The 28th Annual Old Salt Spring King of the Beach is in the rearview mirror, now. Here’s everything you need to know….
Just The Facts….
- 609 Teams fished the tournament
- The weather was supposed to be a little chippy, then it was supposed to lay down and finally it was normal King of the Beach weather… a little chippy.
- Biggest payouts ever
- $130,583 – 1st Place, Overall Division – Team Lagerhead, Captain Steve Pappen
- $58,851 – 2nd Place, Overall Division – Team Single Source Insurance, Captain Taylor Nifong
- $38,234 – 3rd Place, Overall Division – Team Long Shot, Captain Doug Johnston
- $16,000+ Suzuki Repower Package – Single Engine Division – Team Darlis Crew, Captain Roland Burnett
- >$330,00 total payouts over 63 places… SEE ALL THE RESULTS HERE
- Friday night concert with Seranation & St. Pete Sons
- Great Anglers – Great Crowd – Great Sponsors – Great Vendors – Great Volunteers – Great Beverages – Great Food
Some Background….
The Spring KING is our largest tournament annually, both in raw size and positive economic impact for the Old Salt Fishing Foundation. The 2020 Spring KING was cancelled due to Covid-19 (what wasn’t?). That hurt. So, holding the 2021 Spring KING was fraught with challenges. Challenges met and handled thanks to volunteers, sponsors, vendors and the Old Salt Board. We were not certain how things would turn out. We should have had more confidence:)
The Teams
609 teams. Let that sink in. Some 2400 anglers hit the water for a 6am “lines in” and those who weighed were back on the field by 5pm. The weigh-in started at 3pm and wrapped up by 8pm. The KING was acknowledged and crowned that night and they along with the other 62 winners assembled the next morning at Old Salt HQ for the check writing and awards ceremony. We love us some fishermen and women. It is a treat to know them.
The Crowd
They came. By the thousands, they came. The local, and not so local, showed up all 3 days/nights and rocked our world. They really wanted to be out and part of something fun and exciting. Truth is, they made it fun and exciting. We all missed this last Spring. Never again!
Sponsors & Vendors
Sponsors, starting with Visit St. Pete Clearwater and Bett’s Fishing Center, provide the core financial backing to get the KING off the ground. It is their support and dollars that afford the Old Salt Fishing Foundation to opportunity to put on events like the King of the Beach Kingfish Tournament.
Volunteers
Over 100 people volunteer their time (not just at “showtime” on the tournament field) to make the KING come off looking and smelling sweet. It is hardly ennough to say that we could not do this without them… we could not even get close.
The Spring KING was fun, exhausting, informative and pretty darned rich (just ask Team Lagerhead). Now, Old Salt moves on to the Ladies Inshore/Offshore Tournament, the LOOP Billfish Tournament, the Special Kids Fishing Day and then the 2021 Fall King of the Beach King Mackerel Fishing Tournament.
We hope to see you at one or more of these events. Also, with things opening up as they are, we will be restarting our monthly meetings and Seawall Tournaments shortly. Stay tuned. The best is yet to come.