03 Apr CCA NC will hold two summer inshore slam tournaments
CCA NC will hold an Inshore Slam Tournament Series beginning July 9 – 23, 2020, in Wilmington, N.C., then moving to Morehead City, N.C., September 5 – 19, 2020, Executive Director David Sneed announced.
“We wanted to give the Weekend Warriors plenty of time to get out and fish,” he said, explaining the reason for two tournaments in different locations. Participants will pick up identifying wristbands at the Captains’ Parties. There will also be wide boundaries for each tournament so anglers can fish where they want, Sneed added.
The Wilmington boundary will run from Sneads Ferry south to the South Carolina state line while the Morehead City locale will be even larger, from Sneads Ferry north to the Virginia state line. “Thanks to the iAngler app, we are no longer limited to single day tournaments and weigh stations,” Sneed said.
The tournaments will be total catch and release, which is facilitated by the app. The iAngler Tournament app, free wherever you get downloads, allows your phone to replace the weigh station and gives your catch an opportunity to live for another day so that we can do our part to “Let ‘Em Spawn,” he explained. “Each time you catch one of the valid tournament species, you take a photo of your catch with the wrist band in the picture, submit the photo to our judges for scoring and track live leaderboard updates all within the iAnger app.”
In addition to the official wristband, measurement on a standard ruler must be clearly visible and the photo must also be time stamped to count, Sneed said. Measurements will be based on a nose to “pinched” tail length.
No need to worry about filling a team or leaving an odd man out, he said. “The tournaments are individual entry so anglers can fish with friends or go solo on a boat, off your dock, in the surf, wherever you want!”
The tournament is limited to CCA member only. In addition, a $50 entry fee is required for each individual except children 14 and under who fish for free. If the angler is a CCA member with an expiration date valid through the last day of the tournaments, no other membership is necessary. Non-members can participate in the tournaments with a $75 registration fee—$50 for the entry fee and $25 for a discounted, one-year membership.
The $50 entry fee makes a contestant eligible for all of the great prizes and giveaways in the tournament while enjoying all of the perks and benefits of a year-long CCA membership, Sneed said. New member entries must be submitted no later than Friday, July 12, 2020. Children 14 and under can obtain a junior Rising Tide membership at no charge.
There are no additional division fees, Sneed continued. “All registered anglers are permitted to participate in one division, or both, and are eligible for Longest Catch competition prizes for each species listed below without paying for any additional TWTs (tournaments within a tournament).”
In both tournaments, red drum, speckled trout and flounder are the target species. Scoring will be based on the aggregate total of the longest catch for each species (rounded up to nearest ¼ inch). As an example, say your longest red drum is 32 inches, longest trout is 19 inches and your longest flounder is 16 inches. Your total score would be 67. A valid entry for each of the three species must be greater than the total length for any two species regardless of total length.
Even if you don’t catch the largest fish, all registered anglers can win additional random drawings for even more great prizes and giveaways at the Captains’ Party and communicated through iAngler messages during the tournament, he said.
Avalanche Motor Sports will host the first Captains’ Party on Thursday, July 9th in its new dealership location at 7722 Market St., Wilmington, NC 28411.
All Anglers must be present at the Captains’ Party to receive the official tournament wristband. If unable to attend, anglers must send someone in their place or notify CCA NC no later than Monday, July 6th to allow for Captains’ Party headcount and to arrange for wristband pickup. Enjoy food, beverages and giveaways while getting the details on the tournament rules.
TowBoatUS will host the Morehead City Captains’ Party September 5th at its 201 Arendell Street location. The same attendance requirements will apply.
CCA NC has tried to hold various early or late-season tournaments in the past that have been canceled because of bad spring flooding or fall hurricanes, Sneed said. “Hopefully stay at home orders will be well past us in July and anglers will be anxious to get on the water for some much needed recreation. This is CCA NC’s goal in hosting these tournaments.”