Calendar of ROLEX/IGFA 2005 Inshore Championship Qualifying Tournaments

Schedule of Events for the ROLEX/IGFA 2005 Inshore Championship

Sponsors of the Rolex/IGFA Inshore Championship

Greetings from IGFA! We are excited to bring you this update on the 2005 ROLEX/ IGFA Inshore Championship Tournament, which is scheduled for July 10 - 13, 2005 in Islamorada, Florida. The tournaments approved as qualifying events represent over 3,000 anglers, 4 countries and 14 states.

Islamorada in the Florida Keys, "fishing capital of the world", will once again be the site of the championship. The beautiful Islander Resort with its panoramic view of the Atlantic has been chosen for the second year as host resort and headquarters for the championship. When you mix the bountiful flats of the Keys, the amenities of the Islander, the unmatched facilities of Worldwide Sportsman and the Islamorada Fish Company coupled with the world’s best light tackle and fly fishermen and guides you truly have a world class event.

There have been questions from several of the qualifying tournaments and anglers that apply to everyone. The following is an update:

1. The Rolex/IGFA championship will be a 3-day fishing event. Any practice days will be at the expense of the angler.
2. We will have a fleet of flats boats (backcountry types) and professional guides selected for the tournament. A drawing will be held Sunday evening at the Captains' Reception for the guides for each angler. Anglers will change boats/guides each day in this rotating format.
3. The cost will be $1800. This includes the registration fee, three days of fishing with boat and guide, angler bag, and all social events. Social event passes are available for entire package ($150) or single event ($50).
4. All anglers must be pre-registered with the IGFA by April 15, 2005 . All fees must be paid in full before an angler competes in the Rolex/IGFA Inshore Championship.
5. The weather in July is almost perfect, with temperatures between 80 and 95 degrees. Please don’t forget your polarized sunglasses, hats and sunscreen for the Florida Keys sun! A light raincoat is always a good idea for passing showers.
6. All Championship Tournament events are casual, including the awards party.
7. Hotel expense and meals, other than those at the social events are the responsibility of the angler. The Islander Resort offers all Rolex/IGFA Championship Tournament guests' special room rates July 3 - 17, 2005.
         Studio Lanai Villa's - $99 - $129 per night
         Ocean Front One Bedroom Suites - $169 - $225 per night
   Reservations should be made as early as possible for choice room selections. Please contact The Islander Resort anytime Monday through Friday and ask for Shannon O'Berry, Reservations Manager at 1-800-753-6002. Please identify yourself as Rolex/IGFA Championship Tournament guests.
8. Targeted species are Tarpon, Bonefish, Permit, Redfish and Snook. A point system will be used with points allocated based on the use of fly, bait, or artificial lures. Florida State regulations apply on lengths of each species with the exception of tarpon (36"). Complete rules will be included in the next update.
9. Good tackle will be available for the angler, or the angler may bring his/her own tackle.
10. There will be a Grand Champion, the angler who accumulates most number of points for all targeted species (5). The angler catching the most slams and/or largest portion wins. There will also be a Total Release Champion, the angler who accumulates the most overall points regardless of species within the three divisions. There is also a Runner-up Grand Champion and Runner-up Release Champion. These four categories will earn Rolex watches, trophies and merchandise. There is also trophies and merchandise for the top divisional winners - fly, spin and bait - as well as the top three guides.
11. For those of you not familiar with the Florida Keys , summer is a beautiful time with temperatures in the 80-95° range and light winds. In the spirit of the Keys, all events will be casual. Anglers are encouraged to wear shirts from the club or tournaments you are representing.

We wish to thank the following sponsors for their generous support towards last year’s Rolex/IGFA Inshore Championship:

The IGFA staff, trustees, representatives and a host of volunteers are looking forward to hosting you at ICT 2005. Please contact Michael Myatt or Denise Hartman at (954) 927-2628 with any questions or comments, or email: dhartman@igfa.org. Until the next update – Good Fishing!

Please support the sponsors of the Rolex/IGFA Inshore Championship.

ROLEX/IGFA INSHORE CHAMPIONSHIP UPDATE #2

Greetings from IGFA!

As of this writing we've completed 100% of our qualifying events and have many of the winning anglers signed up for the July 10-13, 2005 Championship Tournament. Our last qualifying event of the year was the Ocean Reef Bonefish Tarpon Unlimited Backbone Classic , which was held December 6-8 in Key Largo , Florida and now we're counting down the days until the championship!

Our prestigious list of qualifying events is growing and becoming more international. So far this year, we are happy to welcome new tournaments being held in Australia , Belize , British Columbia , Puerto Rico , Seychelles and Uganda . We are also proud to have our qualifying events back this year from Mexico , New Zealand , the Bahamas , and 14 states from across the country. And, it's only March!

Several qualifying tournament winners have inquired about “practice days”. We have a pool of talented tournament guides to accommodate those anglers wanting to come in a day or two early to practice. To arrange for a guide, please contact us directly at IGFA for a list of guides who will be available for practice days.

There are still rooms available at our host hotel, The Islander Resort and they have extended their ROLEX/IGFA "special" tournament rates for 7 days before and 7 days after the championship. Please arrange to make your reservations early for best room selections. Call the Islander reservations directly at (1-800-753-6002), identify yourself as ROLEX/IGFA Tournament participant and ask for Shannon O'Berry.

In addition to title partner ROLEX, we are pleased to welcome Chevrolet as the “Official Automotive Partner of IGFA ”. Platinum partners Hell's Bay Boatworks and Mercury Marine are the "Official Boat and Motor" of the ROLEX/IGFA Championship Tournament.

We look forward to another exciting and memorable championship thanks to our host marina, WorldWide Sportsman. Also, we'd like to thank our tournament partners Chevrolet, Shimano, G?Loomis, 3M Scientific Anglers, KD & G Jewelers, Islamorada Fish Company/Zane Grey Lounge, James Harris Fine Arts, Rapala, Costa Del Mar, Hook & Tackle, and Stiffy Push Poles. Prizes will include fabulous ROLEX watches, Costa Del Mar sunglasses and beautiful release mount trophies created by King Sailfish Mounts. In your angler bags will be a great tournament shirt provided by Hook & Tackle. We look forward to refreshments served by Bacardi after fishing each day by the scoreboard at WorldWide Sportsman.

We are finalizing the tournament schedule and details on species, line classes, fly division, scoring and general rules. We will be updating you soon with this information.

For information or if you have any questions, please contact IGFA headquarters, Denise Hartman at (954) 927-2628 or dhartman@igfa.org .

See you in THE KEYS and GOOD FISHING!