The Youth Fishing Foundation and the City of Miami had a meeting in 2007 to discuss the possibility of starting a Dolphin Fishing Tournament with the proceeds to benefit the Youth Fishing Foundation. An agreement was reached and a partnership formed and the first annual Miami Fishing Tournament was held in August of 2007. This tournament has been an annual event ever since.
The purpose of the tournament is twofold. One is put on a tournament and raise monies for a good cause and two is to educate the attendees about clean boating and conservation. The Tournament always corresponds with National Marina Day, an annual event held nationwide. Therefore, at each tournament booths are set up with information about clean boating and wildlife conservation.
In addition to the booths stated above, at each tournament the Youth Fishing Foundation sets up a touch tank with various sea creatures. These sea creatures are many and include crabs, shrimps, sea slugs, sea anemones, starfish, lobsters, pinfish. Last year we even brought an alligator to compliment the touch tank.
As part of the tournament each year, the City of Miami and the Youth Fishing Foundation also hold a kids fishing day on the Thursday before the main Tournament. Last year we had more than 100 kids attend the kids fishing day. Each attending child receives a free fishing rod and reel to take home with them. They also use this rod and reel to fish on the day of the event as we take them out aboard the Reward fishing boat a 100’ offshore fishing vessel. Last year the local firefighters showed up to demonstrate the capabilities of their fire fighting boat.
In 2007, the Tournament raised in excess of $5,000.00, in 2008 the tournament raised in excess of $22,000.00 and in 2009 raised a recession affected $5,000.00. The monies raised each year are used by the Youth Fishing Foundation to put on their various events and fishing clinics each and every year. The monies are also used to purchase hundreds of rods and reels that are given away for free every year to underprivileged and inner-city children as well as being used to fund our annual scholarship. The Youth Fishing Foundation started a scholarship program in 2009 and awarded five (5) $1,000.00 scholarships to college bound children.
Who We Are 
