Tournament Rules

The Captain Mel Trout and Redfish Classic, Official Rules created and maintained by the Capmel.com tournament committee

Official Rules

“The All Amateur, All Lure and Fly” tournament in remembrance of Captain Mel Berman!

Entry Fee:

• Open division – $40.00
• No Motor – $40.00
• Fly division – $40.00
• Ladies division – $30.00
• “Junior” (14 yrs and under) – $25.00
• Bonus Species Buy-In: $5 for all divisions (Flounder)
• Across Division Contest:  “buy in” to a category where you are competing across divisions.   $10 is the fee to enter:  You have the chance to win “overall” best in Redfish, Trout and Combined Inches.    This adds some extra excitement to the Classic.

First place in each division and category wins a trophy (plus cash and prizes) :

Tournament Lures-

MirrOLure, 12 Fathom, Silly Willy, Nekid Ball Jig, Fish On Lures “Joe Jig” and The Edje weedless jighead! You will be provided with some lures from these companies and you will be able to get more specific items to use in the tournament if you desire. For the Fly Fishing Division, all flies will be supplied to you with no additions allowed.

Divisions: “Open”, “No Motor”, “Junior”, “Fly” and “Ladies”

The Tournament Target Species:
“Longest” Trout & Redfish

Per Division: Winners for the “longest” trout, redfish and combined trout/redfish 1st, 2nd, 3rd place per species per division. 1st, 2nd, 3rd place combined total inches per division. “Junior” and “Ladies” divisions: 1st and 2nd place per species and combined total inches.

Grand Prize Category is the combined total Inches for one Trout & Redfish

Optional species “Buy in” category- “The Flat Fish, flat winner”

Anglers in all divisions can pay a $5 entry fee for the bonus species that is Flounder. This will be “winner take all” with the longest flounder in each division taking the pool money for each division using the tournament approved lures.

If required, you must have a valid Florida Fishing License

All Boats & Kayaks must meet all USCG and Marine Patrol safety equipment supplies.

Participants must obey all local and state manatee protection zones and speed limits.

No Live or Dead Baits can be used. Only designated artificial lures are allowed. Adding scent to lures is prohibited. The tournament is for fun and to benefit charity. We expect people to go by the “Honor System” but people caught not using the designated lures will be disqualified.

Additionally, using natural, live or “stunned” baitfish as chum to draw in fish or create a feeding situation is not illegal in saltwater but will disqualify you in the Captain Mel Classic.       Creating an unfair advantage, it cheats the people who are fishing in unstimulated waters.

The contest is for the non-professional anglers. Captains or guides who are paid to fish or take people fishing are not eligible for prizes. They may not “guide” other tournament contestants or the contestant will be disqualified. A charity event, pro guides can join and participate if so inclined, but for “bragging rights” only.

Boundary: Lines may only be “cast” in  Hillsborough and/or Pinellas County Waters. Anglers may launch from locations inside other counties but “on their honor” can only actually attempt to catch fish in Pinellas or Hillsborough County waters.

PHOTOS: Because this is a catch, photo, release event please do not net fish as this can cause damage to the fish. Additionally: The competition is “length” and participants lip-hanging fish for determining weight will be subject to disqualification.

Your first camera photo should have all your lures and your measuring device, which you may do the night before. Our 2011 sponsors enjoyed the photos of all the supplies you received and bought for the 1st Captain Mel Classic!)

IMPORTANT: Your second photo should be your measuring stick shown at “first light.” Subsequent photos will be of your catch on the supplied measuring stick. If you do NOT have your first photo at first light, you are disqualified.

Approved measuring devices provided at captains meeting must be clearly visible in all photos. The fish should be placed with the “head” of the fish at the “zero” section of the ruler and the photograph of the fish without tail pinch, “Natural Lay” for the tournament measurement. Tournament judges will determine the length by what they see in the photos.
Only one photo per angler and per category may be entered,
All fish must be caught and released on the day of event “after 1st safe light” and the angler must get his camera to the weigh-in station by 2:30PM

For anglers fishing together: If they are using separate cameras they can use the same measuring device. If they will be using the same camera, they will need to tell us so and multiple marked measuring devices will be provided so that the fish are assigned to the correct angler.

Only one rod at a time may be used, participants must hook, fight and secure the fish. Only assistance applies to the Junior division.

Judging and Disputes:

In the event of a tie, photos turned in 1st will be the deciding factor.

The Tournament Director and judges have the final say on any catch or dispute that may arise. Violation of the rules may warrant a disqualification. A disqualified participant will not get their entry fee refunded.

ALL disputes or challenges must be filed the day of the tournament by 4:00pm & include a $100.00 Challenge fee. If the challenge is not upheld the fee is forfeited, if challenge is upheld the fee will be returned.

Signing up to participate, the angler is assuming liability, wherein the tournament organizers are not liable for your acts on or off the water.

The tournament directors reserve the right to limit the total number of participants and may deny entry based on previous issues regarding inappropriate actions by the entrant. All rules of the event must be followed; failure to do so will result in disqualification.

Total participants: For planning and scheduling, there is a limit to the number of people we can allow to sign up for the tournament. This will be on a first-come, first-serve basis and when the categories fill no more participants will be accepted.

• Cash Payouts depend on the total number of paid entrants.
• Final cash prize amounts will be announced and awarded at the weigh in

It is the sole responsibility of the entrants to have sufficient liability insurance to cover themselves and their guests if any. The tournament organizers are in no way liable for any injuries sustained by participants in this event.

Where applicable, participants are required to pay any and all local, state or Federal taxes due on prizes won!
This is an all Catch-and-Release Event. Use the utmost care in handling all fish.

Participation & Eligibility
Participants have to select their division that is the only classification they are eligible to compete for prizes. See the options below.

Divisions – Junior & Open
Participants’ ages (14 & Under) that will be fishing in the Junior division, Entry Fee – $ 25.00 Prizes & Trophies Awarded.

Participants ages (15 and Up) that will be fishing in the Open Division, Entry Fee – $ 40.00 Cash, Prizes & Trophies Awarded. Anglers fishing from powerboats will be in the open division with the exception of entrants that qualify for the Junior, Ladies or Fly Fishing divisions.

The “No Motor Division” is wade, paddlecraft or from land or bridges. $40.00, competing only against others entered in that division. Anyone “non-motorized” can select to compete in the “Open Division” (and pay that fee) or can select the Fly, Ladies or Junior divisions as well. Opting into the open division forfeits cash or prizes in the “kayak division”. “Non-Motorized vessels” that utilize a trolling motor must enter the Open, Fly, Ladies or Junior Division but do not qualify for the No Motor division.

The Junior and Kayak participants are NOT eligible for grand prize or any of the general division cash, prizes or trophies unless they select to forego the Junior or Kayak division designation and “Opt” for the “Open” division. Fly anglers only compete in that division and may do so by kayak, powerboat or wading. Juniors or Lady anglers may also select the Fly Division. Ladies may opt into other divisions but forfeit competition in the Ladies Division.

No Motor Anglers or Juniors (14 and under) can choose to compete in the Fly, Ladies or Open Division (but must pay the fee increase where applicable).

Ladies: Participants must be female, of any age and may select the “Junior, Open, Fly or No Motor” division instead if they wish. If they do, they forfeit consideration for “ladies” division prizes.  The entry fee for this division is $30

Fly division: Anglers may fish from power boat, kayak or wade and may be female or “Junior” but if they select this division, they will receive fly fishing items instead of lures.

Final Registration Captains meeting – Cash Only

All Entry Fees Are Absolutely Non- Refundable!
Participants must attend the captains meeting – Goody Bags will be distributed with measuring devices and photo code chip
All Entries Must BE Paid & Releases Signed – No Exceptions!

Severe/Inclement Weather: In the event that event coordinators due to weather must cancel the tournament, this event will be rescheduled for To Be Determined

For a list of the Cash and Prizes for each division, go to:

Enjoy the Captain Mel Classic!
Neil Taylor, tournament host
Livelybaits@aol.com