There are six divisions in the Deep Sea Roundup: Bay-Surf, Offshore, Flyfishing, Kayaking, Tarpon Release, and Billfish Release. There is a separate awards category for Junior anglers in the Bay-Surf and Offshore Divisions, in addition, there is an award for Top Woman Angler, and a Piggy Perch contest. See below for details. Weigh-in for all Divisions in the Deep Sea Roundup will be at the Fred Rhodes Pavilion in Roberts Point Park.
BAY–SURF DIVISION
Bay-Surf fishing will begin at 6:00 AM. Bay/Surf anglers cease fishing at 2 p.m., and catches must be at the weigh station by 4:00 PM on the same day they are caught in order to be scored. The eligible fish in the Bay-Surf category are as follows: Redfish, Flounder, Gafftop, Black Drum, Spanish Mackerel, Speckled Trout and Pompano. All fish must be within size limits dictated by published rules of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. No oversized or tagged Trout, Redfish or Black Drum will be allowed to weigh in. All Spanish Mackerel will be measured by Fork Length. Bay-Surf Division trophies will be awarded for first and second place fish, by weight, for the above six species. Length and then girth will be the tie-breaker. The Weigh Station opens at 1:00 PM.
BAY-SURF CHAMPION AND RUNNER-UP
The contestant in this division who wins a first-place trophy for at least one of the seven eligible species and has the highest total weight of at least four and up to seven of the eligible species will be the Bay-Surf Division Champion. The runner-up will be the contestant, excluding the Champion, registering the highest total weight of at least four and up to seven of the eligible species in the Bay-Surf Division.
OFFSHORE DIVISION
All anglers and boats participating in the Offshore Division must observe and obey current Federal fishing regulations. All boats in the Offshore Division must leave and return through either the Port Aransas or Packery Channel Jetties. Departure may not be prior to 4:00 am on each day of fishing. Fishing begins at 7:00 AM. Catching bait with hook and line before 7:00 AM is prohibited. Catches must be at the weigh station by 7:00 PM the same day they are caught to be scored. Boats carrying contestants must clear the outside breakwater of Turtle Cove by 7:00 PM to have their catches considered at the weigh station. The decision by the Weighmaster as to whether a catch is at the weigh station within the prescribed time limit shall be final. During the Deep Sea Roundup, no contestant fishing in the offshore division, or any other person on a boat carrying such contestant, shall enter the water for any purpose except to accomplish emergency repairs to the underbody of the boat. In a case such as this, an attempt to communicate with a committee boat must be made prior to entering the water. During the course of the Deep Sea Roundup, all fish caught in the offshore division shall be caught from a boat: it being the intent of these rules that no fish may be caught and no fishing shall be allowed while a contestant is in the water. Eligible fish in the Offshore Division are as follows: Barracuda, Blue Marlin, Bonito (Little Tunny), Ling (Cobia), Dolphin (Dorado or Mahi), Jackfish (Jack Crevalle), Kingfish (King Mackerel), Sailfish, Spanish Mackerel, Blacktip/Spinner Shark, Blackfin Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna, Tarpon, White Marlin, and Wahoo. The fishing season for Amberjack is closed during the 2024 Deep Sea Roundup and that species is not part of this year’s tournament. (Note: Spanish Mackerel entered in the Offshore Category are considered separately, in terms of winning weight, from those entered in the Bay Surf Category.) All Spanish Mackerel shall be measured by Fork Length. Trophies will be awarded for the first and second place fish by weight for all species in the Offshore Division, with the exceptions of Blue Marlin, White Marlin, Sailfish, and Tarpon which are CATCH and RELEASE species only! The tiebreaker for all species except billfish and Tarpon will be determined by length, then girth. For each billfish species and Tarpon, first and second place will be determined by the highest accumulation of release points for each angler. The tiebreaker for billfish and Tarpon will be the earliest release time. NOTE: Individual species awards for Blue Marlin, White Marlin, Sailfish, and Tarpon are determined for individual anglers, not by boat. NOTE: There is a 54 inch (Fork Length) minimum size for the Blacktip/Spinner Shark. The Deep Sea Roundup Offshore Division is being conducted under federal regulations which mandate that the 54 inch fork length and bag limit of 1 shark per boat is in effect. REMEMBER: For the Deep Sea Roundup, the only shark species that are part of the tournament are Blacktip shark and Spinner shark!
OFFSHORE DIVISION CHAMPION and RUNNER-UP
The contestant who acquires the most points in the Offshore Division shall be the Offshore Division Grand Champion. The contestant with the second highest point total will be the Runner-Up. Points will be awarded as follows: Two (2) points for each first-place trophy and One (1) point for each second-place trophy. In the event of a tie in points, the tie-breaker will be the highest sum of Average Weight Percent of species involved in the tie compared to the existing DSR record for those species, The following tie-breaker calculation will be applied: Average Weight % = Sum of actual fish weight / DSR record for each species involved in the tie.
EXAMPLE OF A THREE-WAY TIE (each contestant has four points)
Contestant A
1st Place Blackfin Tuna (2pt.) 32.5/39.9=81.45
2nd Place Kingfish (1pt.) 25.6/51.4=49.81
2nd Place Ling (1pt) 39.7/74.2 =53.50
Sum 184.76
Contestant B
1st Place Dolphin (2pt.) 49.7/65.6=75.76
1st Place Yellowfin Tuna (2pt.) 112.5/137.6=81.76
Sum 157.52
Contestant C
1st place Ling (exceeds DSR record) (2pt.) 78.4/74.2=105.66
2nd place Blackfin Tuna (1pt.) 30.5/39.5=77.21
2nd place Red Snapper(1pt.) 12.2/25.9=47.10
Sum 229.97
Contestant A 185.58 / 3 = 61.59 %
Contestant B 147.86 / 2 = 78.76 %
Contestant C 205.63 / 3 = 76.65%
In our example, CONTESTANT B is the Offshore Division Champion and CONTESTANT C is the Offshore Division Runner Up.
(If the contestant involved in a tie for Offshore Grand Champion or Offshore Runner-Up has received first place trophy points for a release species, the tiebreaker percentage will be 70% regardless of the number of individual fish caught. If the contestant has received second place trophy points for a release species, the tiebreaker percentage will be 55%.)
BILLFISH RELEASE DIVISION
The Billfish Release Division is a BOAT competition rather than an individual angler contest. The eligible fish in the Billfish Release Division are: Blue Marlin, White Marlin, and Sailfish. Billfish Release trophies will be awarded based on a point system. Boats will receive 400 points for each Blue Marlin, 100 points for each White Marlin, and 70 points for each Sailfish release. The boat with the highest point total for each species will win the first-place trophy. The boat with the second highest point total for each species will be the runner-up. The tie-breaker will be the time of release reported to a committee boat. The Billfish Release Division Champion boat will be determined by the total number of points for all species. The vessel with the second highest point total will be the runner-up. NOTE: billfish caught by Junior Anglers ARE included in the boat’s catch total.
VIDEO RELEASE RULES
All boats are required to have a video device to verify release of billfish. Each boat is responsible for its own video equipment. All boats will be required to present their video at the Weigh-in Station for the Tournament Committee to review and verify on the day the fish was caught. The video review committee will have a computer available at the tournament; however, it is the responsibility of the participant to provide everything needed (wires, connectors, adaptors, etc.) to view their video! Releases must be reported to Tournament Headquarters or a Committee Boat. If Tournament Headquarters or a Committee boat cannot be reached, another tournament boat can verify catch. Only releases recorded by a video device and verified by the video review committee earn points. It’s a good idea to film with more than one video device in case of equipment failure.
To obtain Billfish Release Points, the video must be recorded continuously on a video device from a time starting prior to the leader being in hand until clearly showing the time of release. If the identification is prior to the above starting point, then the video must be continuous – starting from the time of the identification of the fish. The video must be presented for review, continuous and unedited, in the video device it was recorded on or on a memory card enabling playback on computer monitor or similar device.
The video must CLEARLY SHOW the following in CONTINOUS, UNEDITED VIDEO: The angler fighting the fish; The object of the day; Clear identification of species; Wireman with leader in hand; The correct time immediately following the release. The Video Device TIME AND DATE STAMP is strongly preferred. The time on a digital time keeping device shown clearly in the video will be accepted (smartphones and iPads work great!).
CATCH and RELEASE of the fish is verified by clearly showing at least one of the following events
- Fish swimming away following its release
- The hook being removed or the leader being cut
- The hook puling free of leader breaking while the leader is in hand
IMPORTANT! Objects of the Day in BOTH the billfish and tarpon divisions must be visible in the video. Object of the day for the First Day of fishing (Friday) is the bracelet you receive at the registration Thursday. Object of the day for the Second Day of fishing (Saturday) will be a different color bracelet that will be available to Billfish and Tarpon anglers only at the Civic Center on Friday from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m. No video record of the release will be retained by the Release Judge and thus NO PROTEST of the Release Judge’s decision will be accepted once the catch card is signed by the contestant. For tie-breaker purposes, time of release is critical. Notify a committee boat at the time of a hookup and, importantly, at the time of your release. If no committee boat can be raised, then try to notify another contestant boat of your release time. Committee boats and radio frequencies will be announced at registration. Boats bringing only Billfish Release Division videos to the dock (i.e., with no other fish to weigh) are asked to drop a contestant off at the dock with the video of your release. This is being done to free up dock space at the weigh in. Temporary dock space will be open on the pier west of the weigh-in dock to wait for the dropped-off contestant. Contestants should have their video set to the last 30 seconds of the fight BEFORE bringing video to the weigh-in!
REMINDER! For a fish to be considered for an individual trophy award, the fish must be caught by only one angler.
TARPON RELEASE DIVISION
The Tarpon Release Division is a BOAT competition rather than an individual angler contest. Tarpon Release trophies will be awarded based on a point system with 1 point awarded for each fish released from the boat. The boat with the highest point total for species will win the first-place trophy. The boat with the second highest point total for species will be the runner-up. The tie-breaker will be the time of release reported to a committee boat. NOTE: Tarpon caught by Junior Anglers ARE included in the boat’s catch total. Anglers participating in this division of the Deep Sea Roundup must follow the same video, object of the day and release criteria as the BILLFISH RELEASE DIVISION contestants. Be sure to look through those requirements. Anglers entering a fish in the Tarpon Release Division are eligible for all other trophies.
FLY FISHING DIVISION
The Fly-Fishing Division will feature Redfish and Speckled Trout only. Fishing begins at 6:00 am. Catches must be at the weigh station by 4:00 pm on the same day that they are caught to be scored. IGFA fly fishing rules are in effect. Contestants in this division will compete for 1st and 2nd place awards only. All fish must comply with size limits established by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Fish will be scored by weight. Length and then girth will be the tie-breaker. A contestant entering this division will not be eligible for the Bay-Surf Division Championship or any Bay-Surf Division species trophies.
KAYAK DIVISION
The Kayak Division will feature Redfish and Speckled Trout only. Fishing begins at 6:00 am. Catches must be at the weigh station by 4:00 pm on the same day that they are caught to be scored. Any legal fishing methods may be used. Motorized boats may be used to transport a Kayak but no fish caught from such boat may be entered in the Deep Sea Roundup. Contestants in this division will compete for 1st and 2 nd place awards only. All fish must comply with size limits established by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Fish will be scored by weight. Length and then girth will be the tie-breaker. A contestant entering this division will not be eligible for the Bay-Surf Division Championship or any Bay-Surf Division species trophies.
TOP WOMAN ANGLER
Top Woman Angler will be the woman angler that acquires the most first and second place points in either the general Offshore or Bay-Surf Division weigh-ins. Point accumulation and tie-breaker rules as per the Offshore Division will be applied. There is no Top Woman Angler in the Junior Division competition.
JUNIOR DIVISION
All contestants 16 years of age or younger as of the Deep Sea Roundup registration date are considered Junior Division contestants. Junior Division contestants are governed by all DSR rules. The Junior Division includes the same DSR categories as dictated by Open Division DSR rules given above. They are eligible only for Junior Division awards for individual species and Junior Division Championships; Junior anglers are not eligible for awards in the Open Division. REMINDER: Please make certain that the registration card shows the contestant is a Junior Division angler!
OFFSHORE JUNIOR DIVISION CHAMPION and RUNNER-UP
Offshore Champion and Offshore Runner-Up in the Junior Division shall be determined in the same manner as for the Open Division competition, including the same tie-breaker rules.
BAY-SURF DIVISION JINIOR CHAMPION AND RUNNER-UP
Bay-Surf Champion and Bay-Surf Runner-Up in the Junior Division shall be determined in the same manner as for the Open Division competition, including the same tie-breaker rules.
PIGGY PERCH DIVISION
All boys and girls 12 years of age or younger are eligible to participate in the Piggy Perch Division. Fishing days are the same as the tournament. Ages 5 and younger will fish at 9:00 am and ages 6 to 12 will fish at 9:45 am. Children should meet at the Robert’s Point Park Pavilion at least 15 minutes before fishing time. No registration is necessary as the judges will register the children when they weigh in. Each child should bring a towel and a five-gallon bucket. Bait and tackle will be provided and each child must fish with the gear provided. Contestants 6 and older are encouraged to fish without assistance except in the case of special needs children. The boy and girl in each age group with the smallest, largest, and most fish will receive an award. The judges will also be looking for a child who demonstrates good sportsmanship to receive a special award. Awards will be presented at the Deep Sea Roundup awards ceremony. ALL CONTESTANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO TRY AND KEEP THEIR FISH ALIVE TO BE RELEASED AFTER WEIGH IN.
GENERAL INFORMATION
All contestants must have a Texas fishing license and appropriate federal permits, if needed.
Weigh station will open at 1:00 pm each day.
All fish must be in edible condition.
A Deep Sea Roundup Judge must weigh and measure all tournament fish entries and the contestant or their guide must approve the figures with his/her signature on the scorecard. Gaff hook marks are not considered mutilation. Firearms, Bangsticks, Spear Guns, or Harpoons may not be used on any fish. Contestants may fish aboard any vessel as long as all tournament rules are followed. This includes private boats, charter boats, and party (head) boats. NOTE: In the Billfish and Tarpon Release Divisions, everyone on the vessel must be a registered contestant. This includes deckhands, mates and non-fishing spectators, no exceptions!!! Fish which have a minimum or maximum size limit will be disqualified if, in the judge’s opinion, the head or tail has been altered or damaged and cannot be measured accurately. All fish must be caught on a single rod and reel using bait and hooks or lures and hooks. All fish must be weighed in the day in which they were caught. The maximum allowable line and tackle size is 130-pound test line, excluding leader. Deep Sea Roundup encourages all contestants to practice catch and release with fish that are not in contention for a trophy.
Judges decisions will be final in all cases and all contestants are subject to a polygraph test by Deep Sea Roundup Officials.
Each contestant agrees to submit to a polygraph examination at the sole discretion of the Deep Sea Roundup Officials. Any contestant who fails to take the polygraph examination shall be automatically disqualified.
Any contestant who wishes to report a violation of Deep Sea Roundup rules shall notify the Deep Sea Roundup Officials or the head weigh-in judge of the violation on the day of the alleged violation. The contestant reporting the violation shall put the incident in writing, detailing the specific Deep Sea Roundup rule which has been violated. The written protest shall be hand delivered to the Deep Sea Roundup Officials or the head weigh-in judge no later than Ten (10:00) PM on Saturday. Any reported violation not made in conformity with these requirements will not be considered. The decision of the Deep Sea Roundup Officials will be final in all cases.