A youth fishing redfish tournament
in loving memory of Brody Bates.
Presented by Sportsman Boats
DATE: May 3rd, 2025
Charleston, SC
MAKE-UP: May 10th, 2025
Charleston, SC
Registration now open
Gallery
Mission Statement
- Increase interest along Coastal South Carolina with competitive fishing using the venue of the Student Angler League Tournament Trail to promote Jesus Christ.
When
- May 3rd with the makeup date the following weekend of May 10th
Where
- Buck Hall is our ideal site for weigh ins. We are planning for a virtual launch where you send a check in video to the director If Buck Hall is unavailable, we will weigh in at Garris Landing or TBA.
Registration
- FREE for all members of SALTT so if this is the “only” tourney that you are fishing with SALTT then you do NOT have to pay the $40 dues, but you must register for liability coverage.
- Registration = waivers for liability under the SALTT insurance plan for anglers and driver
- Boat drivers 21 or older with current insurance plan worth $300k in liability
Awards
- Three Divisions by grades:
- -High = 9-12 -Middle = 5-8 -Elementary = 1-4
- *If a middle school division angler fishes with a high school division angler then they compete together in the high school division so you always fish up if your partner is in a higher division.
Teams
- 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” that is 18 or older.
- Each boat is considered one team so a boat with 2 students will split the winnings.
Awards
- SALTT will write checks to Future Scholars or a student investment firm as money is designed to be an investment toward the student’s future.
- Each division will present an award for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Big Fish
- During 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. This will include specific directions from the check in, launch, fishing boundaries, and weigh in. Buck Hall is scheduled to undergo some construction so the location of the weigh in could change.
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.
- 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 a boat landing.
- 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 and help land the fish into 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. Never get out to fish but if your boat is stuck, the adult can get out to free the boat from a sandbar, etc.
- 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. At the weigh in, we will pinch the tail as far down as it will go. 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. We have the SAME bump boards we use for you if you need to borrow one. 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
- Checklist For The Event
- Registration
- Check it Stix
- Weigh in Bag
- Knowing what time your team must report to the stage for weigh ins
- 2:00 Elementary grades 1-4
- 2:30 Middle grades 5-8
- 3:00 High grades 9-12
- -3 pound penalty if a team is 1 to 10 minutes late
- -5 pound penalty if a team is 11 to 15 minutes late
- -DQ if 16 or more minutes late so cannot weigh in fish but can take pictures
Sponsors
Platinum
Gold
Available
To donate or sponsor this event, inquire with us at rayburnposton@gmail.com
Silver
Available
To donate or sponsor this event, inquire with us at rayburnposton@gmail.com
Bronze
Available
To donate or sponsor this event, inquire with us at rayburnposton@gmail.com
Patron
Available
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.