Guys,
Nor'east Saltwater magazine is sponsoring a fluke tournament to be held July 16 & 17th. First Prize is $10,000 and there is $10,000 in prize money for runners-up. Complete details can be found at:

http://www.noreast.com/flukemania/

If you have any questions, ask away and I'll post the answers here. You guys with fast boats and local knowledge of Noman's should have a real shot at this.

No one interested in a shot at 10 grand?

I'm interested but this one fish or two fish thing has me confused. Are they saying that 2 5 pound fish beat a 9 lb fish if the 9 pound fish was weighed in alone?

No MA entries allowed? :confused: I know I could post a good size double digit fish too, maybe two of them.

The rules are wierd to me. 2 small fish? what about 2 big fish? what is "small"?

Unfort'ly contests like this with big cash prizes encourages lots of foul play. You will see all kinds of stuff here.

The Minimum fish size for the weigh in is 19 inches. So yes, two five pound fish will beat one 9 pound fish. But I would be absolutely amazed if some one who had a nine pound fish didn't have another fish over 19 inches to weigh. In other words, I expect almost all entries to be the combined weight of two fish.

Nor'east Saltwater is not presently being distributed in MA, so they set the georgraphic limits to be just NY,CT and RI where the magazine is distributed. All winners are required to submit to a polygraph test, so cheating should be kept to a minimum. Note you don't have to live in one of those states to compete, you just have to leave and return to one of the states on the day you opt to fish. So you MA guys could trailer or sail to RI and fish the tourney.

So it's basically the combined weight of your two biggest fish right? I mean noone is going to catch a single fish that is going to outweigh everyone else's pair.

OK, if that's the way it works then it's somewhat simple. You've got me interested.

Your boat or mine? lol

Fish on,
I'm not sure I'm going to enter yet. Even though I'm technicall eligilble, I do write for the magazine and moderate on their website. I can see a lof of grief coming my way if I was lucky enough to win something. OTOH a quick trip to Noman's might prove to be very worthwhile!

MM,

I am thinking of doing this. The rules state my boat must depart a NY, CT or RI port....does the boat have to return to that RI port?

Sandy,
I think the rules say that you have to leave from and return to a RI report. But I might be wrong on that. IN any even, you will have to weigh you entry at a RI weigh station. I'll check and see if you can drive the fish to the weigh station in your car/truck or you have to being it by boat. I'll get back to you.

Noreast needs to expand to MA...afterall we are more Nor East then NY ;)

Sandy,
IMHO its coming and in the not-so-distant future.

Sandy,
Just so you know, I've asked the "powers that be" the question and I am awaiting their reponse. I'll let you know when I get thei answer.

i'm in

MM,
Thanks! I would be willing to weigh in the fish at the shop but depending on the weather it could be a ugly 40 mile run which I would like to minimize the number of times I made it.

Sandy,
According to the rule makers, you have to leave from a RI port but you don't have to return to RI. You still have to weigh the fish at a RI weigh station. So you can leave from RI return to MA and drive the fish (by car) to the weigh station.

Excellent. I may just do this if I can free up that weekend. That would save me a long run back and forth if it is nasty. I may wait to the last minute to check the weather and see how I do the week prior.
I keep a car on the mainland and could run the fish back pronto if I had a big one. It is still a pain to run 40 miles each way just to fish in my own back yard. We need to get Noreast in MA.

Looks like Charleston RI is the furthest east shop? (capt Don's Marina)

Sandy,
as of the moment the furthest east weigh station is Wilwood outfitters in Wakefield. But I think they are trying to line up a shop in or around Newport. I'll let you know if they get someone on the east side of the bay.

A friend of mine got a 15+# fluke last week off South County, I think that would be a money fish!

Toonoc,
You know Vito? Yes that would have been a money fish had it been caught in the tourney. I'd bet that that fish plus one 5 pounder would have taken all the marbles.

Mike, yes, my wife works with his. Great story of when he caught it :laugha: , thats the fish of a lifetime. State record is 16.5 I think, he's getting it mounted.

That is an exceptional fish! I hope to catch one like that in about 2 weeks. :laugha:

MM, I am sorry for all the funky questions but if I register at the easternmost RI tackle shop the day of my fishing (say wakefield outfitters at 5:30am when they open) (and return to that shop by 5:00pm afternoon to weigh in a fish)...does my boat still have to leave from a RI port? Trying to not make the long boat run if I don't have to if the weather is crappy.

Sandy,
Yes, the rules claerly state that you have to leave from a port in RI, CT or NY. The reason it took a while to get the answer to the other question, is that the rules are silent as to where you have to return to.

MM, that is what I thought...It is going to be tight...lets hope for decent weather and fair winds.

I thought you fluke afficiandos would like to see what Vito's fifteen and a half pounder looked like.

:eek5: Now thats a real slab. Beautiful fish!

So, any idea how this is going (weight wise)? I am fishing it all day tomorow. If I win the 10-large, S-B.com clambake at my house!
_Z_

oh well. off i go.
_Z_

well? who won this thing?

Last I heard, but this is not official, it was won by a person fishing on one of the Frances fleet boats. I don't know the total weight yet. But I'll post it when I find out.

not me. :(
no fish weighed. :(
Did see some SBFT in my travels, though. :)
_z_

as of the moment, pending cerification, blah, blah, blah. the winning entry weighed 16.5 lbs. I understand that the fish were caught on one of the Frances Fleet boats and weighed in at Captain Morgan's Bait & Tackle in CT. The angler is from CT.

Mike, any idea how they broke out size wize? one big and one small, two 8 n changers?

glad to see it was a rhody fish (even though caught by a conectikook ;) j/k).

_Z_

if the total weight for two was 16.5 that is not as high as I thought the winner would be. I figured you would need a couple fish each double digits or at least a double digit and a 8#er.

Maybe next year they can include MA in the running.

Zac,
No idea of the breakout on the weight, I'll post it as soon as I know.

WOWZERS Vito's fish is HUGE!

Doormat? That's the entire front stupe.