Tips & Advice

Helpful Tips & Advice for Sharkathon Participants

Make sure you have purchased your 2008-2009 Texas fishing license along with the saltwater stamp. 2007-2008 licenses expire at the end of August.
If you are entered into the Shark division you qualify for the $10,000 bonus for a shark caught per Sharkathon rules over 10 feet long. An important rule to this bonus is that along with the angler there must be 2 adult witnesses. If you are fishing a 2 person camp and you hook into a large shark you better make sure to go to the nearest camp and get an additional witness before the shark is landed. To qualify for Sharkathon the shark must be released and remember that the big sharks are notorious for fighting to near death so time will be critical once it is landed.
Every year we see pictures come in where the participant is not holding the ruler correctly. If the picture does not meet our qualifications it will be disqualified. We have a helpful tip for participants, go to a large hardware store and purchase an aluminum straightedge 4 foot ruler. The standard dimensions for these rulers are 2 inches tall and 48 inches long which is the exact same size as the Sharkathon ruler which also happens to be a decal. With one of these rulers you could apply the Sharkathon ruler to the aluminum ruler turning it into a rigid ruler which will be much easier to hold correctly for the photograph. Below is a photo of the type of ruler I am referring to, granted in the picture it is only a 24 inch model but they sell a 48 inch model. You could also use almost any material within those dimensions that a decal can adhere to.
Be prepared!! A good piece of advice is to assemble a shark kit and place all of the necessary tools for landing a shark in a backpack so that it is easy to carry and your time required to land, photograph & release a shark will be much quicker. Suggested items are Sharkathon catch log, Sharkathon ruler, the provided 120 inch ruler, pencil, small pair of bolt cutters, large channel-lock style pliers, cutting pliers, tail-rope, digital camera over 2 mega pixels, hook remover tools (Leadertec sells a nice one click here to see it), tagging equipment if you have it, a knife, flashlight, headlamp, and anything else you might need. With this kit in a backpack you could fight a fish while wearing it and be ready instantly.
Included in the packet is a non-sharpened #2 standard pencil with eraser. We will have a pencil sharpener at check-in for people to use but make sure to either have a knife or a pencil sharpener so that you can keep the pencil sharp. The catch log is printed on waterproof paper that can get wet but ink will smear if wet and we advise the use of a pencil for filling out your catch log. Remember you must fill out your catch log in advance and you have to turn it in to receive your door prize tickets.
If you plan on arriving early to check-in we will have a clipboard for people to signup for a spot in line when we begin to process participants. We are doing this to prevent people from having to stand in line for an extended period of time, & shortly before we begin check-in we will call names out for those signed up to start the line.
We are going to request that each participant have their camera out at check in and set the correct date and time on their camera. We are also going to request that each participant take a picture of a designated sign at check in to aid in the retrieval of pictures from the camera at the end of the tournament. Remember to bring any card reader, cables, and driver cd’s from your camera in the remote case that our reader can not retrieve the pictures from your memory card. Our readers do the following formats: CF1, CF2, SD, RS, XD, SM, MS, MS PRO, MS PRO DUO. If your card is not on that list make certain to bring a card reader that works for your card. If we cannot retrieve the picture it will not count.
Mosquitoes, mosquitoes, mosquitoes, be prepared for them they seem to be having an abundant year.
First aid kit, be as prepared as you can be for an emergency.
Due to the debris from Ike and of course the usual amount of boards and wood with nails and such make sure to bring a tire repair kit, fix-a-flat, and 12v compressors to avoid being stuck on the beach with a flat tire.

We will add more as we compile them, & if you have some advice that you think should be in here send us an email at info@sharkathon.com and we will review them and add what we can.