Key West Marlin Tournament to Offer $50,000 Purse and Fierce Competition

The Perry Hotel & Marina Key West Marlin Tournament is a prestigious event that has been held for 40 years. It is a competition where teams of anglers compete for cash prizes by catching the most fish. The tournament is held in conjunction with Key West’s Hemingway Days celebration. Ernest Hemingway, a passionate angler, lived and wrote in Key West during the 1930s and fought countless marlin in area waters.

This year, the tournament is offering $50,000 in guaranteed cash prizes. The prize money will be split between the teams that accumulate the most points for blue marlin, white marlin, and spearfish. All billfish must be released except for potentially record-setting blue marlin that exceed 600 pounds.

In addition to the marlin division, there is also a fun fish division where teams can earn points by entering one fish per day. The cash prizes for the fun fish division are $10,000. The heaviest dolphin, wahoo, and tuna will win prizes.

To register for the tournament, boats must go to the Perry Hotel & Marina on Stock Island. The registration fee is $2,100 per boat. The captain and mate are included in the registration fee, but additional anglers will have to pay an additional fee of $200.

The tournament will take place from July 20-23. There will be cocktail gatherings and dinners following the fishing each day. The Saturday night awards banquet will be held at the Key West Marriott Beachside Hotel.