The Official-Ish Rules

Every boat must be registered online by the end of the day on October 1, 2026 (America/Chicago).

There is no walk-up, day-of, or marina registration. Showing up at Boatmen’s Bar and Marina on Friday or Saturday without a registered team does not get you in the tournament.

Public registration also closes if the field fills (soft cap of 25 teams) before that date.

Late adds after the cutoff happen only if the organizers approve the exception and enter the team themselves. There is no public waitlist or request-an-exception form. Do not plan on talking your way onto a boat at the dock.

1. All anglers must be officially registered before fishing begins. No surprise substitutes, mysterious cousins or last-minute ringers.
2. A captain is optional. Add one when you register or anytime later on My team. If you name a captain or DIY primary contact, they must be 18 or older. This is the person we will contact when somebody forgets what time weigh-in closes.
3. Boat teams may have one to four registered adult anglers. Entry is $300 per boat. Kids are not added to a boat roster and do not change that fee. Example: three adults is still $300 — a fourth adult can still join.
4. Only registered adult anglers may catch fish entered for the main tournament stringer, main pot, or a boat team’s paid side pots. Youth fish never count on a boat team’s paid side pots. Kids who want those pots buy in on their own RowRide registration.
5. Unsafe behavior, cheating, serious rule-breaking or acting like a complete jackass may result in an entry being refused or revoked.

Youth anglers compete in a separate free tournament. See Kids / RowRide rules.

Both guided and non-guided teams are welcome.

Guided Teams

A licensed fishing guide or charter captain may operate the boat and assist the team.

Unless the guide is also registered as an angler, the guide may not catch or contribute fish to the team's tournament entries.

In other words, the guide can put you on the fish, but the registered anglers still have to catch them.

Non-Guided Teams

Non-guided teams may not receive professional guiding services during official tournament fishing hours.

Guided and non-guided teams will compete together unless separate divisions are announced before the tournament.

At least one representative from every team must attend the captain's meeting:

This is where we will cover the final details, answer questions, clarify boundaries and pretend everyone is going to get a full night of sleep.

Paid side pots can be selected during online registration or at the captain's meeting. All side-pot payments must be completed through Venmo no later than the captain's meeting.

Once the captain's meeting closes, the paid side pots are closed. No side-pot entries or payments will be accepted on tournament day.

Any weather updates, boundary clarifications, rule changes or additional instructions announced at the captain's meeting become part of the official rules.

All participants must follow current Texas Parks and Wildlife Department regulations and all applicable federal, state and local laws.

A Texas fishing license and saltwater endorsement are generally required for anglers 17 and older. Younger children generally do not need a Texas fishing license. Check current Texas Parks and Wildlife Department rules for your situation.

Every angler who is required to have a license and saltwater endorsement must have them while participating.

All fish entered must meet the legal size, bag and possession limits in effect on tournament day.

Nothing in these rules gives anyone permission to break the law.

Basically, make sure your fish, your license and your boat are legal before bringing any of them near the weigh-in.

1. Tournament fish must be caught using a conventional rod, reel, line and hook.
2. Each angler may actively fish with only one rod at a time. You may bring your entire garage full of rods, but you only get to fish one at a time.
3. Live bait, dead bait and artificial lures are all allowed.
4. Cast nets may be used to catch legal bait. They may not be used to catch tournament fish.
5. No gigging, bow fishing, snagging, netting tournament fish or other creative methods that do not involve catching the fish with a rod and reel.
6. Tournament fish must be hooked during official fishing hours.

1. Fishing is allowed only in public waters that tournament participants may legally access.
2. Each boat team must fish from one boat during tournament hours. Team members may not split up and fish from multiple boats.
3. Wade fishing is allowed when the fishing area is accessed using the team's boat.
4. Wade fishermen must remain within sight or normal communication distance of their team and boat. Do not disappear into the horizon and become a missing-person situation.
5. Teams may not reserve, block, claim or prevent another team from fishing a public area.
6. Give other boats and wade fishermen a safe and respectful amount of space. Nobody owns the bay—not even the person who arrived six minutes before you.
7. Any fishing boundaries or restricted areas will be announced at the captain's meeting.

Every participant is responsible for evaluating the weather, water conditions and personal ability before deciding whether to fish.

All boats must meet United States Coast Guard and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department safety requirements.

Participants are strongly encouraged to:

• Wear a Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device while the boat is underway.
• Attach the engine kill switch to the boat operator.
• Carry working navigation lights, communication equipment and emergency supplies.
• Avoid unsafe boat operation during thunderstorms, high winds or poor visibility.

No fish, prize, side pot, fishing spot or bragging right is worth someone getting hurt.

Be smart. Come back safely.

1. Every fish entered must have been caught by a registered member of the team submitting it.
2. Fish may not be shared, transferred, purchased, borrowed, traded or pooled between teams.
3. Fish caught before official tournament hours may not be submitted.
4. Nobody outside the registered team may catch or provide fish for the team.
5. Breaking this rule may disqualify the entire team.

Your fish must be your fish. This is not a seafood exchange program.

The main tournament winner will be determined by the heaviest legal stringer consisting of up to:

• Three legal redfish; and
• One legal spotted seatrout.

Each team may submit only one main tournament stringer.

The main tournament stringer may include only fish caught by registered adult anglers.

A complete four-fish stringer is not required. Teams may weigh fewer than four fish, and placement will be determined by the greatest total qualifying weight.

All fish must comply with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department size, bag and possession limits in effect on tournament day.

A fish entered in a paid side pot or bonus category may also be included in the main stringer, provided it is otherwise eligible and was caught by a registered adult angler.

There will be three optional paid side pots.

Each paid side pot costs $50 per team, per category.

Teams may enter one, two or all three. Go all-in, choose your favorite or protect your Venmo balance.

Side pots can be selected during online registration or at the captain's meeting on Friday, October 9, 2026. All side-pot payments must be completed through Venmo by the end of the captain's meeting.

No side-pot entries or payments will be accepted after the captain's meeting closes or on tournament day.

Registered adult anglers may catch fish for paid team side pots when the team has entered those pots. Youth fish never count on a boat team's paid side pots. Kids who want those pots buy in on their own RowRide registration.

Side-pot fish may also be included in the team's main tournament stringer when otherwise eligible and caught by a registered adult angler.

1. All fish must be fresh, unfrozen and caught during official tournament hours.
2. Fish must be presented whole and in an edible condition.
3. Frozen, spoiled, mutilated, gutted or altered fish will be rejected.
4. No trimmed tails, intentionally damaged noses, hidden weights or other alterations intended to affect a fish's length or weight.
5. Tournament officials may inspect any fish for tampering.
6. Intentionally submitting an altered fish will result in disqualification.

Do not stuff anything inside a fish that did not arrive there naturally. We cannot believe this rule needs to exist, but fishing tournaments have taught us otherwise.

Teams are responsible for measuring and selecting their fish before presenting them for official weigh-in.

We will not provide a separate scale for teams to compare fish or decide which ones to submit.

Once a fish is presented and placed on the official scale, it becomes the team's official entry and may not be exchanged for another fish.

A fish that is disqualified after being presented to the Weighmaster may not be replaced.

Measure twice. Choose carefully. Then approach the scale with confidence.

1. Fish will be measured using the tournament's official measuring board.
2. Fish will be weighed using the tournament's official scale.
3. Tournament officials will determine the required measuring method, including mouth placement and tail position.
4. Official weights will be recorded exactly as displayed by the tournament scale.
5. The Weighmaster has final authority over species identification, fish condition, measurement, spot count and official weight.

The official scale is the official scale. Your bathroom scale, fish-grip scale and uncle's estimate do not overrule it.

The official weigh-in will take place at Boatmen’s Bar and Marina.

The scales will open at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 10, 2026.

Fishing ends promptly at 2:00 p.m.

No fish hooked after 2:00 p.m. may be submitted.

Every team wishing to weigh fish must be physically checked in and standing in the official weigh-in line, with its fish in its possession, no later than 2:00 p.m.

Teams that are in line by 2:00 p.m. may complete their weigh-in.

Teams entering the line after 2:00 p.m. may not weigh fish.

Being near Boatmen’s Bar and Marina does not count. Being at the dock does not count. Being in the parking lot does not count. Flying toward the weigh-in while yelling, “We're right here!” does not count.

Telephone calls, text messages, photographs, traffic, boat trouble or evidence that your team is approaching the marina will not satisfy the deadline.

There will be no exceptions to the 2:00 p.m. weigh-in deadline.

Unless a category has its own tie-breaking rule, a tie in weight will be awarded to the team whose qualifying fish or stringer was officially weighed first.

The specific tie-breaking rules listed under each paid side pot will control for that category.

Another good reason not to wait until the final minute.

Everyone must behave safely, honestly and respectfully.

Threats, fighting, harassment, reckless boat operation, cheating, interfering with another team or other conduct harmful to the tournament may result in immediate removal and disqualification.

Competitive banter is welcome. Actual hostility is not.

This is a birthday tournament. Fish hard, laugh often and remember that everyone still has to hang out together afterward.

Tournament officials may request photographs or video showing a fish, angler, boat or catch when reasonably necessary to verify compliance with the rules.

Please smile—even if your fish is small.

Pictures, updates and competitive banter are welcome and may be uploaded through the tournament app.

The Weighmaster has final authority over:

• Fish identification;
• Fish condition;
• Official measurements;
• Spot counts; and
• Official weights.

All decisions are final.

Celebrate Jenn, be safe, catch some fish and have a damn good time.