CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Nearly 1,000 women on 280 teams are preparing for the Babes on the Bay fishing tournament starting Friday in Rockport.
“I'm a beginner, I am very new to saltwater fishing, I haven’t been on the water that much,” says participant Elizabeth McBurney.
Organizers say Babes on the Bay has been happening since 2000 to help educate women about the sport of saltwater fishing in a conservation-minded approach.
“The women that fish this tournament and the people that put this one are absolutely incredible, what they do for our estuaries are fish for the environment,” says participant Amy Garcia.
Organizers say they decided to change part of the tournament this year after recent events.
“It's a good thing we’re releasing all these fish back into our bay system after the freeze we had in February,” Babes of the Bay tournament director Jen Thomasson said.
Participants are expected to catch and release their fish but not before snapping a picture and uploading it to the Fishing Chaos app.
To simply the process, each participant will receive a bag to start off the tournament. It includes a map of the perimeter to fish.
And, with submissions being virtual this year, organizers say they are going to great lengths to keep it fair.
“We’re just going to be making sure that everything is accurate, we also have polygraph test if you're in the top five (finishers),” says Thomasson.
Organizers say staff will review all fish from the app and determine the winners in categories including, non guided any bait; no guided artificial bait , fly division and the junior division.
“First place winners will get a Waterloo rod so they each get a rod and a trophy,” says Thomasson.
Participants say this event is something to look forward to every year without any expectations of winning.
The entry period is over but you can still keep up with the Beach Babes Tournament on their websitewhich details all the information for the two-day 2 event.
