June is a big month for fishing tournaments in Maryland and Virginia, especially for anglers who enjoy Chesapeake Bay fishing. You think you're up for the competition? Tournament anglers should tune in for:
Monster Snakehead Hunt
How would you like your name immortalized on the walls of Anglers Sport Center? In the first ever Anglers Monster Snakehead Hunt, the heaviest northern snakehead caught on hook and line in Maryland waters from shore or a kayak between May 27 and September 1 will be cast and custom mounted on display forever. The winner will also be awarded with a 100% cash payout from tournament entries. All fish must weighed in at Anglers in Annapolis, MD during normal business hours. If you think you have a winner, you will want to minimize damage and keep it flat on a board in a cooler while transporting to eliminate dents/bends in fish. Since it is illegal to transport live snakehead, it is recommended that you remove the gill arches in order to dispatch the fish. For more info and to register, visit Anglers Sport Center
Snakehead Bake
If you’ve been swept up by the snakehead fishing craze, then on the first and second of June you might want to partake in Snakehead Mayhem, in Woolford, MD. This tournament is leg two of the 2019 Channidae Championship, with anglers submitting their five heaviest snakeheads each day and the angler with the most total weight for the tournament winning. There are also multiple calcuttas, a Youth division, and participating anglers accumulate points towards becoming Snakehead Angler of the Year. Daily weigh-ins are held at the Woolford Store (important tip: try their luscious cheese-steak subs!!) and snakeheads not kept by anglers will be donated to feed the hungry.
Last month’s Spring Snakehead Kickoff tournament (leg one of the trail) was won by angler Joey Cover (you may know of him as one of the guys behind the counter at Alltackle in Annapolis – next time you swing by there be sure to congratulate Joey and ask him for some snakehead fishing tips) with an amazing 67.65-pounds. Second went to Greg Hall with 50.95-pounds, third to Matt Polm with 45.55-pounds, and Damion Cook had the single largest fish at 12.5-pounds. Visit Woolford's Channidae Championship Trail, to learn more.
CCA at Kent Narrows
An amazingly cool CCA tournament happens June 1, the Kent Narrows Fly and Light Tackle Tournament. There are prizes for Fly, Light Tackle, Kayak, Team, and Lady Angler divisions plus white perch and other finfish. This is a C-P-R iAngler tournament; visit iAngler to learn more.
Mako Mania
June 7 through 9 is Mako Mania, held at Bahia Marina in Ocean City, MD. There will be awards given for the heaviest mako and thresher sharks, plus bluefish. Visit Bahia Marina for the details.
OC Small Boat Tournament
The 40th annual Small Boat Tournament happens June 15 and 16 (competitors fish one of the two days), thanks to the Ocean City Marlin Club in OC, MD. This tournament is open to all boats under 34 feet in length (as listed by manufacturer specifications) and includes both inshore (flounder, sea bass, tautog, bluefish, and rockfish) and offshore (tuna, dolphin, and billfish release) divisions. Weigh-ins are at Sunset, and boats are allowed to fish in both divisions (so you can fish inshore on one day, and offshore on the other). Visit the Marlin Club, to learn more.
CBSFA at the Bay and Beach
The Chesapeake Bay Sport Fishing Association has two tournaments coming up this month, one on the Bay and one down at the beach. June 15 is the School’s Out Rockfish tournament, hosted at Dock of the Bay, with fishing anywhere on the Bay from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and weigh-ins starting at 2:30. A week later June 21 – 23 is the Tuna-Fortuna tournament, held in Ocean City, MD. Boats fish two of the three days, have a 100-mile limit from the inlet, and weigh-ins are held at Sunset Marina. Visit CBSFA to learn more.
Virginia Beach Tuna Tournament
June 19 to 22 is the Virginia Beach Tuna Tournament, with each boat fishing one of the three days. This is a trolling-only tournament, the aggregate weight of the biggest three tuna per boat make up the scoring, and all IGFA rules apply. Weigh-ins are at the Long Bay Pointe and Virginia Beach Fishing Center scales. Visit vbtuna.com, to learn more.
Catch and Release Competition
You like the idea of a catch-photo-release tournament that’s run for the benefit of organizations like Blue Water Baltimore, the Coastal Conservation Association, and Patapsco Heritage Greenway? Then the First Annual Chesapeake Rockfish Open is the ideal venue for you to compete. Sponsored by the Chesapeake Yacht Center, Verdence Capital, and Weller Development, the tournament will happen on Saturday, June 22. There are boat and kayak divisions, plus woman’s and Youth awards. The stringer of the three longest fish wins, and a total of $6,000 in gift certificates to Tochterman’s Tackle will be in the winnings. Visit iAngler for more info or to register for the tournament.
Fish N Paddle Saltwater Slam
Bust out your kayaks and paddleboards, Fish N Paddle Saltwater Slam is bringing the ultimate competitive kayak and paddleboard fishing experience to West Ocean City, MD.
The tournament will last from June 29-30, with a minimum purse of $7,000 to be divided amongst the top 3 anglers. Brian Roberts, cofounder of Huk Big Fish Classic, hopes to expand into different waters through kayak and paddleboard fishing.
“We are creating something else really big here,” Brian said, “Kayak and paddleboard saltwater fishing has always been one of my passions, and Ocean City is the perfect city to host a world class competition. I’m bringing something new to the community with a lot of activities and a great competitive atmosphere.”
Featuring over $8,000 in other prizes, no minimum number of competitors and multiple optional divisions, there are endless ways to compete and win. Visit fishnpaddle.com to sign up or learn more.