Singer Mel Tillis to Host Fishing Tournament in Homosassa, Florida
The weekend of April 13, 2012, National Medal of Art winner and country singer extraordinaire, Mel Tillis, will be hosting a charity fishing tournament that promises to be a lot of fun. Here are a few more details:
Fishing Tournament Basics
The Mel Tillis and Friends Fishing Tournament is slated to take place April 13 through April 14, 2012 at the Riverside Resort in Homosassa, Florida. It is a catch and release style fishing tournament and partial proceeds from the event will go towards the Shriners Hospital for Children. The festivities will commence at 5 p.m. on April 13 with a tournament registration period, meeting and a dock-tail party. The fishing itself is set to begin promptly at 7:05 a.m. on April 14. Weigh-in is expected to take place that same day between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. An awards ceremony, live auction and live musical entertainment will follow. Of course the live musical entertainment will come courtesy of the fishing tournament's namesake, Mel Tillis and The Statesiders. Those interested in participating in the fishing tournament will need to fill in a registration form available on the event's website as well as remit a $150 boat fee.
About the Cause
The Shriners Hospital for Children is a wonderful, non-profit, health care organization that assists children with special health care needs and their families by providing free health care when appropriate. It is affiliated with Shriners International. Additional information about the organization is available online.
About the Venue
The Riverside Resort is located on South Cherokee Way. It is a lovely facility that overlooks the picturesque Homosassa River. Other than the phenomenal fishing, one thing that makes this resort stand out is Monkey Island. There are five spider monkeys that live on Monkey Island and they are under the care of the resort staff. Visitors to the resort may observe the monkeys and other wildlife freely. Other wildlife found within the confines of the resort's borders includes manatees and otters. Those that plan to stay at the resort during the Mel Tillis and Friends Fishing Tournament should make room reservations as soon as possible.
Fishing Suggestions
Visiting anglers should know that the Homosassa River's headwaters are home to both saltwater and freshwater fish alike. As such, it is a superlative site to catch snook, cobia, sheepshead, largemouth bass and more. The water tends to be clear, very deep and narrow in some spots. It is also known to be fraught with rock beds and oyster bars that anglers will need to be mindful of. This time of year, temperatures in Homosassa have been high during the day and cool at night. There have also been some blustery days as well. I'd suggest that anglers consider using live bait such as crawdads, shrimp, minnows and shiners. Focusing on the rocky shoreline, vegetation mats and oyster beds might not be such a bad idea either. As far as tackle goes, 3/0 to 4/0 circle hooks and 25 pound leader lines may just do the trick.
Killeen Gonzalez enjoys fishing with her family and has traveled extensively.
