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When
Western Sound:
Fishing will run from 6:30am to 7:00pm on Saturday, October 12 and again from 6:30am to 12:00pm on Sunday, October 13.
Boundaries
Western Sound Tournament Boundaries
Fishing is limited to the western Long Island Sound. The western boundary remains the Throgs Neck Bridge, while the Eastern Boundary will once again be the cable crossing area extending from just east of Mount Sinai Harbor to Branford. This cable crossing area should show on most GPS / Nav charts. Please see Map below.
Entry Format
Anglers will compete both individually and as a member of their team (boat). There are two entry options, a full team can have up to four anglers (there is no requirement to fill all four spots), who must be declared prior to the start of the tournament. There is also a 'Skiff Team' option, to encourage fly fishing participation, which can be one or two anglers per team.
To the extent possible and where space is available, we can work to pair individual anglers with teams looking for additional members and have a number of guides available as well.
Target Species / Competition Categories
There are nine categories in which anglers will compete. Three individual species categories (striped bass, bluefish and hard tails - false albacore, bonito or spanish mackerel) for both fly and spin fishing, a 'slam' category, which combines the largest fish of each species, and a team category, which combines the two largest fish of each species caught by the team.
Prizes will be awarded to the top anglers in each individual species category, top three anglers in each slam categories (assuming more than one species is caught) as well as to the top team.
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For the individual striped bass and bluefish categories, anglers will combine the length of their two largest fish in each species.
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The individual hard tail category will be determined by the number of false albacore, bonito or spanish mackerel landed by each individual - the length of false albacore & bonito does count for slam categories, so measuring large ones is needed.
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For the slam category, anglers will measure the sum of the length of their single largest fish in each species category. For both the individual and team slam categories, if all four species are caught, the largest of each can be added to your total (striped bass, bluefish, false albacore, bonito and spanish mackerel).
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For the team competition, anglers will measure the sum of the length of the two largest fish landed by any member of the team in each species category. If no teams land a fish from each category (blue, bass, hard tail), the team with the largest combined length for the two categories that were landed will be named champion. For both the individual and team slam categories, if all four species are caught, the largest of each can be added to your total (striped bass, bluefish, false albacore, bonito and spanish mackerel).
Please note that there are NOT separate fly and conventional categories for the team competition. Any fish boated by any member of a team, regardless of whether it was on conventional or fly gear, can count towards the team's total.
Individual anglers are allowed to compete in both conventional AND fly-fishing categories throughout the weekend.
We have reviewed past results, and to keep the playing field level across the board for the weekend warrior crew, teams with fishing guides on-board will be docked 2cm per fish. We have found that this would not have changed many results in the past, and many winning fish and teams have NOT had guides on board.
Minimum Fish Sizes
Both striped bass and bluefish must measure at least 50cm to qualify for any categories, so please do not submit any striped bass or bluefish that are shorter than that length. There is no minimum size for false albacore, bonito or spanish mackerel.
Fishing Regulations
The Tightlined Slam is artificial only. Live or dead bait may NOT be used in any way and is prohibited from being on the boat. This includes chumming or teasing fish to the surface. Any evidence of bait being used will result in submitted fish being disqualified. If a bunker/menhaden is accidentally snagged or hooked, release it immediately and do not use it to attract or chum fish to the surface.
If fly or spin fishing, trolling a lure or fly behind a moving water craft is NOT permitted.
If fly-fishing, IGFA regulations are in place as follows. Casting and retrieving must be carried out in accordance with normal customs and generally accepted practices. The major criterion in casting is that the weight of the line must carry the fly rather than the weight of the fly carrying the line. The maximum amount of line that can be stripped off the reel is 120 feet (36.57 meters) from the fly. The fish must be hooked on the fly in use, if a small fish takes the fly and a larger fish swallows the smaller fish, the catch will be disallowed. Leader class tippet cannot exceed 20lb test and the leader shall be limited to 15 feet (4.57 meters).
For boats that have BOTH Fly and Spinning Rods on the boat, ALL PLUGS MUST HAVE HOOKS! Intentional teasing fish into casting range is prohibited.
Catch and Release Practices
Science shows that even small changes in how an angler catches, handles and releases a fish can have positive outcomes once that fish swims away. Not only does using best practices increase survival rates of fish, but it helps fish return to their normal behavior as quickly as possible after release. Using best practices for catch-and-release fishing is a quick and effective way to put conservation into practice. As a catch-and-release only tournament promoting the importance of conservation, proper handling of fish is paramount to the survival of those that we are all fortunate enough to catch. We are excited to help promote these best practices to help ensure that released fish during the Tightlined Slam survive.
Required Documentation
We are going to use the Tightlined Tournaments app again, and will have a step-by-step instruction to review in advance of this year's tournament.
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