News & Events

Updates & Events (January 2025)

Dear Members,

As we ring in the New Year I want everyone to remember that this is an exciting and historic year for the Islamorada Fishing Club. This year, 2025 will be the year we move into a new club house and celebrate our 75th anniversary.

We have many members that have enjoyed and helped create our long history for many years that have expressed their excitement for the future of our dear club. Although my time here is brief in comparison, the stories I’ve been told over those years have left an indelible mark with me.

With each passing day we get closer to the finish line of construction and with that comes great joy knowing that we are setting the course for the generations who await, who will enjoy the Islamorada Fishing Club as we have, and create their own stories to be told.

Please remember that we still have some open lifetime memberships available. Not only does this eliminate future dues & minimums for you, but also an immediate family member whom you designate, for an additional fee. This will ensure that your legacy and all the great stories of the past will continue.

Sincerely,

Vinnie Feola
General Manager
Islamorada Fishing Club

Message from the IFC President (January 2025)

Dear IFC Members,

If you have not been by lately to our new club house site, please know that we are progressing steadily towards completion. The roof on the third level is on, interior framing is nearing completion, our kitchen equipment is on the way, exterior stucco and interior drywall are starting up, we are getting closer.

With that said, like any project in the Keys, we have experienced some cost overruns. The majority of these are related to building, zoning, permitting in the Village. Only a couple changes were made to the original conceptual drawings by the construction team to better use the space. Therefore, we will have a shortfall in funding, and we will need the continued support of the membership to get to the finish line. We have announced sponsorship opportunities that would put your name, your business name, or a family member name on a particular piece of our facility. We do have a brochure that was distributed to the membership detailing these opportunities and we would be happy to discuss these in more detail with those who are interested in leaving a lifelong legacy.

Additionally, we will be announcing soon a series of special dinner events geared towards raising funds for our project. These will consist of an exclusive evening of special courses paired with wine with an intimate grouping of members. We anticipate having to schedule a few of these opportunities and would expect these gatherings to build our construction fund. There will be a minimum expectation to attend, and those details will be conveyed once they are finalized. Please be on the lookout for more to come.

Please continue to keep IFC top of mind for your dining experiences. Even though we are in "season", it is paramount that we continue to patronize our Club whenever possible. Our lunch at the outside bar, or even inside, with the best Bloody Mary’s and great food is hard to beat. And we all know that our diner menu and drinks are among the best in town.

Reservations are easy to make and knowing you will be surrounded by friends and a team that knows your name makes all the difference in the world.

See you at the Club.

Sincerely,

Joe Roth,
President IFC Board
 

2024 Captain's Cup Sailfish Tournament Winners!

Trophy Hunter wins Islamorada Fishing Club’s Captains Cup Sailfish Tournament

The Islamorada Fishing Club welcomed 68 anglers fishing on 19 boats for the Islamorada Fishing Club Captain’s Cup Sailfish Tournament on January 17th. Islamorada Fishing Club Member Captain Brian Cone led team Trophy Hunter to first place, also achieving the team’s second win in the three-leg Florida Keys Gold Cup Sailfish Championship.

The Trophy Hunter team released five sailfish between 8:45 and 11:13 a.m. on the contest’s single day of fishing to take and maintain the lead, landing the winner-take-all prize of $19,000. Trophy Hunter angler 13-year-old Andy Cone of Tavernier, FL, released two of the teams’ fish, Club member Mark Mitchell and Kenneth Padgett, both from Charlotte, North Carolina, and Club Member Travis Bennett of Tavernier, Florida, each released one sail, to round out the team’s winning five fish total.

Returning to the dock in second place with three sailfish was Captain Marty Lewis of Marathon, Florida, at the helm of Main One/Main Attraction. The team’s anglers were Mark Busch of Key Colony Beach, Florida; Ben Zdan, Ariel Medero, and Alex Lewis from Marathon; and Danny Lombardo of Islamorada.

In third was Captain Alex Adler of Islamorada and his crew aboard Kalex. The team, including Indiana anglers Chris Chastain, Allen Sutkowski, and Nathan Burns, along with Colby Mason of Islamorada, released two sailfish. 26 sailfish were released in the IFC Sailfish Tournament, which is the second leg of the annual three-event Florida Keys Gold Cup Championship series.

Festivities were held in the club’s temporary location while their gorgeous new building was being built. The Islamorada Fishing Clubs Captains Cup Dolphin tournament will be held on June 27th, 2024.