Are You Hungry Yet?

You will be, when you read the August issue

It seems like more contests are taking place than ever before. Which is great! Here are four contests for boaters.

· Recreational Boating Access Award

The fourth annual BoatUS Recreational Boating Access Award publicizes initiatives that buck the trend of increasingly restricted access to the water. Nominations are open until Oct. 1. If you know an individual or group who have preserved or improved public waterway access, the Recreational Boating Access Award would like to recognize the effort.

   "We'll share those success stories with others so that they may also learn how to preserve or improve boating access in their area," said BoatUS President Nancy Michelman.

   Judges look at four criteria: (1) challenges faced in retaining or increasing access in an area; (2) measurable results of the solution; (3) success in increasing awareness of the importance of boating access; (4) repeatability-the ability to use the approach as a model for other areas.

   Application deadline is Oct. 1; winners will be announced by Oct. 31. For more information, click here.
 

Submit a photo of your best catch to the BoatUS Angler Catch of the Month Photo Contest, and you could win $50 and other prizes, plus be entered to win a realistic replica of your fish from Mount This Fish Company. The firm specializes in hand-painted fiberglass replicas.

   It's a monthly photo contest that started in April and runs for seven months. For complete details and how to enter, click here. 

   In November all 14 monthly winners will be automatically entered into the Grand Prize drawing to win the replica mount from Mount This Fish Company, the newest sponsor of the photo contest. All mounts are hand airbrushed and can be displayed indoors or out.

· Win a Fishing Trip with Tour Pro-Fish-A-Thon

A nationwide 24-hour Fish-A-Thon on Sept. 10-11 will help conserve fish habitat. Recycled Fish and BoatUS Angler co-sponsor the event, which lasts 24 hours and pits teams of anglers across the country against each other.

    It's all to raise funds to support responsible fishing. Teams also compete for top prizes such as "the fishing trip of a lifetime," a guided trip with a Professional Anglers Association (PAA) tour-level pro, or a getaway to a remote lodge. Recycled Fish is a non-profit organization committed to responsible fishing practices. Proceeds are donated to Recycled Fish and the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water to support waterway stewardship programs. The 24-Hour Fish-A-Thon is open to freshwater anglers in all 50 states. To participate, anglers begin by becoming a Fish-A-Thon Ambassador/Team Leader at www.RecycledFish.org/FishAThon.

   Next they go fishing. Lines are cast Sept. 10 at 6 pm until Sept. 11 at 6 pm. During the event anglers are also encouraged to pick up trash and use tackle that is easier on the environment, such as lead-free weights or biodegradable baits and lures. They practice good catch-and-release tactics. Every team raising a minimum of $100 will get a complementary 24-Hour Fish-A-Thon shirt. Participating anglers takes 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 administrator.

   For complete Fish-A-Thon information, go to www.RecycledFish.org, or contact Buddy Johns.


· Discover Boating's new game puts boaters at the helm

Discover Boating, the national awareness program for the recreational boating industry, recently launched a new online game application, titled Making Waves.

   It's designed to put at-home water sports enthusiasts in the virtual captain's chair. We liked it so much here in the office that we put it on our Facebook page. 

   The game lets players experience onscreen the thrill of everything you can do on water, the format using a race focusing on lifestyles associated with each style of boating. The races are "Wake Rider," "Set the Hook," and "Dock Hopper."

   "The game brings the boating experience to life online," said Carl Blackwell, chief marketing officer for Discover Boating and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA).

   Discover Boating partnered with space 150, a Minneapolis-based digital communications firm, to create the game.

   OK, it's not strictly a contest. But it is a sweepstakes. To drive traffic to the game, players receive a chance to register to win $25,000 toward the purchase of a new NMMA Certified boat.

   The sweepstakes runs through Aug. 31. Players can also sign up via the application to receive Discover Boating's free "Get Started in Boating" DVD.