Yachting & Sportfishing on the Emerald Coast 2022 We welcome the Spring of 2022 with open arms and loaded bait wells. A whole slate of fishing tournaments is back and better than ever. The Emerald Coast Open Lionfish Tournament in Destin kicks off the season from February 1 to May 15. Good luck and wear gloves! The MarineMax Knocker Bottom Fishing Tournament in Panama City Beach is next up, with prizes for Grouper, Snapper and Kingfish. The Bud Light Pensacola Fishing Rodeo follows from June 22 to 26, with prizes for the top three fish for 21 different species, so lots and lots of prizes to go with lots and lots of beer! June also kicks off the billfish tournaments that are the hallmark of world class offshore action right off the Emerald Coast. The Emerald Coast 20th Annual Blue Marlin Classic at Sandestin starts the run, from June 22-26. Also in June, the Pensacola Big Game Fishing Club will host the 51st Annual Pensacola International Billfish Tournament from June 29th to July 3rd. July is red hot, with “The Greatest Show in Sportfishing!” – the Blue Marlin Grand Championship on the Gulf held in Orange Beach, AL, from July 13th to July 17th. Then it’s Fall Rodeo Season, with the PCB Fishing Rodeo from September 23 to October 9 with 11 species and big jackpot prizes for Amberjack, Kingfish, and Billfish. This is followed up with the Destin Fishing Rodeo going the whole month of October. The Destin Fishing Rodeo began in May of 1948 to bring people to Destin. It worked! Destin shortly became known as a summer tourist destination and “The World’s Luckiest Fishing Village”. The Destin Fishing Rodeo is the ultimate fishing tournament for salt water anglers of all ages.The Rodeo founders, people such as Howard Marler, Jewel Melvin and Willie Marler, decided that moving the Rodeo to October would lengthen the tourist season another month. Today the Rodeo is held October 1- 31.
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So get your vessels and gear ready for a great year of tight lines and red hot action!
