Sodium Gulf Coast Classic

SIGN UPS COMING SOON

• Registration until August 15 th is $500 per boat. Registration on or after August 16th is $700.
• Each team captain is required to register themselves, as well as their boat prior to the first eligible fishing day (September 1st ). Crewmates are not required to be listed until declaring a fishing day.
• Each team captain is required to attend one of the two captain’s meetings held as Sodium Fishing Gear August 29th, 2026. The first meeting will start at 3pm and the second meeting will start at 5pm.
• Each participant is required to fish with the same team throughout the duration of the tournament. Participants and captains can NOT change teams.
• If an individual has not participated in the tournament and a captain declares the individual as part of the team for a declared fishing day, the individual is eligible. That individual would then ONLY be eligible to fish with that team throughout the rest of the tournament.
• Teams are allowed 1 entry into the near shore division and 1 entry into the offshore division (Provided they have access to a boat that meets tournament requirements for each division and is not already participating in the tournament). 
  Example: If a team has access to a boat that has LESS than 124 gallons of fuel capacity and another boat with 125+ capacity, that team may register one boat in each division. Team members must remain exclusive to the same team through both divisions.

• The first eligible tournament day will be September 1st , 2026
• Team Captain’s are required to declare their fishing day no earlier than 24 hours in advance of departing from the dock. Example: If a team plans to depart from the dock at 6am on Tuesday, that team captain is required to notify the tournament committee of their plans any time AFTER 6am on Monday. 6am on Monday through 5:59am on Tuesday morning are acceptable times to declare for  a fishing day.
• Team captains must include ALL required information to declare for a fishing day. Missing information and/or incorrect information may be eligible for disqualification at the discretion of the tournament committee.
• Gag Grouper will be the only fish weighed in this tournament.
  
• All fish must be weighed in at Sodium Fishing Gear. Fish must be weighed in the day of fishing between 3:00pm and 5:00pm or the following day between 11:00am and 12:00pm. Scales will not open outside of these hours unless decided by the committee for unforeseen reasons.
• If a team misses their chance to weigh in, the catch will be disqualified from that day. The team will still surrender their 1 declared fishing day.
• Teams are allowed up to 8 people on a boat during a declared fishing day.
• Any fish that places at the time of weigh in will be kept by the tournament committee. The fish will be filleted and examined by the committee to ensure the fish has not been tampered with.
• Any fish that ranks top two for a team will be kept by the tournament committee and inspected. We will use these fillets for the awards ceremony fish fry.
• Sodium asks teams to donate fish willingly for the awards ceremony fish fry.
• While only 3 declared days will be allowed, captains and crewmates are allowed to pre-fish and fish recreationally on non-declared days as much as they wish. However, no fish caught during pre-fishing days and/or non-declared fishing days can be weighed or used during the tournament.
• There are no boundaries specified in this tournament. However, teams MUST abide by FWC and government rules. FWC/government rules overrule this tournament’s rules. If there is a conflict between FWC rules and this tournament’s rules, please bring the conflict to Sodium Fishing Gear’s attention immediately.
• Overnight trips are permitted in this tournament. If a team wishes to fish overnight, this will count as 2 of their 3 declared days. Teams are required to notify the tournament committee of the overnight trip in the declaration to the committee. Weigh-in rules will still apply to these teams.
  Example: If Tuesday and Wednesday are the days a team declares an overnight trip, that team will be allowed to weigh in between 11am and 12pm Thursday (The following day).
• Trapping and penning BAIT is allowed on declared fishing days. However, any trapping, penning, or tampering of a fish being weighed into the tournament is NOT permitted.
• This tournament is a hook and line tournament only. Conventional, Spinning, and Electric reels are all permitted for use on declared fishing days. Any other method is strictly prohibited and will lead to disqualification.
• Live bait, frozen bait, artificial lures are all permitted in this event.
• This tournament will consist of two divisions. One nearshore division and one offshore division. Any vessel with 119 gallons of total fuel CAPACITY will be entered in the near-shore division. Any vessel with 120 gallons or more of total fuel capacity will be entered in the offshore division. Fuel capacity includes but is not limited to built-in on-board fuel tanks, external fuel cans, fuel bladders or any other container used to carry extra fuel.
• Various methods are permitted in this tournament. Methods include but are not limited to: Trolling, casting, bait fishing, and jigging.
• Should there be an emergency closure of the Gag Grouper season, the tournament will also conclude. No refunds will be awarded to teams who have not used any or all their declared days.
• If a participant/team is caught cheating or attempting to gain an unfair advantage in any way, that participant/team will be disqualified without refund.
• A polygraph test will be administered if necessary. If a dispute about the validity of a fish arises, the tournament committee may have a polygraph test administered before awarding payouts. If a tournament participant accuses another of cheating and/or hindering the validity of the tournament’s outcomes, the accuser will be allowed to request a polygraph test be administered. The request will either be granted or denied by the tournament committee. If the tournament committee is not convinced there is reasonable suspicion of the accusation, a polygraph test will be denied. If the committee is shown evidence and has reasonable suspicion that cheating has taken place, the polygraph test may be administered at the committee’s discretion. If the polygraph proves the accused did in fact cheat or hinder the tournament, the accuser will not be liable for any of the test’s costs. In this case, the accused (cheater) will be liable for all polygraph expenses. If the polygraph proves the accused participant is innocent and free of any cheating or hinderance, the accuser will be liable for ALL polygraph test expenses. These expenses include but are not limited to labor costs, transportation costs, administration costs, material costs, and any other costs associated with the test. By signing up and participating in this tournament, all team members agree to willingly submit a polygraph test if the tournament committee feels it is necessary. Refusing a polygraph test if requested by the committee is grounds for disqualification. SIMPLIFIED VERSION: DO. NOT. CHEAT.
• The winner of this tournament will be the team which catches the two fish which add up to the heaviest weight in the month during their declared fishing days.
• Each boat will be allowed to weigh up to 2 fish per declared fishing day. If more than 2 fish are weighed throughout the duration of the tournament, the smallest weight will be dropped and replaced.
• Each team is eligible for one prize from each division. One team can NOT take multiple places from the same division.
• A separate entry will be offered for the biggest single fish in the tournament. This will be ONE prize awarded to the team which catches the biggest grouper overall in the tournament. There will only be one prize for the big fish category. There will NOT be a split for nearshore and offshore divisions for this prize.
• Entry fee for the big fish category will be $500.
• Teams are permitted to leave the dock as early as they please. Departure time must be included in the declaration when declaring a fishing day to the tournament committee.
• Teams are allowed to undeclare a tournament day due to weather as long as the team has not left the dock. If a team is caught in unexpected whether which was not foreseen by news stations, safety is priority. If conditions turn unsafe for your vessel, return to land and notify the committee as soon as possible. The committee will decide whether an extra day will be awarded to the team. Teams are expected to keep themselves and their crew safe. If weather was expected to be unsafe for your vessel, DO NOT GO.
• Captains and crews are expected to prioritize safety. This tournament empowers each team to decide whether their vessel is seaworthy on declared fishing days. The tournament committee strongly encourages teams to lean on the side of caution when declaring fishing days. Please pay close attention to weather and make an educated decision on whether it is safe enough for your boat to fish.
• If a “Small Craft Advisory” is in place the evening prior to a declared fishing day at 8:00pm EST, the declared day will be cancelled and the team which originally declared the day will be allowed to declare their fishing day again at a later date. If a “Small Craft Exercise Caution” warning is given, it is up to the team to decide whether it is safe enough to still fish. The tournament committee, however, urges teams to stay as safe as possible. Large swells will not be the sole reason for cancelling a fishing day.
• Each boat is required to make its way out to fish and return to land under its own power. Any boat which has mechanical issues and must be towed in will be disqualified for that declared day. It is requested that any boat that is willing and able to aid the broken-down vessel help. This assisting team will be allowed to weigh fish for that day. The team rendering assistance may also be granted another fishing day at the discretion of the tournament committee.
• Teams are required to take a picture with their assigned boat number as soon as possible after catching a fish they plan to weigh-in.
• Teams cannot substitute boats in this tournament. The boat that is registered with the captain/team must start and finish the tournament. If a team is registering one boat in the offshore division and one boat in the nearshore division, the captain must register each boat separately. The boats will remain in their respected divisions.
• Captains are responsible for keeping their crew respectful and responsible during this tournament. Teams will be held to a high standard for sportsmanship and respect both to other teams and the environment. Unsportsmanlike conduct and disrespect to the environment are grounds for disqualification at the tournament committee’s discretion.

Awards Ceremony:

• Sodium Fishing Gear will host an awards ceremony on October 3rd , 2026. Winners will be announced and awarded prizes then.
• Scheduling for the awards ceremony will be released prior to the tournament’s ending.