Snook and redfish are the game, but the real target is funding for scholarships at the Take Stock in Children Backcountry Challenge set for Friday through Sunday, Oct. 10-12, in Key Largo.
The tournament is to kick off Friday, Oct. 10, with an anglers and captains meeting and welcome party at Sundowners, mile marker 104 bayside in Key Largo. Festivities are set to begin at 6 p.m.
Anglers can begin fishing as soon as the meeting ends. Fishing continues straight through until 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, when score sheets and the cameras used to verify catches are to be turned in.
An awards dinner is planned for 6 p.m. with cocktails at Sundowners.
First, second and third prizes await the anglers catching the largest fish by length in each target species. Many additional prizes are planned as well.
Proceeds from the tournament benefit the Take Stock in Children Scholarship Program, a statewide initiative that identifies economically disadvantaged seventh-grade students who meet academic and behavioral criteria, and awards them Florida Prepaid college scholarships for two years upon graduation.
The tournament entry fee is $125 per adult angler and $80 per junior angler. An early registration discount of $25 is available prior to Oct. 9.
For more information, call (305) 394-3736.
To find out about area accommodations, call the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce at (305) 451-4747 or (800) 822-1088, or visit the Florida Keys Key West Web site at www.fla-keys.com.
