The Captains Meeting will be at 7:30 pm on April 23rd, 2025. A representative from each team should attend the Captains Meeting as each team is responsible for knowing the rules including any clarifications made during the Captain’s Meeting.

1.  PERMITS & LICENSES

All teams must possess a The Bahamas Fishing Permit.

2.  FISHING HOURS

The IGFA Walker’s Cay Shootout will begin with the call of "lines in" at 8:00 am and continue until 4:00 pm on April 24th, 25th and 26th. No baits, sonars or teasers in the water before lines in. Boats may leave the marina at 5:00 am. Any fish hooked before 4:00 pm and reported to the tournament committee may be fought until caught, lost or released; any fish hooked after 4:00 pm is ineligible. All boats must be inside of the marina (crossing into the entrance of the marina marked by the rocks/breakwater) before 6:30 pm each evening. If you are not in the marina prior to 6:30 pm your catch/points will be disqualified, unless you have notified the tournament committee on channel 71 of a hook-up prior to the call of the lines out. In the event that a fish is caught after lines out, you will have 2.5 hours after the release, boating or loss of fish to be inside of the marina. Any game fish requiring a weigh-in must be in the marina prior to 6:30 pm. There are no lay days or weather days, unless determined by the Committee. Fish at your own risk.

Billfish Release Points Cut-Off:

 If you are hooked up after the closing of fishing on Day 1 or on Day 2, you may continue fighting the fish until you catch the fish. You will then have 2.5 hours to get inside the marina. A billfish release time prior to 6:30 pm will count towards your daily and overall points. There is no time limit to release a billfish, but any release past 6:30 pm will only count only towards your overall points.

On Day 3, all billfish hooked prior to lines out must be released by 6:30 pm for daily and overall points to be awarded.

3.  ANGLING & EQUIPMENT

All IGFA International Angling Rules apply.

• ​This is NOT a hook and hand tournament. Passing a rod to an angler after the fish strikes or takes a bait or lure is not permissible. From the time that a fish strikes or takes a bait or lure, the angler must hook, fight, and land or boat the fish without the aid of any other person, except as provided by IGFA rules. 

• The maximum sized line allowed is 60-kg (130-lb test), anglers may fish with any size line they choose under this max size. The use of backing is permissible per IGFA rules.

• Top shots must be a minimum of 5 meters (16.5 feet) in length.

• The leader on all classes of tackle over 10-kg (20-lb) must be limited to 30 feet.

• The double line on all classes of tackle over 10-kg (20-lb) must be limited to 30 feet.

• On all classes of tackle over 10-kg (20-lb) the combined length of the double line and leader may not exceed 40 feet.

• For line classes up to and including 10kg (20-lb), the leader must be limited to 15 feet.

• For line classes up to and including 10-kg (20 lb), the double line must be limited to 15 feet).

• For line classes up to and including 10-kg (20-lb) The combined length of the double line and leader may not exceed 20 feet.

• The leader can be made of any material and is measured to the bend of the last hook.

• An unlimited number of teasers and lines are allowed. “J-hooks” are allowed with lures only.

• Natural baits must be deployed with non-offset circle hooks. No live bait allowed.

• Six anglers per team per day are permitted, with no restrictions.

• To be eligible to compete as a Junior Angler, the angler must be 16 years old or under at the start of the tournament registration.

4.  BOUNDARIES

There is a 50-mile boundary rule - radius from the marina.

5.  TOURNAMENT SPECIES

Blue marlin, white marlin, and sailfish are eligible for catch and release. Tuna (bigeye, yellowfin or blackfin only), wahoo, and dolphinfish (mahi-mahi) are eligible for weigh-in, with a 10-pound minimum weight requirement.

6. MUTILATION TO THE FISH

Mutilation to the fish, prior to landing or boating the catch, caused by sharks, other fish, mammals, or propellers that remove or penetrate the flesh will lead to disqualification of the fish from weigh-in and points. Injuries caused by leader or line, scratches, old, healed scars or regeneration deformities are not considered to be disqualifying injuries.

7.  REPORTING OF BILLFISH

A billfish hook-up must be called in to the "Committee Boat" within the first minute on VHF channel 71. The "Committee Boat" will validate your hook-up by announcement. A billfish release must be called in to the "Committee Boat" with the following information: species released, boat name and angler name. The "Committee Boat" will then verify your information by announcement and give you a release time, which must be recorded on your daily catch affidavit and turned in at the end of the fishing day, with your video evidence.  It is unnecessary to call in any other species besides billfish. If you lose your fish prior to release (i.e. jump off, pulled hook, etc.) please inform the "Committee Boat" as soon as possible. If you call in a release, then it will be recorded as a release. The time stamp of the digital image is the official release time and must be within (plus or minus) fifteen (15) minutes of the time reported by radio to the "Committee Boat". If the timestamp of the identification of the fish is over fifteen (15) minutes from the VHF call, then the release time will be over the time of the identification time. If there is an error in the reporting of a release or loss of fish, VIDEO evidence is final and will override any miss-communication on the radio.

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