2026 NRL Open Rules

 

NRL Open Tournament Entry Fees-

Entry fees will be $1250.00 per team per tournament. 

The optional $250 Bonus Bucks side pot will pay out to the top three finishing teams enrolled at 50%,30%,20%. We will cap all open fields at 50 teams.

There will be a 3.5% convenience fee charged at checkout to cover credit card processing fees plus Fishing Chaos Fees.

Redfish World Championship Qualifications and Fees. 

The National Redfish League will extend an invitation to the top 10% of the Open field for the 2027 Redfish World Championship. The entry fee for the 2027 RWC will be $3000 plus transaction fees. 

 Cancelation or Postponement

The NRL will make every attempt to complete every event however we reserve the rich t to cancel or postpone an event due to weather. In the event that one or both days are canceled the following actions will be taken.

Day 1 Canceled – the tournament will be attempted on day two and tournament will be declared official at the end of day 2.

Day 2 Canceled - the tournament will be declared official based on day 1 results. 

Both Days Canceled

In the event that both days are canceled the anglers will be offered the option to transfer their entry fee to the makeup date or receive a refund minus the CC transaction fees.

 Anglers in a NRL Open cannot return to tournament waters any time after any day’s 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 NRL Officials or Tournament Director and are subject to verification by NRL tournament director and staff. 

Failure to Report Rules Infractions:

If an angler witnesses a rules infraction and fails to report it to tournament officials, they may be subject to disciplinary action, which could include a warning, probation, penalty, or disqualification. 

Eligibility – Prior Disqualifications for Cheating

Any angler or team who have been disqualified, suspended, or banned from any tournament series, annual tournament, charity event, jackpot, or local fishing club as a result of cheating, rule manipulation, or unsportsmanlike conduct shall be ineligible to compete in any National Redfish League (NRL) sanctioned events.

The NRL reserves the right to review, investigate, and verify any prior disciplinary actions. Decisions regarding eligibility are final and made at the sole discretion of NRL officials.

Failure to disclose such history, or providing false or incomplete information regarding prior disciplinary actions, will result in immediate disqualification, forfeiture of entry fees and winnings (if applicable), and may result in a permanent ban from all future NRL events.

Safety 

Safe boating will be observed at all times. Each contestant is required to wear a fastened, U.S. Coast Guard approved, personal floatation device anytime the combustion engine is in operation.  All running lights must be in place and working at time of launch.  

Alcohol and Drugs

The consuming or transporting of any alcoholic beverages or drugs (other than prescription or OTC drugs) during official tournament hours, on any tournament angler’s vessel is prohibited, any angler or anglers will be disqualified from this and possibly all future tournaments. Official tournament hours begin at SAFE LIGHT and end at 5:00pm EST.

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Weather-

Tournament days may be shortened or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions. The decision to shorten or to cancel will be left totally to the discretion of the Tournament Director. A 4-hour period shall constitute a day of fishing. 

Competitors must remain in their boat

All teams are expected to complete the tournament in the same boat they launched in, there will be no substitution or vessel swapping allowed during a regular season single day tournament once the tournament has begun. During the two-day championship if you experience mechanical issues on day one you may fish from a different boat on day two, but the swap must first be approved by the tournament director and meet all safety and rule requirements.

 If your unable to return to the weigh in due to mechanical issues, contact the tournament directors immediately 850-591-0575 or 850-508-1615. Then you may either

 A: be towed in by another team or towing service.

 B: the team will be permitted to contact a competitor, and one angler will be allowed to transfer your fish to their vessel providing you are able to clearly Identify your catch by the use of a culling system, color zip ties or other identifying system. Once the angler and fish have been transferred then no fishing is allowed by either team.

FISHING WITH GUIDES. 

No fishing with local guides 30 days before the tournament in tournament waters. This means either paid or unpaid, on your boat or their boat. The only exception to this rule is if the local guide is registered as your teammate in the tournament prior to any pre-fishing. 

Communication:

 A VHF radio is recommended for all tournament vessels. The VHF may be mounted or portable. The use of mobile communication devices such as cellular telephones, marine radios, walkie-talkies, CBs, pagers or any electronic device to communicate fishing information or contact with anyone during tournament hours is strictly prohibited. Communication among anglers is allowed on the water only by non-electronic methods. Medical emergency calls may be made and then a tournament official should be contacted. Social media posting is encouraged during the tournament to support the tournament and its sponsors. 

Tournament Rules:

1. Teams must consist of two members; teams may have no more than two anglers on the boat during a tournament; this includes the Jr. Anglers.

2. One team member must be at least 18 years of age. All members of a registered team must fish from the same vessel. No hiring of a guide or charter during any of our tournament's.

3. Teams will consist of 2 anglers. Due to culling permit restrictions in some states, you can only have two anglers per boat.

4.  Registration will be held up until 7:00 PM local time the Thursday before each tournament, to be followed by the captain’s meeting between 7:30PM. All teams are required to either attend the Captain’s Meeting or check in on the Facebook Live broadcast by commenting with their team member's name. If a team is unable to attend the captain’s meeting due to circumstances beyond their control, they may designate an alternate to attend in their place. In addition, they must contact the Tournament Director prior to the start of the registration to inform the Tournament Director who the alternate will be attending for them. A designated alternate will not be allowed to represent more than one team at a Captain’s Meeting. Teams agree that it is their own responsibility to find out what was discussed at the Captain’s Meeting. Team numbers will be randomly generated and posted to Facebook and sent out via email to all participants. 

5.  Entry fees are non-refundable. The only exception to this is in the event that a tournament is postponed or cancelled by the Tournament Director. 

6. In the event a tournament is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, it may be rescheduled by the Tournament Director.

7. The Tournament Director reserves the right to make all decisions regarding the safe operation of a tournament.

8.  Each captain is responsible for the safe operation of his or her vessel and must comply with all federal and state regulations governing such operation.

9.  Tournaments will begin at safe daylight, as determined by the Tournament Director. Anglers may launch their boats before safe daylight, but no team may leave the designated launch area until released by the tournament director or series official. Safe daylight is defined as 30 minutes before sunrise. This time will be posted on, www.nationalredfishleague.com Facebook, Instagram and mentioned at the Friday night Facebook Live meeting before the tournament each month, any team that leaves the ramp before the designated time will be disqualified.

10.  Tournament conclusion time will be determined by flights; the scales will open at 3:00 p.m. The first flight will be due back at 3:30 p.m. and each flight after that will check in at 15 min intervals. At least one member of each team must check in at a designated checkpoint by their designated flight time. Any team that checks in late will be penalized as follows: .50lbs per minute up to 15 min, over 15 minutes late - disqualification and no credit for the day’s catch 

11.  Each team is allowed to weigh bag limit of redfish set by the tournament director. Only fish of legal harvest size, according to State law, will be accepted at the weigh in. Questionable fish will be measured by the Tournament Director. Any fish that is brought to the scales to be measured and is deemed to be either under or over the slot limit will be bumped from your bag and you will be allowed to weigh your remaining fish.

12. The National Redfish League will apply for a culling permit in the states that require them for each tournament. this means all fish must be weighed alive and released at the conclusion of each tournament. There will be a .50lbs weight penalty per dead fish enforced for teams who bring a dead fish to the scale.

13. Only recreational limits may be kept during tournaments. Commercial limits are not allowed. 

14.  All measurements will be done using a NRL provided Check it Stick utilizing the 3 1/4" perfect pinch, all measurements will be done by sliding the perfect pinch to the 26” mark and taking the length at the longest point of the tail. Any angler may use the ruler to measure their own fish, but no courtesy measure will be provided.

14B.  Fish will not be disqualified due to the condition or shape of its tail when any observed damage is determined to be naturally occurring. Naturally occurring tail damage includes any injury or irregularity that appears to have resulted from natural causes, rather than from handling, improper care, or artificial means. It is important to assess the tail carefully to ensure that the damage is indeed consistent with what is commonly found in nature. 

Tournament director has FINAL SAY in all matters regarding tail damage.

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

Intentionally altering the shape or length of the tail or any other part of the fish in any way is strictly forbidden and can result in failure of the polygraph and a permanent ban from all NRL-sponsored or sanctioned events.

15.  Only fish taken by hook and line are eligible for weigh in.  Electric driven reels on freestanding rods (Electramates) are not acceptable. Mounted winch devices (one armed bandits), motor driven long lines, spearing, Gigging, netting, shooting (including bang sticks), or any method of catching fish in violation of Florida or U.S. laws are prohibited. Use of any illegal method for catching fish will result in disqualification from the tournament of all entrants on the violating team. 

16. All weights are final. Fish will not be weighed more than once.

17.  In the event of a tie, the tie will be broken by the team who registered for the tournament first will be declared the winner.

18. Teams are only allowed to use artificial lures; "no live bait” or “prepared bait” will be permitted, with the exception of pork strips, or commercially sold scents, etc. Only ONE casting, spin casting, spinning rod and reel or fly rod (10-foot maximum length from butt of handle to rod tip) may be used at any one time per angler. Be prepared to show your current fishing license, at registration, from the state in which the tournament is being held. 

19. No team may approach another team on the water any closer than 150 feet unless under mutual agreement by both teams.

20. Contestants may not exit their vessel to fish, no wade fishing. 

21. All participants must possess a valid Fishing License in the state the tournament is being held, when applicable in that state. Please be prepared to show your current, valid fishing license during registration, before receiving a check or any other requested time the tournament series may request.

22.  All team members are expected to conduct themselves in a safe, courteous and professional manner at all times. There will be no refunds of any kind if you are disqualified for violation of the conduct rule.

23.  The Tournament Director may implement additional tournament specific rules and restrictions for individual tournaments. Entrants are responsible for understanding rules for each tournament. Tournament Director will have final say in all Sportsmanship and Conduct matters.

24.  The Tournament Director will determine location for any draw tournaments.  The Tournament Director or a designated representative will conduct the draw.

25. No Airboats, surface drives or mud-motors will be allowed in any NRL Tournament; all boats must be a minimum of 15 feet in length. Each boat must have all required U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment. In addition, it must have a functional bilge pump and live well space, properly aerated to adequately maintain a live limit catch of Redfish by both contestants, a minimum of 18 gallon live well is required. 

26. For the safety of all contestants, boats are required to have some type of Shut Off Device or Kill Switch. This ignition shut off device must be attached to the driver’s body anytime the boat is on plane or at displacement speed.

27.  All bladder tanks and any other type of auxiliary gas tanks that are not installed by the boat manufacturer are prohibited. Fuel may be carried only in factory installed fuel tanks. Any additional fuel used during the tournament day must be purchased from a retail facility open to the public. If participating boat was not factory equipped with a built-in fuel tank, then participant may use no more than two of the standard US Coast Guard approved portable tanks mounted at the stern in designated areas by the motor. 

28. Engine regulations for all outboards used in tournament competitions are a single outboard engine per vessel and that engine SHALL NOT EXCEED 500HP. No vessel shall exceed the horsepower limitations as set by the U.S. Coast Guard horsepower rating plate attached to the boat by the manufacturer. By registering to participate in an event, each contestant agrees to submit his or her boat and/or motor to an inspection by the tournament director. Falsifying information on entry forms or altering the horsepower numbers on the motor or rating plate will be cause for disqualification from the tournament and may result in future ineligibility to enter NRL Opens or any future Redfish World Championships.

29. Absolutely NO drones are allowed 2 weeks prior to or during the fishing tournament! We encourage the use of Go Pros or similar recording devices to capture your day and would love to use them to add to our video if you'll send us footage. 

Official Check Points

30. There will be only one official checkpoint for boat check in the morning and one official check-in point in the afternoon. Failure to go through boat check and checkout in the morning will result in disqualification. All fishing must cease upon check-in. Teams that experience equipment failures may have them repaired and check out late for an event but you must contact the Tournament Director to do so. It is then the team’s responsibility to find and notify the tournament director or tournament official in order to check out before being released.

Protesting & Reporting Procedures:

All protests must verbally initiate then submitted in writing, along with a $500 cash deposit, within thirty (30) minutes of the closing of the scales and be turned into the tournament director or tournament official. The protester also agrees that if there is a question of verifying the charge of a protest that he or she also may be subject to take a polygraph and agree to testify in a court of law if necessary. If the Tournament Rules and Protest Committee, or polygraph, upholds the protest, the cash deposit shall be returned to the contestant submitting the protest, if they do not uphold the protest the money is forfeited. Each competitor agrees to report any rule violation to the tournament director immediately upon discovery of the violation. 

Polygraph:

  Each competitor who fishes in any Florida Redfish Series event agrees to submit to a random polygraph examination at a time and location as determined by the Tournament Director following the end of the competition in each tournament and abide by its conclusion. Failure to take or pass a polygraph will result in disqualification.

Burning Rule Update 5-27-2026

The Florida Redfish Series (FRS), National Redfish League (NRL), and Redfish World Championship (RWC) are committed to protecting shallow-water habitats and promoting responsible boating practices. Any angler or team reported for intentionally “burning the flats,” causing unnecessary damage to seagrass beds, marsh habitat, or other sensitive fisheries resources may be subject to immediate investigation.

Burning The Flats is Strictly Prohibited:

Any NRL participants caught burning the flats 14 days or less prior to or during an event will be disqualified from said event and could face a suspension or outright banned from the series.

Burning is defined by: Burning the flats is running at speed on plane in shallow water to spook concentrations of Redfish in an attempt to locate and mark fish with the intentions of retuning and fishing these areas on tournament day. This practice damages the sea grass and schools of fish. We are very conservation friendly which is why we are a no kill tournament and enjoy knowing we return all the fish caught in a tournament to the same waters they were taken from and knowing they’ll continue to grow the population for future anglers to enjoy. 

Reporting and Investigation:
Any competitor, tournament official, local guide or captain, law enforcement officer, or credible witness may submit a report alleging that a team has burned the flats or otherwise damaged protected habitat. This allegation must be supported by video and or photographic evidence.
Tournament officials reserve the right to investigate all reports and review any available evidence, including but not limited to photographs, videos, eyewitness statements, GPS tracks, current social media content related to the incident, polygraph results and other relevant information.
Any team that is the subject of a credible report shall be required to submit to a polygraph examination before being eligible to compete in the upcoming tournament.
Refusal to submit to a polygraph examination, failure to appear for a scheduled examination, or any attempt to interfere with the examination process shall be considered a failed polygraph examination.

Eligibility to Compete:
Teams that successfully pass the required polygraph examination shall remain eligible to compete unless additional evidence establishes a rules violation.
Teams that fail the polygraph examination can be deemed in violation of this policy and subject to the disciplinary actions outlined below.

Disciplinary Actions:

First Offense
Immediate disqualification from the upcoming tournament.
Suspension from the next scheduled FRS, NRL, or RWC qualifying event in which the angler or team would otherwise be eligible to compete.
Loss of any entry fees associated with the disqualified event.

Second Offense
Immediate disqualification from the upcoming tournament.
One (1) year suspension from all Florida Redfish Series (FRS), National Redfish League (NRL), and Redfish World Championship (RWC) events.
Ineligibility to earn points, qualifications, invitations, contingency awards, or championship berths during the suspension period.
Loss of any entry fees associated with the disqualified event.

Third Offense
Immediate disqualification from the tournament.
Permanent lifetime ban from participation in any Florida Redfish Series (FRS), National Redfish League (NRL), and Redfish World Championship (RWC) event, including all future tournaments, championships, invitationals, and affiliated competitions.
Permanent forfeiture of all eligibility for qualifications, invitations, points races, awards, and championship participation.
Loss of any entry fees associated with the disqualified event.

Penalties will apply regardless of withdrawal or forfeiture.

Tournament Director Authority:
The Tournament Director and designated rules committee shall have final authority regarding investigations, interpretation of evidence, administration of polygraph examinations, and enforcement of penalties under this policy. The decision of tournament officials shall be final and not subject to appeal.

Responsibility of Team Members:
For purposes of this rule, all members of a team are jointly responsible for violations occurring while competing as a team. Penalties assessed under this policy will be applied to all team members involved in the reported incident.

The protection of fisheries habitat is a core value of the FRS, NRL, and RWC. Competitors are expected to operate their vessels in a safe, ethical, and environmentally responsible manner at all times.