Sugarloaf Showdown Teams to Target Three Catch-and-Release Species in Lower Keys

SUGARLOAF KEY, Florida Keys — Angling teams can vie for victory by targeting bonefish, permit and barracuda while benefiting the charter fishing community during the annual Sugarloaf Showdown. Presented by the Lower Keys Guides Association, the catch-and-release challenge is scheduled Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 14-16.

The tournament is a fundraiser for the Florida Keys Guides Trust Foundation, which benefits inshore fishing guides, their communities and the Keys’ fishery. 

Participants in the team event earn points by catching and releasing fish from the target species on either fly or spin tackle. 

Awards await the three teams in each tackle division with the highest total points that represent catches 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. 

The tournament also has a youth division for anglers age 12 and under, with additional awards to be presented to that division’s top teams. 

Tournament rules mandate that a maximum of three fish from each target species can be scored per day in each division. 

Registration and check-in for the Showdown are slated for 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, at the Sugarloaf Marina, located at 17015 Overseas Highway adjacent to the Sugarloaf Lodge. A rules meeting, opening of the tournament’s silent auction, and “Papa’s Pilar Rum Bar” and keg are planned as well. 

Auction items can be previewed beginning Friday, Nov. 1, at Showdown.Givesmart.com. Members of the public can bid online starting at 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14.

For tournament teams, fishing is set for 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 15 and 16. All boats must be back and teams checked in with the scorekeeper by 5:30 p.m. each evening. 

The Showdown’s awards celebration is scheduled after Saturday’s fishing at the Sugarloaf Lodge grassy point. The awards dinner is set for 6 p.m., with the silent auction concluding at 8 p.m.

Competition is open to all anglers and guides. The entry fee is $250 per team until Oct. 31 and $300 per team after that date. Teams can consist of one or two anglers plus a guide, but only two people on each team are allowed to fish.  

Event information and registration: sugarloafshowdown.com