Charles Duncan III of Houston, Texas, was named overall champion at the 35th annual Don Hawley Invitational Tarpon Tournament after releasing 14 tarpon.
Duncan fished with Captain Rob Fordyce of Homestead, Fla., over the five-day test of will and muscle. Along with grand champion honors, Duncan received an invitation to compete in the prestigious 2010 IGFA Inshore Championship to be held in Islamorada.
David Dalu of Charleston, S.C., won the 12-pound tippet division, releasing 13 fish. Dalu, who set a tournament record in 2008 by releasing more tarpon than any angler in the event's history, was guided again this year by Captain Scott Collins of Marathon, Fla.
The 16-pound division winner was William Davis of Chapel Hill, N.C., guided by Islamorada's Captain Perry Coleman to score five releases.
The tournament is a major fundraiser for the Don Hawley Foundation, which helps backcountry guides in times of need, and for Florida Keys youth scholarships.
Twenty-five anglers fished the tournament, releasing 90 tarpon in the 12-pound division and 16 in the 16-pound division.
