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Texas Legends Billfish Tournament
Jungle Rules
August 5-9, 2026
Port Aransas Fisherman's Wharf










Tournament Rules
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By entering this tournament, participants agree to abide by all rules and decisions. All committee decisions are final.
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Contestants are boats. There may not be any pooling of catch or transfer of catch from one boat to another. In the event of a mechanical failure that disables a participant's boat, a substitute boat may be used. Any substitution must take place at the dock, not offshore.
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All boats must be registered and all fees paid before leaving their respective ports. Boats should coordinate their departure in each port with a committee boat or other tournament boat. Boats may depart anytime after 5pm on Thursday. All boats must remain in their municipal harbor until 5pm Thursday.
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All boats are required to return to Port Aransas, Texas to weigh any fish or submit any videos.
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Fishing time is 5pm Thursday to 5pm Saturday.​​
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NO EXCEPTIONS. All times are GPS times
(CDT= Coordinated Universal Time - 5)
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USE YOUR GPS FOR THE CORRECT TIME
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Upon release or catch make every effort to report all Billfish by texting Tournament Headquarters at (361) 815-1612. Contacting Tournament Headquarters helps us keep our website/app/social media up to date with the latest fishing results!
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Do not report hook-ups or meatfish catches, only Billfish catch or release information.
REQUIRED INFORMATION
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Boat name, species, and time of release
COMMUNICATION
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Please do not report same fish more than once
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All boats are required to have a video device to verify release of billfish. NO EXCEPTIONS.
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iPads work great!​
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JUNGLE RULES
There are no angling rules other than the fish must be caught on an IGFA conventional rod, reel and leader and boated by hand or gaff. Anyone may handle the rod.
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Fish must be weighed in good condition. No frozen fish will be accepted. Remember to take plenty of ice and insulated fish bags.
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Boats weighing fish will be responsible for those fish after weigh-in. This includes Blue Marlin.
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Participants must follow all State and Federal Laws.
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REMINDER!!! FEDERAL LAW requires the use of non-offset circle hooks in billfish tournaments when using natural baits (dead or alive) or natural baits in combination with lures or skirts.
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WEATHER: In case of very bad weather, the Tournament Committee may take a weather day or reschedule the Tournament. One day of fishing constitutes the tournament. If the tournament is completely cancelled, all boat pools will be refunded and entry fees will be refunded less tournament expenses. Regardless of weather, the captain and owner of each vessel are responsible for decisions made regarding the safety of their vessel.
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CONDUCT: The committee will consider unsportsmanlike conduct as grounds for disqualification. Contestants are responsible for their crew's actions. Committee decisions are final.
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PROTESTS: The only situation where a protest will be considered is in regards to a violation of the tournament rules. All protests must be substantial in nature, include documented evidence and must be submitted to the tournament director, in writing, before 7pm Saturday. A $1,500 cash deposit must be included with a protest. Deposit returned only if protest is upheld. The Tournament Committee will resolve all disputes and their decision is final.
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POLYGRAPH: All participants (including captain, crew, or guests) agree to submit to polygraph test if requested by the Tournament Committee. Failure to submit to such an exam will result in the disqualification of the boat. Any participant disqualified by the Tournament Committee for cheating, attempting to cheat or any other dishonest conduct may not be allowed to participate in future tournaments. Intentionally filling a fish with water or any other substance is considered cheating.
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VIDEO RELEASE RULES
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All boats are required to have a video device (iPad preferred) to verify the release of all billfish. Each boat is responsible for its own video equipment.
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All boats will be required to present their video at the Weigh-in Station for the Tournament Committee to review and verify.
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The video review committee will have a computer available at the tournament and Tech Support on standby; however it is the responsibility of the participant to provide everything needed (wire, connectors, adapters, etc.) to view their video!
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Only releases verified by video device and by the video review committee earn points.
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To obtain release points, the video must CLEARLY SHOW the following in CONTINUOUS, UNEDITED VIDEO:
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Angler fighting the fish.
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Object of the day.
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Clear identification of species.
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Wireman with leader in hand.
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CATCH and RELEASE of the fish by clearly showing at least one of the following events:
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Fish swimming away following it's release.
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The hook being removed or the leader being cut.
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The hook pulling free or leader breaking while the leader is in hand.
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The CORRECT TIME immediately following the release by clear video of a GPS device with time.
IMPORTANT! Please have your video ready to show in a timely manner for the video review committee. It is up to you to furnish everything needed to view your video. Tablets such as an iPad take excellent video. We recommend to video with more than one device in case of equipment failure.
MORE IS BETTER! THE MORE VIDEO WE SEE, THE EASIER IT IS FOR US TO VERIFY YOU HAVE MET ALL OF THE VIDEO RELEASE REQUIREMENTS!



In 2025...
37
199
Over $777,000
Boats Entered
Billfish Released
in winnings
Schedule
Wednesday Aug. 5th
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12-4pm Registration at fisherman's wharf
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Captain's shrimp boil
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Thursday Aug. 6th
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2-6pm final registration at grumbles seafood
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4:50pm blessing of the fleet, in person and VHF 68 radio
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5pm boats may depart after the blessing of the fleet and cannon signal release
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7pm registration closed
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Friday Aug. 7th
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12:01am fishing begins-use gps for correct time
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weigh station on call- please call dee wallace 1 hour before arrival 361-815-1612
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Saturday Aug. 8th
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Fishing Day
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2-6pm weigh station open
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5pm must be back inside port aransas little jetties
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6pm weigh station closed
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7pm cold beer and dinner at the fuel dock- fisherman's wharf/grumbles with music by cruise control
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9pm awards ceremony
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9pm final results will be posted online via txlegends.com and other social media sites. winners will be contacted directly by tournament committee
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Sunday Aug. 9th
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10am checks and bloody mary bar- grumbles seafood- invitation only


Register
FILL OUT AND COMPLETE THE ENTRY FORM.
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please make checks payable to Texas Legends Billfish Tournament
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send in your entry form with your check included to
P.O. Box #3078 Port Aransas, TX 78373
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contact Capt. Dee Wallace for any questions 361.815.1612
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final entry deadline is 7pm on Aug. 6th
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social security number or tax Id number will be required for tax purposes regarding winnings.

Scoring
This is a Blue Marlin Tournament. The overall champion must catch and boat and or catch and release a Blue Marlin. In the event no Blue Marlin is caught, the overall champion will be awarded to the boat with the most accumulated points.
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Our point system is designed to promote releasing all Blue Marlin under 500lbs. All White Marlin and Sailfish must be released. Blue marlin are the only billfish eligible to weigh in the Billfish and Blue Marlin Pools and must be at least 106" in short length - the Lower tip of the jaw to the fork of the tail. Blue Marlin, White Marlin, and Sailfish are the only billfish scored. The Blue Marlin Pools are for blue marlin only.
Point System
Blue Marlin Weighed-in..............1 point per pound
Blue Marlin Released..................500 points
White Marlin Released................150 points
Sailfish Released..........................100 points
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All unidentifiable billfish scored as Sailfish
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Bonus Points
Blue Marlin 600lbs. and over = 1 point per pound +1,000 points.
Highest score determines the winner(s). The boat with the most points accrued by the earliest time of their last fish released (or blue marlin boated) wins.
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You have the choice to release or boat a blue marlin with a short length of 106" or more. Since you are rewarded with 500 points for releasing a blue marlin, it doesn't make sense to boat one you think will not weigh 500lbs. If you decide to boat a blue marlin, the capture and boating should be recorded on video and the time the blue marlin is hauled on board should be recorded and reported to Tournament Headquarters.
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If you catch a Blue Marlin that weighs over 600lbs, the tournament rewards your accomplishment with a 1000 point bonus in addition to the 1 point per pound scoring. This bonus reflects the skill and difficulty involved in boating a fish that large.
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If for some reason the points and release times between boats are identical, the boat with the most blue marlin wins.
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On all weighed fish, in the case of a tie, length prevails.
pools
Entry Fee and Mandatory $1,000 Billfish Pool must be received at Tournament Headquarters by the final entry deadline of 5pm Thursday, at Fisherman's Wharf in Port Aransas, Texas.
Mandatory Billfish Pool....................... $1,000
Optional Billfish Pools........... $2,000/$4,000/$6,000
Optional Blue Marlin Pools... $2,000/$4,000/$6,000
A Special Word about Blue Marlin Only Pools!
These pools are not just for weighed Blue Marlin, but also include released Blue Marlin. The pools are for Blue Marlin only and are for those participants strictly interested in fishing for Blue Marlin.
The Billfish Pools include points for Blue Marlin weighed or released, White Marlin release and Sailfish released.
The Tournament Places are based on the $1,000 Mandatory Billfish Pool which all participants are required to enter.
The Optional Boat Pools are exactly that, Optional, and are not required for Tournament Awards.
The Billfish and Blue Marlin Pools use an aggregate point system with release points and weighed points and will pay up to 4 places. The boat with the most points wins.

Captains’ and Mates’ Pools are winner take all.
Optional Captains’ Pool $250 - most billfish points
Optional Mates’ Pool $250 - most billfish points
Non Billfish Pools Pay Two Places!
The Two Heaviest Fish in each pool win!
1st Place - 65% / 2nd Place - 35%
A Boat may win more than one place.
20lb. Minimum weight on Yellowfin Tuna and Wahoo.
10lb. minimum on Dolphin.
Yellowfin Tuna Pools $500/$1,500/$2,500
Wahoo Pools $500/$1,500/$2,500
Dolphin Pools $500/$1,500/$2,500
Payout on all pools is 90% with a 10% Administrative cost deducted.
Awards
*Includes all Participants
Tournament Champion will have the boat's name engraved on the perpetual Bob Byrd Memorial Trophy and will receive the Champion pennant.
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Top Four Places receive trophies
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Top Captain receives the Capt. Bill Hart Memorial Trophy
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Top Mate receives the Stewart Campbell Memorial Trophy
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Cash Prize
Includes all Participants
$5,000 to the first Blue Marlin!
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The Largest Blue Marlin Released will be determined by the Tournament Committee reviewing video footage. All participants are eligible for this prize. Participants should be aware that this is a judgment call and it can be difficult to determine the exact measurement of a live fish on a moving boat in the open ocean. Due to these circumstances, the committee's decision is final, no protests will be accepted. If you have a large fish, please take your time and get plenty of good video footage. For the Most Billfish Released prize, in case of a tie, tournament scoring rules apply.
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FISH POOL AWARDS
The largest fish of each species wins a trophy.
You must be entered in an optional fish pool to receive the largest fish trophy of that species.
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THE LARGEST YELLOWFIN TUNA
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THE LARGEST WAHOO
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THE LARGEST DOLPHIN
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BROKER'S CHALLENGE
All boats brokered by Fox Yacht Sales or Galati Yacht Sales are eligible to enter. The Brokers have seeded the pool with $5,000 of additional prize money. Must be entered in the $2,500 Brokers Challenge pool to win.

2025 results
Overall billfish points (4,750) - INstigator
Overall Blue Marlin POints (4,000) - Instigator
Heaviest Blue Marlin (439lbs) - El Patron
Heaviest Dolphin (21.4lbs) - Reelity check
heaviest yellowfin tuna (96.4lbs) - Greatful Blue
Heaviest wahoo (50.4lbs) - Big trouble
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2025 top money winners
1st Instigator
2nd Unstable
3rd El Patron
Fox Yachts/Galati Brokers Challenge Instigator
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About
We dedicate this tournament to Texas fisherman, and we consider it a privilege to celebrate the lives of those who have excelled in saltwater fishing. Please take time to remember some of our old friends on the Texas Big Game Fisherman's Roll Call- a tribute to those who have passed on in our sport.
Our tournament is unique in that once you are registered in the tournament you may leave from any Texas port. We have pioneered the concept of a video release format with points awarded for Blue Marlin, White Marlin, and Sailfish. The Port Aransas weigh-in and awards allows fisherman easy access to the natural offshore structure and deep-water rigs that this area is famous for.
Join us this year as we honor old friends, catch some great fish and celebrate our big game fishing heritage...










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Tournament Crew
Founder
Capt. John Cochrane
Tournament Director
Capt. Dee Wallace
Tournament Chairman
Will Cocke
Tournament Committee
Hefner Appling
David Cochrane
Kevin Deerman
Kirk Elliot
Chris Fox
Dee Wallace
Brantley Gwin
Carter Drummond
Special THanks To our VOlunteers!
Official artist: Larry Rackley
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