Nationals Registration Begins Tomorrow at Noon

By Christine Rodenbaugh

Wednesday is the first day of registration for the 2011 SKA Mercury Tournament Trail National Championship. Beginning at noon, you can pick up your boat number and captain’s bag chock full of great fishing supplies at Kingfish City located in the Isle Casino Hotel parking garage. For those of you attending Nationals for the first time, here’s how it goes:

• Look for the Registration sign.
• Loreen must review your Nationals Application to be sure all information in her database is up to date. You can still add crew on site as long as they have fished two SKA sanctioned events in 2011 as competition members.
• Only teams for Divisions 6 and 9 can pay on site. All TWTs are cash.
• When all information is verified and you have been assigned a boat number, SKA staff will hand you your 2011 SKA National Championship captains bag. It's a great bag provided by KingfishZone.com and filled with fantastic merchandise provided by the following: 303 Products, American Fishing Wire, Bone Suckin' Jerky, Bone Suckin' Sauce, Boone Bait Company, Calcutta, Caribbean Breeze, H & M Marine Products, Hayabusa, Redfishone Enterprises, Strike Zone Fishing, TTI-Blakemore, and White Marsh Fish Chum. Total value of all the filled bags is more than $16,800!
• Come early to avoid the long line.

Registration will also be open from 10am to 6:30pm on Thursday. If you wait until 6:30, plan to stand in line for quite some time. You can send a representative, but be sure (s)he has the names and correct spelling for all those who will be on your boat. And remember, everyone on your boat during the tournament must have fished two SKA events as Competition Members in 2011.

BP Filming at SKA Nationals

By Jack Holmes

As you know, the Gulf of Mexico suffered one of America’s largest ecological disasters, the oil spill created by the explosion, fire, and collapse of the Deep Horizon platform. By all accounts we still do not know the long term consequences of this disaster. Fishermen believe that the fish stocks are in great shape as evidenced by this year’s fishing. BP fully understands that it is all of our responsibility to help bring fisher people back to the Gulf and enjoy its bounty. BP will be on hand to film our event this year to use for promotional purposes. We believe this is a step in the right direction and shows their willingness and responsibility to bring the Gulf seafood industry back to the levels before the disaster. If they approach you, please help them in any way you can. We all will benefit from this.

Visit the BP Mississippi Gulf Coast Restoration website here

THANK YOU!

NBOA $2,500 Bonus

By Christine Rodenbaugh

Win the Open Class or Small Boat Division at Nationals and take home an extra $2,500! But only if you’re a Premier Angler Program member.

All SKA members are entitled to a free one-year National Boat Owners Association (NBOA) Premier Angler Program membership. If you have already been a member, it’s only $25 to renew. And, no, you are not required to have NBOA insurance. But NBOA has created the most comprehensive sport fishing policy on the water tailored to SKA members, the Premier Angler Program, and you should give them an opportunity to work up a quote. If NBOA currently insures your boat, then you are automatically enrolled.

For $25 annually (or free your first year), NBOA membership includes 24-hour tow dispatch for your vessel, quick response, nationwide coverage, and on-road assistance. NBOA Dispatch is on duty 24/7/365 to answer your calls for assistance and they dispatch the first available boat from a network of hundreds of commercial tow boats. Vessel towing service is available anywhere in the continental United States. Plus, NBOA Roadside assistance will dispatch a service vehicle to assist you should your trailer require service or towing while on the road.

Additionally, NBOA membership gives you access to exclusive insurance rates, marine financing with quarterly promotions of below market value re-finance rates from Essex Credit, NBOA’s monthly newsletter, and a ten percent discount at the boating safety gear website LifeJacketsPlus.com.

Stop by the NBOA booth at Kingfish City in the Isle Casino Hotel parking garage and request to sign up for their free membership or renew for just $25. It’s a great value.