OAPB SAILFISH TOURNAMENT
SAILFISH TOURNAMENT
Dates: Â This year’s tournament will be held on Saturday, February 1st, 2020. The captain’s meeting will be held at 26 Degrees Brewery at 7pm, Jan 30th.
Registration and Fees: Â All tournament and calcutta entries must be received by the close of the Captain’s meeting. Tournament entry is $200 and one bottle (handle) of Top Shelf Adult Beverage per Boat (Stock the Bar-STB).
Anglers: Â Each boat may register as many anglers as they choose. Each angler must be listed on the form, and all anglers must have a valid Florida FWC fishing license. One OAPB member must be a registered angler or captain on the vessel.
Prizes: Â 1st ($1000 + First Choice), 2nd ($800 + 2nd choice, and 3rd ($300 plus 3rd choice).
Prizes Choices:
1) ACR Artex EPIRB Global-fix V4($450)
2) Two night stay at Resort TBD
3) All Stock the Bar bottles ($400)
Total Sailfish – $100 (total # of Sailfish released)
(90% Top Boat, 10% to club.)
First Sailfish Release $100 – (First Sailfish released)
(90% Top Boat, 10% to club.)
Heaviest 5 Fish Aggregate $100-Eligible Species (Tuna, Wahoo, Dolphin, King Mackerel, and Cobia) Only 5 fish can be weighed in.
(90% Top Boat, 10% to club)
Note: Anglers do not have to catch all included species to win the aggregate category, but only two of each Species can be used for weigh in.
REGISTRATION
1) Registration Fees are non-refundable.
2) Payment of the entry fee constitutes a representation by each Captain that the Captain has read and understands the Tournament Rules, Procedures, and that the Captain and crew will abide by such Rules and the decisions of the Tournament’s Committees and Tournament personnel.
CAPTAIN’S MEETING
3) All Captains or their authorized representative must attend the Captain’s Meeting. Captains are responsible for being informed of all Tournament Rules and Procedures.
4) The Tournament Rules Committee may amend the Tournament Rules at any time prior to the end of the appropriate Captain’s meeting.
CHECK OUT AND CHECK IN
5) Gentleman’s lines in at 7:00am on Saturday the 1st. Lines out at 3pm. If fish is hooked before 3pm it can be fought passed the 3pm mark. It is the sole responsibility of the captain to have the vessel checked in by 4:30pm at the Sands Harbor Resort and Marina Channel 71.
FISHING
6) Eligible species are Sailfish, Dolphin, Cobia, Wahoo, Blackfin Tuna, and King Mackerel.
7) No limit on the number of lines in the water.
8) No boat may make a landfall, receive, pass anything to or from land, or enter any inlet after Check Out before the boat has checked in. In the event any boats come together, regardless of the reason, or anything is passed between boats for any reason after the official start of that day’s fishing and before each boat has weighed in, then such boats shall be disqualified for that day of fishing. The Tournament Committee for emergencies may grant exceptions.
9) Hours of fishing are from 7:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
10) No boat registered in the Tournament is allowed to fish or take bait in the Atlantic Ocean on the day (Sat 1st) prior to the scheduled start of the tournament.
11) Electric Reels are strictly prohibited, unless it is a kite or down-rigger reel.
12) All Fish must be caught on rod and reel.
13) Fishing with live bait, frozen chum, and cut bait are permitted; however, live chumming is NOT permitted. Live bait that has almost expired must be kept in the boat until completely dead.
14) All anglers must hook, fight, and catch their own fish. Once a fish is hooked, that angler must fight the fish until it is properly released, boated or lost. Anglers may not pass rods to fellow anglers once a fish has been hooked. A fish is considered to be hooked once a strike occurs and the drag is engaged or the bail is closed. The use of a rod holder to hook a fish is allowable provided the individual that engages the drag is the same person that fights the fish until release, catch or loss. Mates may leader the fish if a planer is used. Planer must be reeled in to rod tip, before mate may begin leadering the fish.
Scoring:Â Video documentation is required for all Sailfish Releases. No Video=No Fish. Each sailfish release must have video footage provided with OAPB club wristband in the video. Release is official when the leader knot or swivel touches the rod tip or a mate takes control of the leader. Leader must be cut as close to the fish as possible. Releases must be reported to the Committee as released, providing boat name and angler name. Scoring ties will be broken by time recorded of releases. All video must be provided for download at the weigh-in. This tournament is using LIVESCORING via your cellphone. All video must be texted to 732-586-8863 Peggy Albert at time of catch. If Go Pro is used then the memory card must be provided at Weigh In for viewing.
Hooks:Â Only zero offset circle hooks allowed (no offset hooks). A second trailing hook may be used, but must be zero offset circle hook.
All decisions of the Tournament Committee are final. In the event of a tie, the earliest catch takes precedence of that specific Sailfish count.
Tournament Channel:Â The tournament participants should communicate on channel 71 and photos/videos texted to 732-586-8863 Peggy Albert
Boundaries:Â No boundaries
Fishing Times: 7:00 am (lines in) until 3 pm (lines out).
Weigh-In: 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm at The Sands Harbor. All boats, please weigh in. If vessel can be visually seen from the dock by 4:30pm(cutoff) upon checking in then all fish can be weighed. If fish is hooked prior to 3pm then it can be fought until lost or boated. The fish being fought must be called in, and verified with a video.
Weather: The tournament will be held as scheduled if at least 50% of the entries choose to fish (as determined at the Captain’s meeting, and there will be no refunds for the entry fees.
In the event the tournament is postponed, the make-up date will be February 8th, 2020. Other requirements: The GPS clock is the official timepiece of this tournament.
Only zero-degree offset circle hooks for all live bait. The length of the leader is the overall length including any lure, hook arrangement or other device. There are no regulations regarding the material or strength of the leader. The leader is limited to 15 feet.