from Cheeky Fishing:
The 12th Cheeky Schoolie Tournament presented by Simms concluded on Saturday May 21st with a record score sheet and record donations to striped bass conservation. Schoolie, as it is called by many, is the world’s largest fly fishing tournament. Team P Rex consisting of Rex Messing and Peter Markano, took first place with a record length of 119.5 inches. Second went to the Flailing Fly Fisherman (Seth Gilroy & Steve Schaeffer) with 119 inches while third was claimed by Team Schoolie (Marc Savaria and Chuck Scott) at 114 inches. Schoolie is a catch-photo and release tournament for fly anglers on Cape Cod. Teams of two anglers combine the inches of their 4 longest striped bass to get their score. The tournament is focused on conservation with all proceeds going to conservation groups Keep Fish Wet, Stripers Forever and the American Saltwater Guide Association. This year they will split $30,756.
“We love this event and love how the angling community comes together to celebrate the fish and work together to make the fishery better,” said Ted Upton, Cheeky CEO. “We think this was the best Schoolie yet.”
New to this year’s tournament, science teams from UMASS Amherst conducted catch and release research in and around the tournament. Directed by Dr. Any Danylchuk and funded with a prestigious Woods Hole Sea Grant, catch and release researchers will be attempting to catalog recovery of more than 1,000 fish over the course of this year with that amount or more data in 2025 as well.
“Honing our set of best practices for catch and release can make a big impact on fish mortality and save a significant number of striped bass,” Said Danylchuk at the Costa Captain’s Party Friday night.
