UPDATED 3/1/23
BOTE and Mang
Present
Ron Jon Beach ’N Boards Fest SUP & Kayak Fishing Tournament
Saturday, March 11, 2023
Where: South Pavilion at Cocoa Beach Aquatic Center
4800 Tom Warriner Blvd., Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
Follow the signs to event parking located in front of the pavilion. There will be a marked-off area set aside for unloading purposes only. Use this area to unload your paddle craft and gear. Please do not park in the paddle craft unloading area. Everyone will be launching from and returning to the same launch point directly adjacent to the pavilion.
Check-In Time: 4:30am
Check-in will begin promptly at 4:30am under the pavilion. Feel free to show up even earlier to drop off and rig your paddle craft. At this time free mini muffins and cookies will be provided by Perkins Restaurant of Suntree, as well as bananas and Red Bull energy drinks for all registered anglers. At check-in, each angler will be given the official tournament ruler and assigned a wristband with your raffle number based on your check-in time. For example, if you are the fifth person to check-in, you will be assigned a wristband with the raffle number 5, the sixth person, the raffle number 6 and so on. Your raffle number will determine your launch time as well as act as a raffle ticket for the main raffle. There will be a staged start. The staged start times, return times, and correlating raffle numbers are as follows:
Numbers: 1- 25 Launch Time: 6:15am Return Time: 2:15pm
Numbers: 26 – 50 Launch Time: 6:18am Return Time: 2:18pm
Numbers: 51 – 75 Launch Time: 6:21am Return Time: 2:21pm
Numbers: 76 – 100 Launch Time: 6:24am Return Time: 2:24pm
Numbers: 101 -125 Launch Time: 6:27am Return Time: 2:27pm
Numbers: 126 -150 Launch Time: 6:30am Return Time: 2:30pm
Raffle Rules
The raffle prizes are exclusively available for registered entrants only. The raffle number you receive during check-in will act as your raffle ticket for the general raffle. For the general raffle, raffle tickets numbered 1-150 (representing a possible 150 angler field) will be randomly drawn, until all general raffle prizes have been awarded. You must be present to win, and you can only win once. There will also be a separate Grand Prize raffle. Each registered angler will receive one complimentary Grand Prize raffle ticket with their entry fee. Grand Prize raffle tickets will be available for purchase on-site the day of the tournament March 11th for $10 a ticket. Bring extra cash to purchase Grand Prize raffle tickets to increase your odds of winning. Grand Prize raffle tickets will also be sold (cash only) at a 50% discounted rate of $5 at Strike Zone Fishing in Melbourne. 100% of the money raised from the raffle will be donated to the One Lagoon Fund and Captains For Clean Water. We’re hoping to raise $9,500!
Rules Review and Q&A: 6:00am – March 11
At 6:00am, there will be a short review of the rules and a quick Q&A session before the first launch time at 6:15am. All paddle crafts will be inspected before launching. Anglers must have their own SUP, kayak or canoe for this tournament. No rentals will be available. NO MOTORS of any kind are allowed (electric, gas, propane, etc).
Launching
Before launching, all paddle crafts will be subject to search for anything prohibited in the tournament, including but not limited to: motors/engines, stashed fish, illegal nets, spearguns, etc. All anglers will launch from the same location which is located directly adjacent to the Cocoa Beach Aquatic Center pavilion. Anglers will start launching their paddle crafts based on the launch time marked on their wristband assigned at check-in. The first group of 25 anglers will paddle into the designated staging area (marked off by floating buoys). An air horn will signal the start of fishing. A group of 25 anglers will launch every 3 minutes until all anglers have launched. In the event an angler is late or unable to arrive by the start of the tournament, they WILL BE ALLOWED TO CHECK IN LATE and begin fishing immediately but must return to the launch point no later than 2:30pm.
Returning
All anglers must return to the original launch point by their designated return time under their own power. Failure to return to the original launch point by the designated time will result in disqualification from all fishing categories. Upon return, anglers must check in with a tournament volunteer to record their return time. Anglers can then verify catches with the tournament director or one of the designated volunteers. Upon verification, catches will be posted to the species-specific leaderboards.
Measuring and Fish Documentation
All fish must be measured using the official tournament ruler which will be distributed during the check-in process the day of the tournament on March 11th. The tournament ruler may be taped to measuring or bump boards, as long as the integrity of the ruler is not compromised. Duct tape will be provided on-site to aid in this process. The fish and the ruler must be lying flat with the head of the fish in line with the beginning of the ruler and the tail lying flat (not pinched). The picture documenting the catch must clearly show the paddle craft, official ruler and the fish. The overall length measurement of the fish must be clearly visible. There is no minimum length requirement to enter any fish category. The tournament director will make the final ruling on any dispute or interpretation of the rules. Each angler may only enter one trout, one redfish, one sheepshead, one black drum, one snook and one catfish. However, multiple categories can be won by a single angler. In the event of a tie, the angler who returned to the launch location and checked in first would place higher.
Fishing/Tournament Territory
There is no limit/boundary to the fishing or tournament territory as long as you launch from and return to the original launch point. No help or relocation is allowed from any motorized boat, vessel, vehicle or engine. There will be a rescue jetski on-site in the event that an angler cannot return to the launch point on their own. Failure to return back to the original launch point under your own power will result in disqualification from all fishing categories.
Fishing Rules
Fishing with live, dead and artificial bait is permitted. Any aid from motorized or electric vessels/motors is prohibited and will result in immediate disqualification; pedal or paddle power only. Rod and reel fishing only; spearfishing, netting, etc. is not permitted. Wading is allowed, but all photos of catches must include the paddle craft, official tournament ruler and fish. Multiple anglers are allowed to fish in the same paddle craft, but each individual angler must pay their own separate entry fee. In multiple angler scenarios, the angler who initially hooks the fish must land it solely on their own without any help or intervention. Assisting another angler with a catch results in the immediate disqualification of the fish caught. Interpretation and enforcement of these rules shall be left exclusively to the tournament director. In the event of a rule violation, the tournament director may impose such sanctions as deemed appropriate, including without limitation, disqualification, forfeiture of prizes, entry fee and prohibition from participation in future tournaments.
Foul Weather Contingency Plan
The tournament will run in all weather conditions except for lightning. As soon as lightning strikes within six miles of the event site, the tournament will end or be delayed until it is safe to resume. In the event of lightning strikes, air horns will sound, signifying lightning in the area. All anglers must immediately stop fishing and return to the launch area. Rescue boats/jetskis will be on-site to assist in returning anglers to safety. In the event of lightning strikes, assistance from the rescue bots/jetskis will not result in disqualification from the tournament.
Fishing Categories & Payouts
Trout presented by Mount This! Fish Company:
1st Place — $500
2nd Place — $300
3rd Place — $150
Redfish presented by Dark Seas:
1st Place — $500
2nd Place — $300
3rd Place — $150
Catfish presented by Doug Hambel’s Plumbing:
1st Place — $500
2nd Place — $300
3rd Place —$150
Snook presented by The Fat Snook:
1st Place — $500
2nd Place — $300
3rd Place — $150
Black Drum presented by CG Acoustics:
1st Place — $250
Sheepshead presented by Florida Fishing Products:
1st Place — $250
Top Fly Angler presented by All Pro Land Clearing:
Combined length of personal biggest trout and/or redfish. No spinning or conventional tackle allowed on paddle craft. Fly gear only. (Both species do not have to be caught, and angler is also eligible to win traditional categories.)
1st Place — $500
2nd Place — $200
3rd Place — $100
Top Woman Angler presented by MANG:
Combined length of personal biggest trout and redfish (Both species do not have to be caught.)
1st Place — $500
Top Junior Angler (age 12 years and under) presented by YETI:
Combined length of personal biggest trout and redfish (Not all species have to be caught.)
1st Place — Yeti Roadie Cooler
Overall Champion presented by BOTE:
(Combined length of personal biggest trout and redfish. Must catch both species of fish to be eligible.)
1st Place — $1,000
2nd Place — $600
3rd Place — $400
Overall Champion Trophy made by Ashley Weber Art
Captains’ Party: Marker 24 Riverfront Grille
March 10, 2023 *** 5:30 – 7:30pm ***
1360 S Banana River Drive, Merritt Island, FL 32952
Follow the signs or volunteers’ instructions on where to park. Some free beer and light appetizers will be available on first-come, first-serve basis. Additional food and drinks will be available for purchase. We will be holding 3 different raffles taking place at 6pm, 6:30pm, and 7pm. Proceeds from the raffle will be donated to Captains for Clean Water and One Lagoon. Raffle tickets are $5. Grand prize raffle tickets are available for presale as well for $5 instead of $10 on tournament day. The captains’ party is not mandatory. An RSVP email will be sent out to all registered anglers.
Miscellaneous Info
On tournament day, all registered anglers will receive complimentary mini muffins and cookies from Perkins Restaurant of Suntree, bananas, Red Bull energy drink, pizza, water, tournament t-shirt and swag bag filled with free gear, including Salt Strong soft plastic lures. Anglers 21 years and over will receive a ticket for one free beer.
THANK YOU SPONSORS!
Tobacco Free Florida – tobaccofreeflorida.com
BOTE – boteboard.com
Mang – manggear.com
YETI – yeti.com
All Pro Land Clearing – allprolandclearing.com
Mount This! Fish Company – mountthis.net
Dark Seas – darkseas.com
Florida Fishing Products – floridafishingproducts.com
Yo-Zuri – yo-zuri.com
Danco – www.dancopliers.com
CG Acoustics – cg-acoustics.com
The Fat Snook – thefatsnook.com
Doug Hambel’s Plumbing – dhplumbing.com
Salt Strong – saltstrong.com
Ron Jon Surf Shop – ronjonsurfshop.com
KScott Art – kscottart.com
Salt Life – saltlife.com
Salty Crew – salty-crew.com
Avid – avidgear.com
Captains For Clean Water – captainsforcleanwater.org
One Lagoon – onelagoon.org
Guy Harvey – guyharvey.com
Ashley Weber Art – ashleyweberart.com
Perkins Restaurant Suntree – perkinsrestaurants.com
Redbull – redbull.com
Costa – costadelmar.com
Hydroflask – hydroflask.com
Three Brothers Boards – threebrothersboards.com
Strike Zone Fishing Melbourne – strikezonefishingmelb.com
Captain Alex Hughey Fishing Charters – captainalexhughey.com
For any questions or additional information, contact:
Sean Strahlo — Tournament Director
Cell: (321) 604-0462
Email: saltyroots@icloud.com
Invite Your Crew
Fishing Tournament Rules
Fishing Tournament Rules
UPDATED 3/1/23
BOTE and Mang
Present
Ron Jon Beach ’N Boards Fest SUP & Kayak Fishing Tournament
Saturday, March 11, 2023
Where: South Pavilion at Cocoa Beach Aquatic Center
4800 Tom Warriner Blvd., Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
Follow the signs to event parking located in front of the pavilion. There will be a marked-off area set aside for unloading purposes only. Use this area to unload your paddle craft and gear. Please do not park in the paddle craft unloading area. Everyone will be launching from and returning to the same launch point directly adjacent to the pavilion.
Check-In Time: 4:30am
Check-in will begin promptly at 4:30am under the pavilion. Feel free to show up even earlier to drop off and rig your paddle craft. At this time free mini muffins and cookies will be provided by Perkins Restaurant of Suntree, as well as bananas and Red Bull energy drinks for all registered anglers. At check-in, each angler will be given the official tournament ruler and assigned a wristband with your raffle number based on your check-in time. For example, if you are the fifth person to check-in, you will be assigned a wristband with the raffle number 5, the sixth person, the raffle number 6 and so on. Your raffle number will determine your launch time as well as act as a raffle ticket for the main raffle. There will be a staged start. The staged start times, return times, and correlating raffle numbers are as follows:
Numbers: 1- 25 Launch Time: 6:15am Return Time: 2:15pm
Numbers: 26 – 50 Launch Time: 6:18am Return Time: 2:18pm
Numbers: 51 – 75 Launch Time: 6:21am Return Time: 2:21pm
Numbers: 76 – 100 Launch Time: 6:24am Return Time: 2:24pm
Numbers: 101 -125 Launch Time: 6:27am Return Time: 2:27pm
Numbers: 126 -150 Launch Time: 6:30am Return Time: 2:30pm
Raffle Rules
The raffle prizes are exclusively available for registered entrants only. The raffle number you receive during check-in will act as your raffle ticket for the general raffle. For the general raffle, raffle tickets numbered 1-150 (representing a possible 150 angler field) will be randomly drawn, until all general raffle prizes have been awarded. You must be present to win, and you can only win once. There will also be a separate Grand Prize raffle. Each registered angler will receive one complimentary Grand Prize raffle ticket with their entry fee. Grand Prize raffle tickets will be available for purchase on-site the day of the tournament March 11th for $10 a ticket. Bring extra cash to purchase Grand Prize raffle tickets to increase your odds of winning. Grand Prize raffle tickets will also be sold (cash only) at a 50% discounted rate of $5 at Strike Zone Fishing in Melbourne. 100% of the money raised from the raffle will be donated to the One Lagoon Fund and Captains For Clean Water. We’re hoping to raise $9,500!
Rules Review and Q&A: 6:00am – March 11
At 6:00am, there will be a short review of the rules and a quick Q&A session before the first launch time at 6:15am. All paddle crafts will be inspected before launching. Anglers must have their own SUP, kayak or canoe for this tournament. No rentals will be available. NO MOTORS of any kind are allowed (electric, gas, propane, etc).
Launching
Before launching, all paddle crafts will be subject to search for anything prohibited in the tournament, including but not limited to: motors/engines, stashed fish, illegal nets, spearguns, etc. All anglers will launch from the same location which is located directly adjacent to the Cocoa Beach Aquatic Center pavilion. Anglers will start launching their paddle crafts based on the launch time marked on their wristband assigned at check-in. The first group of 25 anglers will paddle into the designated staging area (marked off by floating buoys). An air horn will signal the start of fishing. A group of 25 anglers will launch every 3 minutes until all anglers have launched. In the event an angler is late or unable to arrive by the start of the tournament, they WILL BE ALLOWED TO CHECK IN LATE and begin fishing immediately but must return to the launch point no later than 2:30pm.
Returning
All anglers must return to the original launch point by their designated return time under their own power. Failure to return to the original launch point by the designated time will result in disqualification from all fishing categories. Upon return, anglers must check in with a tournament volunteer to record their return time. Anglers can then verify catches with the tournament director or one of the designated volunteers. Upon verification, catches will be posted to the species-specific leaderboards.
Measuring and Fish Documentation
All fish must be measured using the official tournament ruler which will be distributed during the check-in process the day of the tournament on March 11th. The tournament ruler may be taped to measuring or bump boards, as long as the integrity of the ruler is not compromised. Duct tape will be provided on-site to aid in this process. The fish and the ruler must be lying flat with the head of the fish in line with the beginning of the ruler and the tail lying flat (not pinched). The picture documenting the catch must clearly show the paddle craft, official ruler and the fish. The overall length measurement of the fish must be clearly visible. There is no minimum length requirement to enter any fish category. The tournament director will make the final ruling on any dispute or interpretation of the rules. Each angler may only enter one trout, one redfish, one sheepshead, one black drum, one snook and one catfish. However, multiple categories can be won by a single angler. In the event of a tie, the angler who returned to the launch location and checked in first would place higher.
Fishing/Tournament Territory
There is no limit/boundary to the fishing or tournament territory as long as you launch from and return to the original launch point. No help or relocation is allowed from any motorized boat, vessel, vehicle or engine. There will be a rescue jetski on-site in the event that an angler cannot return to the launch point on their own. Failure to return back to the original launch point under your own power will result in disqualification from all fishing categories.
Fishing Rules
Fishing with live, dead and artificial bait is permitted. Any aid from motorized or electric vessels/motors is prohibited and will result in immediate disqualification; pedal or paddle power only. Rod and reel fishing only; spearfishing, netting, etc. is not permitted. Wading is allowed, but all photos of catches must include the paddle craft, official tournament ruler and fish. Multiple anglers are allowed to fish in the same paddle craft, but each individual angler must pay their own separate entry fee. In multiple angler scenarios, the angler who initially hooks the fish must land it solely on their own without any help or intervention. Assisting another angler with a catch results in the immediate disqualification of the fish caught. Interpretation and enforcement of these rules shall be left exclusively to the tournament director. In the event of a rule violation, the tournament director may impose such sanctions as deemed appropriate, including without limitation, disqualification, forfeiture of prizes, entry fee and prohibition from participation in future tournaments.
Foul Weather Contingency Plan
The tournament will run in all weather conditions except for lightning. As soon as lightning strikes within six miles of the event site, the tournament will end or be delayed until it is safe to resume. In the event of lightning strikes, air horns will sound, signifying lightning in the area. All anglers must immediately stop fishing and return to the launch area. Rescue boats/jetskis will be on-site to assist in returning anglers to safety. In the event of lightning strikes, assistance from the rescue bots/jetskis will not result in disqualification from the tournament.
Fishing Categories & Payouts
Trout presented by Mount This! Fish Company:
1st Place — $500
2nd Place — $300
3rd Place — $150
Redfish presented by Dark Seas:
1st Place — $500
2nd Place — $300
3rd Place — $150
Catfish presented by Doug Hambel’s Plumbing:
1st Place — $500
2nd Place — $300
3rd Place —$150
Snook presented by The Fat Snook:
1st Place — $500
2nd Place — $300
3rd Place — $150
Black Drum presented by CG Acoustics:
1st Place — $250
Sheepshead presented by Florida Fishing Products:
1st Place — $250
Top Fly Angler presented by All Pro Land Clearing:
Combined length of personal biggest trout and/or redfish. No spinning or conventional tackle allowed on paddle craft. Fly gear only. (Both species do not have to be caught, and angler is also eligible to win traditional categories.)
1st Place — $500
2nd Place — $200
3rd Place — $100
Top Woman Angler presented by MANG:
Combined length of personal biggest trout and redfish (Both species do not have to be caught.)
1st Place — $500
Top Junior Angler (age 12 years and under) presented by YETI:
Combined length of personal biggest trout and redfish (Not all species have to be caught.)
1st Place — Yeti Roadie Cooler
Overall Champion presented by BOTE:
(Combined length of personal biggest trout and redfish. Must catch both species of fish to be eligible.)
1st Place — $1,000
2nd Place — $600
3rd Place — $400
Overall Champion Trophy made by Ashley Weber Art
Captains’ Party: Marker 24 Riverfront Grille
March 10, 2023 *** 5:30 – 7:30pm ***
1360 S Banana River Drive, Merritt Island, FL 32952
Follow the signs or volunteers’ instructions on where to park. Some free beer and light appetizers will be available on first-come, first-serve basis. Additional food and drinks will be available for purchase. We will be holding 3 different raffles taking place at 6pm, 6:30pm, and 7pm. Proceeds from the raffle will be donated to Captains for Clean Water and One Lagoon. Raffle tickets are $5. Grand prize raffle tickets are available for presale as well for $5 instead of $10 on tournament day. The captains’ party is not mandatory. An RSVP email will be sent out to all registered anglers.
Miscellaneous Info
On tournament day, all registered anglers will receive complimentary mini muffins and cookies from Perkins Restaurant of Suntree, bananas, Red Bull energy drink, pizza, water, tournament t-shirt and swag bag filled with free gear, including Salt Strong soft plastic lures. Anglers 21 years and over will receive a ticket for one free beer.
THANK YOU SPONSORS!
Tobacco Free Florida – tobaccofreeflorida.com
BOTE – boteboard.com
Mang – manggear.com
YETI – yeti.com
All Pro Land Clearing – allprolandclearing.com
Mount This! Fish Company – mountthis.net
Dark Seas – darkseas.com
Florida Fishing Products – floridafishingproducts.com
Yo-Zuri – yo-zuri.com
Danco – www.dancopliers.com
CG Acoustics – cg-acoustics.com
The Fat Snook – thefatsnook.com
Doug Hambel’s Plumbing – dhplumbing.com
Salt Strong – saltstrong.com
Ron Jon Surf Shop – ronjonsurfshop.com
KScott Art – kscottart.com
Salt Life – saltlife.com
Salty Crew – salty-crew.com
Avid – avidgear.com
Captains For Clean Water – captainsforcleanwater.org
One Lagoon – onelagoon.org
Guy Harvey – guyharvey.com
Ashley Weber Art – ashleyweberart.com
Perkins Restaurant Suntree – perkinsrestaurants.com
Redbull – redbull.com
Costa – costadelmar.com
Hydroflask – hydroflask.com
Three Brothers Boards – threebrothersboards.com
Strike Zone Fishing Melbourne – strikezonefishingmelb.com
Captain Alex Hughey Fishing Charters – captainalexhughey.com
For any questions or additional information, contact:
Sean Strahlo — Tournament Director
Cell: (321) 604-0462
Email: saltyroots@icloud.com