Yachting & Sportfishing Guide-Treasure Coast 2023

INNOVATION INCLUDE:

B o w r am p f o r b o a r d i ng d o c k , y ac h t , b eac h and w a t e r

E a s y ac c e s s f o r w h eel c h ai r , d o g , s u p p l i e s and t o y s

C u s t o m i z ab l e c o c k p i t

C a r b o n- f i b e r h a r d t o p

A i r - c o nd i t i o ned h ead and c ab i n

S h al l o w d r af t and s p ac i o u s c a t d e s i g n

Yachting & Sportfishing on the Treasure Coast in 2023

Fishing, sailing, scuba diving, or just cruising along the Treasure Coast‘s picturesque waters promises to be plenty of fun and adventure as we embark upon 2023. Tight lines, taught sails, and safe seas to all!

The Fort Pierce Kingfish Mayhem kicks off the season. The Kingfish Mayhem Pro Series is world-class, competitive, and high paying. Welcome to the big leagues, with over $1,000,000 in payouts. It goes from March 30 to April 1 and the awards will be on Sunday, April 2 at the Causeway Cove Marina.

This is followed by the Fort Pierce King Mackerel Invitational which awards $500,000 in 15 categories to 100 boats. It runs April 19 – 21 and the awards will be handed out at the Fort Pierce City Marina on Sunday, April 23rd.

Beginning May 12th with the weigh in on May 13th is the 12th Annual Capt. Hiram’s Central Florida Shootout in Sebastian. Award categories include 10 different species (inshore and offshore), a general entry category, as well as entry categories for Lady Anglers and Juniors. Awards party will be on May 21st and will be quite a doozy!

We have the 21st Annual St. Lucie County Fishing Frenzy Fort Pierce sponsored by the St. Lucie Chamber of Commerce and Geico Treasure Coast. It takes place May 12-13 at the City Marina in Historic downtown Fort Pierce. This offshore Dolphin fishing tournament offers 1st thru 4th place cash prizes for the heaviest Dolphin. Weigh in is Saturday, May 13th from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. and will be one heck of a show!

The Third Annual Walker's Cay Blue Marlin Invitational will be held May 24-27, 2023. Anglers from all over the world are invited to request entry into this headline event. If you were in the 2022 or 2021 event, you’re in! If not, get on the waiting list for premier, deep-sea fishing featuring some of the best anglers in the world, just a few miles to our east.

Hosted by the Fort Pierce Sportfishing Club, the 31st Annual Fort Pierce KDW Tournament offers prizes for the biggest kingfish, dolphin, and wahoo, from June 4 to June 9 at the Fort Piece City Marina. For more info, to sign up, or to join the club go to https://ftpiercesportfishingclub.com

Don’t forget to make plans for the Blue Water Open Offshore Charity Fishing Tournament out of the Sebastian Inlet on June 23. Hosted by the Sebastian Exchange Club, it draws competitors from all over to enjoy what is one of the most fun fundraisers all year along the Treasure Coast. For more info, to sign up to fish, or to be a sponsor, please go to http://www.fishingforcharity.org/bluewateropen/

They don’t call the Treasure Coast of Florida “The Sportfishing Capital of the World” for nothing! So get your vessels ready for an awesome 2023. Be safe, tight lines, and have lots of fun out on the water!!!

2023 Treasure Coast Fishing Tournaments

Presidential Challenge Announces Women's World Virtual Fishing Challenge

Feb. 1 – March 31, 2023. It is open to women anglers around the world, with no age limit. Scoring will take place using the CaptApp application, which verifies catches using video and geo-location.

Eligible species will include all billfish species (100 percent release for blue, black, white and striped marlin as well as sailfish and spearfish) as well as mahi mahi and tuna.

For other questions and information : joan@preschallenge.com

https://preschallenge.com/presidential-womens-world-virtual-fishing-challenge/

Fort Pierce Kingfish Mayhem

https://www.meatmayhemtournaments.com/event/fort-pierce-kingfish-mayhem-2022/

March 30 – April 1, 2023 / Awards – Sunday, April 2, 2023

Causeway Cove Marina Fort Pierce

https://cityoffortpierce.com/Calendar.aspx?EID=1889

Fort Pierce King Mackerel Invitational

April 19th – 21st

https://www.fortpiercekingmackerelinvitational.com/ Sunday, April 23rd Awards Fort Pierce City Marina

Capt. Hiram’s Central Florida Shootout

https://centralfloridashootout.com/

2023 Tournament Dates

May 12th - Captains Party

May 13th - Weigh-In

May 21st - Awards Party

centralfloridashootout@gmail.com

Call us: 321-956-3474

MAY 5th-13th

FRIDAY, MAY 5TH

SATURDAY, MAY 13TH

• Home Theater Design & Installation

• System Calibration & Home Automation

• Home Audio & Video Calibration

• Network & Remote Access Control

• Low Voltage Lighting & Control

• T V & Speaker Installation

• O utdoor Living & Enter tainment

• Sur veillance Cameras & Remote Viewing

2023 Treasure Coast Fishing Tournaments

27th Annual St. Lucie County Fishing Frenzy

May 5th-13th

The St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce will host its 21st Annual Fishing Frenzy, presented by Geico Treasure Coast on May 12-13, 2017 at the City Marina in Historic Downtown Fort Pierce. This offshore Dolphin fishing tournament offers $16,000.00 in cash and prizes, with a $10,000.00 Grand Prize for the heaviest Dolphin. COST: Boat Entry fee is $275.00. REMINDER: One Tournament T-Shirt is provided with each registration; additional t-shirts are $19. There is no cost to sit and enjoy the excitement as the weigh-in takes place! Weigh-in is Saturday, May 13th from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. To register go to 772-595-9999 or www.stluciechamber.org

World Championship Wild West Kingfish Tournament

May 18th - 20th | Causeway Cove Marina Fort Pierce

Walker’s Cay Invitational

May 24th - 27th | Walkers Cay Bahamas

www.walkerscay.com/invitational

31st Annual Fort Pierce KDW Tournament

June 4th - 9th | Fort Pierce City Marina

www.ftpiercesportfishingclub.com

Blue Water Open Offshore Charity Fishing Tournament

June 23 | Sebastian Inlet

http://www.fishingforcharity.org/bluewateropen

The Blue Water Open Offshore Charity Fishing Tournament presented by the Sebastian Exchange Club draws competitors from all over to enjoy what is certainly one of the most fun fundraisers all year along the Treasure Coast of Florida. Plan to come out and join us for the next Blue Water Open.

TREASURE COAST Youth Sailing Foundation

The Treasure Coast Youth Sailing Foundation, Inc. (TCYSF), located at Jaycee Park in Fort Pierce, Florida is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation founded in 2006. The primary mission of TCYSF is to introduce the youth of the Treasure Coast to the joys and responsibilities of sailing while teaching safety, teamwork and the basics of sailing in a fun atmosphere.

In addition to providing a series of week long summer classes for 7-14 year olds, TCYSF also partners with local schools and homeschooling programs to provide lessons during the school year. Outside of structured courses, TCYSF offers informal, fun-oriented, one-day sailing experiences in partnership with local service organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club and the Police Athletic League. Adult lessons can also be arranged.

TREASURE COAST Youth Sailing Foundation

2023 SUMMER SCHEDULE

WEEK 1

June 12 - June 16

WEEK 2

June 19 - June 23

WEEK 3

June 26 - June 30

WEEK 4 July 10 - July 14

WEEK 5 July 17 - July 21

WEEK 6 July 24 - July 28

WEEK 7 July 31 - August 04

Our club regatta has been rescheduled for April 15, 2023. The featured boat will be the Open skiff as seen in the picture above. TCYSF has 6 fully rigged and ready boats and we anticipate 4-5 other sailing groups will compete. Eligibility, entrance fees, etc. will be posted as soon as they are available.

(772) 480-0654

Jaycee Park

Fort Pierce, FL 34954-1783

2023 REGATTAS SCHEDULE

C420 Midwinter for the John V. Hanson Trophy

February 18-20, 2023

https://theclubspot.com/regatta/sFAsObGsMO

Melges 15 Winter Series

February 25-26, 2023

https://theclubspot.com/regatta/E6BGaJ3qsl

ILCA Masters Midwinters East

February 28 - March 3, 2023

https://theclubspot.com/regatta/dgUXp0kFMU

2023 Optimist Sunshine State Championship

March 11-12, 2023

https://usoda.org/regatta/03d6w4Pwnu

Melges 15 Winter Series

March 24-26, 2023

https://theclubspot.com/regatta/rQXNu9izH1

ANGELA GELLER

AMANDA GELLER

HARBOR BRANCH OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE

Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute is a world class research organization with a focus on exploring the marine environments, studying key species and understanding the connection between humans and the ocean. Founded in 1971 as Harbor Branch Oceanographic Foundation, Inc., the Institute expanded its reach to over 100 miles along Florida’s east coast when it joined Florida Atlantic University in 2007. Located in St. Lucie County, our 144acre campus along the Indian River Lagoon employs over 200 scientists, engineers, educators, staff and students. To this day, the Institute actively pursues solution-oriented research that addresses some of the most critical issues affecting coastal zones, oceans and human well-being.

Harbor Branch 5600 US 1 North, Fort Pierce, FL 34946

772.242.2400

WELCOME TO MISSION: OCEAN DISCOVERY!

FAU Harbor Branch has launched a new mission and we invite all who love the ocean to join us as we take a deep dive into the research being conducted at our site in Ft. Pierce, FL. With tours, exhibitions, programs, lectures and events both on-site and off, our outreach programs provide a variety of platforms through which scientists may share their knowledge, passions and achievements with people of all ages. Reflecting our role as a source of knowledge and education, Mission: Ocean Discovery is your portal for becoming an informed oceanographic citizen scientist.

A TOURNAMENT FOR FISHERMEN, BY

$5,000 Entry Fee

100 boats are guaranteed a spot with deposit by deadline.

A wait list will apply once all spots are filled.

HOST SPONSORS

DEADLINES

- February 23rd, 2023

$2,500 Deposit Deadline

- March 31st, 2023

Final Payment Deadline

FISHERMEN WITH MAXIMUM PAYOUTS!

SCHEDULE

Wednesday, April 19th Captain’s Meeting

• 5:00 PM - 8:OO PM at Crabby’s Dockside located at: 2 Avenue A Fort Pierce, FL 34950

• 7:30 PM Rules

Friday, April 21st & Saturday, April 22nd Fishing Days

• 7:00 AM - Lines In

• 4:00 PM - Scales open at Fort Pierce City Marina

• 5:00 PM - Lines Out

• Check in by 6:00 PM at “T” Dock at Dockside Marina & Resort

Sunday, April 23rd Awards

• 9:00 AM – Fort Pierce City Marina TBD

Alternate Fishing Days: Thursday, April 20th and Sunday, April 23rd

Fort Pierce SPORTFISHING CLUB

About Fort Pierce Sportfishing Club

The Fort Pierce Sportfishing Club was established in 1980. We are a familyoriented organization whose members share an interest in sportfishing, conservation, community service, and boating.

Our Meetings are the Third Wednesday of Every Month

Free to Attend. $60 to Join for single or family. Guests are welcome. 6:30pm @ Fort Pierce Yacht Club 700 N Indian River Dr, Fort Pierce, FL 34950

We have T-shirts for sale, 50/50 prizes, and guest speakers who share the best fishing info around.

We are a not-for-profit club, and our membership, sales, and tournaments allow us to give donations to various community interests, such as sinking of decommissioned boats for reef enhancement, scholarships to IRSC, and we have several sites for recycling old fishing lines, just to name a few!

The FPSC has been a staple in the fishing community in Fort Pierce since 1980!

The Billfish

Foundation works worldwide to advance the conservation of billfish and associated species to improve the health of oceans and economies. Considering the context of a planet with over seven billion human inhabitants, conservation strategies must be forward-looking and adaptive. By accounting for the roles of billfish within the marine environment as well as in relation to their interactions with humanity, TBF’s conservation campaigns maintain the flexibility to adapt to emergent threats as well as those which have historically confronted resource managers. TBF employs a multi-tiered, proactive suite of initiatives involving research—both biological and socioeconomic–education, and advocacy projects. As billfish and other highly migratory species are not confined to the territorial waters of any one nation, these strategies must also take into account the differences in culture and law inherent to the international arena. Empowered by an internationally diverse constituent network, The Billfish Foundation is uniquely equipped to do just this.

Established in 1990, The Billfish Foundation’s Tag and Release Program is the largest private billfish tagging database in the world and the cornerstone of TBF’s conservation and advocacy efforts. With more than 220,000 tag and release reports, TBF receives over 15,000 tag and release records annually from across the globe and provides vital information for billfish conservation.

The success of TBF’s Tag and Release program is contributed to the dedicated anglers and captains around the globe that voluntarily tag, release, and report their billfish catches. The deployment of traditional tags and the data gathered from recaptured billfish provides valuable scientific data to further understand growth rates, migratory patterns, habitat utilization, and post-release survival rates. Tag and release data also provides valuable information for stock assessments that are instrumental in a time when industrial longlines represent the largest source of marlin mortality. This valuable data, much of it impossible to measure without the use of traditional tagging, provides the groundwork for conservation minded policy, scientific advancement, and gives insight into the demographics and socio-economic benefits generated from billfishing.

As tagging provides The Billfish Foundation with substance for its conservation efforts, TBF recognizes those anglers and captains that tag and release the most billfish each year at an awards ceremony at the Miami International Boat Show. The annual International Tag & Release Competition recognizes members who tag and release the most billfish by species in

each of the world’s oceans. TBF award winners are the ‘who’s who of the billfishing world’ and are those that do not just catch and release a great number of fish, but embody and share a common conservation ethic. As captains and anglers on the water represent the first line in billfish conservation, recognition of their efforts provides a means to illustrate the direct link between catch and release fishing and marine conservation. To recognize the efforts of all of its members, TBF also provides release certificates for those that report billfish tags and releases.

PROPER TAGGING TECHNIQUES

AFTER THE FISH IS LEADERED: Bring the billfish alongside the boat.

Idle the boat forward and maintain this position to allow the billfish to calm down and allow for easier tagging. Never attempt to tag a jumping or thrashing fish. This can be not only dangerous for the health of the billfish but for you too!

NEVER remove the fish from the water. This can result in fatal damage to the fish for two reasons. Excess rubbing and drying can result in the loss of the protective slime coat found on the surface of the fish. Without this protective covering, the fish becomes susceptible to bacterial infections and parasites. Additionally, the skeleton of a billfish is designed for the buoyant conditions of the ocean. Removing the fish from the water, even onto the gunnel, causes the skeleton to come under the full strain of gravity, which can damage the skeleton and internal organs.

It is vitally important that the tag be placed in the proper area: in the dorsal muscle well behind the head and gill plates, above the lateral line and away from all vital organs (see Figure 1). It is not necessary to use a great deal of force to insert the tag. A firm, well-aimed stroke is best. Place the applicator against the fish’s flank and push, inserting the tag until the stopper assembly is pressed against the fish. Improper tag placement or tagging too hard can result in serious injury or death to the fish. Speed tagging often results in injury.

(800) 438-8247 • (954) 938-0150

5100 N. Federal Hwy, Suite 200, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308

Local Marinas & Yacht Clubs

South Florida is one of the most vulnerable areas on the United States coast for a hurricane. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew, the most powerful storm in Miami-Dade County, registering as a Category V, and the third strongest in U. S. history with sustained winds in excess of 155 mph, came ashore and destroyed many marinas in south Miami-Dade County. Hurricanes that exceed 110 mph can be expected to occur in south Florida about once every 10 years. The population of Miami-Dade County continues to increase bringing many boaters with little hurricane experience.

THE WIND AND THE STORM SURGE will be your biggest enemy! There are several things to do to help minimize its overwhelming effects. Knowing how to secure your boat and where to keep your boat are the two primary concerns. The most important thing to remember is DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE! Being prepared in advance by having a plan and practicing your plan will help protect your life and property.

FISH FLORIDA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, supports organizations that teach people, especially children, about Florida’s fish and aquatic habitats through donations of fishing equipment, grants, and scholarships.

The mission of Fish Florida is to promote public awareness of and encourage the protection of marine fisheries and coastal habitats. This is accomplished through clinics, classes, seminars, presentations, displays and other means designed to teach and promote responsible angling, particularly to Florida’s youth.

954-927-8361

Fish Florida 1821 West 10th Street

Suite #4

Riviera, FL 33404

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