Fourth Annual 'No Motor' Tournament to begin November 8th

by The Sportfishing Conservancy on 7 Nov 2014 The fourth annual No Motor Tournament is set to kick off Saturday, November 8th and to make this event even more fun - and potentially rewarding. Santa Barbara-based Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) shaper Pelagos Design will be providing two of its Deep Blue fishing SUPs for free demos during this unique fishing tournament - and will even pay the entry fee for up to two anglers who sign up and agree to fish the event from these state-of-the-art paddleboards.

In addition, a Deep Blue SUP (valued at $1,950) will be raffled off as a Grand Prize for the event, helping to raise funds for ongoing restoration efforts around the Carpinteria Salt Marsh. These boards are painstakingly crafted by local experts to provide the stability, maneuverability and features coastal fishermen need.

The No Motor Tournament was created to be fun for anglers of all types and experience levels. Check in begins at 6am at Danny's Deli (4890 Carpinteria Ave) and will run thru 8am. Fishing begins at 6:30 am and lines out will be called at 11am. Once signed up, anglers are free to fish anywhere they like. The only restrictions are that anglers must fish from shore or any human-powered craft, including kayaks, float tubes and SUP's. Then anglers must report back to Danny's Deli by 11:30am for tallying of the results.

The entry fee remains only $20, and includes a tournament T-Shirt, five raffle tickets and a Tri-Tip Lunch at Danny's Deli that will wrap up the morning's festivities. Proceeds from entry fees (along with the sale of additional raffle tickets that will be offered) will go towards ongoing restoration efforts at the Carpinteria Salt Marsh. Rapidly disappearing tidal marshlands such as this are vital for sustaining juvenile gamefish such as halibut. 'Protecting and enhancing the few wetlands we have left is important to California's coastline and the overall health of many recreational fisheries,' said Jenny Armstrong, event coordinator for The Sportfishing Conservancy. 'We encourage all surf and shore fishing enthusiasts to join us November 8 for good times and a great cause,' she added.

The No Motor Tournament is a chance for anglers of all skill levels and ages to enjoy some fresh air, fishing fun and friendly competition. This is not a typical 'weigh-in' tournament. Instead, it rewards anglers for catching the highest cumulative measured length of fish. Catch and release is strongly encouraged; anglers who choose to keep a legal-sized fish will have two-inches deducted for each fish killed. Anglers keep their own tally of fish ('selfie' photographs or friend verification may be requested) and the combined lengths of up to the 10 biggest fish (any combination of species) will determine the angler's total score.

The winner will receive a Bill Varney Signature Series Rod from Cousins Tackle. These American-made sticks were developed by surf-fishing expert Bill Varney to be the ultimate Southern California light tackle shore rods, and carry an approximate retail value of $250. The top three finishers will receive trophies and additional raffle tickets, which can be used to increase chances of winning a variety of valuable prizes, including the Deep Blue SUP and additional Cousins Bill Varney series surf rods.

At check-in, each registered angler will receive a scorecard to keep track of the six eligible coastal species - Calico Bass (14' min.), Sand Bass (14' min.), Surf Perch (5' min.), White Seabass (28' min.), Halibut (22' min.) and Corbina. To count, fish must meet minimum size limits as established by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. There are different ways to win, and this is what makes it fun. Some fishermen stay right on the beach and focus on catching lots of perch, others paddle off the coast searching for bigger game.

Fishermen interested in participating in the Fourth Annual No Motor Tournament can sign up online or download a PDF registration form here. They can simply sign up the morning of the event at Danny's Deli beginning at 6:00 a.m. Anglers can also sign-up in advance at the Hook, Line and Sinker tackle shop in Santa Barbara and at Danny's Deli in Carpinteria.