REFUGE\/DDWS
\nWinning team Loaded Down accepts a $30,420 check for first place at the 14th annual \u201cDing\u201d Darling & Doc Ford\u2019s Tarpon Tournament. From left, \u201cDing\u201d Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge (DDWS) Manager of Events, Communications & Marketing Angeli Chin, Lucas Speeler, team captain Kyle Applefield, Cody Willoughby, Gavril Mead, Nate Steinhauer, and DDWS Executive Director Ann-Marie Wildman and Program Coordinator Claire Keeley.<\/p>\n
The 14th annual \u201cDing\u201d Darling & Doc Ford\u2019s Tarpon Tournament on May 15 reported another record-breaking year of sponsorships, donations and anglers, raising $226,357 to support water-quality research and conservation at the J.N. \u201cDing\u201d Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel.<\/p>\n
The \u201cDing\u201d Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge (DDWS) organizes the tourney with Doc Ford\u2019s Rum Bar & Grille. The captain\u2019s meeting and Silver King Awards ceremony take place at the restaurant\u2019s Sanibel location.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t thank Doc Ford\u2019s enough for its incredible show of support and partnership these past 14 years,\u201d DDWS Manager of Events, Communications & Marketing Angeli Chin, who organized and led the 2026 event, said.<\/p>\n
The tournament paid out a total of $67,600 in cash prizes to five winning teams out of 65 registered teams comprising 309 participants. Anglers hooked and released 63 tarpon catches this year.<\/p>\n
The first-place prize of $30,420 went to Team Loaded Down, led by captain Kyle Applefield. It was the first to catch and release six fish.<\/p>\n
\u201cCongratulations to Kyle and his team! They now wear the coveted pink tarpon jacket,\u201d Joe Harrity, a partner with the HM Restaurant Group \u2014 Doc Ford\u2019s parent company \u2014 said.<\/p>\n
The Harrity family introduced the jacket in 2017 as an added incentive for winning the tourney.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s kind of like the green Masters tournament jacket in golf,\u201d he said. \u201cThe winning team gets the honor of wearing the pink tarpon jacket each year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Second-place Team Salt Rock, led by captain Cody Chivas, caught its sixth fish later in day and won $16,900. In third place, captain Kyle Potts\u2019 Team Towboat US Charlotte Harbor caught five fish and took home $10,140. Fourth-place winner Team Maastricht Engineering\/Window Plus, with captain Ryan Stoa, won $6,700 with latter-caught five fish. Fifth-place winner Team Seareaper Sportfishing, with captain Chris Argiro, took home $3,380 for its five fish.<\/p>\n
The tournament also handed out awards for female angler to Stephanie Swank with Team Costa Customs, senior angler to Aaron Black from Team Side X Side Enclosures, and amateur team to Rad Raz with captain Kyle Nifong.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause all boat registration fees go into the awards purse, sponsorship partners are extremely important to this tournament,\u201d DDWS Executive Director Ann-Marie Wildman said. \u201cThey make it possible to raise vital financial support for the conservation mission of DDWS and the refuge.\u201d<\/p>\n
The first-of-its-kind tourney to benefit conservation and award 100% of the fees to the winners, the event began to support local professional fishing guides and connect with anglers to educate and make them part of conservation efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are so grateful for this fundraiser, because not only does it add much-needed dollars to the ever-shrinking refuge budget after a few tough years of hurricane recovery, it also supports our conservation mission,\u201d Southwest Florida National Wildlife Refuges project leader Kevin Godsea said. \u201cPlus, it is an opportunity to remind anglers, both professional and amateur, about the importance of ethical and responsible fishing.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more information, visit dingdarlingtarpontourney.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n