T
he time line is late 1940s. Harry S. Truman was president. World War ii was over. Penicillin was created as a practical antibiotic, and the first computer was invented with over 18,000 vacuum tubes. St. Petersburg, Florida was known for its green benches. Baseball was huge with yankees spring training in town, and the two lane gandy was the only bridge crossing Tampa Bay. St. Petersburg was also gaining popularity as a fishing destination due to its Tarpon Roundup sponsored the Junior Chamber of Commerce. Tarpon fishing tournaments of today revolve around Boca gande Pass and gasparilla island to the south where anglers battle for million dollar payouts and big sponsorship dollars. Back in the 40s the Tarpon Roundup lured out-of-state tourists in with overall total jackpots of 1,000 silver dollars at stake. Today, the same Jaycee Tarpon Roundup has morphed into the Suncoast Tarpon Roundup, the oldest tarpon-fishing tournament in the world. This year 2012, celebrates their 78th consecutive year of catching the silver king.
JUnE/JULy
2012
17