Strong winds halted plans for Cayman’s last major fishing event this year. Assuming the weather stays nice locals can now hook up to benefit the community.
The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman and Lions Club of Grand Cayman are coming together to host their second annual Fishing for Community Service fishing competition. The event is scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday 27-28 November. Fishing action takes place in Cayman’s waters with anglers from both Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac eligible to compete.
Anglers are expected to head off shore from as early as 7am both days and fish until about 4pm. Their catches will then be displayed at weigh stations from 4-6pm. Camana Bay will host Grand Cayman’s weigh station while the Alexandria hotel hosts the other station in Cayman Brac. The tournament allows wire-lines thus no catches will be eligible for line class records.
Originally the tournament was slated to take place last weekend. However as Lions Club Fishing Committee Chairman Robert Arch states the seas were too rough for small boats to sail.
“We had inclement weather with gusts of some 20 odd knots,” Arch said. “It was rough on the north and east side of the island and it was equally rough offshore. The big boats might be fine but the little boats would not be OK in that kind of weather. We always have a Plan B so with safety in mind we contacted the Cayman Islands Angling Club to postpone it. We had to make sure the venue was available and luckily it was.
“So far the weather looks decent for this weekend. Things look good and all we want is for things to stay good enough for people to go off-shore. A lot of people who support the tournament are Angling Club members and it’s very comforting to know that they are very aware of the weather and its role in fishing.”
For those that sign-up to brave the fish and the sea a number of cash prizes are on offer for both adult and junior anglers. The adults can claim CI$2000 for the biggest wahoo, dolphin and yellowfin tuna catches. Second-place in any section reaps CI$1000 while third place nabs CI$500.
Like last year the heaviest catch for a female angler earns CI$1000 while the second-biggest nabs CI$500. For the junior anglers top prize is CI$300 for the biggest wahoo, dolphin, yellowfin tuna and barracuda catches. Second place in any category reaps CI$150 while third place earns a gift certificate.
An extended registration period for the tournament took place yesterday on both islands. Abacus restaurant in Camana Bay hosted the Grand Cayman sign-up while the Alexandria hotel was the site in Cayman Brac. Competition fees are still CI$400 for each competing boat of four anglers and CI$150 for each additional competitor while junior anglers age 14 and under are charged a CI$25 fee.
The prize-giving ceremony for the tournament takes place on Tuesday 30 November at 7pm at the Abacus restaurant. The Cayman Islands Angling Club and Camana Bay are the main supporters of the tournament. Arch stated that always the focus of the tournament is on giving back to the community.
“To me people can have a sense of well-being that they can fish to improve community service groups. Sure they can win good prizes too but above all it’s about supporting these groups that in turn help Cayman through a number of projects.”
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