2009 Mustad Challenge additional youth prizes

[A-TOM-MIK]

We have some very exciting new prizes and awards this year along with the normal awards and almost 100% payouts:

A special thanks to Lester Zimmerman for taking the extra effort along with much behind the scene legwork to gain all these youth prizes:

Youth "Team" Prizes:

Largest Brown Trout

1st Place Team Prize

Trip to Florida with Lester and Cheryl:

(Details to be announced at Oswego Mustad Challenge)

2nd Place Team Prize

Charter w/Werner Stenger Popeye Charters

Largest Salmon

1st Place Team Prize

Trip to Florida with Lester and Cheryl:

2nd Place Team Prize

Charter with Dave Wilson Spankmayer Charters

Single "Youth" Prizes:

Largest Brown Trout

1st Place Youth Prize

Driftboat Trip w/Chasin Tail Adventures Capt. Andy Bliss

2nd Place Youth Prize

Pair of Maui Jim Sunglasses donated by Mike Gustin sport optics

Largest Salmon

1st Place Youth Prize

River trip w/Catch The Drift Captain Kevin Davis

2nd Place Youth Prize

Pair of Maui Jim Sunglasses donated by Mike Gustin sport optics

Other youth prizes:

Over-all largest fish by a youth per each event (x3):

Fish mount donated by Sterling Creek Campground and Redneck Taxidermy, Lenoxville, PA

A-TOM-MIK Shane Zimmerman Memorial award

(To be awarded to the team that brought in the largest King, youth or adult, everyone qualifies)

Largest Salmon

1st Place Prize

$350 cash Shane Zimmerman Memorial 1st Place Plaque/per event (x3)

2nd Place Prize

$110 set of trolling bag's Pequoid Charters per event (x3)

A-TOM-MIK Triple Crown Over-all Award

1st Place Prize

$1000.00 cash plus 1st place plaque

-Awarded to the team that has the most points after 3 events, must carry the same team name with at least 2 of the same original members.

Consolation prizes

Takota Copper/Ugly Stick/ combo (x2) Value $300.00 ea.

please see the atommik reports page

http://www.atommiktrollingflies.com/reports_2008.htm

Rules concerning youth awards and prizes:

-Youth age limit is 17 years old, as long as your youth is still the age of 17 during the Mustad Challenge then he/she is eligible. Same goes for each event, if your youth is still 17 while attending each event they will qualify.

-Further details concerning parents w/youth and the trip to Fla. will be discussed at the captains meeting on Friday prior to the Mustad Challenge

-A youth "team" must consist of at least 2 youths on a boat to be eligible for the "youth team" prizes, with the youths reeling in the fish.

-A team with a single "youth" is eligible for the individual youth awards and as well the youth must reel in the fish.

-Each team with a single youth or multiple youth is only eligible for the prizes and awards in their category.

-The "New" addition in prizes are for the biggest fish over-all, not per/each event.

-There are 8 total new prizes to be divvied up between all 3 events for youths

-There is however a "New" prize for a fish mount for the youth that catches the largest fish in each event (x3)

-Each team with a single youth or multiple youth is also eligible for the free fish mount and the largest fish over-all prize of $350.00

[Fishtails]

I have some questions:

Do we have dates for this yet? We don't normally fish these, but I may put some kid teams together for this year. Is the regular division separate from the youth, or do we just enter the fish as a "youth fish" at weigh in?

I may have three kids aboard taking turns at bat, can there be more than one youth prize per team?

I know the rules will be spelled out at the captains meeting. I'd just like the basics.

[Gray Fox]

I beleive it is this coming saturday. June 27th.

[A-TOM-MIK]

All Saturday 1 Day Events with blow off dates to follow on Sunday

Mustad Challenge

June 27th

Little Salmon River Challenge

July 25th

Fair Haven Challenge

August 15th

[Hookedup]

How young can a child be for the tournament.

[A-TOM-MIK]

There is no set minimum age:

Depending on which prize your eligible for there would be some dictation:

For the prizes available for largest fish over-all per event (x3) $350.00 and the trolling bags age would not matter

Ex. Say your son/daughter is 5 years old and you need to aid him/her from the time the fish hits till the time the fish is brought to net

For the prizes where a youth must reel in the fish it is simply that, the youth must reel in the fish

If the youth is able to handle a trolling rod and reel and bring a fish to the net they will qualify for individual prizes (and or team), If you have to hand the rod and reel to the youngster (say if it is a diver rod and the child could actually reel in the fish but could not get it out of the holder that would be ok) but they must be able to handle reeling in the fish from there. I can not see a certain age to be a factor, I am sure some 6 to 8 year olds could handle this job while it may take other older children to do the same job. This is cut and dry, sort of treated like some charter clientele, I have been on many boats where full grown adults men/woman could not get a diver out of a holder when a King is peeling drag.

Please keep in mind we are looking to bring new youngsters into these weekend/family related low cost tourneys, family oriented in this case being key. There are prizes for every scenario

-Youth age limit is 17 years old, as long as your youth is still the age of 17 during the Mustad Challenge then he/she is eligible. Same goes for each event, if your youth is still 17 while attending each event they will qualify.

Tom

[Fishtails]

I have kids bring in fish on the wire and copper all the time. The only things I find are too much are

1) getting the rod out of the holder

2) "sometimes" on a big king they can't get the dipsey to the rod tip and get the pole high enough to allow netting of the fish. I'd hope some assistance in these two areas only would be permitted.

I have a great video I'm posting real soon from Memorial day weekend of 3 kids (6, 10 & 12) on my boat fighting a foul hooked (on top of the head) 20 lb king on the dipsey rod The fish peeled out 600 ft of wire and my 10 yr old son Justin did 95 % of the work getting that fish to the boat. The only help I gave was to hold the rod twice while he got a refreshment and back massage from the other two kids during the 45 min battle. Finally...when the fish came to the boat, my stubbornness to have them complete the catch without my assistance cost them the fish as Justin had no gas left to get it that last 5 feet so I could net. He just couldn't get the dipsey to the rod tip and lift. I finally just grabbed the line and tried to scoop and the fish came unbuttoned and swam off. We would have released it anyway, but to not land it and feel that sense of accomplishment resulted in many children's tears that afternoon when that fish swam off. We have done it so many times, I just thought he could do it. I'll tell you this much...I felt like an ass for not lending a hand at the end and cheating them out of their moment of glory.

I'm hoping since it's a team effort, there will be some assistance allowed at the very beginning, and again at the very end if needed, or it's really not for me

[A-TOM-MIK]

That works Rod !!!!