You wil get the hang of it quick. A couple of things to keep in mind...
Keep your drag light. When they first hit they usually wil not run that far because you are not really putting that much pressure on them when they are far from the boat. Once they get closer and feel the pressure, they will make some hard runs.
Always keep a slight bend in your rod once fighting them. Keep constant steady pressure with a light drag. They tend to shake their head alot when submerged and can shake a hook if you dont have pressure on them. Remember....keep a light drag. They are not going anywhere out there in the open ocean and will surprise you once they feel like running and get close to the yak.
If you are not familiar with the surf launch, dont rig up hooks and trebbles until you bust through the surf. You should also take them off before coming back in. Talking about those hard lessons early in the game
Dont peddle too fast with live baits. You will drown them and they will just turn up on their side and die. Just enough to keep a large bow of slack out of your line.
Take the time to get the right baits. Bluerunners and other fish in the 6"-9" range are my choice for live ones. Dead baits on pink and white or blue and white dusters if no live ones can be had or you dont have a bait tank.
Good luck in the tournament.....