Fish for a Cure Official Tournament Rules

Below are the rules for the 2024 tournament. Fish For A Cure is now a “Catch and Release” tournament. We’re not only fishing for a good cause, but also helping to sustain the fish population in the Chesapeake Bay.

F4AC 2024 Tournament Rules

Tournament rules and additional details will be posted in summer 2024. If you have any specific questions please contact us at fishforacure@luminishealth.org.

Entries

FUNDRAISING

Fish For a Cure (F4AC) is a tournament to raise money for the cancer survivorship program at the Geaton and JoAnn DeCesaris Cancer Institute at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center. All entries are expected to raise at least $1,500.

ENTRY FEE

$500.00 per boat (for the Captain and up to three additional anglers) $150.00 per additional angler.

KAYAK DIVISION: A four-man Kayak team may register as one boat. The four-man Kayak team will be afforded the same privileges and be required to abide by the same rules as any individual registered boat.

Fishing Area

The Chesapeake Bay and its Tributaries.

Fishing Hours

Saturday, November 9, 2024 starting at 6 a.m. EST through check-in time of 4 p.m. EST.

Eligible Fish and Prize Categories

Eligible Fish

This is a Catch & Release Tournament for Striped Bass.

All categories will be assessed by length in accordance with the iAngler application.

Rockfish (aka Striped Bass) ‘3 Longest fish may be eligible for prizes.

Grand Slam – Longest stringer of 3 unique bay sport fish species (including Rockfish) such as, but not limited to: Perch, Bluefish, Catfish, Toadfish, Pickerel, Red Drum, Black Drum, Cobia, Tautog, Speckled Trout, Croaker, Flounder and Spadefish. Non-sport fish bay species, such as Menhaden, Spot, Clam, Eel, Crab, etc. are NOT eligible. Tournament officials reserve the right to disqualify any fish that they deem is not a true bay sport fish.

Perch – Longest stringer of 5 fish.

Invasive Species – Longest stringer of 3 invasive catfish and/or snakehead with no limit on the number of invasive species entered.

It is the responsibility of the angler to download the iAngler application (iAngler is preferred, however a digital camera is acceptable) and to select the species and measure their Rockfish (striped bass), Grand Slam, Perch stringer, or Invasive Species stringer. If a digital camera is used, it is the responsibility of the angler to present the camera media to tournament officials prior to 4 p.m. at the Safe Harbor Marina prior to the Shore Party. The 3 Bay Species must be presented as a possible Grand Slam to tournament officials prior to the 4 p.m. deadline.

Catch & Release Rockfish – Overall length of 3 longest fish caught per boat (see section 8.2 for details).

All fish must be legal according to MD DNR rules and laws.

2024 Prize Categories

• 1st Place
• 2nd Place
• 3rd Place

• 1st Place

• 1st Place

• 1st Place

Fishing Method

All legal forms of fishing (hook and line only) are allowed, including chumming, trolling, live lining, etc.

Line

All types of line may be used in the tournament.

Measurement

Only photo entries will be accepted. All fish must be measured with an official 2024 F4AC measuring stick using the iAngler application. The official measuring stick must be labeled with an indicator by the fishing team ; the indicator will be emailed to each boat on Friday evening, November 8. All participants are required to register for no charge at ianglertournament.com. All anglers’ hand carrying cameras MUST arrive at the Safe Harbor Marina prior to the 4 p.m. deadline.

Tournament officials reserve the right to examine the metadata of any photo image to confirm the validity of a claim. Photos with edited or missing/altered metadata will be disallowed at the official’s discretion. THIS IS KEY and is where we protect against fish caught on a different day. It is especially important if someone catches a fish over the size of the ruler and turns in a picture where there is no evidence of the ruler. Metadata is just one more piece of evidence to help the judges.

The length of each fish will be determined by length measured from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail (you may pinch the tail). Put the 2024 measuring stick on the deck of your boat. Lay the fish on the measuring stick, or next to the stick if the fish size will cover the entire ruler. Put the snout on the zero mark (the end of the stick). It helps to jam the measuring stick against a vertical surface to ensure that the zero mark, and the snout of the fish are even. Fish will be measured to the nearest 1/8th of an inch.

In case of a tie, the fish submitted first will be the winner, and the time considered will be the time that the iAngler tournament servers received the photo.

Weather

Participants enter the Tournament at their own risk and discretion.

Protests/Compliance

A registered angler may protest any other registered angler’s catch by filing a written protest to the tournament committee within 30 minutes of the end of the check-in period 4 p.m. EST. The judges committee will settle any protest and their decision will be final.

Failure to comply with any rule or regulation of the tournament, or law, rule, or regulation of Maryland State Fishing guide, may cause the disqualification of an angler or the anglers catch. If a registered angler is so disqualified, their boat will not be entitled to any prize, award, or refund.

Disclaimer of Liability

All participants and guests of participants are responsible for their own personal safety and the security of their personal property and expressly assume any and all risks to their personal safety and well-being, as well as their personal property, as a result of their participation in the tournament. It is a pre-condition of participation in the Fish For A Cure Tournament that all participants shall release and hold harmless anyone associated with this tournament from any and all claims, losses, costs and expenses, personal injuries, wrongful deaths and property damage, of any nature whatsoever, arising from or during participation in the Fishing Tournament. By electing to participate in the Fish For A Cure Tournament, all participants agree to, and grant, this release of liability and shall not be permitted to withdraw or disavow that release of liability.