Johnny Kellar Inshore Fishing Tournament
The Johnny Kellar Story
The Johnny Kellar Inshore Tournament has quite a story that started 36 years ago. Some of the players responsible for the start of the event are no longer with us, but the legacy and story will live on. In 1990, Capt. Al Autenrieth and Dave Zalewski of the Old Salt Fishing Club took a little boy fishing. The 9-year-old hemophiliac, who had tested positive for HIV after a receiving blood transfusion, was having a hard time fitting in. “He felt alone and isolated,” his mother Margie Kellar recalled. “All he wanted to do was go catch some fish.” Johnny got his wish.
Autenrieth, Zalewski and Old Salt turned this boys fishing wish into an annual tournament & fundraiser. The rest is fishing history….
36th Annual Old Salt Johnny Kellar Inshore Fishing Tournament
Tournament Dates: February 19 & 21, 2026
- 02/19: Captains Meeting – Check-In & Registration, 7pm
- 02/21: Tournament Fishing & Weigh-In & Awards, Fishing starts at 6am and weigh-in at 3pm.
Tournament Species
Flounder | Black Drum | Sheepshead | Snook* | Redfish* | Trout* (*photo release)
Tournament Entry Fees:
- Members:$35 per Angler
- Non Members: $45 per Angler
Payouts Per Species
- 1st Place: $300
- 2nd Place: $200
- 3rd Place – $100
- Capt. Al Autenrieth Master Angler – $500
Tournament Venue:
Bay Pines Marina
5000 92nd St N, Saint Petersburg, FL 33708
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