Riverhead snapper tournament reels in the youngsters

The 27th annual snapper tournament returns to the Peconic Riverfront Saturday, Sept. 13, with fishing from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a youth division for ages 15 and younger and an adult division for ages 16 and up. Registration is $20, and the first 50 individuals to register will receive a free commemorative T-shirt. The person who catches the longest fish in each division wins a new rod and reel. 

The contest is run by Riverhead Town Parks and Recreation. Local merchants have donated items for a raffle to benefit the recreational scholarship fund. 

The Montauk Surfcasters Association, the main sponsor of the contest for the last seven years, will have rods and bait for kids to use and members will be on hand to assist the anglers with baiting their rods, or if they’re going to use lures, to help there also.

“We’re doing all the measurements and logging everything in,” said Brian Connor, president of MSA. “There’s usually about seven to eight of us walking up and down the docks there, helping everyone.”

Participants are encouraged to register online and arrive early to ensure that they get a rod and reel and a T-shirt in their size. 

“Show up a little bit early, because the rods and reels do go quick. We encourage everyone to do the sign up preemptively online, but a lot of people don’t. So, get there early, so you can get a rod and reel and a T- shirt and your size,” said Mr. Connor. “We’ll do a quick rundown of the rules, how it’s going to work. Then, basically, it’s let the kids go have fun. They’re usually running up and down the docks and chasing where there’s schools of snappers.”

The contest is intended to inspire a lifelong love of fishing and the outdoors. Snappers are an abundant species that put up a good fight, and the date of the snapper tournament coincides with a large number of fish in the river, ensuring plenty of bites.

“And for any kid who’s never done it, especially a lot of these kids haven’t, and they get a fish on, their first time going, their adrenaline’s going, [and] they’re happy,” said Mr. Connor. “We usually see these kids coming back year after year. You know, it’s a great thing. We need kids to be outside more instead of inside on screens.”

For more information and to register, visit riverheadrecreation.net.