RULES

WHITE MARLIN SHOOTOUT

August 10-12, 2023

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 Fisher’s at Orange
Beach Marina August 9, 2023 from 5-7 p.m.

2. ENTRY FEE
a. Entry Fee $1675 + TAX $125 = $1800

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 START / FINISH:
a. Boats may leave from any pass in the Gulf of Mexico anytime on Thursday August 10, 2023 or during
tournament hours.
b. Start/Stop – Fishing will begin at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday August 10, 2023. Continuous fishing is allowed
until 5:00 p.m. (all lines out) Saturday afternoon, August 12, 2023. All boats must be in line at Orange
Beach Marina no later than 8 p.m. Saturday, August 12, 2023.
c. 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”.
d. Bait fishing is allowed prior to “lines in” rule.
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 (Friday, Saturday or Sunday). If the tournament is cancelled, the entry fees will
be refunded less the pro-rated share of tournament expenses as solely determined by the tournament
director.
f. If the boat is hooked up prior to 5:00 pm lines out, you may continue to fight the fish, but you must be
back at the Orange Beach Marina and acknowledged in line by close of scales 8 p.m. August 12, 2023.
g. Scales will open from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday August 11, 2023 and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday August 12,
2023. All boats in line to turn in C/R or weighed fish by 8 p.m. each day will be eligible and will qualify for
tournament awards.
h. Tournament Awards will be delivered or mailed on August 13, 2023. There will not be an in-person awards ceremony.

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 one time to an angler. That angler must fight the fish
until caught or released. 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, and Cooler
2nd Place Boat – Cash, Plaque, and Cooler
3rd Place Boat – Cash, Plaque, and Cooler
Top Lady Angler – Plaque and Award
Top Junior Angler (15 and under) Plaque and Award
1st Place Weighed White Marlin – Plaque and Cooler
1st Place Dolphin – Plaque and Cooler
1st Place Wahoo – Plaque and Cooler
1st Place Tuna – Plaque and Cooler
1st Place Swordfish – Plaque and Cooler
TOURNAMENT CASH AWARDS
TOTAL WEIGHED WHITE MARLIN POINTS AND CATCH & RELEASE POINTS
(BASED ON 40 BOATS – $ 24,000 TOTAL POOL)
1ST Place – 50% – $12,000 / 2ND Place 30% $7,200 / 3RD Place – 20% $4,800
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 accompany the video when turning it in to the video judge.
Videos must be turned in between 5 and 7 p.m. Friday August 11, 2023 or 5 and 8 p.m. Saturday August
12, 2023. Videos must be brought to the scales 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:
Please use one of the following video sources for video: Digital, Hi-8, GoPro. No cell phone video is
acceptable. Bring all the necessary cables have video ready to play. Fish caught should be in order as
shown on the catch and release sheet. Weighed white marlin should be included in your video for
verification purposes. An identification marker will be given out at the captain’s meeting. There will be a
separate designator for each day – Friday and Saturday.
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. Make sure that you check camera for batteries and bring necessary cables to allow the video to be
viewed on television. It is a good idea to have a back-up camera ready to go.
h. Please, only one angler should bring the camera and cables ready to play back to the video judge.
Have the cameras rewound to the beginning of the first fish caught.
i. Set the date and time on your camera and make sure it displays on the image.
j. Test your camera that your GPS will be clearly seen in the video.
k. Make sure your camera is outside not in air conditioning prior to fishing.
l. 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 if paid by August 7, 2023. Payment can be mailed in
time to Saltwater Events – PO Box 12670, Pensacola, FL 32591. After August 7, 2023, personal or
business checks cannot be accepted. Only cash, cashiers check, or credit card will be accepted. 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
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 earliest time boats return for weighin. After you return to Orange Beach Marina for weigh-in, call in on radio VHF CH68 for your official
time. Boats with slips may return to your slip and we will come get your fish to be weighed. If you do not
have a slip, wait outside the marina in line until you are called to proceed to the weigh-in slip. 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, 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
Tournament Director – Chris Phillips (850) 255-7288
Tournament Director – Ruston Rood (305) 979-1690
Tournament Radio Communications – Channel 68