• All anglers must comply with all applicable state and federal regulations. A valid Texas fishing license is required
• Each angler age 13 or older may weigh in only one (1) fish per eligible species, per division, per day.
• Tournament trophies and awards are based on total accumulated eligible points over two (2) days of fishing.
• The angler must accompany their fish to the weigh station and initial the weigh card to verify accuracy.
• All anglers are limited to one (1) weigh-in per day.
• Any passenger aboard a TIFT-registered vessel must also be registered in the tournament.
• Captains and boat operators must also be registered with TIFT for an angler’s fish to qualify for tournament awards.
• The Captain’s Meeting will be held Thursday at 5:00 p.m. at the South Padre Island Convention Center. All anglers are strongly encouraged to attend.
• Texas International Fishing Tournament, Inc. reserves the right to refuse entry into the tournament.
• The TIFT Executive Board reserves the right to interpret all tournament rules and make decisions regarding situations not specifically covered herein. All decisions of the TIFT Executive Board are final.
• Any angler, captain, crew member, or participant may be disqualified for violation of tournament rules, state or federal laws, unsafe boating practices, unsportsmanlike conduct, harassment, fraud, cheating, or conduct deemed detrimental to the integrity of the tournament.
• Night fishing is prohibited in all divisions.
• The tournament will be conducted in accordance with the rules of the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), except where specifically modified by TIFT rules.
• TIFT reserves the right to delay, shorten, modify, or cancel any portion of the tournament due to weather, unsafe conditions, natural disasters, governmental actions, or circumstances beyond the tournament’s control.
• One (1) day of fishing constitutes an official tournament.
• If, after registration, the angler wishes to change divisions, the angler should report to the tournament director before the day’s fishing begins. Points will not count in the previous division. 

PROTESTS & POLYGRAPHS

• All protests must be submitted in writing by a registered TIFT angler and hand-delivered to a member of the Executive Board or Tournament Director no later than 8:00 p.m. Saturday, along with a $500 deposit.
• If a protest is upheld, the deposit will be refunded. If denied, the deposit will be forfeited.
• All contestants agree to submit to a polygraph examination if requested by the TIFT Executive Board or weighmaster.
• Contestants selected for a polygraph examination are required to acknowledge and comply with the request within the timeframe established by the tournament board.
• Failure to respond to a request for polygraph examination, failure to appear, refusal to cooperate, or failure to complete the examination within the designated timeframe may result in immediate disqualification from the tournament.
• For Bay Division contestants, the angler’s contact phone number must remain available from official dock time until 6:30 p.m. on the last day of fishing.
• For Offshore Division contestants, the angler’s contact phone number must remain available from official dock time until 10:00 p.m. on the last day of fishing.
• Any angler or captain who refuses, fails to complete, or produces results deemed unsatisfactory by the required polygraph examination may be disqualified from the current tournament and prohibited from future participation in TIFT tournaments.
• Appeals may only be made through the TIFT Executive Board.

In addition to the General Rules, the following rules apply to the Bay Division:

Any passenger aboard a TIFT-registered vessel must also be registered in the tournament.

Remote drop-offs are prohibited. Wade anglers must remain within sight of their registered vessel.

All Bay Division anglers, including juniors, are limited to one (1) designated fishing line in the water per registered angler at any given time.

Fishing may begin after 6:30 a.m. on both fishing days.

Bay boats must be on trailers or secured in their berth by 8:00 p.m. Thursday and Friday and may not depart before 5:00 a.m. each fishing day.

Final dock time is 5:00 p.m. both days.

Eligible species include redfish, speckled trout, and flounder, scored at one (1) point per pound.

Redfish exceeding 28 inches will not be weighed.

Texas Parks and Wildlife trout regulations will remain in effect throughout the tournament. Any trout exceeding 28 inches that is not tagged as required by law will be ineligible for weigh-in and disqualified from tournament competition. 

Bay anglers must weigh at least one redfish, one trout, and one flounder over two days to qualify for Grand Champion Bay Division.

Junior anglers age 12 and under may enter stringers of no more than one (1) each of speckled trout, redfish, flounder, drum, jack crevalle and snook in addition to five (5) fish each of all other species common to the bay (excluding sharks, stingrays, and alligator gar) per day. Whole stringers will be weighed and awarded on (1) point per pound. 

Junior anglers ages 13–16 will be scored under Senior rules.

All Junior Bay Division contestants must hook and reel their own fish. A fishing pole with a fish already hooked and handed to a junior to reel in is NOT a legal catch. Assistance to junior anglers shall be limited to safety-related situations only.

In addition to the General Rules, the following rules apply to the Offshore Division:

Any passenger aboard a TIFT-registered vessel must also be registered in the tournament.

Offshore fishing begins at 6:30 a.m. each day.

Offshore boats may depart after 7:00 p.m. Thursday and may remain offshore Friday night.

Fishing must stop by 6:30 p.m. on the first day and 4:00 p.m. on the final day.

Deployable sonar technology is permitted only during official fishing hours.

Dock time is 8:00 p.m. on the first day and 7:00 p.m. on the final day.

No transfer of fish or video between offshore boats is permitted.

Anglers fishing with natural bait (or natural/artificial combination bait) may only use non-offset circle hooks. J-hooks may be used with artificial lures.

Fishing in Mexican waters is prohibited and will result in disqualification.

All billfish, whether boated or released, must be reported to the Designated Tournament Representative or Committee Boat before stop fishing time each day.  A verification number is required for all reported fish to qualify for points. 

A billfish or video brought to the dock without a verification number will not be eligible for points. The time reported and verified by the designated tournament representative or committee boat  will be the official time. 

SCORING

Blue marlin shall be scored, regardless of line size, as follows: the weight of the fish, multiplied by three (3). Minimum length for blue marlin to qualify for points is 110”.

White marlin and sailfish shall be scored as follows: the weight of the fish multiplied by four (4). Minimum length to qualify for points is 70” for white marlin; 66” for sailfish.

Other offshore fish—blackfin tuna, yellowfin tuna, bonito, ling, wahoo, barracuda, dolphin, king mackerel and jack crevalle will be scored on (1) point per pound. Spanish mackerel are only awarded a Heaviest of Species Trophy and are not eligible for points. Catch is limited to the single heaviest fish per eligible species per weigh-in.

CATCH & RELEASE

Points for Catch and Release trophies will be awarded for the following only:

Blue Marlin - 1,000 points

White Marlin - 250 points

Sailfish - 200 points

To qualify for Catch and Release points only video will be allowed.  Photographs or polaroids will not be accepted.  

In the event of a tie, the first angler to accumulate the highest release points by time will be declared the winner.

Catch and Release points will count toward the Texas Grand Championship.

The Junior Offshore Class will consist of children through the age of 16. The same scoring rules apply as in the Senior Class. Please note: In order to qualify for Texas Grand Champion, the angler must have weighed in or released a billfish or tarpon.

When reporting the boating or release of a billfish to the designated tournament representative or committee boat you must provide the following: 

Name of boat

Species of fish (blue/white/sail)

Released or boated

The time verified by the designated tournament representative or committee boat will be the official time. A verification number is required for all reported fish to qualify for points.

Catch and release video must clearly show the mate with the leader in hand, the fish, the official TIFT tournament object, the release of the fish, and clear species identification.

All billfish to be released must remain in the water. Video showing said fish out of the water will not be eligible for points. 

A catch and release card must be completed and submitted at the weigh station for each released fish with the date, official time, verification number and signatures of the angler and captain.

VIDEO VERIFICATION

All boats will be required to present their video at the South Point Marina weigh station for the Billfish Review Committee to verify.

All images must be presented by smartphone or tablet.

No more than two team members may accompany the video in the review process.

Video must contain the following:

Mate with leader in hand, the fish, TIFT object of the tournament, and release of fish.

Clear identification of the species of billfish. In order for a fish to be scored as a blue marlin or white marlin the video must clearly show it is a blue marlin or white marlin. Otherwise, it will be scored as a sailfish and will score the minimum 200 points.

A billfish or video brought to the dock without a verification number will not be eligible for points. The time reported and verified by the designated tournament representative or committee boat  will be the official time.

In addition to the General Rules, the following rules apply to the Tarpon Division:

All tarpon must remain in the water.

Tarpon Division anglers are limited to tarpon only and may not receive points for any other species.

Tarpon Division fish are not eligible for Bay or Offshore Division points.

Scoring is 125 points per tarpon regardless of size.

Release verification requirements follow Offshore Division video verification rules.

All tarpon must be reported to the Designated Tournament Representative or Committee Boat before stop fishing time each day.  A tarpon release without a verification number will not be eligible for points.  The time reported and verified by the designated tournament representative or committee boat  will be the official time.

The Fly Division will follow the General Rules and Bay Division Rules.

Prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third place.

Fly Division anglers remain eligible for Grand Champion Bay Division and Heaviest Species awards.

Weigh Station & Reporting

Official reporting channel: VHF Channel 68.

TIFT Designated Representative (956) 802-3475

All fish presented for weigh-in must be in edible condition.

Receiving station hours begin at 2:00 p.m. on both days of fishing.  Please refer to your division rules for final dock time.

The weighmaster and TIFT Executive Board are the final authorities regarding fish species identification and points awarded.

A billfish or video brought to the dock without a verification number will not be eligible for points. The time reported and verified by the designated tournament representative or committee boat  will be the official time.

Here are a few tips from TIFT on capturing video releases. Most important of all is to read the tournament rules. Rules vary from tournament to tournament and from year to year.

1. KISS principles apply.
2. Do not zoom in.
3. Make sure recording devices are thawed out prior to use.
4. Have someone who knows how to operate your recording devices.
5. Ipad video has proven to be very effective.
6. Start with a clean ID card if your device uses one.

Many hours of preparation and planning go into this sport.  Hopefully these tips can help you avoid mistakes many of us have paid the price for. Good luck.