Fall 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 Grumpy's 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 Grumpy's 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"

Rules

Ponytail Mike Malek Memorial Catch & Release Tournament 2021 Tournament Rules

Pre-Tournament
1. There will be no pre-tournament meeting. Entrants are responsible for reading, understanding, and adhering to all the following rules.
2. Registration may be made by mail, through a BSC Tournament Committee member or online at www.BerkeleyStriperClub.org
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.
4. Lines in the water will start at 8:00 PM on Wednesday, November 24, 2021. Fishing will end promptly at Noon on Sunday November 28, 2021. Times are based on the tournament committee clock.
5. Once the tournament begins, there will be no refunds for any reason.
6. By signing the entry form or signing up through the website, you are agreeing to the disclaimer on the entry form.
7. Prizes will be awarded for the largest fish caught and released. Prizes will be listed on the Berkeley Striper Club Catch and Release Tournament Facebook page and the Berkeley Striper Club Website. Prizes are subject to change up until the start of the tournament.
  1. The winner will have his or her name added to a plaque permanently displayed in Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle.
  2. All cash prizes are based on a minimum of 40 entries to the tournament. If there are fewer entries, cash prizes will be pro-rated accordingly.
During The Tournament
1. Boundaries are all legal New Jersey marine waters. This is a shore based only fishing tournament. No boats, kayaks, stand up paddleboards or similar watercraft are allowed to either act as a fishing platform, or to be used to get to a fishing area.
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.
3. All fish must be caught on a rod and reel and within compliance of the law.
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.
5. Submitting a Fish
  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.
    1. Fish must be released to qualify for this tournament.
    2. Fish will be measured with from tip of the nose to the end of the tail held in a normal position. (not squeezed, pinched or stretched)
    3. The measuring device must be placed along the bottom (belly) side of the fish. Hard tape measure devices are preferred for a more accurate measurement.
    4. The picture must be taken with the camera directly over the fish pointing straight down.
  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.
    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. If the length of the fish cannot be determined from the picture, the entry will be disqualified
  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.
  4. Individuals must supply their own means of taking a digital photo. Digital cameras, cell phones, smart phones, video cameras, and iPODs with photo capabilities will be accepted.
Tournament Conclusion
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.
  1. Pictures are to be sent to bsc_catchrelease@yahoo.com.
  2. Pictures must be submitted by 4:00 pm Sunday November 28, 2021. They may be submitted at any time prior to this deadline.
  3. With the picture, submit within the body of the e-mail the following:
    1. Your name
    2. Your tournament number
  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.
  5. No photoshopping or other photo editing is permitted. Original unedited pictures only.
  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.
  7. The tournament committee makes the final ruling on the length of the fish submitted.
    1. The tournament committee will determine the length of the fish by rounding up to the nearest half inch based on the submitted photograph.
    2. The tournament committee, based on the submitted photograph, will judge the viability of the release of the fish.
    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.
  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.
  9. Each entrant may only win one prize. While an entrant may enter multiple fish for this tournament, only the largest submitted entry will be considered for a prize.
  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.
    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
    2. Tournament committee rulings on second judgments are final.
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 4:00 pm Sunday November 28, 2021. 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. 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.
4. If two or more fish of the same length are tied for an award, 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.
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.
6. Anglers who have been disqualified from this or any fishing tournament may be prohibited entry to this tournament.

If there are any questions, please contact the Tournament Committee at 732-221-0540.

Berkeley Striper Club

Welcome to Berkeley Striper Club

11th annual Ponytail Mike Malek Memorial striped bass C&R Tournament

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