Navarre Fishing Rodeo Rules

Rodeo Rules

• 1. Rodeo Hours: Starts at (lines in the water) 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, and ends at 4:00 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.

   

• 2. Registration fees must be paid by noon Friday, October 4, 2024, through Eventbrite.com. Any extensions for registration will be announced via social media.

  
  

• • The Captain’s Meeting (recommended) will be held Friday, Oct. 4, 6 p.m. at Juana’s Pagodas.

  • Captain’s bag / t-shirt pickup Friday will be held from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. at the Captain’s Meeting and also on Saturday during the weigh-in at Juana’s Pagodas.

  • Captain’s bags / t-shirts not picked up by Sunday at 4 p.m. will be forfeited.

• 3. Fish must be caught by rod and reel from any boat, pier or shoreline, inshore or offshore in the area from the Pensacola Pass to the Destin Pass and north to the Florida / Alabama state line, inside of Florida state waters. Please do not fish the near-shore reefs in Navarre, located closer to shore.
  

• 4. Entries must be caught during posted rodeo hours and must be weighed at Juana’s Pagoda on Navarre Beach by the designated weigh master. You must be in line with your catch by 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6, to enter your catch. Entries in line after 4 p.m. will not be accepted.

• 5.  Scales open at Juana’s Pagoda Deck on Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. each day. No exceptions. The line for the weigh-in scales will close promptly at 4 p.m., and no further entries will be accepted. All those physically in the weigh-in line WITH THEIR ENTRIES at 4 p.m. shall be allowed to weigh their entries.
  

• 6. Fish must be kept on ice to prevent spoilage. No frozen, drawn, chemically treated or spoiled fish will be accepted. The designated weigh master will inspect all entries for compliance. The Rules Committee will make any final determination of entry eligibility. Rules Committee rulings on fish eligibility are final and not subject to appeal.
  

• 7.  All entries must comply with applicable Florida State Laws and Saltwater Regulations – no illegal entries will be accepted. The Rodeo will not be responsible for the possession of illegal species or size by the contestants.
  

• 8.  Tournament registrants must declare Kayak Division or Open Division when registering and weighing fish. Anglers who wish to participate in both the kayak and open divisions must purchase an add-on ticket for anglers participating in both divisions to be eligible for additional species. The second ticket must be purchased by 7 p.m. at the Captain’s Meeting. One captain’s bag per angler, even if registered in Open and Kayak Divisions. However, you will be eligible for one prize in each registered division. Any fish entered in the kayak division MUST be caught from a kayak.
  

• 9. In the event of a tie in any category, the first fish weighed-in will be declared the winner.
  

• 10. Each angler has a chance to win one prize per registered division. All anglers are encouraged to weigh every fish caught because bumping will occur and lesser weights are moved up. If an angler is in two places on the board, the lower placing is removed and other fish in that species/category move up to take its place. If an angler wins in multiple categories of the same placing, the angler will win the first-weighed, highest-placed fish only.
  

• 11. The largest fish will be determined by weight.

• 12. Eligible species of fish and permit requirements subject to change depending upon applicable laws.
  

• 13.  Weather: In the event that weather conditions arise and these conditions are deemed unsafe by the tournament officials, the tournament may be called off for that day. No refunds will be made in the event of cancellation.

• 14. All prizes must be collected by winning anglers within thirty (30) days of the Awards Ceremony.

Open Division

• 1.  Open to all anglers. Anglers must be registered for the Open Division and pay entry fee by the tournament registration deadline.

• 2. Prizes will be awarded for the largest fish caught in each of the species of the posted eligible fish. First ($125), Second ($75) and Third Place ($25) prizes are awarded for the heaviest single fish. ONLY ONE PRIZE PER ANGLER PER REGISTERED DIVISION WILL BE AWARDED. All anglers are encouraged to weigh every fish caught in the event that bumping occurs and lesser weights are moved up!

Open Division Fish

• Cobia

• Flounder

• Dolphin (Fish)

• Gray Triggerfish

• Grouper

• King Mackerel

• Pompano

• Redfish

• Sheepshead

• Snapper (not red)

• Red Snapper

• Spanish Mackerel

• Spotted Sea Trout (Speckled)

• Tuna (Black Fin)

• Whiting

Kayak Division

• 1. Open to anglers that are with non-motorized vessels. This includes SUPs. Anglers must be registered for the Kayak Division and pay entry fee by noon Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, at Eventbrite.com or purchased at during packet pick-up.

• 2. Prizes will be awarded for the largest fish caught in each of the species of the posted eligible fish. First ($125), Second ($75) and Third Place ($25) prizes are awarded for the heaviest single fish caught from a kayak. ONLY ONE PRIZE PER ANGLER PER REGISTERED DIVISION WILL BE AWARDED. All anglers are encouraged to weigh every fish caught due to bumping that will occur and lesser weights are moved up! If you are registered in two divisions, you can win for one fish in each division.

Kayak Division Fish

• Bonito

• Cobia

• Flounder

• Gray Triggerfish

• Grouper

• King Mackerel

• Redfish

• Snapper (not red)

• Red Snapper

• Spanish Mackerel

• Spotted Sea Trout (Speckled)

Offshore/Inshore Slams

• 1.  First Place prize only awarded for Slams. Prize is $250. This prize will be awarded to the highest total weight in each Slam category. An angler can only win one SLAM category. However, an angler can win a SLAM in addition to a fish category in the Open or Kayak Division, but this entry must constitute different fish if they place in the slam category.

• 2. Fish entered for SLAM have to be weighed together at the same time.

Offshore Slam Fish

• Spanish Mackerel

• King Mackerel

• Grouper

Inshore Slam Fish

• Flounder

• Redfish

• Spotted Sea Trout (Speckled)

Super Slam

• 1. First Place prizes will be awarded to the highest total weight in each SLAM category. The prize is $250. Fish winning in the SLAM category are automatically withdrawn from the Open or Kayak Divisions. An Angler can only win one SLAM category. However, an angler can win a SLAM in addition to a fish category in the Open or Kayak Division, but must be different fish if they place in the slam category.

• 2. Fish entered for SLAM have to be weighed together at the same time.

Super Slam Fish

• King Mackerel

• Redfish

• Grouper

• Spotted Sea Trout (Speckled)

Junior Division

• 1. Open to all anglers 5-12 years of age. All fish MUST be caught unassisted. First, Second and Third Place prizes will be awarded in each Junior Fish category. There will be trophies for each prize.

• 2. Junior anglers will be registered automatically at weigh-in. No entry fee will be required with corresponding adult ticket. Two (2) juniors allowed per corresponding adult ticket.

• 3. Junior anglers competing in the Junior Division are not eligible for prizes in any other division unless they have purchased a rodeo ticket to enter the Open Division by paying the required fee.

• 4. All Junior entries will comply with applicable Florida State Laws and Saltwater and Freshwater Regulations.

• 5. Captains bags and shirts will not be given to those in the Junior Division. Anglers 12 years old and under can register in the Open and Kayak Division and participate with all rights and benefits of the category entered.

Junior Division Fish

• Catfish

• Croaker

• Hardtail

• Ladyfish

• Pigfish

• Pinfish

• Redfish

• Spanish Mackerel

• Spotted Sea Trout (Speckled)

• White Trout

• Whiting

Invasive Lionfish Division

• 1. The non-native Indo-Pacific lionfish has no predators and is wreaking havoc on our reefs by explosively reproducing and eating dangerously high numbers of important, native species such as juvenile grouper, snapper, parrotfish, grunts and crustaceans.

• 2. Our objective is to raise awareness and help control local lionfish populations by including the lionfish category in our rodeo. The object is to capture lionfish and put them on the menu. They are delicious to eat.

• 3. Lionfish cannot be speared on the Navarre Beach snorkel reefs. (No spear fishing.) Spearfishing is allowed on the Navarre one-mile-out reefs as well as most other area dive sites.

• 4. Lionfish harvesting may begin prior to the published Rodeo Hours and must still comply with Rodeo Rules item 6 above.

• 5. First and Second Place prizes will be awarded based on total weight of both days’ catches – determined by Sunday at the 4 pm cutoff. Please register at the fish weigh-in.  This year, there will be a $200 cash prize for first place and $100 cash prize for second place.

• Hold Harmless

  It is expressly understood that all registered participants and nonregistered enter at their own risk. Further, each registered and nonregistered participant on behalf of other family members and/or executors agrees to release and hold harmless the tournament officials, sponsors, the county of Santa Rosa County, and all other persons connected directly or indirectly with operation of said tournament from any liability for libel, slander, loss, damage, negligence, harm, injury, or death suffered by any participant, entrant, sport fishermen, their companions, boat captains, mates, crew members, vessels and equipment which may occur during the tournament.

• Minors

  Parents of legal guardians of anglers who are under the age of 18 and competing in the Rodeo, must review all of the rules and regulations governing the tournament and sign on behalf of their child.

• Protests

  Any protest made must be made in writing, accompanied by a $300 protest fee, and in the hands of the Tournament Committee prior to 5:30 pm on the tournament day. All decisions and ruling by the Tournament Committee decisions regarding any protests are final and binding. All participants and boats shall exercise good sportsmanship and courtesy (whether at dock, underway or fishing) or may be subject to disqualification without refund. All decisions will rest with the Tournament Committee and such decisions will be final. The Tournament Committee reserves the right to reject any registration, for any reason.