LEO ALMEIDA MEMORIAL NORTH SHORE STRIPED BASS TOURNAMENT

The Leo Almeida Memorial North Shore Striped Bass tournament is the only tournament of its kind dedicated to the fishermen and women of Boston’s North Shore. This charity tournament is held over Labor Day weekend with proceeds directed to fighting hunger in our community. It is named in memory of its founder, Leo Almeida, a lifelong resident of the North Shore who created the tournament to bring together his love of fishing and his commitment to the community.

Fishing and Fun

This tournament is about a lot of things, but most of all, it is about fishing and fun. Boston’s North Shore is home to some of the best striper fishing on the East Coast. The waters of Essex County, Massachusetts stretch from Lynn and Nahant all the way to the New Hampshire border. Are you a surfcaster in Marblehead? Maybe you fish from a boat somewhere off Cape Ann? Or is Plum Island your favorite place to cast? However you fish, wherever you fish – this tournament is for you! There are both adult and youth divisions and categories for fishing from boat or shore/surf. Cash grand prizes are awarded in each category. Continuing a tradition begun in 2007 with the fifth annual tournament, the tournament record setting fish will earn the angler who caught it an extra $100 bonus. The tournament also includes a raffle, so even if you don’t land “the big one,” you still have a chance to win a great prize, donated by generous local merchants.

Giving Back

When you enter the Leo Almeida Memorial North Shore Striped Bass Tournament, you get more than the chance to win big from a weekend of good fishing, you also get the good feeling that comes with knowing that you are playing a part to help those who are most needy in our community. In the Tournament's first eight years, almost $36,000 has been raised for North Shore food pantries. This year, tournament proceeds benefit three North Shore anti-hunger organizations: Danvers People to People Pantry, Essex County Hunger Relief, Gloucester's Cape Ann Pantry, and Our Neighbors Table in Amesbury.

Conservation

All true sportsmen are conservationists. We know that if we are not responsible for the stewardship of any resource, it will be lost. So, unlike some derbies that award the top prize to the boat bringing in the largest quantity of fish (either in number or aggregate weight), the grand prize in this tournament goes to the angler bringing in the biggest fish. To assist entrants in keeping only fish that have a good chance at winning, at the end of each day, the tournament standings will be posted on the website.