Staff Report
The following is a complete list of winners from the 74th Annual Texas International Fishing Tournament, held this past weekend in Port Isabel and South Padre Island.
Junior Bay, 7 years and under: (first place) Wyatt Bode, Laguna Vista – 49.35; (second place) Hunter Werneke, Los Fresnos – 44.25; (third place) Mallory Lohr, McAllen – 39.95
Junior Bay, 8 to 12 years old: (first place) Logan Human, League City – 38.6; (second place) Clay Duncan, Laguna Vista – 27.8; (third place) Kaplan Robinson, Port Isabel – 24.25
Junior Bay, 13 to 16 years old: (first place) Caroline Miller, Harlingen – 20.6; (second place) Trey Mikulik, McAllen – 19.15; (third place) Kristina Anderson, Port Mansfield – 16.10
Junior Offshore, no billfish: (first place) Thomas Ahrnold III, Petrolia – 60.8; (second place) Brighten Woods, Edinburg – 57.2; (third place) Bryce Sykes, Wichita Falls – 55.1
Junior Offshore, with billfish: (first place) Clayton De Vries, Edinburg – 327.3; (second place) Marlin Johnson, Ingleside – 300; (third place) Rich Tarpey, Laguna Vista – 269.2
Blake Newman Bunk Memorial Trophy: De Vries
Tarpon Award: (first place) Michael Montavo, Harlingen; (second place) Brian Barrera, Laguna Vista – 250; (third place) John Davidson , Bayview – 125; The Tarpon is awarded on the basis of overall points for two days of fishing
Heaviest Flounder: Rolando Villalon, La Feria – 5.6
Heaviest Trout: Randy Pierce, Port Mansfield – 8.85; Pierce also won Heaviest Trout, perpetual
Heaviest Redfish: Ruben Reyes, Corpus Christi – 9.15; Reyes also won the Cleave Greer Memorial Perpetual
Heaviest Snook: Ryan Maza, Port Isabel – 3.8
Heaviest Drum: Kyle Cook, Lantan – 8.0
Heaviest Spanish Mackerel: J.L. Jay, Shoreacres – 1.2
Heaviest Yellowfin Tuna: Mike Hawkins, Houston – 48.65; Hawkins also won the Sea Island Hilton Perpetual Tuna
Heaviest Wahoo: Kelly Price, Harlingen – 70.1
Heaviest Shark, black tip: Maza – 78.6
Heaviest Ling: Neil Rasmussen, South Padre Island – 24.1
Heaviest King Mackerel: Nicole Schmitz, South Padre Island – 32.5
Heaviest Jack Crevalle: Dede Arhnold, Wichita Falls – 21.9
Heaviest Dolphin: Zach Swanberg, Harlingen – 51.2
Heaviest Bonito: Morgan Bonner, Spicewood – 10.6
Heaviest Blackfin Tuna: Schmitz – 28.3
Heaviest Barracuda: Kenneth Price Jr., La Feria – 6.8
Heaviest Amberjack: Charlie Hervey, San Benito – 45.4
First Billfish Caught, Sailfish: Paul Rogers, Port Aransas – 300; Rogers also won the Fritz Bergh Memorial Trophy
Heaviest Sailfish: Rich Tarpey, Laguna Vista – 42.3; Tarpey also won the Charles Polhemus Lifetime Sailfish Trophy
Most Unusual Fish: Kaplan Robinson, Port Isabel – comb grouper
Hockaday Service Award: Chuck Fultz, Harlingen; the Hockaday Service Award is given to an individual or group selected by the TIFT Board for outstanding service
Robert John Meade Award: Rebecca Galvan, Weslaco; Galvan also won the Robert John Meade Perpetual Award; the award is given to an individual or organization for outstanding promotion of South Texas fishing
Fly Fishing: (first place) Marshall Tippen, Dallas – 20.3; (second place) James Tippen, Dallas – 16.2; (third place) Ron Olsen, Grapevine – 14.4
Ladies Bay: (first place) Kari Stuessy, Port Mansfield – 27.5; (second place) Sandy Broadway, South Padre Island – 23.4; (third place) Kelsey Garcia, Harlingen – 22.3
Trout: (first place) Randy Pierce, Port Mansfield – 15.5; (second place) Marsh Stuessy, Port Mansfield – 14.5; (third place) Thelma Gallegos, McAllen – 13.6
Redfish: (first place) James Beale, Harlingen – 17.3; (second place) Ruben Reyes, Corpus Christi – 16.1; (third place) Jorge Martinez, Port Mansfield – 15.1
Flounder: (first place) Austin Conner, Harlingen – 8.8; (second place) Cesar Anguiano, San Benito – 8.7; (third place) Chris Daniels, Harlingen – 7.6
Highest Offshore Points, no billfish: Louis Smith, Boerne – 79.9
First-Place Ladies Offshore, no billfish: Dede Arhnold, Wichita Falls – 73.6
First-Place Catch and Release: Aly Gerloff, San Antonio – 800; Gerloff also won the Martha Pugh-Patricia Martin Memorial Tag and Release Award, the First-Place White Marlin Award and First Place Ladies Offshore
First-Place Sailfish: Paul Rogers, Port Aransas – 300
Highest Offshore Points: Michael Douglas Smith – 839.9; Smith also won the Texas Grand Champion Award
Boatman Award: Monte Love, Port Aransas – 1,200; Love also won the Linda Putnam Perpetual Boatman Award
Team Trophy: Cat’s Meow, Port Aransas – 1,200
TIFT Grand Champion Bay Fishing: Randy Pierce, Port Mansfield; Pierce also won the Grand Champion Bay Fisherman Award
Bay Fisherman Award: (second place) Tim O’Brien, Harlingen; (third place) Johnny Rodriguez Sr., Lozano
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