Welcome to the Sturdivant Island Tuna Tournament homepage. It is with great pride that we bring to you Maine
and New England's premier Cash Prize big-game fishing event.
When our first public contest was held in August 1998 no one
could have predicted what a smashing success it would become
with New England tuna fishermen. Based out of Spring Point Marina
in South Portland, Maine, the Sturdivant Island Tuna Tournament
has quickly developed a reputation as an event where honesty
and fair play are the rule, where camaraderie and fun come
naturally.
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NATIONAL RECOGNITION!
Dateline:10 November 2010 - The Sturdivant Island Tuna Tournament  received one of the ten 2010 Council for Resource Development (CRD) National Benefactor Awards (www.crdnet.org). The award was given on November 5th at the Hyatt Regency on Capital Hill, in Washington DC. Our President Phil Grondin even agreed to take a few days off from hunting to attend this special event! He was accompanied by an enthusiastic group of supporters and committee members.
The SITT nomination was submitted by the Southern Maine Community College Foundation, with letters of support from Northern Maine and Washington County Community Colleges. A huge thank-you to those organizations that nominated us for this esteemed honor.
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Our Contributions to the Community
With the help of tournament participants and generous sponsors, SITT has made nearly $500,000 in charitable
contributions over the past 13 years. Much of the money has been donated to establish scholorships at Southern Maine, Northern Maine and Washington County Community Colleges. In addition, donated funds have been given to the the Byron R. Gouzie Foundation, the McAuley Residence at Mercy Hospital, and the Isaac Baker "Baker-Mobile" fund.
For information regarding the various Maine Community College scholarships we fund please visit our Links page!
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BIG Prizes up for Grabs
We are talking about some serious loot guys! $12,500 is set aside every year to reward the captains who land the five largest qualifying fish.
As an added incentive, the
largest Bluefin landed that officially sets the Maine State
Rod and Reel Record, will win a Grand Prize award
of $50,000!.
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SITT 2008 Big $ Score!
Back in 2008 we pooled the unclaimed 2006 and 2007 prize money along with the 2008 money and paid out cash prizes totaling $37,500 to four successful boats! Roger Gagne and his "Sea Wench" were extra happy when their nice 659-lb fatty set the standard! Congrats to everyone! To view tournament results check the leaderboard.
SITT 2006 and 2007 - the Dogfish Win!
Despite an excellent historical catch record, 2006 and 2007 were tough seasons. A huge factor has been the prevalence of the spiny dogfish in the Gulf of Maine which has essentially rendered traditional bait fishing methods useless. Nearly every boat that attempted bait fishing was swarmed by thousands of these pests. The negative impact that such an enormous biomass of predators has on our fisheries must be staggering. On the upside, many smaller tuna were landed mostly by boats trolling squid rigs but were ineligible for tournament entry.
A recent dogfish forum held on the University of New England campus in Biddeford brought out many of the stakeholders in the fisheries to review the current science and express their views. The May 2008 edition of Commercial Fisheries News contains an excellent review of the information exchanged. It's a must read for anyone with an interest in our marine environment.
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A History of Big Fish!
Back in 2005, catches included the 1st place
676.5 pound giant landed by Bo Adam's crew aboard F/V Cindy K.
Fish Hunter landed another monster, this one weighing in at 648.05-lb.
3rd place fell to David Webber's crew aboard F/V Release with a 597.55-lb fish.
The details of all entries can be on our Leader
Board page.
Out of the 28 boats that participated in
1998, twelve Giant Bluefin Tuna ranging from 387-pounds to
735-pounds were landed during the three day event. Our 1999
tournament action was slower but the fish ran very large.
The 931.80-lb monster landed
by the crew of Cheryl Lin set the standard for all SITT fish
to be judged by. What a behemoth! Exciting fish stories
need not be fictional when fishing the Tuna grounds of Southern
Maine!
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Our Invitation
Once again, we would like to extend
an invitation to owners or operators of any vessels operating
under the General Category Tuna rules, including Head-boat
Category vessels, to join us for a fantastic tournament. Browse
this web site to find all of the information and forms necessary
to enter. If you are interested please do not delay, the tournament
has a limited entry of 40 boats. Return those forms to the
Tournament Office and get in on the fun! We look forward to
fishing with you in August!.
Tight lines and
best of luck,
The Sturdivant
Island Tuna Tournament
Committee
Schedule of Events
Wednesday,
August 3, 2011
6:00am - 7:00pm
Vessel Arrival
5:00pm Social (Beer
and Appetizers provided) Cash Bar Available
7:00pm Captain's
Meeting (Mandatory)
Review of
Rules and Regs
Auction
Location: Tournament Tent
Thursday,
August 4, 2011
12:00am Fishing
Begins (Lines in the water) and continues until August 6th
Saturday,
August 6, 2011
4:00pm Fishing
Closes (Lines out of water)
5:00pm Dinner Available (prices posted)
Location: Tournament
Tent
6:00pm
Official Scales Close
7:00pm Awards
Ceremony
Location:
Tournament Tent
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(c) 1998-2011 by Sturdivant Island Tuna Tournament
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