13th Annual Ponytail Mike Malek Memorial Striped Bass C&R Tournament
The Ponytail Mike Malek Memorial Striped Bass C&R Tournament is open to the public and is run as fundraiser for the BSC Fisheries Defense Fund. Established in 2011 this event raises funds in supports of organizations that focus on the preservation of striped bass, through either research, effective management, habitat protection, or forage protection.
On May 18, 2016, the members of Berkeley Striper Club, his co-workers and his customers at Grumpys Tackle, and most importantly, his family and loved ones said goodbye to "Ponytail" Mike Malek as he lost his battle to cancer.
Mike was the catalyst that started our Catch & Release tournament, based on ideas he brought to the Berkeley Striper Club from tarpon tournaments he fished in Trinidad. As a member of BSC, he asked for Berkeley to run the tournament with Grumpys Tackle as a sponsor. We started the tournament 2011 as a fall surf tournament and, after some tweaks and upgrades, have the format and rules we use today. In honor of Mike and his contributions to the surfcasting community, the Berkeley Striper Club has named the fall catch & release tournament in Mike's memory.
Tournament Winners:
2011 Steve George 29”
2012 Sandy 940 mbar
2013 Charlie Muller 36”
2014 Will Fredericks 38”
2015 Jason Testa 39"
2016 Tom Lynch 36”
2017 Devine Al Conley 31”
2018 Anthony Senatore 32”
2019 Richard Kosa 29"
2020 Joe Brown 41"
2021 Dean Cobianchi 41"
2022 Scott "Lex" Pullen 45"
CURRENT STANDINGS - Tournament Starts 5:00am Nov. 22, 2023
2023 Leader Board
Surf Division
1st Place TBD
2nd Place. TBD
3rd Place TBD
Boat Division
1st Place TBD
2nd Place. TBD
3rd Place TBD
Tight lines,
2023 BSC Tournament Committee
Rules
13th Annual Ponytail Mike Malek Memorial C & R Tournament
2023 Surf and Boat Divisional Rules
1. Pre-Tournament
1.1. There will be no pre-tournament meeting. Entrants are responsible for reading, understanding, and adhering to all the following rules.
1.2. Registration may be made by mail, through a BSC Tournament Committee member, or at a participating B&T Sponsor no later than Nov 22nd, 2023 at 12:00PM.
1.3. Tournament participants must have a valid, working e-mail address. Just prior to the start of the tournament, the tournament committee will e-mail each participant their own unique tournament number. That number must appear in any picture of a fish submitted for consideration in the tournament. We recommend that participants write that number on an index card or sheet of paper in print dark enough and large enough to show up in photographs. When taking a picture of fish to be entered, place the card or piece of paper in the photo with the fish.
1.4. Lines in the water will start at 5:00 AM on Wednesday Nov.22, 2023. Fishing will end promptly at Noon on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. Times are based on the tournament committee clock.
1.5. Once the tournament begins, there will be no refunds for any reason.
1.6. By signing the entry form you are agreeing to the disclaimer on the entry form.
1.7. Prizes will be awarded for the 3 largest fish caught and released per division.
1.8. Prizes will be listed on the Ponytail Mike Malek Memorial C&R Tournament Facebook page and the Berkeley Striper Club Website. Prizes are subject to change up until the start of the tournament.
2. During The Tournament
2.1. Boundaries are all legal New Jersey marine waters. Boats (including standup paddleboards kayaks and other floating devices) participating in the boating division must leave from and return to a NJ port.
2.2. Fishing areas must be open to the public during the time period an individual is fishing the tournament. If a fishing area is closed to the public during certain times of the tournament, then it is closed to tournament fishing during that time period.
2.3. All fish must be caught on a rod and reel and within compliance of the law.
2.4. Entrants must hook and fight the fish on his/her own and must be the only person handling the fishing rod. The only assistance the angler may have is to have someone net, tail or leader the fish during the landing.
2.5. Submitting a Fish
2.5.1. To be counted, all fish must be measured and photographed with a measuring device clearly showing the length of the fish and your tournament number clearly visible.
2.5.1.1. Fish must be released and swim away to qualify for this tournament.
2.5.1.2. Fish will be measured with from tip of the nose to the end of the tail in a normal position (“where it lays”…..not squeezed, pinched or stretched).
2.5.1.3. The measuring device must be placed along the bottom (belly) side of the fish.
2.5.1.4. The picture must be taken with the camera directly over (above) the fish pointing straight down.
2.5.2. Individuals must supply their own tape measure or ruler. The measuring device must be lying straight alongside the fish and be clearly visible in the picture for the full length of the fish being submitted.
2.5.2.1. If any part of the measuring device is hidden by the fish, the tournament number card, or any other object, the entry will be disqualified.
2.5.2.2. If the length of the fish cannot be determined from the picture, the entry will be disqualified
2.5.3. Any fish not photographed as described in rules 2.5.1 and 2.5.2 and all of their sub-rules will be disqualified. It is the responsibility of the angler to ensure the fish is photographed properly.
2.5.4. Individuals must supply their own means of taking a digital photo. Digital cameras, cell phones, video cameras, and iPads with photo capabilities will be accepted.
3. Tournament Conclusion
3.1. At or before the conclusion of the tournament, all entrants who wish to enter their fish must e-mail the picture of their largest fish to the tournament committee.
3.1.1. Pictures are to be sent to bsc_catchrelease@yahoo.com.
3.1.2. Pictures must be submitted by 5:00 pm Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. They may be submitted at any time prior to this deadline.
3.1.3. With the picture, submit within the body of the e-mail the following:
3.1.3.1. Your name
3.1.3.2. Your tournament number
3.1.3.3. Your phone number
3.1.4. Submit only one picture. If multiple pictures are submitted for the same fish, the tournament committee will judge the first received, or the first in the list of pictures if they are all sent in one e-mail.
3.1.5. No photoshopping or other photo editing is permitted. Original unedited pictures only.
3.1.6. The tournament committee reserves the right to make editing adjustments to the submitted photo for clarity, such as to read the ruler or the tournament number.
3.1.7. The tournament committee makes the final ruling on the length of the fish submitted.
3.1.7.1. The tournament committee will determine the length of the fish by rounding up to the nearest half inch based on the submitted photograph.
3.1.7.2. The tournament committee, based on the submitted photograph, will judge the viability of the release of the fish.
3.1.7.3. The tournament committee reserves the right to make editing adjustments or to disqualify the entry (at their discretion) of any submission that attempts to show a false measurement using a forced perspective technique.
3.1.8. The tournament committee is not responsible for submissions failing to arrive by the deadline due to technical reasons beyond the committee’s control, such as internet disruptions, power outages, etc.
3.1.9. Each entrant may only win one prize per division. While an entrant may enter multiple fish for this tournament, only the largest submitted entry per division will be considered for a prize.
3.1.10. Entrants have the right to request a second judging of a submitted fish. They must make the request in writing and state why they think the measurement was mis-judged.
3.1.10.1. Entrants may only make one request for a second judging per tournament. Any further requests must go through the Appeals process as described in Rule 3.2
3.1.10.2. Tournament committee rulings on second judgments are final.
3.2. Any and all appeals must be made, in writing and given to a member of the tournament committee or dropped off at Grumpy’s Bait & Tackle by 5:00 pm Sunday, Nov. 22, 2023. Appeals must be accompanied by a $25 processing fee. If the appeal is granted, the money will be refunded. No investigations will begin without the processing fee. All decisions made by the Tournament Committee will be deemed final.
3.3. The Berkeley Striper Club reserves the right to use any photographs submitted for prizes for Berkeley Striper Club meetings and events, and for future promotion of the C&R tournament.
3.4. If two or more fish of the same length are tied for an award within a division, the submission received first will break the tie. The inbox time of the committee e-mail address will be used to determine time of receipt.
3.5. Any entrant submitting a fish which was tampered with or was not caught by him or her within the rules and regulations of this tournament, will be disqualified with no refund of any entrance fees and may be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Entrants may be asked to take a polygraph test. Failing the test or refusing to take it within 7 days of the request will result in an automatic disqualification of the entrant with no refund of any entrance fees and forfeiture of any prizes.
3.6. Anglers who have been disqualified from this or any fishing tournament may be prohibited entry to this tournament.
3.7. Grand Prize Drawings: The grand prize drawings will take place at 7:00 pm, Sunday Nov. 26, 2023, at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle, 906 NE Central Avenue, Seaside Park, NJ. A video of the drawing and winners will be posted on our tournament Facebook page. All tournament and grand prize winners will be contacted after this event to make arrangements for prize pick up.
If there are any questions, please contact the Tournament Committee at 732-221-0540.
.
2023 Prizes
2023 Competitive Division Awards
Surf Division
1st Place
$200 Gift Card (GC) to Grumpy's Tackle
$100 GC Hook House B&T
$100 GC to Dock Outfitter
$100 GC to TAK Waterman (Apparel)
$100 GC to Fisherman's Headquarters
$100 GC to Gabriel's Tackle
$100 GC to Fisherman's Supply
$100 GC to Charlie's Bait & Tackle
Tak Waterman Apparel
Assortment of Tsunami Lures
Assortment of Bill Hurley Lures
Assortment of Joe Bags Lures
Retail value of $1080
2nd Place
$200 GC to Hook House B&T
$150 GC to Fisherman's Headquarters
$100 GC to Go Fish B&T
$100 GC to Grumpy's Tackle
$100 GC to Betty & Nick's B&T
Tak Waterman Apparel
Assortment of Tsunami Lures
Assortment of Bill Hurley Lures
Assortment of Joe Bags Lures
Retail value of $830
3rd Place
$200 GC to Fishermans Supply
$100 GC to Pell's B&T
$50 GC to Fisherman's Headquarters
Tak Waterman Apparel
Assortment of Tsunami Lures
Assortment of Bill Hurley Lures
Assortment of Joe Bags Lures
Retail value of $530
Boat Division
1st Place
$500 Gift Card to The Reel Seat
ODM Frontier X Inshore Rod 7'0" Med
Tak Waterman Apparel
Assortment of Tsunami Lures
Assortment of Bill Hurley Lures
Assortment of Joe Bags Lures
Retail value of $1059
2nd Place
$300 Gift Card to The Reel Seat
Shimano Teramar 7'0" NE Inshore Med Hvy
Tak Waterman Apparel
Assortment of Tsunami Lures
Assortment of Bill Hurley Lures
Assortment of Joe Bags Lures
Retail value of $809
3rd Place
$200 GC to The Reel Seat
Centaur Combat Arm Inshore 7'5" S
Tak Waterman Apparel
Assortment of Tsunami Lures
Assortment of Bill Hurley Lures
Assortment of Joe Bags Lures
Retail value of $669
"Grand Prizes"
1st “Grand Prizes” drawing will include an ODM Evolution NXE-94 9’-1 piece .5 -4oz spinning rod. This will be custom built by Bob Hryszko of Grumpy’s Bait & Tackle (www.grumpytackle.com) and they are going all out on this build in honor of their good friend and colleague Ponytail Mike. The build will include all top end components with exact details to be announced in future post. This incredible custom rod once completed will retail for over $635. A Shimano Ultegra 14000 XSE ( www.fish.shimano.com/en-US ), a Flatlander Surfcaster's (Flatlander Surfcasting) 30# BogaGrip Holder. Like all of their quality gear it was built to withstand the rigors of the surf with top quality components and material Holder, Tak Waterman Apparel, an assortment of Tsunami Lures, an assortment of Bill Hurley Lures and an assortment of Joe Bags Lures.
Retail value of $1099.
2nd "Grand Prizes" includes a Centaur Constellation Light Cast Rod, 77S, 213LCT ( www.centauranglerschoice.com/ ), a Shimano Stradic 4000XG ( www.fish.shimano.com/en-US ), a Daiwa Free Swimmer 8000 Spinning Reel ( www.daiwa.us/ ), Tak Waterman Apparel, an assortment of Tsunami Lures, an assortment of Bill Hurley Lures and an assortment of Joe Bags Lures.
Retail value of $897.
3rd "Grand Prizes" consist of a Tsunami Salt X 6000 reel, a
Tsunami Airwave 1002 XH 10' 3-6oz ( www.tsunamifishing.com/ )
Flatlander Surfcasting Van Staal 7" Big Game Pliers Sheath, Tak Waterman Apparel, an assortment of Tsunami Lures, an assortment of Bill Hurley Lures and an assortment of Joe Bags Lures.
Retail value of $738.
Payment Options
1. Print application above, include payment
(make checks out to:Berkeley Striper Club) and mail to:
Berkeley Striper Club
PO Box 9
Seaside Park, NJ 08752
2. Complete & Pay application at:
Grumpy's Bait and Tackle (Seaside Park, NJ)
or
The Reel Seat (Brielle, NJ)
All entries must be received by the start of the tournament: 7 PM on 11/21/2023
Ponytail Mike Tournament Sponsors
