2022 MRMTC Bluefin Tuna Tournament
FREE ENTRY – MRMTC Membership Required.
Each entry may fish FOUR DAYS Fishing Dates: Friday, May 20 thru Tuesday, June 28
Captains Meeting – Wednesday, May 18 – 6:30 pm – Southside Marina
Weigh-Ins daily at Hoffman’s Marina East Fuel dock
PRIZE: GUARANTEED CASH AWARD OF $1,500 50% HEAVIEST Bluefin, 30% SECOND HEAVIEST Bluefin 20% THIRD HEAVIEST Bluefin
Tournament Outline
A. Tournament Entry: Free
B. Guaranteed Prize Money: $1,500
C. Fishing Days: Friday, May 20 thru Tuesday, June 28
D. Captains Meeting: Wednesday, May 18 – 6:30 PM – Southside Marina
E. Calcuttas: Captains Meeting or See Calcutta Entry section
F. Registration: All members in good standing are automatically registered to fish the tournament
G. Call In: Entrants are required to call-in their fishing day
H. Awards: 3 largest Bluefin Tuna by weight
Tournament Rules
1. This tournament is a MRMTC member only tournament. Only MRMTC members and non-member guests are eligible to fish this tournament.
2. All members in good standing are automatically registered to fish this tournament.
3. Tournament entry is on a per boat basis. A member may fish on a member or non-member boat.
4. Each entry is for four individual days of fishing. However, a boat may fish additional days if the member's fishing “partner” is also a club member and has declared a fishing day. The “partner” must be on board on each of their additional fishing days for any catches on that day to be eligible for award consideration.
5. Members must call in their fishing day by 11:59 PM on the evening before their declared day of fishing. To declare a fishing day, a representative from the boat must call (732) 612-8052 and leave a message with the following information: Member’s name, boat name, fishing day, and day and time of call. Boats may also declare a fishing day via the MRMTC App available in the App store or Google Play Marketplace, same time constraint applies.
6. Boats must not depart Manasquan Inlet before 12:00 AM on their declared day of fishing and must return through Manasquan Inlet on the same day. Overnight trips are not permitted.
7. In the event of a boat becoming disabled after leaving Manasquan Inlet, a substitute boat and/or fishing day will be granted as long as the following conditions are satisfied:
a. Fishing lines must not have been placed in the water.
b. The boat must return to Manasquan Inlet by 10 AM on the same day it departed.
c. A participant on the boat must call (732) 612-8052 as soon as the boat enters Manasquan Inlet and leave a message with the following information: Member’s name, boat name, fishing day, nature of the boat disability, date and time of call.
8. Fish being entered for award consideration must have the fish weighed on the official digital scale at Hoffman’s Marina - East. Weigh in hours are daily during the hours that the marina’s fuel dock is open.
Call Hoffman’s Marina - East (732-528-6160) to confirm the time of fuel dock closing. Fish must be brought to the weigh scale by the boat upon which they were caught.
9. Only Bluefin Tuna are eligible for awards. Awards will be made for the 3 largest Bluefin Tuna by weight. Members should familiarize themselves with NOAA’s Atlantic Bluefin Tuna daily retention and size limits in effect at the time of their fishing day.
10.This is a recreational fishing tournament. The use of commercial fishing gear is prohibited. Commercial fishing gear Includes, but is not limited to, green sticks, bandit gear, or similar type gear. The use of spotter planes, drones or any other type of aerial surveillance equipment is prohibited.
- Bluefin tuna measuring 73” or greater in length are not eligible for awards.
- Possession of a commercial tuna permit will not allow the boat/entrant any privileges above those allowed by a recreational tuna permit.
11.The dock attendant is responsible only for weighing fish. In the case of a fish weighing 175 lbs or greater, Determination of fish being less than 73”is the responsibility of the entrant.
12.The requirements for determining a fish’s length for fish weighing 175 lbs or greater are as follows:
a. Determine the length of the fish via the CFL method per the following link: https://hmspermits.noaa.gov/bftMeasureData
b. Take two pictures of the fish as follows:
1. Take a picture of the overall fish while being measured.
2. Take a picture of the tail end of the fish as the length is being determined. Both ends of the fish and the measurement that is being submitted must be clear and legible in the picture.
13. A completed MRMTC Official Weigh Slip must be submitted for all Bluefin Tuna that are to be considered for awards. A photo of the completed weigh slip and photos of the fish length measurement when required shall be electronically submitted via email to WIN@mrmtc.com.
14. The official tournament radio channel is: VHF Channel 65.
15. All State, Federal and IGFA Rules and Regulations apply to this tournament except as follows:
a. A fish may be hooked by anyone other than the angler provided the rod is immediately transferred to the angler after the hook-up. From that time forward, the angler must fight the fish alone until boated or released.
b. The use of spreader bars is permitted.
16. There is no limit to the number of rods or lines used while fishing.
17. In the interest of conservation, MRMTC encourages the use of circle hooks when using natural bait and/or natural bait/artificial lure combinations. However, circle hooks are not mandatory for this tournament.
18. The boundary for the tournament is 75 miles from the Manasquan Inlet sea buoy. If the boundary is exceeded at any time during the declared fishing day, that boat’s catches are automatically disqualified for that fishing day.
19. Fish may be caught trolling, chunking, jigging and casting.
20. All Bluefin Tuna caught must be reported by the member to NOAA Fisheries.
21. Fish caught on a member’s boat during the course of a non-member charter trip are not eligible for award consideration regardless of who the angler is. Fish caught by a member who is being paid as a crew member, i.e. a mate, captain, etc. during the course of a fishing trip, are not eligible for any awards.
22. Prize Money will be paid by check and made out to the member’s name as on record. Prize money will be distributed to the winners upon determining the official results.
23. The tournament committee reserves the right to have winners take a lie detector examination.
24. The tournament may be altered, cancelled, postponed or extended to other dates at the discretion of the Tournament Committee.
25. All interpretations of the Rules and decisions by the Tournament Committee are final
As there is no official entry form, a member’s participation in the Club Bluefin Tuna Tournament will be automatically considered to be that member’s acknowledgement of compliance with the MRMTC General Disclaimer, as follows:
All boat owners, their crews, and anglers participate in the tournament voluntarily and at their own risk. They hereby agree to release and hold harmless the MRMTC, it’s Officers, Trustees, Agents, and employees from and against all claims, Damages, losses and expenses – including all attorneys’ fees incurred as a result of their suffering bodily injury, illness, death, economic loss, or property damage while participating in this tournament. By calling a in a fishing day and/or signing the Calcutta agreement I acknowledge that I have liability insurance coverage for my vessel and crew. The decision to fish or not relative to weather or any other reason is at the sole discretion of the participants. The entrant may elect to withdraw from the tournament if they are concerned with weather related sea conditions. All entry monies will be fully refunded as long as an officer, a trustee, or a tournament committee member is notified prior to the time of the captains meeting. Participants must comply with all applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations. MRMTC assumes no responsibility in that or any other regard. Any non-complying fish will be disqualified. I agree to the aforementioned terms and conditions, and represent that anyone invited to fish on the boat entered, has been informed and has accepted accordingly. Participation constitutes acceptance of the aforementioned terms and conditions and that the crew has been notified of these and all applicable, state, federal and IGFA rules.
Tournament Awards
Guaranteed Prize Money for the tournament is $1,500. The prize money will be distributed across the three heaviest Bluefin Tuna as follows:
Heaviest Bluefin Tuna $750
2nd Heaviest Bluefin Tuna $450
3rd Heaviest Bluefin Tuna $300
Calcuttas
Base Calcutta – Heaviest Tuna, 50/30/20 Split $100
High Roller - Heaviest Tuna takes all $100
1st Tuna over 100lb weighed (Time stamp of weigh slip email) $100
“Weekly” – Heaviest Tuna caught a.) 5/20 - 5/29 $100
b.) 5/30 – 6/8
c.) 6/9 – 6/18
d.) 6/19 – 6/28
Calcutta Entry
1. Complete the 2022 Club Bluefin Tournament Calcutta Entry Form.
2. Calcutta payments must be made in cash.
3. Bring Calcutta entry form and payment to Captains meeting.
4. Deliver the Calcutta entry form and cash payment to MRMTC in one of the following ways:
a. Mail to MRMTC, PO Box 251, Brielle, NJ 08730. The envelope must be postmarked no later than noon, May 19, 2021
b. Drop off at Carton Law Firm, 40 Union Ave., Manasquan, NJ 08736. The envelope must be delivered no later than 12 Noon, May 19, 2021.
Calcutta Execution
1. Weigh-ins will be performed by the dock attendant at Hoffmans-East fuel dock during the hours that the marina’s fuel dock is open.
2. The dock attendant will weigh the fish.
3. The fish are to be placed on the dock and removed from the dock in a manner that complies with social distancing requirements.
4. The dock attendant is responsible only for weighing fish. In the case of a fish weighing 175 lbs or greater, Determination of fish being less than 73”is the responsibility of the entrant.
5. The requirements for determining a fish’s length for fish weighing 175 lbs or greater are as follows:
a. Determine the length of the fish via the CFL method per the following link: https://hmspermits.noaa.gov/bftMeasureData b. Take two pictures of the fish as follows: Take a picture of the overall fish while being measured. Take a picture of the tail end of the fish as the length is being determined. Both ends of the fish and the measurement that is being submitted must be clear and legible in the picture.
c. Complete an MRMTC Official Weigh Slip clearly denoting the weight and length of the fish.
d. Take a picture of the completed MRMTC Official Weigh Slip. e. Electronically submit the Weigh slip via email to WIN@mrmtc.com.
f. The email should be submitted immediately after weigh in as the time stamp of the email (time received at WIN@mrmtc.com) will be used as a tie-breaker. Earlier time on any particular day will take precedence over a later time.
g. The deadline for submitting weigh slips for awards consideration is 10:00 PM on each day of the tournament.