Tight lines,

Len, Oliver, and Jason

Come one, come all to the culmination of the First Annual Philadelphia Striped Bass Derby!

Where: Standard Tap, 2nd and Poplar Streets (Click here for directions)
When: Saturday, June 4th, 5pm

Come out, have a drink or two, and celebrate with us! Trophies and prize money will be given out to the winners (Click here for current leaders) and we will have some special prizes for those who participated but were not able to land the big one. With your help, a donation of 275 dollars was made on behalf of the Derby to the Delaware Riverkeepers. Don’t forget, there is still time to do some fishing before the contest closes, so get out there and get fishing!

Tight Lines!

**Actual award may differ from crab pictured.

With only a week and a half to go we still have no entries in the blue crab category. The coveted Golden Crab is an award shrouded in mystery, said to have been crafted by Ben Franklin himself during downtime at the First Continental Congress. What brave soul will step up to the challenge? It could be you!

In other news, here are the current leaders in the striper and catfish categories:

Striped Bass:
First: Bert Zanck, 27″
Second: Jose Belpre, 26″
Third: Joe Kelly, 16″

Catfish:
Bert Zanck, 28″

You never know what you will find!

This is a beautiful fishing spot with a nice sand beach. However, the tides bring in a large amount of plastic bottles and other garbage.  We will provide the gloves, trashbags, and water, you provide the helping hands! Give back to the river that supports the striped bass and meet some fellow anglers.

When: Sunday, May 22nd at 10am-Noon.

Where: Hog Island Road. We will be meeting at the dirt parking lot just South of the UPS terminal. See the map below for the specific spot. Be sure to park in this lot as you can get ticketed for parking along Hog Island Road.

See map and direction below.

View Clean up day in a larger map

From Philadelphia -

South on I-95, take Exit 15 Island Avenue/Enterprise Avenue. At end of exit ramp, you will be on Enterprise Avenue. At stop sign turn left onto Fort Mifflin Road. Go approximately 4.2 miles, past the UPS Terminal on your right hand side. Dirt parking lot will be on right hand side.

From Delaware County or Points South -

North on I-95, take Exit 13 – Valley Forge/West 291. Bear right and follow sign for Island Avenue. At traffic light (Hilton Hotel on left corner), turn left onto Island Avenue. At stop sign turn left onto Enterprise Avenue. At stop sign, turn right onto Fort Mifflin Road. Go approximately 4.2 miles, past the UPS Terminal on your right hand side. Dirt parking lot will be on right hand side.

Check out some pictures below.

Derby HQ at Penn Treaty

Fishing at Penn Treaty. Ben Franklin Bridge in the background!

More folks fishing at Penn Treaty.

Friends angling at Bartram's Gardens.

More people at Bartram's Gardens. Cool view of the Philly skyline in the background.

Albert McReynold's world record striped bass. You could be next.

We have extended the registration deadline to 15th , so if you have yet to register, sign up now! Once you sign up, we can hand deliver your materials, mail them, or you can pick them up at one of our events.

Speaking of events, our Derby community days are this weekend. Saturday, May 7th we will be at Penn Treaty Park from 11am-4pm, and Sunday, May 8th we will be at Bartram’s Gardens. See the events tab for more info. The community days are a great way for people with little fishing experience to come out to the river and learn the basics. Rods, reels, and bait will be provided*.  You can also register for the Derby at these events. Plus, who knows, maybe you will catch the Derby winner!

P.S. Who is going to catch the first crab?

*Participants must abide to all regulations outlined by the PA Fish and Boat Commission, including having a PA fishing license, which can be purchased online and printed here.

Next up, Community Days at Penn Treaty and Bartram’s Gardens! See you there!!

Folks hanging out at the Kickoff.

This is the special striped bass entree offered in honor of the Derby. Thanks JB's!

The cake!

The flag is up, which means….the first annual Philadelphia Striped Bass Derby has begun!!!!
Fishing is now open. Grab those measuring tapes, put new batteries in your camera, and get out there and fish!

Join us at Johnny Brenda’s tonight from 4pm-7pm for the Derby kickoff party! There are striped bass specials on the menu. Come register in person, pick up your registration materials, or stop by to learn more about the Derby. Door prizes, give aways, and a great opportunity to meet your fellow anglers.

Johnny Brenda’s is on the corner of Frankford and Girard in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia. Click here for directions.

Online Registration is now open. It’s quick and easy. Just go to the registration tab above or click here. Registration deadline is May 8th, so register today!

The Derby is for everyone with an interest in Philadelphia’s local rivers. It’s not only anglers who are catching derby fever. Everyone who registers gets an awesome first annual Derby t-shirt and button and a portion of the registration fee is donated to support river advocacy.

For newcomers to fishing, it’s a fantastic opportunity to learn about the local rivers, the types of fish that live in these waters, and the fun of fishing. Check out our community fishing days, where we supply the rods, reels, and instruction. Just sign up online and be prepared for a great new experience. The Derby is all about getting first timers out on the water. Did you know there are blue claw crabs in the Delaware? There are!

For die hard anglers, the Derby is a chance to strut their stuff, reel in the biggest striper or catfish, and win the coveted first place trophy, cash, and prizes from local businesses.

Not interested in fishing but still want to participate? By registering, you receive our t-shirt and button, and 20% of the the registration fee is donated to the Delaware River Keeper. You can join us at our clean up day and help make the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers a better place.

We do want to note the following: If you plan to fish,  you must have the Derby measuring tape in order to submit a fish for consideration, so you have to register before you start fishing. If you cannot pick your materials up at one of our events, please email Jason (jason @ phillystripedbassderby.com) to make alternate arrangements.

Thanks!

Jason and Len