2011 Chas. Harbor Tarpon Release Tourney - WINNER!

The 17th Annual Charleston Harbor Tarpon Release Tourney was fished under sunny skies with hot and windy conditions. Angler Brodie Trickey caught and released a BIG poon at 4 p.m. while fishing with Capt. Chris Condon in Bull's Bay and was the 2011 tarpon release champ. Condon is a Penn-endorsed guide who runs Strike Zone Charters. A Penn Battle reel and a Penn Legion rod were all the angler needed to handle the estimated 120-pound tarpon during a 45-minute fight that began next to the beach and continued with a chase that ended about 3 miles out. Condon's 20-foot Pathfinder boat handled the rough waters of the afternoon and crewman Curt Rogers was on hand to handle the photography duties. This was Brodie Trickey's first ever tarpon and he said the fish jumped at least seven times! "We had three menhaden on one hook and had the bait down on the bottom in a shallow spot, and he took it and got big air right off the bat," said Trickey. Condon said that they fished from 6 a.m. until the tarpon bite and fought about 10 sharks during the day. Legal fishing time was from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and a legal catch was defined as the swivel touching the rod tip. Organizer Cantey Smith reports that three other boats jumped off tarpon today, and that 97 anglers were registered to fish.

For past blog entries about the Tarpon Release Tourney click here.

PhotoByJeffDennis: Brodie Trickey, Capt. Chris Condon, Cantey Smith and Curt Rogers at the awards supper at Toler's Cove Marina

PhotoByCurtRogers: Capt. Chris Condon and angler Brodie Trickey with the tarpon that gave them quite a fight. Condon took 30-minutes to properly revive the big tarpon before releasing it to fight another day!