Middle Township to hold 18th Annual Drum Fish Tournament
The family-friendly competition will run May 13-15
It’s almost time to angle for fun and prizes in Middle Township’s 18th Annual Drum Fish Tournament. The competition will be held from May 13-15 in the Delaware Bay.
The event has become a highly anticipated tradition for Middle families and fishing buddies.
“We get alot of repeat fishermen,” said Deputy Business Administrator Suzanne Schumann, a member of the Tournament Committee. “We had around 30 boats registered last year, and we expect even more this year.”
The tournament will be held from noon May 13, when fishermen can put their line in the water, until weigh-in closes at noon May 15.
Boats are allowed six anglers plus one captain.
Prizes will be based on the boats that record the heaviest combined weight of two drum fish caught in the Delaware Bay during tournament hours. The total payout will be based on the number of participating boats.
Drum fish are common in the Delaware Bay. The bottom-feeding fish gets its name from the drumming, croaking or throbbing sound it makes as its muscles vibrate against its swim bladder, according to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife website.
This year’s Drum Fish Tournament competitors will try to surpass last year’s first-place catch – two Drum Fish that totaled 151.4 pounds.
The state record is even more of a boat-buster: It belongs to a fisherman who caught a 109-pounder in Delaware Bay in 2008.
To register a boat for the Drum Fish Tournament, fill out the application.
For more information, contact Special Events Coordinator Nancy McDevitt at 609-465-8743 or drumfish@middletownship.com
