2025 Florida Keys Kids Sailfish Tournament
If you have been keeping up with our articles this year, you already know that the Main Attraction team has had a busy 2025! In addition to a busy fishing charter schedule, they have been fishing competitively in many sailfish tournaments here in the Florida Keys.
Main Attraction Co-Owner Katie Lewis recently discovered a new sailfish tournament in Islamorada designed for junior and pee wee anglers aged 16 years and younger. If you know anything about Katie’s work in the community, she loves to share the joy of fishing with youth, and this sort of event is right up her alley! The second annual Islamorada Tackle Center Free Kids Sailfish Tournament is a one-day sailfish tournament scheduled for February 8, 2025.
Captain Marty Lewis was already booked that day with a client, but his son and Main Attraction’s newest Captain, Alex Lewis, was available. This would be his first Tournament as Captain Alex, and his 7-year-old little sister, Natalie, would be one of his anglers! Captain Alex also invited his 16-year-old friend Russell Clark to be an angler. Katie reached out to a great friend, Donna Hart, who has a 13-year-old grandson named Tripp, who loves to fish. The response was a resounding yes, and the first-ever Main Attraction Junior Sportfishing Tournament team was born!
The night before, Katie and Natalie went to the Captain’s meeting to pick up the kid’s shirts and review the rules. The event was held at the Crooked Palm in Islamorada, and it was a perfect setting for all the young and excited kids. The Tackle Center team had pizza for the kids and various yard games to keep them entertained as they reviewed the tournament rules.
After that, it was time to head home and get some sleep before the big day. In the early morning of Saturday, February 8, team Main Attraction Junior arrived at the Marathon Sailfish Marina at 6 am, and loaded into our 43-foot Torres, Main Attraction. Captain Alex idled out the Coco Plum Cut, pointed the Main Attraction towards Islamorada, and got on plane. It was a little bumpy but not too rough. Captain Alex set up towards the westerly boundary as lines-in was called, knowing Sailfish had been caught down that way the day before. Captain Alex knew from years of fishing with Dad it was no time to be stubborn. So after about 30 minutes without action, he decided to make a move and head East in search of fish.
It was a slow fishing day; not many Sailfish had been reported, but there were plenty of “Outstanding Catches,” which is anything other than a Sailfish. Russell, hooked into several small Dolphinfish, that jumped off or spit the hook. The team joked that Russell was no good at dolphin fishing to keep the mood light while they waited for some Sailfish bites.
Around 12:50pm, the left kite went off, and little Natalie was ready to reel. Natalie ended up catching a nice kingfish and was so excited! Although it wasn’t a Sailfish, they took a photo and emailed it to the Tackle Center email address, and shortly after, she appeared on the leaderboard!
After lunch, Captain Alex asked Mate James to take the helm so he could run downstairs to use the restroom. While he was taking a break, the left side got a bite, and Russell took the rod. It was unusual because the fish swam down deep immediately, making its species unclear. Usually, this behavior indicates a different fish like a shark or tuna, but just as James hollered, “Come on, jump fish!” a Sailfish came leaping out of the water, and everyone began to cheer! Captain Alex came rushing out of the cabin when he heard the commotion and took the helm so Mate James could get back on the deck to help leader the fish. Russell reeled in the fish, and it was released. Captain Alex called it in, and Main Attraction was officially on the board!
Over the next hour, the fishing continued slowly. Only one boat had managed to release two Sailfish, while the rest had either one or none. Natalie, being 7 years old, got a little bored and went into the cabin to dig through Mom’s beach bag. Natalie found a plastic toy gem and presented it to the team, telling them to rub it for good luck during the last hour of fishing. As lines out quickly approached, it was hard not to lose hope. Katie quietly prayed for a double hook-up because it seemed like they would need a miracle to win.
Natalie and her lucky gem!
With about half an hour left of fishing, Captain Alex hollered, “Right side!” Tripp ran to the rod, grabbed it, and he was hooked up to a Sailfish! Suddenly, while the team cheered with excitement, the left side went off! It was little Natalie’s turn to get on the rod! Team Main Attraction Junior was now hooked up to a double-header!
Natalie, being quite small, had to fight her fish from the rod holder, so Captain Alex went after Tripp’s Sailfish first. It was a bit chaotic as there were a few over and unders while Natalie’s rod remained in the holder. But the team was able to keep the lines from tangling. As Tripp’s fish got closer, James leaned out to touch the leader and get a clean release. Captain Alex called in the release for Tripp and started to back down slowly on his little sister’s fish.
Natalie reeled as quickly as her little hands could keep up, but knowing she was smaller, Captain Alex was sure to back down slowly, so she could keep the line tight. The entire time, Captain Alex cheered on his sister, encouraging her and ensuring she knew she was doing a good job. As a Mom, Katie was touched by that moment and later said she would never forget that day.
As the vessel approached the fish, first mate James asked Natalie to step back so he could easily reach out to grab that leader. Natalie was a bit confused with all of the cheering and hollering. She seemed stunned afterward, as if she didn’t realize how vital that fish was for the team. With just twenty minutes before the end of the tournament, 7-year-old Natalie Lewis propelled the team from 7th place to 1st!
The Final Standings
After a quick celebration, the team reset put lines back in and hoped and prayed they could hold on to 1st place. At lines out, Dianne Harbaugh read the final standings over the radio, and team Main Attraction had officially won 1st place overall!
It was also a special day because it was Captain Alex Lewis’ first official tournament win as a licensed captain, but you can bet it won’t be his last! Alex will be his own man, of course, but you can see a lot of Captain Marty in him as they share a similar determination and passion for fishing in the Florida Keys.
We want to congratulate all the kids who fished in the Tackle Center tournament. Shoutout to team Heavy Guns for winning 2nd, and team Yabba Dabba Doo for taking 3rd. Team Yabba Dabba Doo had the first released Sailfish of the day, and it was caught by their small fry angler Fisher Gregory, way to go! Thank you to the Tackle Center family for hosting a fantastic kids’ tournament for our young anglers. As always, thank you to Dianne, who keeps it all straight on the radio for us!
Next up for team Main Attraction is a Sailfish Tournament very near and dear to our hearts. It is the only Sailfish tournament here in Marathon, Florida, and our very own Katie Lewis founded it! Registration is now officially open, and two fishing days begin on April 25, 2025. Mark your calendars and register today to secure early bird discounts. Your participation directly supports free fishing trips for children and families and vital funding for local schools and Special Olympics sports teams in Marathon, Florida.
If you have questions or comments or are interested in a fishing charter with the Main Attraction team, call us at (305) 289-0071 or visit our contact page.
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