The boats were loaded and the party began.
The "Are You Man Enough? Shark Challenge," a team shark fishing tournament and festival, began at Cape Harbor today with 22 teams and more than 100 anglers, vying for a spot in the top five for today's finale. There is $15,000 in prizes up for grabs.
"There's six fishing tournaments every week in this area," said Jack Donlon, founder of Shark Fest. "The main problem is to make them exciting. I think shark is the most exciting fish. Everyone loves to catch them from young kids to old men."
Shark Fest is in its fifth year and Donlon said this will be the biggest year yet.
"I'm excited. I can't wait," said Ivan Vargas of Team Boat Place, about his first year competing in the tournament.
Joey Shogren, captain of Team Cape Rehab, fished the tournament last year.
"It's a good event," Shogren said. "It was a good time, It's a well put-on tournament."
Team Cape Rehab is hoping to target bull sharks and black tips in Pine Island Sound.
Not everyone is fishing in boats. The Blue Line Fishing Team is hoping to catch big ones in kayaks.
"They have a much better advantage than we do," said team member Bob Bramblet. "It's easier to catch a big fish on a boat but we have stealth on our side. We can sneak up on them."
The centerpiece of Sharkfest is the Sharktron. The event has a two-story jumbo screen that shows videos of sharks being caught in this catch-and-release tournament.
"We're the first tournament ever, by my own method, to have the fisherman catch the shark and show it on the jumbo screen," Donlon said. "So everyone at Sharkfest can see the excitement."
Today, there will be a kids fishing derby at 10 a.m. on the dock behind Rumrunners, 5848 Cape Harbor Drive. The event is free for children 2-12; all they have to do is bring their poles. There will be awards for first, second and third place. The derby is being sponsored by The Rehab and Healthcare Center of Cape Coral.
"It's a family festival," Donlon said. "Everyone should come down."
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