JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Over 300 boats took to the open waters trying to catch the biggest kingfish Friday at the Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament.
Both professional and amateur anglers were out on the water. This is one of the largest kingfish tournaments in the Southeast.
“This is a big community,” tournament chairman Mel Hammock said. “It’s a big family for us. It’s fisherman. It’s our sponsors. People come out here and hang with us and meet new friends.”
The first boat to weigh in was the Crowley family from Ponte Vedra. They caught a 57.75 pound kingfish, which is a tournament record. The Crowley family is going home with a brand new boat.
“It was nerve wrecking,” angler Travis Crowley said. “We came to the chum hole right outside the inlet and just hung out and fished a little bit on pins and needles the whole time, but it was fun.”
“We sat out there for probably three or four hours just hanging out and talking and waiting and trying to get feedback from what other people have caught,” angler Lucas Crowley said.
Thousands of dollars in prize money were also handed out to other anglers with the next largest fish.
The best part proceeds from this tournament support marine science research, preservation, and education.