Anglers who catch the most different species of fish in the unique Rod and Reef Slam Fishing Tournament can win a grand prize worth up to $1,400 in Under Armour fishing apparel and All Tackle gift certificates while division winners receive other exciting prizes.
The tournament takes place from Oct. 9 to 17 and registration remains open. The entry cost is $25. Today, tournament organizers Coastal Conservation Association Maryland, Chesapeake Oyster Alliance, and Chesapeake Bay Foundation are announcing the following prize packages for the tournament:
Overall Grand Prize
- $300 All Tackle gift certificate; Under Armour Apparel Kit that includes footwear, bottoms, shirt, and fleece or outerwear with a retail value of about $1,400; and a Coastal Conservation Association MD soft-body Engel backpack cooler.
Powerboat Division
- First Place – $200 All Tackle gift certificate and Under Armour shirt and fleece or outerwear with a retail value up to $150.
- Second Place – $125 All Tackle gift certificate and an Under Armour top.
- Third Place – $75 All Tackle gift certificate and an Under Armour hat.
Kayak Division
- First Place – $200 All Tackle gift certificate and Under Armour shirt and fleece or outerwear with a retail value up to $150.
- Second Place – $125 All Tackle gift certificate and an Under Armour top.
- Third Place – $75 All Tackle gift certificate and an Under Armour hat.
Youth Division
- First Place – $100 All Tackle gift certificate, Chesapeake Bay Foundation or Coastal Conservation Association hat, and an Under Armour shirt and fleece or outerwear with a retail value up to $150.
- Second Place – $75 All Tackle gift certificate, Chesapeake Bay Foundation or Coastal Conservation Association shirt, and an Under Armour shirt.
- Third Place – $50 All Tackle gift certificate, Under Armour hat, and Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Coastal Conservation Association stickers.
Invasive Species Division
- 50-quart Engel hard side cooler with an estimated value of $300 and an Under Armour shirt and fleece or outerwear with an estimated value of $150.
All winners will also receive a 40 percent off Under Armour apparel coupon.
The contest is designed to highlight the diversity of fish that surround oyster reefs. To do that, anglers will fish in areas where oyster reefs have been restored in Maryland. Anglers will use the iAngler Tournament app to document their catches and fishing locations.
During the past two centuries, Maryland has lost nearly all its oyster reef habitat due to overfishing, pollution, and disease. The loss of reef habitat has corresponded with less fish that frequent oyster reefs, such as sheepshead, black sea bass, and tautog. However, ongoing oyster reef restoration throughout the Bay is showing signs of success and the potential to lure more of these types of fish back into Maryland waters. Oysters are also valuable in the Bay for their natural filtering abilities. An adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day.
All anglers who register will also be entered into the new invasive species division this year. The person who catches the longest three-fish stringer of blue catfish, flathead catfish or Northern snakehead will be declared the winner of that division.
Anglers can pick fishing locations ranging from the large-scale restoration tributaries on the Eastern Shore such as Harris Creek, the Little Choptank River, and the Tred Avon River to smaller Western shore restoration sites, including those in the South, Severn and Magothy rivers around Annapolis. There are more than 100 reefs to fish in the tournament that can be found using the tournament’s interactive map.
Winners in previous Rod and Reef Slam tournaments have caught more than a dozen different species including white perch, spot, toadfish, drum, blue crabs, rockfish, and bluefish.
A live online awards ceremony will take place to announce the winners.
Anglers interested in participating can register on the CBF website. More information about the tournament is on the iAngler Tournament page.
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