2024 will mark the tournament’s 61st anniversary. The tournament will be held in Islamorada in the Florida Keys. The tournament will fish out of the Lor-e-lei restaurant and marina in Islamorada. The tournament is limited to 25 anglers. Awards will be given for various categories and will consist of artwork by notable wildlife artists, as well as fishing tackle and accessories.

 2023 Champions

Angler Dave Preston
Captain Luis Cortes
5,804 Points

Press Release:
Angler Dave Preston and Guide Luis Cortes win 60th annual Gold Cup Invitational Fly Fishing Tarpon Tournament

60th Annual Gold Cup Invitational Fly Fishing Tarpon Tournament
June 19-23, 2023
Islamorada, Florida Keys

The 60th Annual Gold Cup Invitational Tarpon Fly Fishing Tournament, one of the most revered fly fishing tournaments in the world, is known wherever anglers pursue the Silver King with a fly. It has been referred to as the “World Series” of tarpon fishing and consists of 5 days of honorable competition. This year was especially exciting as the largest fish in tournament history was caught and the fishing heated up midweek, providing some real suspense each day.

Talented Fly-Anglers were able to pull in a total of 66 fish during the five-day stretch, consisting of 37 Release and 29 Weight Fish, a significant decrease from last year’s 103 fish. Teams of Anglers and Guides compete for various trophy and sponsor-donated items. The real honor is for the overall winning team to have their names added to the 60-year-old perpetual trophy. The historic GCTT trophy is showcased locally at The Florida Keys Outfitters.

Third time Grand Champion Angler, Dave Preston from Miami, FL, and Guide to Grand Champion, Capt. Luis Cortes, earned their Grand Championship title with 5804 points, consisting of 4 Release Fish and 4 Weight Fish for the week. Preston and Cortes’s Weight Fish weighed in at 163, 96.1, 118.1, and 83.2 pounds. Dave Preston’s never failing positive attitude and passion for conservation has been evident over the 11 years that he has fished the tournament. Preston says, “Getting to spend quality time on the water in the Keys with Luis is reward enough, and when you add in our recent tournament success it’s all been the stuff of dreams. We’ve been fishing the Gold Cup together for five years now. This year, as usual, the competition was elite and the late season fishing and weather were challenging at points, but we caught fish every day and persevered. We are both honored and humbled by the opportunity to hold the Gold Cup Tarpon championship for a third straight year, in the footsteps of the all-time greats who came before us. As native South Floridians and stewards of the Everglades and Florida Bay, we would like to remind everyone that loves this special fishery that there is so much work to be done to ensure future generations are able to experience the things we have been so lucky to experience and hold dear.”

First Runner Up Angler, Thane Morgan from Amarillo, TX, and Guide, Capt. Dustin Huff, earned a total of 4130 points. Morgan and Huff started the first 2 days slow, going out with a bang with 3 release fish and 3 weight fish (111.1, 120.1, and 91.8lbs) in the final 3 days of the tournament.

Second Runner Up Angler, Chalmers Allen from Charleston, SC, and his Guide, Capt. Mike Alfano, earned Second Runner-Up with 4018 points. In a spectacular first year fishing the Gold Cup, Allen caught a total of 4 Weight Fish weighing 76.1, 86.3, 129.9, and 109.5 pounds.

The Largest Tarpon Award was earned by Angler Dave Preston from Jupiter, FL and his Guide, Capt. Luis Cortes, with a fish weighing approximately 163 pounds—the largest fish caught in Gold Cup history!

The 61st Gold Cup Tarpon Tournament will take place June 17-21, 2024. For additional information, including current results and sponsors, please visit the website at www.GoldCupTT.com.

The Gold Cup Tarpon Tournament

June 17-21, 2024

2023 will mark the tournament’s 61st anniversary. The tournament will be held in Islamorada in the Florida Keys. The tournament will fish out of the Lor-e-lei restaurant and marina in Islamorada. The tournament is limited to 25 anglers. Awards will be given for various categories and will consist of artwork by notable wildlife artists, as well as fishing tackle and accessories.

The Grand Champion will also have his name engraved on the perpetual trophy alongside past champions that read like the who’s who of saltwater fly fishing. The entry includes reservations for the tournament banquets for you and your guide. The angler is responsible for obtaining and paying his guide. Part of the proceeds from the tournament will go to benefit the Guides Trust Foundation of the Florida Keys.

This is a competition, but it is between the angler and one of the world’s greatest fighting fish – the tarpon. Great camaraderie and great fishing have lead to many life-long friendships being established at the Gold Cup. This is a fun tournament in the beautiful Florida Keys, fishing with fellow “tarpon addicts” for one of the truly great game fish. It just doesn’t get any better. If you are a seasoned tarpon angler or a novice trying to become one, e-mail us for more information.

Welcome to the Gold Cup!

The Legendary Florida Tarpon Fishing Tournament

The Gold Cup Invitational Tarpon tournament is the one of the oldest Tarpon tournaments in the United States. The Gold Cup has been referred to as the “Wimbledon” or “World Series” of tarpon fishing. The Gold Cup Tarpon Tournament is known worldwide, wherever anglers pursue the Silver King with a fly. The Gold Cup is an all release, fly fishing invitational that has attracted many premier fly fishermen and guides throughout its 56 year history. The tournament participants range from the expert to the novice who is trying to improve his fishing skills. All participants share one common interest – a passion for tarpon fishing.

Tournament Format

The Gold Cup Tarpon Tournament is an all release fly-fishing format using 16lb test IGFA specifications unless otherwise superseded by the official tournament rules. Five weight fish (70 pounds minimum) can be measured for “weight” points with 10 points awarded per pound. Tarpon that are less than 70 pounds but are least 4 feet long can count as releases and are worth 300 points each.

The angler with the highest number of total points at the end of the 5 days of fishing is the grand champion. Each anglers must be accompanied by a fishing guide licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard. Participants can fish any area that can be reached by boat leaving from and returning to the official Fishing Headquarters at the specified starting and ending times.

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