Be sure to mark your calendar for the popular South Shore Surf Fishing Classic set for October 13 through 15. The contest is hosted by The Fisherman and Long Island State Parks, and is sponsored by Captree Bait & Tackle. It kicks off at noon on Friday, October 13, and continues through noon on Sunday, October 15. The entry fee for this popular event remains at $15, and it goes without saying that you must be entered prior to checking in any fish. Entry fees go towards improving fishing access within Long Island’s State Parks. Weigh-in for this year’s contest is Captree Bait & Tackle where the doors will remain open 24/7 throughout the weekend. The in-person entry deadline is 9 a.m. on Saturday (October 14th) at Captree Bait & Tackle.
An awards ceremony will take place at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 15th at Captree State Park. The first 100 attendees at the awards ceremony will receive a free goody bag of tackle, and all attendees will receive a free ticket for the awards ceremony raffle. Boundary lines are the Jones Beach West End Two Jetty to the east jetty of Moriches Inlet. 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 (including the Release Division), while the bluefish minimum is set at 5 pounds.
In 2014, we introduced the Striped Bass Release Division which has actually seen more fish entered into it than the open category since its inception. The category was created in an effort to reduce the number of bass brought to the scales. Winners of the release division will be 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 Captree Bait & Tackle, 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, Tsunami, Star Rods and AquaSkinz. In the case of a tie, the earliest fish checked in will take priority. For more information, call 631-321-3510.
