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KINGFISH KICKOFF TOURNAMENT

July 17th, 2027   Jim King Park and Boat Ramp at Sisters Creek   Jacksonville, FL

Entry Fee:

$325 ​

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EVENT INFORMATION

 The Kingfish Kickoff is a tournament fished within state waters (3 miles out) from Brunswick inlet to the Flagler Pier. The top prize is $50,000 cash (based on 300 Entries), and we will pay down to at least 20 places. The Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament will be held the following week, with top prize of Custom 28T Contender. Annually, the Tournament attracts thousands of spectators who watch the weigh-in and enjoy the festivities. Favorite attractions include the Food Festival; the Liars’ Tent, featuring music and refreshments, exhibitors and vendors, boat display, and the Boatique.

July 17, 2027

Schedule of Events

JULY 14 Wednesday

Site Registration: ALL TOURNAMENTS

10:00 am - 3:00 pm

JULY 15 Thursday

10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Site Registration: ALL TOURNAMENTS

05:00 pm

Site Open: Food, Boatique, Raffles, Exhibitors, Liar's Tent

06:30 pm

CAPTAIN'S MEETING: ALL TOURNAMENTS

JULY 16 Friday

12:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Site Registration: ALL TOURNAMENTS

JULY 17 Saturday

KINGFISH KICKOFF BEACH TOURNMENT

06:00 am

Enter Atlantic Ocean

03:00 pm

Weigh-in Opens

01:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Site Open: Food, Boatique, Raffles, Exhibitors, Liar's Tent

05:30 pm

Be in line at Sisters Creek to weigh fish

8/19/2026 *Schedule subject to change

PRESENTED BY

TOURNAMENT SPONSORS

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Top prize

$50,000 cash

20 Places

All advertised cash prizes are based upon a minimum of 300 paid entries to the Tournament, and the Tournament reserves the right to adjust the prize structure if there are less or more than 300 paid entries.

TOURNAMENT PRIZES

BEACH TOURNAMENT RULES

REGISTRATION

  1.  Entry fees are non-refundable.

  2.  Payment of the entry fee constitutes a representation of each Captain that the Captain has read and understands the Tournament Rules and Procedures and that the Captain and crew will abide by such rules and the decisions of the Tournament’s Committees and Tournaments personnel.

  3. The Tournament reserves the right to deny participation to any Captain or crew member, who may have violated tournament rules in any previous tournament.

CAPTAIN’S MEETINGS

    4.  Captains or their authorized representatives must attend the Captain’s Meeting. Captains are responsible for being                   informed of all Tournament Rules and Procedures, including any amendments made prior to the start of fishing.

    5.The Tournament Rules Committee may amend the Tournament Rules at any time prior to the end of the Captain’s                    Meeting.

PRIZES

     6. All advertised cash prizes are based upon a minimum of 300 paid entries to the Tournament, and the Tournament                     reserves the right to adjust the prize structure if there are less or more than 300 paid entries.

BOATING SAFETY

     7. Each boat must meet all Federal, State, and Local laws and safety regulations for its size. All Captains are responsible           for compliance with all applicable Federal, State, and Local fishing laws and regulations by the Captain’s boat and by             all members of the Captain’s crew.

     8. All Captains are responsible for monitoring the official Tournament radio channel (CH 78) for Tournament                             announcements.

     9. Violation of anystatute or marine regulation or directive by a Captain or crew may be grounds for disqualification in               the sole discretion of the Tournament’s Rules Committee.

    10. All boats must leave from any inlet within the Tournament Boundaries. No boat can enter the Atlantic Ocean Prior to             6:00 am.

    11. All boats intending to weigh fish must be in line at the Tournament Site (Jim King Boat Ramp and Park at Sisters                   Creek) prior to 5:30 PM. Weigh-in opens at 3:00 pm.

LAND WEIGH-IN

    12. Fish brought to the scales by vehicle must be at the Tournament Site (Jim King Boat Ramp and Park at Sisters Creek)            scales not later than 5:30 PM and you must have your boat number (and Lady Angler number if a lady Angler fish).                All other weigh-in procedures apply

FISHING

    13. In the event, any boats come together, regardless of the reason, or anything is passed between boats for any reason                  after the official start of fishing and before each boat has weighed in, then both such boats may be disqualified for that            day of fishing. The Rules Committee may grant exceptions for emergency situations.

BOUNDARIES for Beach Tournament

    14. All boats must remain within the Tournament Boundaries in the Atlantic Ocean during fishing hours and while                        catching bait. The Tournament boundaries to the East are State Waters (3 Miles). The North Tournament Boundary is              located at Brunswick inlet, The South Tournament Boundary is located at the Flagler Beach Pier.

    15. Hours of fishing are from 6:00 AM until 5:30 PM unless amended by the Tournament’s Rules Committee.

    16. No boat is allowed to leave their inlet before 6:00AM on the scheduled day of the Kickoff Beach Tournament. NO                  purchasing live bait and NO penning up bait is allowed. You may purchase dead bait. Four hours of fishing constitutes            a day of fishing. All fish caught must be by rod and reel Special exceptions may be granted by the rules committee, in            advance of the tournament, by request. The use of any aerial device, (drone, airplane, helicopter) is prohibited.

    17. If a fish is hooked and while fighting the fish, you are taken out of bounds you may continue to fight the fish until it is            caught or lost. You may not deploy lines until you have returned to the legal boundaries of the Tournament.

WEIGHING IN FISH

    18. One Kingfish will be eligible for weigh-in on the day of the Tournament. All fish weighed become the property of the            Tournament.

    19. All fish submitted for weigh-in must be of legal size, fresh, edible condition, and caught on the same tournament day.            The Tournament Weigh Master's decision regarding whether a fish is qualified to be weighed shall be final and                         binding on all Tournament participants.

    20. Fish to be weighed must be put on the dock and carried to the scales by a member of the boat’s crew but may have                  assistance at the discretion of the Weigh Master. Shoes are required by all participants coming to the scales.

    21. After a fish is boated, a photo with the tournament issued OFFICIAL Boat Number on the water with the beach in                the background must be taken as soon as possible and sent via text to 904-374-2042. If there is no photo submitted              the fish will not be qualified to win any prize. The photo must be submitted no later than 5:30 PM. You will receive a              response from the Tournament to confirm receipt of your photo.

     22. The Lady Angler Division is a stand-alone Tournament. In the spirit of competition, it is the intent of the Tournament             to have the Lady Angler fight her fish to the boat. The Lady Angler will not be required to carry the fish to the Weigh-           In Scale, but she must accompany it, and she may have assistance at the discretion of the Dock Master. The Lady                   Angler must be registered in the Lady Angler Division and will be issued a Lady Angler number when the Captain                 picks up their boat number. A Lady Angler’s fish will only count for the Lady Angler Division. The Captain must                   decide at the weigh-in dock whether each fish will be weighed in the Kickoff Beach Tournament or in the Lady                      Angler Division and the decision is final. After a fish is boated, a photo with the tournament issued OFFICIAL LADY            ANGLER Number on the water with the beach in the background must be taken as soon as possible and sent via text              to 904-374-2042. If there is no photo submitted the fish will not be qualified to win any prize. The photo must be                    submitted no later than 5:30 PM. You will receive a response from the Tournament to confirm receipt of your photo.

      23. All information printed on the weigh-in slip, including but not limited to the official weight, as accepted by the                        person who brings the fish to the scale, is binding on the Captain.

      24. In the event of a tie in fish weights, the winner shall be determined by the earliest time your fish is weighed at the                    official tournament scales.

PROTESTS

      25. Any protest must be submitted to the Weigh Master, in person and in writing, within one hour after the closing of the              weigh station on the day the disqualifying event occurs. Only the registered Captain or one of the crew with his                      weigh slip may file a protest. A three hundred-dollar ($300) Cash deposit must accompany each protest. In the event              the protest is upheld, the deposit will be refunded. If the protest is not upheld, the deposit will be forfeited. The final              decisions of the Tournament Rules Committee are binding regarding any protest.

POLYGRAPH

     26. All Captains and crew agree to submit to a polygraph at the request of the Tournament. Failure to take, pass, and/or                submit to the polygraph will result in disqualification of the Captain and crew and will forfeit all winnings. Each                    contestant selected for polygraph must have in their possession a valid picture ID and a Florida State fishing license.

MISCELLANEOUS

     27. Any matter not specifically covered by these rules may be decided by and at the sole discretion of the Tournament                  Rules Committee and final decisions of the Tournament Rules Committee shall be binding. The Tournament reserves              the right to delay, cancel, or reschedule the Tournament if conditions, including but not limited to the weather                          conditions, are unfavorable or unsafe in the sole judgment of the Tournament Rules Committee. The Tournament                    Rules Committee reserves the right to amend any rule due to safety concerns. If the Tournament shall be delayed                    canceled or rescheduled due to any cause beyond the control of Jacksonville Marine Charities, Inc. d/b/a The Greater            Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament, no entry fee shall be refunded to the entrants and entrants shall have no claim                    against Jacksonville Marine Charities, Inc., for return of any portion of the entry fee.                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Approved 11/01/2026

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