In 1932, 25 charter boat and commercial fishermen calling themselves the Boatmen Association staged a three-day Texas Tarpon Rodeo in Port Aransas. North Millican caught the first winning tarpon — though locals still whisper that his wife Totsy actually landed the fish. The mounted tarpon from that day is still on display in the Port Aransas Museum, entered under North's name. Two years later, Dorothy Fair became the first woman to officially win the tournament. That rodeo evolved into the Deep Sea Roundup — Texas's oldest fishing tournament, now in its ninth decade, and the event that defines summer in Port Aransas.
From Tarpon Rodeo to Deep Sea Roundup
The original Tarpon Rodeo was organized by Barney Farley Sr. in 1932, at a time when Port Aransas's identity as a tarpon fishing destination was at its peak. The 25 founding members of the Boatmen Association had a specific mission: protect the local fishing waters and create an organized event that would draw national attention to Port Aransas.
The tournament was built around tarpon — the Silver King that had defined the town's economy since the 1880s. But as the tarpon fishery declined through the 1950s and 1960s, the tournament adapted. By 1947, it was called the "Tarpon Rodeo and Deep Sea Roundup." By 1965, as tarpon catches became rare, it was renamed simply the Deep Sea Roundup, expanding to include all offshore species.
Totsy's Fish
The story of the first tournament's winning catch is one of Port Aransas's best-loved pieces of local lore. The tarpon was officially entered under North Millican's name. But the widely held local belief is that his wife Totsy actually caught the fish. The mounted tarpon from the 1932 rodeo — possibly the first tournament-winning fish in Texas coastal history — is displayed at the Port Aransas Museum.
Whether Totsy caught the fish or not, what is documented is that Dorothy Fair became the first woman champion in 1934 — just two years into the tournament's existence. Women have been a significant part of Port Aransas fishing culture from the beginning.
“The first winning tarpon was entered under North Millican's name. Locals still say his wife Totsy actually caught the fish. The mounted tarpon is in the museum. Under North's name.”
The Boatmen
Key Facts
- First held
- 1932 (as Texas Tarpon Rodeo)
- Current name since
- 1965
- 88th edition
- July 11-14, 2024
- Entries (2024)
- ~600
- Pauses
- WWII + COVID-19 only
- Organizer
- Port Aransas Boatmen Inc.
The Port Aransas Boatmen Association, founded in 1932 with 25 members, has grown into Port Aransas Boatmen Incorporated — a 501(c)(6) nonprofit with over 160 members. The original mission of protecting fishing waters and sponsoring the tournament remains the core purpose.
The organization hosts the Deep Sea Roundup every July. The 88th edition was held July 11 through 14, 2024, drawing approximately 600 entries. The tournament has only paused twice: during World War II and in 2020 for COVID-19.
Nine Decades on the Gulf
The Deep Sea Roundup is the oldest fishing tournament on the Texas coast. That longevity matters because the tournament's history mirrors the ecological and economic history of Port Aransas itself. It started as a tarpon event when tarpon were abundant. It adapted when tarpon declined. It survived wars and pandemics. It continues as a broad offshore fishing competition in an era when catch-and-release tarpon fishing has slowly returned.
Every July, the tournament brings hundreds of anglers, families, and spectators to Port Aransas. It remains the defining summer event — a direct descendant of the 25 boatmen who decided, in 1932, that what their town needed was a fishing tournament.