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Less than two months ago, the state record for tuna was shattered by Dan Dillon of Virginia when he reeled in an 873-pound monster just 40 miles offshore. This bodes well for anglers who enter the second annual Rocktober Fishing Tournament & Festival at the Indian River Marina, who can fish not only for tuna, but also rockfish (stripers) and flounder. The big fish are out there just waiting to be caught and the lucky winners of Rocktober can take home more than $24, 000 in prize money - not including Calcuttas.
The Rocktober Fishing Tournament & Festival is set to take place Oct. 21-23, at the Indian River Marina - the same spot where the 873 pound Tuna was weighed in. Last year’s winner Mike Newsham and the crew of the Phoebe Anna took home $22,000 after sweeping the rockfish division and acquiring the tuna prize money since the weather was too rough to go offshore.
In total, the tournament and Festival raised more than $30,000 for two very important local foundations - The Horsey Family Youth Foundation and the Sussex County Land Trust. The Horsey Family Youth Foundation serves the youth of Sussex County by providing educational and after-school sports programs. The Sussex County Land Trust is a non profit conservation organization dedicated to enhancing the natural, cultural, agricultural and recreational resources of Sussex County. To date they have raised enough money to preserve more than 2,500 acres of land.
Along with great fishing, Rocktober offers weekend fun for everyone under two festival tents. Anglers and their families can enjoy Friday night’s activities, which include food from Big Fish Grill, commentary on the day’s catches, a beer truck and DJ Chris Mal until 8 p.m.
Saturday morning greets the day with a drink from the Starboard’s World Famous Bloody Mary Bar while listening to music and fishing commentaries. Festival activities will kick off at noon with a Moon Bounce, basketball inflatable and touch-tanks for the kids, as well as arts and crafts vendors, fly fishing seminars, kayak vendors, local antique furniture vendors, Captain K’s boat cruises, a 50/50 raffle and a boat show by Short’s Marina. Big Fish Grill will be serving food all day and you can wash it down with a frothy beverage. Late Saturday afternoon, Hyjinx will be performing live starting at 4 p.m. Enjoy a crab feast and great music as the festival continues on until 8 p.m.
On Sunday morning the Bloody Mary Bar returns accompanied by live acoustical music. No need to worry about missing the football game on Sunday because big screen TVs and couches will be there from 1-4 p.m. so you can cheer your favorite team. Saturday’s vendors will be featured again on Sunday. The winning fish will be announced by 5 p.m. - so be sure not to miss any of the fun at the Rocktober Fishing Tournament & Festival!
All of this fun for the whole family is made possible by our title sponsors, Big Fish Grill and Schell Brothers, and with help from The Starboard, Wilmington Trust and Short’s Marine.
Visit www.rocktoberfishing.org for applications and more information.
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