A youth fishing redfish tournament
in loving memory of Brody Bates.
Presented by Sportsman Boats
DATE: March 16th, 2024
Charleston, SC
MAKE-UP: March 23rd, 2024
Charleston, SC
Registration now open
This Year Awards
High School Division
$TBA
+ Prize Pack
1st Place
$TBA
+ Prize Pack
2nd Place
$TBA
+ Prize Pack
3rd Place
$TBA
Big Fish
Grade School Division
$TBA
+ Prize Pack
1st Place
$TBA
+ Prize Pack
2nd Place
$TBA
+ Prize Pack
3rd Place
$TBA
Big Fish
All prizes will be paid out to the student in the form of a scholarship through a 529B account.
Last Year's Awards
High School Division
$5,000
+ Prize Pack
1st Place
$4,000
+ Prize Pack
2nd Place
$3,000
+ Prize Pack
3rd Place
$1,000
Big Fish
Grade School Division
$5,000
+ Prize Pack
1st Place
$4,000
+ Prize Pack
2nd Place
$3,000
+ Prize Pack
3rd Place
$1,000
Big Fish
Gallery
Mission Statement
- Increase interest in the Lowcountry with competitive fishing using the venue of the Student Angler League Tournament Trail to promote Jesus Christ
Eligibility
- FREE for all members of SALTT ($35) for liability coverage and members of SALTT can fish our events in Georgetown during the current school year !
- High School Division is grades 9-12
- Grade School Division is grades 1-8
- If a middle school angler fishes with a high school angler = high school division
- Teams consist of an adult boat captain 21 or older and either one or two student anglers. We will allow one additional adult that completes the paperwork as a “ride along”.
- Registration = waivers for liability under the SALTT insurance plan for angler and driver
- boat driver 21 or older with current insurance plan worth $300k in liability
- Limited to 50 boats as each both is considered one team
- Registration will close March 30th for organizational purposes
- Awards = depending on funding
- The week of the event, the boat captains will be contacted with the agenda of the event to share with parents of the student anglers. Launching will depend of the number of teams that participate. This same agenda will be posted on the Brody Bates Youth Redfish Open page at www.salttfishing.com
Place
First
Second
Third
Big Fish
High School %
25%
15%
5%
5%
Grade School %
25%
15%
5%
5%
Guidelines
The following rules are designed to promote sportsmanship among the anglers and provide fair competition. Failure to comply with any rules may result in a weight penalty or disqualification from the tournament.
- Inclement Weather Plan
- The tournament director will communicate with the boat captains by phone and post on the "Social Media" should weekend weather cause the tourney to be cancelled. Safety comes first.
- During the event, if there is lightning or thunder, the tournament director will communication with the boat captain to “stop fishing” so all boats will be secured and participants asked to return to the nearest safest location. Please honor this request until the director communicates to “continue fishing”. If the director communicates to “return to landing”, then we will begin the weigh ins when it is safe to begin the process.
- We would cancel a tournament when there is: 100% chance of rain or very cold temperatures with cold rain. Constant wind at or above the 25mph small craft warnings would cancel.
- Blastoff
- Blast off would be the method if we have around 25 boats participate.
- Flights
- Flights would be the method if we have close to the 50 boat maximum.
- Flights allow the launch, the retrieval of boats and the weigh in to go more smoothly.
- Flights will give all anglers the same amount of time to fish
- Flights will be announced the Wednesday before the event so teams know when to arrive
- If you miss your flight, you can blast off with the next flight but your must honor your original time to return. If you are late for any reason, you will not be able to weigh in fish and DQed.
- Check In
- Begin at 6:00 for Flight 1
- Boat inspection : live well and lifejackets plus capability to attach the kill switch
- Weigh in Card : card with emergency contacts and directions about weigh in procedures
- Cull Tag : tag the biggest fish using the clip on the lips
- Weigh in Bag : boat captains responsibility to already have a bag on the boat
- Launching
- Cut your lights as you approach the boat landing area
- Dock the boat long enough until the boat captain can return from parking
- Drive the boat to the designated area and anchor
- North Bound : set up on the far bank on the left to the boat landing
- South Bound : set up on the far bank on the right to the boat landing
- Blastoff
- A neon flip chart and/or mega phone will be used
- North Bound : do not blast off until you are 100 yards past the docks on the left
- South Bound : blast off once you are 100 yards past the first dock on the right
- Weigh In
- Once your boat arrives at the dock, have an angler take the card to the director.
- Trucks will retrieve boats then tow them to the weigh in circle. Teams without fish are to park in the overfill area.
- If the weigh in circle is backed up or IF WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THE CIRCLE AREA THEN the trucks will have to park and we will use golf carts to help transport kids with fish.
- Students will report under the tents where we will have air pumps set up to help keep air in their bags until called to the stage.
- Students arrive on the stage, the weigh in team will bump the length of the fish and conduct weigh ins with a big fish weight then a total weight of the two fish.
- Use the Big Fish Cull Tag to designate your Big Fish.
- Early Weigh In
- Any team can weigh in early once the scales open.
- Livewells
- Since our first priority is catch and release, if your live well is not working, you can return to the landing and weigh in fish so they can be released. This will conclude your fishing for the day.
- Only with permission of the director can you transfer fish from one boat to another to make weigh in with the live fish. This is under special circumstances only. You must have the director’s permission in advance. If you are putting 2 fish in a live well that already has 2 fish, you must have a tag system to identify the fish. Tag using the lip, not the gills.
- Boundaries
- No fishing within 100 yards from the boat landing that you launched from.
- Private or gated area not available to the public cannot be used.
- Boats
- Equipment includes a working live well (built in or carry on) and all safety equipment as required by the US Coast Guard and SCDNR.
- Participants must use only the gear that is in the boat when the boat leaves the dock at the start of the day with the exception of acquiring a live well from the director.
- Captains need to have current boat registration and have turned in a copy of insurance to the director. Captains and student anglers (16 and older) must possess a current fishing license.
- In respect to the location of the Sampit River. This river in Georgetown requires that you have both freshwater and saltwater license.
- Boat Operation
- Captains operate the gas engine in a safe manner abiding all boating laws when carrying student anglers to fishing locations with the Lanyard Ignition cut-off device attached to the boat captain at all times the main engine being used to travel.
- Lifejackets should be on anytime the gas motor is running for safety.
- Student anglers can operate electric trolling motors.
- Captains are encouraged to use a public boat landing for rest room breaks.
- Use caution with other boats around you, and remember, you are responsible for your wake and can earn a DQ if you endanger another one of our teams as well as be subject to a fine from SCDNR.
- Fishing
- The boat captains ( adult ) cannot fish in this scholarship tournament. Adults cannot touch a rod and reel at any time, even to repair. Please bring extra rod and reels.
- The boat captain can use a landing net, but don’t touch the fish until it is in the boat. The student is responsible for dehooking the fish and either releasing the fish or storing the fish in the live well.
- Only fish caught by students on a rod and reel in the boat will count.
- One rod per angler in use at a time per angler. The number of rods in use should be the same number of student anglers in the boat.
- Red Drum = artificial, live or cut baits can be used, BUT circle hooks are mandatory with live/cut
- Only fish caught with a hook in the mouth will count. No snagging or netting a fish.
- Cast nets can be used to harvest live bait that will be used for fishing
- Cast nets cannot be used to retrieve fish for the weigh in
- Bait cannot be used to feed fish in the live well to add more weight
- When anchoring and fishing with floating corks, please keep the distance of at least 25 yards from another boat. That means do not fish within 25 yards of their boat.
- When going into a creek, always consider leaving enough room for another boat that may need to pass you coming out or going into the creek.
- Fish Length
- SCDNR is one of our partners and could be involved with the weigh in procedures since we have to get ramp permission to host the tourneys, they know we are fishing.
- Each fish is subject bump boards at weight ins and measured in accordance to the rules of SCDNR. We will use the Check It Stick bump board with the 2 inch guide. We will slide the guide to 22.5 inch mark. If the tail goes over the 23 inch mark, the fish is DQed.
- The slot is 15 to 23 inches and each boat is HIGHLY encouraged to have a bump board. Before you put a fish in the live well, measure the fish on the boat's bump board. When in doubt, release the fish. Please don't risk the DQ and/or a ticket at the weigh in from SCDNR.
- Dead Fish
- .25 pound penalty per fish and the fish is property of SALTT
- Do not cull a dead fish
Sponsors
Platinum
Gold
To donate or sponsor this event, inquire with us at rayburnposton@gmail.com
Silver
Alloy Fasteners
Cam Glass
To donate or sponsor this event, inquire with us at rayburnposton@gmail.com
Bronze
Pro Charging Systems
Sileather
Transhield Covers
Polycryl Corporation
Cantey
HK Research
To donate or sponsor this event, inquire with us at rayburnposton@gmail.com
Patron
Release Marine
Universal Products
To donate or sponsor this event, inquire with us at rayburnposton@gmail.com
Sign Up
- To sign up, send an email to rayburnposton@gmail.com.