2024 Florida Redfish Series Boaters Division Rules

Membership Rules:

There is a $65.00 annual Florida Redfish Series membership required per angler (not team). Membership is required to participate in all Florida Redfish Series events. Kids 15 and under are free and do not require a membership to participate.  

Burning The Flats 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. 

Participation and Eligibility

 Participation in the North Florida Redfish Series tournaments is by invitation and open only to members of the North Florida Redfish Series in good standing. Any person under the age of 18 must have written consent from a parent or legal guardian. The North Florida Redfish Series reserves the right to refuse membership and participation in any or all events to any individual or team at the discretion of the Tournament Director. 

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. No Alcohol consumption will be allowed during tournament hours. 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.

Series Points System

 100 points will be awarded to the winning team of each tournament; each place thereafter will be a 1-point difference all the way down through teams weighing fish (99 points to 2nd, 98 points to 3rd, etc.). Teams that zero will be receive 10 points less than the lowest points awarded to a team weighing fish, (i.e. if the last team that weighs fish receives 80 points than every team after them who zeroed will receive 70 points). Team points remain with the Team Name/Captain in case of a team break up or partner substitution. 

Points Tie Breakers: 

In the event of a tie in points for the Divisional Championships or Team of the year the tie breaker will be determined by,

1: Highest finish in the trail if a divisional tie breaker, if for TOY highest finish in the series.

2: Second highest finish in the trail if a divisional tie breaker, if for TOY the tie breaker will continue with 2nd highest finish, 3rd highest finish etc until a winner is determined. 

3: Total weight in the trail, if for TOY total weight for the season.

 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. 

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. 

Tournament Rules:

Each FRS Captain must participate in at least two of the four regular season tournaments to be eligible for the team of the year and eligible to fish the championship tournament, A co-angler must have participated in at minimum one regular season tournament and be a current member of the FRS to be eligible to fish the championship tournament.

 During the championship tournament a substitution of a co-angler may be allowed by tournament officials for the championship tournament, this angler must be a current member of the FRS and have participated in at least one regular season tournament. This request will need to be submitted in writing for approval by the tournament directors. 

1. Teams must consist of two members; teams may have no more than two anglers on the boat during a tournament, this includes the Jr. Anglers.

2. One team member must be at least 18 years of age. All members of a registered team must fish from the same vessel. No hiring of a guide or charter during any of our tournament's.

3. Teams will consist of 2 anglers. Due to culling permit restrictions, you can only have two anglers per boat

4.  Entry fees for a 2-angler team will be $300.00 per team. 

The optional $100 Anglers Rewards program that will pay out to the top three finishing teams enrolled will pay out 50%,30%,20%. 

All teams will be eligible for the Big Red payout to the heaviest redfish weighed.

There will be a $10 convenience fee charged at checkout to cover credit card processing fees. 

5.  Registration will be held up until 7:00 PM local time the Friday before each tournament, to be followed by the captain’s meeting at 7:15 PM. All teams are required to either attend the Captain’s Meeting or check in on the Facebook Live broadcast by commenting with their team member's name. If a team is unable to attend the captain’s meeting due to circumstances beyond their control, they may designate an alternate to attend in their place. In addition, they must contact the Tournament Director prior to the start of the registration to inform the Tournament Director who the alternate will be attending for them. A designated alternate will not be allowed to represent more than one team at a Captain’s Meeting. Teams agree that it is their own responsibility to find out what was discussed at the Captain’s Meeting. Team numbers will be randomly generated and posted to Facebook and sent out via email to all participants. 

6.  Entry fees are non-refundable. The only exception to this is in the event that a tournament is postponed or cancelled by the Tournament Director. 

7. In the event a tournament is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, it may be rescheduled by the Tournament Director.

8. The Tournament Director reserves the right to make all decisions regarding the safe operation of a tournament.

9.  Each captain is responsible for the safe operation of his or her vessel and must comply with all federal and state regulations governing such operation.

10.  Tournaments will begin at safe daylight, as determined by the Tournament Director. Anglers may launch their boats before safe daylight, but no team may leave the designated launch area until released by the tournament director or series official. Safe daylight is defined as 30 minutes before sunrise. This time will be posted on, www.flredfisheries.com, Facebook, Instagram and mentioned at the Friday night Facebook Live meeting before the tournament each month, any team that leaves the ramp before the designated time will be disqualified.

11.  Tournament conclusion time will be determined by flights; the scales will open at 2:30 p.m. The first flight will be due back at 3:00 p.m. and each flight after that will check in at 15 min intervals. At least one member of each team must check in at a designated checkpoint by their designated flight time. Any team that checks in late will be penalized as follows: .50lbs per minute up to 15 min, over 15 minutes late - disqualification and no credit for the day’s catch 

12.  Each team is allowed to weigh a two person’s legal bag limit of redfish. Only fish of legal harvest size, according to State law, will be accepted at the weigh in. Questionable fish will be measured by the Tournament Director. Any fish that is brought to the scales to be measured and is deemed to be either under or over the slot limit will be bumped from your bag and you will be allowed to weigh your remaining fish.

13. The Florida Redfish Series will be applying for a culling permit for each tournament if there are more than 25 teams participating, this means all fish must be weighed alive and released at the conclusion of each tournament. There will be a .50lbs weight penalty per dead fish enforced for teams who bring a dead fish to the scale.

14. Only recreational limits may be kept during tournaments. Commercial limits are not allowed. 

15.  All measurements will be done using a Florida Redfish Series provided Checkit Stick utilizing the perfect pinch, all measurements will be done by sliding the perfect pinch to the 26” mark and taking the length at the longest point of the tail. Any angler may use the ruler to measure their own fish, but no courtesy measure will be provided.

16.  Only fish taken by hook and line are eligible for weigh in.  Electrically driven reels on freestanding rods (Electramates) are not acceptable. Mounted winch devices (one armed bandits), motor driven long lines, spearing, Gigging, netting, shooting (including bang sticks), or any method of catching fish in violation of Florida or U.S. laws are prohibited. Use of any illegal method for catching fish will result in disqualification from the tournament of all entrants on the violating team. 

17. All weights are final. Fish will not be weighed more than once.

 18.  In the event of a tie, the tie will be broken by the weight of the teams’ largest fish.  If still tied the team who registered for the tournament first will be declared the winner.

19. Teams are only allowed to use artificial lures; "no live bait” or “prepared bait” will be permitted, with the exception of pork strips, or commercially sold scents, etc. Only ONE casting, spin casting, spinning rod and reel or fly rod (10-foot maximum length from butt of handle to rod tip) may be used at any one time per angler. Be prepared to show your current fishing license, at registration, from the state in which the tournament is being held. 

20. No team may approach another team on the water any closer than 150 feet unless under mutual agreement by both teams.

21. Contestants may not exit their vessel to fish, no wade fishing. 

22. All participants must possess a valid Florida Saltwater Fishing License when applicable to Florida State Law. 

23.  All team members are expected to conduct themselves in a safe, courteous and professional manner at all times. The Tournament Committee will have the final say in all conduct matters. There will be no refunds of any kind if you are disqualified for violation of the conduct rule.

24.  The Tournament Director may implement additional tournament specific rules and restrictions for individual tournaments. Entrants are responsible for understanding rules for each tournament. Tournament Director will have final say in all Sportsmanship and Conduct matters.

25.  The Tournament Director will determine location for any draw tournaments.  The Tournament Director or a designated representative will conduct the draw.

26. No Airboats, surface drives or mud-motors will be allowed in any Florida Redfish Series Tournament; all boats must be a minimum of 14 feet in length. Each boat must have all required U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment. In addition, it must have a functional bilge pump and live well space, properly aerated to adequately maintain a live limit catch of Redfish by both contestants, a minimum of 18 gallon live well is required. For the safety of all contestants, Boats are required to have some type of Shut Off Device or Kill Switch. This ignition shut off device must be attached to the driver’s body anytime the combustion engine is operating. All bladder tanks and any other type of auxiliary gas tanks that are not installed by the boat manufacturer are prohibited. Fuel may be carried only in factory installed fuel tanks. Any additional fuel used during the tournament day must be purchased from a retail facility open to the public. If participating boat was not factory equipped with a built-in fuel tank, then participant may use no more than two of the standard US Coast Guard approved portable tanks mounted at the stern in designated areas by the motor. Maximum horsepower for all outboards used in tournament competition will not exceed the horsepower limitations as set by the U.S. Coast Guard horsepower rating plate attached to the boat by the manufacturer. By registering to participate in an event, each contestant agrees to submit his or her boat and/or motor to an inspection by the tournament director. Falsifying information on entry forms or altering the horsepower numbers on the motor or rating plate will be cause for disqualification from the tournament and may result in future ineligibility to enter FRS tournaments.

27. No drones are to be used to locate schools of fish. Absolutely NO drones are allowed 2 weeks prior to or during the fishing tournament! We encourage the use of Go Pros or similar recording devices to capture your day and would love to use them to add to our video if you'll send us footage. 

Official Check Points

28. There will be only one official checkpoint for boat check in the morning and one official check-in point in the afternoon. Failure to go through boat check and checkout in the morning will result in disqualification. All fishing must cease upon check-in. Teams that experience equipment failures may have them repaired and check out late for an event. However, it is the team’s responsibility to find and notify the tournament director or tournament official in order to check out. All running lights must be in place and working at time of launch.  

Protesting & Reporting Procedures:

All protests must verbally initiate then submitted in writing, along with a $200 cash deposit, within thirty (30) minutes of the closing of the scales and be turned into the tournament director or tournament official. The protester also agrees that if there is a question of verifying the charge of a protest that he or she also may be subject to take a polygraph and agree to testify in a court of law if necessary. If the Tournament Rules and Protest Committee, or polygraph, upholds the protest, the cash deposit shall be returned to the contestant submitting the protest. Each competitor agrees to report any rule violation to the tournament director immediately upon discovery of the violation. 

Polygraph:

  Each competitor who fishes in any Florida Redfish Series event agrees to submit to a random polygraph examination at a time and location as determined by the Tournament Director following the end of the competition in each tournament and abide by its conclusion. Failure to pass the polygraph will result in disqualification.

Alchohol and Drug Policy:

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 boat is prohibited, and angler or anglers will be disqualified from this and possibly all future tournaments. Official Tournament hours begin at SAFE LIGHT and 3pm. If you choose to consume alcohol or drugs after tournament hours and cannot take a polygraph, then any winnings will be withheld until a time which a polygraph can be performed.

Most Importantly……HAVE FUN!