PELAGIC Rockstar Offshore Tournament® – Quepos, Costa Rica – January 9 – 12, 2025

With over $1,000,000¹ in prize money up for grabs, the PELAGIC Rockstar Offshore Tournament® is Central America’s largest and richest sportfishing tournament. Angling teams from across the globe travel to Quepos, Costa Rica to compete over two days of fishing for the prestigious title of Tournament Grand Champion and for some serious cash. Target species include sailfish, marlin, tuna, and dorado.  Join us at Marina Pez Vela - a modern, world class yacht harbor with restaurants, bars, and retail shopping - for a weekend on the Pacific Ocean with a festival-like atmosphere featuring rock concerts, Costa Rican hospitality, and some of the best fishing on the planet. 

Tournament Schedule:

• Thursday, January 9^th – Team Check In, Captain’s Meeting, & Kickoff Party
• Friday & Saturday, January 10^th – 11^th – Tournament Fishing days
• Sunday, January 12^th – Awards Ceremony

Summary of Entry Fees & Optional Jackpots:

• General Entry: $4,500
• All In (Sonar Division): $66,500
• All In (Non-Sonar division): $46,500

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Entry Fees & Optional Jackpots Breakdown:

NEW THIS YEAR – Sonar and Non-Sonar boats will compete separately for general entry billfish prize money and trophy categories. General entry billfish payouts will be determined by the quantity of Sonar/Non-Sonar boats entered in the tournament. Billfish and Marlin Only Optional Daily Jackpots are divided into two divisions: sonar and non-sonar boats.

All boats will compete together in the gamefish divisions general entry prize money and trophy categories, as well as gamefish optional jackpots. 

GENERAL ENTRY AND GAMEFISH OPTIONAL DAILY JACKPOTS

  ¹Estimated prize money based on number of entries and optional jackpot participation.

BILLFISH AND MARLIN ONLY OPTIONAL DAILY JACKPOTS

NEW THIS YEAR

• Billfish Division General Entry and Optional Daily Jackpots are divided into two categories: sonar and non-sonar
• The $3k Billfish Release Overall Optional Jackpot will be awarded as follows: 60% to 1^st place, 30% to 2^nd place, and 10% to 3^rd place for most billfish released over two days
• The Winner Takes All (WTA) Billfish Optional Jackpot pays 100% back to the single winning team with the most billfish released over two days

PAYMENT DEADLINES

SONAR DEFINITION

Side Scanning Sonar vs. Traditional Fish Finder:

All fish finders work as echo sounders and are a form of sonar; for this tournament, Sonar vs. Non-Sonar is defined by the following: 

Any vessel with sonar that requires a transducer mounted to a shaft or “Staff” that extends from or through the hull/keel of the vessel like a periscope and with the capability to rotate and view the water from 1 – 360 degrees will be deemed as a Sonar equipped vessel. These vessels can only enter and fish the “Sonar” optional jackpot Division.   A good example of this type of Sonar would be any system that works like the Furuno Omni Sonar or the Koden KDS 6000 Sonar.

Any vessel with a traditional fish finder with a “fixed” transducer and with no extending shaft and no ability to rotate the transducer in any direction will be deemed as a non-sonar vessel and are eligible to fish the “non-sonar” optional jackpot division. 

Teams with “non-sonar” designation may opt to fish in the “sonar” designated divisions but must choose one or the other.

The decision of the Tournament Director with respect to a review of the sonar vs. non-sonar distinction with respect to a particular boat or crew or fish will be binding and final.

GENERAL TOURNAMENT RULES

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. There are four (4) eligible divisions included in the general entry for this tournament, in which all boats compete: (i) Billfish Sonar, (ii) Billfish Non-Sonar (iii) Tuna, and (iv) Dorado. Trophies and cash awards will be presented to the top three teams (1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place) for their aggregate performance in each division over two days of fishing.

ANGLING & TACKLE RULES

1. Teams must strictly abide by Costa Rica’s Fisheries laws: all billfish must be released; offset circle hooks are forbidden.
2. Fish must be caught on standard rod and reel equipment during advertised tournament hours of 8:30am-4:30pm on January 10-11^th, 2025.
3. Teams may use live bait or dead bait, with non-offset, in-line circle hooks or lures with standard J-Hooks, so long as offset circle hooks are not used.
4. 130LB manufacturers stated maximum line class.
5. Leader length shall not exceed 30 feet in length.
6. Maximum combined length of double line and leader shall be limited to 40 feet.
7. No electric reels, spears, or harpoons are permitted.
8. Fishing Boundaries: Teams must fish within a 50-mile radius from the Marina Pez Vela buoy.
9. 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; however, after the initial pass there are no additional passes of the rod allowed. Angling must be done by the angler who received the rod after it was hooked and passed.  Note: See Gamefish Divisions for tuna exception

All rules to be covered thoroughly at the Captain’s Meeting on January 9, 2025, including last minute changes which will be enforced. We recommend at least one member from each team attend the Captain’s Meeting.  It is the responsibility of each team to read and understand all tournament rules.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

• Thursday, January 9^th – Tournament Headquarters, Marina Pez Vela
  • 3:00pm – 6:30pm – Mandatory Team Check In/Registration
  • 7:00pm – Captain’s Meeting
  • 7:30pm – Kick Off Party
• Friday, January 10^th – Fishing Day 1
  • 6:45am – Starting Line
  • 7:00am – Shotgun Start (Optional)
  • 8:30am – Lines-In/Start Fishing
  • 4:30pm – Lines Out/Stop Fishing
  • 4:30pm – 7:00pm – Gamefish Weigh-Ins
  • 4:30pm – 7:00pm –Video Release Review
• Saturday, January 11^th – Fishing Day 2
  • 6:45am – Starting Line
  • 7:00am – Shotgun Start (Optional)
  • 8:30am – Lines-In/Start Fishing
  • 4:30pm – Lines Out/Stop Fishing
  • 4:30pm – 7:00pm – Gamefish Weigh-Ins
  • 4:00pm – 7:00pm –Video Release Review
• Sunday, January 12^th – Marina Pez Vela
  • 5:30pm – 7:30pm – Awards Ceremony and Party

DAILY FISHING HOURS: 8:30AM – 4:30PM – All tournament boats will line up in front of Marina Pez Vela by 6:45am for an official shotgun start at 7:00am. Teams cannot leave for the fishing grounds prior to the 7:00am shotgun start. The shotgun start is optional. Teams that choose not to participate in the shotgun start are asked to stay towards the back of the fleet and may leave for the fishing grounds after the shotgun start has commenced. Lines in will be called on official tournament VHF Channel 21, at 8:30am each day. Fish hooked prior to lines-out at 4:30pm may be fought until released, lost, or boated (in the case of a gamefish), but teams must make it to the scales/stage to check in before closing each day at 7:00 PM.  Hook-ups occurring between 4:20 - 4:30pm must be radioed in on official tournament VHF Channel 21.

DAILY SCHEDULE:

Starting Line: 6:45 AM

Shotgun Start: 7:00 AM

Lines-In: 8:30 AM

Lines-Out: 4:30 PM

Scales/video review Open: 4:30 PM

Scales/video review Close: 7:00 PM

WEIGH-IN: 4:30PM – 7:00PM – At the end of each fishing day, weigh-in will be hosted at the designated location in Marina Pez Vela.   Scales open at 4:30pm and close at 7:00pm; however, if there are fish waiting to be weighed past official close time, they will be accepted, so long as team has properly checked in with the weighmaster prior to 7:00pm and met the other rules.  

BILLFISH RELEASE VIDEO DOCUMENTATION: 4:30PM – 7:00PM – At the end of each fishing day, teams will be asked to drop off billfish release scorecards and provide video evidence of each individual billfish release at the official documentation station located at Tournament HQ in Marina Pez Vela. 

BILLFISH RELEASE DIVISION – SCORING OVERVIEW

PLEASE NOTE ALL BILLFISH MUST BE RELEASED IN ADHERENCE TO COSTA RICA FISHERIES LAWS.

The team which scores the most billfish release points combined over the two (2) days of tournament fishing will win the Billfish Release Division.  All billfish releases must be radioed into radio control (VHF Primary Channel 21, Backup Channel 27), recorded on video, and documented in your catch log. Qualifying billfish species are sailfish, striped marlin, blue marlin, and black marlin. Teams will be ranked based on their two-day combined release point total: 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place will be awarded. 

Points are scored as follows:

NOTE:  Billfish that cannot be clearly identified in video will be scored 100 points

BILLFISH RELEASE VIDEO REQUIREMENTS

Properly documented video evidence of each released billfish must be provided to tournament officials at the end of each fishing day.  To be scored, the release video must contain a continuous sequence with the following five (5) items:

1. Ability to show correct time/date on all release videos
2. A registered tournament angler fighting the fish
3. A mate touching the leader with the fish boat side. To identify species, clear video showing the fish’s distinctive traits must be provided. Billfish that cannot be unmistakably identified will be scored at 100 points
4. Tournament provided color-coded scorecard in clear view with fish in sight, to mark completion of a catch
5. Video of the leader being cut or the fish unhooked and released, followed by at least 3 seconds of continuous video showing the fish no longer attached

If proper video is not supplied, your catch will not be scored.  Teams must supply their own video recording device with ability to show time/date.  Tournament Officials’ rulings on release evidence are final; there will be no protests allowed for video evidence.  All submitted tournament videos may be used by Pelagic, Inc. for marketing or other purposes, worldwide, in Pelagic’s sole discretion.

IN EVENT OF A TIE (BILLFISH DIVISION): If there is a tie in aggregate billfish release points by multiple teams at the end of the two-day tournament, rankings will be determined by the first team to reach their aggregate point total by time of catch.

Example: If “Team A” reached their point total at 1:00pm and “Team B” reached their point total at 2:00pm, “Team A” beats “Team B”.  PLEASE NOTE: make sure your video time/date profiles are accurate to Costa Rica time zone!

GAMEFISH DIVISIONS: TUNA & DORADO – SCORING OVERVIEW

There are two (2) Gamefish Divisions, in which the following rules apply: At the end of each day of tournament fishing, teams may weigh their respective tuna and dorado. Each team may weigh up to two (2) fish per species each day; however, only their single-heaviest tuna and dorado will be scored that day. At the end of the final day of tournament fishing, team rankings will be determined for each gamefish division based on their aggregate two-fish per species weight (single-heaviest each day) throughout the two-day tournament.

NEW THIS YEAR - In the Tuna Division only, it is acceptable to use a one-time angler switch during one tuna battle per day, per team. The following procedures must be followed for the fish to be eligible to score points in the tournament:

1. One angler switch per day for tuna only
2. The switch must be between two registered anglers; registered crew members can assist in the switch but may not turn the reel handle and gain line at any time during the switch.
3. The captain must report the switch to radio control prior to the switch being made. Angler switch must be videoed, submitted, and reviewed at tournament headquarters for fish to be scored in the tournament.

NOTE: If no qualifying gamefish are caught in a given division, entries for that species will be rolled to the opposite gamefish division (i.e. if no qualifying dorado scored, then money rolls to tuna division; and vice versa).  If no qualifying tuna or dorado are scored, then the money from those divisions rolls to the Billfish Release Division.

SCORING: Teams will receive 1-point per pound of scored gamefish, rounded to the nearest tenth (i.e. 17.2 points). Remember, teams will score their heaviest fish per species per day. 

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

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 caught on another vessel, weight-altered, frozen, previously weighed or otherwise tampered with will be disqualified from the tournament without refund.

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 available prize money, 50% of the general entry prize money is allocated to the Billfish Release Divisions, which pays 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place for Sonar and Non-Sonar boats; and 25% of the general entry prize money is allocated to each of the two (2) individual Gamefish Divisions which pays 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd place per division.  General entry billfish prize money percentages are based on the number of Sonar/Non-Sonar boats and will be distributed accordingly. 

Within each general entry division (Billfish, Dorado, Tuna), the prize money will be awarded as follows: 60% to 1^st place; 30% to 2^nd place; and 10% to 3^rd place. 

OPTIONAL DAILY JACKPOTS/DAILY JACKPOTS

Teams have the option of raising the stakes by placing bets in optional top 3 overall, winner take all and daily jackpots for all three (3) divisional categories, plus the marlin specific jackpot category.  Optional daily jackpots pay only one place per jackpot category per day (winner take all) and will be determined by each day’s single-heaviest qualifying fish in the tuna and dorado jackpot categories; and by the most daily release points in the billfish release and marlin only categories.  

The purchase of a daily jackpot is split evenly over the two-day tournament.

SONAR/NON-SONAR OPTIONAL BILLFISH & MARLIN ONLY DAILY JACKPOTS: Teams have the option of entering billfish and marlin only optional daily jackpots in two categories: sonar equipped boats and non-sonar equipped boats, as defined in the tournament definition provided in this tournament rules kit.

SONAR/NON-SONAR OPTIONAL BILLFISH OVERALL 60/30/10 JACKPOTS: Teams have the option of entering the $3k billfish overall jackpot in either Sonar and Non-Sonar divisions. This optional jackpot pays the top three (3) teams in each division a 60%, 30%, 10% split for their two (2) day billfish release total.

WINNER TAKE ALL BILLFISH OPTIONAL JACKPOTS (WTA): Teams have the option of entering this winner take all jackpot in either Sonar and Non-Sonar divisions. The team with the most billfish release points in each division over two days of fishing in this optional billfish jackpot will be awarded 100% of all monies collected with no administration fees deducted.

TUNA AND DORADO OVERALL TOP THREE JACKPOTS: Teams have the option of entering the $1K gamefish overall optional jackpot which pays 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place to the top three (3) teams with the heaviest combined weight in each gamefish division over two days (two-day aggregate weight of single heaviest fish each day). The top three (3) teams entered in these optional jackpots will split the winnings 60%, 30%, 10%.

IMPORTANT NOTES ON CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS:

1 - Credit card payments will require a payment surcharge of 3.5%;

2 - All credit card charges are made by Pelagic Tournaments LLC.

NOTE: A 20% administration fee is deducted from all general entries & jackpots, so the NET prize money payout on all categories is 80% of gross fees. Winner Take All Optional Jackpot pays 100% back to winning teams with no administration fee.

TIE BREAKERS (GAMEFISH DIVISION): In the event of a tie in any of the gamefish daily jackpots, money will be split evenly between the teams that are tied.    

If no qualifying fish are scored in a jackpot category on day 1 of the tournament, the money for that jackpot will roll over to day 2.  If no qualifying fish are scored in a jackpot category on day 2 of the tournament, the money for that jackpot will roll back to the day 1 winner in that jackpot category.  

In the unlikely event that no qualifying fish are scored in each jackpot category during the two-day 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.

MARLIN ONLY DAILY JACKPOTS: Reserved for Marlin species only (blue marlin, black marlin, and striped marlin), the team in this category that gains the most release points each day will win the respective jackpot level(s).  Same rules, scoring, and tie-breaker procedures apply as listed under the General Tournament Rules, Billfish Release Division, and Optional Daily Jackpots.

Marlin points are scored as listed below:

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

REGISTRATION - All teams wishing to enter the Pelagic Rockstar Offshore Tournament must complete registration online at www.PelagicTournaments.com; or during Team Check-In/Registration on Thursday, January 9^th (3:00-6:30pm) at Tournament HQ. Tournament entry fees and Optional Jackpots must be determined, listed, and payment received at the time of registration.

CHECK IN/CAPTAIN'S MEETING - Check-in/late registration will be held on Thursday, January 9^th (3:00-6:30pm) at Tournament HQ in Marina Pez Vela. Captain’s Meeting will be held in person on the main stage of Marina Pez Vela.  Efforts will be made to virtually stream the event on @PelagicGear’s Instagram social media platform. If there is no stream, it is up to each team to individually know and understand the schedule, rules, and regulations of the tournament, including any updates or amendments announced at the Captain’s Meeting at 7:00pm.

AWARDS CEREMONY - An awards presentation and trophy ceremony will be held on Sunday, January 12th, from 6:00 – 7:30pm, on the main stage of Marina Pez Vela. All teams are invited to join regardless of overall placing in tournament.  Efforts will be made to have a live stream of the ceremony broadcasted via @PelagicGear’s Instagram channel as well.

PROTESTS - Any protests must be made in writing, accompanied by $500 cash, and presented to the tournament director NO LATER than 8:00pm on Saturday, January 11^th, 2025. You will be asked to provide a written statement and any photo/video or other form of supporting documentation surrounding the protest claim. Protests will be ruled on by tournament director and supporting staff; tournament director’s decision 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 personnel or 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 dollar 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.

VIDEO RELEASE - The Pelagic Rockstar 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 other imaging submitted to the tournament or taken by Pelagic, Inc. or Pelagic Tournaments, LLC, on a worldwide basis, in perpetuity, for marketing, advertising or other purposes in Pelagic’s discretion.

RIGHT TO POLYGRAPH TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANTS – The Pelagic Rockstar 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, LLC, events.

WITHDRAWL FROM THE TOURNAMENT – All withdrawals must be submitted in writing. If the withdrawal is received prior to the tournament’s Day 1 Fishing Day, by 8:00am, a full refund will be issued. Once tournament fishing starts there are no refunds for any reason whatsoever.

FORM 1099 – Please note, all monies won in the PELAGIC Rockstar Offshore Tournament® are subject to taxing and you will receive a 1099 form from Pelagic Tournaments, LLC and may be asked to execute a release in favor of the tournament company as a condition of awarding your prize monies. Please expect a 30–60 day processing period for all monies won to be paid. Payout instructions will be delivered to person listed as team contact. Winners will be paid via wire transfer only; no wire fees apply.

CHARTER/LODGING INFORMATION – Visit the link below to view all the various charter operations Marina Pez Vela offers and find the right boat for you.   Remember, each team must bring their own boat or reserve a vessel for charter.  The PELAGIC Rockstar Offshore Tournament® will not provide a boat for you.  There are plenty of great lodging options available for rental very close to the marina as well, but we are not responsible for lodging. 

For details contact: www.marinapezvela.com

Costa Rica: +(506) 2774-9006

Toll Free: 1-866-740-4658

Email: tours@marinapezvela.com

Have further questions? Please send an email [re: 2025 Rockstar Offshore Tournament] 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)

Costa Rica Contact – Alcides Alfaro: alcides@ifishquepos.com

Future Tournament Dates

January 15th - 18th, 2026

January 14th - 17th, 2027