SARASOTA, Fla. – Beneath a gorgeous Florida sky, the 2006 season of the Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour is under way on the coastal waters off Sarasota.
While the weather couldn’t be nicer, the cash at stake isn’t too shabby, either. With a $330,000 total purse for the tournament, the kingfish teams are fishing for a guaranteed top cash award of $40,000, plus another potential $30,000 in Hydra-Sports or Wellcraft contingency money and $30,000 in Yamaha or Evinrude money.
The seas are calm, and the king mackerel fishing should be good this weekend. This year, the FLW Kingfish Tour’s regular-season events have been extended to three days, as opposed to the two-day tournaments seen last year. The full field competes Thursday and Friday, with each team weighing in its heaviest single fish from either day one or two. The top five teams, based on weight, will advance to Saturday’s final round.
The scales open at Marina Jack, located at 2 Marina Plaza in Sarasota, at 3 p.m. Eastern time Thursday and Friday. Official check-in time for all boats is 5 p.m.
Thursday’s conditions
Sunrise: 7:08 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 63 degrees
Expected high temperature: 84 degrees
Seas: 2-3 feet
Wind: NE at 17 mph
Maximum humidity: 50 percent
Day’s outlook: plentiful sunshine