On Friday, June 5, the Manhattan Cup will celebrate a quarter-century of catch and release striped bass action (bluefish too) in support of a great cause. For more than two decades, the Manhattan Cup has brought hope, healing, and camaraderie to first responders and service members who suffered physical and emotional wounds in the aftermath of 9/11.
The 25th Manhattan Cup will once again be held at Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City in the shadow of the Manhattan skyline. Through the generosity of sponsors and the dedication of volunteers, over a thousand heroes have experienced the restorative power of a day on the water, fishing New York City’s legendary striped bass grounds while forming lasting connections within a supportive community.
Guides and captains, donate your time and boat to take out a team of anglers for the day. You supply the bait and tackle and make the day work, and you’ll receive swag bags, tournament shirts, breakfast, lunch, and a great party back at Liberty Landing with raffles and amazing auction items.
Private boat owners can register their boats and fish your team of two to four anglers in the Sportsman Division. Everyone will be targeting striped bass and bluefish in a simple catch and release format. Awards are presented for the largest fish in the bait, fly, and artificials categories plus special categories for warriors and celebrity anglers.
Captain check in is at 6:30 a.m. at the registration desk to the right of the entrance to Liberty House Restaurant to receive your table assignment and captain’s and angler’s bags. Arrive early enough to secure your boat at the transient dock (behind the gas dock) beforehand. Marina personnel will be on hand to direct you to your slip starting at 5:30 AM. Use VHF channel 72 for tournament and marina communications.
Anglers and Sportsman category boat owners check in at 7 a.m. at the registration desk where they’ll get captain assignment or register their team, and then proceed immediately inside the restaurant where breakfast will be served. A mandatory captain’s meeting will be held during breakfast, and then it’s off to your boats at 8:15 a.m. picking up your lunch box before heading across to the dock. The shotgun start is held in front of the Statue of Liberty with a water display by FDNY Fireboat One.
All boats must be back at port by 4 p.m. to return catch sheets for tracking the day’s awards, which will also include a Gray Taxidermy fish mount for Gray Fishtag Research’s top tagging boat of the day. Proceeds from the annual Manhattan Cup go to support combat veterans through the Fin Chaser Warriors Outdoors non-profit as well as Gray Fishtag Research’s annual Northeast Striped Bass Study.
For details reach out to Mike Dean at 917-873-6651 or mdean329@gmail.com for more details. Learn more about this June 5th event by visiting manhattancup.com.
