Photo by Glenn Ueda

The Rules...

We've tried to make the rules as simple as possible...but you know how that goes! To get a general idea of how the event works, go to the "How It Works" page, then return here to see the details.

A nice Barred Surf Perch caught on fly.
Photo from the iAngler logs

General Rules:

• You can register any time up until 11:59 pm on June 22
• You must register in either the “Fly Fishing” division, or the “Regular Tackle” division
• Contestants must install the iAngler Tournament app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store onto a smart phone. All catches will be submitted using the iAngler app.
• An Honor System is in force for rule compliance. The Tournament Director(s) will investigate any reported infractions, and issue rulings. Their decisions are final.
• All California fish and game regulation must be followed, including possession of a fishing license (if required), equipment used, fishing locations and hours.

Equipment Restrictions:

• Only artificial flies or lures may be used. No live or dead bait.
• Fly Fishing Division:
  • Only single- and double-handed fly rods and reels are allowed.
  • Flies must be constructed using materials and techniques generally accepted for fly fishing. No added scents, and no lures normally fished on regular tackle, such as small plugs, spoons or spinners
• Regular Tackle Division:
  • Any legal fishing tackle other than fly fishing tackle is allowed
  • Soft plastic baits manufactured with scents (for example, Berkeley Gulp! products, etc.) are allowed

Competition Rules:

• Fish as many days as you want in the given time window
• Fishing is allowed from shore, anywhere it is legal, from the northern border of Santa Barbara County to the Mexican border. Fishing from jetties, and in bays and estuaries is allowed, but fishing from a pier is excluded.
• Fishing can occur during any legal time of the day or night 
• ALL FISH MUST BE FAIRLY CAUGHT AND NOT FOUL HOOKED! “Foul hooked” means the fish was landed with no hook(s) in the mouth
• Only the following species will be counted: Perch (any kind), Corbina, Spotfin Croaker, Yellowfin Croaker, Halibut, Shark, Ray, Striped Bass
• Catches will be submitted using the iAngler app to photograph the fish on a measuring device
  • Any ruler, tape measure, or measuring board is acceptable
  • The fish’s nose must be on the start of the measuring device, with the fish laid out straight. If the measuring device is collapsible or rolls up, it must be straight and flat
  • The length of the fish, as measured from the nose to the tail fork (or the middle of the tail, if there is no fork) will be used as the score
  • The fly or lure used to catch the fish must be in the picture
• Release your catch!
• ONLY fish caught May 27 - June 23 will count for awards. You can use the iAngler app to check the leaderboard at any time
• Awards will be given in the following categories, in each Division:
  • Longest fish: Longest Perch (any kind); Longest Corbina; Longest Spotfin or Yellowfin Croaker; Longest Halibut; Longest Shark or Ray; Longest Striped Bass
  • Most inches of fish caught in a day (Single Day High Score, all allowed species combined): 1st, 2nd, 3rd
• In the event of tie scores for largest fish, the angler submitting their catch first prevails. In the event of tie scores for the total inches category, the person reaching the score first will prevail.  The timing is based on the submission time in iAngler.  
• All contestants, regardless of whether or not they submit a fish, are automatically entered into a drawing for a rod/reel/line combo in their division
• All winners must be present at the awards event on June 24, or their prize will be given to the next qualifying entry. The awards event will be held at:
  
  Long Beach Casting Club
  5201 E. 7th St.
  Long Beach, CA 90804.

Photo by Kevin Green

How to Get Started in SoCal Surf Fishing

The “How to” aspects of surf fishing may seem daunting at first, but chin up! Here are some resources to help you get started. And don’t forget – nothing beats time on the water! Get out there and fish!

Photo by Lee Baermann

Websites/Blogs

FLY FISHING:

• Flies, Sand and Surf blog
• DanBlanton.com
• FlyFishTheSurf.com
• zenflyfishing.com

REGULAR TACKLE:

• FishTheSurf.com - Bill Varney's website on surf fishing
• SCSurffishing.com
• surfFishingsocalsd.com