Ronnie Kirchman of Port Salerno is not a fool, and he is not from up north, so he knows the perils of trying to predictFlorida weather.
And when looking ahead to the coming holiday weekend, forecasts are calling for more rain and wind, and conditions not conducive for fishing in offshore fishing tournaments.
As a result, tournament officials for three fishing tournaments with plans to operate Saturday have announced postponements. A kayak fishing tournament for bass slated to fish in Fellsmere may also be affected, but officials will decide Friday whether to fish Sunday as scheduled.
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Kirchman, the owner of Kirchman Construction Company in Martin County, is a longtime member and past president of the Treasure Coast Builders Association, but he is also among its largest supporters of the organization's annual fishing tournament.
For weeks he has been using social media and face-to-face contact to recruit anglers to join him to fish in the 32nd annual TCBA Memorial Day Fishing Tournament. The event has long been one of the area's most anticipated tournaments and is fished by more than 100 boats each year.
Questionable weather conditions forecast for marine waters offshore of the Treasure Coast this coming weekend, however, has forced TCBA tournament organizers including Kirchman, to reschedule the fishing dayto June 2. The registration, kickoff party andcaptains'meeting will take place asscheduled beginning at 4 p.m. Friday at Pirates Cove Resort and Marina, 4307 S.E. Bayview St. in Port Salerno.
The NOAA Marine Weather Forecast issued Wednesday morning for Saturday predicted 15-20 knot winds from the east with sea conditions about 4-6 feet and thunderstorms, which is rough for smaller vessels.
"The weather and sea conditions are not good for this Saturday, and it all hinges on that storm below Cuba," Kirchman wrote on Facebook Wednesday. "Anglers' safety comes first! Fishing has been rescheduled forJune 2 with hopes the fish gods bring us all better weather."
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There is still time to register, and the tournament also offers numerous prizes available through 50/50s, raffles, silent auctions and live auctions.
The TCBA released an official announcement Wednesday: "Due to the impending weather for this weekend, the decision has been made to move the fishing day portion of our event to Saturday, June 2nd.The NOAA Marine Forecast is calling for southeast winds at 15 to 20 knots with 4-6 foot seas and thunderstorms for this Saturday; certainly not conditions for the safety and enjoyment of our participants.
"We will still have a Captains Party this Friday, May 25th beginning at 4 pm with the Captains meeting at 6:30 pm in the Lounge at Pirates Loft.The pre-registered boats can pick up their rules, boat numbers, and captains bags.New registrations are also welcome during this time and the $30 late fee will be waived.
"We will then have another Captains meeting next Friday night (same place and time), June 1st, for any late boat entries. The fishing tournament and awards will continue on as planned on June 2nd.
"Please note:It's not mandatory for the pre-registered anglers to come this Friday night as long as they agree to come next week.We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but the safety of everyone is our top priority!"
Anglers fish the tournament to earn cash prizes for heaviest kingfish, dolphin, wahoo, grouper, snapper, snook, trout andredfish. Weigh-ins on the fishing day will be at free and open to the public at Pirates Cove Resort and Marina, 4307 SE Bayview St., Port Salerno.Entry for the offshore division is $295 and inshore division is $150.Payouts are $1,500 to $500 in offshore divisions and$1,000 to $500 in inshore divisions. For complete information go to www.treasurecoastba.comor call 772-336-8222.
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SISA Spring Fling
The Sebastian Inlet Sportfishing Association 46th annual Spring Fling Dolphin Tournament will also postpone its fishing tournament to June 2. The captains' meeting will take place as planned from 4-8 p.m. at Space Coast Harley Davidson,1440 Sportsman Lane N.E., Palm Bay. The tournament will pay out $1,000 for the heaviest bull dolphin and $1,000 for the heaviest combination of a bull and cow, plus deeper into the standings depending upon number of boat entries.
Entry is $150 per boat. Registration is open until June 1. The weigh-in will be June 2 at Capt'n Butcher's Seafood Grill and Bar, 1732 Indian River Drive, Sebastian. For more information, go tohttps://sites.google.com/site/fishsisa/Home/spring-fling.
Sebastian Lionfish Fest
The third annual Sebastian Lionfish Fest has already had its cook-off, but the diving portion of the lionfish removal contest will now take place June 30-July 1. The weigh-in for the Lionfish Fest will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Capt Hiram's Resort, 1580 U.S. 1, Sebastian. Teams can enter for$125 per team and there will be a combined payout of $3,200 in cash and prizes for largest, smallest and most lionfish. For more information go towww.sebastianlionfishfest.comor call 772-226-1569.
Toad Fest on the Marsh
The annual Kayak Bass Fishing Trail Toad Fest on the Marsh is slated to fish Sunday on the waters near Fellsmere— Stick Marsh, Headwaters Lake, Blue Cypress Lake, Garcia Lake and Kenansville Lake. The tournament is a catch, photo and release tournament and pays out at least $1,000. Entry is $75 per angler. Tournament director Jason Broach said he will announce Friday whether the tournament will fish Sunday. To learn more go towww.kayakbassfishing.comor find it on Facebook.
