2021 Maryland Rod and Reef Slam: Angling for Oyster Restoration
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2021 Maryland Rod and Reef Slam: Angling for Oyster Restoration
Email: information@ccamd.org
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REGISTER FIRST AT CBF.ORG/SLAM THEN RETURN TO THIS PAGE TO COMPLETE REGISTRATION USING YOUR COUPON CODE
Purpose
When an estuary loses almost all of its keystone oyster reefs like the Chesapeake Bay has, it causes fundamental change. What has the Bay lost? We know from archaeologists that colonists in St. Mary’s City found sheepshead in abundance in the lower Potomac in the 17th century. How about abundant populations of other popular reef fish like black sea bass, tautog and drum? Fish habitat in Maryland still has its challenges, but we want you to help us find out what fish can be caught on restored and enhanced reefs in Maryland.
Join us for a tournament that focuses on restored oyster reefs throughout the Maryland portion of Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Many partners have worked together to build these reefs, including the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office, the Army Corps of Engineers, Coastal Conservation Association Maryland, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Oyster Recovery Partnership, and Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
This tournament is a little different. You don’t just win by catching the biggest fish. Prizes will be awarded for how many species you catch, and then how big your fish are. We’re celebrating diversity, and the return of some of these great reef species that we’ve been missing.
Past Rod and Reef Slam tournaments have shown as many as 12 different species being caught in one day. How many can you catch?
REGISTER AT CBF.ORG/SLAM
DETAILS
ENTRY FEE: $25 Includes tournament entry, entry into the Invasive Species Division (NEW for 2021!) and tournament t-shirt.
YOUTH ENTRY: Youth aged 17 and under may participate for free with a participating adult. Email the name(s) of any youth entrant(s) to information@ccamd.org with the subject Maryland Rod and Reef Youth Entry and we will connect their iAngler account to the participating adult’s account. After signing up your youth member, consider heading over to ccamd.org/kids-corner and have your budding angler and conservationist show their passion for the Bay and obtain a FREE CCA Youth Membership.
VIRTUAL AWARDS CEREMONY: Due to the ongoing pandemic, we're taking this year's award ceremony virtual. Tune in to CBF and CCA's social media channels to watch the tournament winners announced LIVE at 1:00 pm on Sunday, October 17th.
FISHING BOUNDARIES: Restored oyster reefs in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay and tributaries. CLICK HERE FOR INTERACTIVE ONLINE MAP, see attached PDF maps, or view map images in the Gallery below.
SPECIES: Any finfish species may be submitted. This is a catch, photo & release tournament. Release is highly encouraged, but not mandatory. Refer to the fishing regulations set by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and abide by the law. Be sure to employ proper fishing handling techniques when practicing catch and release.
IMPORTANT! A Tournament Waiver must be completed for each angler, including youth participants, and submitted to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation prior to fishing on October 9, 2021. A link to complete the online waiver can be found in your confirmation email. Anglers that have not completed a waiver prior to the start of the tournament will be disqualified.
DIVISIONS
POWERBOAT
The Powerboat division is included in the general entry cost, and each angler on the boat is judged as an individual. There are no teams in this division. Individuals in the Powerboat division may fish any restored oyster reef areas in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay and tributaries. Maps of the tournament fishing boundaries are in the Gallery section below or can be viewed on this interactive map. All participants in the powerboat division must check their entries on the iAngler tournament leaderboard to ensure their accuracy and email the judging team (david@ccamd.org; acolden@cbf.org) no later than 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 17, 2021 to confirm their entries.
KAYAK
The kayak division is included in the general entry cost, and each vessel is judged on an individual basis. Kayak anglers will compete only with other kayak anglers. Kayaks may fish any restored oyster reef areas in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay and tributaries. Maps of the tournament fishing boundaries are in the Gallery section below or can be viewed on this interactive map. Participants in the kayak division may travel and launch from anywhere in the area, but must check their entries on the iAngler tournament leaderboard to ensure their accuracy and email the judging team (david@ccamd.org; acolden@cbf.org) no later than 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 17, 2021 to confirm their entries.
YOUTH
Youth aged 17 and younger may compete for free with a participating adult. Each angler is judged on an individual basis. Participants in the youth division may fish any restored oyster reef areas in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay and tributaries. Maps of the tournament fishing boundaries are in the Gallery section below or can be viewed on this interactive map. Anglers must check their entries on the iAngler tournament leaderboard to ensure their accuracy and email the judging team (david@ccamd.org; acolden@cbf.org) no later than 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 17, 2021 to confirm their entries.
INVASIVE SPECIES – NEW for 2021!
The invasive species division in included in the general entry cost. All anglers participating in the Powerboat, Kayak, or Youth divisions are automatically entered in the Invasive Species division. Participants in the invasive species division may fish any restored oyster reef areas in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay and tributaries. Maps of the tournament fishing boundaries are in the Gallery section below or can be viewed on this interactive map. Anglers must check their entries on the iAngler tournament leaderboard to ensure their accuracy and email the judging team (david@ccamd.org; acolden@cbf.org) no later than 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 17, 2021 to confirm their entries.
The prize for the Invasive Species division will be awarded to the angler with the longest 3-fish stringer of the following eligible invasive species – blue catfish, flathead catfish, or Northern snakehead. Harvest of invasive species is encouraged.
PLEASE SEE ADDITIONAL TOURNAMENT RULES AND REGULATIONS BELOW.
Prizes
Grand Prize will be awarded to the highest overall diversity of species caught, then by the collective length of all fish caught.
There will be 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes in the Powerboat, Kayak, and Youth divisions, based on the number of fish species entered. When there is a tie in number of species, the total length of the largest individuals of each species determines the winners. All finfish species caught by hook and line are eligible, including oyster toadfish.
There will be one prize awarded in the Invasive Species division for the longest 3-fish stringer of eligible invasive species, which includes blue catfish, flathead catfish, and Northern snakeheads.
DIVISIONS
- Grand Prize: Overall Highest Diversity
- Powerboat: 1st Place, 2nd Place, 3rd Place
- Kayak: 1st Place, 2nd Place, 3rd Place
- Youth: 1st Place, 2nd Place, 3rd Place
- Invasive Species: Overall Longest 3-Fish Stringer
Visit www.cbf.org/slam for a full list of prizes. Awards will be presented via a live streamed awards ceremony on CBF and CCA's social media channels. All tournament participants will receive links via email to view the ceremony at 1:00 pm on Sunday, October 17, 2021.
A Tournament Waiver must be completed for each angler, including youth participants, and submitted to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation prior to fishing on October 9, 2021. A link to the online waiver can be found in your confirmation email. Anglers that have not completed a waiver prior to the start of the tournament will be disqualified.
Announcements
Events & Schedule
Shirt Deadline
09/24/2021 11:30 PM
Registration Deadline
10/08/2021 04:00 PM
Photo ID Provided to Participants
10/08/2021 07:00 PM
Lines In - Fishing Begins
10/09/2021 06:30 AM
Lines Out - Fishing Ends
10/17/2021 12:00 PM
Awards Ceremony
10/17/2021 01:00 PM
Gallery
Crew
Sponsors
Rules and RegulationsClick to Read
PHOTO ENTRY VIA IANGLER TOURNAMENT APP:
- This is a catch, photograph, and release tournament. All fish must be photographed with the tournament photo indicator and measuring device and submitted before fishing time ends October 17, 2021. *ALL PHOTOS MUST BE CLEAR AND READABLE*
- Photos will be entered through the iAngler Tournament smartphone application (free application available via Google PlayStore and the iPhone App Store) and must be submitted BEFORE LINES OUT at 12:00 pm.
- No catch electronically logged after 12:00 pm will count in the tournament. If a participant has technical issues with the iAngler Tournament application they may submit photos via email, but the time stamp on photo must show that the catch occurred during the legal hours of the tournament.
- Tournament participants will be provided a tournament photo indicator on Friday, October 8, 2021. The photo indicator must be visible in all pictures and may be drawn on a hand or ruler to ensure clear visibility.
- All photos must include catch location information using your smartphone’s GPS on the iAngler app. For those not using the iAngler app, the photograph must be accompanied by an additional photograph displaying your GPS location with the tournament photo indicator visible. Each logged catch must include a separate GPS location photo. Catches logged outside the tournament fishing boundaries will be not be counted.
- Catches for youth participants may be entered via another participant’s iAngler account. Email the name(s) of any youth entrant(s) to information@ccamd.org with the subject Rod and Reef Youth Entry and we will connect their iAngler account to the participating adult’s account.
- Participants must confirm that their catch has been recorded properly and can do so through the iAngler Tournament Scoreboard throughout the week. The button to confirm that catch has been submitted and approved is in the top right of the app window.
FISH MEASUREMENTS:
- The largest fish will be determined by length measured from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail (You may pinch the tail). Fish may be measured with any standard measuring tape or ruler. Rulers that are molded into coolers are not allowed.
- To measure your fish: Put the measuring stick on the deck of your boat. Lay the fish on the measuring stick. Put the snout on the zero mark (the end of the stick). It helps to jam the measuring stick against a vertical surface to ensure that the zero mark, and the snout of the fish are even. Fish will be measured to the nearest 0.25 of an inch.
- Judges reserve the right to inspect any ruler or measuring device at any time and at the judges’ sole discretion disqualify any entry.
TOURNAMENT RULES & JUDGING
ALL FISH MUST BE CAUGHT ACCORDING TO MARYLAND FISHING REGULATIONS.
- Rods: Anglers may use no more than two rods at a time (including kayaks). No more than 5 total rods for power boats at any given time, regardless of the number of anglers on board.
- Metadata: Tournament officials reserve the right to examine the metadata of any photo image to confirm the validity of a claim. Photos with edited or missing metadata may be disallowed at the officials’ discretion.
- Protests: A registered angler may protest any other registered angler’s catch by filing a written protest to the tournament committee by 5:00 pm the day it was caught. The judges will settle any protest and their decision will be final.
- Compliance: Failure to comply with any rule or regulation of the tournament, or law, rule or regulation of Maryland State Fishing Guide, may cause the disqualifications of an angler or the angler’s catch. Any registered angler so disqualified shall not be entitled to any prize, award, or entry refund.
- Weather: All anglers will fish at their own discretion and at their own risk. If bad weather causes the cancelation of the tournament, the tournament committee shall be responsible for making the decision to reschedule.
- Indemnity: Each angler must sign a waiver of liability in order to participate in the tournament and will fish at his or her own risk. Each angler agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Coastal Conservation Association Maryland, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Tournament Directors, Sponsors, and each of their members, agents, officers and employees from any and all liability, loss or damage they may suffer as a result of this fishing tournament.
Disclaimer Click to Read
The tournament committee reserves the right to refuse the registration of any angler. Tournament standings will be posted at the conclusion of the day. Any challenges to the calculations should be made within one half hour of posting. No protests or challenges will be considered after the awards presentations.
All anglers, including youth participants, are required to complete a Tournament Waiver and submit their completed waiver to Chesapeake Bay Foundation prior to the start of fishing on October 9, 2021. Anglers who have not completed a Tournament Waiver will be disqualified.