Header Pic: Dave Anderson surveys the November surf on a new moon night. (photo taken by Jerry Audet @indeepoutdoors)

CLICK HERE FOR TOURNAMENT TAG

This year—2020—has been nothing short of a dumpster fire, from COVID-19 ruling the Earth, to murder hornets to an exhausting and hostile political climate and now we’re staring down a ballooning infection rate that just might be sending us back into the darkness. Deep breaths, provided you’re adequately masked or spaced sufficiently from the nearest human. No one is wishing that 2020 would last, even just a little bit, longer.

Last week Craig Cantelmo, aka Mr. Van Staal called to bend my ear about a trend he and I had both been independently viewing as a major positive amid all of the aforementioned migraines, the striped bass migration seems like it has only just begun. Reports of excellent surf fishing have been streaming in from all over New England, even Maine, in fact I talked to a guy in New Brunswick this morning (that’s Canada for anyone who never looks at maps), and he said that thew were still catching stripers as recently as this past Monday! And as you move further south the reports only get better with some very nice fish still heading our way. Craig suggested that we team up and run a tournament of some kind to keep all your tired surfcasters standing in the suds for another month.

Our answer was the Saltwater Edge November to Remember Van Staal Giveaway and I’m betting you’re going to like what we’re putting down.

The November to Remember Van Staal giveaway is not exactly a fishing tournament and it’s not exactly a raffle either. It’s rooted in the format of a catch and release tournament but fish size plays no part in winning. Each photo entered will count as a single entry into a lottery from which three winners will be chosen at random; the grand prize will be a Van Staal 250, second place will be a pair of Van Staal Pliers and third place will be a Van Staal Hat and a Saltwater Edge Surfcaster Hoodie. We will also award a $100 gift card to the photo our panel of judges deems the best of the bunch, so do your best to take nice pics. Each angler may enter up to (3) three images counting as one entry each. The only catch is that the photos must include some kind of Van Staal gear in the image, it could be a VS, a VR, an old plug bag, pliers or even a hat, sweatshirt or T-shirt. And to help us confirm that the image is not some recycled pic from 2012, we will also ask that you display the tournament tag we will provide upon entry. Entry is FREE, just send an email to shootout@saltwateredge.com with your name and email address and that’s it, you’re in. Fishing will begin at 6 p.m. on Sunday, November 1st and end at 6 p.m. Tuesday, December 1^st, so break out those wool socks and bite yer lip, this November, you’re fishing hard, no excuses.

Chris Lawton Photo (@lawton85)

So, don’t let the tree stand or your warm blankets pull you off your game, join us in squeezing every last second out of the 2020 season and make this one your November to remember!

Prize Structure:

1^st Draw: Van Staal VS250 Spinning Reel

2^nd Draw: Van Staal 7-inch Pliers Set

3^rd Draw: Saltwater Edge Surfcaster Sweatshirt and Van Staal Baseball Hat

Best Photo: $100 Gift Card to the Saltwater Edge*

* This will be a judged award, voted upon by employees of The Saltwater Edge and Van Staal

RULES:

To qualify an angler must…

• Sign up via email (shootout@saltwateredge.com) BEFORE catching a fish to enter.
• Download and print the Tournament Tag, sent via email at the start of the tourney.
• Carry or wear some kind of Van Staal gear or apparel and make sure it’s visible in the photo.
• Catch his or her fish in a ‘surfcasting situation’, your feet must be touching the Earth or something permanently attached to it, like a pier, jetty or dock.

To qualify a photo must…

• Clearly show the angler’s face and a recently-caught (and alive) striped bass
• Clearly display the Tournament Tag
• Contain some kind of Van Staal gear or apparel in plain sight
• The fish must be safely released
• Plugs used to catch fish for this event cannot have more than one treble hook attached, all second hooks must be inline singles, siwash hooks or flags.

Tournament guidelines:

• All qualifying fish must be caught between 6 p.m. November 1^st and 6 p.m. December 1^st
• Each angler may submit up to three (3) entries and each entry will count as one (1) chance in the prize lottery.
• This event is a lottery, so measuring or weighing your fish is not necessary.
• There are no boundaries to this tournament, anywhere migratory striped bass can be caught is in play.
• There will be a judged prize for best photo, (judged by Saltwater Edge and Van Staal employees), so make sure to compose your photos well and make sure they fit all of the submission guidelines detailed above.
• All anglers must be properly licensed to fish in whatever state or states they intend to fish in.
• Be respectful of the ocean, land and access where you’re fishing.
• Be respectful of those fishing nearby.
• Have fun.