TIFT-Program-Book

Transcription

TIFT-Program-Book

July 30 - August 3, 2014 - TEXAS INTERNATIONAL FISHING TOURNAMENT - 1
2 - July 30 - August 3, 2014 • TEXAS INTERNATIONAL FISHING TOURNAMENT
Fourteen year old Brent shown with the
first billfish caught in the Texas International Fishing Tournament in 1983.
In 1934, Doc J. A.
Hockaday founded the first
“Fish Rodeo” out of Port
Isabel, Texas to tell the story of
phenomenal fishing in the Rio
Grande Valley to anglers around
the world. Over the last 80 years,
the tournament has been cancelled only twice. The first time
for four years during WWII due
to fuel rationing, and the second
time in 2008 due to Hurricane
Dolly. This year, the Texas International Fishing Tournament
will celebrate 75 years of fishing
tradition in South Texas.
The tradition for me began
when I was just 13 years old.
The photo shown is from TIFT
1983 when I brought in the first
billfish of the tournament that
year. I was hooked! I have many
memories of fishing with my
father and family friends and am
now creating memories with my
own family and hope to instill in
them a love of fishing in south
Texas that I have grown up with.
TIFT has always been
known as more than just a
fishing tournament. Year after
year, TIFT is proud to give back
to the community and families
that have supported the tournament. This year, TIFT awarded
17 scholarships to kids that have
been involved with the tournament (fishing or volunteering).
Aside from the scholarships
awarded, the second year of
TIFT CARES (Catch a Redfish
Educational Scholarship) will
be releasing 25 more tagged
redfish, in addition to the
15 tagged redfish that were
released last year. This gives
registered junior anglers
an opportunity to receive
a $10,000 scholarship for
catching one of the tagged
redfish. To date, two fish
have been caught, unfortunately not by junior anglers.
Keep fishing – there are still
38 tagged redfish out there
waiting to be caught!
Each year we welcome
new faces to TIFT and miss those who aren’t able to be with us. This
year will be no exception. After 26 years of service, Tournament
Director Betty Wells will be voluntarily stepping down. Through her
years of service, TIFT has grown to be the biggest fishing tournament
on the Gulf Coast. We can’t thank Betty enough! Please make sure you
visit with her at this year’s event to thank her for her contributions
and wish her well on her future endeavors. We will also be welcoming a new face to the TIFT family as Kristi Collier has been named
TIFT Tournament Director and is working closely with Betty this year
to ensure a smooth transition. Kristi will be on hand throughout the
event so please make sure you get a chance to say hello and make
her feel welcome!
I could not close this letter without mentioning the work that
the TIFT Executive Board puts into the preparation of yet another successful tournament. And without the support of the Advisory Board,
sponsors, and volunteers the tournament would not be possible.
Thank you for making TIFT what it is after 75 years!
Looking forward to seeing ya’ll on the docks!
Brent Baldree,
President
al career as director of financial development with the Rio
The TIFT Executive Board is pleased to announce that
Grande Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross in 1995.
Kristi Collier of McAllen has been named the new TIFT
Since 2008, Collier has helped business owners attract
Tournament Director. Betty Wells, who has served as TournaWinter Texans from across the Rio Grande Valley through
ment Director for the past 26 years, announced she will be
her marketing company, Welcome Home, RGV.
leaving the position at the end of the year and looks forward
Married to Kevin Collier, the couple has one daughter,
to working with Collier to ensure a smooth transition.
Kirby Layne, 16. In her spare time, Collier enjoys spending
Collier was selected by the Board after an extensive
time with family and friends, camping in her 1975 Holiday
search process and has a strong background in fundraising,
marketing and event planning. “The passion and commitRamblette, competing in barbecue cook-offs, bike riding,
ment of the TIFT Board is inspiring. I am honored by the
and relaxing on the beach.
opportunity to serve,” Collier said.
“We’re extremely excited to welcome Kristi to the TIFT
Collier is a McAllen native and is proud to call the Rio
family,” said President Brent Baldree. “We believe her enGrande Valley home. She graduated from McAllen Memorial
thusiasm and professional background will be a tremendous
High School and has a BA degree in business management
asset to our organization.”
from Concordia Lutheran College. She began her professionJuly
July 30
30 -- August
August 3,
3, 2014
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3
A MATTER OF HISTORY
Seventy-five years of tournament history
cannot be summed up in such a short space. I
therefore have elected to concentrate on the early
years, only.This is not to slight the enormous effort
and many good times of more recent tournaments
but to provide an insight into the foundation that
allowed these events. All who read this may simply look around themselves and, if observant, can
appreciate somewhat what the Texas International
Fishing Tournament is today. Perhaps it may be difficult for us to look back and visualize what today’s
tournament would seem like to those few people
of vision in the early 1930s. But take care—as you
look around yourselves you may be content that
they saw the 2014 tournament more clearly than
many of us can see today.The foresight of people of
vision is often 20/20.
One must realize what the Rio Grande Valley
was like in the late 1920s and early 1930s.The isolation below the long stretch of the King Ranch left
the Valley a frontier long after much of the southwest had been tamed. A six-gun was not an unusual
wardrobe accessory and it was an almost necessary
plank in any political platform.The railroad promised to open up this land, and it was succeeding.
Vast expanses of brush were being cleared for the
citrus and cotton. Land development was the major
industry, to be followed by the agriculture it allowed.The Rio Grande Valley was just beginning
to break out into the twentieth century and it
looked as though it could make up lost time.
Port Isabel, then knows as Point Isabel,
previously known as El Fronton, was on the surface no more than a small, poor fishing village.
It was more akin to the numerous small villages
to the South in Mexico than to the other ports
to the North. Perhaps its location near the
border and as part of the Rio Grande Valley
made it different. Perhaps it was the same as
hundreds of other such fishing villages. One
way or the other, Port Isabel had spunk and
Port Isabel had fish.
In 2014 we celebrate the seventy-
Tournament Director’s Note: The following is a
reprint, with some editing for space and updating, of an article written by tournament founder
“Doc” J.A. Hockaday’s son, Donald L. Hockaday in
1988. Throughout its 75 year history, the tournament has remained, in many ways, true to the
intentions of its founder.
(continued on page 23)
WEDNESDAY~July 30 Registration: From 3 - 8 p.m. Sign up at
SPI Convention Centre on South Padre
Island.
THURSDAY~July
THURSDAY
~July 31
Playday: A family day of fun and contests for the kids at SPI Convention
Center. Games and prizes 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. (Registration continues at SPI
Convention Center at 9 a.m.) • Supper: SPI Convention Center, 6 p.m.
Captain’s Meeting: 5 p.m. SPI Convention Center.
FRIDAY~August
FRIDAY
~August 1
Fishing Contest: Begins at 6:30 a.m., Bay Division & 7 a.m. Offshore.
Weigh station opens at Southpoint Marina, in Port Isabel, 2 - 8 p.m.
Dock time: Bay, 5 p.m.; Offshore, 8 p.m.
SATURDAY~August
SATURDAY
~August 2 Start Fishing: Begins at 6:30 a.m., Bay Division & 7 a.m. Offshore. Weigh
station opens from 2 - 7 p.m. at Southpoint Marina. Dock time: Bay, 5
p.m.; Offshore, 7 p.m.
SUNDAY~August
SUNDAY
~August 3
Lunch: SPI Convention Center, 11:30 a.m. Awards Presentation: SPI
Convention Center, South Padre Island, 1 p.m.
Frost Bank • L & F Distributors/Budweiser • First National Bank South Padre Island
Louie's Backyard/Tequila Sunset • Capt. Bobby & Robin Farris • City of Port Isabel
Harry Cullen & Harry Cullen, Jr. • Mike Hood's Marine Propeller Service
Port Isabel Economic Development Corporation • Shallow Sport/The Sportsman
Pink Marlin • Islands • Academy Sports & Outdoors • Anglers Marine Center
South Padre Island Convention & Visitors Bureau • Superior Energy Services, Inc.
Back to Action • V J Oil and Land • Texas Farm Credit • KRGV Channel 5 • Safefloor
Origins Recovery Center • Texas Regional Bank
Genco Energy Services, Inc. • Breakaway Cruises • Dargel Boats
Mitch & Clarisse Heidenheimer • Sea Ranch Restaurant/Laguna Bob's
Tailchaser Charters/Capt. Charles Buchen • Danny's Pawn & Sporting Goods
White Ankle Charters/Capt. Chuck Fultz • Landtitle USA • Wet n Wild
Payne Auto Group • Going South Charters
July
July 30
30 -- August
August 3,
3, 2014
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TIFT CARES ANNOUNCES 2014-15 TOURNAMENT
The Texas International Fishing Tournament (TIFT) will launch
its 2nd Annual TIFT Catch
a Redfish Educational Scholarship (CARES) at our 75th event July
30-Aug. 3.
The 10 month program will be open to all junior
anglers registered in TIFT who are 16 years of age
or younger.Tagged redfish will be released in the Laguna Madre Bay and the first five junior anglers who
catch one of the tagged fish will receive a $10,000
scholarship. Fishing for the event will be open from
Aug. 1, 2014 through May
31, 2015.Any junior angler registered in the 75th
TIFT is automatically registered in the TIFT CARES.
“This program was designed
as an investment in the future of TIFT,” says TIFT
President Brent Baldree “We feel this is a wonderful
complement to our existing annual scholarship program and encourages the family fishing experiences
that have kept our tournament growing.”
For more information, visit www.tift.org or call
(956) 943-8438.
TIFT JUNIOR DIVISION – TIFT CARES (Catch a Redfish
Educational Scholarship)
The Texas International Fishing Tournament (TIFT) is pleased to offer
our junior anglers a chance to win all year even after the TIFT tournament is concluded! Prior to the start of the 2014 TIFT Tournament, tagged
redfish will be released in the Laguna Madre between the Brownsville ship
channel and Port Mansfield. The first five of our 2014 registered junior
anglers who catch a TIFT tagged fish will be awarded a $10,000.00 College
Scholarship.
Parents or guardians need to remember to register their junior anglers
for TIFT and remember to take them fishing all year long!
RULES FOR PARTICIPATION:
1. To be eligible in the 2014-2015 TIFT CARES program the junior angler
must be registered in the 2014-2015 TIFT CARES program or as a bay or
offshore junior angler in the TIFT 2014-2015 Tournament. Entry into the
TIFT tournament automatically enters a junior angler in the TIFT CARES
program.
2. Participants and their fish must comply with State of Texas Rules and
Regulations and TIFT rules along with signing and agreeing to be bound
by the Release, Hold Harmless and Indemnity Agreement along with the
Polygraph Authorization included with the Tournament registration form.
4. If requested by TIFT, participants including the junior angler, the
parents or legal guardians of the junior angler and witnesses to the catch
agree to submit to a polygraph test by a polygraph examiner of TIFT’s
choosing. Polygraph tests are to be taken at a time and place decided by
the TIFT Executive Board. Failure to take and/or to pass the polygraph
SHALL result in disqualification. All travel expenses are to be paid by
entrant.
5. The TIFT JUNIOR DIVISION - TIFT CARES (Catch a Redfish Educational
Scholarship) will begin at the official TIFT start time on August 1, 2014
and end at 5:00 p.m. on May 31, 2015. Only the first five tagged fish
caught during this one year period will be eligible.
6. All tagged fish must have been hooked and caught by the junior contestant with a rod, hook, and line. Assistance by another person netting the
fish is permitted.
7. A winning fish must have an official Tift tag in place and meet current
Texas Parks and Wildlife legal slot limit. Prior to the start of the 2014
TIFT Tournament, tagged redfish within the Texas Parks and Wildlife legal
slot limit will be released into the Laguna Madre between the Brownsville
ship Channel and Port Mansfield. The tags placed on the redfish will be
identified as a TIFT tag and have a phone number and serial number. Contestants should promptly call (956) 943-TIFT and report the catch of the
tagged fish within 24 hours. Arrangements will then be made to meet the
angler and their parents or guardian to verify the catch and certify that it
is within the Texas Parks and Wildlife legal slot limit. To be eligible, each
tagged redfish being claimed for a prize must have the tag still identifiable, intact and completely attached to the fish.
8. Payment of the $10,000.00 college scholarship will only be made to
an accredited college or university to be attended by the winning junior
angler. The junior angler or their parents/guardians cannot assign the
prize to any other person. If the junior angler chooses not to attend an
accredited college or university there will be no prize money awarded.
9. Each child who submits a fish for entry must have a parent/guardian or
adult sponsor who can verify this specific catch.
10. All decisions regarding this event and the awarding of prizes shall be
at the sole discretion of the TIFT Executive Board.
11. Prize winners are responsible for payment of any applicable taxes, if
any.
Nineteen year old Madeline (Mattie) Rowe of Harlingen has been named the official 2014 Texas International Fishing Tournament Hostess.
The daughter of Dr. James Rowe of Harlingen and
Charles and Carrie Lee Buchen of Harlingen, Mattie is
currently a freshman at Texas State University pursuing
her career goals in photography and marketing. She is
member of the Alpha Zeta Chapter of Chi Omega Society and is involved in Texas States’Young Life Club. She
was also a TIFT scholarship recipient in 2013 and will
receive a $2,000 scholarship this year for her service as
hostess.
Mattie’s involvement with TIFT began at the age
of three carrying a Mickey Mouse fishing pole and wearing a Little Mermaid life jacket. She was dockside as a
baby but it was only as a toddler that she began to fish.
Little did she know she would grow up loving the sport
and would become “hooked” on fishing for life. Even
now, she vividly remembers those young days filled with
excitement and dragging her hard-earned stringer of
piggy perch to the weigh dock.
Three generations of Mattie’s family have been
part of the TIFT family. Her late grandfather, Wayne D.
Grayson, was TIFT President in 1976 and 1977. Her stepfather, Charles Buchen, serves on the Advisory Board and
supports the event as a boat/team sponsor, and mother,
Carrie Buchen was appointed to the Advisory Board 13
years ago and has, for the past seven years, served on
TIFT’s Executive Board. Mattie comes from a family dedicated to serving TIFT and began her volunteer activities
at a very young age, stuffing registration bags and later
working registration, Playday and the dock. For the past
several years, she and other dock workers have crafted
their own creative headwear and custom apparel to
show their enthusiasm for the days they spend working
the dock. She strives each year to reclaim the title of the
dockworker with the slimiest T-shirt, but she also says
she cleans up “pretty well” and hopes to adapt to the
role of official hostess with the same ease she displays
in her other service areas.
“Being TIFT hostess has been a dream of mine
since I was a little girl,” Mattie says.“I was quite the
tomboy growing up, but I always secretly looked up to
the TIFT hostess as my own living princess. Making the
kids smile, mingling with the anglers, and meeting all of
the families are all things I love doing. I not only want to
be the woman that the little girls in the stands look up
to, but also the woman who carries herself in a way that
shows respect towards others.”
Mattie follows her older sister Alexandra Rowe as
TIFT hostess and says she sees this honor as an opportunity to say thank you to the people who make the tournament possible.“I want to thank TIFT for the hundreds
of smiles, thousands of T-shirts in my closet, and millions
of memories you have given so many families year after
year,” she said.“I am eternally grateful to this organization and look forward to bringing my own family to
TIFT someday. Who knows? If I’m lucky, I might even
be sitting in that room someday on the TIFT Executive
Board.”
The TIFT Executive Board is pleased to announce that it has
awarded annual scholarships of $2000 per recipient to 17 outstanding young people. Each was selected on the basis of personal tournament involvement and volunteer work, and grades.
The following scholarship recipients will each receive scholarships towards tuition, books, lab fees and other direct expenses at the
accredited college or technical school of their choice:
CHARLES BARNETT is the son of Charles and Janie Barnett of
Dallas and is currently attending Texas A & M University. His career
interests include civil engineering and construction science.
NICHOLAS BOMARITO. The son of Dennis and Beth Bomarito
of South Padre Island, Nicholas is a graduate of Port Isabel High
School and plans to attend Texas A & M to major in ocean engineering.
LAUREN BOTHWELL is the daughter of Timothy and Heather
Bothwell of Harlingen and is currently a junior at The University of
Texas at Austin. Lauren is majoring in marketing and finance.
MCKENZIE BRUNNEMANN is the daughter of Mark and
Melody Brunnemann of Weslaco. McKenzie is a graduate of Weslaco
High School and plans to attend Texas A & M University at College
Station to major in international marketing and agribusiness.
COLIN EUBANKS is the son of George Eubanks and Penni McCormick of Harlingen and a graduate of Harlingen High School. Colin
will be attending Blinn College to pursue his interests in construction
science and ag leadership and development.
DANIEL DAIGLE, the son of Patty Daigle of Los
Fresnos, is a graduate of Port Isabel High School and
plans to attend Universal Technical Institute to focus
on a career as a diesel technician or diesel engineer.
HUNTER GREEN, who currently attend Northwest Vista Community College, is the son of Billy
Green of McAllen and Gail Gonzales of San Antonio.
With career interests in radio/TV and broadcasting/
producing, Hunter is considering colleges that include
Northwest Vista, Texas State University, and USTA.
CAMERON GUIN, a junior at Pan American
University, is the son of Johnny and Linda Guin of
Weslaco. His college major is business management.
JOANN HERVEY is the daughter of Charles and
Patricia Hervey and is currently a sophomore at Texas
State University, where she is majoring in speech and
language pathology.
KAYLIN INFANTE, a graduate of Port Isabel
High School, is the
daughter of Martin
and Darlene Infante. She will be
pursuing career
interests in motor
development at
one of the following colleges: Blinn
College, Our Lady
of the Lake University, or Texas A & M.
CARI KLOSTERMANN, who is currently a junior at Texas A &
M University, is the daughter of Dan and Norma Klostermann of Raymondville. She is majoring in horse reproduction and ag business.
KURTIS LESTER, the son of Rick and Terresa Lester of League
City, is a graduate of Clear Creek High School and plans to attend
Texas Tech to pursue interests in chemical engineering, international
business and political science.
ALISON MAGOUIRK is the daughter of Mark and Sandy Magouirk of Harlingen and currently attends Blinn College. She plans to
pursue a career as a dentist, dental hygienist or oral surgeon.
AUSTIN PINKERTON, the son of Robert and Veronica Pinkerton of Laguna Vista, is a sophomore at Texas A & M University,
seeking a small business owner degree and a career as a real estate
broker.
MADELINE ROWE is the daughter of James Rowe and Carrie
Buchen of Harlingen and currently attends Texas State University, pursuing her majors in photography and marketing. Mattie is the official
hostess of the 75th TIFT.
DEVIN STIERS a graduate of Veterans Memorial High School in
Mission, plans to attend Angelo State University to focus on farm and
ranch management and agribusiness.
KIERSTEN STIERS, the daughter of Darryl and Laura Stiers of
South Padre Island, Kiersten is a graduate of Port Isabel High School.
She plans to attend Texas State University to major in kinesiology.
July
July 30
30 -- August
August 3,
3, 2014
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The Texas International Fishing Tournament’s Playday will take on a new look with
exciting competitions and new leadership under
the direction of Cleve and Miriam Ford.
Scheduled to be held Thursday, Aug. 1,
registration tables will open at 9:30 am and competition will begin at 10 am. Junior anglers will
be participating in land based events while their
parents are readying the boats for the next two
days of fishing. Playday participants will be vying
for medals and honors during festivities designed
solely for their entertainment. Age groups competing are: Under 5 years; 5-6 years; 7-9 years;
10-12 years and 13-16 years.
In addition to the ever popular Mullet Relay, several new competitive events will be introduced.These include:The Maze,The Meltdown,
and the Wading Belt Relay.The Under 5 age
group will also have noncompetitive events that
include a sandbox dig, a guess table and the big
slide. The Fords have also planned a few surprise
features that are sure to delight the crowds.
“We want to keep Playday fresh with new ideas
and new events,” Miriam Ford said.“We also want
to remind everyone that your child does not
have to be registered in TIFT to participate in
Playday.”
Traditional favorites such as the KidFish
fish tank are also included in festivities. The fish
tank will be open to all TIFT registrants throughout social activities at the South Padre Island
Convention Centre.
When TIFT’s Playday was introduced more
than 20 years, the Executive Board wanted to
highlight the importance family involvement has
played in its history.They wanted to also adhere
to the tournament philosophy that every child
is a winner and decided to reward every Playday
registrant with ribbons for participation.The top
three winners in each competitive event receive
Gold, Silver and Bronze medals that are awarded
in an Olympic style presentation that concludes
Playday activities at about 1 pm.
“Playday is a fun event for the entire family,” Cleve Ford says.“We have been blessed with
a great group of volunteers and parents and we
count on their support to keep Playday growing.
We invite all of their TIFT registrants to be a part
of this tribute to our junior anglers.”
23rd Annual Texas International Fishing Tournament in 1962.
Even then, it was all about the kids!
July
July 30
30 -- August
August 3,
3, 2014
2014 -- T
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ALAMO
Kay Sheldon
AUSTIN
Tom Garner
Kendra Stiers Davis
BAYVIEW
Zeke Garrett
BROWNSVILLE
Monique Carre
Cynthia Castro Torres
Art Delgado
Debbie Green
Leon James
Dustin James
Frances Knapp
Robert & Sally Perez
Terry Ray
Cheryl Richardson
Elizabeth Schill
Ian Schill
Dr. Belinda Torres-Montez
Joe Touchet
CLEAR LAKE SHORES
Rick Carrasco
COMBES
Gilbert Staton
DALLAS
Charles Barnett III
DONNA
Jeff Dean
Doug Dunkin
Tom O'Connell
Thelma Reynolds
George Reynolds, Jr.
Bill Rountree
Larry Schoenemann
Eva Torres
Raul Torres, Jr.
Troy & Quita Wittenbach
HOUSTON
Craig Bunk
Harry Cullen, Jr.
HollyAnne Jenkins
KAILUA-KONA
Neil & Trina Isaacs
KERRVILLE
Doug Clothier
KINGSVILLE
Hayley Green
LA FERIA
Allen Shields
LAGUNA VISTA
Daniel & Kelley Bryant
James & Melinda Dunks
Shawn & Kate Glass
Mark & Lorelii Helmke
Tom Keelin
Gary Meschi
Bryan Ray
Mark Westbrook
John Wittbolt III
LANTANA
Bryan Cook
EDINBURG
Mike Baldree
Jim Bush
LAREDO
Keriann Stiers Clifford
FORT WORTH
David Tubbs
Veronica Elizondo
LOS FRESNOS
Rene Capistran
D.J. Wernecke
GALVESTON
Bill Moll
LOZANO
Johnny Rodriquez
GEORGETOWN
Tom & Bette Martin
MCALLEN
Pat & Cheryl Alden
Joe Averill
Paul & Christine DeBolt
Chuck Donnelly
Sean & Angela Donnelly
Larry Doyle
Julian Gomez
Ken & Jennifer Griffith
Laura Lohr
Melissa Mikulik
Paul Moxley
Keyes & Glenda Ramee
Rob Richards
Bud Rowland
David & Ann Rowland
Nicky Runnels
Neal Runnels
John & Sara Tippit
Matt & Lucy Ann Wolthoff
HARLINGEN
Susan Abbott
Tim Bothwell
Charles & Carrie Buchen
John B. Carey III
Warren Carper
Bobby & Robin Farris
Ryan & Lauren Foster
Klayton Fultz
Chuck Fultz
Kamron Fultz
Kaston & Meghan Fultz
Buck & Kelsey Garcia
Terry & Nancy Gray
Bill & Tammi Greer
Dan & Debbie Groves
Rick & Sandy Guerrero
Jaime & Lisa Guerrero
Curtis Hagar
Lee Hollon
Joe Jones
Charles Kennedy
Leslie Lockhart
Mark & Sandy Magouirk
Kris McKinney
James & Becky Miller
Tom NeSmith
Tim O'Brien
MISSION
Don King
Yuri Shiba
Clark Spikes Jr.
Cheri Stiers
Donald Wernecke
Lillian Williams
OLMITO
Jean Webb
PORT ARANSAS
Jerry Webb
PORT ISABEL
John B. Carey, Jr.
Gene & Colleen Catlett
David Gower
Don Hockaday
Willie Jackson
David Krummel
Tom Mathis
Mel Ocker
Russell Robinson
Celina Scott
DeWitt Thomas
Gilbert & Teri Vela
Vere Wells
Bobby Wells
Jon Wilson
David Woolverton
Gary Wyninger
RAYMONDVILLE
Matt Klostermann
Russell Klostermann
RICHMOND
John Bunk
RIO HONDO
Mary Jo Bogatto
Jaime Lopez
Stephanie Rhyner
John Todd
RIVIERA
Monty & Jerin Bryant
ROCKPORT
Tami Domasco
Brian Phillips
SAN ANTONIO
Charles Bunk
Gail Gonzalez
Mike & Barbara Gower
Balous Miller
Jim Newman
Steve Stiers
SAN BENITO
Octavio Elizondo
Jennifer Herrera
Charlie & Tiffany Kennedy
Richard Moore
Tony Reisinger
Albert & DeAnna Reyes
Rob Youker
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND
Denny Bomarito
Christy Carrasco
Kit Doncaster
Troy Giles
Mark Hagenmiller
Jimmy Lawson
Skipper Mock
Joe Rico
Heather Scott
Charles Sheldon
Dan Stanton
Ann Wells
Shane Wilson
Stanley Woelfel, Jr.
SPRING
Gary Meade
VICTORIA
Ben Heilker
Joe Braman
WESLACO
Brent Baldree
Cleve & Miriam Ford
Dan & Rebecca Galvan
Austin & Natalie Payne
Jimmy Payne
PAST PRESIDENTS
1949 ----------------------------------Dick Richards
1950 ----------------------------------------Evan Hurst
1951 --------------------------------------Lee Wilson
1952 ----------------------------------------- B. W. Ogle
1953 ---------------------------------------Bob Youker
1954 -------------------------------------Bob Monlux
1955 ----------------------------------Earl C. Hunter
1956 --------------------------------------------Phil Edie
1957 ------------------------------ A. H. Huebinger
1958 ---------------------------------Francis Knapp
1959 ---------------------------------- Charles Berry
1960 --------------------------------------- Chic White
1961 ---------------------------------Wilson Palmer
1962 ---------------------------------- George Etz, Jr.
1963 ------------------------- Dr. Howard Tewell
1964 & 1965 ---------------------Otto Schvab
1966 & 1967 ------------------Hubert Dusek
1968 & 1969 ----------------------- Fritz Bergh
1970 & 1971 -----------------------John Peters
1972 & 1973 -----------------------------Bill York
1974 & 1975 --------- Howard Cummins
1976 & 1977 ---------------Wayne Grayson
1978 & 1979 ------------------------- Bill Perrin
1980 & 1981 -------------------------- Jim Haley
1982 & 1983 ------------------------- Jay Meade
1984 & 1985 ------------------Tom E. Mathis
1986 & 1987 --------------- Michael Gower
1988 ----------------------------- Charles Sheldon
1988 & 1989 ---------------------Bette Martin
1990 & 1991 ------------------Tom Lockhart
1992 & 1993 --------------------Mike Baldree
1994 & 1995 -------------------Keyes Ramee
1996 & 1997 -------------------------Jean Webb
1998 & 1999 --------------- Tom O’Connell
2000 & 2001 ------------------- Zeke Garrett
2002 & 2003 -----------------------Steve Stiers
2004 & 2005 --------------------- Robin Farris
2006 & 2007 ------------------- David Gower
2008 & 2009 ------------------------ Terry Gray
2010 & 2011 --------------------- Chuck Fultz
2012 & 2103 -------Charles Kennedy, Jr.
PAST HONORARY DIRECTORS
Raul Torres
Stanley Emerson
Fritz Bergh
Calvin Friedrichs
Glenn Putnam
Duane Harris
Dr. J. A. Hockaday
R. J. Montgomery
E. C. Osborne
Lester Brusse
Murray D. Hensley
Don & Adabelle Sheldon
Jim & Jane Haley
Sissy Brusse
Dorothy Meade Fowler
Mary Lou Campbell
Robert Duffey, Jr.
E.E. Neil & Trina Isaacs
Tom & Yuri Shiba
WEIGHMASTER
Richard Moore
PHOTOGRAPHER
Valerie D. Bates
TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR
Betty P. Wells &
Kristi Collier
July
July 30
30 -- August
August 3,
3, 2014
2014 -- T
TEXAS
EXAS IINTERNATIONAL
NTERNATIONAL F
FISHING
ISHING T
TOURNAMENT
OURNAMENT -- 21
21
fifth fishing tournament held in Port Isabel. In some tournament,“but we preached the gospel of our
respects, it is our eighty-sixth anniversary.The idea
fishing possibilities at every opportunity and
originated in 1928 when Doc Hockaday, then a resi- proved our contentions by actually catching fish.
dent for nine years, read of a fishing contest held in We were finally heard as far away as St. Louis,
Mobile, Alabama.The reporter likened the contest
Missouri by some of the officials of the Missouri
to a “rodeo” with bucking, leaping tarpon. KnowPacific Rail Road Company who came and saw for
ing that Port Isabel had some of the best fishing in
themselves, brought important guests and saw the
the nation. Doc began
possibilities that lie here
promoting the idea
slumbering for lack of
that such a contest be
information beyond the
held in Port Isabel.The
borders of the Valley.
publicity generated for
“In 1933 I was invited
such an event would be
to spend a week in St.
carried nationwide and
Louis as a guest of the
would be followed by
Missouri Pacific Lines and
an influx of sportsmen.
took with me our plan for
The Rio Grande Valthe fishing rodeo. When
ley had much to offer
I returned to the Valley I
vacationers and tourism
brought back the assurcould be a real boost to
ance that the full weight
the Valley.The idea was
of their publicity departdiscussed at length in
ment would be placed
many “bull sessions” and
behind our contest to give
Chamber of Commerce
the national publicity that
meetings in Port Isabel,
we desired, if the Valley
but the ideas always ran
would provide the funds
up against the stone
to carry out the actual exwall of prohibitive
penses of the event. With
costs. Numerous trips
this assurance and five
were made throughyears toward maturity of
out the Rio Grande
the Valley having passed,
Valley seeking sponour interviews with varisorship and financial
ous Valley representatives
support.The Valley at
received a slightly warmer
that time was not ready
reception which resulted
for concepts such as
in our securing at least a
“publicity”, something "Attend the Fish Rodeo. Port Isabel, Texas. Aug -12- very limited amount of
that could not be eaten, 34." This promotional card was used to lure anfunds to proceed with our
drank or worn.The Val- glers to the 1st Annual Rio Grande Valley Tarpon plan”.
ley at that time had its
“No one will ever realRodeo.
____________________________________________
hands full clearing land
ize the volume of effort
and planting crops. Interviews were courteous and expended during the first few years of the rodeos
sympathetic, but produced no funds.
by a few determined individuals in Port Isabel.The
‘Our entire plan was pigeonholed”, Doc
Hockaday wrote at the time of the tenth annual
It's not just the exciting fishing competition that
draws people from all over the Valley and beyond to the
Texas International Fishing Tournament! Another big
prize is the TIFT Bucket Auction. To celebrate the 75th
Anniversary of TIFT, this year's auction is going to be
better than ever.
You'll be able to view this year's auction items at
the South Padre Island Convention Center during late
registration and social activities. Bucket Auction tickets
are just $5 each (or five for $20) and can be purchased
throughout the tournament. Just place your tickets in
the bucket(s) of your choice. The more tickets you put
in the bucket, the greater your chance of winning your
favorite auction items. Bucket Auction winning tickets
will be drawn and announced immediately following
the TIFT Awards Ceremony on Sunday. You can also try
your luck in the Beretta Competition 12 gauge over/
under shotgun (Model 692 Sporting) raffle. Beretta
Competition raffle tickets are $100 each, and only 200
tickets will be sold. Second prize is a tower of YETI
coolers, which includes a Roadie 20, a Tundra 45, and a
Tundra 65.
Have you been searching for some great, new fishing gear? Think BUCKET AUCTION. Whether you're
looking for rods, reels, coolers, sunglasses, or all of the
above, TIFT has you covered. ANGLER'S EDGE in
McAllen has donated two custom rods adorned
with the TIFT logo and complimented by two
Shimano Stradic reels donated by ACADEMY
SPORTS & OUTDOORS.
OUTDOORS. Two items you
haven't seen on the "BUCKET LIST" before are
custom rods and spinning reels, donated by DARGEL
BOATS and RAY'S CUSTOM RODS.
RODS. And if your
Bucket Auction ticket is selected, your boat could be
equipped with a Cannon Downrigger, donated by
ANGLERS MARINE CENTER.
CENTER.
Are you a planner? If so, take advantage of unlimited access to the latest dynamic imageries with a oneyear subscription to HILTON'S REALTIME NAVIGATOR.. And polarized glasses, gloves, visors, and
GATOR
more from PELAGIC will have you looking the part of
a true fishing aficionado. DR. JIM & STACEY ROWE
have donated a classy pair of Costa del Mar sunglasses,
sure to have you out strutting your stuff.
Now that you've got "the look", it's time to start the
adventure. Another Bucket Auction item is a half-day
offshore fishing adventure on THE BLACK PEARLPEARL-a 35' Cabo Express. This adventure includes drinks,
munchies, and a whole lot of fun.
"Keep it Cool" with a pair of Yeti coolers, a Tundra
45 and a Tundra 65, compliments of the TIFT
EXECUTIVE BOARD.
BOARD.
Is your stomach growling after a long day of fishing? Then dinner for four at PIRATE'S LANDING
RESTAURANT would be the perfect auction win for
you!
Ladies, (and those who love them), don't miss the
Guy Harvey jewelry ensemble donated by JEWELRY
CONNECTION in Harlingen.
We told you this year's Bucket Auction was going
to be amazing, and there's still much more!
PINK MARLIN has donated a custom art print
and a basket of women's clothing. How fun is that?
And art lovers won't want to miss the framed artwork
by renowned artist LARRY HAINES.
HAINES.
Is hunting one of your hobbies? Be sure to check
out the 20-gauge shotgun donated by DANNY'S
PAWN & SPORTING GOODS in McAllen may be
calling you.
And if you're looking for family fun, place your
Bucket Auction tickets in the bucket for a chance to
win a two-night stay, and up to four waterpark admissions, at SCHLITTERBAHN BEACH RESORT &
WATERPARK,, which includes a $50 gift certificate at
WATERPARK
SHRIMP HAUS.
HAUS.
With a $5 Bucket Auction ticket so reasonable, you
may just want at least one ticket in every bucket!
Beretta Competition 12
gauge over/under shotgun
(Model 692 Sporting) to
be raffled at the 75th TIFT.
Beretta Competition raffle
tickets are $100 each, and
only 200 tickets will be sold.
July 30 - August 3, 2014 - TEXAS
EXAS INTERNATIONAL
NTERNATIONAL FISHING
ISHING TOURNAMENT
OURNAMENT - 27
Junior Participation Awards--* Awarded to every junior weighing in a fish.
Junior Participation 7 Years & Under . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Payne Auto Group
Weslaco
Junior Participation 8 - 12 Years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blue Marlin Supermarket
South Padre Island
Junior Participation 13 - 16 Years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KRGV News Channel 5
Weslaco
Veale Brothers Past Presidents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Donated in 2008
Perpetual Trophy
Third Place Junior Bay, 7yrs.& under . . . . . . San Benito Medical Associates
Harlingen
Second Place Junior Bay, 7 yrs, & under . . . . . . . In Memory of Jarryd Elliff /
Elliff Motors
Harlingen
First Place Junior Bay, 7 yrs. & under . . . . Tommy Graham's Paint & Body Shop
Harlingen
Third Place Junior Bay, 8 - 12 yrs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lynne Tate Real Estate
Laguna Vista & South Padre Island
Second Place Junior Bay, 8 - 12 yrs. . . . . .In Memory of Leon & Ann Day on
behalf of James & Martha Foster
Port Isabel
First Place Junior Bay, 8 - 12 yrs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wells Real Estate
South Padre Island
Third Place Junior Bay, 13 - 16 yrs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Mikulik Family
McAllen
Second Place Junior Bay, 13 - 16 yrs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shepard Walton
King Insurance Group
Harlingen
First Place Junior Bay, 13 - 16 yrs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harbor Bait & Tackle
Port Mansfield
Third Place Junior Offshore- No Billfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Spikes Ford
Mission
Second Place Junior Offshore- No Billfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H. E. B.
Port Isabel
First Place Junior Offshore- No Billfish . . . . . . . . . Bryant Industrial Services
South Padre Island
Third Place Junior Offshore- With Billfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GameGuard
Argyle
Second Place Junior Offshore- W/ Billfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In Memory of
Anthony Rourke Bomarito
South Padre Island
First Place Junior Offshore- With Billfish . . . . . . . . . . Queen B Fishing Team
Richmond
Blake Newman Bunk Memorial Trophy . . . . . Junior Offshore Highest Points
Perpetual Trophy
Third Place Tarpon* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nicky & Lindsay Runnels
McAllen
Second Place Tarpon* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Griffith Truck Brokers
Pharr
First Place Tarpon* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chuck & Denene Fultz
Harlingen
*Awarded on the basis of overall tarpon points for two days of fishing.
Heaviest Tarpon Perpetual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Missouri Pacific Lines (RGV)
Perpetual Trophy
Heaviest Flounder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Human Boys
Port Isabel
Heaviest Trout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Gower Family
Port Isabel/South Padre Island
Heaviest Trout Perpetual . . . . . . . . . . . . Gary Guenzel & The Guenzel Family
Perpetual Trophy
Heaviest Redfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PI-SPI Guides Association
Port Isabel-South Padre Island
Cleve Greer Memorial Perpetual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heaviest Redfish
Perpetual Trophy
Heaviest Snook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tim Bothwell
Harlingen
Heaviest Drum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Ramee Family
McAllen
Heaviest Spanish Mackerel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reliable Electric
Port Isabel
Heaviest Yellowfin Tuna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Chad Cooley Family
Lyford
Sea Island Hilton Perpetual Tuna. . . . . . . . . . Hilton-Sea Island Resort (SPI)
Perpetual Trophy
Heaviest Wahoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Spikes Ford
Mission
Heaviest Shark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Palmer Steel
McAllen
Heaviest Ling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pirate’s Landing Fishing Pier
Port Isabel
Heaviest King Mackerel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wyatt Agri Products
Edinburg
Heaviest Jack Crevalle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Louie’s Backyard
South Padre Island
Heaviest Dolphin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Escobedo, Tippit & Cardenas LLP
McAllen
Heaviest Bonito . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pirates Landing Restaurant
Port Isabel
Heaviest Blackfin Tuna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bryan Ray’s Fishing Adventures
South Padre Island
Heaviest Barracuda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Alex Avalos Printing Company
& LaVina's Natural Nail Care
South Padre Island
Heaviest Amberjack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SI Creations
Port Isabel
First Billfish Caught . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lewis Electric Motors, Inc.
Harlingen
Fritz Bergh Memorial Trophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . First Billfish caught
Perpetual Trophy
Heaviest Sailfish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Gower Family
Port Isabel
Charles Polhemus Lifetime Sailfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charles Polhemus
Perpetual Trophy
Heaviest White Marlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Breakaway Cruises
South Padre Island
Francis E. Knapp, Jr. & Averyt Knapp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heaviest White Marlin
Perpetual Trophy
Heaviest Blue Marlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fun N Shade
South Padre Island
Southland Life Insurance Lifetime Marlin Trophy . . . . .Heaviest Blue Marlin
Perpetual Trophy
Most Unusual Fish* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Maverick
Weslaco
*To be determined by the Executive Board.
Hockaday Service Award* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bobby & Robin Farris
Harlingen
*Awarded to the individual or group selected by the Board for outstanding service.
Mildred & Marvin Downs Award,
Good Sportsmanship* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sea Ranch II at Southpoint
Port Isabel
Good Sportsman Trophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Perpetual Trophy
*Determined by the Executive Board.
Robert John Meade Award*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TIFT Executive Board
Port Isabel
Robert John Meade Perpetual Award* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Perpetual Trophy
*Awarded to the individual or organization selected for outstanding promotion of
South Texas fishing.
July
July 30
30 -- August
August 3,
3, 2014
2014 -- T
TEXAS
EXAS IINTERNATIONAL
NTERNATIONAL F
FISHING
ISHING T
TOURNAMENT
OURNAMENT -- 31
31
GENERAL RULES AND INFORMATION
All anglers must adhere to all State and Federal regulations.
Each angler 13 years or older is restricted to weighing in
the single heaviest fish per eligible species in their division per
day. Angler must select the heaviest fish to be weighed.
Trophies are awarded on the basis of total accumulated eligible
points for two days of fishing. Angler must accompany his or
her fish to the weigh station and initial weigh card to ensure
accuracy. All anglers are restricted to weighing in once per day.
No person may fish from any tournament boat that is not a
TIFT registered angler. All captains or boat operators must be
registered in TIFT for the angler’s fish to be eligible for TIFT
awards.
• Captains’ Meeting Thursday at 5 pm South Padre Island
Convention Centre. Attendance is strongly advised in order to
ensure you adhere to and comply with all TIFT rules.
• Texas International Fishing Tournament, Inc. reserves the
right to refuse entry into the tournament.
• Ladies and Juniors may only win their respective divisions
in the Bay, Offshore/No Billfish and Highest Offshore Points/
They will still be eligible for Grand Champion and Heaviest of
Species awards.
• The contest shall begin at 6:30 am (Bay Division) and 7 am
(Offshore Division) on Friday. No contestant shall be eligible
for awards unless registered in advance of Friday. Angler must
be a registered contestant of TIFT in order for the fish to be
weighed. All fish will be measured and weighed only once and
decisions of the weighmaster are final.
• Receiving Station: All fish brought in must be in edible condition to the receiving station at Southpoint Marina in Port
Isabel to be weighed, measured and recorded by the official
weighmaster or deputy. All fish are subject to further inspection if deemed necessary by the weighmaster. The station
hours are from 2-8 pm on the first day of fishing and 2-7 pm
on the final day.
THE WEIGHMASTER AND/OR TIFT EXECUTIVE BOARD ARE
THE FINAL AUTHORITIES AS TO THE SPECIES OF BILLFISH
MINIMUM LENGTH
REQUIREMENT
All billfish must be measured as shown below: To insure
uniform measurements TIFT requires all billfish to be
measured across the side from tip of lower jaw to fork
of tail. To be eligible for competition: Blue Marlin - 101”;
White Marlin - 67”; Sailfish - 64”
AND POINTS AWARDED.
Please Note: The Long Island Village Swing Bridge, as a rule,
opens only on the hour. Please plan accordingly.
The tournament will be conducted according to the
International Game Fish Association rules (“IGFA”), except that
an angler in the Offshore Division may receive assistance in
moving rod from holder to chair. Bay anglers may use treble
hooks on any bait. IGFA rules are available on the internet at
www.igfa.org.
Team Trophy: To be eligible to win the trophy, the contestant
must give the boat name or number at registration. Two to six
persons on the same boat constitute a team.
Changing Divisions: If, after registration, the angler wishes to
change divisions, he should report to the weighmaster or tournament director before day’s fishing begins. Points will not
count in previous divisions fished.
Tournament: There will be two days of fishing: Friday and
Saturday. Thursday is Playday. All junior contestants and their
families are urged to join in the activities at the South Padre
Island Convention Centre.
Bad Weather: One day of fishing will constitute a tournament. Parties will be held as scheduled.
Night Fishing: Night fishing IS NOT allowed in any division.
All bay boats are to return to their berths Friday night and
must weigh in their catch each day. (Exception: If a boat is
assisting a disabled vessel which prevents the boat rendering
assistance from making the weigh in on the first day only.)
Protests: ANY PROTESTS MUST BE FILED IN WRITING AND
HAND DELIVERED TO A MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
OR THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR NOT LATER THAN 8 PM
SATURDAY.
Polygraph Test: All contestants, including minors, agree to
take a polygraph test if required by a TIFT Executive Board
member or the TIFT weighmaster. Such test shall be taken at
the time and place requested by the TIFT Executive Board.
Failure to take or pass a polygraph test will result in disqualification from this tournament and all future TIFT events. (If a
contestant is a minor, a parent or legal guardian shall agree for
the minor to submit to such polygraph testing.)
Heaviest Fish Awards: Any registered angler is eligible for the
award for heaviest of species regardless of division fished, but
fish will not count for points unless angler is registered in that
fish division.
BAY DIVISION RULES
In addition to the General Rules, the following rules apply
to the Bay Division:
The contest shall begin at 6:30 am on Friday.
Bay Division, Junior and Senior Classes: All bay anglers,
including juniors, are restricted to one designated fishing line
per registered angler in the water at any given time. Fishing
hours: Contestants may start fishing after 6:30 am both days. All
bay boats must be on their trailers or tied up at the dock by 8
pm on Thursday, Aug. 1 & Friday, Aug. 2 and may not leave the
dock before 5 am each day of fishing. Final dock time both
Friday and Saturday is 5 pm for both Seniors and Juniors.
Scoring: Daily bags may include the single heaviest
fish of each of the following species: redfish, trout and flounder, scored at one (1) point per pound. Any fish that does not
meet state limits at weigh station will be disqualified without
substitution for that species. No redfish longer than 28” will be
weighed.
Special Notes: The Boat Name or TX numbers will be
required for all bay boats. Anglers must specify their correct TX
numbers to be registered in the Bay Challenge Pots. TIFT flags
must be prominently displayed on all bay boats fishing in the
tournament. Grand Champion: Bay anglers must have weighed
in at least one redfish, one trout and one flounder during the
two days of fishing to qualify for Grand Champion, Second and
Third Place.
Juniors: Ages 12 and under may enter stringers of no more
than one (1) each of trout, redfish, flounder, drum, jack crevalle
and snook in addition to five (5) fish each of all other species
common to the bay (excluding sharks, stingrays, and alligator
gar) per day. Whole stringers will be weighed and awarded one
(1) point per pound. Ages 13-16 will be scored the same as
Seniors.
Special Note: All Junior Bay Division contestants must hook
and play their own fish. A fishing pole with a fish already
hooked and handed to a junior to reel in is not a legal catch.
Please restrict help to saving lives and limbs.
Dock Time: Final dock time for both days of fishing is 5 pm.
Anglers must be in sight of weighmaster in front of weigh station no later than 5 pm to qualify.
OFFSHORE DIVISION RULES
In addition to the General Rules, the following rules apply
to the Offshore Division:
Fishing Hours: Contestants may start fishing at 7 am on both
days. Offshore boats may depart their dock anytime after 7 pm
on Thursday, and may stay out Friday night if they choose. They
must stop fishing by 6 pm on the first day and 4 pm on the
final day. During the last 30 minutes of fishing each day, all
hook ups must be reported to a committee boat or the
Tournament Director. Dock time for the first day is 8 pm; final
day, 7 pm.
• ANY BILLFISH OR SHORTFIN MAKO THAT ARE TO BE
WEIGHED IN AT THE DOCK MUST STILL MAKE DOCK TIME
ON EACH DAY OF FISHING AND MAY NOT BE
ACCUMULATED OVER THE TWO DAYS OF FISHING. ALL
RELEASED BILLFISH OR SHORTFIN MAKO WITH
ACCOMPANYING PHOTOS OR VIDEO FOR BOTH DAYS MAY
BE TURNED IN TO THE WEIGH DOCK ON SATURDAY.
ANGLERS ARE STILL ALLOWED TO WEIGH IN ONLY ONE FISH
PER SPECIES PER WEIGH IN AND NO LINES OF ANY KIND
ARE ALLOWED IN THE WATER PRIOR TO FISHING START
TIMES.
Scoring:
a) Blue marlin, swordfish and shortfin mako shall be scored,
regardless of line size, as follows: the weight of the fish, multiplied by two (2). Minimum length for blue marlin to qualify for
points is 101”; 50” for swordfish; and 54” for shortfin mako.
b) White marlin and sailfish shall be scored as follows: the
weight of the fish multiplied by three (3). Minimum length to
qualify for points is 67” for white marlin; 64” for sailfish.
c) Other offshore fish—blackfin tuna, yellowfin tuna, bonito,
ling, wahoo, barracuda, dolphin, king mackerel and jack crevalle will be scored one (1) point per pound. Amberjack are
not eligible for points. Catch is limited to the single heaviest
fish per eligible species per day of fishing.
d) Catch and Release Class: Any offshore fisherman may elect
to Catch and Release his catch. Points for Catch and Release
trophies will be awarded for the following only:
• BLUE MARLIN----1000 POINTS
• SWORDFISH—600 POINTS
• WHITE MARLIN ----250 POINTS
• SAILFISH----200 POINTS
To qualify for Catch and Release points, video and photos
will be allowed.
COMMITTEE BOATS
& WEIGH STATION
Channel 68 VHF or Single Side Band 2638
Tournament Director Betty Wells (956) 561-1052
TIFT President Brent Baldree (956) 244-4113
ALL BILLFISH AND TARPON WHETHER BOATED OR
RELEASED, MUST BE REPORTED OR RELAYED TO A
COMMITTEE BOAT, TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR OR TIFT
PRESIDENT BY VHF RADIO, SINGLE SIDE BAND, CELL
PHONE, OR SATELLITE PHONE BY STOP FISHING TIME
EACH DAY AND THE LANDING TIME MUST BE
VERIFIED WITH A VERIFICATION NUMBER BY A
COMMITTEE BOAT, TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR OR THE
TIFT PRESIDENT TO QUALIFY FOR EARNED POINTS. A
FISH, VIDEO, OR PHOTO BROUGHT TO THE DOCK
WITHOUT A VERIFICATION NUMBER WILL NOT BE
ELIGIBLE FOR POINTS. THE TIME REPORTED AND
VERIFIED BY A COMMITTEE BOAT OR TOURNAMENT
DIRECTOR WILL BE THE OFFICIAL TIME.
Photo image must contain the following:
1) A picture or digital image clearly showing the fish and TIFT
object of the tournament.
2) Clear identification of the species of billfish. In order for a
fish to be scored as a blue marlin, swordfish or white marlin
the image must clearly show it is a blue marlin, swordfish or
white marlin. Otherwise, it will be scored as a sailfish and will
score the minimum 200 points.
Video image must contain the following:
1) Mate with leader in hand, the fish and TIFT object of the
tournament.
2) Clear identification of the species of billfish. In order for a
fish to be scored as a blue marlin, swordfish or white marlin
the image must clearly show it is a blue marlin, swordfish or
white marlin. Otherwise, it will be scored as a sailfish and will
score the minimum 200 points.
ALL BILLFISH, WHETHER BOATED OR RELEASED, MUST BE
REPORTED OR RELAYED TO A COMMITTEE BOAT BY VHF
RADIO, SINGLE SIDE BAND, CELL PHONE, OR SATELLITE
PHONE BY STOP FISHING TIME EACH DAY AND THE
LANDING TIME MUST BE VERIFIED WITH A VERIFICATION
NUMBER BY A COMMITTEE BOAT OR THE TOURNAMENT
DIRECTOR TO QUALIFY FOR EARNED POINTS. A FISH, VIDEO,
OR PHOTO BROUGHT TO THE DOCK WITHOUT A
VERIFICATION NUMBER WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR POINTS.
THE TIME REPORTED AND VERIFIED BY A COMMITTEE BOAT
WILL BE THE OFFICIAL TIME. IN THE EVENT OF A TIE, THE
FIRST ANGLER TO ACCUMULATE THE HIGHEST RELEASE
POINTS BY TIME WILL BE DECLARED THE WINNER.
A CATCH AND RELEASE CARD MUST BE COMPLETED FOR
EACH RELEASED FISH WITH THE DATE, OFFICIAL TIME,
VERIFICATION NUMBER, AND SIGNATURES OF THE ANGLER
AND CAPTAIN AND SUBMITTED TO THE WEIGH STATION.
ALL BILLFISH TO BE RELEASED MUST REMAIN IN THE
WATER. PHOTOS OR VIDEO SHOWING SAID FISH IN OR ON
THE BOAT WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR POINTS.
Catch and Release points will count toward Texas Grand
Championship.
e) The Junior Offshore Class will consist of children through
the age of 16. The same scoring rules apply as in the Senior
Class. Please note: In order to qualify for Texas Grand
Champion, the angler must have weighed in or released a billfish or tarpon or weighed in a Shortfin Mako.
Dock Time: Dock time is 8 pm the first day and 7 pm the
second day. Offshore boats must be past the red marker inside
the jetties in the Brownsville Ship Channel by final dock time
to qualify. A committee boat will be standing by on VHF Ch 68
to verify. Helping a boat in distress is an exception to this rule
if it is reported to a committee boat. In this case, a reasonable
time will be allowed for return.
No transfer of fish from one offshore boat to another is
allowed.
Fishing in Mexico
Fishing in Mexican waters is allowed but not encouraged by
TIFT. Boats fishing in Mexican waters are subject to the laws
and regulations of the Country of Mexico. Information regarding fishing regulations and how to obtain a Mexican fishing
license can be found at http://www.conapescasandiego.org/
contenido.cfm?cont=regulations or by contacting the
Comisión Nacional de Acuacultura y Pesca (CONAPESCA).
Boats choosing to fish in Mexican waters do so at their own
risk. TIFT will not enforce or interpret the laws and regulations
of the Country of Mexico.
Additionally, The Lacy Act, 18 USC 42-43 16 USC 3371-3378
provides civil and criminal penalties for any fish or wildlife
taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of any law or
regulation of any State or in violation of any foreign law. During
TIFT, if any vessel is issued a citation or charged by the United
States Government with a violation of the Lacy Act that vessel
and its anglers will be disqualified from the tournament.
Hooks: Anglers fishing with natural bait (or natural/artificial
combination bait) may only use non-offset circle hooks.
J-hooks may be used with artificial lures.
TARPON DIVISION RULES
In addition to the General Rules, the following rules apply to
the Tarpon Division:
ALL TARPON TO BE RELEASED MUST REMAIN IN THE
WATER. PHOTOS OR VIDEO SHOWING SAID FISH IN OR ON
THE BOAT WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR POINTS.
Tarpon Division, Junior and Senior Class: Fishing hours:
Contestants may start fishing 30 minutes before official sunrise.
They must stop fishing on the first day by one hour after official sunset. Dock time is 8 pm first day and 7 pm final day. All
tarpon anglers, including juniors, are restricted to one designated fishing line per registered angler in the water at any given
time. Scoring: Anglers may weigh in one (1) tarpon per day.
Minimum length is 87”. Each fish will be scored on the following: the weight of the fish x four (4) plus 100 points. Tarpon
Division Catch and Release must be verified with the same
photo or video requirements as listed in the Catch and Release
section. Scoring will be 125 points per tarpon, regardless of
size. Tarpon released must be reported to a committee boat or
to the Tournament Director at (956) 561-1052. Tarpon division
anglers are limited to TARPON ONLY and will not be allowed
to weigh in or receive points for any other fish.
Dock Times: For the first day only, fish hooked after 8 pm
and before 9:15 pm may be reported on the second day. DOCK
TIME ON FINAL DAY IS 7 PM, REGARDLESS OF
CIRCUMSTANCES.
FLY FISHING DIVISION RULES
The Fly Fishing Division will be governed by the General
Rules and Bay Fishing Rules. Prizes will be awarded for first,
second and third place. Anglers will be eligible for Grand
Champion Bay prize and heaviest of species awards.
tackling of a job entirely foreign to any of us with
no precedent to guide us or to use as a yardstick to
measure the results of our efforts was indeed discouraging. Being constantly confronted with the admonition that it couldn’t be done by persons who
had no idea of our objective, others always ready to
criticize our every action, certainly didn’t add much
in encouragement”.
“The results of these early efforts are now
matters of history”.
A few people of vision throughout the Valley rallied to support the first effort. As a group, the
news people stand out. By this, I do not mean they
agreed only to help with the publicity. No, they got
into it up to their waists as members of committees
and with individual hard work. Others could see
the immediate economic value to themselves and
to the Rio Grande Valley. Doc Hockaday was often
frustrated at the concept of evaluating this dream
of nationwide publicity for the Valley based on the
“numbers of hamburgers sold”, but readily welcomed their help. With these people, the Missouri
Pacific Lines, and the united effort of the people of
Port Isabel, they set about to conquer the nation.
Any excuse for publicity was pursued.The
best ideas were milked dry. Any pretty girl that
would stand still long enough was photographed.
If one would stand still near a fish while wearing a
bathing suit, she became national news. Four young
women were taken to the “pass” in January and told
to catch tarpon.They caught four but did better
than that.The one who hooked hers second landed
it before the first had landed hers.This added controversy as to who caught the first tarpon of the
year.
“Are all fishermen liars, or do all liars fish”?
There would be a liars contest.The plan of a liar’s
contest for fishermen were reported in newspapers
from coast to coast, as was a drawing of the silver
trophy donated by the Missouri Pacific Lines.
The weather and the fish cooperated and
the first annual Rio Grande Valley Fishing Rodeo
was a rousing success. One hundred and seven
registrants seems like few today, but it was plenty.
Among the 75 fisherman who went for tarpon,
63 tarpon were caught. Fortunately, the winners
were mostly from out of state with first and second
places going to two men from Shreveport who
caught 13 tarpon between them, the longest being
6’7”.The wife and son of the second place winner
took their respective division first places.The heaviest (124 pounds) tarpon was caught by a man from
Roxie Burton, 1934, displays Tarpon catch.
Arkansas. Prizes were also won by anglers from
Cincinnati, St. Louis, Hot Springs and Houston.The
first place winner had never caught a tarpon before
and he caught fewer tarpon than the second place
winner.This all made good press, which was not
overlooked by the contest committee.
The first contest was no sooner over than
the plans for the second were in the works.The
first rodeo’s success proved that it would work, it
got the attention of the Rio Grande Valley, and the
committees felt that they were starting to get the
hang of this fishing contest thing.The first step,
of course, was letting the rest of the United States
know that there had been a really great fishing contest held in Port Isabel,Texas, and there would be
an event better one in 1935.
There were some practical changes to be
made for the second tournament. First, four-andone half days of fishing is just too much.The boats
were slow. Most were docked far from the pass
near the Yacht Club and many fished at the mouth
of the river.The tournament began at daylight, but
there were bait to rig and much boat and engine
maintenance. A day of fishing then was as tough as
a day of fishing today.The fishing was reduced to
two days for the second running.This, it turned out,
was not enough challenge, so three days was standard for most future tournaments. Secondly, it was
not deemed unreasonable to expect a registration
fee considering the amount of food and beverage
consumed.The first rodeo was free, the second cost
$5.00 per registrant.
Shortly after the rodeo, a 12 year old boy
landed a sailfish he bill-hooked off of Port Isabel
while fishing for kings.This was heralded as the
first sailfish taken off of Texas waters even though
it probably was not. A new fishing division was instituted but no sailfish were taken during the rodeo
for the next two years.The social programs were
expanded and a series of events designed to entertain Valley spectators was outlined. A porpoise riding contest was held but proved a failure because
of the poor condition of the purpoise. A bait and fly
casting contest was scheduled.
The Second Annual Rio Grande Valley Rodeo
was as big a success as the first.Thirty-three tarpon
were caught in two days along with many other
species of fish.Thousands of Valley residents were
on hand to witness the awards ceremony.
The Third Rodeo (1936) deserves special
mention. For one thing, there was some doubt that
it would be held at all, but history is not clear as
to the reason.The problem was, it caused so many
delays that the date was set in October. On the
brighter side, 1936 was the year of the Texas Centennial Celebration which promised many opportunities for the publicity minded Rodeo committees.
Correspondence produced cooperation from the
publicity department of the Texas Centennial Committee and the Rio Grande Valley Rodeo was listed
as an official Centennial event. Rodeo literature was
distributed at the Valley’s and the Missouri Pacific’s
booths and at the fair ground aquarium. A delegation was sent to the fair and Doc Hockaday succeeded in being taken before the Centennial judge,
“Roy Bean”, charged with depriving many wives of
In 1937, during the 4th Annual
Rio Grande Valley Tarpon
Rodeo, Miss Jane Johnson
(Rio Hondo), was crowned
Tarpon Rodeo Queen. Miss
Johnson poses here for an
event publicity shot in a
custom sequined gown
which featured 3,400
Tarpon scales.
their husband’s attention due to his promotion of
the long-count in the fourth Rodeo.
Port Isabel fishing.
Exciting enough as that was, first Wahoo
A Rodeo Queen was featured and was to
ever caught in Texas waters (perhaps the Gulf of
wear a coronation gown covered in 3,400 tarpon
Mexico) was brought to the dock that year – it was
scales.The dress designer grew impatient for sufconsidered a straggler from Cuba.
ficient scales, so she came to Port Isabel from
Almost too much to dream of: the same
Brownsville and caught two large tarpon herself.
rodeo docked the first blue marlin ever landed in
The gown was completed and the queen wore the
Texas (10’2”, 365 pounds). Rio Hondo Mayor R.J.
beautiful, forty pound dress at the elaborate corona- Montgomery had been out hunting for it. He had
tion that included her
seen white marlin and
being caught in Nephad recently caught
tune’s net and crowned
the first blue-fin tuna in
by the grand champion.
Texas waters (as far as
Two thousand people
could be told) off of Port
were reported to have
Isabel. He was out for a
attended the coronation.
“blue” and had promised
Thirty six tarpon
to land it during the rowere caught.Two-thirds
deo, which he did.
were above 5’ in length
Tarpon had taken
and four were greater
a back seat with few
than 6’. Doc Hockaday
fishing for them. Everyused 77 cents a column
one was out for billfish.
inch as a guide and
Nonetheless, 13 tarpon
estimated that the third
were taken.
Rodeo alone provided
The Fifth Annual Rio
$250,000 worth of pubGrande Valley Fishing Rolicity for the Valley.The
deo is worth one more
contestants came from
year of documentation.
16 states and two foreign
Things are not always
countries.
roses. Rough fishing
Tommy Caldwell (Corpus Christi) is shown here
Like a good book,
turned into a tropical
with his 1962 Sailfish catch taken during the
it is hard to stop at the
storm and awards had
23rd Annual TIFT.
end of a Rodeo.The
to be mailed to winners.
fourth annual rodeo was
Only a few sails and a
another milestone event. After the single sail caught few tarpon were landed. On the other hand, it was
following the first rodeo, all had been hoping for at not all that bad either. Much publicity had been garleast one sailfish during the second and third event nered by the sighting earlier that summer of a “sea
but none were caught; the fourth rodeo weighed
monster” fish of 40 feet in length in local waters.
in seven. Port Isabel had learned of the secret to
Local fishermen had seen it several times.
sailfishing,“You must count to 10”. Many sailfish
There was much argument and much press
had been sited and some had hit the bait but the
concerning whether it was a whale or a shark. The
hook always came up dry.“You must count to ten”, local women, led by 1936 & 1937 women’s division
was the answer provided by attending Henry Pohl
champion Mrs. James Sewell, said they were tired of
of Miami, holder of the light tackle world sailfish record,“No teeth, you know”. Seven people survived
Former Bay Grand Champions
Sam Cashiola, Houston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1953
Joe Bob Lawrence, Harlingen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1957
Jody Goolsby, Port Isabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1958
Mrs. Cleo Pederson, Port Isabel . . . . . . . . . . . . 1958
E.A. Lewis, Harlingen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1959
Mrs. Lois Burns, Harlingen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1959
Bill Congdon, Harlingen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1960
Zelma Monlux, Port Isabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1960
Leon Day, Harlingen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1961
Jody Goolsby, Port Isabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1961
Zelma Monlux, Port Isabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1961
Otto Schvab, Harlingen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1962
Alice Woods, South Padre Island . . . . . . . . . . . 1962
Bill Congdon, Harlingen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1963
Marie Kenworthy, Port Isabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1963
Bob Moses, Richmond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1964
Marie Kenworthy, Port Isabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1964
H.G. Moore, Richmond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1965
Lois Burns, Harlingen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1965
Frances Burton, Brownsville. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1966
Mrs. O.H. Kennedy, Harlingen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1966
Bill Massey, Sr., Harlingen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1967
Mrs. Cleo Pederson, Port Isabel . . . . . . . . . . . . 1967
Mrs. Leon Day, Harlingen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1968
Mrs. Alf Shatto, Brownsville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1968
J.W. Bennett, Mission. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1969
Dr. Richard C. Robbins, Port Isabel. . . . . . . . . . 1970
Dr. Richard C. Robbins, McAllen. . . . . . . . . . . . 1971
Bobby Burns, Port Isabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1972
Don Scogin, San Benito . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1973
Vere Wells, Port Isabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1974
Holland Mitchell, Houston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1975
Frank Matz, Harlingen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1978
O.D. Scott, San Marcos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1980
Joe Jones, Harlingen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1981
H.L. Griffith, Jr., Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1983
Gib Little, South Padre Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1984
Danny Payton, Harlingen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1985
Jim Armacost, Harlingen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1986
Ricky Fishel, Laguna Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1987
Harry Cullen, Jr., Houston. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1988
Terry Roberts, San Benito. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1989
Skipper Mock, South Padre Island . . . . . . . . . . 1990
Ernie Ramirez, Lyford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1991
Ernie Ramirez, Lyford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1992
Balous Miller, San Antonio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1993
Thomas Brons, Harlingen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1994
David Lopez, Lyford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1995
Michael McCraw, Port Mansfield . . . . . . . . . . . 1996
Harry Cullen, Jr., Houston. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1997
Brian Wolfe, Portland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1998
Skipper Ray, Laguna Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1999
Ramon Rosales, Jr., Mission. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2000
Christopher Gallegos, McAllen. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2001
Ramiro Lopez, Lyford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2002
Jack Barton, Laguna Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2003
Jack Barton, Laguna Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2004
Johnny Rodriquez, Lozano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2005
Marsh Steussy, Port Mansfield. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2006
Johnny Rodriguez, Lozano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2007
Bryan Wolfe, Corpus Christi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2009
Albert Pena, Corpus Christi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2010
Derek Wiatrek, Falls City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2011
Michael McLelland, Harlingen . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2012
Randy Pierce, Port Mansfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2013
Former Offshore Grand Champions
Dr. I. Henry Smith, Shreveport, La. . . . . . . . . . . 1934
R.J. Montgomery, Rio Hondo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1935
R.J. Montgomery, Rio Hondo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1936
Fred Maly, San Antonio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1937
Fred Maly, San Antonio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1938
Harvey L. Richards, Harlingen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1939
Stuart Adkins, Port Isabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1939
Clyde Cowden, Midland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1940
Pat Durivage, Raymondville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1947
Barry Ewing, Mercedes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1948
Arch M. Gaskill, Elgin, Ill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1950
Junior “Doyle" Wells, Port Isabel . . . . . . . . . . . . 1951
Albert Wallace, Harlingen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1952
Donald Hagen, Houston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1953
J.R. McElwrath, Combes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1954
Capt. Carey Freel, Port Isabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1955
Mrs. Lester Brusse, Ingleside. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1956
Mrs. Charles Holmes, Ingleside. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1957
Mrs. J.W. Griffith, Longview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1958
Al Harper, Alice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1959
Mrs. Mary Helen Miles, Dallas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1960
Robert Relay, Rockport. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1961
Tommy Caldwell, Corpus Christi . . . . . . . . . . . 1962
Mrs. Kyle Vick, Rockport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1963
Tom Holleron, San Antonio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1964
Frank Evans, Corpus Christi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1965
Fred Knapp, Houston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1966
Otto Koehler, San Antonio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1967
Randy Farenthold, Corpus Christi . . . . . . . . . . 1968
Jim Charnquist, Corpus Christi . . . . . . . . . . . . 1969
George Young, Houston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1970
Tom Keeler, Corpus Christi 1971
W.K. Bondeson, Houston . . . 1972
Bob Stahlman, Houston . . . . 1973
Carlos Moore, Port Aransas . 1974
Billy Pugh, Ingelside. . . . . . . 1975
Jack Jette, Port Aransas. . . . . 1976
W.R. “Bill" Whitten,
Port Aransas . . . . . . . . . 1977
Mary Peyton Chochran,
Houston . . . . . . . . . . . . 1978
John Newton, Dallas . . . . . . 1979
Rob Terry, Dallas . . . . . . . . . 1980
Allan Buchanan, Houston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1981
Andrea Nichols-Dunaway, Houston . . . . . . . . . 1982
Rick Dover, Houston. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1983
Mike Gulley, San Antonio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1984
David Jisha, Laguna Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1985
Neely Johnson, McAllen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1986
Michael Ewing, Dallas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1987
Jim Conrow, Jr., South Padre Island . . . . . . . . . 1988
Tom E. Mathis, Los Fresnos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1989
Rob Jacobs, Fort Worth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1990
Mark Skrobarcyzk Jr., Corpus Christi . . . . . . . . 1991
Kay Sheldon, McAllen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1992
Frank W. Wallace, San Antonio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1993
Jimmy Lawson, Midland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1994
Jimmy Lawson, Midland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1995
James W. Heldt, Austin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1996
Dal Rozzlle, Rockport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1997
Christy Barwise, Corpus Christi . . . . . . . . . . . . 1998
Christopher Nagelhout, Dripping Springs . . . . . . . 1999
John Etier, Weslaco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2000
Ken Culbreth, Corpus Christi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2001
Brett Pohler, Victoria. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2002
Kelley Bryant, South Padre Island . . . . . . . . . . 2003
Sail Ricks, Quitman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2004
Matt Richter, Port Aransas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2005
Petty Glover, Ft. Worth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2006
Donnie Seay, Rockport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2007
Donnie Seay, Rockport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2009
J R Douglas, Plano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2010
Michael Zinda, Harlingen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2011
Wayne Brock, Corpus Christi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2012
Michael Douglas Smith, Edinburg . . . . . . . . . . 2013
Third Place Fly Fishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lighthouse Lighting Center
Pharr, Harlingen, McAllen, Port Isabel
Second Place Fly Fishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reveille Trucking, Inc.
Harlingen
First Place Fly Fishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Shop & Leslie & Stanley
South Padre Island
Third Place Ladies Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cactus Flower
South Padre Island
Second Place Ladies Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Furcron Realtors
South Padre Island
First Place Ladies Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Oliver Achleitner
Brownsville
Third Place Trout*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F & B Cattle Co
Raymondville
Second Place Trout* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhyner Construction
Rio Hondo
First Place Trout* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jimmy Lawson
South Padre Island
Third Place Redfish* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Greer Insurance
Harlingen
Second Place Redfish*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andy’s Marine
McAllen
First Place Redfish* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jimmy Lawson
South Padre Island
Third Place Flounder*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Johnny’s True Value Hardware
Harlingen, Edcouch & Edinburg
Second Place Flounder* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Staton’s Marine
Combes/Harlingen
First Place Flounder*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dargel Boats
Donna & San Benito
*All species division awards are based upon total points for the species for two days of fishing.
Third Highest Offshore Points- No Billfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sunline
Harlingen
Second Highest Offshore Points- No Billfish . . . . . . . . . . . . McClain Trailers
Houston
Highest Offshore Points- No Billfish. . . . . . .In Memory of Wayne D. Grayson
Harlingen
Third Place Ladies Offshore- No Billfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Becky's Place
South Padre Island
Second Place Ladies Offshore- No Billfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H. E. B.
Port Isabel
First Place Ladies Offshore- No Billfish . . . . . . . . . . . First Community Bank
Valleywide
Third Place Catch & Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . McPherson's Medical Supply
Harlingen
Second Place Catch & Release. . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Troy Wittenbach Family
Harlingen
First Place Catch & Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Susan Abbott
Harlingen
Martha Pugh-Patricia Martin Memorial Tag & Release . . . . .For most points
Perpetual Trophy
Third Place Sailfish* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Island Cinema
South Padre Island
Second Place Sailfish* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Industrial Coils, LLC
McAllen
First Place Sailfish* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rio Ranch Sales
Harlingen
*Awarded on the basis of total sailfish points for two days of fishing.
Third Place White Marlin*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ZekeArt Studio
Bayview
Second Place White Marlin* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Texas Regional Bank
Harlingen
First Place White Marlin* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sea Ranch Marina
South Padre Island
*Awarded on the basis of total white marlin points for two days of fishing.
Third Place Blue Marlin* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Matt & Cristi Klostermann
Raymondville
Second Place Blue Marlin* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Industrial Coils L.L.C.
McAllen
First Place Blue Marlin* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . All Game Taxidermy
Harlingen
*Awarded on the basis of total blue marlin points for two days of fishing.
Third Place Ladies Offshore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Spikes Ford
Mission
Second Place Ladies Offshore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Canvas Creations
Port Isabel
First Place Ladies Offshore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Baldree Family
McAllen
Third Highest Offshore Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fox Yacht Sales
Port Aransas
Second Place Offshore Points . . . . . . . . . . . . In Memory of Patsy Robinson,
from the Jimmy Payne family
Weslaco
Highest Offshore Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wet-N-Wild Fishing Team
Lyford
Boatman Award* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Port Isabel - South Padre Press
Port Isabel
*Awarded to the registered captain whose boat accumulates the most points during
two days of fishing.
Linda Putnam Perpetual Boatman* . . . . . . . . . . . . .Captain with most points
Perpetual Trophy
Team Trophy* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Sportsman
San Benito
*Awarded to the team with the highest point total for two days of fishing.
Texas Grand Champion* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Troy W. Giles
South Padre Island
*Awarded to the angler with the highest point total for two days of fishing. Angler must
have weighed in a billfish or mako shark or tagged and released a billfish or tarpon. If
these qualifications have not been met, the Grand Champion will be the angler with
the most offshore points.
Jean Hunter Newman Memorial Trophy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Perpetual Trophy
Third Place Bay Fisherman* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . McLelland & Russell, PLLC
Harlingen
Second Place Bay Fisherman* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shallow Sport
Port Isabel
Grand Champion Bay Fisherman* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blackbeard's Restaurant
South Padre Island
TIFT Grand Champion Bay Fisherman* . . . . . . Donated by the Bryant Family
Perpetual Trophy
*Awarded to the anglers with the highest point totals of all three eligible species
(trout, redfish and flounder) for two days of fishing.
2014 TIFT Executive Board: Front row, seated, left to right: John Tippit, Secretary; Brent Baldree, President; and
James Miller, Vice President. Second row, left to right: Jimmy Lawson, Director; Betty Wells,Tournament Director;
Kristi Collier,Tournament Director; Robin Farris, Past President.Third row, left to right: Daniel Bryant, Director; Art
Delgado, Director; David Gower, Past President; Matt Klostermann, Director; Cleve Ford, Director; Charles Kennedy,
Jr., Immediate Past President; and Chuck Fultz, Past President. Not shown are: Carrie Buchen, Director, Nicky Runnels,Treasurer; and Bill Greer, Director.
• 62 Wet Slips for up to 75’ Vessels • 408 Drystack Slips
• Service Parts & Repair Facility
• Charter Fishing• Excursion Boats
Email: searanchmarina@pcm.net
Website: searanchmarina.net
(956) 761-7777
Fax (956) 761-4444
hearing the men sit at the dock and talk about it. If
the men were afraid of it, the women would go out
and get it for them.The men quickly hustled out
with harpoons, but brought back no “sea monster”.
Major Ted Hunt announced that the “City of
Port Isabel will provide conveniences for Rodeo
visitors which have not existed in past years.These
especially will include barrels of ice water, comfort
stations, etc. The Rodeo was moving up in class!
A “sardine can” of 6’ length was constructed
and when properly filled with eight tarpon was
photographed with a pretty girl beside it. It appeared that when the rodeo committee needed
some tarpon for publicity, they just went out and
got some.
The rodeo prospered until the beginning of
the Second World War and it found no more than
the usual problems in starting up again after the
war was won.The hard work continued, but the
frustrations were fewer. Support and encourage-
ment had replaced doubt and ridicule.The Rodeo
was doing what it set out to accomplish: to let the
world know that the Rio Grande Valley had much
to offer. With perserverence they did, "something
entirely foreign to us with no precedent to guide us
to use as a yardstick".The timing of the first Rodeo
had been perfect.The Valley was well on its way
to a stable farming and citrus economy and was
looking ahead to other opportunities.The 1929 attempts by Port Isabel to promote the Rodeo were
just a few years premature. For many, the early
1930s were years that haunt their memories because of the depression.The Valley weathered the
depression better than did most of the country; the
growing Fishing Rodeo did its part to provide hope
during this period to many Valleyites. Who can say
whether we would not have reached this stage in
our Valley history without TIFT. We
probably would have; it just would
have taken longer.

TIFT-Program-Book

Transcription

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