is pleased to announce a new and exciting fishing opportunity for tournament anglers from south Florida and beyond, as it brings its unique saltwater fishing experience, FishStock, to Miami. The focus of this exciting weekend festival will be two saltwater fishing tournaments, an inshore and an offshore, but families accompanying participating anglers can enjoy lots of other land-based activities.

The Miami 2003 FishStock tournaments are structured around family fishing and fun. Families and weekend anglers will compete in this event for trophies and thousands of dollars in cash and prizes, including a new boat, motor and trailer. To spread the prize money, the tournaments have limits on how many times a boat can win per category (see rule section for more details), and a separate release Tournament within a Tournament (TWT) has been created to challenge the more advanced anglers.

In designing FishStock fishing guidelines, producers envisioned an event that would give the average family an equal chance at catching a tournament-eligible entry – and from any type of boat. A lottery drawing will determine the winner of the boat, motor and trailer, so a small inshore fish has as good a chance at winning the package as a huge offshore fish.

The tournament itself is also designed with a concern for the environment, so the species were not selected strictly on the basis of their popularity in sport fishing. Because we want to protect our inshore fisheries and our ecosystems, more abundant and resilient species were picked. Through creating catch-and-release tournaments for marlin and sailfish in the offshore tournament and trout, tarpon, bonefish, snook and permit in the inshore tournament, we continue to apply this mind-set. FishStock is designed to be as valuable to the local economy as it is to the environment.

The tournament excitement begins Thursday, June 12 with the social with the traditional Captain and Anglers’ party. The Miami area chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) will offer anglers and guests a silent auction for art, merchandise and guided trips. The mandatory captains’ meeting will be held later that evening.

But the weekend is not just for anglers. FishStock Village, open to the general public, will kick into high gear on Friday and continue through the weekend. Shop national and local marine vendors, enjoy a boat show or an art show, take the kids to fishing clinics designed just for them, attend seminars on fishing tips and techniques, take part in a casting competition, enjoy live entertainment -- and much more. After all this excitement you’ll need some energy, so try some great seafood and a cold beverage, all available on-site. Non-fishing visitors will even have a chance to win an AquaWellcraft 180 Fisherman boat with an Evinrude 135-horsepower engine and EZ Loader trailer!

On Friday and Saturday, the tournaments conclude with the weigh-in procedures of the day’s catch. On Sunday afternoon, FishStock activities draw to a close when the tournament committee announces the winners of the two tournaments at an awards presentation. There will also be a drawing for anglers to win a Century 1800 Center Console boat with a 115-horsepower Yamaha engine and a Performance trailer.

Sign up for the tournaments now by printing out the FishStock entry form, or just make plans to come by and enjoy all the fun with your family!

We look forward to seeing you there!