Emerald Isle Fall Fishing Tournament

03/14/2026

It was a great day seeing old friends and meeting new ones at the Emerald Isle St. Patrick’s Day Festival!

I’d like to compliment the Emerald Isle town staff on an amazing job putting together this year’s festival. You are truly second to none.

I’d also like to thank every customer for believing in and supporting our efforts at the Emerald Isle Fishing Tournament. None of this would be possible without our incredible volunteers and sponsors.

Each of you is truly making a difference in our community. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Your Tournament President,
Mark Taylor

03/14/2026

We are ready full stock on our T-Shirts and Hoodies!! ACE Emerald Isle, NC

03/14/2026

🍀 Join Us in Emerald Isle – March 14, 2026! 🍀

We’ll be kicking off our 2026 EI Fishing Tournament merchandise at ACE of Emerald Isle! Stop by and check out our brand-new 2026 T-Shirts, Hoodies, and Hats — and for the first time ever, we’ll also have infant and young children’s T-shirts available.

It’s a big day in Emerald Isle as we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the Food Lion Shopping Center, so there will be plenty of fun, shopping, and community spirit.

🎣 Swing by the ACE parking lot and take advantage of the parking lot sale deals they’ll be offering. While you’re there, stop by the EI Fishing Tournament tent and be one of the first to grab a 2026 EI Fishing Tournament shirt!

Your support helps us raise funds for local high school scholarships and assist with other community needs. Every purchase helps make a difference right here in our community.

We look forward to seeing everyone there — come celebrate, shop, and support a great cause! 🍀

11/29/2025

We were deeply honored today as The Emerald Isle Fishing Tournament was selected to serve as Grand Marshal for the Emerald Isle Christmas Parade!

A huge thank-you to the incredible town staff for putting on such a wonderful event and for choosing our nonprofit to lead the festivities. We are grateful for the recognition and proud to be part of this amazing community.

11/29/2025

Join Us For the Emerald Isle Christmas Parade - Saturday, November 29

The annual Emerald Isle Christmas Parade is set for Saturday, November 29 at 2 pm!

The parade route runs along NC 58 from Black Skimmer Drive to Mangrove Drive, and another big crowd is expected to kick off the holiday season in Emerald Isle!

11/27/2025

From all of us at the Emerald Isle Fishing Tournament, we wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.

10/02/2025

Thank you, Photographer Clay Pace, for capturing some truly amazing moments through your lens for us. We’d also like to extend a huge thanks to one of our sponsors, Mark Crews and his company FWS, for not only maintaining our website but also creating spectacular videos each year for our tournament. We appreciate you both!!

Click the link below to check out this year’s tournament photos.

Emerald Isle Fall Fishing Tournament September 26, 2026 (501c3)

09/30/2025

The Emerald Isle Fishing Tournament – Our Biggest Year Yet!

The Emerald Isle Fishing Tournament is thrilled to announce that this year was our biggest and best yet!

Boating Division: 110 boats competed.
Surf Division: 56 adults and 28 juniors (15 years and under).
Payouts: Between the Adult Surf and Boating Divisions, we awarded just over $56,000 in prizes!
Junior Surf Division: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place each received a brand-new rod and reel and a TV.

Our Friday night live and silent auction during the Captain’s Meeting, made possible through the generosity of our sponsors and local businesses, ensured another year of scholarships for our local high school students. With this year’s contributions, the tournament has now provided over $100,000 in scholarships across seven years!

None of this would be possible without:

Our amazing sponsors
A dedicated group of volunteers
The continued support of Town staff

It truly takes a team effort to create such a special tournament—one that not only brings anglers together but also gives back to our community in lasting ways.

We encourage everyone to thank and support our sponsors in your daily adventures, as their generosity helps make this event possible each year.

On behalf of all of us at The Emerald Isle Fishing Tournament, thank you for your support, and we look forward to seeing you next year on September 26 for another fantastic event!

Mark Taylor

Tournament Director

09/28/2025

www.eifishing.com

09/28/2025

TOURNAMENT RESULTS

What a day at the weigh station! Thank you to our anglers, families, and volunteers for making this year’s tournament such a huge success. Congratulations to our winners!

⸻

KING DIVISION

🥇 Wheelin & Reelin – 42.73 lbs
💰 $30,550 Total (incl. TWT & Jr. Angler)

🥈 Hot Grits – 41.35 lbs
💰 $6,785

🥉 Heavy Hauling – 41.14 lbs
💰 $4,675

⸻

SPANISH DIVISION

🥇 Surf & Turf – 7.88 lbs | 💰 $5,112
🥈 Line Cutter – 7.41 lbs | 💰 $3,408
🥉 Reel Trashy – 7.41 lbs | 💰 $2,130

⸻

SPECIAL DIVISIONS

Lady King – Mom Said No – 34.05 lbs | 💰 $500
Senior King – Hot Grits – 41.35 lbs | 💰 $500

⸻

SURF DIVISION

🥇 Harrison Abraham – 1.78 lbs | 💰 $1,500
🥈 Richard Marquard – 1.78 lbs | 💰 $500
🥉 Donnie O’Leary – 1.39 lbs | 💰 $250

⸻

JR. SURF DIVISION

🥇 Mason Newby – 1.09 lbs Blue
🥈 River Taylor – 0.98 lbs Blue
🥉 Bodie Harbert – 0.77 lbs Blue
(All Jr. Surf winners received prizes!)

⸻

👏 Huge congratulations to everyone who fished with us this year—what an awesome one-day tournament!

09/27/2025

Weigh station crew is ready!!

09/27/2025

First fish from the Surf!!