RULES AND REGS

All angler teams need to have a digital camera, as scoring will require reading of the memory card.

1. Knowing the rules is an important part of the tournament. At least one member from each team and their guide will be required to read and sign that they understand the rules and will abide by them throughout the competition.  If you see another team behaving improperly please be sure to photograph/document and bring to the officials attention right away.
   
   
2. Measuring and photographing the fish on the tournament measuring board with the Angler number, and releasing a live fish constitutes a catch. The fish must face left on the measuring board. Tarpon are to be measured and photographed boat side and not brought in the boat. Any deviation from the above photographing techniques will result in no points for that catch. To assure a successful release, please make every effort to return each fish back to the water as soon as possible.
   
   
3. IGFA Rules and tackle specifications apply. The guide is not allowed to cast for their angler or cast an attracter to assist an angler. Circle hooks must be used for live bait. Fishing is intended to be inshore at a depth not to exceed that of a push pole.  No fishing is permitted within 200 yards of a facility that sells bait and/or fuel.  
   
   
4. No heavier than 20 pound test line (Manufacturer Stated Test) may be used in all divisions.
   
   
5. Only 1 working rod per Angler is allowed in the water at any time.
   
   
6. There must be two Anglers on every participating boat. In the absence of a Teammate, the Tournament Committee will appoint a Substitute Angler. Professional guides cannot register as an angler.
   
   
7. Boats must depart from and return to Tournament Launch Sites by water. Slow zones and other boating regulations must be observed. Anglers must sign out before departure each day and sign in upon returning, regardless of catch. No trailering during tournament hours. It is recommended that anglers wear Personal Flotation Devices while the boat's motor is moving.
   
   
8. Teams may wade or fish from shore; however, the boat must be at anchor the entire time any angler is fishing outside the boat.
   
   
9. The tournament is a team format with each team allowed to enter a maximum of three redfish and three snook per day. Each team may photograph as many fish as necessary but only the three largest of each species will be counted. An individual angler on each team may only enter a maximum of two snook and two redfish per day.
   
   
10. There will be three divisions. The divisions are Bait, Artificial, and Fly. The Bait and Artificial divisions will have a guided and unguided teams and the Fly division will be treated as one division whether or not the teams are guided. All guides fees will be paid by the anglers using a guide. There will be a guided and unguided team champion in the Bait and Artificial divisions. There will be a Fly division champion. There will be no overall Team Grand Champions. Each team is required to choose the division they will be competing in prior to the tournament. 
    
    
11. The Artificial and Fly divisions are artificial lure categories. No tipping is permitted. Bait or tipping is permitted only in the Bait Division. No chumming is allowed in any division.
    
    
12. The tournament will be scored using length of fish with ten (10) points per inch of fish the first day and fifteen (15) points per inch the second day. All lengths will be rounded up to the nearest inch (i.e. a 24 3/8” fish will be rounded up to 25” and will be scored accordingly). Pinching the tail is required for snook. Team Champions will be the anglers with the most total points for the two days within each division.
    
    
13. There are no minimum size restrictions for either species and it is not necessary to have caught a redfish and snook to be eligible for awards except to be eligible for the RedSnook Slam award. See rule 14 below.
    
    
14. All registered teams are eligible for the Grand Slam Award. To qualify, the team must catch a tarpon, snook, and redfish on the same day with each individual angler on the team catching at least one of the three fish entered. The tarpon must be 30 inches or more measured from the snout to the fork of the tail. If a tarpon is larger than 50 inches, 50 inches is the maximum allowed for scoring. The snook and redfish must be at least a “slot” size or greater. The total combined inches of the entered tarpon, snook, and redfish will determine the winner. The tarpon can be taken using any of the three methods (bait, fly or artificial) regardless of the division the team is fishing within. If a team elects to enter the Grand Slam, the snook and redfish entered for the slam will be removed from the point’s calculation for their division.
    
    
15. Ties for each of the tournament categories will be awarded to the Team that caught their last fish entered within the division for that award, earliest in the Tournament. In the event of a tie for the Slam Award, the award will go to the team that com¬pletes the Slam the earliest in the day, regardless of what day.
    
    
16. There will be an award for the top Female and Largest Trash Can Slam. The Top Female award will be given to the individual angler with the most total individual points for the angler’s top two (2) redfish and snook for each of the two days.  The Trash Can Slam award will be given to the angler who catches a catfish, ladyfish and jack with the longest combined total length in one day.
    
    

17. Good sportsmanship is expected, however, the penalty for any violation of the rules is NO POINTS for the day’s catch. All protests must be signed and in writing and given to the Site Director by 4:00 pm the day of the violation. The Site Director will contact the Tournament Rules Committee for a decision. All decisions by the Rules Committee are final.

18. If within 48 hours of the start of the tournament, the National Hurricane Center issues a Tropical Storm Warning that affects any of the launch areas, the tournament will be postponed. The Tournament Committee also reserves the right to postpone the tournament for any reason if they feel the conditions are unsafe. If the first day of the tournament is completed prior to the postponement, the tournament will be considered complete. If the tournament is postponed, a rescheduled date will be announced within 96 hours. If an angler cannot fish the rescheduled date, the registration fee will either be returned or applied to the next year’s event. All other weather decisions will be made by the Tournament Committee and communicated to the guides by phone. It is the responsibility of the guide to notify his or her anglers.

19. Teams must declare their division and launch site when they register.  Changes to division and/or launch site will not be permitted after October 19, 2015.