Jimmy Johnson and Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino chief operating officer Larry Mullin detailed how their partnership formed for the 2017 “Quest for the Ring” Championship Fishing Week and plans for the National Billfish Championship, including the historic $1 million guaranteed purse.
The four-day Championship Fishing Week will be March 8 to 11, 2017, in Key Largo, Florida. The two-day National Billfish Championship, the largest tournament of the event, will be March 10 and 11, and will feature a guaranteed purse of $1 million. It is the largest guaranteed tournament purse in sport-fishing history. Another prize is Johnson’s Ring of Honor, a recognition given to select champions from the tournament week. One team, the event’s overall champion, receives a championship ring similar to the three the Hall of Fame football coach earned as head coach of the University of Miami national championship team (1987) and Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl teams (1992 and 1993). Johnson’s Big Chill Restaurant in Key Largo hosts the event.