• By entering this tournament, participants agree to abide by all rules and decisions. All committee decisions are final.

• 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 at the discretion of the tournament director. Any substitution must take place at the dock, not offshore.

• 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.

• All boats are required to return to Port Aransas, Texas to weigh any fish or submit any videos.

• 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

• 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!

• Do not report hook-ups or meatfish catches, only Billfish catch or release information. It is also not necessaryto call in tuna, wahoo, or dolphin.

REQUIRED INFORMATION

• Boat name, Angler name, Species, time of release

COMMUNICATION

• Please do not report same fish more than once

• All boats are required to have a video device to verify release of billfish. NO EXCEPTIONS.

• 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 and reel and boated by hand or gaff. Anyone may handle the rod. No harpoons, shooting, explosives, poison, electric reels (OK for dredge use only), electric shock, entangling devices, nets, longlines or other non-sporting devices may be used.

• Fish must be weighed in good condition. No frozen fish will be accepted. Remember to take plenty of ice and insulated fish bags.

• Boats weighing fish will be responsible for those fish after weigh-in. This includes Blue Marlin.

• Participants must follow all State and Federal Laws.

• 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.

• WEATHER: In case of very bad weather, the Tournament Committee may decide to reschedule the Tournament. One day 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.

• CONDUCT: The committee will consider unsportsmanlike conduct as grounds for disqualification. Contestants are responsible for their crew's actions. Committee decisions are final.

• 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 $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.

• 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, at the discretion of the Tournament Committee. 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

• All boats are required to have a video device (iPad preferred) to verify release of billfish. Each boat is responsible for its own video equipment.

• All boats will be required to present their video at the Weigh-in Station for the Tournament Committee to review and verify.

• 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!

• 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:

1. Angler fighting the fish.

2. Object of the day.

3. Clear identification of species.

4. Wireman with leader in hand.

5. CATCH and RELEASE of the fish by clearly showing at least one of the following events:

   1. Fish swimming away following it's release.

   2. The hook being removed or the leader being cut.

   3. The hook pulling free or leader breaking while the leader is in hand.

6. 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. Using a CLEAN MEMORY CARD with no other data at the beginning of the tournament is a big help. It makes it much easier to find the video(s) to be reviewed. 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!