2026 Tournament Rules and Regulations

1. Captain’s Meeting is mandatory for each registered Angler.
2. The rules may be changed, at any time, through the Captain’s Meeting.
3. This is an Angler Tournament. All anglers must be paid and registered prior to midnight, Friday, January 30th, 2026. No refund of entry fees.
4. Eligible Species: Flounder, Trout, Black Drum, Sheepshead, Snook, and Redfish (Snook, Redfish and Trout are photo release, see photo release rules)
5. Boundaries are from Cedar Key to Naples, inshore of the COLREGS Demarcation line to open waters.
6. Fishing starts at 6:00 am Saturday, January 31st, 2026. No lines in water prior to this time.
7. All fishing and angling methods must comply with current Federal, State and U.S.C.G. safety and fishing Regulations.
8. Fish must be caught by hook and line. Hand held rods and reels only.
9. One angler must hook, fight and bring fish up to point of net.
10. Eligible fish may be caught by land, boat or Kayak.
11. No rotten or mutilated fish will be weighed.
12. All fish will be weighed in at the Tournament Venue (TBD). Fish may be brought in by boat or car.
13. Weigh In will begin at 3:00 pm. Anglers must be in line by 4:00 pm to be eligible to weigh fish.
14. Any fish being weighed in containing lead or any other foreign matter will be subject to disqualification as determined by the weigh master. All fish need to be properly cared for.
15. Tie – In the event of a tie, the angler who weighs first wins (broken by time).
16. “Capt. AL” Master Angler – In the event of a tie the first angler to the weigh in with the most species wins (ties broken by time).
17. A YOUTH ANGLER eligible for the Youth Angler Prizes must be 12 years or younger on the tournament date. They must catch and reel the fish to point of net. The Youth Angler (Free Entry) will only be eligible for the youth division prizes UNLESS they pay the registration fee, then they can decide if they want to weigh in the overall or youth division.
18. Tournament Winners Must Be Present at Awards to Receive Winning Check(s). Anyone receiving a check or prize valued at $600 or greater must complete a W-9 form.
19. The Honor System applies throughout the entire tournament.
20. If there should be a dispute of any kind the decision of the Tournament Director will be final. Protests must be accompanied by a cash fee of $200.00 which will be returned only if the protest is upheld.
21. It is up to the discretion of the registered angler to determine whether his or her craft (if fishing from boat) is seaworthy for existing sea conditions. Participants are encouraged to keep abreast of any marine or weather warnings.
22. The Old Salt Fishing Foundation encourages the live release of all fish not needed for the tournament.
23. All decisions of the tournament committee and weigh master are final.

Snook, Redfish & Trout – Photo Release Only Rules
1. Anglers are responsible for providing their own digital photo equipment. (ONLY Digital Photos Allowed) The tournament committee will not provide any special equipment with which to photograph or view. All photos turned in for judging will become the property of the tournament. Smartphones are accepted & preferred – you will be asked to text the photos at the weigh-in.
2. Be sure you camera card is cleared off with ONLY your Snook, Redfish and Trout Photos!
3. Snook, Redfish and Trout photos must be taken with an official Old Salt yellow measuring sticker & plainly visible in the photo. Available for purchase at Captains Meeting – $6.
4. Pictures must be taken with nose of fish, facing left, flush against the tournament rule stick with pinched tail. Picture needs to include the entire fish and clearly show the overall length. ALL NUMBERS ON THE RULER MUST BE VISIBLE.
5. A Playing Card will be announced online at www.OldSaltFishing.com, our Facebook page & emailed on Friday, January 30th at 8pm. This Playing card is your “tournament indicator” and MUST be included in all Photos. If the wrong card or no card is shown in the photo, photo will be disqualified. Digital photos must be turned in at Weigh In on Saturday, February 1st. The weigh will be held from at 3 – 4pm at the Tournament Venue (Bowline Marina)
6. No Slot Size is not required for photo release – any size is eligible.