Photo Credit: Hubbs

Press Release, Contact: Jack Innis 619.276.1299

A white seabass fishing tournament will be held Saturday May 23 to benefit Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute (HSWRI).

The event is designed to kick off the angling season with a friendly tournament that features a broad array of trophy categories including biggest white seabass, biggest yellowtail, biggest halibut, most releases, and special prizes for any white seabass captured alive and placed into HSWRI’s brood stock program.

Entry categories include Open Division (private boaters), Party Boat Division, Kayak Division, Spearfishing Division, and Fly Fishing Division. All categories feature junior angler components.

The event begins with a Seminar and Captain’s meeting Thursday, May 21 at Shedd Auditorium at the HSWRI headquarters. The 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. meeting will cover final rules, bait availability, and feature expert advice from California’s best white seabass anglers. The meeting will be conference-call enabled. Entry forms and fees must be submitted by 5 p.m. May 20.

The tournament “Lines In” call will go out midnight Friday May 22. “Lines Out” call will be broadcast at 6 p.m. Saturday May 23rd. Weigh in deadline is 10 p.m.

Official tournament Weigh Slips, given as part of the entry form, may be filled out at any shore-based certified weigh station and must be presented or faxed to HSWRI no later than May 23rd at 10 p.m.

Those unable to fish this tournament will be able to attend the Awards Barbeque Banquet and Raffle/Auction Sunday May 24 between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The Awards Barbeque Banquet also features a once-in-a-lifetime behind-the-scenes tour of HSWRI’s hatchery and breeding program where white seabass, yellowtail, halibut, striped bass, and rock fish are being raised. Sea World offers an interactive display including live flamingos, penguins, Arctic foxes, geckos, and other sea birds. The banquet will also feature a Raffle/Auction sponsored by some of the recreational fishing industry’s leading providers and manufacturers.

This trophy (non-money) tournament is designed to raise money and awareness benefit HSWRI, a non-profit organization dedicated to using fisheries science to "return to the sea some measure of the benefits derived from it."