2013 Chas. Harbor Tarpon Release Tourney - Winner!

Capt. Chris Wilson handles the tarpon release

The 19th annual Charleston Harbor Tarpon Release Tournament was re-fished on July 27. What in the world does re-fished mean? This traditional event is held in high regard among the local anglers that are willing to target tarpon, although most anglers will not catch a tarpon. The original fish day for the Chas. Harbor Release Tourney was July 13 and indeed no one caught a tarpon, hence the need to re-fish. Alas, the 2012 winner Capt. Shane Sinclair was hooked up with a tarpon for ten minutes on the 13th but the poon spit the hook on him. Of course a second tourney date

Cantey Smith, trophy and angler George Ritter

means more work for tourney organizer Cantey Smith, but he is only too willing to continue his longtime promotion of tarpon  conservation. Cantey's first law of tarpon release is that if you keep a tarpon, then you must eat it at the awards supper. So far... no takers!! Smith purchases and awards a wood carving of a tarpon for the winner and the 2013 winner is angler George Ritter who was fishing with Capt. Chris Wilson. Ritter was the first angler to release a tarpon on July 27. A second silver king was caught and released by angler James Clease Teske, but any other angler would have to release multiple tarpon in order to surpass the first angler to release a tarpon. With the continued presence of migratory tarpon (and manatees too) this event is important to tarpon conservationists, or what I like to call a tarponist. Looking forward to the 20th Anniversary tourney in 2014.

To view past entries about the Chas. Harbor Tarpon Release tourney click 2012, 2011, 2010, or 2009.