2012 Recycled Fish 24 Hour Fish-A-Thon Will Set Records
OutdoorHub Reporters 04.05.12
How long can you fish? Find out in the 2012 24-Hour Fish-A-Thon, September 7 – 8, 2012, and you’ll also help improve the waters you fish in. In its fourth year, anglers across North America will compete to see who can raise the most money – and catch the most fish – while creating awareness about the problems facing our waters, and raising money to help solve those problems.
Teams also compete for prizes such as the fishing trip of the lifetime. “Anglers will fish around the clock and across North America to raise awareness of problems facing our fisheries, and money to help solve those problems,” said Teeg Stouffer, executive director of Recycled Fish. “The fun has already started though as teams are competing for weekly challenges leading up to September’s event.”
“This year’s focus is on identifying specific local issues and helping fund specific solutions,” said Stouffer. “Anglers are often the first to see problems in the broader environment because of their time on the water. We’re giving concerned anglers a way to be involved in fixing those problems.”
Twenty-one teams have already signed up from all across the United States. Projects include focused trash cleanup initiatives, constructing barriers to fish passage, youth fishing programs, and education campaigns.
The Recycled Fish 24-Hour Fish-A-Thon is open to anglers in all 50 states and Canada. To participate, anglers visit RecycledFish.org/FishAThon and register. After they receive their Fish-A-Thon welcome kit in the mail, each team member’s next step is to secure donations from family, friends, co-workers and the public in general. Donations range from $5 – $2000.
Next, they go fishing! Lines are cast Friday, September 7 at 7 pm until Saturday September 8 at 7 pm. During the event anglers also pick up trash and use tackle that is easier on the environment, such as lead-free weights or biodegradable baits and lures, and practice good catch-and-release tactics.
Fish are photographed and teams self score each catch using a scoring grid, then submit their total to the Fish-a-Thon judges. Top prizes go to the team with the most funds raised and the team with the highest score based on their best five fish photos. Prizes are also given for the best photos, the most “unusual” trash picked up and more!
Registration deadline is August 10. For complete Fish-A-Thon information and rules, go to www.recycledfish.org/FishAThonor contact Ben Leal, Program Director at tournaments@recycledfish.org.
Anglers raised more money, caught more and bigger fish, and gained more awareness in the 2011 Recycled Fish 24 Hour Fish-A-Thon than in any year prior. Check out these highlights.
httpv://youtu.be/ELcH9Fy9hYQ
