In the spirit of an old time heavyweight fight, The Fisherman’s 2021 Dream Boat Fishing Challenge lived up to hype as the most competitive fishing tournament along the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Coast. Subscribers hailing from every coastal state between Maine and Delaware fished hard through 214 eligible days, hunting eight (now seven) species in search of Dream Boat supremacy. Doing that for a week takes a square jaw and gritted teeth, doing that for 214 days requires a level of dedication and commitment that only a Fisherman Magazine subscriber can muster. For our 2021 winner, New York subscriber Henry Piacentino, the championship came down to the final week of the competition and a handful of last-minute Dream Boat entries for the seven-point lead over fellow New Yorker Joseph Yam as time expired on the tournament clock.
For The Fisherman’s subscribers looking to sail off with a new Steiger Craft 23’ Miami at the conclusion of this year’s Dream Boat competition, it’s probably important to look over the final leaderboard from 2021. Take into consideration that New Jersey’s Dean Paolella had a pair of “top of the board” fish, one in the porgy category (3.62 pounds) and the other for bluefish (18.31 pounds) which was good for 20 points – 10 points for each top finish – as well as a jumbo sea bass (5.75 pounds) that earned another 9 points for second place in that division. But Piacentino took top honors in 2021 by having fish on the leaderboard in six different categories, even if he didn’t take a single top slot!
We can argue over the merits of “quantity” vs. “quality” elsewhere; if you want that Steiger you’re going to need both size and numbers across a diversity of species while fishing from May 1 through November 30.
Your Dream Boat
The Fisherman’s Dream Boat Fishing Challenge is a season long, multi-species, region-wide fishing contest in which paid subscribers to The Fisherman compete to win amazing prizes; just putting a big fish on the board in one of seven species categories could net you a great prize, but by having as many entries across the board as possible over a seven-month stretch could put you at the helm of a brand new Steiger Craft 23 Miami Boat powered by a Yamaha 200-horsepower outboard, outfitted with an Engel EN80 Cooler and Orion Offshore First Aid Kit.
True, to win this complete prize package valued at more than $88,000 you’ll have to fish with a strategic focus. This year’s Dream Boat Fishing Challenge structure puts seven fish species categories on your hit list, including blackfish, bluefish, fluke, porgy/scup, black sea bass, weakfish, and sea robin. Gone from the list in 2022 is mahi, turning the 2022 The Fisherman’s 2022 Dream Boat Fishing Challenge into the most competitive inshore tournament you’ve ever fished. And all you have to do is subscribe to The Fisherman Magazine and you’re automatically eligible to compete.
To enter a fish in the Dream Boat Fishing Challenge, simply follow the official rules published in this issue, on TheFisherman.com, or printed on our official entry blanks which you’ll find at our official weigh stations; tackle shops that dot the coastline from Maine to Delaware. A contestant must submit a completed and signed official entry form – certified by one of our weigh stations – and submit it within 10 days of weighing in the fish, along with a copy of The Fisherman subscription mailing label (if available), and a photo of the contestant and the caught fish. Incomplete submissions may not qualify for judging.
Contestants may submit as many entries as they wish, however only the heaviest entry per species category will be eligible. Entries can be submitted via email or postal mail. Email submissions should be sent to dreamboat@thefisherman.com. The photo file name should be the same as the contestant’s full name. Email entries received in the corresponding month will be entered into that month’s Fish of the Month competition as well as the Dream Boat. Mail-in submission should be sent to: Dream Boat Fishing Challenge, PO Box 395, Mt. Sinai, NY 11766.
The eligible species for 2022 (and their minimum weights for entry) are as follows: blackfish (7 pounds), bluefish (15 pounds), fluke (7 pounds), porgy/scup (2 pounds), black sea bass (4 pounds), weakfish (5 pounds) and sea robin (2 pounds). Each contestant must follow all local, state and federal recreational fishing regulations and the fish must be caught within the legal open season for the species and state where the fish was caught.
Fishing For Points
In order for an entry to count, the fish must be weighed and measured (length and girth) at a participating tackle shop listed as an official weigh-in station between 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on May 1, 2022 and 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 30, 2022. The fish’s weight and measurements must be recorded on a 2022 Dream Boat Challenge Official Entry Form, and signed and dated by the tackle shop’s authorized personnel – and then sent in by the angler – in order to qualify.
Official entry forms can be found at participating tackle shops or a copy can be downloaded by visiting TheFisherman.com. Participating tackle shop locations will be published in The Fisherman Magazine and online.
Points are awarded to the top 10 heaviest fish in each species category: 10 points to the heaviest fish, 9 points to the 2nd heaviest fish, 8 points for 3rd, and so on down the line to 1 point for the 10th heaviest fish in each of the seven species divisions. You can always weigh in a bigger fish, but you can only have one entry per species. But we hasten to add, collecting the most points will almost certainly require you to get on the board with multiple species. The more variety, the better your chances to take the top prize.
The Dream Boat Fishing Challenge will also award one second prize to the contestant who earns the second highest points total: a four night/five day stay at Marina Pez Vela in Costa Rica for up to four people. The trip includes two days of offshore fishing, one half-day inshore fishing trip, along with airport transfers to and from San Jose, Costa Rica to Marina Pez Vela in Quepos, four dinner vouchers and four Marina Pez Vela shirt/hat combos. Airfare is not included, nor is a fishing license, additional meals or other expenses. The $10,000 second place prize must be redeemed in 2023.
Our third place finisher in 2022 will win a Humminbird APEX 16 MSI+ Chartplotter, Humminbird COASTMASTER – U.S. Coastal v1 Cartography Map (p/n 601015-1), a Humminbird 2124 CHIRP RADAR, Humminbird XP 14 HW T / Dual Spectrum CHIRP w/ Temp Thru Hull Transducer, Humminbird 14 M ID SIDB Y / APEX Side Imaging & 2D Splitter Cable (p/n 720111-1), along with a Minn Kota Riptide Terrova Trolling Motor (112 pounds of thrust and 87-inch shaft) with i-Pilot Link GPS System worth a grand total retail value of $9,739.
One fourth place winner will take home a Sea Eagle PaddleSki 437ps Swivel Seat Package with a retail value of $1,649.
Everyone’s A Winner
If you catch the largest of any of the seven Dream Boat species you’ll win an Accurate FX-400X Reel and a fish mount from Global Fish Mounts of the fish entered, and a pair of Fin-Nor Sunglasses (total retail value $1,088.93). There are also Fish of the Month Prizes; catch one of the largest in the Fish of the Month category and you’ll receive one Tsunami Evict Reel, and a Dexter Outdoors DX8F Dextreme Dual Edge 8-inch Flexible fillet knife with sheath (total retail value of $243.99). May is weakfish, June is sea robin, July is fluke, August is black sea bass, September is porgy time, October is bluefish, while the November fish of the month is blackfish.
And of course, just being one of 70 tournament anglers on the final leaderboard at the conclusion of the 2022 Dream Boat Fishing Challenge will earn you a package of Owner America Hooks model 5315 SSW and a Tsunami Lure.
The total value of this year’s prizes is $121,861.58
Doing your homework and staying informed have been part of the basic strategy that all of our past winners have had in common. As a subscriber to The Fisherman you already have access to a wealth of fishing information by the greatest fishing authorities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. You can read up on tactics or locations, view our entire video library to brush up on your inshore skills. You can stay up-to-date with the current fishing conditions from our comprehensive fishing reports and weekly video fishing forecasts, walking away with valuable knowledge from every feature we publish.
It’s also important to stop in to our participating tackle shop weigh stations in advance of your trip – especially if you’re crossing state boundaries while following the best bite for big fish. Many of our previous contest winners did just that, fishing “away games” and hopping aboard charter or party boats to focus on jumbo fish. Just remember not to waste those fish you do keep for weighing. You can always refer to TheFisherman.com under the TOPICS tab for our comprehensive recipe section for creating incredible meals for every eligible species in our Dream Boat Fishing Challenge, even sea robins!
Are you up to challenge? It all starts with a subscription to The Fisherman Magazine; from there, just keep fishing as hard, and as often, as you possibly can!
23 Miami Boat
The 23 Miami delivers the same rouged performance of our larger vessels, in a slightly smaller platform, perfect for trailering or when you simply want to step-down in size without sacrificing great fishing performance. The 23 Miami is delivers a big boat ride, outstanding maneuverability, and highly efficient performance that’s hard to find in a vessel of its size.
Our 23 Miami is built with the same tried-and-true construction methods that have been proven time and time again, making Steiger Crafts the best built boats on the water.
The Steiger 23 Miami is constructed of hand laid fiberglass coupled with our exclusive I-Beam grid system technology, offering durability and a rigid structure that can withstand any sea conditions.
For more information go to www.steigercraft.com
Yamaha 200 HP
There’s a good reason why the legendary Yamaha F150 has enjoyed over a decade of unrivaled popularity. Powerful, light, nimble and compact, boaters know that its proven reliability is unmatched for everything from pontoons to flats boats to deep-V hulls. That record of performance spawned a remarkable family line that continues with the F175 and F200. Now, more boaters can enjoy Yamaha’s technologically advanced I-4 line than ever before. Whether your rigging is digital or mechanical, the entire lineup is compatible with your control preference. It’s just one of the ways the I-4 line keeps getting better and better, year after year.
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Engel 80 Cooler
Engel, the original high-performance roto-molded cooler was built for toughness and durability. With a full 2 inches of closed-cell foam insulation in the lid, on the sides, and the bottom, helping to retain cold and ice for up to 10 days. Click here for more information
Click Here For information on Orion
Marina Pez Vela Fishing Destination
THE MARINA HAS ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR NATURAL SETTINGS ANYWHERE ON THE PLANET WITH RAINFOREST COVERED MOUNTAINS, TEEMING WITH WILDLIFE, CASCADING DOWN TO THE TURQUOISE WATERS OF THE PACIFIC. A WORLD CLASS MARINA, YACHT YARD AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT WITH ROOTS FIRMLY PLANTED IN THE HISTORY, CULTURE AND STUNNING NATURAL BEAUTY OF THE QUEPOS/MANUEL ANTONIO AREA. Second Place Prize: 4 nights/5 days stay at Marine Pez Vela in Costa Rica for up to 4 people. Four (4) nights of luxury accommodations onsite at the Marina. Includes two (2) days offshore fishing trips. One (1) half day inshore fishing trip. Airport transfers to and from San Jose, Costa Rica Airport to Marina Pez Vela Marina. 4 Dinner Vouchers, 4 Marina Pez Vela shirt/hat combos. Airfare not included. Fishing license, meals, all other costs are not included. Must be redeemed in 2023.
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Minn Kota Riptide Terrova Trolling Motor / 112lbs of thrust / 87” shaft / i-Pilot Link GPS System (p/n 1363737)
Riptide Terrova answers every question and leaves no doubt. Power? It’s got 112 pounds of thrust. Control? i-Pilot® Link™ Integrated GPS trolling system including Spot-Lock®, and Humminbird® fish finder integration. Stow and deploy it effortlessly with new Lift-Assist Design. And stealth? It’s a Riptide®.
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Humminbird 2124 CHIRP RADAR (p/n 750013-1)
The HB 2124 is our Humminbird CHIRP Radar that features CHIRP pulse compression, setting a new standard for compact solid-state radar. It delivers superior radar imaging on both long and extremely short ranges. This translates to better situational awareness in low-visibility conditions and helps identify floating obstacles and structures for clues to where gamefish are located. In addition, track weather, hazards and other vessels with amazing definition for navigational safety.
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Humminbird APEX 16 MSI+ Chartplotter / 16” Screen Size / MEGA Side Imaging+ model (p/n 411500-1)
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Humminbird XP 14 HW T / Dual Spectrum CHIRP w/ Temp Thru Hull Transducer (p/n 710287-1)
Humminbird 14 M ID SIDB Y / APEX Side Imaging & 2D Splitter Cable (p/n 720111-1)
The 14 M ID SIDB Y cable allows for the installation of a separate 2D transducer paired with a Humminbird MEGA Imaging or non-MEGA Imaging transducer and connect both transducers to a single Humminbird control head. This y-cable provides the ability to install a separate high-speed Humminbird 2D transducer for high-speed depth reading and sonar performance. Alternatively, this cable can also be used to add an accessory Airmar® 2D transducer to a Humminbird control head that also has a Side or Down Imaging transducer connected at the same time. This cable supports Transducer ID for automatic recognition and easy setup of Airmar® accessory transducers.
Humminbird COASTMASTER – U.S. Coastal v1 Cartography Map (p/n 601015-1)
Find the path to your next big catch with the incredible accuracy and detail of Humminbird® CoastMaster®, providing highly accurate chart coverage for all U.S. coastal waters. From easy-to-read contours to highlighted depth ranges, you’ll have the tools you need to identify the spots you know will hold fish, and navigate there safely.
Sea Eagle PaddleSki 437ps Swivel Seat Package
The New and Improved Sea Eagle 437ps PaddleSki™ Inflatable Catamaran Boat is the world’s most versatile inflatable watercraft! Providing you “all-in-one” benefits of a catamaran, motorboat, and extremely rugged portable inflatable with stability, speed, and versatility! It’s packable, remarkably stable, completely self-bailing, and fun! It glides across the water with ease and provides the option to Paddle, Motor, Fish, Sail, Travel, and Go! A true “four-in-one” inflatable watercraft for the impressive price of just one!
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Accurate FX-400X Reel
- Stainless steel anti-reverse bearing
- Four Class 5 ABEC stainless steel bearings
- Calibrated lever drag for accurate drag setting
- 17-4 heat treated stainless steel gears and gear shaft
- Larger, stronger gear shaft for increased torque
- Unhindered sleeved free-spool at every drag setting
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Fin-Nor Sunglasses
Browns Bay, Matte Black Frame, Silver Mirror Polycarbonate Lens
Fin-Nor has revolutionized the world of sport fishing since the invention of the first truly capable big game saltwater reel in 1936.
Now, we’re taking it to the next level with our line of expertly engineered performance sunglasses. Designed to withstand the elements saltwater anglers face every day, these sunglasses are made for all-day comfort no matter the conditions.
All Fin-Nor sunglasses feature our breakthrough Lateral Line Lens Technology, an innovative technology that enhances your vision through distortion-free color, unmatched sharpness, and precision optics. We’ve created the ultimate high-performance sunglasses for anglers who want to worry less about eyewear and spend more time focused on the fish.
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Fish Mount From Global Fish Mounts
Tsunami Evict Reel
Tsunami Evict Spinning Reels are the must have bottom fishing spinning reel. Many anglers are starting to bottom fish with spinning gear. When you aren’t into conventional reels but still want to battle big and powerful bottom dwellers, the Evict spinning reels have you covered. These reels are constructed with a stainless steel main gear, stainless steel pinion and a sealed stainless steel main shaft. The eight sealed stainless steel ball bearings on these reels allows for smooth action and increased corrosion resistance. These reels can be used like a winch when getting big fish off the bottom with their CF3 carbon fiber drag system. These spinning reels are great even if you’re top water fishing. They cast well and are ideal for live bait fishing. A great spinning reel that won’t break the bank.
- Aluminum body
- Fully machined aluminum spool with braid ready spool band
- Graphite rotor with aluminum bailware
- Stainless steel drive and pinion gear
- Stainless steel sealed main shaft
- 7 sealed bearings plus 1 anti-reverse bearing
- Machined aluminum handle arm and power knob
- EVA paddle knob included in box (3000 and 4000 models only)
Dexter Outdoors DX8F Dextreme Dual Edge 8″ Flexible fillet knife with sheath
Developed specifically for anglers, the all new Dextreme series features a 2-in-1 blade and an ergonomic handle engineered to deliver great cuts with no compromises. The dual blade enables you to cut through scales without dulling the fillet blade for a more efficient fillet with just one knife! Use the upper Tiger edge to cut through scales and tougher surfaces while preserving the fillet blade’s sharpness. Then flip the DEXGRIP™ ambidextrous handle and use the lower blade for precision work. The comfortable, non-slip handle accommodates any hand and finger position for greater control. The stiff blade is perfect for bluefin tuna, swordfish, king mackerel and triggerfish and more. Sharp, flexible and durable, you’ll find this 2-in-1 knife is all the knife you need.
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Dexter Outdoors DX8F Dextreme Dual Edge 8″ Flexible fillet knife with sheath
Owner SSW 2o Pack of Hooks
Features include black chrome finish, up-eye forged shank and reversed-bend super needle point.
Click here for Information About Owner Hooks
Tsunami Soft Bait Swim Shad Lures
All of these lures are tank tested to assure proper performance and strike triggering action. Precise weight balancing designs in all models ensure a tumble free casting performance. The field testing is also apparent in a better-balanced swimming or jigging action.
