2011 Cape Cod OCTUNAFEST Giant Tuna Tournament

[cappyD]

Thats right tuna nuts with big bluefin on the brain. There will be a new tournament event OCT 13 thru 15, allowing boats to LEAVE FROM ANY PORT and fish for giant bluefin tuna....anywhere in the northeast...The 2011 Cape Cod OCTUNAFEST. The boundaries will be unlimited...as will tackle. ONE FISH A DAY can be weighed in. Most cumulative points(per pound) wins event. 1st thru 3rd prizes and BIG FISH CALCUTTAS(4 categories). The catch is YOU HAVE TO BRING FISH TO BE WEIGHED BY 5pm. Weigh station(s) will be open EACH DAY(Fri and Sat) The event will be paying a guaranteed payout of 10,000 dollars based on 25 boats.

I am working on webpage now, which will have all rules and schedule of events. There WILL be a mandatory polygraph. I am setting this event up so that the playing field is leveled for fishermen wanting to stay close or run to Georges. The one fish a day to be weighed rule will help give folks fishing close a bit of an edge, and most of us know there are plenty of fish...BIG FISH well inside Georges Bank.

We will be working in conjunction with the ONE MISSION charity. Tuna Fest raised 5 thousand dollars. Lets add to that. There will be silent auctions and or calcuttas for a day with Sox legend Kevin Youkilis and sky box pats seats, not to mention the tourney will be donating 100 dollars per boat to the charity.

I am hoping to get some feedback. The entry will be low...at AROUND $1,000 a boat but not final on that figure. The big question/concept is simply the more boats...the lower I can afford to make the entry. The setting will be very similar to Tuna Fest 2011...Trader Eds, Hyannis Marina, great food, live entertainment...and the awards ceremony will be on Sat night...not Sunday this time. Lots of sponsors are already jumping into this thing. Its gonna be a bash...a great way to catch up with a bunch of north east fish nuts before the snow comes lol. If I get the interest, I will be able to provide an exciting atmosphere...big tent, great food, good band, and yes...even a bikini contest...in chilly October(wouldnt be the first time thats been done llol) but we need the interest to make this happen I want to create an event that will appeal to all captains and crews who enjoy giant fishing and who arent afraid of a little competition. But this type of event cant exist without fishermen. So I'm open ears as I know there are plenty of folks on this site who take their fishing rather seriously.

Here is a schedule and rules. Online registration will be ready by next week. Most importantly, I want it to be fun for all who get in...calcutta or no calcutta...thats optional. The price per pound for those interested is averaging 15 bucks, and hopefully that will hold. I am also considering adding a second weigh station (southshore area) into the event catering to people fishing the bay and the bank. If this concept interests you, please dont hesitate to throw in your two cents. There are ways to get the entry fee down significantly, but not without sacrificing some of the stuff I have mentioned. Happy fishin!





SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

THURSDAY OCT 13th

Registration--------------- 4pm to 6pm

Captains Meeting----------6pm to 7pm


BOATS CAN LEAVE DOCK ANY TIME AND PORT AFTER 12am FRIDAY OCT14th

FRIDAY OCT 14th

Weigh Station-------------4pm to 6pm

SATURDAY OCT 15th

Weigh Station-------------4pm to 6pm

Dinner---------------------7pm to 8pm

Awards Ceremony---------8pm to 9pm

Fish Bash------------------9pm to Close




RULES

Boats can leave from any port at 12:00am on Friday Oct 14th
Boats weighing in fish must be inside Hyannis Harbor Lighthouse by 5pm or inside harbor of southshore weigh station(if added)
Crew representative must be present for captains meeting on Thursday
Entry Fee includes captains bag and bracelets/tickets for ALL meals/activities for 4 people.
Additional meal tickets can be purchased upon registration $35.00 each.(includes gratuity)
Discounted rates on dockage and fuel for all tournament vessels!
Entry Fee does not include dockage which must be booked through Hyannis Marina 1-508-790-4000
Dockage space is limited and on a first come first serve basis
Your vessel must be tournament registered before you are eligible for dockage
All captains and crew members MUST have an updated Massachusetts state saltwater fishing license.
IGFA Rules Do Not Apply and Unlimited Rod and Reel Tackle and Cockpit Harpoons ARE Allowed
No outside help from other vessels or aircraft is allowed
All tournament rules will be discussed and reviewed at Captains Meeting At Trader Eds Oct 13th at 6pm
Entrants Must Follow State and Federal Fishery Guidelines
3 fish can be caught/retained per day but only one fish can be weighed each day(fri and sat)
Weigh station will be open from 4pm to 8pm each day(fri and sat)
There will be prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place wins, based on TOTAL WEIGHT for tournament(1 point per pound)
There are 4 tournament calcutta categories for biggest fish $250 $500 $1000 $1500(1st=60%, 2nd=25%, 3rd=15%)
Calcutta registration table will be at Trader Eds Tent 6pm to 8pm Thursday Oct 13th
There will be no boundaries for tournament fishing area
Winners will be subject to assigned a mandatory polygraph test on Sunday Oct 16th 9am to 11am




Register and pay online with a credit card.

[cappyD]

If I can get 25 boats for this thing, there will be 10,000 in guaranteed prize money(seperate from calcutta), plus we will raise 2500 in cash for the ONE MISSION charity.

$1,000.00 will get boats an entry to compete, meal tickets for 4 crew members, a captains bag worth several hundred dollars, 100 dollars from entry gets donated to the charity, a chance to win ten thousand dollars(not including any calcuttas), and the experience to compete in a fun and exciting fishing tourney. Its tough as most people will wait til the last minute because of weather...understandable lol...but if the numbers are there this could and will be a lot of fun.