"Take It To The Limit" Opening Day Flounder Tournament to Benefit the, "Save Our Summer Flounder Fisheries Fund".
There are thousands of "Worthy Causes" to give us a reason to fish, but how about helping a group that is dedicated to helping us get a better share of the Summer flounder fishery and therefore helping ourselves.
This tournament will be as simple as possible. The following will be the basics:
1. Entry $50 per boat. Of each entry $25 will benefit SSFFF and $25 will be paid out in prizes to the first three places.
2. A "Kayak" division will be run separately from the Boat Division. Since there will most likely only be one person to a Kayak, and they will have at least a perceived disadvantage. ... Entry Fee $25 per kayak. again 50/50 SSFFF and Prizes 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
3. Please register on this page below by Pay Pal. This gives us a much easier way to keep track of all entries. Pay Pal Receipts must be dated no later than Friday May 20th. Please print Pay Pall receipts as these will be your entry ticket at the weigh in.
4. For those who do not wish to register on line, registration will be available at Absecon Bay Sportsman Center starting Friday May 13 until Friday May 20th. Registrations may be paid by Cash, Check or Credit card. I will also have R.F.A. Membership forms available for anyone wanting to sign up to be eligible for the Yamaha / R.F.A. $1,000 Prize. R.F.A. must be paid by Cash or Check.
5. Saturday May 21 I will accept Late Registrations at the store until 10 am. provided there is reasonable evidence that you have not been fishing. Any Saturday morning registrations will be charged a late fee od $5, and will be attended to "As Time Permits" because I expect a LARGE Opening day Crowd. I realize that this is unusual , but I am sure as always there will be a large group of undecided.
6. Prizes will given for the heaviest "Limit" ( total weight of five Flounder ) All 5 fish will be weighed together. One "Lunker" from each boat will be weighed. In the unlikely event of an exact tie, the boat with the largest fish will be the winner. The "Lunker" will also qualify for the Yamaha / R.F.A. prize for the largest fish caught by an R.F.A. Member, of $1,000
7. 1st place 50% of prize Fees. 2nd place 30% of Prize Fees. 3rd place 20% of prize Fees. F.Y.I. If we can get 100 boats, that will break down to $2,500 for the SSFFF, $2,500 for Prizes. 1st place: $1,250, 2nd place: $750, and 3rd place: $500.
8. I would like to thank the SSFFF, the R.F.A. and particularly Bimini Bay Outfitters as they have coordinated the search for Prize Sponsors for this tournament. At the Present we have a very large pile of mostly Fishing Tackle that will be divided up between winners. I am hoping that there will be substantial prizes for the first 10 places in both the Boat and Kayak Divisions. Prizes will be posted on Facebook Here:
Https://www.facebook.com/abseconbayssfff/ and I will post them at a new Prize Pageas time permits. You will know exactly what you are fishing for before the start of the tournament.
9. Unfortunately Cheating is always a big factor in all fishing tournaments. Since this is the first day of the Flounder season, there should be no reason for anyone to be tempted at "early Fishing" , (No problem C&R but keeping any fish would be illegal as well as immoral.) I hope no other problems arise, but final decisions will be made by Myself, David Showell and representatives of the SSFFF and the R.F.A. Any protest must be submitted in writing prior to 6 pm. Saturday May 21st.
10. Weigh in will be all day at Absecon Bay Sportsman Center until 6 PM. weigh ins and Results will be immediately posted on Facebook. as they occur. Prizes will be available as soon as results are calculated after 6 pm.
11. Since this is a "Fun Tournament" The Boundaries will be in New Jersey waters. I want to make this available to as many anglers as possible and want you to fish where you are comfortable. Please keep in mind that the only weigh in will be at Absecon Bay Sportsman Center. You are permitted to carry your fish over land to the weigh in, but you must be at the scale no later than 6 pm.
12. This tournament will run in conjunction with the Absecon Bay Sportsman Center FREE "Customer Appreciation Grand Slam Tournament" and all entries will automatically be entered in tis tournament and any of the other species, Striped Bass, Bluefish. Weakfish. and Black Drum caught by participants will qualify for prizes.
13. A Captains meeting will be held Friday 7 pm. at Absecon Bay Sportsman. This will not be required but there will be A Calcutta for the largest Flounder. To enter any Calcutta, a representative of the boat must attend and pay in cash.
