Can You Fish for 24 Straight Hours?

Recycled Fish, the non-profit angling stewardship organization, is having its annual 24-Hour Fish-A-Thon in September, but the deadline for registering is this Friday, Aug. 5. The Fish-A-Thon is like a walk or run for charity, except it’s fishing – a cool idea.

More info:

> In its third year, anglers across North America compete to see who can raise the most money – and catch the most fish – while creating awareness about the problems facing our waters. Teams also compete for prizes such as the fishing trip of the lifetime.

> The 24-Hour Fish-A-Thon is open to freshwater anglers in all 50 states and Canada. To participate, anglers begin by becoming a Fish-A-Thon Ambassador at www.recycledfish.org , and sign up their team of two to four anglers, along with a $25 registration fee. After they receive their Fish-A-Thon welcome kit in the mail, each team member’s next step is to secure donations from family, friends, co-workers and the public in general. Donations in the past have ranged anywhere from $5 – $500.

> Lines are cast Friday, Sept. 9 at 7 pm until Saturday, Sept. 10 at 7 pm. During the event anglers are also encouraged to pick up any trash and use tackle that is easier on the environment, such as lead-free weights or biodegradable baits and lures, and practice good catch and release.

> Every team raising a minimum of $100 will get a complimentary 24-Hour Fish-A-Thon shirt for all team members, plus additional prizes like tackle, apparel and gift cards.

> Participating anglers take photos of their fish and self-score their catch at the online Angling Masters Fish Calculator, then submit their score to the Fish-A-Thon judges. Top prizes go to the team with the most funds raised and the team with the highest score based on their best five fish photos. Prizes are also given for the best photos, the most “unusual” trash picked up and more.

> For complete Fish-A-Thon information and rules, go to www.recycledfish.org, or contact Ben Leal, Program Director at tournaments@recycledfish.org

“Fishing for 24 hours can be quite the challenge – it’s like the marathon of fishing,” Leal said. “One of the great things about this event is not only does it helps raise funds for Recycled Fish, it also helps raise awareness on a specific body of water that each team is fishing on.”