Redfish World Championship Rules

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Max Horsepower:

Engine Horsepower may not exceed 300HP

Casting Platforms:

No Casting Platforms Allowed, all anglers must fish from the deck of the boat.

Tower Boats:

No tower boats allowed, please click on the link below for our definition of a tower boat.

TOWER BOAT DEFINITION

Burning is Strictly Prohibited:

Any Florida Redfish Series participants caught burning the flats 30 days or less prior an event will be disqualified from said event and could face a suspension or outright banned from the series.

Burning is defined by:

Burning the flats is running at speed on plane in shallow water to spook concentrations of Redfish in an attempt to locate and mark fish with the intentions of retuning and fishing these areas on tournament day. This practice damages the sea grass and schools of fish. We are very conservation friendly which is why we are a no kill tournament and enjoy knowing we return all the fish caught in a tournament to the same waters they were taken from and knowing they’ll continue to grow the population for future anglers to enjoy. 

Safety 

Safe boating will be observed at all times. Each contestant is required to wear a fastened, U.S. Coast Guard approved, personal floatation device anytime the combustion engine is in operation.  All running lights must be in place and working at time of launch.  

Alcohol and Drugs

The consuming or transporting of any alcoholic beverages or drugs (other than prescription or OTC drugs) during official tournament hours, on any tournament angler’s vessel is prohibited, any angler or anglers will be disqualified from this and possibly all future tournaments. Official tournament hours begin at SAFE LIGHT and end at 5:00pm EST.

Weather-

Tournament days may be shortened or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions. The decision to shorten or to cancel will be left totally to the discretion of the Tournament Director. A 4-hour period shall constitute a day of fishing. 

Competitors must remain in their boat

All teams are expected to complete the tournament in the same boat they launched in, there will be no substitution or vessel swapping allowed during a regular season single day tournament once the tournament has begun. During the two-day championship if you experience mechanical issues on day one you may fish from a different boat on day two, but the swap must first be approved by the tournament director and meet all safety and rule requirements.

 If your unable to return to the weigh in due to mechanical issues, contact the tournament directors immediately 850-591-0575 or 850-508-1615. Then you may either A: be towed in by another team or towing service, or B: the team will be permitted to contact a competitor and one angler will be allowed to transfer your fish to their vessel providing you are able to clearly Identify your catch by the use of a culling system, color zip ties or other identifying system. Once the angler and fish have been transferred then no fishing is allowed by either team.

FISHING WITH GUIDES. 

No fishing with local guides 30 days before the tournament in tournament waters. This means either paid or unpaid, on your boat or their boat. The only exception to this rule is if the local guide is registered as your teammate in the tournament prior to any pre-fishing. 

Information/30-Days Prior to Day 1 of the official Practice Time: 

Tournament anglers may not solicit or intentionally receive the assistance or advice of anyone for the purposes of locating or catching Redfish, nor enter the tournament waters with anyone including, but not limited to, a professional guide, state or federal wildlife agency employee or any other person deemed an “expert“ on these tournament waters by the Tournament Director, unless they are a competitor in the tournament.

Official Practice Time: 

Official Practice Time will begin at 7am the Saturday preceding the start of the tournament.

On The Water Communication:

 A VHF radio is recommended for all tournament vessels. The VHF may be mounted or portable. The use of mobile communication devices such as cellular telephones, marine radios, walkie-talkies, CBs, pagers or any electronic device to communicate fishing information or contact with anyone during tournament hours is strictly prohibited. Communication among anglers is allowed on the water only by non-electronic methods. Medical emergency calls may be made and then a tournament official should be contacted. Social media posting is encouraged during the tournament to support the tournament and its sponsors. 

Damaged Tails

No fish will be accepted with any damage to the tail that creates an unnatural shape, whether naturally occurring or not. Tournament director will have final say and no appeals will be accepted.