For Immediate Release
Contact: Sandy Jumper
Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce
361-729-6445
tourism@1rockport.org
“Babes on the Bay” Celebrates 22 Years
Largest Women Anglers tournament in the U.S.
Rockport-Fulton, Texas (May 2022) – On Friday and Saturday, May 13-14, Fulton Harbor welcomes the 22nd annual Jim Ehman Memorial “Babes on the Bay” fishing tournament. Fulton Harbor was the original starting point for this fishing tournament, which has moved around the area during its 22 years. Babes on the Bay is hosted and ran by the CCA Texas Aransas Chapter, based in Rockport. The tournament has been going strong since the year 2000. It is the largest restricted one day women’s angler fishing tournament in the United States, bringing in around 1,300 ladies of all ages as participants. The ladies who fish the tournament range from elementary school students to great-grandmothers. If the fishing tournament itself is not unique enough, the team names certainly are: Just One More, Reel Artificial, Girls Gone Hookin’, Show and Tail, G Stringers, and Screamin Seaman…just to name a few.
The kick-off for Babes on the Bay will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 13, at the Fulton Harbor Park, 402 North Fulton Beach Rd. with a mandatory Captains Meeting at 8 p.m. On Friday there will be cash pots and judging of the Best Team shirts. The event also features live music, a food vendors court, and Babes Shopping Mall where vendors sell everything from fishing rods to jewelry. Rules, schedule and drink tickets are available for purchase ahead of time online at www.babesonthebay.com.
The fishing tournament officially begins at sunrise on Saturday, May 14. Weigh-in for the event will be from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. at Fulton Park grounds. 1st – 5th place prizes will be given for five divisions. The divisions are as follows: Team with a professional guide (any bait); Team with a Professional Guide (artificial only); team with Non-Professional Guide (any bait); Team with Non-Professional Guide (artificial only); Fly-Fishing Division and Babe-ette Division (ages 16 and under). 1st – 5th places will be awarded for the first four divisions with additional prizes for Babe-ette Division. Additional prizes given for heaviest fish in 4 categories. Awards will be presented at approximately 6 p.m., following the weigh-in on Saturday.
“This year’s tournament will be an all catch-and-release format once again using “Fishing Chaos” and we will only be catching Redfish since the freeze impacted the Trout population. We are open to the public, please join us for a fun time with live music and trip giveaways on Saturday. All registered Anglers will get a raffle ticket to enter one of seven drawings for some amazing vacations. They must be present to win at 5 p.m. on Saturday. We can’t wait to see everyone this year for the largest lady angler’s event in the country!” Said Jen Thomasson, Babes on the Bay Tournament Director.
For more information, visit www.babesonthebay.com, call 361-205-0182 or email ccababes@gmail.com For information about Places to Stay visit www.rockport-fulton.org call 361- 729-6445 or email tourism@1rockport.org
