Blue Marlin Grand Championship Fishing Tournament | The Wharf | Orange Beach, Alabama 

Tournament Entry & Registration

TOURNAMENT ENTRY*
Tournament registration is $8,000.

REGISTRATION

• Teams may register via Catchstat at bmgc.catchstat.com
• Teams may pay the entry fee in full or submit a $1,000 nonrefundable deposit upon registration.
• Entry payments can be made via check, wire transfer or credit card. You will find these details on Catchstat as part of your registration.
• Tournament entry balance is due before July 12th, 2023

*Blue Marlin Grand Championship reserves the right to refuse application or entry into the Tournament at its discretion with or without cause.

Tournament Format, Payout and Optional Cash Awards

TOURNAMENT FORMAT & PAYOUT

The Tournament format will be split between weighed Blue Marlin, Catch and Release, and Gamefish.

40% of Total Tournament Payout will be paid to Weighed Blue Marlin.
Places: 1st (50%), 2nd (30%), 3rd (20%)*

40% of Total Tournament Payout will be paid to Billfish Catch and Release.
Places: 1st (50%), 2nd (30%), 3rd (20%)*

20% of Total Tournament Payout will be paid to Gamefish. Split evenly between Tuna, Dolphin and Wahoo.
Places: 1st (50%), 2nd (30%), 3rd (20%)*

*If only two eligible fish in a Tournament entry category are weighed, the payout will be split 1st Place (60%) and 2nd Place (40%). If only one eligible fish is weighed in a category, that fish sweeps the category. If no gamefish are caught in a category, the total Tournament Cash Awards for the category will be evenly distributed between the remaining two categories then paid 50%/30%/20% (1st - 3rd)

OPTIONAL CASH AWARDS:
Teams may enter Optional Cash Awards categories online before the Tournament at bmgc.catchstat.com or at Check in/ Optional registration at the Orange Beach Event Center on Wednesday, July 12th, from 3:00-8:00 PM.

Optional Cash Awards Payouts: Optional Cash Awards entry fees will have a 90% return.
Places: 1st (50%), 2nd (30%), 3rd (20%)**
** One team entered will be refunded in full, two teams entered will be 60/40 split, and 3 or more teams will be the standard 50/30/20 split.

Determination of Tournament Winners

The heaviest Blue Marlin weighed will be awarded 1st place in the Weighed Blue Marlin Tournament Payout and will be Tournament Champion. 2nd and 3rd place follows sequence according to heaviest weighed.

If a team catches multiple Blue Marlin on separate days/ trips:

Each fish will be eligible to place in the Weighed Blue Marlin Tournament Payout category. Each fish will be weighed and scored independently.

If no eligible Blue Marlin are weighed, Tournament entry fees for weighed Blue Marlin will roll over to Catch & Release.

Tournament Schedule

Wednesday, July 12th
3PM - 8PM Team Check-in & Final Optional Cash Awards Entry
Held at The Orange Beach Event Center

Thursday, July 13th
9AM Mandatory Captain's Meeting Held at The Orange Beach Event Center
10:01 AM Tournament Departure from The Wharf Marina
A Work of Art will lead teams from the Wharf through Perdido Pass. Boats departing from other marinas in Orange Beach will fall in line.
The Tournament will officially begin with a shotgun start at Noon on VHF 72.

Saturday, July 15th
6:00 PM Tournament Return Demarcation Line Tournament boats must return to The Wharf weigh-in through Mobile Pass and must be visually confirmed by Tournament spotters at the official demarcation line between ICW markers #103 & #104 at Sailboat Bay by 6 PM.

Boats not inside demarcation line by 6 PM will be ineligible to weigh-in or submit Catch & Release video.
Boats may not return to the Wharf via Perdido Pass.

Sunday, July 16th
9 AM Tournament Awards Breakfast in the Orange Beach Event Center

Tournament Eligible Fish

The following species and size limits of gamefish, when caught in the Gulf of Mexico per all Tournament Rules, will be eligible for Tournament awards. The use of dart gaffs and harpoons is prohibited.

No Tournament boat may be in possession of more than one Blue Marlin at a time.

Culling/ Discarding of previously caught billfish is prohibited.

Blue Marlin removed from the water for the purpose of deck checking will be disqualified.

Weighed Blue Marlin 110 inch minimum length. Lower Jaw Fork Length (LJFL). The length of a fish as measured from the tip of its lower jaw to the fork of the tail (over body of fish measurement method).

Video back up of all boated Blue Marlin is recommended.

Billfish Catch & Release Rules & Scoring

Billfish are considered caught when the leader connection or swivel touches the tip of the rod or the mate or other team member touches the leader.

Billfish removed from the water or boated and deck checked will be disqualified.

Verified video releases are scored: