73rd Roundup snaps records
BY MARY HENKEL JUDSON
SOUTH JETTY EDITOR
STAFF PHOTOS BY LESLIE WILLEY JR.

Big fish, big smile STAFF PHOTO BY LESLIE WILLEY JR. Jayce Morgan of Pearland holds one of two 7.5-pound redfish she caught during the Deep Sea Roundup fishing with her dad and grandpa.

Rain and the Fourth of July conspired to thwart the 73rd Deep Sea Roundup, but neither succeeded.

The biggest saltwater tournament on the Texas Gulf coast, held July 3-6, is a fundraiser for scholarships, youth and community activities in Port Aransas. The Port Aransas Boatmen, Inc. sponsors the event.

Event chairman Dave Sullivan said 757 registered to compete. That is down by 50 from last year's record 807 contestants.

Photos and complete results can be found inside this edition on Pages 5-8A.

The number of registered contestants does not reflect the number of guests accompanying the anglers, nor the spectators drawn to the weigh-ins at Roberts Point Park on Friday and Saturday, or to the Bill Horn Memorial Fish Fry on Sunday, which drew 580 diners and raised nearly $3,000.

The Piggy Perch contest, for small fry from zero to 12, broke all records with more 300 entered The turn-out was such on Saturday that the Boatmen ran short of the cane fishing poles they provide contestants. (See Page 1B.).

The billfish champions released one blue marlin and one sailfish, totalling 470 points. They fished aboard the Dead Head.

"We had grandparents who had been in the Piggy Perch Contest when they were kids bringing their grandkids to the Piggy Perch Contest," Sullivan said.

The bay/surf division also broke tournament records with more contestants than ever.

The tournament was manned by about 125 volunteers "who make the Roundup happen year after year, for 73 years now," Sullivan said.

"We had one of the greatest bunch of sponsors you could ever hope for in a community-based tournament. Our gold, silver and bronze level sponsors donated over $20,000," he added.

The more than 110 trophies that go to first and second place winners for each species of fish were sponsored.

"We had one of the top silent auctions we have ever had due to a large number of businesses from Port Aransas, Corpus Christi, Aransas Pass and Rockport that donated items," Sullivan said.

The billfish runners up released one blue marlin, for 400 points, aboard the Madera.

Thanks to donations of fish, supplies and volunteer time, the fish fry raised about $3,000, Sullivan noted.

Since all the items in the drawing were donated, the Boatmen raised $6,000 in that effort.

The silent auction may have set yet another record, but that total had not been calculated at press time.

If that wasn't enough, one contestant who has fished in Port Aransas for more than 50 years turned in a $1,500 donation to the Boatmen.

All donations and proceeds go to the Boatmen's scholarship program and various youth-oriented activities and programs.

"Many of the people who come to the Deep Sea Roundup have been coming here for years. It's the fishing tournament with more tradition than just about anywhere on the Gulf coast. It is, in fact, the oldest and possibly the largest on the Gulf coast," Sullivan said.

"The people who come to the Roundup are salty fishermen who love Port Aransas, and love our kind of family tournament . Our bays and Gulf waters are the same size, but now we have even more places to stay, more places to eat and visit, and more places to enjoy while at the best fishing tournament on the Gulf coast," he added.

Ben Scott of Port Aransas with his winning 41.2-pound wahoo. Scott fished in the junior offshore division aboard the Got 'M On.

"Salty fishermen don't miss fishing the Roundup -- no matter fuel prices, bogus rumors of not enough hotels/motels or even rain," Sullivan said.

Anglers and spectators can mark July 9-12, 2009 on their calendars now, and make plans to attend the 74th Deep Sea Roundup.

Page Porter and Judy Wright, both Port Aransas High School cheerleaders, help out with the scoreboard during the Deep Sea Roundup by writing the weights and lengths of winning fish on the leader board.