The Montauk Surf Fishing Classic, hosted by The Fisherman and Long Island State Parks, kicks off at noon this Friday, September 22, and runs through noon on Sunday, September 24th. The awards ceremony will take place in Montauk State Park adjacent to the concession stand at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. The first 100 attendees at Sunday’s awards ceremony will receive a goody bag of tackle from sponsors Fat Cow, VMC, Spro and KastKing, and all attendees will receive a free ticket for the awards ceremony raffle.
Weigh-in for this year’s contest will be Paulie’s Tackle Shop where the doors will remain open 24/7 throughout the weekend. The in-person entry deadline is 9 a.m. on Saturday morning at Paulie’s for those who can’t get to Montauk before the weekend. The entry fee remains just $15 per angler.
Boundary lines for this contest are all shore areas east of the westernmost boundary of Napeague State Park. All areas must be accessible by foot or wading. Swimming, using a boat, kayak or any flotation device to access an area is prohibited. The minimum size for striped bass entries is set at 36 inches, while the bluefish minimum is set at 5 pounds.
The Striped Bass Release Division was created four years ago in an effort to reduce the number of bass brought to the scales. Winners of the release division are determined by overall length measured to the nearest half inch to expedite the release. Another registered participant in the Classic must witness the measuring and release, and sign off on the angler’s entry card. It is up to the angler to check their entry in at Paulie’s, just as if they were weighing a fish in.
There are three places in the Striped Bass Release Division, and the Striped Bass and Bluefish divisions. Winners of the striped bass (weighed) and bluefish categories will receive $750. Second and third place winners, and first through third place in the striped bass release category will receive quality tackle prizes from St. Croix, Lamiglas, Star Rods, Tsunami and AquaSkinz and Gear Up. In the case of a tie, the earliest fish checked in will take priority. Entry fees for this event go into a special fund for improving fishing access within the state park system.