RULES & INFORMATION

 

Florida Keys PBA Dolphin Tournament information and rules:

  • Captain’s Meeting will be held at Oceans Edge Resort and Marina, 5950 Peninsular Ave, on June 27, 2025 at 6:00 pm 
  • Tournament fishing Dates: June 28 and 29, 2025
  • Saturday, June 28 lines in at 7:30 am and Sunday, June 29 lines in at 7:30 am. 
  • Weigh Station @ Ocean’s Edge Marina and is open from 4:00pm-6:00pm Saturday & 3:30pm-5:00pm on Sunday.  If you are not in line to weigh at closing, your fish will be disqualified. Weigh-in may be by vehicle or boat. 
  • IGFA RULES APPLY: The angler credited with a catch in tournament scoring must have hooked and played the fish to boat-side personally, without assistance. Normal sport fishing practices for landing a fish (e.g. gaffing or landing nets) may be assisted. Fish must be hooked and landed on a single rod and reel. (Braid line is permitted) 
  • SCORING:  One fish may only be scored in one category.  All scoring in the tournament is based on the weight of a single fish entered by registered boats. A boat may place in more than one category if more than one qualifying fish has been landed.  A boat may improve its standing with a subsequent entry at any time prior to the close of weigh ins.  
  • In The event of an exact tie in weight, winners will be determined by the time of sign-in at weigh in.
  • Fishing Boundaries: Vessels must depart & return from Monroe County and fish in US waters (EEZ, Bahamas & Cuba off limits) 
  • Any changes to your Registration Form can be made prior to start of the Tournament via email at [email protected]
  • POLYGRAPH: All winning teams may be subject to and must pass polygraph testing. Refusal to take the test will result in disqualification. Any person aboard the boat also may be subject to and must pass the polygraph test. Refusal to take the test will result in disqualification.  Anyone who is subject to a polygraph and is under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be disqualified. Polygraph tests will include but will not be limited to questions on angling and landing procedures and species of fish. Polygraph tests are final, and winners are not official until test results are obtained.  Winning vessels may also be subject to a search of the chart plotters on board the vessel to verify the rules were adhered to. (Polygraph may be substituted by a CVSA exam.
  • All protests must be in writing and submitted to the Tournament Coordinator Frank Betz or his designee on the day of the alleged violation by 6:00 p.m. with a deposit of $500.00. 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 decision of the Rules Committee will be final.
  • PRIZES:  Prizes Winners must be present to win prizes at the time of the awards ceremony. In the event of an extreme hardship, the tournament board may permit prizes to be claimed by a representative of the winner. Prizes not claimed in accordance with these rules remain property of the tournament. 
  • LIABILITY: All entrants participate in the tournament at their own risk. Florida Keys PBA Dolphin Tournament, The Love Fund, Inc, Tournament Staff, Ocean’s Edge Resort and Marina, Tournament Sponsors, and all other persons directly or indirectly connected with the operation of the tournament are exempt from any liability for loss, damage, injury, negligence, or harm to any entrant, their companions or other participants, boat captains, crew members, vessels, or equipment which may occur during the tournament.
  • RULINGS AND RULES COMPLIANCE: Rules violations, the eligibility of entrants or entered fish, disqualifications, and any other matters not specifically covered by these rules will be decided by the Tournament Judge in consultation with the Tournament staff. 
  • ENTRY FEES: Entry fees for the Florida Keys PBA Dolphin Tournament are as follows: Early Registration: Boat $450; Late Registration: on or after June 3rd Boat $550. Registration includes up to 4 anglers.  Registration fees include 4 Awards ceremony & Captain’s meeting tickets and 4 tournament shirts. Extra shirts will be available to purchase. Captain’s may add up to two additional anglers (total of 6 per boat) for an additional $125 per angler (price includes shirts and awards ceremony tickets). If a vessel is operated by a non-angling Captain, the Captain is not counted towards the 6 per boat maximum. 
  • WEATHER CONTINGENCY: The tournament will not be canceled due to weather or sea conditions. Entry fees are non-refundable. If a named storm interrupts tournament weekend all collected registration fees will be applied towards the following year’s tournament. 
  • SAFETY AND CONDUCT: Participants are expected to follow all applicable laws and rules for safe boating, including those regarding USCG equipment requirements. Participants are expected to follow all applicable laws pertaining to the taking of marine fish. Participants are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship and courtesy. Any participant who exhibits threatening behavior or who otherwise engages in disorderly, illegal or improper conduct of any kind is subject to immediate disqualification from the Tournament. Willful violations of marine laws or other violations of safe and proper conduct may lead to disqualification. Fishing must be performed in accordance with principles of good sportsmanship, and in compliance with these and IGFA rules as published in the IGFA World Record Game Fish book under “International Angling Rules.” Florida Keys PBA tournament rules will be strictly adhered to, and all decisions of the Tournament Director will be final. Any angler(s), captain(s), or mate(s) found to be in any violation of any tournament rule may be disqualified from this tournament.