A four-person Tampduilaw.com team won the windy, fish-filled 2012 Gil Memorial without a captain in the waters surrounding Gasparilla island.
The champions of the seventh annual tourney - Witt Copeland, Jeff Keel, Bob Carbonara and Chris Casper - also collected the $2,500 first prize along with two Calcuttas worth another $950.
Carbonara won the $500 Snook Calcutta with a 33-incher worth 13 pounds credit and Keel took the $450 Trout Calcutta for his 4-pound-10-ounce catch.
Article Photos
Team Damfino, led by Capt. Corey Maguire of FallingTideCharters.com, came in second to win the $2,000 runner-up prize.
"A load of great fish were caught," said Gil Memorial organizer Rob Hudson. "The fishing was phenomenal."
Team Damfino, led by Capt. Corey Maguire of FallingTideCharters.com, came in second to win the $2,000 runner-up prize.
Gil Memorial teams must catch one snook, two redfish and four speckled trout. The highest total weight scored determines the overall Team Champion and Calcuttas for each species.
A Florida Wildlife Commission officer used a measuring board and conversion scale to minimize snook handling. The Gil is catch-and-release for snook only.
The red tide swirling about some areas in Southwest Florida did not truly affect the tourney, Hudson said.
"I heard some reports of red tide around Englewood but everything inside of railroad trestles was fine," he said. " This being fall, the fish are so active."
Other winners included:
Third place and $1,500 to team Easydecals.com captained by Hudson;
Fourth place and $1,000 to team Ball 'n Chain led by Capt. Danny Latham of Reelfishing.com;
Fifth place team Jerkbait ,led by Capt. Justin Cauffman of Nativesaltcharters.com, won $500 plus Nicole Swetley's $500 Top Lady Angler Award; and
George Gaffney of Precision Painting led by Capt. Mike Slattery won $500 for the prize Redfish Calcutta catch at 8 pounds, 1 ounce.
Hudson said the tourney likely raised at least $2,700 for the Barrier Island Parks Society although the financial totals are not finalized as yet.
"Millers Dockside and Boca Grande Marina were wonderful," Hudson said. "The kitchen staff is unbelievable and I can't toot their horn enough."
The Gil Memorial grew out of a double tragedy: In 2003, Hudson's friend, Juan Gil, was killed in a car accident, and his father, Roberto Gil, lost a long battle with cancer. Hudson started the tourney to honor their memory and raise money for a worthy cause.
