ARTWORK BY BOB THAMES/PROVIDED BY KEY WEST BOATS FISHING FOR MIRACLES
Sure, there may be more money in the Governor’s Cup billfish tournaments. And there may be more glory in winning a national kingfishing championship. But for local bragging rights, you’ll find no better competition than the annual Lowcountry king mackerel tournament known as “Fishing for Miracles.”
For 15 years this home-grown summer event has drawn hundreds of Lowcountry anglers together for a spicy mix of fellowship and fierce competition. Since king mackerel can be caught anywhere from right off the beaches out to the Gulf Stream, the tournament gives the area’s many small-boat anglers a chance to compete with sportfishing crews for prizes that range into the tens of thousands of dollars.
Tideline recently sat down with Key West Boats Fishing For Miracles Chairman Rob Donlin to find out everything you need to know about the 15th annual king mackerel charity tournament.
History
The tournament began in 1994, after Dennis Lee, then the owner of Henry J. Lee Distributors, approached Dan Muckenfuss about getting involved in a family-oriented fishing tournament. During the time, Muckenfuss was enjoying success in competitive king mackerel tournaments. Lee provided much of the seed money to get the event going, the Coastal Conservation Association provided much of the manpower and the Medical University of South Carolina’s Children’s Hospital was named as the charitable beneficiary.
About this time, during the early years of tournament king mackerel fishing, some competitors had begun to believe that organizers of some events were keeping too much money as profit. Fishing For Miracles proved successful in part because money from the entry fees — the fishermen’s money — went to the fishermen, and the money raised through sponsorships went to the charities.
The Post and Courier
2007: Juggernaut angler David Morris shows off a 38.84-pound king mackerel.
The first event drew 174 paid entries.
Prizes
The Miracles tournament is an all-cash tournament with a grand prize of $25,000, and many other prize categories, including the captain’s drawing, lady angler and youth angler awards.
New this year is a possible $50,000 cash giveaway called the “High Five.” In previous years, $50,000 was given to whomever caught the state record, but that’s changed this year.
“Somebody could walk away with $50,000 without even catching a fish,” Donlin said.
Here’s how it works: The insurance company —Ed Smith Insurance out of Florence, which donated the policy this year — sends 40 envelopes with a specific amount of money written inside each one. Five say $50,000, five say $30,000, five say $20,000, and so on. Then, a boat number will be picked at random, and the captain of that boat will pick envelopes out of a hat until he matches five envelopes. The amount written in the matching envelopes is what the boat wins. The least amount a captain could win is entry into next year’s tournament, a $350 value.
The Post and Courier
2006: Ron Greer (left) and Barry Orem of the boat Two Sons with a 34.79-pound fish.
Strong participation expected
Record-high gas prices are hitting Lowcountry anglers pretty hard, so it’s difficult to tell how many boats will motor out for the tournament.
Donlin doesn’t seem too worried, though. “This tournament has always been really supported by the community,” he said. “It’s not unusual for us to hear comments on a daily basis like, ‘I’m only gonna fish one tournament this year and it’s gonna be the Miracles tournament.’’
Last year’s event drew 267 boats, up 40 boats from 2006.
Beneficiaries
“Once we pay for all the things that we can’t get donated, whatever’s left in the pot we split down the middle between the MUSC Children’s Hospital and the Coastal Conservation Association South Carolina Chapter,” Donlin said. In the past 14 years, he estimates the tournament has donated about $300,000 to each charity — “and that’s being conservative.”
As far as the Children’s Hospital goes, the founders of the tournament made certain that every penny donated from the Miracles tournament goes directly to the children. “It has to be something tangible, like a piece of equipment for the kids,” Donlin said. “The money can’t go toward administrative costs or anything like that.”
Tournament basics
The tournament is a three-day event, held August 14-16 out of Ripley Light Yacht Club, 95 Ashley Point Dr., Charleston.
The entry fee is $350 per boat, with additional entry fees for optional “tournament within tournament” entry levels. The grand prize for the biggest fish is $25,000, and there are significant cash awards through 30th place.
For registration, complete prize and entry information and official rules, visit www.fishingformiracles.org.
Thursday
• Registration at Ripley Light Yacht Club from 2 to 8 p.m.
• Refreshments and supper at 5 p.m.
• Captain’s meeting from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Friday
• Competition begins at 6:30 a.m.
• Scales open at 2 p.m.
• Competition ends at 5 p.m.
Saturday
• Competition begins at 6:30 a.m.
• Scales open at 1 p.m.
• Competition ends at 4 p.m.
• Supper and entertainment at 5 p.m.
• Awards ceremony at 7 p.m.
Spectators
If you’re not fishing the tournament but are looking to get in on the action, head down to the docks and watch the boats come in on Friday and Saturday afternoons.
You can also buy a $2 meal ticket for Saturday’s supper and awards ceremony, with food donated by Charleston Outdoor Catering.
Artwork
Children’s book illustrator Bob Thames has donated the artwork for Fishing For Miracles brochures and T-shirts for the past five years.
A silent auction will be held on Thursday night for the original piece by Thames from the 2006 tournament. This year’s artwork will be auctioned off at the 2010 event.
6
Number of people on the tournament committee, volunteering their time and money to put on perhaps the most well-known tournament in the Lowcountry.
174
Number of boats that entered the first Miracles event in 1994.
267
Number of boats that entered the 2007 Fishing for Miracles.
$25,000
Grand prize for largest fish.
$500
Prize money awarded to 7th through-30th places.
$300,000
Money given to each of the tournament’s beneficiaries: MUSC Children’s Hospital and Coastal Conservation Association-South Carolina.
Big kings, big money
King mackerel tournaments are all about catching that one big-money fish. Experienced kingfish anglers pull out all the stops and fish hard, usually slow-trolling live menhaden, ribbonfish and various other baits all day around live-bottom areas in 40 to 80 feet of water.
An angling team that enters all levels of the Key West Boats Fishing For Miracles tournament can take home prizes that sometimes total more than $30,000.
Here are some photographs of recent Miracles winners, courtesy of The Post and Courier newspaper’s archives.
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