The Grand Lagoon National organizing committee has made the difficult decision not to proceed with plans to host a rescheduled tournament in October. We have initiated planning for our 2009 event.

The gulf fishing community has experienced a horrific year. Again this week, friends who were looking forward to fishing with us found themselves in the path of a devastating storm. Our thoughts are with them as they assess the damage done by hurricane Ike and as they begin the arduous task of recovery.

Since August, tournaments from the Bahamas to North Carolina and Key West to Port Arthur have been postponed. Many have been rescheduled, only to face another approaching storm. We have not been alone in our disappointments, which makes the support and encouragement we have received from hundreds of anglers, divers and boat owners even more special.

I know that I speak for the enthusiastic sponsors and volunteers who are the force behind the Grand Lagoon National when I say that we deeply regret being unable to successfully mount our first tournament this year. Recovery efforts, fuel prices and supply limitations, fall schedules made busy by family and professional obligations, and increasing storm weariness have combined to make it imprudent to continue.

Good ideas, however, can’t be washed away. We believe in the value of hosting America’s most inclusive saltwater fishing tournament. We believe in the resources of the St. Andrews Bay system and the waters of the northern gulf. We think Panama City Beach is the best possible place in America to host an “open door” fishing tournament. We will return August 12 - 16, 2009. The Grand Lagoon National is here to stay and is fully committed to earning the right to call itself “America’s saltwater fishing tournament.”