PORT ISABEL — Tradition runs deep at the Texas International Fishing Tournament, with the annual event featuring second, third and even fourth generations of competitors.
For DJ Wernecke, the annual fishing competition dates back three generations, with his family participating in it since the 1970s. Wernecke’s father was the first in the family to compete, followed by himself at the age of 3.
On Saturday, Wernecke continued the tradition, with his sons Hunter, Jaxon and Luke all competing during Day 2 of the 82nd Texas International Fishing Tournament at South Padre Island.
“It’s been a family tradition of mine with my dad, myself and now these boys who are going to be the third generation to fish it,” he said. “At the house we have three boats. My brothers have their kids. My dad is fishing with my oldest son, Hunter. My wife and I took the youngest ones. It’s a family tradition and a family holiday for us. It’s the only time we all come together. We actually come together more during TIFT than during Christmas.
“It really means a lot. My oldest, Hunter, he’s 16 years old but was just small when he started. Now he’s fishing on his own. I couldn’t be prouder as a dad. I started him and was in charge of the fundamentals of how to catch fish, what signs to look for and what to do. It’s really nice now to have my own son to go out and show what he can do. Now I’m doing the same with these guys.”
Wernecke’s youngest, Jaxon, stole the show, reeling in a 13.60-pound black drum, the heaviest of any other of its kind this weekend as of press time.
“We were waiting there to drop off some bait to my dad and the other boat,” Wernecke said. “While we waited, we threw some shrimp down. (Jaxon) turned around and his pole buckled over, and he was fighting for his life. It was just a great experience for all four of us to be there to watch him fight with this dinosaur of a fish.”
TIFT kicked off its 82nd rendition of the event with registration Wednesday and Thursday, followed by a captains meeting Thursday evening. Thursday also featured a play day for the kids.
Official fishing competition began at 6:30 a.m. Friday, with anglers allowed to fish until 5 p.m. Day 2 of the competition began at the same time Saturday, with the final measurements and weigh-ins taking place between 2-7 p.m.
The Werneckes were just a few of several hundreds of anglers from across the country to compete during the two-day tournament, with more than 900 anglers taking to the water Friday and Saturday.
Leon and Leticia McNeil joined in on the festivities for a third straight year, chartering a boat for their organization, City Kids Adventures. The program, located in San Antonio, aims at providing non-traditional outdoor recreational opportunities for inner-city youth.
“Fishing is just a great sport, particularly for inner-city kids, I think,” Leon said. “It teaches a lot about patience. They must be patient and put in the work. Even when you do everything right, though, you don’t always get what you need. It’s a lesson in life. This teaches them how to deal with adversity. Fishing has a lot of great virtues that connect with life. That’s why we do this. That’s why we bring them offshore.”
Four members of the McNeil group reeled in fish during Day 2 of the competition, including a pair of ling cobias by Lili Rowe (19.20 pounds) and Robert Conn (17.30 pounds).
“Competing in this tournament is amazing,” Leon said. “These are things city kids are oftentimes not exposed to. This exposure gives them an opportunity that there is more to life than what they’ve seen so far.”
The four-day event concludes today, with the official awards ceremony slated for 11 a.m. at the South Padre Island Convention Centre.
To see more, view Brownsville Herald photojournalist Denise Cathey’s full photo gallery here:
Photo Gallery: Anglers flock to SPI for historic fishing tournament
