The 20th annual Babes on the Bay all-women fishing tournament is set to begin Friday night at Fulton Harbor with pre-tournament meetings and pleasantries.
“I think we’re going to have a record turnout this year,” tournament director Jen Thomasson said.
The largest all-women fishing tournament in the country will feature more than four hundred teams comprising of more than 1,400 competitors this year. Those numbers are up from last year – the first Babes on the Bay since Hurricane Harvey – and it could mark the best participation ever.
“I think we’re going to have a record turnout this year,” Thomasson said.
Lea Anne Shepherd and Rebecca Jaramillo are turning out for the seventh straight year now. When their third team member joins them they form “The Three Amigas,” and they enjoy this event year after year.
“This is a great way to just have girl-time and just be out on the water and sun and maybe a couple of beers now and again,” Jaramillo said laughing.
“The Croaker Soakers” are made up of four women who live in Rockport. They saw the change to their community Hurricane Harvey caused. But as we start to near the second anniversary of the devastating song, they say Harvey did not take a toll on Babes on the Bay.
“I don’t think it’s changed this tournament at all,” team member Keri Patterson said. “I think it’s been great to get people back to Rockport. Things have changed as far as the amount of places to stay and eat, but I don’t think that’s stopped any of the ladies from coming to fish this tournament.”