THIS COUNTRY GIRL caught a very nice red snapper in deep water a few miles out of Port Mansfield in the Gulf of Mexico. The 2010 Port Mansfield Fishing Tournament begins Thursday and continues through Saturday with awards presentation on Sunday morning. When you've been doing the same thing for 36 years you should get it right - and this year's Port Mansfield Fishing Tournament will be no exception.

The weather man forcasts hot temps and calm waters with little or no rain expected. That's a relief following a near miss from a hurricane over the July first weekend and a low pressure system a week later that together dumped about eight inches of rain.

The rain and rough seas set fishing back for a few days but it has since recovered and fishing has been good in the bay and offshore for the past 10 days, according to Port Mansfield Chamber of Commerce director Christine Simmons.

The tournament begins Thursday with registration from 3 until 10 p.m., and a Captain's Meeting from 5 until 8 p.m. with food and entertainment.

Bay Fishing starts Friday, at 6 a.m. with offshore fishing getting underway at 7 a.m., that gives the big boats time to get out there. The kids Piggy Perch fishing also begins at 7 a.m.

The kids will weigh their catches from 11 a.m. until noon and then its time for a nap. Bay Fishermen and women will weigh in from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. followed by the offshore guys and gals from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m.

The fishing schedules for both Friday and Saturday are the same except that on Saturday the big offshore boats are due in harbor from 2 until 7 p.m. for weighin.

Saturday night a barbecue dinner will be served to all contestants and to members of the general public who just come out to eat, drink beer and look at the fish.

The event will close on Sunday at 10 a.m. when awards are presented.

Ms. Simmons says that she expects 300 fishermen and women to enter the Tournament this year and that 450 to 500 plates of barbecue will be served on Saturday night.

Simmons says there will be no distinction made this year between contestants who use artificial bait and those use live or frozen bait.

In the past the tournament has suffered from no sound system, or a poor one, so that announcements were hard to hear by the big crowds present. This year, however, Valley Telephone has donated a new public address system, including a 10 x 14 screen that will display sponsors logos and pictures of fish.

"There will be more door prizes this year, including Academy Sporting Goods gift certificates, gasoline cards and much, more." Simmons said.

The Silent Auction will once again have great gift items to bid on, including an original Larry Haines wildlife/fish painting, in addition to numerous wildlife prints, fishing rods & reels, and other sporting goods and tackle.

For many years Port Mansfield held the Texas Champion Blue Marlin record and some mighty big sail fish. If memory serves, the Marlin weighed 722 lbs.

In recent years no fish even near that size have turned up for offshore fishermen out of Port Mansfield but "Hope Springs Eternal" and who knows? This could be the year.