Silver Scale Invitational: Tarpon Tag-and-Release Research Tournament

2025 to Present

Partners: Louisiana State University, University of South Florida, Mississippi State University (MSU), United States Geological Survey (USGS), Clemson University, Emerald Coast Outfitters, Destin-Fort Walton Beach Natural Resources Team

The Silver Scale Invitational was created by local tarpon guides seeking a way to turn tournament fishing into a lasting research contribution, addressing a regional data gap since most existing tarpon research comes from waters far from Destin-Fort Walton Beach. The inaugural event launched in 2025; the 2026 edition expanded the field to ten captains and ten anglers, supported by twelve researchers from LSU, USF, MSU, USGS, Clemson, and Destin-Fort Walton Beach Natural Resources.

In the 2026 tournament, teams hooked 169 tarpon, landed 40, and tagged 46, including eight acoustic tags and one satellite tag that will allow researchers to follow individual fish across the Gulf and beyond. Crews also collected 40 scale samples and 30 diet samples for expanded research. LSU, who has worked with Destin-Fort Walton Beach Natural Resources on movement-ecology research for years, has noted the value of the local dataset in filling a regional research gap. Organizers plan to continue the event annually to build a multi-year dataset.