Rules & Participation Agreement

Membership, Team, and Entry Fee

Teams consist of two anglers*. At least one member of the team must be 18 years of age. Either member of the team can sign, be responsible for, and bind his/her partner to all communication and agreements, including the weigh slip. No Alternates will be allowed.

After a team is entered into a specific event, no changes may be made to the team members except under unusual circumstances and only with the approval of the related tournament director.

The 2026 team entry fee for PRL events is Two Thousand Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($2250) per division, pre-paid in any Pro-Division for that Divisions (3) Divisional events, then $750 thereafter for any other regular pro events you choose to fish individually, those can be paid at Captains’ meeting or $1000.00 paid per event if you are not prepaid, utilizing this option does not qualify your team for TOY, and RWS opportunity.

All PRL events will payout at 75% of Total Entry Fee to cover expenses. Polygraph, Weighmaster, Venue, Insurance, Labor, Lodging, Meals, Trophies, etc.)

There is only (1) One Option in 2026 to receive an invite for 2026 Redfish World Series, and Team of the Year opportunities:

One-time payment: $2250.00 ($2250 Entry per team, plus convenience fee) for three (3) divisional events is required. All entries must be paid by the April 1, 2026 deadline to count towards the divisional rankings for Team of the Year and RWS Qualifying.

All Prepaid teams will receive an invitation to fish the 2026 Redfish World Series.

Team of the Year will be decided after the Teams (3) divisional Events and the first 2-Days of the 2026 Redfish World Series.

Team of the Year will be decided by overall points Over the (3) Divisional Events, and First 2 Days of RWS Standings.

100 points to winner, 99 points to second place, 98 points to third place, etc. for each event, Zero weigh in equals Zero points.

Division pre-payment due date: April 1, 2026

 

Pay Per Event: $1000.00 per event, plus convenience fee (NO RWS & No TOY)

The tournament registration fee may be paid by credit card (convenience fee will be applied to online and credit card payments) and is available for purchase at www.professionalredfishleague.com. Alternative payment methods must be arranged with PRL administration, prior to registration. Venmo, Cash-app, Zelle is available upon request.

Side pot registration will take place at the Captain’s Meeting and is payable by cash only.

Side pots include:

Daily Big Fish $400 buy-in ($200 per day)  

Calcutta $500 paying out 3 places 50%, 30%, and 20%. All side pots are paid out 100%

Deposits and Entry fees are non-refundable once received by the PRL.

Boat numbers will be assigned electronically by random order OR drawn at the Captain’s Meeting. Boat numbers will remain the same throughout the event.

Off Limits, Information Sharing, and Prohibited Techniques

Angler’s cannot communicate with non-anglers and competing anglers on or off the water unless there is an emergency after 5:00pm day of captains meeting through conclusion of tournament. There is no communication to be had hand gestures, text, location finders, emails, phone calls, any form of communication will be prohibited. You cannot get any information to give your team an unfair advantage over the rest of the field.

There will be no restriction to the number of days anglers may practice up to the day of the Captain’s Meeting. All anglers must be off the water by Five 5:00 (PM) the day of the Captain's Meeting.

Fourteen (14) days prior to the tournament date anglers may not enter the tournament waters with anyone including, but not limited to, a professional guide, state or federal wildlife agency employee, or any other person deemed an “expert” on the tournament waters by the Tournament Director. An exception that may occur is if one angler is fishing in another tournament with a different partner. We do not restrict anglers from fishing another tournament prior to any PRL event even if it falls within the 14 days leading up to the PRL event. Fishing an additional tournament during official tournament days or after 5:00 PM on the day of the captain’s meeting is prohibited.

In the two weeks leading up to and during each tournament, tournament anglers may not solicit or intentionally receive the assistance or advice of anyone not already registered to fish the tournament for the purposes of locating or catching Redfish. If they are not registered, you cannot fish with them.

For the Official Practice Period beginning at sunrise the Friday prior to the Captain’s Meeting and continuing through the conclusion of the event anglers agree to abide by the following covenants:

During this period anglers cannot loan a boat, or be loaned a boat, with navigational equipment on board that is not removable or that does not have the ability to be disabled.

Observe conservation etiquette regarding our coastal environments and aquatic vegetation that holds the marine creatures that attract redfish.

 

Compliance with Applicable Law

Anglers participating in any PRL-sponsored event are required to follow all applicable federal, state, and local regulations and laws. Any violation of such regulations and laws and/or other tournament rules may result in the imposition of a fine, daily weight penalty, fishing time penalty, disqualification from a tournament day, disqualification from the entire tournament, disqualification from all future series events, or any combination thereof as decided by tournament officials.

Modification of Tournament Rules

The rules and procedures for the PRL Tournaments may be modified in the case of oversight or omission of tournament rules or procedures that, in the opinion of the tournament officials, would need to be added, changed, or omitted to ensure fair competition and the safety of all competitors.

Extreme Weather

In the case of severe weather, the start of any or all days of the event may be delayed, and tournament hours lengthened or shortened at the tournament director’s discretion. Launch decisions will be made by tournament officials with the best information available at the time and with the safety of the competitors at the forefront of all decisions.

Insurance and Registration

Current liability insurance and boat registration are required for each participant in all PRL events. It is the angler’s responsibility to maintain this coverage and ensure registration is up to date. Any boat not complying with state, federal, and local laws governing equipment requirements, registration numbers, decals, and their proper display, cannot be used in competition. If such a boat is placed in competition either intentionally or unknowingly, the angler’s catch using that boat for the day(s) it was used will be disqualified regardless of the reason.

 

Creel Limit, Size, and Possession

The Professional Redfish League Pro Team events for 2026 will observe the following bag limits:

Texas South & Texas Southeast

Day 1 – Texas Team Division – Up to three (3) fish 20 - 28 Inches – must weigh-in one (1) fish to weigh in five (5) total fish (only 4 fish can be weighed in on day two)

Day 2 – Texas Team Division - Up to four (4) fish 20 - 28 Inches

If a fish dies while being held in captivity on your boat or in your possession, that fish cannot be returned to the water and culled.

Anglers may have as many legal fish onboard the boat at any given time throughout the tournament day as allowed by law. However, anglers must possess only the creel limit for that day’s competition when they enter the final no-wake zone to return to the launch for weigh-in.

Any team entering the final no-wake zone or returning to the launch with more fish on board than the number specified for that day will have that day’s total weight disqualified. (Exception can occur as explained under the Mechanical Break Down section)

Tournament Schedule of Events

On the Thursday before the event, there is a Mandatory Attendance Late Registration & Captain’s meeting starting at 6PM. Locations are TBD for each event.

Blastoff will be at safe-light or 7AM for all anglers on Day 1 & Day 2 unless delayed by weather or other unavoidable instance.

Anglers will launch according to draw on Day 1 of the event and in reverse order on Day 2.

Official return times will be announced at the captain’s meeting, typically weigh-in opens at 3:00 PM and the first flight closes at 4:00 PM with the second flight closing at 4:30 PM. Fields greater than 25 boats will have flights.

Failing to return to the official checkpoint and checking in with the Tournament Time Official by the appointed time will result in disqualification of that day’s total weight. You must notify that you are in safely.

If you are not weighing in fish, it is still mandatory to check in with the Tournament Director on both days.

Anglers cannot return to tournament waters any time after weigh-in prior to the next day’s launch except in the case of wet slip dockage or mechanical issues in which case an angler must have permission from the Tournament Director.

Scoring, Standing Points, and Ties

Scoring for the divisional qualifying event scores based on total points. PRL Divisional Team of Year (TOY) standing Points will be reconciled after each divisional qualifier. Divisional TOY is determined by the total points of three (3) PRL divisional events, plus points from the first two (2) days of the Redfish World Series total points.

Divisional TOY weights may be accumulated in as many divisions as a team wishes to participate. Divisional TOY points remain within a specific division only and with the team in each division, plus the first two (2) days of the Redfish World Series total points with the highest total points within that division for that year.

Prize placing ties, “In the money ties”, shall be split evenly between both teams.

Example: Team AB and BC tie for first place. First place prize money and second-place prize money are totaled and split evenly. 1^st place $10K & 2^nd place $4K total prize $14K divided equally pays $7K to each team.

In the event a tie should occur for any special honors or awards (i.e. TOY); the prize will be split evenly between both teams.

Alcoholic Beverages and Drugs

Any angler consuming or carrying alcoholic beverages or drugs (other than their own current prescriptions or over-the-counter medication) on the boat during tournament hours (which begins at first light and ends at the conclusion of weigh-in) will have that day’s weight disqualified.

Anglers that consume any alcohol prior to a requested truth verification test on the day in which the test is being administered will be disqualified from the tournament and the team will forfeit any winnings or expected winnings.

Bait and Tackle

Artificial lures only may be used.

Bait Attractants - Only artificially produced and commercially available and sold bait attractants may be used.

Only one rod at a time may be used per angler.

A cast must be fully retrieved before another cast can be made by the same angler.

All redfish must be caught alive in a conventional sporting manner and in compliance with all federal, state, and local laws.

Trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited. Anglers must cast, flip, or pitch their lure to the fish they catch.

No snagging of fish and no netting or scooping of distressed, unhooked, surface fish is allowed.

No multi lure rigs are allowed.

Anglers Must Remain in Boat

All angling must be conducted from the boat. No Wade fishing.

Anglers cannot leave the boat to cast to, catch, or land a fish.

Angler(s) may leave the boat and seek safe shelter in bad weather when danger may be imminent but must continue to follow all tournament rules and procedures during this period.

Anglers may leave their boat to pull it out of an area where tides have gone out but cannot leave their boat to gain access to any area.

No jumping berms, levees, landmasses, or any object blocking the entrance to any waterway, either man-made or natural.

Mechanical Break Downs

Anglers experiencing boat or engine trouble have the following remedies:

Anglers can only board the boat of another competitor only fishing the tournament.

in the case of an extreme medical emergency or where there is imminent danger to their persons, i.e., boat sinking, boat on fire, etc, angler can escape danger by boarding anyone’s boat.

Angler’s boats experiencing mechanical failure after launch may be towed in by anyone. Team must fish out of same boat that they started the day with unless mechanical breakdown occurred, and the boat is towed to launch and trailered, only at that time can anglers switch boats.

Angler(s) boarding the boat of another tournament team and transferring their catch must keep the fish separate and well-marked. Both tournament teams can no longer scout or fish and must proceed immediately to the launch location.

Anglers needing or receiving any assistance from anyone should communicate to a tournament official, the boat number(s) of the assisting boat and the time(s) aid was requested, performed, begun, and completed.

 

Private Waters

Tournament anglers or guest(s) on their boat may not participate in any of the following to navigate, fish, practice, or compete.

Lift, unlock or pass-through gates, chains, booms, or other canal or river objects (not including lock systems between public waters) normally closed and used to restrict boat traffic in what is known, or should be known, to be private waters and not open to all anglers equally. Additionally, anglers may not cause any navigable waterway to be obstructed which would, or could, prevent access by all other anglers.

Anglers may not navigate nor fish any waters where a membership, lease, or agreement is required or must be paid unless that membership is made available to tournament officials and all-tournament anglers equally for the period beginning January 1st of the year of the event and continuing through the completion of the event.

Anglers are not permitted to cast/fish within 100 yards of a competitor’s boat (not separated by land or jetties but in the same body of water) which is anchored unless invited into the restricted area. If more than one boat, by invitation, is fishing within the restricted area then all-tournament boats are de facto invited into the same area. An anchored boat is a boat held in a stable position by a Power-Pole, Talon, line attached to a weight or other device used for keeping a vessel in place and/or tethered and stationary and has the trolling motor in the stowed position. If the boat does not have a trolling motor, the definition of “anchored” still applies to stationary boats held in place by the manner herein described. Anglers are also not permitted to cast/fish within 100 yards of an anchored non-competitor’s boat.

Live Fish, Measuring, and Weighing

Every effort must be made to keep redfish alive and healthy for release.
A penalty of 0.50 pounds will be assessed per dead fish presented to the fish bumper for measuring. Counting of fish for being alive or dead will be determined at the time of measuring of fish except in the circumstance of an unavoidable delay.

No culling of dead fish is allowed.

Teams will be allowed to bring their days’ catch to the bump tank in the order of their arrival at the check-in dock that day. If a team is not prepared to bring their fish to the tank when called, they will be moved to the end of the line that was formed at the time they were called.

Fish bumper and/or tournament officials reserve the right to refuse any redfish deemed to have been altered, (accidentally or intentionally) and/or damaged sufficiently to make determining the exact length of the fish inconclusive.

There are no tail shape restrictions.

Each fish will only be measured with its head to the left of the measuring official and the fish’s belly facing the official’s belly. Fish will be measured on this side only. A fish going over the line very slightly may be removed from the board and allowed to “rest” while other fish in the creel are measured. The “over” fish will then be measured again but only for this one additional measurement. If the fish is deemed to be over on the second measurement it will be disqualified. In the case that there are no other fish remaining in the creel at the time the “over” fish is measured, the “over” fish will be “rested” for a minimum of (30) thirty seconds and then re-measured. Maximum of two (2) measures unless the additional measure is deemed necessary by the bump official only.

Anglers will use only tournament-provided forms of transport from boat live wells to fish bumper and/or tanks.

In the event of a delay by the tournament in opening the weigh scales at the designated time, the tournament officials will make every effort to check the angler’s fish for live or dead prior to being presented to fish measuring official.

Dead fish may be kept separate from live fish but only with water, wet towels, or an ice substitute.

All lures, hooks, jig heads, etc. must be removed from fish prior to the final weight being recorded. To keep the fish alive anglers may wait until the fish has been counted live or dead to remove hook or jig. Failure to notify official and having a fish weighed with a hook, lure, jig or other object in its mouth may incur a penalty equal to a dead fish penalty.

Safety, Boats, Motors, and Accessories

Safe boat conduct must always be observed by competitors. During all days of competition, each boat must always adhere to Coast Guard operating regulations and have all required safety equipment on board. The Coast Guard requires that Inflatable PFDs be worn at all times unless there is an equal number of non-inflatable Coast Guard-approved PFD’s on board. PFD’s must be worn at all times when the big motor is running. When the boat is on plane anglers cannot be on separate platforms. For example, one angler at the helm and one angler on the bow are not allowed due to it being a safety concern. No twin engine, or Airboats boats allowed. Gator Tail Mud motors are allowed.

Boating Responsibility

All anglers certify that they are fully trained and capable of operating their boat(s) in a safe and legal manner. All anglers further certify and agree that Professional Redfish League, affiliated, and subsidiary companies, the hosts, sponsors and tournament series officials, and any associated vendor(s) have no legal responsibility or control over the operation of tournament boats and that all liability for any injury, property damage, or other infraction on the water is borne fully by the anglers and their personal insurance providers.

When boating in low visibility situations (i.e. fog, heavy rain, etc.) during both practice and competition, competitors must operate their boats at a safe speed and in a safe manner.

Only a single-engine outboard-powered boat can be used in official practice or competition. No airboats, pump-driven, or multiple engine boats allowed for practice or competition. No drones at anytime, helicopters, planes or other aerial devices may be used during practice and/or competition. All boats used in competition must be seaworthy and powered sufficiently to be considered safe for operation in all weather conditions that may arise.

Tournament officials recommend the use of a kill switch attached to the pilot of the boat at all times the combustion engine is running, following all applicable state, federal, and local laws.

Fuel may be carried only in factory-installed (built-in) fuel tanks or coast guard approved portable containers following all applicable state, federal, and local laws.

Protest and Truth Detection

Any Protest must be submitted, in writing, with a $500.00 non-refundable payment per protest within 15 minutes of the closing of the weigh scales. The decision of the Tournament Director will be final in all protest matters.

Acts not officially protested within 15 minutes after the final angler has weighed in for that day will not be heard. Protest must be made in writing and in the presence of tournament official(s) and competitors being protested must be allowed to be present during the discussion.

PRL acts as a broker when hiring the truth detection administrator and has no influence on procedures, type of test, the amount of time taken, or the results of the testing.

All truth detection results are final and not contestable by any competitor or their proxy.

Any claim or disagreement with truth detection results or the administration of the test must be settled between the angler(s) being tested and the person and/or company administering the truth detection test. PRL, affiliated, and subsidiary companies, the hosts, sponsors, and tournament series officials are not involved in nor in any way responsible for the results of, or methods used, in any truth detection test given.

Any person or person(s) a team previously disqualified from any fishing tournament due to being unethical, deceptive, failing a polygraph, or caught cheating will be prohibited from fishing any Professional Redfish League events without prior approval from the Tournament Director.

Sportsmanship

Anglers are bound by the prevailing statutes and regulations of the state of the State of Texas. Anglers are responsible for research and knowledge of fishing and boating regulations, including proper registrations and insurance of vessel used in the event, fishing licenses, size limits of catch, private waters, idle and no-wake zones, etc.

 

No one by any means can attempt to manipulate the length or weight of any fish by any means whatsoever. Over-icing, oxygen shock, dropping of fish on the nose, manipulation of the tail of the fish, adding weight by any means whatsoever, and similar practices if at any time are discovered, or reported to and verified, by the tournament officials will result in immediate disqualification of the team from the current and all future RWS/PRL sponsored events, probable criminal charges, and public exposure of the disqualification and reason for the disqualification in the results of the tournament.

 

Holding, Detaining, or Stocking fish during practice or competition: Fish may not be penned, detained, or held by line, hook, cage, barrel, box, net, fence, placement in small bodies of water with blocked entrance or no entrance, or any other means of preventing fish from freely swimming with full and complete access to the entire waterway prior to being fairly caught during competition and held in a live well for weigh-in that day.

Angler(s) proved to be displaying poor sportsmanship or violating game or boating laws or the letter and spirit of these sportsmanship rules will be subject to a penalty determined on a case-by-case basis.

 

Pooling of winnings is strictly prohibited. Anglers my not share any information on the water with another team for the purpose of locating fish. For example: talking in code via text or other messaging platform, using Find my friends or other location technology to share location, and/or using social media as a source for sending or receiving shared information.

 

Anglers cannot purposely attempt to hurt another angler’s opportunity to catch fish. Any act or action deemed to be intentionally made in an attempt to displace, scatter, or intentionally hurt fish or fishing in an area is strictly prohibited and will result in disqualification from the current and all future events.

 

Angler(s) receiving a ticket or citation on the water for breaking any state law relating to safety, no-wake zones, etc.… will result in disqualification of the day’s catch that the ticket was issued. Failure to disclose receiving a citation/ticket to tournament officials will result in immediate disqualification from the entire event with all awards being forfeited.

 

Angler Code of Conduct

All anglers are expected to practice, compete, and conduct themselves in an honorable manner and to continually use their best efforts to demonstrate professionalism, ethical behavior, sportsmanship, and integrity in support of the sport of professional redfishing and the values of the PRL sponsored events.

All anglers are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner while competing at or attending any event of the Professional Redfish League, Redfish World Series, or any other entities that are associated with the aforementioned. Any conduct deemed to violate the Angler Code of Conduct may be brought up to Professional Redfish League for disciplinary action deemed appropriate.

Fines, disqualification, loss of tournament winnings, bans from future and ALL Professional Redfish League events or its partnering events. All decisions are FINAL.

Any Angler but not limited to, who does not always conduct themselves in a professional manner, BEFORE, DURING, OR AFTER events will be subject to disciplinary action.

Any Angler who shows aggression, anger, yells, criticizes, intimidates ANY Professional Redfish League Official, Tournament Director, Weighmaster, Event Coordinators, or any other staff of the Professional Redfish League, where other anglers, spectators, or event sponsors can see or hear will be subject to disciplinary action..

Any Angler that uses social media (Facebook, Instagram, ETC.) to publicly slander, criticize, or cast the Professional Redfish League or its Partners in a negative light will not be tolerated and will be disqualified for participation in any PRL events going forward.

Videos, Photography, and Media

As a member of Professional Redfish League, I grant, Professional Redfish League, the rights of my image, in video or still, and of the likeness and sound of my voice as recorded on audio or videotape without payment or any other consideration. I understand that my image may be edited, copied, exhibited, published, or distributed, and waive the right to inspect or approve the finished product wherein my likeness appears. Additionally, I waive any right to royalties or other compensation arising or related to the use of my image or recording. I also understand that this material may be used in diverse settings within an unrestricted geographic area.

Photographic, audio, or video recordings may be used for ANY USE which may include but is not limited to: Presentations; Online/Internet Videos;       Media; News (Press); Video Presentations; Email Blasts; Brochures; Newsletters; Magazines; General Publications; Websites and/or Affiliate & Sponsor media.

I understand this permission signifies that photographic or video recordings of me may be electronically displayed via the Internet or in public settings.

I will not be consulted about the use of the photographs or video recording for any purpose. There is no time limit on the validity of this release nor is there any geographic limitation on where these materials may be distributed.

This applies to photographic, audio, or video recordings collected at any PRL events.

I hereby release any and all claims against any person or organization utilizing this material.

I waive any right to inspect or approve finished photographs or electronic media that may be used in current or in the future, whether the use is known or unknown to me, and I waive any right to ownership, royalties, or other compensation arising from or related to the use of the image(s)/media.

PRL Angler Communication Methods

I consent to Professional Redfish League calling or texting the phone number(s) I supply for any purpose, including the marketing and/or updates of its current and future events. Message & data rates may apply. I agree that these phone calls or texts may be made using any method, including an automatic dialing/testing system or an artificial or recorded voice. Upon my request, the phone numbers I have previously provided will be removed from Professional Redfish League’s phone/text marketing list. I can make this request by calling, texting, emailing, or writing the Professional Redfish League office and asking to be placed on Professional Redfish League’s Do Not Call List. (b) I acknowledge that being included in any state or federal “do not call” registry will not be sufficient to remove me from Professional Redfish League’s phone marketing list. (c) I consent to Professional Redfish League emailing me, at any email address, including that of a wireless or mobile device, that I provide to Professional Redfish League, for any purpose, including the marketing of Professional Redfish League’s current and future Services. If my wireless or mobile provider charges me for receipt of such messages, I acknowledge and agree that I am responsible for paying such charges. I may revoke this authorization insofar as it relates to marketing messages at any time by calling or writing my local Professional Redfish League office.

Certification and Signature of Acceptance

I certify that I have read, understand, agree with, and accept the rules, regulations, procedures, and covenants of the 2026 Professional Redfish League Tournament Participation Agreement, and by my signature (electronic agreement during membership and registration process) herein affixed agree to bind myself and my team partner to the entire agreement and any variations of the same delivered verbally or through electronic device by tournament officials to the field.