LBI Surf Fishing Classic Starts Monday, October 6th
OutdoorHub 10.02.14
Eight Week Contest Begins With $500 Opening Day Prize
Long Beach Island businesses should prepare for a busy day on Monday, October 6 – and a much smaller work staff with striper flu expected to hit surfcasting community!
The 60th Annual Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic begins on Monday, October 6th, 2014 – the long-running surfcasters only event runs all the way through Sunday, November 30, with three special ‘daily prizes’ to be awarded this season totaling $2,000.
At the 6 p.m. weigh-in deadline on October 6th, the largest striped bass of the day is worth $500; there will also be a $500 daily cash award given to the largest striped bass weighed in on October 25th by the 6 p.m. deadline. A special $1,000 prize will be awarded to the largest striped bass of the tournament day ending November 16th in honor of Frank Panzone.
Be sure to check with the participating tackle shops and review complete rules regarding weigh-ins to cash in on these special prizes!
The eight-week tournament boasts thousands of dollars in other daily, weekly and grand prizes, with $1,000 cash to the angler who beaches the largest striped bass of the contest and $1,000 for the top bluefish. Those winners will also get a CTS custom surf rod with matching Penn ‘Z’ series reel to boot. In total, there are eight, weekly $125 cash prizes for each species, along with $400 prizes for each of three tournament segments, not to mention various daily prizes.
There are various juvenile prizes (14 and under), ladies’ prizes, seniors’ prizes, along with special daily door prizes just for entering the tournament. A $100 cash award will also be given to the first legal red drum of the tournament, and $500 will be awarded for the 60th striper weighed in (tie broken by time of catch) to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Classic!
This year, the Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic committee also voted to limit the number of striped bass entered by anglers in 2014, with only one striped bass allowed per day, per contestant, and at a minimum length of 34 inches. The bluefish size limit in 2014 has also been dropped to 30 inches to encourage ‘chopper’ entries.
Adult tournament entry remains just $30, and special incentive to attract more local youth in surfcasting drops the price for kids 17 and under to just $15. Plus, registration also includes the commemorative tournament button, a 2014 LBI Surf Fishing Classic hat, decal and a free slice of Panzone’s Pizza (while supplies last). A free “Super Surf Casting Seminar” will take place on Saturday, October 11th from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. starting at the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce location at 265 West 9th Street in Ship Bottom.
Tournament registration is set to begin during the week of September 15th at participating weigh stations including Viking Outfitters in Barnegat Light, Surf City Bait & Tackle in Surf City, Fisherman’s Headquarters in Ship Bottom, Captain’s Quarters Bait and Tackle in Brighton Beach, and Jingle’s Bait and Tackle in Beach Haven.
Title sponsors of the 60th Annual Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic include AFW/Hi-Seas fishing line, Penn Reels, CTS Custom Rods, Surf City Bait & Tackle, Fisherman’s Headquarters, Jingle’s Bait and Tackle, the Recreational Fishing Alliance and The Fisherman Magazine. Local supporting sponsors include Barlow Buick/GMC, the Beach House Restaurant, Anderson Agency, Surf Taco, Drifting Sands Motel, the Greenhouse Café, Bageleddi’s, Bonanni Realtors, the Engleside Inn, Panzone’s Pizza, S&S Bucktails and the Long Beach Island Fishing Club.
For more information, visit a participating tackle shop or go to www.lbift.com.
Contact
Jim Hutchinson, Jr. / 888-564-6732
