2024 DOLPHIN TOURNAMENT RULES

ENTRY:

Entry fees shall be $225.00 per angler if payment is received on or before April 26th 2024. After April 26th and before May 30th at 9PM entry fees shall be $275.00 per angler. On May 31st entry fees will be $350.00 per angler. Entry fees shall include applicable sales tax, social tickets, drink tickets and tournament gifts for the teams. This is a boat/angler tournament and there is no limit to the number of registered anglers on a boat. Anyone is eligible to fish in this event Including Captains and Mates. To be eligible for Junior, Ladies or Senior prizes the angler must check the appropriate box on the registration form. Junior anglers must be under the age of 16 and seniors at least 65 on the first day of the tournament. All anglers must sign an entry form. Substitution of a boat or angler during the tournament must be approved by the rules committee. Entry fees are non-refundable. The tournament reserves the right to refuse tournament entry from prospective entrant or entrants, with or without cause at its sole discretion.

10th Annual Skippers Dolphin Tournament

SCHEDULE:

• Gus’s Toy Box/Contender Kickoff party and Final Registration Friday May 31st 2024, 5-8 PM Skipper’s Dockside

• Captains Meeting Friday May 31st – 7PM

• Saturday June 1st first day of fishing, lines in at 8AM weigh scales open from 3PM to 5PM

• Saturday 3-6 PM Dockside party at Skipper’s

• Sunday June 2nd second day of fishing, lines in at 8AM weigh scales open from 3PM to 5PM

• Sunday 3-6 PM Dockside Party at Skipper’s

• Sunday 6-9 PM Awards Party at Skipper’s Dockside

GENERAL RULES:

1. Unless otherwise stated IGFA rules shall apply throughout the tournament. All anglers and boats must possess the proper licenses or permits. All federal, state and local laws must be abided by. All fishing must take place on the registered boat. No transferring of fish or participants between boats is allowed.

2. Eligible species for the tournament are Dolphin, Tuna, Wahoo and Kingfish. Only Dolphin shall be eligible for overall prizes. Tuna, Wahoo and Kingfish shall only be eligible for the largest of that specie and not counted towards any other prize. All fish must be weighed in the presence of a registered angler who caught it. All fish weighed shall be caught that day during the time constraints of the tournament. Fish must be in fresh, edible condition and caught on rod and reel. No mutilated fish. All anglers are encouraged to release fish not to be entered into the tournament. Fish may be subject to inspection by a Torry meter. Any fish weighed may be cut open and kept by the tournament. If a fish is determined to be unacceptable by the tournament committee it will eliminate the boat from the tournament.

3. Only two Dolphin can be weighed each day by any team towards the overall team prizes or individual awards unless a fish caught by a lady, junior or senior angler is not one of the teams two big fish on that day. They will then be allowed to weigh one additional fish towards the largest of their respective divisions. The combined weight of the three largest Dolphin, over the two days, shall determine the overall team winners and top six places. In the event of a tie, winners will be determined by the time of sign-in at weigh in. Weigh scales are located at Skipper’s Dockside. The scales open at 3:00 and will close at 5:00 each day. Fish may be brought to the weigh station by boat or by car. All anglers should be aware of traffic conditions to make sure they are in line by 5PM. You must be in line, acknowledged by the tournament official, with your fish to be weighed, by 5PM. There shall be no exceptions. All fish weighed must be of legal size.

4. The tournament committee reserves the right to make changes to the rules verbally or in writing at the time of the rules meeting. Each team shall be responsible for being properly informed of all tournament rules.

5. Lines in at 8AM. All boats must be docked between Ocean Reef Club, in North Key Largo and the east end of the seven mile bridge, in Marathon. No boat may leave their dock for fishing before 6AM. No two boats are allowed to come together after lines-in, except for emergency purposes. There shall be no transferring of eligible fish or anglers between boats allowed. All fishing must take place in US waters. No boats are allowed to pass the EEZ line.

6. No one except the angler may touch the rod, reel, line or double line (if used) after the fish has been engaged and while the fish is being fought. Engage d shall be defined as the time at which the drag is engaged (engage the drag lever on or close the bail). No one except the angler who engages a fish may touch that rod. In the event of a multiple hook ups on separate lines being fought by a single angler, all fish being caught shall be accepted for weighing. A fish shall not be fought from a rod holder. However, in the case of a multiple hook up, the angler may use a rod holder for its intended purpose.

7. There will be no weather days. Captains are ultimately responsible for their crew and should make decisions as to safe sea conditions for their vessel. All participants in the tournament enter at their own risk.

8. All protests must be made in writing and filed with the Tournament director before 5:15 PM with a deposit of $500.00, on the day of the protest to be considered. The Tournament Rules Committee may rule immediately or reserve judgment until the end of the tournament. If the alleged violation is found to have occurred, the deposit of $500.00 will be refunded. If the Rules Committee finds no violation, the deposit will not be refunded. The rules committee may disqualify entrants from this tournament and future tournaments. All Decisions of the rules committee are absolute, final and binding on all entrants.

9. All winning teams may be subject to and pass a polygraph test. Any person aboard the boat may be subjected to and must pass t he polygraph test. The top teams must be available for the polygraph after the final weigh in. Refusal to take the polygraph test will result in disqualification. Polygraph tests are final and winners are not official until test results are obtained. Individuals who are judged by the polygraph examiner to be impaired by drugs or alcohol will be disqualified.

10. Prizes: Prizes will be awarded for both teams and individuals as follows:

    1st Place team $20,000.00

    2nd Place team $10,000.00

    3rd Place team $5,000.00

    4th Place team $2,000.00

    5th Place team $1,000.00

    6th Place team $ 500.00

    Largest Fish each day $2,500.00

    2nd Largest each day $1,000.00

    3rd Largest each day $ 500.00

    Senior Overall Largest $1,000.00

    Ladies Overall Largest $2,000.00

    2nd Largest Ladies $1,000.00

    Junior Overall Largest $ 500.00

    Junior 2nd Largest $ 250.00

    Junior 3rd Largest $ 100.00

    Largest Tuna $ 750.00

    Largest Wahoo $ 750.00

    Largest Kingfish $ 750.00

11. Additional entries are elective. These entries will be scored by the same rules as the overall tournament rules. Payouts for these entries will be 95% of the entries fees collected for each category. All winners are required to provide their social security number prior to receiving any awards. 1) $250 each day for largest fish, paying out to top 2 places with 5% to charity then 60/40 split. 2) $500 overall for combined 3 largest fish, paying out to top 4 places with 5% to charity then 40/30/20/10.

12. All participants, sports fishermen, their companions and boats enter at their own risk, and hereby release, discharge and further agree to indemnify and hold harmless Skippers Dolphin LLC and their sponsors, advertisers and other participants and any agents, employees, officers, directors, contractors and successors of the above mentioned organizations from any and all claims, losses, damages, demands, causes of action, suits and liability of every kind arising out of, connected to, or resulting from the event, including without limitation, any claim for loss, damage or destruction of property, or injury (including death), regardless of whether such loss arises in whole or in part from the negligence of Skippers Dolphin LLC, its officers, employees, agents, sponsors, directors, contractors, or successors for any loss arising out of, connected to, or resulting from this event. We also understand that this release binds our heirs, executors, administrators and assigns as well as ourselves. By signing above, my team and I and our participants and attendees acknowledge that we have read and understand the release terms and conditions and agree to be legally bound by these terms and conditions. We also agree to authorize Skippers Dolphin LLC the freedom to use any of our likenesses in any video or print whether for advertisement or profit without compensation of any kind.