It is mid-August, and the summer crowds on Long Beach Island are as thick as ever. The Boulevard is choked with vehicles, restaurants have long lines of hungry visitors waiting to dine, and beaches are filled with swimmers and those after the perfect tan.

Apart from this mass of humanity on LBI is a special collection of folks looking at the calendar and making plans for this fall on the beach. These are the surf fishing enthusiasts anticipating the fall run of fish as they prepare for the Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic.

The fall of 2024 marks the 70 th annual fall surf fishing tournament on Long Beach Island. Originally dubbed the Long Beach Island Striped Bass Derby, the Classic now offers a myriad of ways to compete, including other fish than striped bass.

Registration for this year’s Classic has already begun. The cost of registration for adult anglers is $40 and 20$ for those 17 and younger. Entrants in the Classic will have the chance to take home over $25,000 in cash prizes.

The good-looking hats and decals given to registered anglers are in and free to participants. In a new twist this year, there is a limited amount of commemorative tournament shirts and hats available for purchase.

Registration and clothing purchases can be accomplished at any of the three-official weigh-in stations: Jingles Bait and Tackle in Beach Haven, Fisherman’s Headquarters in Ship Bottom, and Surf City Bait and Tackle in Surf City.

Anglers who look ahead have been checking the tackle options at the three official stations, making sure they are ready for the fall run of stripers and blues. The sharpies are packing new line on their reels to be ready for the arrival of the big fish.

The rules and regulations for the 70 th running of the Classic are pretty much the same as those in 2023. The tournament kicks off on Saturday, October 5 and runs for nine weeks before concluding Sunday, December 8. All fishing must be done from the shores of Long Beach Island without any assistance with any type of watercraft or drone. All New Jersey fishing regulations as far as size limits and use of circle hooks for bass must be adhered to.

There are prizes for five species of fish including striped bass, bluefish, kingfish, tautog, and redfish. The contest is broken into three 3-week segments with daily, weekly and segment prizes varying from species to species.

Perhaps the most competitive award is a $500 cash award to the angler who weighs in the most different species of fish with a minimum of at least four types. In the case of ties, the award will be made based on total weight of the fish.

Although only striped bass meeting the state regulation of 28-31 inches may be entered, there is a special prize for larger fish that are caught and released. The largest fish that is released earns an angler a replica mount of the fish from Rinehart Taxidermy valued at $700. The certification for entry is based on a photograph of the fish including the angler’s Classic registration tag and tape measure showing the length of the fish.

Once again there will be an opening day surfcasting seminar on October 5 from 9-11am presented by the Classic committee. This traditional event provides fishing knowledge for both novices and veterans. Included in the topics are fishing techniques, bait and tackle, driving a 4x4 on the beach and others.

The seminar will be held at the Ship Bottom Fire House at 21 st Street and Central Avenue in Ship Bottom. There will be light refreshments along with door prizes followed by additional activities on the Ship Bottom beach until noon. Local fishing experts will provide the instruction.

The official rules and related information on the Classic can be found at www.LBISFC.com