Announcing: The 7th Annual Hunting Giants Surf Fishing Event - Presented by S.W.A.T.

[anchor3n1]

Hunting Giants has become a family tradition now for us. Only a flood that knocks out the bridge (did someone say "El Nino"?) or an earthquake that takes out our car (actually we'd just hike it) could possibly keep us from coming out. Hunting Giants is that special to us. And missing it would be such a disappointment that we place a priority in our calendar each year for it.

Listen, here's the honest truth:

My girls and I have such great family time, make new friends (and continue to make new ones each year), and frankly experience so much fun all while engaging in something we enjoy - fishing at every Hunting Giants event starting from the very first one we were at. I urge you, and encourage you to sign up and come to the most outstanding surf fishing event of the year. Come experience the vision of Dana Rea, the man who continues to impact lives with his life.

The girls and I guarantee that you will have a fantastic time and never want to miss another Hunting Giants event, plus you just might land yourself a "giant' or two while your at it

Noelle, Alexa, and I (Nick) look forward to seeing you there and meeting you in person!!!

[trollmiester]

rsvpd mr.bones

[Tesserz]

Being new to FNN in 2009, Jaysuuun and I missed the first Hunting Giants. After reading what the event was all about and how so many people had a good time, we made sure to sign up for HG2 and we’re so glad we did! Not only were we able to participate in our first fishing competition together, we met some new friends and had a great time. It didn’t feel like a competition at all; it was like fishing among friends. We really felt the vibe Dana Rea intended for the event: “Family, Friends, Fun, and Fishing.” Over the years I’ve always felt that vibe resonate throughout FNN, Team 57, and of course in S.W.A.T.

Fast forward and here we are at HG7! This event has grown bigger and better each passing year and we’re happy to still be a part of it. Although life has kept us from the sand for a while, we’ve been looking forward to seeing our fellow S.W.A.T. brothers/old friends, and hoping to meet new ones at the event as well. So sign up! Oct. 3rd! We’ll see you all there.



Tesserz

[yakfish51]

Signed up for Oct. 3 rd yesterday, can't wait.

Tim

[Wingnut]

All Registered Participants should have received a PM "Private Message" with all the details.
If you have registered for the event and have not received the PM with the location and parking info., send me (Wingnut) a private message and I will make sure you get the details.

7th Annual Hunting Giants Surf Fishing Event - Saturday, October 3rd, 2015.

Event duration: 7:00am – 4:00pm

Check in starts at: 7:00am. You can check in any time afterwards.

At check in: All registered participants and their guest(s) must check in.
Registered participants entering in the Adult Fishing Derby will be issued “Green” wristbands (Please have your fishing license with a saltwater stamp ready).
There will be a Department of Fish and Wildlife Officers at the event.

Junior Fishing Derby participants (15 years or younger) will be issued “Red” wristbands.

All guests will be issued a “Yellow” wristband.

S.W.A.T. Members will be issued “Blue” wristbands.

Wristbands must be worn for the duration of the event. Anybody without a wrist band, will not be allowed in the event area.

Fishing derby participants will be given a scoring package to measure and document their catch. After checking in you can proceed to the Lucky Craft Lure Casting Competition or start fishing at any time.

Registered participants that brings a raffle prize donation will receive a raffle ticket for the giveaway drawing at the conclusion of the event. Winners must be present to win prizes.

Lucky Craft Lure Casting Competition (optional). Cast your LC at designated targets in the sand and earn points for accuracy (each participants will get 3 casts). 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd Place winners will receive LC lures and Bass Pro Shop Gift Cards. Courtesy of Lucky Craft International.

Fishing Derby Rules & Regulations.
The fishing derby is open to registered FNN members ONLY!
If you bring a guest, he/she can fish but cannot enter the derby. If your guest would like to enter the derby, he/she must get registered on FNN with a screen name.

Junior Derby participants are exempt from this requirement.
All participants that are 15 years of age or under may enter the Junior Derby whether or not they are a registered FNN member. They must be accompanied by a parent. All participants under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

Event participants will be identified by an event wrist-band that will be issued during the check-in. Wrist bands must be worn for the entire duration of the event.

Valid California Fishing License with a saltwater stamp. Catch & Release only. Artificial lures or bait are allowed. One rod per angler (you may carry two rods, but can only fish with one rod at any given time).

Derby monitors will be on the sand during the entire contest. Look for a S.W.A.T. member with the HG7 event shirt and wearing a blue wristband if you need assistance.

All scorecards must be turned in to the registration desk by 1:00pm (no exceptions). Make sure your name is on the scorecard. No need to total up the points, we will do it for you. A time-based “fish off” will take place in case of a tie.

Trophies and prizes are awarded to the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place winners in both the adult and junior derbies.

Scoring: Individual scoring only. Each angler must have his/her own scorecard. Anglers cannot combine catch for scoring. All catch must be measured (if needed) and documented on the scorecard immediately after landing. Release your catch in a timely manner. This is a “Catch & Release” event. If you need help scoring your catch, or with the release, any S.W.A.T. members that are close by can assist you.

Potluck: If you are contributing to the potluck. You can leave your dish at the designated potluck food table. BBQ and food items will be served starting at noon.

Thank you for your contribution… sharing is caring!

NO Alcohol Please!

Safety: Your safety and the safety of your friends and family is PRIORITY #1. While we can predict the tides... it is impossible to foresee the weather and surf conditions this far out from the event, so we must be prepared. We are hoping for clear weather and flat swells, but that is beyond our control. We will have plenty of S.W.A.T. Members, DFW Officers, Lifeguards and State of California Beach Monitors on the sand. But we need your cooperation to ensure an incident free event. KNOW YOUR LIMITS! Don’t underestimate the power of the ocean. Do not wade out too far from the beach and never turn your back to the sea. If you are new to surf fishing, request a S.W.A.T. member to assist you or your group. Please allow us to educate you on safety guidelines to follow while surf fishing. Catching fish is great, but your safety always comes first!

I will reiterate once again, you do not need prior surf fishing experience to enjoy yourselves at this event. Simply let us know when checking in and we will dedicate a S.W.A.T. member to assist you for the day. I guarantee that by the end of the event, you will at least walk away with the basic knowledge of surf fishing that will help you succeed in future surf sessions.

Raffle: A Raffle will be held at the conclusion of the event. All registered participants that donates a raffle prize will be given a raffle ticket at check-in. You must be present to participate.
Leave your donations with the event staff at time of check-in and we will include it in the raffle. We thank you in advance for your generosity.

S.W.A.T. Members, Sponsors and/or Event Staff cannot participate in the fishing derby and are not eligible for the raffle. This event is about ‘YOU” and for “YOU,” the members and guests of the Fishing Network, along with your family & friends. It’s our way of showing our appreciation for your friendship and support throughout the years.

Looking forward to seeing all of you October 3rd !

Arthur (Wingnut)


HG4 Fishing Derby Scoring.
Species - Length Requirements
Leopard Shark (Legal) 36" or longer - 15 Points
Leopard Shark (Short) Less than 36" - 5 Points

Halibut (Legal) 22" or longer - 15 Points
Halibut (Short) Less than 22" - 5 Points

White Sea Bass (Legal) 28" or longer - 15 Points
White Sea Bass (Short) Less than 28" - 5 Points

Shovelnose Guitarfish 36" or longer - 5 Points
Shovelnose Guitarfish - Less than 36" - 1 Point

Smoothound Shark 36" or longer - 5 Points
Smoothound Shark - Less than 36" - 1 Point

Bat Ray 24" wingspan or longer - 5 Points
Bat Ray - Less than 24" wingspan - 1 Point

Surf Perch - Aggregated (All Species) - 1 Point
1 point each - 10 points maximum

Yellow Fin Croaker - 2 Points
2 points each - 20 points maximum

Bonito / Mackerel- 2 Points
2 points each - 20 points maximum

Various Rays (Sting Ray, Thornback, etc.) - 1 Point
1 point each - 5 points maximum

5 points each (any size) for the following species:
Maximum of 25 points per species.
Corbina
Calico Bass
Sand Bass
Spotted Bass
Cabezon
Zebra Perch
Barracuda
Spot Fin Croaker

Any other unspecified "Exotic Species" will be taken into consideration and scored on a case to case basis.

Bonus: The first (30) thirty anglers to catch any fish using a Lucky Craft lure will receive a FREE Flash Minnow 110 Lucky Craft lure. Catch must be verified by a S.W.A.T. Member or Lucky Craft Team Member. There will be plenty of us around to witness and verify your catch and hand you a certificate right on the sand to redeem your free lure! Courtesy of Lucky Craft International.

[Wingnut]

We are only one week way from the event!

Conditions are looking great for next Saturday.

Registration will be closing soon, so if you plan to attend, register ASAP!

Looking forward to seeing everybody next weekend!

[5150fishn]

Is it Saturday yet! Lol It always seems so long from the time we find out the date until it actually occurs. As always looking forward to hanging out with everyone. The fishing is a fun bonus but not what this event is really about. This work week is gonna drag!!! See ya Saturday.

[Ghost117]

Can't wait to meet and fish with ya'll again! :) I'll be praying that a huge bait ball will descend on the SM site an well catch all!!
See ya on saturday!!

[bones]

All systems go.....

The weather should be nice. A tad bit warm for this time of year so be sure to bring your sunblock folks. There will be a lot of food, drinks and smiles to go around for sure. As it was previously mentioned this derby is not really about the fishing aspect of things but is really a day of family and friends gathering together to remember our friend Dana Rea and the philosophy of fishing being the common thread that weaves us all together in a beautiful tapestry of family on the sand. Old friendships will be rekindled and new ones formed for sure.
For the folks that actually are taking the aspect of the fishing and the derby serious I would also suggest a combination of tactics to hopefully put a few fish on the sand. Obviously there will be folks fishing only artificial baits but also a bait and wait approach might be the ticket as well. It should be apparent to everyone who has been fishing the surf lately that this summer the fishing has been very spotty with the overwhelming warm water temps but remember folks.....any fish counts and some of the past derby's winners were determined by a few fish that were caught on simple bait and wait techniques like just soaking squid or chunks of mackerel so be prepared to try different things and show up with a smile and a great attitude and you will be rewarded with a warm feeling when it comes time to eat some great food and enjoy the raffle.

See everyone Saturday morning,

Mike aka Lt. Bones

[City Dad]

All systems go.....

The weather should be nice. A tad bit warm for this time of year so be sure to bring your sunblock folks. There will be a lot of food, drinks and smiles to go around for sure. As it was previously mentioned this derby is not really about the fishing aspect of things but is really a day of family and friends gathering together to remember our friend Dana Rea and the philosophy of fishing being the common thread that weaves us all together in a beautiful tapestry of family on the sand. Old friendships will be rekindled and new ones formed for sure.
For the folks that actually are taking the aspect of the fishing and the derby serious I would also suggest a combination of tactics to hopefully put a few fish on the sand. Obviously there will be folks fishing only artificial baits but also a bait and wait approach might be the ticket as well. It should be apparent to everyone who has been fishing the surf lately that this summer the fishing has been very spotty with the overwhelming warm water temps but remember folks.....any fish counts and some of the past derby's winners were determined by a few fish that were caught on simple bait and wait techniques like just soaking squid or chunks of mackerel so be prepared to try different things and show up with a smile and a great attitude and you will be rewarded with a warm feeling when it comes time to eat some great food and enjoy the raffle.

See everyone Saturday morning,

Mike aka Lt. Bones

bloodworms put hardware on the mantel.