Qualifying Catch and Release fish species are all billfish.
All teams must provide their own video camera(s) to verify releases. All video recording equipment must be set to the correct date and time and must be as close to the official tournament time as possible.
To verify a catch, you must use a Control Number Card. To score an Official Release, the video footage must include sufficient footage to
(1) clearly identify the species;
(2) show a Team Member, Angler or Crew touching the leader while the fish is still hooked;
(3) display the Catch Control Number Card provided by the tournament;
(4) identify the time and date of the catch (can be shown with the devices time stamp); and
(5) show the full release of the fish (Cut the leader, take out the hook or just break the leader)
(6) Once the video is started it cannot be stopped until all the elements above have been shown in the video. (Each release has to be shown in one consecutive video without any cuts);
The video must identify all the elements listed above.
Do not delete any video taken during fishing hours, even if it does not include the above elements and will not be used to prove a catch.
After the Release Video is taken, the Time, Species, Fish Catch Number and Angler Name must be written on the Catch-Report Affidavit.
At the end of each day, all Registered Anglers and the Boat Captain must then sign the Catch-Report Affidavit.
At the end of the day's fishing, the camera, camera connections, Catch-Report Affidavit and all video footage taken must be brought to the weigh station for verification of Official Release Results. Catch-Report Affidavit MUST be turned in by 10:00 PM.
Judges may disqualify any fish if they determine the video does not comply with the rules as specified above.
The judges will review all Catch and Release Videos and post the results on a white board next to the weigh station as soon as videos have been reviewed. Videos will be reviewed in a closed room and the judge’s decision is final and cannot be challenged.
If there is a tie on the number of fish released between two or more teams, the winner will be determined by the team that reaches the Number of Fish first, as determined by the video time stamp. So, for example if ‘BOAT A’ released their 10th fish at 2:45 pm and ‘BOAT B’ released their 10th fish at 4:00 pm, ‘BOAT A’ would win.
There is no limit to the number of fish caught and released.