RULES
WHITE MARLIN SHOOTOUT
August 9 – 15, 2026
RULES
1. REGISTRATION:
a. Registration and optional cash awards entries will be accepted online at whitemarlinshootout.com, by calling (850) 750-6632, or in person at the captain and anglers meeting being held at Mobile Big Game Fishing Club at Orange Beach Marina Sunday August 9, 2026 from 5-7 p.m.
2. ENTRY FEE
a. Entry Fee $2325 + TAX $175 = $2500
3. PERMITS AND LICENSES:
a. All boats weighing tuna or turning in video must have a HMS permit.
b. All anglers must have a valid saltwater fishing license.
4. FISHING DAYS:
a. Boats may fish any three days from Monday August 10, 2026 through Saturday August 15, 2026. You must declare to the tournament director by 9 p.m. that you will be fishing the following day. You may declare at one time that you will be fishing the following three days.
b. Boats may leave from any pass in the Gulf of Mexico and lines in will be at 5 a.m. each morning you declare that you will be fishing. You may leave at anytime, but there will be no prefishing during the tournament days by boats entered in the tournament.
c. Lines out will be at 11:59 p.m. each day of your first two tournament days. If you are fishing consecutive days there is no lines out time. On the third day if you have fish to weigh or video to turn in you must be under the Perdido Pass Bridge by 7 p.m.
d. ALL BOATS SHOULD video (without stopping the camera) the boat’s cockpit with all storage and fish boxes open clearly showing no fish on board. After the cockpit pan without stopping video, clearly video the GPS Date & Time. This should be done approximately 15 minutes prior to “lines in” or lines are deployed for tournament fishing. This is a precaution in the event of a protest or weighmaster concern that a fish was caught before “lines in”.
e. One day or part thereof of fishing by half the boats entered constitutes a complete tournament. In the event of inclement weather, the tournament will be completed on the first day that the tournament director declares fishable. If the tournament is cancelled, the entry fees will be refunded less the prorated share of tournament expenses as solely determined by the tournament director.
g. Scales will open from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily from Monday August 10, 2026 through Saturday August 15, 2026 at the Mobile Big Game Fishing Club Weigh Dock. All boats must be under the Perdido Pass Bridge to turn in catch and release or weighed fish by 7 p.m. each day will be eligible and will qualify for tournament awards.
h. An awards ceremony will be held following on the weigh-in on Saturday August 15, 2026.
5. ELIGIBLE SPECIES:
The White Marlin Shootout Tournament uses the rules of the International Game Fish Association as a guideline. Exception: The rod may be handed off between anglers. The following fish species are eligible for competition when caught by registered anglers in accordance with all tournament rules. It’s the team captain’s responsibility to ensure all team members are familiar with and abide by the tournament rules. Violation of the rules may be grounds for team disqualification at the discretion of the tournament director.
a. Eligible for weigh-in at the scales:
White Marlin – 68 inch minimum (Only 1 fish per boat may be weighed in tournament.)
Tuna – 10 pounds minimum – Yellowfin or Big Eye 27-inch CFL Minimum
Wahoo – 15 pounds minimum
Dolphin – 15 pounds minimum
Swordfish – 49 inch minimum
b. Boated White Marlin must measure at least 68 inches from the tip of the lower jaw to the fork of the tail (LJFL). No angler or boat may have possession of more than one white marlin. Any violation of this rule will result in disqualification and will be banned from all events put on by Saltwater Events without refund.
c. Boated Swordfish must measure at least 49 inches from the tip of the lower jaw to the fork of the tail (LJFL). Boats may have no more than 3 swordfish in possession or one per person, whichever is less. All swordfish landed must be reported to NOAA within 24 hours (800-894-5528).
d. Tournament anglers are encouraged to use non-offset circle hooks when deploying natural bait or natural bait / lure combinations.
e. Eligible fish for Catch and Release:
Blue Marlin, White Marlin, Sailfish, and Spearfish.
f. Weigh-in Procedures:
Each angler must accompany their fish to the weigh-in scales. All fish must be brought to the scales by the boat which it was caught. Transferring fish is not allowed. Each angler must sign and verify their fish’s weight and sign the official weigh-in sheet. No billfish, tuna or swordfish will be accepted without an HMS permit number.
6. TOURNAMENT AWARDS:
a. All tournament awards are based on 40 registered boats. (See awards breakdown for payouts.)
The following awards will be awarded in the following categories:
Top Boat (Tournament Champion) – Cash & Plaque
2nd Place Boat – Cash & Plaque
3rd Place Boat – Cash & Plaque
Top Lady Angler – Plaque and Award
Top Junior Angler (15 and under) Plaque and Award
1st Place Weighed White Marlin – Plaque
1st Place Dolphin – Plaque
1st Place Wahoo – Plaque
1st Place Tuna – Plaque
1st Place Swordfish – Plaque
TOURNAMENT CASH AWARDS
TOTAL WEIGHED WHITE MARLIN POINTS AND CATCH & RELEASE POINTS
(BASED ON 40 BOATS – $ 40,000 TOTAL POOL)
1ST Place – 50% – $20,000 / 2ND Place 30% $12,000 / 3RD Place – 20% $8,000
b. The Top Boat, Top Lady Anger, & Top Junior Angler is based on the most total combined points calculated for weighed White Marlin points and Catch and Release points. In the case that no points are made in these categories, the winner will be the heaviest weighed single meat fish or swordfish.
Tournament Awards will be based on the following calculations:
Weighed White Marlin 501 points
Released White Marlin 501 points
Released Blue Marlin 250 points
Released Spearfish 250 points
Released Sailfish 250 points
Released Unidentified Fish 250 points
The team with the most total points wins 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place respectively. In the event of a tie, the team who reached the highest total points first by earliest GPS time as shown on video wins.
7. CATCH AND RELEASE RULES:
Only billfish caught and released according to the rules are eligible for tournament awards and optional cash awards as described herein. A billfish is considered officially caught and released when the swivel hits the top of the rod or crew member grabs the leader or leader comes onto the rod tip. Video verification is required for the billfish to be eligible for competition. A catch and release form will be provided at the captain’s meeting and must be turned it in to the video judge at the weigh-in. Videos must be uploaded and the release form turned in during weigh-in hours no later than 7 p.m. your final day of fishing. Release forms must be brought to the weigh-in by boat only.
Optional Cash Awards for Catch and Release will be based on the following calculations:
Released White Marlin 501 points
Released Blue Marlin 250 points
Released Spearfish 250 points
Released Sailfish 250 points
Released Unidentified Fish 250 points
8. VIDEO REQUIREMENTS:
All release videos should be uploaded to CatchStat. Weighed white marlin should be videoed for verification purposes. An identification marker and release sheet will be given out at the captain’s meeting.
All recordings submitted should include the following:
a. A recorded segment of the angler fighting the fish; A clear view of the Tournament Designator must be in the segment.
b. A recorded segment of the billfish in the water that clearly shows the species of the fish
c. A recorded segment of the leader in the mate’s hand
d. Video the release and/or break off of leader of the fish.
e. After release without stopping the video, pan the cockpit showing no other rods in play. EXCEPTION: If there are double or multiple hook ups, show the anglers fighting the fish. Video a clear close-up of the GPS Date and Time. All GPS should be set to Central Standard Time.
f. If the GPS time and date is not clearly shown, the official catch time will be the last minute of the fishing day it was caught, determined by the daily designator that is in the video. If for some reason there is still a tie then the winner of the tie goes to whoever had the earliest first billfish caught, as
shown on the boats GPS. However, if the judge is not convinced that this is a good catch, the fish may be disqualified for lack of proof it was caught according to all other rules.
g. Test your camera that your GPS will be clearly seen in the video.
h. Make sure your camera is outside not in air conditioning prior to fishing.
i. Please don’t have video from other tournaments or fishing that confuse the judge.
9. OPTIONAL ENTRY AWARDS:
a. Optional entry is not required to compete for tournament awards.
b. 90% of all optional entry fees collected will be distributed in the form of optional cash awards.
c. Optional Entry may be paid by personal check, business check, cash, cashiers check, or credit card. Payment can be mailed to Saltwater Events – PO Box 12670, Pensacola, FL 32591. There will be a 3.5% handling fee added for credit cards.
10. OPTIONAL CASH AWARD CATEGORIES:
WEIGHED WHITE MARLIN $5000 $2500 $1000 $500 $250
CATCH AND RELEASE $5000 $2500 $1000 $500 $250
DOLPHIN $1000 $500 $250
TUNA $1000 $500 $250
WAHOO $1000 $500 $250
SWORDFISH $1000 $500 $250
DAILY $3000
All divisions with 5 or more entries pay 1st, 2nd, & 3rd (50%, 30%, 20% Split)
All divisions with 3-4 entries pay 1st and 2nd (60% – 40%)
2 entries – Winner Take All
If no fish are weighed, 90% of entry is returned to participant.
Catch and release points ties are determined by the first team to reach total points according to recorded GPS time of last fish. Earliest time is the winner.
Rules 6 & 7 specifically apply. Weighed fish ties are determined by the earliest time boats return for weigh-in on their 3 days of fishing. For example, if a boat is fishing Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and catches its 4th release at 10 a.m. on Wednesday and a boat fishing Thursday, Friday, and Saturday catches its 4th release at 9 a.m. on Saturday the boat fishing Thursday, Friday, Saturday would be the winner.
For final clarification, your official time for the breaker is the time tournament official gives you in order of the line up if boats get backed up.
Catch and release points ties are determined by the first team to reach total points according to recorded GPS time of last fish. Earliest time is the winner. Rules 7 & 8 specifically apply.
11. PROTEST:
All protests must be presented in writing along with a $1000 cash deposit by the team captain to the tournament committee no later than 15 minutes after the last fish weighed on the final day of the tournament. All entrants agree to abide by tournament rules. All decisions of the tournament director and rules committee are final. Any violation of these rules resulting in disqualification will result in forfeiture of entry fee and prize money.
12. WAIVER / DISCLAIMER:
It is expressly understood that all participants in this tournament, White Marlin Shootout, enter at their own risk and that the White Marlin Shootout, Saltwater Events, B&T Marine, officers, sponsors, directors, and all persons connected directly or indirectly with the operation of said tournament, shall be exempt form any liability for libel, slander, loss, damage, negligence, harm, injury, or death suffered by any participant, entrant, sport fisherman, his/her companions, boat captains, mates, crew members, vessels and equipment which may occur during or in conjunction with the tournament. By tournament entry, the captain consents that the White Marlin Shootout, Saltwater Events may use without payment or restriction, any photographs in which he/she or any of their crew may appear for any purpose whatsoever; including, but not limited to resale, advertising, commercial or promotional material. The captain and his crew further release the White Marlin Shootout, Saltwater Events, officers, sponsors and directors, and all persons from injury, loss or damage which may result. All entrants agree to submit a polygraph examination at the request of the tournament committee if there is a conflict involving said entrant. Failure to submit to such an examination will result in disqualification of the entrant at the sole discretion of the tournament committee.
13. FINAL DECISIONS:
All decisions of Tournament Director, Judges, and Weighmaster are FINAL.
14. RULE CHANGES:
All rules subject to change.
15. TOURNAMENT CONTACT
Please call Saltwater Events at (850) 750-6632
Josh Tice (251) 609-1653
Chris Phillips (850) 255-7288
Ruston Rood (305) 979-1690
Tournament Radio Communications – Channel 68