2009 BIG HAMMER CHALLENGE- TOURNAMENT Rules,Prizes etc,etc
2009 BIG HAMMER CHALLENGE SHARK TOURNAMENT POSTER
Prizes include $500 for the biggest shark caught and gold capped shark teeth for second and third biggest sharks.
TOURNAMENT RULES
The 2009 3rd ANNUAL BIG HAMMER CHALLENGE CATCH AND RELEASE SHARK TOURNAMENT starts next Wednesday April 1st 2009,so all LAND-BASED shark fisherman in Florida get ready because it,s gonna be bigger and better then ever.
NO BOUNDARIES-THE ENTIRE STATE OF FLORIDA IS OPEN FOR FISHING
Tournament is for land based fisherman all sharks must be caugt from a beach,bridge,pier,jetty or dock.
Tournament will start April 1, 2009 and end April 30,2009. Last day to register will be April 7,2009
This tournament is a catch and release internet picture tournament hosted on http://www.boatlessfishing.com . and https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com
This tournament is non profit,monies collected go towards cost of prizes, tournament t shirts and all other costs involved.
Registration fee is $40 per angler OR $175 for a team of 5 anglers. Registration forms will be available this week online and also available at select business and tackle shops to be announced this week.
Once the registration form has been completed please send a.CHECK or MONEY ORDER made out to SOUTH FLORIDA SHARK CLUB
10818 n.w 6ct miami,fl 33168.
LOCATIONS WHERE YOU CAN PICK UP REGISTRATION FORMS
AS OF MONDAY MARCH 23,2009
Angler's Bait and Tackle
230 east Dania Beach Blvd,DANIA FL 33004 954-925-9995
Competition Tackle
5911 south st rd 7 Davie Fl 33314 954-581-4476
Skyway Bait and Tackle
4808 US hgwy 19 North Palmetto FL 34221
Frank's Bait and Tackle
4425 unit D Tamiami Trail Charlotte Harbor FL 33980
Yellow Bait House -Key largo
Kingsbury Bait and Tackle - Ft Lauderdale
RULES
All sharks must be caught from land or structure,,,no boats.
All sharks must be caught on rod and reel.
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All sharks must be caught unassisted by one angler only.
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All sharks must be caught from the state of Florida.
All sharks caught must be released.
All sharks MUST be measured, and two photographs taken, one with the secret item in picture.
SECRET ITEM will be posted on http://www.boatlessfishing.com and https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com on MARCH 31st 2009 .
All sharks most be posted on http://www.boatlessfishing.com no later then 3 days after being caught.
A Registration form must be filled out by all anglers competing.
Each team must designate a team captain.
Teams must have a minimum of 2 anglers and a maximum of 5 any combination
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Teams must consist of at least one adult (18 years old)or older.
No teams may consist of all junior anglers.
Junior angler is any angler under the age of 18.
Anglers under 18 must have a consent form signed by a parent or legal guardian and turned in before they can fish in the tournament.
All parents signing a form will be contacted to verify permission.Phone number of parent is required.
DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION-All registration forms and fees must be in by April 7,2009 . If your registration form is mailed in and you think it's gonna be late PLEASE CALL WILL 786-797-5712
QUALIFYING SHARKS
The minimum qualifying length of a shark is 5 feet .
All species of sharks are eligible including Nurse sharks.
. PHOTOGRAPHS ARE MANDATORY-preferably digital
All sharks must be photographed to be eligible.Photographs must be clear.
All photographs must have secret item, which will be posted on http://www.boatlessfishing.com and https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com the day before the beginning of the tournament Tuesday March 31,2009
2 PICTURES MUST BE TAKEN OF EACH SHARK AND POSTED ON www,southfloridasharkclub.com and on http://WWW.boatlessfishing.com FOR THE SHARK TO QUALIFY
PICTURE ONE -OVERALL LENGTH PICTURE with secret item and measuring tape stretched out CLEARLY VISIBLE from tip of nose to tip of tail.
PICTURE TWO must be a closeup showing where the tip of the shark's tail ends on the measuring tape.
Sharks must be measured from tip of the nose to tip of the tail.
WINNERS WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE OVERALL LENGTH OF EACH SHARK.
STANDINGS WILL BE POSTED AND UPDATED ON https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com
Disputes --ALL DISPUTES WILL BE HANDLED VIA PM'S on http://www.boatless.com or on https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com
TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE
Any disputes will then be handled by the Tournament Committee.
William Fundora President of the South Florida Shark Club, Sean Paxton of the ILSFA,Mike Palmer of Team Oldskool and Herbert Mueller of Team Hammer Time
Anyone caught cheating will automatically be disqualified.
Anyone deemed disruptive or disrespecful may be disqualified and there money returned.We will not tolerate bashing or malicious behaviour;so choose your words carefully.
Tournament is 100% non-profit.
In order for a photograph to be eligible angler must have registration form signed and turned in no later than April 7,2009 , and team members must all be identified before the commencement of the tournament. Tournament registration is $40 per angler.
ANGLERS MEETING-SATURDAY MARCH 28,2009
Tournament t shirts can be picked up at the ANGLERS MEETING/BAR BQ SATURDAY MARCH 28th 2009 from 11am-6pm at Haulover Beach Park (adress)10800 Colins ave MIAMI BEACH, FL 33154(north inlet- beachside)Tournament t shirts can also be mailed to you once your form and payment has been recieved. Please include in your payment $10 for shipping if you need the shirts mailed to you.Please include a list of the t-shirt sizes you will need. Sizes available are small to 3xxx. Every angler fishing the tournament will recieve one tournament shirt.Additional shirts can be bought for $15 each.
Sharks can also be entered to be registered for potential land-based world records at http://www.landbasedsharkfishing.com which is the website for the INTERNATIONAL LAND-BASED SHARK FISHING ASSOCIATION.
Record submissions to the ILSFA will be properly evaluated, according to the ILSFA submission guidelines.
Please email William at info@southfloridasharkclub.com with your Team names and the name of your team members.
Rules subject to change and will be announced.
Award Categories
1st place Biggest Shark – Winner will receive $500 cash
2nd place Biggest Shark -Winner will recieve 12/0 and cutom rod
3rd place Biggest Shark -Winner will recieve Gold capped shark tooth
4th place Biggest Shark -Winner will recieve Gold capped shark tooth
5th place Biggest Shark -Trophy and a prize.
Biggest shark caught on 80 lb test - Winner will recieve Surf rod w Reel
Biggest shark caught on spinning tackle-winner recieve Surf rod w Reel
Biggest non shark-(must have secret item in picture) - Trophy
1st place Team Champions – Most Sharks caught. Trophy and Prizes
2nd place Team Champions – Most Sharks caught. Trophy and Prizes
3rd place Team Champions – Most Sharks caught . Trophy and Prizes
Beach champions -Most sharks caught from the beach. Trophy and Prizes
Pier champions -Most sharks caught from a pier. Trophy and Prizes
Bridge champions -Most sharks caught from a bridge. Trophy and Prizes
Biggest Hammerhead – Winner will receive 9/0 and rod
Biggest Bull - Winner will recieve fighting harness and Gimbal belt.
Biggest Tiger - Winner will recieve fighting harness and Gimbal belt.
Biggest Lemon- Winner will recieve a Gimbal belt.
Biggest shark caught by a female(first place) - Surf rod and reel combo.
Biggest shark caught by a female(second place) - Trophy
Junior Angler Biggest Shark - Surf rod and reel combo.
More Prizes to be announced as they are collected.
HARDCORE FISHING
This tournament is brought to you by a group of extraordinary anglers in a specialized sport who live for the thrill of tangling with the biggest sharks in the world.Again i will state that there is only two reasons we put this tourny together every year,to compete and foremost for the love of the sport. We’re really aware of the monster hammerhead sharks,huge tiger and bull sharks that come in to feed close to our shores this time of the year.therefore it is now that we feel is the best time of the year for this tournament. The world record hammerhead shark was broken 2 years ago with a 1280 lb hammerhead caught at Boca Grande Pass on a boat after a five hour fight. There are sharks around the inlets, bridges. and beaches that size and bigger but to catch one from land is where the true challenge lies. Many tried few have succeeded. Many of us old timers in the South Florida Shark Club have had 14/0s and 16/0s packed with 130 lb test line stripped of line down to the knot on beaches piers and bridges like Bahia Honda, Seven Miler, Long Key, Channel Two, Channel Five, Indian Key. We hope to see some real hardcore shark hunters step up and show who is up to the challenge
For any questions of comments contact William (786) 797-5712
Or email willsfsharkclub@aol.com
We will not allow anyone to attempt to trash or discredit the tournament its anglers, its sponsors or the ruling committee. You can email me with any dispute or problem.
DISCLAIMER
Those putting the tournament together and the sponsors who have helped put it together are in no way responsible for any bodily injury or death resulting from the tournament.
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Please register your team name and all anglers on your team as soon as possible .We are still looking for sponsors and volunteers to help out so please contact us if interested. Good luck to all.More info soon.
3rd ANNUAL BIG HAMMER CHALLENGE SHARK TOURNAMENT
Finding the fisherman and expanding the 2009 BIG HAMMER CHALLENGE into new territories is one of the major goals for this year's tournament which will run from April 1st-April 30th 2009
NEW TERRITORIES AND NEW TEAMS
Florida has some of the sharkiest waters in the entire world, and the shark fisherman here have been catching impressive sharks from it's shorelines for many decades.The land -based shark fishing history in Florida is as impressive as the tales told by the extraordinary fisherman that have been involved in the sport at one time or another.Many people don't believe it but in the 1960's,70's and 80's land-based shark fishing was in it's heyday , more popular then today, and had many more fisherman involved in the sport.Currently the tide is turning in the opposite direction with the internet bringing back the popularity of our sport the interest in shark fishing is surging upwards .We believe that if approached and made aware of shark fishing's resurgence in Florida and on the internet in general, many of those shark fisherman would jump on the oppurtunity to once again fish for sharks and participate in the awesome new breed of catch and release shark tournaments hosted on different websites.By quickly learning some basic computer skills these older shark hunters would have the possibility of showcasing there skills,and sharing there shark fishing stories and pictures with the newer generation of avid land based shark fisherman who love everything related to shark fishing new or old.The South Florida Shark Club is proud to be involved in it's role of finding and recruiting the shark fisherman of yesteryear and encouraging there participation in the sport once again.Truth be said they paved the way for today's shark fisherman and deserve our respect, encouragement and friendship.
color=#000000]FRANK MUNDUS-the original MONSTER MAN
This year we want to dedicate THE BIG HAMMER CHALLENGE to the memory of the greatest shark fisherman of all times -Captain Frank Mundus.Frank mundus passed away in 2008 but the influence he had on shark fishing is still evidenced around the world today.Among many other things he pioneered the use of the shark cage to photograph up close the great white shark.Many books have been written about Capt Frank Mundus and his shark fishing adventures, but few make mention of his modest character , witty sense of humor or humble personality.Almost single handedly he was the man that elevated the sport of shark fishing to new heights.Frank Mundus became world famous for catching some of the largest Great White sharks ever using techniques he developed and perfected.As a teenager i still remember the thrill of having found in my high school library(Nort Miami Beach Senior High) his first book "Sportfishing For Sharks".I read that book from cover to cover many times and each time i tried to draw out of it more knowledge and my desire to catch sharks just like him became stronger. He was a childhood idol of mine and he will be forever live in my memories.The Paxton brothers spent the last year of Frank's life documenting much of his life on film,refurbishing Frank's boat the Cricket 2, and they have amassed invaluble material that will help to better tell the story of shark fishing's ultimate lejend FRANK MUNDUS R.I.P
This year we plan on having a bigger tournament with more teams fishing from areas such as Sebastian,Melbourne,Cocoa Beach,Flagler Beach,Daytona Beach,Jacksonville, and on the west side of the state Destin,Fort Walton Beach,Pensacola,Panama City Beach,St Petersberg,Tampa,Clearwater,Indian Rocks Beach,Bradenton,Fort Myers,Naples and Marco Island.Last year we had 19-5 men teams that fished the tournament and this year we're expecting to have closer to 30 teams competing and representing some of the best shark fishing hotspots in the state.
SOUTH FLORIDA SHARK CLUB -President SFSC-Founding Member est 1983 SFSC-Website Administrator BIG HAMMER SHARK TOURNAMENT -Founder Rene Memorial Sharkathon -Founder NMFS Shark Tagger
Sounds great Will, just 2 questions though.
1.do the teams receive a trophy for each member?
2.Any way the winning shark can be changed to overall estimated weight via (length,girth,fork,etc.)
because it would be a blow to any angler who catches a 450lb 8ft7 pregnant bull, only to lose to a 9 ft lizard hammer that weighs 200lbs!!!!
I also thought the same should go for our shark club standards, and i know a good amount of our friends would agree!!!
Just my opinion!!
On the contrary the tournament looks like a blast and i cant wait to saddle up with my team hammer and the phenoms and bring the prize home.
SFSC -East Coast Events Coordinator
i gotta agrea with seaweed on the girth seen a few tournys lost latly due to just that
In order to simplify the tournament and cut down the possibility of contraversy among the people fishing the tournament we shall continuie to judge the winners based on overall length.In the first BIG HAMMER CHALLENGE (2007)the rules were set up with the three measurements required for each shark caught Total Length,Fork length and girth and a picture of each measurement taken by the angler making the catch and we had too many prolblems with people not providing all the required pictures so NO MORE."Keep it simple stupid" is my philosophy and last year everything went smooth.Weight as a form of judging sharks has changed since the great majority of shark fisherman nowadays opt to release there catch we need to be in tune with what is good for the sharks and easy for those conducting the tournaments.I have confidence that the biggest shark in this tournament will usually be over 10 feet and if it's a skinny 10 feet so be it.You can't please everyone.I for one will not depend on weight estimated or actually weighed in this tournament or in the shark club to judge winners.To me winners are those that are conscious of protecting this earth and the creatures that live on it.The great majority in the shark club have adapted well to the new way of doing things and we must continue to promote the importance of enjoying this sport while also working in any way possible to protect the sharks we catch. I hope i have clarrified this matter and always welcome and encourage constructive criticism.
Man, this is a really bad time of year to bring the Panhandle into this tournament. The last thing on any of our minds up here is shark fishing during April, Cobia are running the beaches strong and all of our time goes specifically to that. Move the tournament back to December or January, see who's hardcore enough to do it then. We have plenty of huge Hammerheads, some makos, BIG bulls, spinners, tigers etc. this time of year, Prob the best time for sharking....Nobody is gonna give up Cobia fishing for this though. I'd love to enter this, but most likely wouldn't be able to put the time in that i'd need.
9ft Hammer Off pier
Small Bull
Little Tiger (Approx. 150lbs)
Paddling out
170 lb Spinner
Hard Core shark fisherman will FISH FOR SHARKS even when the snapper ,the kingfish or the cobia are running I suggest if you have a good team of shark fisherman up in your area to give it a try and represent the Panhandle in the 2009 Big Hammer Challenge.With the many big makos and tigers that are caught up your way it would be interesting to have you guys compete against the notorious East Coast of Florida and it's many fine shark hunters.
Although i disagree with the length format as explained, i do have to agree with the timing of the tournament being in april, it may not be great for the guys up coast, but for us keys fisherman its when the mullets make it up to the keys and every bridge is stacked with huge tarpon, behind these two are 14 ft hammers and 400 plus pregnant bulls everywere!!!!
There isnt a better time for this tournament in my opinion, the same probably goes for you guys and the shorebound tourney, the shorebound months for us in south florida and the keys are dead slow!!!
But hey i guess we can both venture out of our comfort zones and adapt right? Good luck fellas!!!
Seaweed
SFSC -East Coast Events Coordinator
im with you "seaweed" the heavier fish should win...our teams fish out weighed the winning fish buy alot..our grouper we caught last year most likly out weighed the winners fish...not trying to be rude.. i have a lot of respect for the winners..they fish good..i hope some one wins with a long nurse..if guys are having problems coming up with the photos then the fish shouldnt count..thats how it goes ..but o well see ya out there..
Where can I find the online registration form for the tournament? I have looked and looked and can't find it.
We have not put it up yet,you will find this in the comming weeks.Before the month of april,Thanks Nick
i can see where Will wants to simplfy the rules, it makes things alot easyier and will be alot better on the shark getting only one measurement vs 3 of them prior to release. the teams that have fished these tournys over the years have this tech down pat, but with more and more new teams that are comming in they may not be as quick...so....in my book and opinion the condition of the shark is 1st and foremost...so just one quick measurement/pic and off they go....
it looks like it should be worded the "longest shark" wins or how ever ya want to word it...not the biggest or heavyest. if my memory is right last years winners won by a few inches over the 2nd place fish but the 2nd place fish out weighed it by a few hundred pounds...
i know times are tuff in this economey but maybe a Calcutta can be arranged for the heavest fish amongest teams for like a big bull or tiger that may have its tail bitten off like they sometimes do...now s the time to work all these questions and details out, but in big money marlin tourneys the calcutta is where the money is, were just fishing for a trophy and a years worth of braggin rights..50-100 dollars a team times 20 plus teams is a nice payday at the end of the month even if it only pays for expensises......mike
those big long hammers will win!.....go get them!!!!!!
I still firmly believe that no matter what its the biggest and not the longest and i know rene and many others would agree. If you dont have all 3 quick measurements nice and visible than it dosent count, plain and simple, however If something were to be arranged were the biggest shark is crowned the calcutta or etc i guess that would lessen the blow of losing when your shark weighs 200lbs more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SFSC -East Coast Events Coordinator
Looking forward to some big guys being caught! Good luck to all anglers participating!!
"He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction" (Proverbs 13:3).
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Looking forward to some big guys being caught! Good luck to all anglers participating!!
Looking forward to some big guys being caught! Good luck to all anglers participating!!
DITTO!!! Good luck everybody!!!
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