South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce Partners with GulfScale to Bring Professional Tournament Technology to the 45th Annual Ladies Kingfish Tournament

Local technology platform GulfScale becomes the official tournament management system for one of the Gulf Coast’s most respected annual fishing events

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TX — The South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce has announced a technology partnership with GulfScale, a tournament management platform developed locally on South Padre Island, for the 45th Annual Ladies Kingfish Tournament taking place August 7–9, 2026. GulfScale will serve as the official technology platform for the event, managing online registration, tournament day check-in, weigh-in processing, digital weigh card delivery, and live leaderboard results.
The partnership marks a significant upgrade in how the LKT, one of the most established saltwater fishing tournaments on the Texas Gulf Coast, manages its operations. For the first time in the tournament’s 45-year history, every weigh-in will be digitally certified, every result will be instantly accessible, and every registered angler will receive an official weigh card in their inbox within seconds of certification at the scale.

“We built GulfScale specifically for tournaments like the LKT — events that run on community trust and deserve the same professional infrastructure that major sporting events take for granted. South Padre Island is our home, and this partnership is about giving the LKT the platform it has always deserved.”
— Brad Fitch, Founder, GulfScale

About the Partnership

GulfScale is being donated to the South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce for the 2026 Ladies Kingfish Tournament, with Brad Fitch of BIHR LLC serving as the Official Technology Sponsor of the event. The platform handles the complete tournament lifecycle from the moment an angler registers online through the final results broadcast to every participant after the awards ceremony.

Key capabilities GulfScale brings to the LKT include:

• QR code check-in at the dock — every registered boat receives a unique code in their confirmation email that staff scan on any smartphone for instant arrival tracking
• Certified digital weigh cards — dual-signed by angler and scale official, generated and emailed to every angler within seconds of certification
• Real-time live leaderboard with controlled reveal — results update throughout the day while remaining locked from public view until the awards ceremony
• Emcee Dashboard — a dedicated announcer view that turns the awards ceremony into a professional broadcast event for spectators at the dock
• Live Release conservation tracking — records each fish returned to the Laguna Madre alive, generating a total pounds-returned metric for post-event reporting
• Sponsor and Pro Team recognition — participating sponsor boats and professional teams carry visible badges on the live leaderboard throughout the event

“The Ladies Kingfish Tournament has been a cornerstone of our community for 45 years. We are proud to partner with a local technology innovator to bring the event into a new era while staying true to the traditions that have made the LKT what it is.”
— South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce

Built on South Padre Island

GulfScale was designed and developed by Brad Fitch, owner of BIHR LLC and operator of the Brad in HR integrated fractional HR consulting practice, based in South Padre Island, Texas. The platform was purpose-built for the Gulf Coast saltwater tournament market, incorporating the specific operational requirements and community dynamics of SPI-area fishing events.
GulfScale is the first platform in a growing portfolio of technology solutions being developed for the South Padre Island community, including SPIGather, an event management platform for SPI-area events of all types, and SPIKeeping, a property management platform for the island’s short-term rental market.

About the Ladies Kingfish Tournament

The Ladies Kingfish Tournament is an annual saltwater fishing event hosted by the South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce. Now in its 45th year, the LKT is one of the most recognized fishing tournaments on the Texas Gulf Coast, drawing hundreds of participants annually across Bay and Offshore divisions. The 2026 event takes place August 7–9 in South Padre Island, Texas.

About GulfScale

GulfScale is a professional tournament management platform built specifically for Gulf Coast saltwater fishing events. The platform manages the complete tournament lifecycle from online registration through final results broadcast. GulfScale is developed and operated by BIHR LLC, based in South Padre Island, Texas. Learn more at gulfscale.com.

Media Contact

Brad Fitch
BIHR LLC | Brad in HR | GulfScale
📧 brad@bradinhr.com
🌐 gulfscale.com | bradinhr.com
📍 South Padre Island, Texas