2024 Florida Redfish Series Kayak Division Rules

Membership Rules:

There is a $55.00 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.  

App Settings: All anglers are responsible for downloading the Fishing Chaos app and making sure it is setup properly to submit photos for the tournament. This includes making sure your permissions are setup correctly, such as locations, time stamps and giving permissions to all photos so they can be judged properly.

1. PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY. Participation is open to anyone 18 years of age or older. Minors are eligible to participate with a parent or legal guardian signature on the release form. 

2. Registration and Captains Meeting

Registration will remain open until 7 P.M. on the Friday Evening before the tournament to be followed by the captain’s meeting promptly at 7:30 PM. 

3. NO FISHING OR KAYAKING TIMES 

Anglers are prohibited from fishing after the Captain's Meeting until Safe Light's launch time. Anglers are also not permitted to launch their kayak for the purposes of traveling, positioning, or scouting between the Captain's Meeting and Safe Light. Tournament day kayaking must begin at the point of launch, when the launch photo is taken.

4. SAFETY. 

Safe boating will always be observed. During competition each contestant is required to comply with US Coast Guard regulations. In addition, participants must always wear a PFD while competing in the event and be in possession of a sounding device. 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.

5. Launch Photo Submission. 

Launch time will be announced at the captains meeting. All competitors must check in with their launch photo, which will include identifier, PFD and measuring devices no earlier than the designated time. No fish pictures will be judged before your launch photo is received.

6. SPORTSMANSHIP AND CONDUCT. 

Competitors in the Florida Redfish Series Kayak Division events are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation. Any infraction of these fundamental sporting principles may be deemed cause for disqualification, probation, suspension, or a lifetime ban from the FRS. Tournament Director will have final say in all Sportsmanship and Conduct matters.   

7. 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 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.

8. PERMITTED FISHING METHODS. 

All fish must be caught, photographed, and released alive in a conventional sporting manner. A cast must be fully retrieved before an angler may pick up another rod. A foul hooked Redfish will not be scored. A foul hooked Redfish is defined as a Redfish that has been hooked behind the gill plates in the body, no snatch hooking. Anglers may not catch fish or weigh in fish that have been caged or confined in an area prior to the tournament. All fish must be caught from either the kayak (self-propelled watercraft only) NO WADE FISHING!!! Anglers may only exit their vessel if they have run aground, all fishing must stop then the angler may exit he vessel and can push their kayak off the obstruction. Fishing may only resume after they have returned to their kayak seat. During the hours of competition, contestants may not obtain or receive assistance, including but not limited to the following: a noncompetitor’s boat, the placing of markers by a non-competitor, being towed by or riding on motorized vessels, or receiving electronic, voice or data communication from a non-competitor.

9. TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT. 

Only artificial lures may be used during competition. Commercially sold scents may be added and used. Only ONE casting, spin casting, spinning rod and reel or fly rod maybe used at any one time per angler. Trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited. Be prepared to show your current fishing license, at registration, from the state in which the tournament is being held.

10. 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, or any electronic device to communicate fishing information or to contact 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. 

11. NO MOTORS. 

Anglers can only use Paddle or Peddle driven Kayaks, the use of a boat or motorized water vehicle to transport your boat on the water is prohibited. All craft must be self-propelled - no motors are allowed (electric or combustion).

12. PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS. All fishing locations must always be in waters accessible to the public according to state and federal regulations. 

13. TOURNAMENT BOUNDARIES. Anglers must launch and fish within the boundaries set by the Tournament Director and the boundaries will be posted on the website, Facebook, Instagram and tournament app.

14.PRIVATE LAUNCHES. 

There will be no launching from private property. You must launch from any PUBLIC land or boat launch. Marinas, fish camps, or boat launch areas that are providing access if the angler pays an access fee not exceeding $20.00 will be considered public launches. No private access launch sites. Private arrangements to gain access will not be allowed & anglers who use them will be disqualified. It is the sole responsibility of the angler to ensure that the chosen launch site is not posted or otherwise restricted as a "No Trespassing site", and that is open to the public for launching and parking.

15A. SCORING. 

The event uses catch-photo-release scoring determined by the length of each fish (the longest two redfish submitted will count towards your aggregate) All catch submissions must be made through the Fishing Chaos App no later than 3pm on tournament day and must be time stamped no later than 2pm, no text or email submissions will be allowed, and all submissions will be verified by 4 P.M. by Reel Tournament Management. Each angler will be responsible for purchasing the Aluminum Ketch 32" Ruler NO PLASTIC OR KARBONATE RULERS ALLOWED. All anglers will receive their unique scoring code word after the captains via text and email. The first photo on the camera must be of your rigged boat as put in at launch with measuring device and identifier. Fish must be photographed in or on the boat, on the official measuring device, clearly showing the length of the fish with the Blue Fox Tins FRS LOGO identifier attached to the Ketch ID Holder. More than one photo of a fish may be taken. 

CLICK HERE TO ORDER KETCH BOARD

CLICK HERE TO ORDER IDENTIFIER HOLDER

CLICK HERE TO ORDER IDENTIFIER

15B. MEASURING YOUR FISH

The longest part of the tail must touch the lines on the Ketch measuring board, no part of the fish's tail can be hanging off of the measuring device. Please do not fan the tail to make a long fish fit in the slot or hard pinch a tail to gain length. Length is determined from the forward-most point of the fish to the longest point of the tail with the fish’s mouth closed. Fish must be above the state minimums to count – fish may not be above the slot limit. 

CLICK HERE FOR AN EXAMPLE

15C. Measuring Upper Slot Fish over 25":

The Ketch ID holder must be centered between the 24.5" and 26.5" marks on all upper slot fish over 25". This means if the tail is over the 25" mark even by 1/16" this rule will apply. If your Ketch ID holder is not correctly placed on the Ketch board then your catch submission will be disqualified. The ID Holder will serve as the tail pinch and the tail must rest between the black Ketch ID holder. 

CLICK HERE FOR AN EXAMPLE

15D. Hands Free no foreign objects

ALL photo submissions must be hands free, no hands on the fish. No foreign objects can be on the fish period!!! Nothing can be in the fish’s mouth such as a fish gripper or lures. Any violations of this rule will result in the photo submission being disqualified.  

15E Final Review

The FRS Staff will review all photo submissions for all paying positions before the tournament will be declared official. The FRS reserves the right to overturn any Reel Tournament Management judging decisions.

16. FISH LENGTHS. 

Fish must meet minimum length of 18”and a maximum length of 27”in accordance with FWC Rules.

17. TIE BREAKERS. 

In the event of a tie, the tie breaker will be the biggest fish in length, if there is still a tie then the biggest fish picture submitted first will be declared the winner. The Tournament Director will review the photos to verify reported results and determine place winners. The Tournament Director is responsible for the final call in all matters. Competitors may enter as many fish as you want however only the longest two redfish in the slot will comprising a true “Aggregate."

18. PHOTO SUBMISSIONS. 

Participants may only use cell phones for recording scoring fish and be submitted through the Fishing Cahos APP.

19. PROTEST. 

All protests must be submitted in writing along with a protest fee of $100. The leader boards will be turned off from 12pm to 3pm, Once the leader boards go live at 3pm the challenge feature will be enabled and remain on until 4pm. This is how you will initiate your protest. Then you must return to the weigh in no later than 4:30pm to complete the protest document and pay the $100 protest fee before it is reviewed. No protest will be reviewed until the completion of the boat weigh in, the form is completed, and protest fee is paid. If the Tournament Director, or polygraph, upholds the protest, the cash deposit shall be returned to the contestant submitting the protest.

20. POLYGRAPH. 

Each contestant who fishes a Florida Redfish Series Kayak Division event agrees to potentially submit to a polygraph examination at a time and location determined by the Tournament Director following the end of the competition in each tournament and abides by its conclusion. Failure to pass the polygraph will result in disqualification.

21. 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 or a kayak guide. The only exception to this rule is if the kayak guide is registered to fish in the kayak division in the tournament prior to any pre-fishing.

LOCAL GUIDE DEFINITION: A local guide is defined as someone who is a for hire guide and offers guide services within the tournament boundaries.

TOURNAMENT WATERS DEFINITION: Any waters inside the tournament boundaries.

22. RULE CHANGES. 

Rules interpretation is exclusively left to the Tournament Director. The decisions of the Tournament Director are final in all matters and are not subject to appeal.

23. POINTS SYSTEM. 

100 points will be awarded to the winning Angler of each tournament, 99 points to 2nd, 98 points to 3rd, etc. Anglers that zero will be receive 10 points less than the lowest points awarded to an angler weighing fish, (i.e. if the last angler that weighs fish receives 80 points than every angler after them who zeroed will receive 70 points).

Points Tie Breaker:

In the event of a tie in points for the Divisional Championships or Angler of the year the tie breaker will be determined by the following.

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

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

3: Total length in inches in the trail, if for AOY total length in inches for the season.

26. No Shuttling 

You may NOT team up and park a vehicle in one area a shuttle your kayaks to a different launch area with the intention of using the first vehicle to gain a time advantage. You must return to your original launch sight at the conclusion of the tournament.

27. No Relaunching

You may not pull your kayak out and drive to a new location and relaunch your kayak once the tournament has begun and your launch photo is submitted.

28. CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFICATIONS. 

2024 Championship fee will be $200. All Anglers that enter and fish two (2) regular season events will qualify for the Championship. The Florida Redfish Tour Kayak Division Championship will be a 2-day event.

29. ANGLER OF THE YEAR.

Points for Angler of The Year will be awarded to each angler who fishes any regular season event. The angler of the year will be determined by the total accumulated points of all six regular season tournaments and the championship.