Registrations are already underway for the 69th annual Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic running from Saturday, October 7 through Sunday, December 10.  The nine-week surfcasting tournament is an LBI tradition, long known simply as The Derby.

Typical seasons see upwards of 500 to 700 surfcasters participating in the season-long event, with the first 500 registered anglers receiving a tournament fishing hat emblazoned with LBI Surf Fishing Classic and Ship Bottom brewery logos.  As with other years, the contest will have a large inventory of cash and gear prizes for successful anglers.

Once again in 2023, there will be special tournament cash prizes for striped bass, bluefish, kingfish, redfish and tautog, new tournament wrinkles for this year’s event include a Grand Slam prize (most tournament eligible species weighed in) and a special “catch and release” segment for anglers hoping to catch the largest striper of the event towards the crowning of a ‘23 Surf Master.

There are multiple ways to win cash in this year’s event, on a daily, weekly, and tri-monthly basis (tournament is broken down into three segments).  The LBI Surf Fishing Classic will also run a weekly photo contest among badge-carrying participants, with a Tsunami surf rod given away in each of nine tournament weeks. 

Registration forms and contest rules and regulations are available at any of the three participating LBI tackle shops, including Surf City Bait & Tackle at 317 Long Beach Blvd, Fisherman’s Headquarters on 9th Street in Ship Bottom, and Jingles Bait & Tackle at 1214 Long Beach Blvd in Beach Haven.