St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Calling all anglers! The 27th Bastille Day Kingfish Tournament – the inshore fishing tournament that offers the best prizes and attracts more participants that any other of its kind in the U.S. Virgin Islands – will take place on July 12.
First organized by the Northside Sportfishing Club in 1987, the tournament last year attracted 196 anglers, including 30 junior anglers, aboard 57 boats.
Melinda Bryan, of St. Thomas, reeled in the Largest Kingfish, a 28.70-pounder aboard the 17-foot Boston Whaler, Timeless. Bryan took home many prizes which included $2,000 in cash. In addition, there are a dozen more prize categories that include Best Boat, Best Captain, Best Male, Best Female, Best Junior Male, Best Junior Female and other fish species such as Largest Barracuda, Bonito and Mackerel.
The fishing starts at 5:30 a.m. and ends at Noon, sharp, when the beachside party begins at Hull Bay Hideaway with food, music by Cool Sessions band and fun lasting right up until the Awards Ceremony.
The Annual Bastille Day Kingfish Tournament is held in observation of the island’s French heritage. The tournament is one of the big reasons why online travel advisor, Hotwire.com, named St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands one of the Top 10 destinations in the world to celebrate Bastille Day.
As well as being a day of fishing and fun for the whole family, the Annual Bastille Day Kingfish Tournament benefits a variety of local organizations such as the Joseph Sibilly School and My Brother’s Workshop as well as educational scholarships.
The Bastille Day Kingfish Tournament is sponsored by Coors Light, Captain Morgan and Snapple, distributed by Bellows International; Offshore Marine, the Yamaha distributor in the Virgin Islands; Red Hook Agencies, Inc.; TOPA Insurance Services Inc., and Budget Marine, the Caribbean’s leading chandlery.
For more information, call (340) 998-0854.
