It would be hard to argue that June is not shark month here on Long Island. Over the span of four weekends, no less than seven major shark tournaments are slated to depart from South Shore ports and Montauk. Minimum size restrictions and species specific formats will help keep shark mortality to a minimum, a far cry from those early days when killing sharks was in vogue, a la Jaws.
The tournament circuit kicks off on June 11th with the Fourth-Annual Pt. Lookout Shark Tournament held out of Ted’s Fishing Station in Pt. Lookout. The captains/kickoff party featuring live music, food, cocktails and raffles is on Friday night, June 10th and your welcome to bring the family. It launches at 6 p.m. at Ted’s, 143 Bayside Drive, Pt. Lookout. Fishing and weigh-in is on Saturday, June 11, with a weather day of Sunday, June 12. The entry fee is $350 with prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd; $100, $300, $500, 1,000 and $2,500 Calcuttas (100% payout). Only makos and threshers are eligible. A portion of tourney proceeds benefits Waterfront Warriors. You can sign up at Ted’s or the captain’s meeting. Visit Pointlook’s Facebook page for more info.
Star Island’s 30th Annual Shark Tournament is set for June 17-18 with the captains’ meeting on June 16 at 7:30 p.m. Some hefty cash prizes will be awarded for the heaviest shark in the tournament and the heaviest shark for each day. Top three prizes will be given out for heaviest mako, heaviest blue shark and heaviest shark of another species. The entry fee is $1,250 per boat. For more information, call 631-668-5052.
The 42nd Annual Moriches Anglers Shark Tournament is slated for Saturday, June 18th. The captains’ meeting is set for 7 p.m. Friday, June 17th at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 313 Frowein Road, Center Moriches. The entry fee is $300 per boat. For more info go to [email protected] or call Chet at 631-878-9280.
One of the biggest shark tournaments in our area, the Freeport Hudson Anglers 44th Annual Shark Tournament will be based out of the Town of Hempstead’s Guy Lombardo Marina in Freeport on June 18th. The entry fee for this tournament is $350 per boat, with all weigh-ins taking place at Guy Lombardo Marina. The captains’ meeting on Friday, June 17 at 7 p.m. at the marina is mandatory. For more info go to www.freeporthudsonanglers.com or contact Dave Gross at 516-286-8293.
The following weekend features the Woodcleft Fishing Station Shark Tournament on Saturday, June 25th. Entry fee for this event is $300 and includes four cans of chum. All entry fees collected go to the winners with 70 percent to first place and 30 percent to second place, with Calcuttas also available. All sign ups and weigh-ins take place at Woodcleft Fishing Station. For more info, call 516-378-8748.
In its 55th year, the Bay Shore Mako Tournament continues to draw some of the region’s best shark anglers. It kicks off on Saturday, June 25th and is based out of its longtime home at Bay Shore Marina. The weather date is Sunday, June 26th. A captains’ meeting will be held Friday, June 24 at 6 p.m. at Nicky’s on the Bay at the foot of Bay Shore Marina. The early entry fee is $280, and $300 after June 13th. There will be an early entry drawing and giveaways to participating boats. Eligible species are mako, thresher, and bluefish, and there is docking available.
Further east, the 40th Annual Great Gun Anglers Shark Tournament is also set for June 25th. It is based out of Union Avenue Dock in Center Moriches. There is a mandatory captains’ meeting at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 24 at the Center Moriches V.F.W. Hall. There will be door prizes and raffles for a 50/50, a Yeti Cooler and a Penn International 50TWII. The entry fee is $300. Cash prizes totaling $24,000 is based on 100 boats, and there are also 1st through 3rd tag & release trophies. For more info, call Mike Lang 631-617-8058 or Bill Nolan 516-660-5550, or visit www.greatgunanglers.com. For required HMS permit, call 888-872-8862 or visit www.nmfspermits.com.