The Starting Cannon of Spring: Tournament Season Ignites in Tampa Bay

There’s a moment every year in Tampa Bay when the air changes. Not the weather—though she warms up just fine—but the atmosphere. The bait starts moving like it’s got somewhere to be, the water comes alive, and every halfway decent fisherman suddenly thinks he’s got a shot at glory.

That’s right. Tournament season.

And if you’ve spent any real time on these waters, you know this isn’t just a few guys tossing lines for bragging rights. No, sir. This is when the bay sharpens its teeth and the fishermen try to prove they’ve got a little bite of their own.

The Grandaddy Wakes Up: Crosthwait in Palmetto

You can keep your fancy TV tournaments and corporate sponsors. Around here, the season doesn’t truly begin until the “Sam Crosthwait Tournament” fires up over in Palmetto.

This one’s got history. Salt in its veins. Stories that get told a little louder every year.

The Crosthwait isn’t polished—and that’s exactly the point. It’s the kind of tournament where old-school captains square off against young guns with something to prove. Where boats line up before sunrise, engines rumbling low, and you can feel it in your chest like a coming storm.

Nobody says it out loud, but everyone’s thinking the same thing:

“This might be my year.”

A Bay Full of Hunters

Come tournament time, Tampa Bay turns into a chessboard.

Every flat, every mangrove line, every pothole in the grass gets studied like gospel. The redfish are pushing shallow. Snook are lurking where they always do—right where you don’t want to lose them. Trout are stacked up if you know how to read the water instead of just looking at it.

And the fishermen? They’re running on coffee and Busch Light, instinct, and just enough bad decisions to make things interesting.

You’ll see boats tucked into spots that don’t look like they hold anything… until someone sticks a fish that changes the leaderboard and ruins somebody else’s weekend.

The offshore boats are the crowd favorite. A display of what the Gulf of America provides is an amazing sight. These teams spend days on the water and hundreds of miles travelled to gain enough point fish to win the big money. More money and time goes into winning this division than the actual prize money. But after all, to win the grandaddy of Tampa Bay Tournaments is a lifetime achievement.

That’s tournament fishing. It rewards the stubborn and punishes the overconfident.

The Weigh-In: Where Stories Get Measured

By the time the scales open, the dock turns into a theater.

Coolers slam. Lids open slow. Crowds lean in.

Some folks walk up grinning like they just robbed a bank. Others look like they’ve been through a divorce and lost the house. That’s the game.

Weights get called out. Cheers go up. Groans follow close behind.

And somewhere in that mix is always a fish—or a fisherman—that nobody saw coming.

From a Captain Who’s Seen a Few Seasons

I’ve run these waters long enough to know one thing: the fish don’t care about your entry fee, your gear, or your game plan.

They’ll humble you quick.

But every now and then, if you’ve paid your dues and you’re paying attention instead of just casting blindly, the bay gives you a shot. Just one.

And that’s all it takes.

I fished the Crosthwait tournament back in the 90’s with my mother and one of her best friend’s Carol and her son Sam. We were the first mother son team to compete in the tournament. Although we did not place in the tournament I know I had a wonderful experience that I will never forget. To this day I try and make it to the weigh in every year.

My son Patrick has fished this tournament on several occasion and on the first time he fished it he and a friend took first place in the Junior Division. This tournament is a generational tournament. 

Come See It for Yourself

Tournament season isn’t just for the folks holding rods—it’s for anyone who loves the water, the stories, and the kind of excitement you can’t fake. They also have great raffles that go to causes that help the community and other organizations.

If you want a front-row seat to what makes this place special, climb aboard with us at Five O’Clock Charlie Tours. We may not be chasing trophies every day, but we’re out there in the same waters, reading the same tides, and chasing the same fish that make this time of year electric.

Because whether you’re fishing for a check, a trophy, or just a good story…

Spring in Tampa Bay is when it all comes alive..

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