Billy Nobles Memorial Tournament — Sept 12th, 2026

BILLY NOBLES MEMORIAL FISHING TOURNAMENT
Tournament Rules and Regulations

1. Responsibility
All entrants and guests participate at their own risk. The tournament committee, hosts, sponsors, volunteers, and venue shall not be liable for any injury, death, loss, damage, or theft arising from or related to participation in the tournament. The safety, condition, maintenance, seaworthiness, and operation of any vessel, and all judgments and decisions concerning the same, including determinations as to weather, sea conditions, safe departure, safe return, and continued operation, are solely the responsibility and at the sole discretion of the vessel’s captain and crew. The tournament committee, hosts, sponsors, volunteers, and venue assume no duty and no liability whatsoever with respect to any vessel, its condition, its operation, or any decision made by the captain or crew. Unsafe, unsportsmanlike, or abusive conduct, including threatening, harassing, or demeaning behavior toward other participants in person, online, or on social media, may be grounds for disqualification at the sole discretion of the tournament committee.

2. Eligibility
All sports fishermen and women are eligible to participate, subject to the tournament committee's approval. Any person convicted of a fishing violation within the previous five years is ineligible to participate. All federal, state, and local fishing laws and boating regulations must be followed at all times.

3. Team Event
This is a team event. Only the captain and registered anglers may fish for the team.

4. Youth Anglers (12 and Under)
Youth anglers age 12 and under may participate at no entry fee. Youth anglers may not submit fish that count toward a team’s total score. To be eligible for the Top Youth Award, youth anglers must submit their own eligible catches from the same official species list and in accordance with all tournament photo, measuring device, and submission rules. The tournament committee requires that the youth angler hook, fight, and land the fish with only reasonable assistance for the catch to qualify for the Top Youth Award.

5. Entry Fee and Payout
The entry fee is $300 per team and includes tournament entry, lunch at the awards ceremony, and one (1) team bucket. The first 150 paid registered anglers will receive a tournament shirt, commemorative cup/koozie, and swag, while supplies last.

Ten (10) teams will receive awards and/or prizes. The Top 3 teams will receive cash prizes for First, Second, and Third Place. Additional awards and/or prizes will be presented in designated categories, which may include Top Youth Angler, Big Snook, Big Redfish, Big Mangrove Snapper, Big Gag Grouper, Big Wildcard, and Mighty Minnow (lowest score), subject to sponsorship support and prize availability.

Each team may receive only one (1) award or prize. A portion of tournament proceeds will be donated to Cloud Nine Outdoors.

6. Captain's Meeting
The Captain's Meeting will be held on Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. at Finn's Dockside. At least one team member from each team must attend. Teams will receive their tournament measuring device at the Captain's Meeting. The meeting will include review of the rules, procedures, final clarifications, and the random selection of the Wildcard Species.

7. Tournament Hours
Fishing begins at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 12, 2026. Fishing ends at the latest time that allows participants to safely comply with the 3:30 p.m. check-in requirement by being visible in the channel or in line by that time.

8. Check-In
All teams must check in at Finn’s Dockside no later than 3:30 p.m. on tournament day. To be considered timely, teams must be visibly seen in the channel or in the check-in line by 3:30 p.m. Any team not seen in the channel or in line by 3:30 p.m. will be disqualified.

9. Fishing Area
This tournament is intended to be an inshore and near-shore event. Teams may fish all legal waters of Tampa Bay and Gulf waters within fifteen (15) nautical miles of shore between Anna Maria Island and Anclote Key. All fishing must be conducted in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. The team boat must remain in the water during tournament hours and may not be removed from the water and trailered. If wade fishing occurs, the boat must remain stationary until all anglers are back aboard.

10. Tackle and Methods
Fish must be caught by hook and line using conventional rods and reels. Spinning, casting, and fly tackle are permitted. Electric reels are prohibited. Any illegal method of take will result in disqualification of the catch and may result in team disqualification.

11. Species and Scoring
Scoring will be based on the official Billy Nobles Memorial Fishing Tournament species and scoring schedule. Each team may enter a maximum of six (6) fish total for scoring. No more than two (2) fish of any one core species (Redfish, Snook, Mangrove Snapper and Gag Grouper) may count toward the team total. Only one (1) Wildcard fish per team may be submitted and counted toward the team total, and any Wildcard fish counts toward the six-fish team total. The six highest scoring eligible fish will determine the team’s final score.

12. Photo Release and Legal Catch Requirements
All inshore fish are photo release only. Every legal catch must be photographed on the tournament measuring device provided at the Captain's Meeting. If the official measuring device is not used for a submission, that fish will not be counted as a legal catch. Each photograph must clearly show the fish, the full measurable length when length scoring applies, and the team number or any other identifier required by the tournament committee. Any evidence of image manipulation may result in disqualification.

13. Measurement Standard
For scored length species, measurements will be rounded to the nearest whole inch. Measurements of one-half inch or greater will be rounded up. Any tournament-specific measurement instructions announced at the Captain's Meeting must be followed.

14. Wildcard Species
One Wildcard Species will be chosen at random during the Captain's Meeting. The eligible Wildcard options are Kingfish, Tarpon, and Cobia. The selected Wildcard Species will score according to the official Billy Nobles Memorial scoring schedule. Only one (1) Wildcard fish per team may be submitted and counted toward the team total.

In the event the selected Wildcard Species cannot be legally or safely removed from the water, including but not limited to Tarpon, the fish may remain in the water for photographic verification. To be eligible for scoring, the submission photo must clearly show the fish together with the official tournament measuring device. Length is not required for Wildcard submission; however, the official tournament measuring device must be visible in the photograph for the catch to qualify.

15. Submission Deadline
All fish photos must be submitted no later than 3:30 p.m. on tournament day unless the committee announces a different submission method or cutoff procedure at the Captain’s Meeting. Fish caught or submitted after this deadline are not eligible and will not be scored.

16. General Conduct
Participants are expected to compete honestly and with good sportsmanship. Any act that gives a team an unfair advantage, including outside assistance, fish spotting, holding locations, procurement of bait outside what is legally permitted, or any other prohibited help, may result in disqualification.

17. Tie Breaker
In the event of a tie in total points, ties will be broken by: (1) highest single scoring fish; (2) second-highest single scoring fish; and then (3) earliest final qualifying submission time.

18. Protest and Rules Enforcement
Any protest must be submitted to the tournament committee in writing before the conclusion of awards or within such deadline as the committee announces at check-in. The tournament committee reserves the right to inspect any boat, equipment, measuring device, and photo submission. The committee's decision on all protests and rules questions is final.

19. Polygraph
Winners may be required to submit to a polygraph examination. Refusal to cooperate may result in disqualification.

20. Taxes
Winners are solely responsible for any tax liability arising from prizes awarded.

21. Rules Interpretation
The tournament committee reserves the right to interpret these rules and resolve any matter not specifically covered herein. All decisions of the committee are final.

22. Weather, Delay, Cancellation, and Refund Policy
The tournament committee reserves the right to delay, shorten, postpone, reschedule, or cancel the tournament due to weather, unsafe conditions, or circumstances beyond the committee’s control. If necessary, tournament hours, check-in procedures, and other event logistics may be modified in the interest of safety and fairness.

If the tournament is postponed or rescheduled, paid entries will be transferred to the new date. Because this tournament is conducted to support a charitable cause, entry fees are non-refundable.

All decisions of the tournament committee regarding weather, safety, delays, postponement, rescheduling, cancellation, and related matters are final.