Beyond the Breakwater 3Bs tournament announced

Written by Tournament Director, John Loo

Saturday, September 06, 2008

On Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008, Beyond The Breakwater will be holding a 3Bs catch-and-release trial tournament. It will be a limited-entry invitational contest, based out of San Diego, and will last just ONE DAY. Fishing starts at 6:00 AM, and ends at 1:30 PM. It's called a 3Bs contest, because the emphasis is on Bass, Barracuda, and Bonito, although you can also earn points for the other "Big 3" (white seabass, halibut and yellowtail, or "WHYs" ). It's a "trial" tournament because that's exactly what it is. To the best of my knowledge, no one has tried a tournament like this (salt water fly-fishing, C&R) in Southern California before, so I'm running a small event, to make sure everything works, before we take on a larger group. Based on input from several people (including folks like Craig Smith), I've tried hard to make it as easy as possible for you to enter and compete effectively, even if you don't have all of the gear or the experience: You can enter and compete with any kind of watercraft, including kayaks, paddleboards, kickboats, and float tubes. We've made allowances in the rules to give people fishing human-powered craft equal fishing time to people with powerboats You don't have to own a boat to enter. We are trying out a way to allow people without boats to hook up with boat owners willing to give people rides (there's incentives for the boat owners to do this) If you want, you can hire a charter boat or guide to help you, although your score will be handicapped. You will not have to go far offshore to be a contender. It is entirely possible that a paddleboard or kayak fishermen will win, based on good scores with the 3Bs in local kelp. There is no entry fee. Because we are only taking a limited number of contestants, and we expect a few teething problems, we're not going to charge an entry fee. We will hold an informal "Tackle and Techniques" seminar after the Contestant's Meeting to go over any last-minute questions you may have about the mechanics. Here's briefly how it works: Get out "Beyond The Breakwater" and start fishing. With fly-gear only, of course. Fish that count for score include: calico bass, bonito, barracuda, yellowtail, white seabass and halibut Measure, photograph, release. An approved measuring tool will be supplied. Any fish that exceed the minimum tournament size limit for that species will count for a fixed number of points/fish. The fish must be photographed and released, or it does not count. Fish that can not be released must be kept (if legal to do so), and do not count for points. You receive extra points if you catch a "Slam" (bass, bonito, barracuda), or a "Grand Slam" (White Seabass, halibut, yellowtail). To even the playing field, people fishing from kayaks, paddle boards, kickboats, etc. are given additional time to get back to the "weigh-in" point. You can use a guide or skipper to get out BTB, but it will cost you. To even the playing field, fish caught with the assistance of a guide do not count for as many points. The winner is the person with the most points. Tie-breakers: most Grand Slam points, most Slam points, earliest check-in time. That's simple enough, I hope! Prizes include: 1rst Prize A Temple Fork Outfitters TiCR X Mini-Magnum fly rod. This is a brand-new rod designed by Contributing Editor Nick Curcione, and has gotten great reviews by everyone who's handled it. It is one of the new breed of short (8' ) heavy-duty fly rods designed specifically for applications like BTB fly-fishing 2nd Prize A Cam Sigler 9', 10wt. fly rod with case. As Field Editor Scott Leon can attest, Cam Sigler fly rods are great performers, tough, and well suited to saltwater use. It comes with a rod bag and Cordura-covered hard case. 3rd Prize A $50 gift certificate from the Fishermen's Spot, which can be redeemed via phone order, or on their eBay store. There will also be a drawing prize for boaters who carry "Free-agents" (people without rides), along with other door prizes. All contestant will get at least a BTB hat, and possibly some other swag (we're still working out the other items) For more info, rules, or to register on-line, go to: http://www.btbff.com/ index.php/btbff/ Tournament1/212 Thanks, hope to see some of you at the Contestant's meeting on the 26th! John Loo