On Saturday, June 7, the second annual RFA Bass River Summer Flounder Tournament will be held out of Viking Yachting Center on the Bass River in New Gretna. This second annual event is once again co-sponsored by Breeze’s Bar & Grill on the Bass River, with tournament proceeds to benefit the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) and Tuckerton Seaport.
"Bass River Classic" cash prizes totaling $2,000 will be awarded to the top three boats in the contest ($1,000, $750 and $250) based on combined weight of the heaviest two summer flounder – or fluke if you prefer! Entry is just $75 per boat through May 24 – $90 after – and includes a t-shirt for the captain and four wristbands for captain and crew for the Friday and Saturday night festivities at Breeze’s Bar & Grill (cash bar).
Captain’s meeting kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on Friday night, June 6 at Breezes with the mandatory rules meeting at 7:30. Highlights of the last year’s captains meeting included hundreds of softshell crabs donated by Absecon Bay Sportsman Center and cooked up for tournament participants by the folks at Breeze’s – while hoping for a good ‘shed’ in advance of the full strawberry moon on June 13, RFA also has buckets of GULP! to give away as door prizes on the night before the contest!
The one-day tourney commences at sunrise Saturday with final weigh-in back at the dock n’ dine dock at Viking Yachting Center from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday with awards ceremony at 7 p.m. Calcuttas will also be coordinated for single heaviest flounder of the contest. There will also be special prizes for anglers 12 and under. Boundary lines for the contest have been extended this season, south to Absecon Inlet and north to Barnegat Inlet.
Pick up entry blanks today at Scott’s Bait and Tackle in Mystic Island, Viking Yachting Center in New Gretna, Allen’s Dock in New Gretna, Absecon Bay Sportsman Center in Absecon, Chestnut Neck Boat Yard in Port Republic or the Boat Shop in Manahawkin.
The second annual RFA Bass River Summer Flounder Tournament is sponsored by The Fisherman Magazine, Lamiglas, Gulp!, Sea-Tow of Atlantic City, S&S Bucktails, Barnegat Light Fiberglass, Amon Construction, Allen’s Clam Bar, Doyle’s Pour House, Munro’s Marina, Tuckerton Car Wash, John & Sonia’s Luncheonette, and the Boat Shop of Manahawkin.
Learn more about the RFA Bass River Classic this Saturday morning from 8-9 a.m. on 97.3 fm ESPN Atlantic City with Rack n’ Fin radio. Tom P’s special guest on Saturday morning is RFA executive director Jim Donofrio talking about New Jersey fluke and coastwide bluefin tuna regulations for 2014. For additional details, call 888-564-6732 or visit www.bassriverclassic.com.
About Recreational Fishing Alliance
The Recreational Fishing Alliance is a national, grassroots political action organization representing recreational fishermen and the recreational fishing industry on marine fisheries issues. The RFA Mission is to safeguard the rights of saltwater anglers, protect marine, boat and tackle industry jobs, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our Nation’s saltwater fisheries. For more information, call 888-JOIN-RFA or visit www.joinrfa.org.