Rules

FISHING DIVISIONS: The Fernandina Beach Fishing Rodeo has a Kingfish Division and a Fishing Rodeo Division. These rules apply to both divisions except as noted in the paragraph below titled Note for Rodeo Anglers.  The tournament will be held Saturday, July 27^th, 2024. Violations of these rules could result in disqualification at the discretion of the tournament committee.

REGISTRATION. Registration will be available online at nsfafish.net/rodeo and onsite at the Fernandina Harbor on July 26^th, 2024 from 3:00 pm until 8:00 pm. Registration closes at 8:00 pm July 26^th, 2024. All participants will be given an official boat number which is required for photos, check-in and weighing fish.  No refunds will be made after July 10th, 2024. We reserve the right to refuse entry to any person or team. Florida & Georgia have specific fishing regulations and licensing requirements.

CAPTAIN’S MEETING: There will be a mandatory Captain’s Meeting on Friday, July 26^th, 2024 at FERNANDINA HARBOR at 7:00 pm. All captains or their representatives must be present. Rules may be amended at the Captain’s Meeting prior to the Tournament. It is up to the captains or their representatives to be informed on all rules and any last-minute updates.

SKA: The Kingfish Division is sanctioned by the SKA and conducted in accordance with SKA Code of Conduct.

BOATING SAFETY: Each participating boat must meet all federal, state, and local safety rules for its size.

CHECK-OUT: There will be NO CHECK-OUT for this year's tournament. No lines in the water intended for tournament fish until 6:30 am.

FISHING: Hours of fishing will be from 6:30 AM until 5:00 PM. No lines shall be in the water prior to 6:30 am during Tournament hours except for catching bait. Live Bait may not be purchased for the Kingfish Tournament. Live bait must be caught on the tournament boat on the day of the tournament by cast net or hook and line starting at 5:00 am. Boats must not leave the boundary to catch bait or deploy lines. Bait can be caught in the rivers, intracoastal and it’s contributing estuaries.  The Tournament Committee has the authority to cancel or shorten the fishing hours. No drones, hand lines or electric reels are permitted. No boat may make landfall or pass anything between boats from the time of boat launch until after weigh-in. Rodeo participants may fish from the beach, bridges or public docks. Fishing is not permitted from private docks or other private property.

BOUNDARIES: All fishing must take place between the north boundary of latitude 31°20´N (Altamaha Sound) and the south boundary of latitude 29°42´N (Matanzas Inlet).  The East fishing boundary will be no further than 3 nautical miles from the beach.

A PHOTO MUST BE TAKEN of your fish with the official issued boat number and all kingfish must have the beach in the background as soon as possible after the fish is landed. Photo must be sent via text to NSFA at (770) 355-1387.  All photos become the property of Nassau  Sport Fishing Association.

CHECK-IN and WEIGH-IN Weigh-in time is from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. You MUST be checked in with the EOL (end of line) boat (which will be marked and anchored mid-channel just north of the Fernandina Harbor) before 5:01 pm. It is the EOL captain’s sole authority to determine if a boat is with-in the allowed time All fish will be accepted from a registered boat only. All kingfish must be brought to the dock by the boat on which they were caught. No Mutilated fish, other than gaff marks, will be accepted. Weigh Master will make any decisions about fish condition. All fish weighed become the property of the NASSAU SPORT FISHING ASSOCIATION except live redfish. Contestants weighing in live redfish will be credited 4 ounces (.25 lb.) for a live fish.

Kingfish must be brought to the weigh master by a crew member of the boat on which the fish was caught. A weigh slip will be given as an official verification of the weight. In the event of a tie, the earliest weigh slip will determine the winner. Only one prize paid out per fish weighed in. The largest eligible payout on the individual fish will determine the award. VHF Channel 16 will be monitored.

POLYGRAPH: All entrants agree to a polygraph at the request of the Tournament Committee.

A 2 FISH AGGREGATE TOTAL WEIGHT category will be added to the Kingfish Division. This will be an additional entry fee and separate prize for this award.

LADY ANGLER: Prizes will be awarded for the largest kingfish caught by Lady Anglers (age 16 or older). Lady Anglers must be on board to be eligible. The Lady Angler must accompany the fish to the scale. The entry form and weigh slip must indicate a Lady Angler was on board. Only one prize paid out per fish weighed in.

YOUTH ANGLER: Prizes will be awarded for the largest kingfish caught by Youth Anglers (age 15 & under - boy or girl). Youth Anglers must be on board to be eligible. Prize is awarded for being a part of the team. The Youth Angler must accompany the fish to the scale. The registration form and weigh slip must indicate a Youth Angler was on board. Only one prize paid out per fish weighed in.

NOTE FOR RODEO ANGLERS. The 4 species that will be awarded prizes are Sea Trout, Redfish, Sheepshead and Flounder. Rodeo anglers are eligible to claim prizes in more than one species.  If not registered in the Kingfish Division, captains may get out of the water wherever they recover their boats and immediately bring their fish, to the weigh-in location. Rodeo participants may purchase live shrimp, fiddler crabs, mud minnows or sand fleas intended for use in the rodeo division only. Rodeo participants may fish from the beach, bridges or public docks. Fishing is not permitted from private docks or other private property.

REDFISH WITH THE MOST SPOTS: This prize is open to all anglers, regardless of which division you are fishing; the prize can be won by any tournament entrant.   If the fish is alive, you will be awarded one (1) extra spot.  All live redfish will be immediately released.

PROTESTS:  Any protest must be announced to the tournament chairman within 1 hour of the scales closing and submitted by email or in writing to the Tournament Committee by 5:00PM of the day following the Tournament.  The contact email address for the Committee is: adtek@bellsouth.net.