There is one (1) eligible general division for this tournament: (1) Heaviest Overall Tuna. Trophies and cash awards will be presented to the top three teams (1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place) for the three (3) heaviest single tuna overall in the general entry division. Teams may consist of no more than six (6) registered anglers, one (1) captain, and two (2) mates for a total of nine (9) registered team members

Eligible Species: Bluefin Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna, and Bigeye Tuna

ENTRY FEES AND OPTIONAL JACKPOTS

GENERAL ENTRY: $500

ALL IN: $41,000

ANGLING & TACKLE RULES

1. Teams must strictly abide by all California and NMFS Fisheries laws. All boated fish must be called in to official tournament headquarters on VHF radio or by telephone. VHF radio channel and phone number to be provided at Captain’s meeting.
2. Fish must be caught on standard rod and reel equipment during advertised tournament hours from lines in at 5:30am Friday, August 22^nd until lines out at 4:00pm on Saturday, August 23^rd. 
3. Teams may use live bait or dead bait. Live and dead bait chumming is permitted. 
4. 130 LB manufacturers stated maximum line class.
5. Leader length shall not exceed 30 feet in length.
6. No electric reels, spears, or harpoons are permitted in the landing of any fish. Electric reels are permitted for flying kites & for hookless teasers.
7. Anglers may receive assistance from their captain/crew in hooking their fish. Because this is a fun tournament, it is perfectly acceptable for registered anglers and crew to hook the fish and pass registered anglers the rod. Registered anglers may take turns fighting fish with other registered anglers.
8. Anglers must fight all fish with the rod fully removed from fixed rod holders. Use of a fighting chair, bracing the rod on the gunnel or using a rod assist device is permitted.

All rules will be covered thoroughly at the Captain’s Meetings and streamed virtually on August 20^th, 2025. Any last-minute changes which will be enforced.   We recommend at least one member from each team attend the Captain’s Meetings.  It is the responsibility of each team to read and understand all tournament rules.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

• Tuesday, August 19^th – San Diego Marlin Club
  1. 3:00pm – 6:00pm – Team Registration + Check In
  2. 6:30pm – Captains Meeting
• Wednesday, August 20^th – Pelagic Headquarters
  1. 3:00pm – 6:00pm – Team Registration + Check In
  2. 6:30pm – Captains Meeting
• Thursday, August 21^st – Departure Day 12:00pm 
• Friday, August 22^nd – Fishing Day 1
  1. 5:30am – Lines in
  2. 4:00pm – 8:00pm – Weigh Stations Open (TBD)
• Saturday, August 23^rd – Fishing Day 2
  1. 4:00pm – Lines Out
  2. 4:00pm – 10:00pm – Weigh Stations Open (TBD)
• Sunday, August 24^th – Dana Point Yacht Club
  1. Morning – Polygraph Hours
  2. 4:30pm – 5:00pm – Awards Ceremony

FISHING HOURS & DEPARTURE TIME: Teams are permitted to fish continuously from 7:00am on August 22^nd through August 23^rd until lines out at 4:00pm. Teams may depart from any Southern California marina or launch facility on Thursday, August 21^st from 12:00pm on. Video documentation of departure time must be provided and is explained in the video documentation requirements section below.

FISHING BOUNDARIES: There are no boundaries as to where teams can fish. Fishing in Mexican waters is permitted if all team members abide by Federal, State, and Mexican fishing laws, bag limits, rules, and regulations. This includes required passports, biosphere bracelets for the Coronado’s, California fishing licenses and Mexican fishing licenses. It is the responsibility of each team to know and understand all laws, regulations/permits, and requirements. Teams caught fishing without the proper licensing/permits or ignoring bag limits, will be disqualified from the tournament. As long as teams are back at an official weigh station and are in line and registered with weigh master for weigh in, no later than 10:00pm on Saturday, August 23^rd, fish will be eligible to be scored. Fish that arrive at the scales after 10:00pm will not count in the tournament. 

WEIGH-IN (TUNA, DORADO, YELLOWTAIL): All teams must weigh their fish at an official tournament weigh stations during weigh station hours to be eligible and scored.

OFFICIAL WEIGH STATIONS: The Marlin Club San Diego, The Balboa Angling Club, and Catalina Island

WEIGH STATION HOURS: TBD

All fish must come to the scales on the vessel they were caught on and vessels must be officially registered in the Pelagic California Tuna Challenge. Absolutely no fish may be brought to the scales by vehicle or any means other than on the vessel they were caught on, no exceptions for any reason whatsoever. All winning teams must pass a tournament provided polygraph test before official results are posted & made final. 

VIDEO DOCUMENTATION: Properly documented video evidence of each team leaving their port of embarkation on Thursday, August 21^st at 12:00pm or later, must be provided to tournament officials at weigh in. The video must show marina breakwater, the captain, team number, and time and date of vessel departure. 

HEAVIEST TUNA GENERAL ENTRY – SCORING OVERVIEW

There is one (1) Gamefish Division in the general tournament, in which the following rules apply: At the end of tournament fishing, teams may weigh their respective tuna. However, only their single-heaviest tuna will be scored in the general division. At the end of the final day of tournament fishing, team rankings (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd) will be determined by a team’s single heaviest tuna, throughout the two-day tournament. 

SCORING: Teams will receive 1-point per pound of scored gamefish, rounded to the nearest tenth (i.e. 17.2 points).   

Minimum Weight per fish to Qualify = 15.0 lbs. teams will be awarded 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place cash and prizes.

If only 1^st and 2^nd place are handed out, the 3^rd place money will be evenly distributed amongst 1^st and 2^nd.  If only one team places in the general entry, 1^st place will receive the money from 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd.

The tail of each fish brought to the scales will be clipped, signifying that it has been weighed and scored.  All fish that appear to have been altered, spoiled, mutilated or frozen will be disqualified, per the discretion of tournament officials.  Any boat which enters a fish that is proven to have been weight-altered, frozen, or previously weighed will be disqualified from the tournament.

GENERAL ENTRY & AWARDS PAYOUTS

All teams must pay the fee for the General Entry category to participate in the tournament and be eligible for awards. 

After applying a 20% administration fee against the total general entry amount to arrive at total available prize money, 100% of the remaining General Entry purse is allocated to the heaviest tuna division, which pays 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place. 

Within the General Entry division (heaviest tuna overall), the prize money will be awarded as follows: 65% to 1st place; 25% to 2nd place; and 10% to 3rd place.

NOTE: In the event of a tie in the general tournament, the higher seeding will go to the team that first weighed their fish. Although unlikely, if no qualifying tuna are scored during the tournament, the entry money (minus a 20% tournament administration fee) will be redistributed via wire transfer.

OPTIONAL JACKPOTS

OPTIONAL JACKPOTS: Teams have the option of raising the stakes by placing bets in optional jackpot categories. Jackpot winners will be determined by single-heaviest qualifying fish in the single heaviest fish categories and by their heaviest two (2) tuna fish aggregate in the two fish tuna jackpot category. The tournament offers an 80% total (net) payout on jackpot categories.

GAMEFISH TIE BREAKERS/ROLLOVERS: In the event of a tie in any of the gamefish jackpots (tuna, dorado, yellowtail), money will be split evenly between the teams with the tied weight. In the unlikely event that no qualifying fish are scored in a given jackpot category during the tournament, the monies collected for the unfulfilled jackpot category will be paid back to each respective entrant of that category, minus the 20% administrative fees.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

NOTES ON CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS: Credit card payments will require a surcharge of 3.5%; All credit card charges are made by Pelagic Tournaments, LLC

REGISTRATION: All teams wishing to enter the Pelagic California Tuna Challenge tournament must complete registration online at www.PelagicTournaments.com; or during Team Check-In/Registration on Tuesday, August 19^th, 2025  at The Marlin Club of San Diego, and Wednesday, August 20^th, at Pelagic Headquarters.  Tournament entry fees and optional jackpots must be determined, listed, and payment received at the time of registration. As a condition of entry, all anglers and persons on any boat shall be required to execute a release of claims for injury or loss in favor of Pelagic and its affiliates.

FORM 1099, TAXES, & FEES: All monies won in the Pelagic California Tuna Challenge tournament are subject to taxing and you will receive a 1099 form from Pelagic Tournaments, LLC and may be asked to execute a W-9 and a release in favor of the tournament company as a condition of awarding your prize monies. Please expect a 30 to 60-day processing period to receive any cash winnings. Winners will be paid via wire transfer only; no wire fees apply.

PERMITS AND LICENSES: It is the responsibility of registered boat captains and anglers to comply with all United States Federal and State laws regarding fishing licenses, size limits, bag limits and any other regulations that may apply. This is a requirement of California and NMFS and is not a tournament rule – permit and licensing infractions have no bearing on tournament results or awards. 

PROTESTS: Any protests must be made in writing and presented to the tournament director accompanied by $500 cash, NO LATER than 10:00pm on Saturday, August 23^rd, 2025. You will be asked to provide a statement and any photo/video or other form of supporting documentation surrounding the claim.   Protests will be ruled on by Tournament Director and supporting staff; provided that the decision of the Tournament Director is final.  Any verbal/physical abuse or threats made to tournament staff or disparagement (whether orally, in writing, or on social media or any other forum) of Pelagic Tournaments LLC, PELAGIC or their personal staff is grounds for team disqualification for this and future tournaments without refund. A successful protest will result in a reimbursement of the $500 fee.  A failed protest is non-refundable, with the $500 fee being retained by Pelagic Tournaments LLC or at its election donated to a charity of its choice. Pelagic Tournaments LLC reserves the right to deny entry to any individual or team for any lawful reason. Tournament Officials’ rulings on release evidence are final; there will be no protests allowed for video evidence.  Submitted tournament videos may be used by Pelagic, Inc. and/ Pelagic Tournaments, LLC for marketing or other purposes, worldwide, in Pelagic’s sole discretion. 

VIDEO RELEASE: The Pelagic California Tuna Challenge tournament, Pelagic Tournaments LLC, Pelagic Inc and their respective affiliates, have the right, but not the obligation, to post and/or use for any purpose, all video, photos and imaging submitted to the tournament or taken by Pelagic Inc or Pelagic Tournaments LLC, on a worldwide basis, in perpetuity, for marketing, advertising or any other purposes in Pelagic’s discretion.

RIGHT TO POLYGRAPH TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANTS: The Pelagic California Tuna Challenge tournament reserves the right to polygraph all tournament winners at its discretion. Any teams caught cheating or falsifying video release verification will be disqualified with no refund and could possibly be banned from entering any future Pelagic or Pelagic Tournaments events.

Have further questions? Please send an email [re: 2025 Cali Tuna Challenge] and one of our Tournament Officials will contact you shortly.

US Contact/Tournament Director – Tony DiGiulian: tony@pelagicgear.com (954) 895-6635 (Call, Text, and WhatsApp)