Sugarloaf Showdown to Lure Anglers to Lower Keys Nov. 16-18

SUGARLOAF KEY, Florida Keys — The Lower Florida Keys’ wiliest in-water inhabitants are to lure angling teams to the 10th annual Sugarloaf Showdown, a fundraising fishing tournament scheduled Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 16-18.

Presented by the Lower Keys Guides Association, the tournament raises money for the Florida Keys Guides Trust Foundation. The organization provides funds to assist fishing guides who are recovering from an illness or injury.

Participants must use spin or fly tackle to pursue the catch-and-release tournament’s target species of bonefish, permit and barracuda. Teams can score a maximum of three fish of each species per day per division.

Awards await the three teams in the spin, fly and youth division (for participants age 12 and under) with the highest total points that represent releases of all three species. If no team catches all three, the team with the highest point total representing two species will be declared the winner.

Final registration and check-in for the Showdown are slated for 4-7 p.m. Thursday at the Sugarloaf Marina, located at 17015 Overseas Highway adjacent to the Sugarloaf Lodge. Anglers can pick up their tournament bags and rules, and discover and bid on quality gear at a silent auction that continues throughout the challenge.

Fishing is scheduled to begin Friday and Saturday with a mandatory check-in with the scorekeeper starting at 6:30 a.m. Angling is scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. All boats must be back and teams checked in with the scorekeeper by 5:30 p.m. each evening.

An awards dinner and Papa’s Pilar Rum Bar are set for 6 p.m. Saturday at the Sugarloaf Lodge’s grassy point area. The silent auction is to wrap up at 7 p.m.

The entry fee for a two-person team, or a team consisting of two anglers plus a guide, is $250 if received before Oct. 31 and $300 thereafter. Competition is open to all anglers and guides, but only two people on each team are allowed to fish. 

Event information and registration: sugarloafshowdown.com

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