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11th Annual Governor's Surf Fishing Tournament
(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association November 2002 Newsletter)
1,183 anglers registered to fish in the 11th Annual Governor's Surf Fishing Tournament on Sunday, October 6 at Island Beach State Park in Ocean County, New Jersey. A brisk onshore breeze made the surf a little rough but fishable.
761 anglers pre-registered by mail prior to the day of the tournament. 422 more anglers entered on tournament day, starting at 5 AM. 891 adults, 102 teens, and 190 children took part in this event. The popularity of this contest has grown considerably from the first in 1992. There were 578 anglers that year and everyone thought that was a large number at that time.
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell presented the awards and prizes to the winners of the various categories.
The event was sponsored by the DEP's Division of Fish & Wildlife and Division of Parks and Forestry, the New Jersey Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, Jersey Coast Anglers Association, and the New Jersey Beach Buggy Association. Albacore, striped bass, blackfish, bluefish, red drum, kingfish, and weakfish were eligible for entry in the tournament. Of these, 6 striped bass, 5 blackfish, 102 bluefish, 1 red drum, 1 weakfish, and 61 kingfish were the species submitted. A total of 176 fish were caught with 30 of these receiving awards. Overall length determined the grand prize winner as well as place winners for each of the species categories. There were children, teen and adult angler categories, including sub-categories for male and female anglers. In addition, there was a category for fly fishing. The inclusion of first, second and third place winners were dependent upon the number of entries submitted in each species category. Grand prize went to Pete Clavero of Hazlet for a 44" striped bass. Mr. Clavero’s winning striped bass was the largest fish caught in the 11 years of this tournament. Mr.Clavero received a plaque along with several valuable prizes. Additionally, his name will be engraved on the Governor's Cup, which will be permanently displayed at Island Beach State Park.
Thirty surf rod and reel outfits were awarded as prizes. Included in the prizes were rod and reel combinations donated by Penn Reels, New Jersey Angler Magazine and Bill Horner, custom rod builder. Special thanks go to New Dolphin Bait & Tackle for obtaining some last minute prizes. Contributions by many businesses and individuals made the success of this event possible again this year.
Along with the tournament prizes offered, the registration forms of pre-registrants and same-day entrants were placed into special drawings for additional prizes.
A final word of thanks goes to state employees and the many volunteers that made this year’s tournament so enjoyable. This annual effort runs smoothly because of the dedication of these people. The judges deserve a great amount of praise not only for donating their time, but also the use of their 4-wheel vehicles. Judging can be a boring or demanding job at different times, but it is a crucial element in the continued success of this tournament.
Look for a future article in this newspaper that will contain a complete list of the tournament supporters, judges, and other volunteers. These are the folks, along with the participating anglers, who have made the State of New Jersey Annual Governor’s Surf Tournament one of the largest in the country again this year.
11th Annual Governor's
Surf Fishing Tournament Results
| Weakfish Category | Adult (Female) |
First Place - Audrey Bock, Florence |
21 4/8" weakfish |
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| Kingfish Category | Child (Female) |
First Place - Ashley Gruning, Jackson
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14 6/8" kingfish
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| Child (Male) |
Second Place - Matthew Klish, Burlington
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14 6/8" kingfish
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First Place - Eddie Fisher, Somerdale
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15 4/8" kingfish
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(Also caught 151/8" kingfish)
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Teen (Female)
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First Place Giacinta Talarico, Westmont
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11 2/8" kingfish
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Teen (Male)
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Second Place Dakota Goldinger, Toms River
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14" kingfish
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First Place Joe Meny,Bowie, MD
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14 2/8"" kingfish
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(Also caught 13 6/8" kingfish)
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Adult (Female)
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Second Place Patty Talarico, Blue Anchor
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14 6/8" kingfish
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First Place Mary Howard, Browns Mills
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15 2/8" kingfish
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Adult (Male)
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Second Place Gary Ingram, Trenton |
16" kingfish
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First Place Frank Oliveira, Newark
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16 4/8" kingfish
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Blackfish Category
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Adult (Male)
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Second Place Brian Berrien, Mercerville
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17" blackfish
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First Place Zoltan Egyed, Trenton
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18 1/2" blackfish
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Red drum Category
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Adult (Male)
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First Place Terry Dauson, Trenton
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18 7/8" red drum
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Bluefish Category
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Child (Female)
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Second Place Taylor Arkert, Riverside
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15 1/2" bluefish
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First Place Helene Rynczak, Whiting
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16 5/8" bluefish
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(Also caught 16 1/8" and 15 4/8" bluefish)
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Child (Male)
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Second Place Ethan Orr, Branchville
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17 2/8" bluefish
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First Place Russell Hubschman, Vincentown
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23 1/2" bluefish
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Teen (Female)
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First Place Gina Longstreet, Toms River
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16 4/8" bluefish
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Teen (Male)
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Second Place Chris Giambrone, Florence
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30" bluefish
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First Place - Jesse Gargani, Beachwood
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30 4/8" bluefish
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Adult (Female)
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Second Place Renee Runyan, Toms River
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17 1/8" bluefish
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First Place Sue Finch, Ironia
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17 5/8" bluefish
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Adult (Male)
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Second Place Lee Dippold, Toms River
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31 7/8" bluefish
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First Place George Rogers, Bricktown
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32 1/2" bluefish
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Striped Bass Category
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Child (Female)
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First Place Megan Sharkey, Forked River
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29" Striped bass
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Adult (Male) |
Second Place William Fest III, Southampton
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30 6/8" striped bass
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First Place Norb Rosso, Lambertveille
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34 7/8" Striped bass
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The 2002 Governor's Cup Winner
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Pete Clavero, Hazlet 44" striped bass
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Tournament Fly Fishing Category Winner
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Mike Busch, Ocean Gate 16 2/8" Bluefish
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