The 2024 Monarch Cobia Classic fishing tournament returns to Hampton Roads on July 12th & 13th for another exciting two days of competition on the water. Organized by the Old Dominion University (ODU) Alumni Association, the tournament is one of the organization’s signature fundraising events that benefits their scholarship fund, providing financial assistance to students seeking higher education at ODU. With a new two-fish aggregate format, increased sponsorship funds, and prizes on the line, anglers will be battling hard both days to come out on top at this classic Virginia Cobia tournament.
On a recent episode of the Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, June 10-16, podcast host Luke Barton sat down with Kim Johnson and Mark Lozier to discuss the details for this year’s tournament.
Tournament Format
The 2024 Monarch Cobia Classic will take place over two days, with fishing allowed on July 12th and 13th. There is a strict deadline of 4pm each day for anglers to be in line to have their catch weighed. All fish must be transported by boat – no trucking will be allowed – to one of two designated weigh stations. These stations are located at Long Bay Pointe Bait & Tackle in Virginia Beach and Wallace’s Bait and Tackle in Hampton, providing convenient access from most areas of the lower Chesapeake Bay.
The new main tournament format, for 1st through 5th place has been updated from a single fish event to an aggregate. Rather than just weighing the largest single fish, anglers’ finishing place will now be determined by the aggregate weight of their two largest fish – one from each day of competition.
According to Mark Lozier, “We did that for a lot of reasons. One of the main reasons was that two years ago, there were two 73 pound fish caught on day one. On the second day, that was a big number to beat, so it seemed like the energy wasn’t as high for everybody….everybody was really fighting for 3rd place. The new format should keep things interesting from start to finish.”
Prizes
Cash prizes will be awarded based on the level of tournament registration and funds raised through sponsorships. Previous tournaments have seen the top prize for the team sweeping first place in all levels of the tournament, exceeding $34,000, providing a major payout for the team who can come out on top of the competition. In addition to the prizes for the main event (Cobia), there will also be awards given for the heaviest non-cobia fish brought to the scales (sharks/rays do not count) and the Lucky Dog prize. Past tournaments have seen anglers weigh in unexpected catches like black drum, houndfish and even a toad fish to earn a little extra cash.
Adding another level of excitement, are the Calcutta divisions, for further clarity on how this works, Mark explains, “Basically, a Calcutta is just a side bet within the actual tournament itself. It’s a little gamble on yourself…. I’ve seen tournaments where people who win the tournament don’t win as much as the people who get into Calcuttas. There have been times where the first-place team didn’t get into Calcutta, and then the second-place guy may have gotten all in…. So financially, he overtook the first-place guy, even though he didn’t get the first-place trophy.”
In short, Calcuttas give anglers more opportunities to win some money and will be awarded daily for each day’s biggest catches, 1st & 2nd places for each Calcutta division.
Captain’s Meeting and Dock Party
A mandatory captain’s meeting for all participating anglers will be held on July 11th starting at 5:00pm at the ODU Sailing Center. This is where final tournament details will be provided, last-minute questions can be answered, and Calcutta level entries will take place.
Following the conclusion of the second day of fishing, July 13th, teams and ticket holders are invited to join in on the dock party celebration.
“The party is going to be at the ODU Sailing Center,” Kim says, “Which is on the backside of campus. It’s actually my favorite spot on the campus. There’s lots of parking, so people will not have a problem bringing their trailers and their boats back there. We’ll have tents set up out there, we’ll have music, we’ll have food, we’ll have a raffle, and are just looking forward to having a big party out there on water, and to be able to enjoy a summer night and to give some good prizes away. It’s just going to be a beautiful atmosphere.”
Registration
Anglers can register for the tournament online in advance for an early bird rate of $400 per team until July 1st. After this date, the cost will increase to $450. Included in the registration fee are official tournament t-shirts for all team members, a bucket of goodies with items from sponsors and organizers, and tickets to the dock party. With its support of scholarships and exciting dock party, prizes and competition, the Monarch Cobia Classic is an event local anglers will not want to miss out on this summer.
Conclusion
The 2024 Monarch Cobia Classic promises to be another highly competitive and fun-filled fishing tournament for anglers in Hampton Roads. With the new two-fish aggregate keeping both days of competition crucial, increased sponsorship dollars on the line, and opportunities to win through placements, Calcuttas, and side categories, there has never been a better time to get involved. The tournament not only provides thrilling sportfishing action, but also supports the important mission of the ODU Alumni Association in awarding scholarships to those in need.
For more information on the classic, or to register, click here.
