The Fisherman’s Dream Boat Challenge is under way for the 2024 season and once again this year, the first place prize at stake is the 21-foot center console Steiger Craft powered by a 150- Yamaha outboard and equipped with a Hummingbird fish finder along with a Minn Kota Terrova spot lock trolling motor. Even just competing for second or third place is well worth it, among the countless other prizes you could win. Second place will be a 5 day/4 night stay at The Tropic Star Lodge in Panama for up to two people. Includes accommodations, and inshore fishing trips. Third will come away with a Sea Eagle FishSkiff 16, a two-person inflatable watercraft complete with their Swivel Seat Package along with an Engel EN80 Cooler. Tsunami, Fin-Nor, Visser pliers, Shurhold, Dexter and Owner make up some of the other prizes at stake.
While the leaderboard is starting to fill up, the competition is far from over. Between now and the end of the competition in the fall, we could see a completely different leaderboard since we have a lot of good fishing ahead of us. Even if you don’t have a boat of your own, you still have a chance. Keep in mind that some of our Dream Boat winners from the past did not have their own boats until winning and they mostly relied on the help of party boats in the region to get on the hottest bites and bring the biggest fish back to the scales of tackle shops.
Now, speaking of the shops that weigh the fish in for the contest – I do have to say that so far this year some of the entries were denied due to missing information or use of the wrong forms. All participating tackle shops on the official list have received 2024 forms. Please, remember to check the date on the forms because if you mistakenly use a 2023 form for a 2024 entry, we cannot accept it. Also, another thing that must be done is full and accurate measurements of the fish that are submitted in the contest. Length, girth and weight must all be included among everything else. You can’t go back and try to submit a missing measurement too if you forgot one. Once the form is submitted, that’s it – even it’s a huge fish – rules are the rules.
You must be an active subscriber to The Fisherman Magazine for the entry to count. If you subscribed the day of the catch and try to submit it, it will not count. The rule clearly states: To qualify in the Contest, the contestant must be a subscriber of The Fisherman Magazine a minimum of one (1) calendar day prior to the date the fish was caught.
Don’t forget to include a photograph of you with your catch. Entries can be submitted via email or mail. Email submissions to: [email protected]. The photo file name should be the same as the contestant’s full name. Email Entries received in a given month will be entered into that month’s Fish of the Month competition, and will automatically be entered in the overall Contest. Mail-in submission to: Dream Boat Fishing Challenge, PO Box 395, Mt. Sinai, NY 11766. The photo can be on a compact disc, USB Flash drive, or photo paper which will not be returned. Mail-in Entries postmarked in a given month and received no later than 10 days the following month will be entered in the postmarked month for the Fish of the Month competition, and may be entered in the overall Contest. We recommend that you take a photo of your entry form for your own record.
Keep in mind that this month’s Fish Of The Month will be summer flounder (fluke). The category looks to wide open as of now and it’s certainly a month where you can make some ground and even take home that specific Fish Of The Month prize. For winning Fish Of The Month you will take home a Tsunami SaltX2 spinning reel, Dexter Dextreme 7-inch Dual Edge flexible fillet knife with sheath, Model 24911, Owner SSW 2/0 Pack of Hooks and Tsunami Soft Bait Swim Shad Lures. I’d focus on the grounds south of Montauk, Nantucket and in the ocean around the South Shore reefs with larger profile strip baits and soft plastic grubs for a shot at a real contender.
Good luck to all participants and remember to fill out those forms correctly as well as use the right ones for this year’s contest! If you’re in doubt, you can even print them off the website by visiting thefisherman.com/2024-dream-boat-entry-form-download. I’m looking forward to seeing your upcoming entries.
