In a few short weeks, the halls of the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum will fill with the sounds of laughter, friends reuniting, glasses clinking, and of course - the bang of the auctioneer's gavel. The 29th Annual International Auction & Banquet will be held on January 25, 2013, and as usual, a special evening is planned for all.

For those who love the rush of bidding, the excitement has already begun online. More than 100 items are posted for early bidding on our website and 20-25% of online bids typically win the item the evening of the event. But when online bidding ends at midnight EST the night before the auction, the action will heat up inside the building.

"We had so much positive feedback about the handheld electronic bidding system last year that we decided to bring it back," says IGFA Events Coordinator John Holley. "We've also made some big improvements to the Auction website and online bidders can set a maximum bid for the night of the Auction."

Once the cocktail hour has ended, the Conservation Awards, Gil Keech Heavy Tackle Award, Bob Herder Light Tackle Award, and IGFA-Chester H. Wolfe Outstanding Sportsmanship Award, and award for the winner of the first IGFA Great Marlin Race will be presented in the IGFA Greats Hall. There, with some of the greatest catches of all time overhead, the IGFA will recognize some of the most incredible achievements in our sport in the past year.

"We feel privileged to honor these award winners here at sportfishing headquarters," says IGFA president Rob Kramer. "This year in particular we have so much to celebrate - 2012 was really a banner year for game fish conservation."

Following the awards, avid angler and nationally recognized auctioneer Scott Robertson will take the stage to preside over the live auction for the second year in a row. In addition to great trips and packages, this year's audience will be wowed by the unique Featured Artwork: Shades of Gray: Sailfish Series by renowned photographer Marc Montocchio.

"We have such strong support from the art community and our partners and donors worldwide," says IGFA Chief Operating Officer Mike Myatt. "Each year our auction gets better and better thanks to their donations and belief in our mission."

For more information, contact John Holley via jholley@igfa.org or 954-924-4240 or visit http://www.igfa.org/Events/main.aspx today.

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Founded in 1939, the IGFA is a non-profit organized under Section 501(c)(3) under the Internal Revenue Code and is best known for conservation efforts of fisheries, educational programs, rule-making and for maintaining worldwide game fish records in freshwater, saltwater, fly fishing and junior angler categories. IGFA members are located in over 125 countries. The IGFA welcomes visitors to its 60,000-square-foot interactive Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum in Dania Beach, Florida.

For further information, contact the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum, 300 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach, Florida 33004; phone 954-927-2628, fax: 954-924-4299, website: www.igfa.org.