Tournament to target bonefish on all types of tackle

To many anglers, it's the ultimate test: catching a bonefish on spin, plug, bait and fly tackle within a week's worth of tournament fishing. That test is called the Bonefish World Championship-Islamorada All-Tackle Bonefish Tournament -- or simply the "All-Tackle" in bonefishing circles -- and it pits anglers against the wary and elusive bonefish for five consecutive days.

The tournament is to kick off at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7, with a rules briefing and cocktail party at Uncle's Restaurant, mile marker (MM) 80.9 oceanside in Islamorada. Dinner is to follow.

Contestants then fish Monday, Oct. 8, through Fri., Oct 12, from 7:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. A continental breakfast is to be served each fishing morning from 6-7:30 a.m. at the Lorelei Restaurant & Cabana Bar, MM 82 bayside in Islamorada.

Weigh-in each day is set for 3:30-5 p.m. at the Lorelei, accompanied by hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar.

A mandatory mid-tournament meeting for anglers, guides and tournament officials is scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, at the Lorelei.

The awards ceremony is slated for 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12, at the Lorelei beach tent.

Champions are to be named in the general (bait), plug casting, spin casting and fly divisions. The All-Tackle award goes to the angler who scores the most points after catching at least one bonefish with each of the four types of tackle.

The grand champion title goes to the angler scoring the most points in the tournament. Last year's grand champion, author/columnist Carl Hiaasen of Vero Beach, Fla., took the title fishing with a fly rod -- just the second time in the tournament's 41-year history that a grand champion title was won on fly.

The grand champion's name is inscribed on the Carl Navarre perpetual trophy. The winner also receives an invitation to the IGFA Inshore World Championship set for summer 2008.

Entry fee is $900 per angler.

For more information and registration, call (305) 664-2444 or e-mail CSASUN@aol.com.