Tournament Proven: A Dominant 2026 Tarpon Season
There's no better proving ground for a technical poling skiff than a tarpon tournament.
Over the course of a season, boats are pushed through long days, changing weather, difficult tides, and countless hours on the pole. Success isn't determined by a single fish—it's built on consistency, preparation, and the ability to perform when every opportunity counts.
Throughout the 2026 tarpon tournament season, Chittum owners and guides once again proved why they continue to be the platform of choice for many of the sport's most accomplished competitors.
Don Hawley Invitational
The season opened with an impressive showing at the Don Hawley Invitational, where 8 of the Top 10 finishing teams competed from Chittums, including the tournament champions. Consistent finishes throughout the leaderboard reinforced what has become a familiar trend across the Southeast and the tournament scene.
Gold Cup Tarpon Tournament
The momentum continued into the Gold Cup, one of the longest-running and most respected events in competitive tarpon fishing.
Chittum owners accounted for 10 of the Top 15 teams, with four boats finishing inside the Top 5. In a five-day format that rewards consistency as much as execution, those results speak for themselves.
Golden Fly Tournament
The season concluded with a fitting finish at the Golden Fly Tournament.
Dustin Huff and Thane Morgan claimed the Grand Champion title aboard a Chittum, while 7 of the Top 13 teams in the final standings competed from Chittums. In one of fly fishing's most technical tournament formats, the boats once again demonstrated the quiet operation, fishability, and control that guides rely on when every presentation matters.
For Huff and Morgan, the victory marked more than another tournament win. After previously claiming the Gold Cup Tarpon Tournament in 2014 and 2017, along with the Don Hawley Tarpon Fly Tournament in 2015, 2016, and 2019, their 2026 Golden Fly championship completed one of competitive tarpon fishing's rarest achievements.
With the win, they joined an elite group of anglers and guides to capture all three of Islamorada's storied "Big Three" tarpon tournaments.
Across the Don Hawley, Gold Cup, and Golden Fly, Chittums were a consistent presence at the top of the leaderboard throughout the 2026 season. While every trophy belongs to the anglers and guides who earned it, we're proud to build the boats that help support their success.
Congratulations to every owner, guide, and angler who represented Chittum throughout another remarkable tarpon season.
Want a closer look at what tournament fishing is really like? Watch our behind-the-scenes film from the 2026 Golden Fly Tournament for a glimpse into the pressure, strategy, and pursuit of big tarpon on fly.
Watch Here.
