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REGISTRATION

Registration details and tickets coming soon…

FORMAT

Bayou Coast is running Dawn til Dusk 2025 as a Louisiana statewide Catch, Photo, Submit (CPS) tournament through the TourneyX PRO app. Entry into the tournament will be $35 per angler or via the BCKFC Season Pass. There is no requirement for anglers to “release” their fish back into the water. However, anglers are required to follow the strictest interpretation of Louisiana law regarding the keeping of fish as it relates to size and creel limit for all species.

ALLOWED BAIT / TACKLE

Only artificial baits are allowed.  Commercially produced scented baits and attractants are also allowed.

OBJECTIVE

Winner Determination
The angler with the highest total cumulative length is the winner. Number of fish submitted is irrelevant. In the event of a tie, the angler with the longest fish will place higher. If the first fish does not break the tie, the angler’s next largest fish will be used, and so on down their list of submissions. In the event that the anglers are still tied, then the angler who submitted their final fish first that is used in their stringer will win.

Fish Requirements

  • Redfish
  • Limit: 2
  • Minimum length: No minimum
  • Maximum length: 30”, maximum recordable length 29.75″ (Tail CANNOT touch or cross the 30” line)
  • Speckled Trout
  • Limit: 5
  • Minimum length: No minimum
  • Maximum limit: No Maximum

Optional Calcuttas (additional entry each)

Hourly calcuttas will be awarded each hour for submissions occurring in that specific hour. Tie breakers for all calcuttas will be time of submission.

  • Hourly Mule Trout – Longest tournament legal speckled trout.
  • Hourly Stud Red – Longest tournament legal redfish.

LOCATION & BOUNDARIES

You may fish any accessible waters in Louisiana.  All water reachable from the legal launch locations are fishable. All launches (ramps and combat style) must be publicly accessible and non-private. Private launches are only allowed if they are closer than ½ mile from the nearest public launch location. Participants may only utilize those private launches where other anglers can readily access the same fishing grounds. Fishing behind gated areas of the marsh is not allowed unless the angler has arranged for all other participants to also fish the area that day AND has made that possibility known to all by posting appropriate information on our forums at least one week in advance.

TIMES

Tournament Identifier

The three digit tournament identifier will be released on the TourneyX Pro app at 8:00 PM Central Time on Friday May 23, 2025.

Launch

Anglers may launch any time after 12:00 AM Saturday, May 24th, 2025. You may put your kayak in the water any time after 12:00 AM and pedal/paddle to your preferred fishing location, but DO NOT BEGIN FISHING UNTIL the official lines in time.

Lines In

Anglers may begin fishing at 5:00 AM Saturday, May 24th, 2025.

Lines Out

Anglers must stop fishing at 9:00 PM Saturday, May 24th, 2025. Photos taken after exactly 9:00:00 PM will be rejected.

Photo Submission Window

Anglers will have from 5:00 AM until 9:30 PM Saturday, May 24th, 2025 to submit their photos.

AWARDS & CEREMONY

The awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 25th, 2025 at 6:00 PM  and will be streamed on Facebook Live. The TourneyX leaderboard will be turned off until awards are finalized and announced.

Payout, Awards and Championship Qualification

  • Payouts: We will pay out 10% of the field. One paid spot for every 10 anglers that register.
  • Awards: The top 5 finishers and 1st place Saddle Flounder will receive plaques.
  • Championship Qualification: The top 15 finishers will qualify for the BCKFC Championship.
  • Entry Fee Allocation: $18 per entry is allocated to payouts. The remaining funds go towards food, fees, and the Championship.

CPS TOURNAMENT RULES (CATCH, PHOTO, SUBMIT)

TourneyX PRO is the official app and tournament scoring method for Bayou Coast CPS Tournaments. It is available for Apple iOS and Android operating system smartphones. Make sure to download the PRO version as it is the only one that works for BCKFC tournaments. For more information on how to use the TourneyX PRO app you can visit TourneyX Help, or TourneyX Youtube for video tutorials.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

  • A three-digit tournament identifier code will be released in the TourneyX Pro the night before the tournament. This identifier must be clearly visible in every photo (e.g., written on a card or on your hand).
  • Photos of fish must be submitted within the stated submission window for this tournament.
  • Pictures will only be accepted if they include original metadata which contains GPS coordinates. Bayou Coast retains all metadata information which may be reviewed by a single designated tournament director in the event of a valid location or time-based protest as spelled out later in the rules.
  • The fish must be on a tournament approved measuring device, the body centered between the rails, and alive.
  • Caught fish must be photographed before your next cast. This means an angler must bring a caught fish into their kayak and take a picture before they begin fishing again. A fish that the tournament directors suspect is dead due to being out of the water too long may be rejected. Examples of issues that may result in a disqualified fish are faded color, no slime coat, shriveled tail, etc.
  • Record all lengths in 0.25" increments. If the tail does not clearly reach a measurement line, round down to the nearest quarter-inch.
  • For any species with a stated maximum length, the longest acceptable submission is 0.25" less than that maximum. For example, if the maximum length is 30", the longest fish you may submit is 29.75". Any fish touching or crossing the maximum length line will not be accepted.
  • You can submit as many fish as you would like. TourneyX will automatically cull them for you. However, you can only submit one picture of each fish to be judged. In the event that a submitted fish picture is denied, you can request that the judge review another picture(s) of the same fish. It is smart to take multiple pictures of each fish before releasing to make sure you get a good one.

ALLOWED MEASURING BOARDS

These measuring boards must be clean, with all lines and numbers clearly visible so judges can accurately verify your submissions.

  • Ketch Boards: All models are accepted, except the hinged 48” model.
  • Check-It Stik Kayak Elite Series: This specific model only will be accepted.

PHOTO REQUIREMENTS

  • The 3-digit tournament identifier code must be visible in the picture (written on a card or the back of your hand).
  • The fish must be facing to the left with the tail to the right and the belly of the fish facing the angler.
  • The nose must be pressed up against the post of the measuring device. Please ensure that shadows do not obscure the nose and post. If the judge cannot see that the nose is clearly up against the post, the angler will face a 0.5” length deduction.
  • If the tail is not obviously touching or crossing a measurement line, it will be rounded down to the next lower quarter inch length.
  • There may be no lures or fish retaining tools in the fish’s mouth for the picture or the angler will face a 0.5” length reduction.
  • No other tools, devices, materials etc. may be touching or under the fish for any reason.
  • The mouth, eye, and edge of tail must be visible for the picture to be accepted, with the tail flat on the measuring board. The angler is not allowed to place their hand or fingers under the gill plate of the fish.
  • The top lobe of the tail of your fish must be inside the boundaries of your board. If using a Check It-Stik, the top lobe must be over the lines on the flat (bottom) portion of your board, and not over the slanted lip on the sides. Judges will make their best attempt to score the length of the fish in relation to visible numbers and lines which the tail clearly crosses.
  • The picture must be taken overhead and not at an extreme angle.
  • If the judge deems your picture to be inauthentic or otherwise too problematic to accept, it will be rejected. Appeals may be made to the tournament directors as described below in the protests section. All submissions are subject to final review by the tournament director. If the tournament director overrules the judge on a submission, the angler will have the opportunity to submit another picture of the same fish or a replacement fish before the standings are finalized.

FISH SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

  • REDFISH

    Anglers may not manipulate oversized redfish to appear shorter than the stated tournament maximum. Any attempt, or suspicion of attempt, to do so will result is disqualification of the fish and potentially the angler.

  • SPECKLED TROUT / FLOUNDER

    The mouth must be entirely closed with the nose pressed firmly against the post of an angler’s measuring board. If the mouth is open at all, a 0.5” length deduction will be taken.

POST TOURNAMENT DATA DELETION

Following completion of the tournament and awards ceremony, anglers may make a formal written request that their entry is deleted from TourneyX. Doing so will delete all of the fish pictures, metadata, GPS, and statistics from the angler’s TourneyX account. This means these pictures/metadata/GPS will no longer be accessible to anyone including the angler or tournament directors. This is a permanent irreversible decision. Making this request will not disqualify the angler from qualifying for awards in this tournament.

ANGLER OF THE YEAR / CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFICATION

The top 15 anglers on the leaderboard of Dawn til Dusk are eligible for qualification to the 2025 BCKFC Championship. To fully qualify, an angler must be a paid club member in good standing with BCKFC and have paid entry to at least two 2025 Championship Series tournaments or have purchased the 2025 BCKFC Season Pass.

Points are awarded for Angler of the Year at each tournament with 1st receiving 300 points, 2nd receiving 299 points, 3rd receiving 298 points, and so on down the line. To receive points, an angler must weigh in at least a single legal fish and be a BCKFC member in good standing. The Angler of the Year points total represents the 4 qualifying tournaments plus the BCKFC Championship, less a drop of the worst placing tournament for each individual angler.

At the end of all 4 qualifying tournaments, at least the top 2 anglers in angler of the year points (who had not qualified on the podium) will gain entry to the championship via wildcard. If there are still less than 40 anglers qualified for the championship after the initial 2 wildcards are earned, more wildcard places may be awarded to the next highest Angler of the Year points earners (who had not qualified on the podium) so that a minimum of 40 anglers qualify for the championship.

GENERAL RULES

PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY

Participation is open to anyone 18 years of age or older. Minors are eligible to participate with a parent or legal guardian signature on the release form. All participants represent that they are physically and mentally competent and fit and able to participate. By entering, all participants agree to assume all risks of personal injury, death, and damage to or loss of property and further agree to indemnify and hold BCFKC, its officers, members, agents, and sponsors harmless from and against any and all claims, liabilities, and causes of action resulting directly or indirectly from participation.

FISHING LICENSE

All anglers are required to have a valid Louisiana, Fresh and Salt water Fishing license.

KAYAK/WATERCRAFT REGULATIONS

ALLOWED PROPULSION METHODS: Paddle, pedal, pole and electric motor. See additional requirements for motors below.

MOTOR ELIGIBILITY: Only one electric motor may be attached to the kayak. It must be attached to the kayak in a safe manner for operation and meet the following criteria:

  • Maximum of 3 HP or 155 foot-pound thrust.
  • Dual-prop motors operated by a single power source are allowed if manufactured and sold as a single unit.

WATERCRAFT ELIGIBILITY: Must be a vessel the manufacturer identifies and sells as a kayak, including: inflatable kayaks, modular kayaks, stand-up paddleboards (SUPs) and canoes. Catamaran-style personal fishing vessels are allowed if they comply with all other regulations. Other watercraft may be approved by the BCKFC Board prior to competition.

PROHIBITED WATERCRAFT: The following are NOT allowed: soloskiffs or vessels marketed as skiffs, homemade kayaks, sailboats, jon boats, pirogues, coracles, rowboats, dinghies, skiffs, float tubes, inflatable rafts, rigid inflatable boats (e.g., Zodiac), pontoon boats, pontoon-style pond boats, twin-hull watercraft, or similar.

WATERCRAFT SIZE RESTRICTIONS: Vessel must be at least 9 feet and shorter than 18 feet.

ANCHOR SYSTEMS: Both manual and motorized anchor systems are permitted.

DEPTH FINDERS: Depth finders and fish finders are allowed.

WADE FISHING AND BANK FISHING: Contestants may wade fish or fish off the bank only if they remain within 100 feet of their launched paddle craft. “Launched” means the kayak is partly in fishable water (not in a parking lot puddle).

PROHIBITED ACTIONS: Mother-shipping, tethering, holding, or any transportation coordination with non-competitors is strictly prohibited.

KAYAK INSPECTION: By entering the tournament, contestants agree to have their kayak inspected by BCKFC personnel.

WATER COURTESY / ENCROACHMENT

Do your best not to disturb someone else’s fishing area, by encroachment, or noise. An angler officially establishes his/her fishing area by having their craft anchored in place. If you come upon an angler in an egress area, as quietly as you can, ask which side he or she would like you to cross at. A good rule of thumb is that if you can both cast to a common point you’re too close. Respect others and use the golden rule.

PROTESTS

All protests must be written and submitted electronically (text/email/direct message from social media) within 30 minutes of the conclusion of “weigh in” to be considered. The tournament director is the final authority on deciding the merits/outcomes of a protest.  All anglers are encouraged to report cheating.

CHEATING/FOUL PLAY

All anglers are encouraged to report violations. Cheating and contest fraud in a fishing tournament is a felony crime in the state of Louisiana. Bayou Coast will enforce a zero-tolerance policy with regard to cheating.

POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION

All participants, by signing up, agree to take a polygraph examination if requested. Any participant can be asked to submit to a polygraph examination. No explanation shall be required from the hosts of the tournament as to why a specific individual is asked to submit to a polygraph examination. Refusal to submit to or failure of a polygraph examination will result in disqualification from the tournament, forfeiture of any and all prizes / awards, and potential banishment from all future Bayou Coast events. No refunds for tournament fees will be granted for person(s) refusing to submit to or failing a polygraph examination.

RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND COVENANT NOT TO SUE

A waiver, release of liability, and covenant not to sue are part of the entry form. It is required that all contestants take responsibility for themselves while participating in event activities. Please DO NOT let your competitive nature push you into doing dangerous things. You must agree to the Waiver to participate. The Waiver is in the online registration page linked below. BE SAFE, BE SEEN, AND WEAR YOUR PFD!

COMMUNICATION

No electronic communication with non-registered anglers during tournament hours, unless not fishing related (your spouse/kids, work, etc). No pre-arranged coordination with any non-registered anglers on the water for the purpose of scouting or locating fish during tournament hours.

PFD REQUIREMENT

You must properly wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD while afloat in your watercraft during all Bayou Coast events. PFD’s must be worn outside of the angler’s outermost layer of clothing. Failure to comply with this rule during competition could result in disqualification from the tournament. Disqualification will be determined by the Tournament Director based on investigation of any specific incident. PFD’s may only be briefly removed on the water for the purpose of adding, removing, or adjusting clothing while an angler is stationary and not actively fishing.

RULE CHANGES

Interpretation of rules is exclusively left to the Tournament Directors and Bayou Coast Officers. The decisions of this group are final in all matters and are not subject to appeal. Please do your part in not providing a reason to place them in a position where they must make rulings, decisions, etc. Keep it simple, keep it clean, and when in doubt…do the right thing.

CATCH REQUIREMENTS

Each participant must catch their own fish. You may not give fish to another participant. You may not net a fish for another (adult) participant. Youths should hook and retrieve their own catch. A parent/guardian may net fish for them and may handle the fish once it is netted (including pictures in CPS events). In CPS events, anglers (participant or not) may not aid in taking pictures of fish in any way.

DRONE/UAS USAGE

Tournament participants are not allowed to use unmanned aircraft systems (drones) during the tournament day(or official practice days) to scout for fish, spy on other anglers, or any other means that may be viewed as benefiting/advancing their fishing.

WEATHER

Tournament days may be shortened or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions. The decision to shorten or to cancel will be left totally to the discretion of the Tournament Director. A 4-hour period shall constitute a day of fishing.

REFUND POLICY

There will be no refunds available. Should the event date change for any reason, an announcement will be made, and a refund grace period allowed for anglers who cannot make the new date.

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