Cast for a Cure raises funds for Tunnell Cancer Center

The Cast for a Cure surf-fishing tournament, to be held Saturday, May 20, is unlike most other surf tournaments because you can’t win any big-money prize. In fact, all of the entry fees go to the Tunnell Cancer Center Patient Special Needs Fund. This fund is used by folks who have been impacted by cancer and need help with everything from buying groceries to making house payments.

There will be teams of four anglers that pay $50 each to fish the tournament. Each team will have a captain who is responsible for picking up the team instructions Friday, May 19, and making sure the team follows all the rules set by the tournament committee.

There will be a chance to win some money through two Calcuttas; both cost $20 to enter. One is for the largest striped bass; the other is for the largest bluefish.

The fishing area will be Fenwick Island State Park to the immediate north and south of the York Road entrance. There will be no assigned stations. Each team member may fish with two rods, but no more than two. Fishing times are from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

As with most surf tournaments, the points will be awarded by the total length of eligible fish as outlined in the rules. If the fish is released, the team gets one more point. Fish that are retained will have a fin clipped to prevent them from being counted again.

There will be an awards ceremony Sunday, May 21, at Just Hooked, 1500 Coastal Hwy., Fenwick Island. Heavy snacks will be served, and there will be a cash bar. In addition, a silent auction, raffle of items donated by sponsors and a 50/50 will be held. Those who did not fish in the tournament may attend the event for $20 if they buy a ticket in advance. None will be sold at the door.  

This tournament is sponsored by Delaware Fisherwomen and Old Inlet Bait & Tackle. You can pick up entry forms at Old Inlet, which will serve as tournament headquarters.

Joe Morris Memorial Canal Flounder Tournament 

This tournament has been held every year since the untimely passing of Joe Morris from pancreatic cancer.  Prior to this, it was just the Canal Flounder Tournament.

This year, the tournament will be held Friday, May 19. The waters where anglers may fish include the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal up to the entrance at Rehoboth Bay and the Broadkill River to Oyster Rocks.

The entry fee is $40 per angler, of which $20 will go to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

Last year, there were more than 500 anglers entered in the tournament. With the sale of T-shirts, bucktails and other donated items, the event raised more than $15,000 for the charity.

As always, the headquarters for the contest will be Lewes Harbour Marina. Anglers may pick up the complete rules and an entry form from there. This is also the location where all weigh-ins must take place.

Bowers Beach

After last week’s article, I received an email from Mark DiLucca about the dredging of the Murderkill River at Bowers Beach. It seems Mark lives close to Bowers Beach, and his brother runs a commercial fishing operation from there. Prior to the latest dredging, the only time they could get the boat, Maggie S Myers, out of the harbor was at high tide. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will keep the channel open from now on, but Mark is concerned the sand they truck in to replenish the beaches will wash into the channel. He too has heard about plans to build a jetty on the South Bowers side to protect the channel.

According to Mark, there is also a problem with the navigation lights. He claims the cans and nuns are in the middle of the 20-foot-wide channel, not along the edges. This makes coming through at night a difficult chore.

Trout season

Saturday, March 4, will see the opening day for Delaware’s trout season in Kent and Sussex counties. This will be a youth-only day, as children 16 and younger will be the only ones allowed to fish at Tidbury Pond in Dover and Newton Pond near Greenwood. They can begin at 7 a.m. and continue until a half-hour after sunset. Then Sunday, March 5, all anglers may fish for trout at both ponds beginning a half-hour before sunrise until a half-hour after sunset. Tidbury and Newton ponds will be closed to all fishing from Saturday, Feb. 18 through Friday, March 3.

All anglers will need the appropriate licenses and trout stamps. These are available online and at various tackle shops.