2023 MARATHON PREMIER SAILFISH TOURNAMENT
*OFFICIAL RULES*
Phone: (305) 783 8313 | E-mail: katie@marathonsailfish.com | Website: www.marathonsailfish.com
1. The entry fee paid before April 9, 2023, is $400.00 per angler. If payment is received on or after April 9th, 2023, the entry fee is $500 per angler. Junior angler entry is $200 per angler. Junior anglers must not be over 16 years of age on the first day of fishing. There is no limit to anglers fishing aboard a vessel.
2. The initial angler registration charge includes entry fee, sales tax, gifts, and social tickets for the first angler, the captain, and the mate. Each additional angler registration charge includes an entry fee, gifts, and, social tickets for that angler only. There is no provision for the return of entry fees unless the Tournament Director received a written request for such fees at least (10) days prior to the kick-off of the tournament.
3. The Marathon 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 violation of any tournament rule might be disqualified from this tournament.
4. This entry is non-transferable, and there can be no substitution of anglers unless so approved by the Tournament Director. The Tournament Director reserves the right to refuse tournament application or entry to any prospective entrant with or without cause at its’ sole discretion.
5. This is a BOAT tournament with a release format. 100 points will be awarded to each released and/or tagged sailfish. The BOAT accumulating the most release points first, will be judged the winner. Point scoring will be on both a cumulative and individual basis for trophy purposes.
6. Only manufacturers stated 20 Lb. test line or less may be used. Only manufacturers stated NON-offset circle hooks may be used with live or dead bait. Hooks may NOT be altered.
7. Chumming is PROHIBITED throughout the course of this tournament event. Any bait, or portion thereof, not being fishing or used as a teaser, shall be retained within the vessel. Live bait, dead bait, or artificial may be used. No entangling device or similar material may be used. Fish must be caught by hook and line in a conventional manner aboard the boat, from which it was hooked. Spin or conventional tackle may be used, and no more than six (6) lines can be in the water at any time. This restriction does NOT include teaser lines.
8. All boats must depart from and return to the same dock each day. There is no time limit as to when the boat must return to the dock.
9. All sailfish hook-ups and releases must be reported immediately to and acknowledged by the Committee Boat. The exact number of sailfish hooked up must be reported, ie. a single, a double, etc. In addition, the captain must report the final disposition of the hook-up to the Committee Boat (released, tagged, lost, etc.). Reports may be relayed by another boat IF the reporting boat cannot reach the Committee Boat. The tournament channel is 78.
10. No one except a registered angler can hook a fish and no one except the angler may touch the rod, reel, or line while the fish is being fought. Crew members are permitted to cast baits, however, the rod and reel may not be passed directly to the angler. It must first be placed in a neutral position (ie. rod holder) in free-spool. If the fish is hooked up, even accidentally by the crewmember, the fish is disqualified.
11. The leader shall be limited to fifteen (15) feet; however, the combined length of the double line and the leader cannot exceed twenty (20) feet.
12. For this purpose of this tournament, a “Release” shall be considered to be accomplished when the captain, angler, or mate touches the leader. It is recommended that the leader be cut as close to the fish as possible. If a fish is subsequently tagged after being released according to the above criteria, the time of tagging shall be considered to be the same time as the release.
13. If a fish should become hooked on more than one line or become entangled in another line, then the fouled line or lines must be cut immediately. It is the intent of this rule that the fish is fought the majority of the time on a single line, if the fish is not fought the majority of the time on a single line, then the fish will be disqualified.
14. Time Limits are as follows: Other than bait catching, on day one, lines and teasers in the water at 8:00 A.M. and lines out of the water at 4:00 P.M. On the final day of fishing, day two, Other than bait catching, lines and teasers in the water at 8:00 A.M. and lines out of the water at 3:00 P.M. Fish may be fought after the lines out provided that they have been reported to and acknowledged by the committee boat prior to lines out. Final disposition of fish must be reported to the committee boat no later than 5:00 P.M. on the first day and by 4:00 P.M. on the final day or it will be disqualified from the tournament.
15. Fishing boundaries are based on GPS latitude and longitude. The northerly boundary is the shoreline and the southerly boundary is the 100-fathom curve. The easterly boundary is 080’46.900 W and the westerly boundary is 081’31.160 W. All fish must be hooked-up within these boundaries. Other than bait catching with the proper permits, no vessel will be allowed to engage in any fishing activity inside of a special preservation area.
16. All protests on day one must be made in writing and filed with the Tournament Director before 5:30 P.M on the day of the protest to allow consideration. On the final day, protests must be filed by 4:30 P.M. The Tournament Rules Committee may rule immediately or reserve judgment until the end of the tournament. The final disposition of all protests, where judgment has been withheld, will be determined by the polygraph examination.
17. All captains of boats having a winning angler(s) in any division of this tournament may be subjected to a polygraph examination. In the event the polygraph examiner is unable to make an accurate determination from the captain’s statements, the captain may allow their angler(s) or mate(s) to be subjected to the examination. Any captain(s), angler(s), or mate(s) who fail or refuse to take the examination, by so doing, will be disqualified from winning any division of this tournament. By entering this tournament all anglers, captains, and mates agree to abide by the results of the polygraph examination.
18. Participants in this tournament enter at their own risk. Officials, committee members, and all persons connected directly or indirectly with the operation of the Marathon Premier Sailfish Tournament shall be exempt from any liability for loss, damage, negligence, harm or injury suffered to any participant, entrant, sports fisherman, their companions, boat captains, crew members, vessels and equipment, which may occur during this tournament.
19. All winners must provide their social security number prior to receiving any awards.