The Professional Tarpon Tournament Series
New Home for PTTS - www.ptts.tv
Tarpon Anglers Club, LLC Announces Launch of New Online Home of the PTTS

Port Charlotte, FL, 21 FEB 2010- Tarpon Anglers Club, LLC, the organizer and producer of the "Professional Tarpon Tournament Series" (PTTS) and "Women's Professional Tarpon Tournament Series" (WPTTS), is excited to announce the launch of their next generation website WWW.PTTS.TV

Tarpon Anglers Clubs developers created PTTS.tv to serve as the official website for the PTTS and WPTTS Tarpon fishing tournaments and television shows. The new website features up to date information about the PTTS and WPTTS events and TV shows, including articles, schedules, prizes, rules, and more. One of the new cutting edge features is the online tournament registration system that allows participants to register and pay to compete in the events online.

"The goal of the new site is to provide a cutting edge online home for the PTTS & WPTTS that mirrors the high level production value of our television shows and events, while providing relevant, exciting, and useful content for our users." said Joe Mercurio, VP/GM of Tarpon Anglers Club, LLC.

New features on the site will include an interactive media gallery with photos and video from the events, as well as full PTTS television episodes, articles relating to Tarpon & Tarpon fishing, blogs by PTTS TV hosts, and plethora of information on Boca Grande and Charlotte Harbor. In addition users will find current and previous years statistics from the tournament events, profiles on the competing teams, and user submitted articles and fishing reports. The website will also include a section dedicated to Tarpon which will feature articles related to the fish and fishing, as well as conservation information.

The site is currently in the beta stage. New features and information are being update daily. We invite you to visit the new PTTS.tv today.

About Tarpon Anglers Club, LLC: The Tarpon Anglers Club is the organizer and producer of the “Professional Tarpon Tournament Series (PTTS) and the “Women´s Professional Tarpon Tournament Series” (WPTTS) events and television shows. The PTTS and WPTTS events and television show are all based in and around Boca Grande Pass, FL, held during May and June, and are the largest and richest Tarpon fishing tournament, series events, in the world. The tournaments are filmed and broadcasted worldwide as a 13 week television series on Sun Sports and the World Fishing Network.

For more information visit,

 
PTTS Files Motion to Intercede in Lawsuit that Attempts to ban Jigs
Meet Joe Mercurio at the Miami Boat show
Port Charlotte, Fla., October 8, 2009 – Tarpon Anglers Club, LLC (TAC), the organizer and producer of the “Professional Tarpon Tournament Series” (PTTS) events and television shows, filed a motion before the Circuit Court of the Second Judicial Circuit, in Leon County, asking that they be allowed to participate in a lawsuit that will decide whether anglers participating in their events, as well as all anglers , be able to continue using the artificial lure known as a “jig”.   The Boca Grande Fishing Guides Association (BGFGA) has asked the court to rule that the “jig” is a snagging device that is designed to “breakaway”. The PTTS disagrees with the BGFGA claims that the “jig” used by many of its’ participants and fans is a snagging or designed breakaway device.

In 2004, scientists at the Florida Wildlife Research Institute, the research arm of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, conducted a study of Tarpon Catch and Release Mortality and the incidences of foul hooking of Tarpon in Boca Grande.  The study found foul hooking using the methods of livebait or “jig” fishing did not contribute significantly to the mortality of Tarpon.  The report also pointed out foul hooking is normal in hook and line fishing, and the percentages of foul hooking of Tarpon by anglers using the “jig” was in accord with foul-hooking percentages recorded in other fisheries.

The PTTS events and television show are all based in and around Boca Grande Pass, FL during May and June, and it is the largest and richest Tarpon fishing tournament series in the world.  The participants primarily consist of recreational anglers who live throughout the State of Florida and the Southeast United States.  Many of the participants use artificial lures during and outside the tournament events.  The PTTS generates significant numbers of fans that visit the Boca Grande Area to participate in the Tarpon fishery and artificial lure fishing.

“We view this suit as an attempt to restrict the recreational anglers ability to fish with a piece of gear that has proven to be very effective in allowing the masses to catch Tarpon in Boca Grande Pass, as well as an indirect assault on the PTTS.  The PTTS has always been conducted in a sporting manner with an emphasis on promoting conservation, the sport of Tarpon fishing in Boca Grande, and the wonderful attributes the Boca Grande area offers to vistors.” Commented Joe Mercurio, Vice President and General Manager of Tarpon Anglers Club, LLC

PTTS rules exceed the State’s rules in regard to gear restrictions when fishing for Tarpon in Boca Grande Pass during the months of April, May, and June.  In addition to using fastening devices that have a tensile strength that exceed the breaking strength of the anglers lines, since its’ inception, the PTTS has mandated the use of circle hooks for all anglers using livebait or jigs.  The PTTS remains one of the only “inshore” fishing tournaments to put this restriction on its’ participants.  Circle hooks have been found to greatly reduce the catch and release mortality on a variety of fish species because of their design to hook fish in the corner of the mouth.

“We urge the court to rule against the Petitioners and find that the rules promulgated by the FWCC, based on scientific research should be upheld.  Adding further restrictions and regulations with no scientific evidence will set a dangerous precedent and endanger the rights of sportfishing anglers nationwide.”
PTTS WEEKLY WINNERS
PTTS WEEKLY STANDINGS - Tarpon Cup Championship
#
 TEAM CAPTAIN Fish Wght
2
 Yamaha Capt. Troy Sapp 225 total
3
 Howard Leasing Chuck Howard 181 total
4
 Hendrick Roofing Capt.Jim Huddleston 161 total
5
 Culo Majada Steve Kocis 130 total
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
 
Miller High Life Professional Tarpon Tournament Series - Yamaha F350 Races to Victory and 2nd Place Team of the Year
Boca Grande, Fla., May 31, 2009 - The Miller High Life Professional Tarpon Tournament Series presented by Century Boats held the final event of its’ five week regular series this past weekend in Boca Grande Pass, FL.  A sold out field of fifty, four person teams competed in the three hour event.

Captain Ozzie Fischer, Team Yamaha F350/Century, Fort Myers, FL, weighed in a large female Tarpon that tipped the Tires Plus scale at 180 LBS, securing them victory in Week #5 and also securing them 2nd Place in the Yamaha Team of the Year Race. 

At the start of the event many of the teams were concerned that there would be very few fish remaining in the pass to be caught, with some upset the event was even going to take place.  At the end of the three hour event twenty-six fish in total were landed, with eight being brought to the Miller’s Ale House Weighboat.  A slow day in PTTS fishing terms, but action was constant, despite, fewer fish than normal being present.  A strong outgoing tide, West winds in excess of 20 MPH, and rough seas contributed to the lack of fish and slow action.

“We knew it was going to be tough fishing.” remarked Fischer.  “We made a game plan after the Week #4 event, that we had to release as many fish as possible and weigh in a 150 lb fish or better if we wanted to try and take 2nd in the Team of the Year Race.”

Fischer is not accustomed to fishing for second place.  An accomplished tournament angler who has won nearly every inshore fishing event in Southwest Florida, and the former FLW Kingfish Team of the Year, knew that 1st place in the Yamaha Team of the Year Race was all but impossible.  Going in to Week #5, Capt. Artie Price, Team Miller’s Ale House, had a commanding 654 point lead over the second place team.  Fischer and Yamaha F350/Century were sitting in 15th, only 150 points out of 2nd Place, and ultimately closed the gap to edge out Capt. Doug Creek, Team Century/Miller Chill.

The drama continued during the event with less than one hour in regulation time Capt. Steve Dupper’s, Team Lake N Bay Boats, Sebring, FL, hooked a fish as a squall was moving through Boca Grande.

“We got bit just as it started getting rough, and it was all we could do to land her.” said Dupper.

Team Lake N Bay landed the fish twenty minutes into overtime, a 140 LB Tarpon, that was enough to take 2nd Place and propel them in to the Tarpon Cup Championship.

For the fourth time in seven years Captain Artie Price and Team Miller’s Ale House were crowned the PTTS Yamaha Team of the Year.  With the victory Team Miller’s Ale House received a Yamaha Four Stroke V6 F250 outboard motor along with four limited edition diamond encrusted Reactor Watches, a prize package valued at $45,000.  For their second place effort, Team Yamaha F350/Century, for the second time will be headed to the exclusive Crocodile Bay Lodge in Costa Rica, a trip valued at $12,000. 

The top 25 teams based on points earned through the season will compete in the Tarpon Cup Championship this Sunday, June 14th from 0700-1200.  The teams are allowed to weigh in two Tarpon with the aggregate weight determining the winner and the 2009 Tarpon Cup Champion.

The Miller High Life PTTS presented by Century Boats is the largest and richest live-release tarpon tournament in the world, featuring five regular season events and one championship event all held in Boca Grande Pass, Fla.   Teams may weigh one fish daily and obtain points towards the Yamaha Team of the Year Race by releasing placing, weighing and releasing fish.  Camera crews are on hand during the PTTS to capture the action for a 13-week television series that airs on Sun Sports Network and World Fishing Network. This year the show will be available in over 37 million households nationwide and in Canada. 

For more information and pictures please visit, www.TarponAnglersClub.com

NOTE:  Fans are encouraged to watch the PTTS Tarpon fishing action and weigh in live.  The weigh in is held on the beach at Gasparilla Island State Park, Boca Grande, FL.  In addition downtown Boca Grande offers numerous family friendly restaurants and shops, as well as other historical sites.

 

 
Tournament Stats
Number released 222
Fish weighed 52
Combined weight 7518
Average weight 144.5769231
Released a fish every 0.810810811 minutes
2009 YAMAHA
TEAM OF THE YEAR RACE
Top Ten Leaderboard
Team Name
Pts.
Miller's Ale House 1904
Yamaha F350 1580
Century/Miller Chill 1380
Century/Odyssey 1250
MyELS.com/Castaway 1250
Samon Group/Out of Line 1238
Courtside Grill 1208
Angler Boat Corp 1204
Famouscraft Boats 1200
Reel Time Productions 1198