Rules and Regulations - Wells of Hope Redfish Tournament
- Tournament entry fee is $250.00 per team.
- Teams must have a minimum of 2 anglers, with a maximum of 5.
- Please register online at www.JRomeroFoundation.com/WOH or contact Tournament Director - Jennifer Karczewski at 704-680-7890 or by email at Fishing@JRomeroFoundation.com.
- Tournament day will be Saturday, October 24th, 2026 starting at 6:00am and will end at 4:30.
- Captain’s Meeting will be held Friday, October 23rd from 5:30pm to 7pm at Gay Fish Co, 1948 Sea Island Parkway. At least one angler from each team will be required to attend and sign in. If you are unable to attend, please contact the Tournament Director.
- On tournament day, boats can deploy lines in the water at 6:00am, no earlier. In the event of inclement weather on October 24 , an alternate weather day will be scheduled if necesssary. Notification of tournament date change will be sent out via text the night before by 8pm.
- Weigh in will be held at Gay Fish Co, 1948 Sea Island Parkway, St Helena Island, SC and can be weighed in from 3:00pm-4:30pm.
- Competitors who are not at the official check-in area at the appointed time will be disqualified. The line for weigh in will be officially cut off at 4:30pm, those in line before cut off time will still be allowed to weigh in fish.
- Teams are expected to cull their own fish and will only be allowed to bring two fish to be weighed.
- Any tie will be broken by the boat with the earliest weigh-in. Champion will be determined by the boat with the heaviest two fish aggregate weight. A single fish can win if it has the most weight overall
- All fish must be caught on a rod, reel and line. Snatching with multiple hooks and gigging is prohibited. Natural and artificial bait is allowed.
- All fish will be measured with a Check-it-Stick and Tail Pincher. All fish will be subject to the State laws in which the weigh-in will take place. 1 per person not to exceed 2 per boat. Fish must be of legal state length to be considered in the event. Redfish: Minimum length of 18 inches; maximum length of 25 inches pinched tail (South Carolina Only). The Tournament Committee encourages catch and release after weigh-in, however we understand not everyone has the ability to keep live, so points will not be deducted for dead fish.
- The weigh-master reserves the right to hold and examine internally and externally any fish weighed as a tournament catch to determine if the fish is eligible for an award. Any fish that has an unnatural material in it or on it will be disqualified. Any fish under 18 inch or over the 25 inch line will be disqualified. All close fish will be photographed for further review by the Tournament Committee. The top portion (tip) of the tail must be intact, unaltered, and complete. Any ruling or event involving this rule will be left to the Tournament Committee. Fish will be measured on an official stick which will be shown at the captains meeting and weighed in on a digital scale by the weigh-master.
- The event will follow the state laws and participants must adhere to all federal, state, and local regulations. Failure to comply may result in disqualification from the tournament.
- Repeat or serious violations may lead to individuals being banned from future participation in Wells of Hope Redfish Tournaments.
- Participants in Wells of Hope Redfish Events must maintain high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety, and conservation. Violations of these principles could result in disqualification, especially in terms of courtesy when boating and fishing near non-competitors in tournament waters. Any behavior reflecting negatively on the tournament, conservation efforts, clean water, and courtesy is grounds for disqualification.
- Any action deemed to provide an unfair advantage, not covered in the rules, will result in disqualification.
- Deliberate violations to gain an unfair advantage will result in permanent disqualification as determined by the Tournament Committee.
- Local Law Enforcement has the right to overrule any and all rules and regulations at any time during the tournament. Wells of Hope will rule you disqualified at that time for any on the water violations. If an angler brings a fish to get measured and that particular fish is deemed “over slot” by Local Law Enforcement, then that fish will be disqualified. If your fish are successfully measured and weighed by Wells of Hope and deemed a legal fish, then your tournament weight is locked in. However, Local Law Enforcement still has the authority to pull a fish to check its legality among federal, state, and local law.
- While operating, anchoring, and fishing, safe boating practices shall be adhered to at all times. All vessels shall be equipped with the minimum United States Coast Guard safety requirements for that vessel and an operational VHF Radio or Cell Phone. This does not refer to trolling motors.
- Any protest led must be submitted as a formal written complaint, including details such as time, date, location and any other pertinent information, to Wells of Hope Redfish Tournament accompanied by a $300 cash only fee. If the protest is upheld the fee will be returned. If the protest is not upheld the tournament retains the fee. Protest must be delivered no later than 30 minutes after the scale closes (5:00pm).
