Mustad To Give Away $75,000 In Shark Conservation Open

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Mustad To Give Away $75,000 In Shark Conservation Open,

A Circle Hook Tournament



Auburn, NY (April 2005) — Mustad® has teamed up with legendary shark angler Frank Mundus to create The Frank Mundus $75,000 Shark Conservation Open. This Circle Hook Tournament is sponsored by The Fisherman®

Ten sharks will be tagged: one will be tagged for a Grand Prize of $50,000, another for a Second Place Prize of $25,000, and the remaining eight for $1500 Tackle Packages, each including a Shimano TLD-5011LRS reel. The first angler to catch and release a tagged shark will win the Shimano Release Bonus— a 2005 Shimano Tiagra 50WLRS reel. Tagged species include Mako, Thresher and Blue sharks.

Intended to promote catch & release conservation, anglers in the tournament must use Mustad® Circle Hooks (#39950BL, #39952BL, #39960D or #39965D). Mundus states, “Mustad circle hooks are essential for catch-and-release because they will hook in the corner of the jaw and eliminate gut hooks and, most importantly, save sharks.” If an angler uses Mustad Ultra Line™ monofilament or Mustad Ultrabite™ pheromone attractant while catching a cash-tagged shark, the angler will receive a $1,000 cash bonus for each.

Frank Mundus, nicknamed the “monster man,” has caught the largest fish ever recorded on rod and reel, a 3,427-lb. White shark, and holds a 50-lb. test record with the catch of a 1,080-lb. Mako. The classic book and movie Jaws was based on the experiences that Mundus had while aboard his boat chasing sharks. His legendary boat the Cricket II — built in 1946 — will be stationed at Star Island Yacht Club for the event. His autobiography, “50 Years A Hooker,” will be available in June.

All anglers must be registered in order to participate in the event. Registration fee is $100 per angler. The tournament will run from June 15 through July 5 and take place in the Atlantic Ocean out of Montauk, NY. Tournament headquarters will be at Star Island Marina in Montauk.

The Recreational Fishing Alliance and The Fisherman’s Sport Fishing Fund will benefit from a cash donation from the tournament. RFA is a national, grass-roots political organization representing individual sport fishermen and the sport industry. The RFA Mission is to safeguard the rights of saltwater anglers and to protect marine, boat and tackle industry jobs and ensure the long sustainability of U.S. saltwater fisheries. The Fisherman’s Sport Fishing Fund is non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the sport of fishing through kids’ clinics, seminars, habitat clean-up and other activities.

For complete rules and to register, visit www.mustadsharkconservation.com. For more information email: sharkconservation@mustad-usa.com.