The Waterman Fly Fishing Tournament - 2025
Justin Tramble
(813) 563-9882
Email:
Justin Tramble
justintramble@tampabaywaterkeeper.org
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February 14 - 15, 2025
The Waterman Fly Fishing Tournament is a two-day, fly only Redfish tournament with a Snook Calcutta to be held on February 14th and February 15th, 2025. The virtual Captain’s Meeting will be held at 7:00pm on Thursday February 13th, 2025. The fishing boundaries are the west coast of Florida from the Southern Tip of Sanibel Island to the Southern Edge of the Crystal River Power Plant Main Channel. The two-day, photo submission format will make it possible for fisherman in this entire range to participate. The Waterman culminates in an Awards Banquet with a can’t-miss Raffle made possible by our generous sponsors. A limited amount of guest tickets to the Awards Banquet are available for purchase for $50.00. Please visit the “Events” section of www.tampabaywaterkeeper.org to purchase guest tickets. All proceeds from The Waterman Fly Fishing Tournament benefit Tampa Bay Waterkeeper, a non-profit organization dedicated to protection, improvement and preservation of the Tampa Bay watershed.
Target Species:
- Redfish
- Snook
Fishing boundaries:
- Southern Tip of Sanibel Island to the Southern Edge of the Crystal River Power Plant Main Channel
Scoring Guidelines:
- Highest combination of two longest redfish caught between Day 1 and Day 2.
- Example A: Team X weighs in a 25” redfish and a 20” redfish on Day #1. On Day #2, Team X weighs in a 30” redfish and a 21” redfish on Day #2. Team X’s total score is the combination of its two biggest redfish = 55”.
- o Example B: Team X weighs in no fish on Day #1. On Day #2, Team X weighs in a 30” redfish and a 28” redfish. Team X’s total score is = 58”
- First Place/Grand Champion
- Highest combination of two longest redfish between Day #1 and Day #2
- Second Place
- Second highest combination of two longest redfish between Day #1 and Day #2
- Third Place
- Third highest combination of two longest redfish between Day #1 and Day #2
- Biggest Redfish
- Longest Single Redfish
- Snook Calcutta $25 per Angler or $50 per two-angler team, winner takes 50% of the Calcutta Pot with the remaining 50% donated to Tampa Bay Waterkeeper
- Longest Single Snook
- To register for the Snook Calcutta, please click the button below:
Snook Calcutta Ticket - Tie Breaker
- In the event of a tie for 1st, 2nd or 3rd place, Biggest Redfish and/or the Snook Calcutta, the tie breaker will be a casting competition based on fly casting distance and accuracy.
- Each team will select on angler from the team who will perform one (1) distance cast and one (1) accuracy cast. One (1) point will be awarded for each foot of distance. One (1) point will be deducted from the distance score for every inch between the fly and the target on the accuracy cast (distance 60ft). Each angler will have one practice cast for distance and one practice cast for accuracy. Practice cast does not count toward the score. Highest score wins the tie breaker. Each angler will use the same rod, reel and line for the tie breaker which will be supplied by the tournament officials.
The Waterman 2025 Awards Dinner:
- Join us for an Awards Dinner and Raffle at the Bradenton Yacht Club! Additional guest tickets are limited so be sure to reserve your spot. To purchase guest tickets, select the button below:
Awards Dinner Tickets
$300 USD
Team EventMin: 2 Angler
Max: 2 Angler
$150 USD
Individual AnglerRegister as Team
Register as Individual
Website: www.tampabaywaterkeeper.org/events-tbwk
Announcements
Welcome to iAngler Tournament - Adding Your Photo to the Leaderboard
1 month 2 weeks ago
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Events & Schedule
Mandatory Virtual Captains Meeting via Zoom
Only one member of each team must attend. Format and Rules will be discussed and questions answered. The link to the Zoom will be provided by email.
02/13/2025 07:00 PM
Lines In
02/14/2025 07:00 AM
Lines Out
02/14/2025 04:00 PM
Lines In
02/15/2025 07:00 AM
Lines Out
The earlier “lines out” time is intended to accommodate travel time to the Awards Ceremony.
02/15/2025 03:00 PM
Awards Ceremony, Dinner and Raffle
Anglers must check in by 6:30pm to be eligible for awards.
02/15/2025 06:00 PM
Gallery
Crew
Sponsors
Rules and RegulationsClick to Read
Rules
- All anglers must sign the General Release of Liability and Waiver of Claims in order to participate in The Waterman Fly Fishing Tournament.
- Fishing boundaries are the West Coast of Florida only from the Southern Tip of Sanibel Island to the Southern Edge of the Crystal River Power Plant Main Channel.
- Anglers may launch at any ramp, but must fish within the stated boundaries.
- Maximum of two anglers per team/boat.
- USCG Licensed Captains are welcome to fish the tournament, however, Tampa Bay Waterkeeper strongly encourages only one USCG Captain/Guide per team to maximize the amount of anglers fishing in The Waterman.
- Tournament registration and payment of the entry fee is through the iAngler Tournament webpage https://ianglertournament.com/waterman-fly-fishing-tournament-2023.
- Registration and payment for the Snook Calcutta will be completed by each participating angler/team by visiting the “Events” section of www.tampabaywaterkeeper.org.
- A laminated tournament card, black permanent marker and measuring device will be supplied to each team. These will be available for pick up at the following designated fly shops/outfitters. Each team will select to their fly shop/outfitter of choice from the following list:
- Tampa Fishing Outfitters
- Minnows and Monsters/Tampa Bay on the Fly
- Bill Jackson’s
- Compound Board Shop
- Tailwater Outfitters
- Backwater Provisions
- Upon registration and payment of the tournament fee, each team will be assigned a team number. The team’s name and team number must be prominently displayed in black permanent marker on the tournament card.
- To differentiate fish caught on Day 1 vs. Day 2, a daily code word will be posted on the Tampa Bay Waterkeeper Instagram and Facebook page at 7:00am on each fishing day. The daily code word must be clearly and legibly written on the tournament card in black permanent marker.
- Teams must provide a photo of measured fish adjacent to the tournament supplied measuring device. The nose of fish on the 0’’ mark must be visible in the photograph.
- Tail of the measured fish may be pinched.
- Fish will be measured rounded up to the closest quarter inch.
- All fish caught must be released alive.
- Fly only.
- No scent may be applied to the fly. No chumming with live or dead bait.
- Tournament anglers may not fish within 100 yards of any person or vessel that is chumming or fishing with live or dead bait.
- Tournament anglers may not fish an area which has been chummed with live or dead bait within eight (8) hours of the person or vessel vacating the chummed area.
- Wade fishing is permitted. However, if wade fishing from a skiff/boat/paddle craft, both anglers must exit the skiff/boat/paddle craft. One angler is permitted to wade back to the skiff/boat and drive the skiff/boat back to the other angler/fishing area. For example, teams are not permitted to drop an angler off at one of a fishing area and then drive a distance away and anchor (i.e. leap frogging) nor drop an angler off to wade fish and then drift or pole a flat by himself/herself.
- Respect and courtesy to all tournament and recreational anglers/boaters is mandatory.
- Approximately 200 yards distance must be given to all tournament anglers. If a skiff is poling a shoreline/flat, the second arriving team must approach the shoreline/flat from the stern of the skiff present upon arrival. Otherwise teams are expected to use the best judgment given the conditions (sun, wind and tide) to avoid cutting off another team.
- Violation of rules may result in disqualification at the tournament committee’s discretion.
- Tampa Bay Waterkeeper, Inc. reserves the right to deny participation in The Waterman to any angler based upon that angler’s prior unethical conduct in any other fishing tournament, violations The Waterman Tournament rules, and or state/federal fishing regulations.
- $25 per angler/$50 per team. Individual Angler with the Longest Snook of the Tournament wins the Calcutta.
- Registration and payment for the Snook Calcutta will be completed by each participating angler/team by visiting the “Events” section of www.tampabaywaterkeeper.org.
- Winner takes the remaining pot after 50% donation to Tampa Bay Waterkeeper
- Redfish photos (with tournament approved measuring device, tournament placard, team number and daily code word visible) and Calcutta Snook (with tournament approved measuring tournament placard, team number and daily code word visible) must be uploaded to the iAngler Tournament app within 15 minutes of lines out on each tournament day (4:15pm on Day 1 and 3:15pm on Day 2).
- Submissions received after 4:15pm on Day 1 will be disqualified.
- Submissions received after 3:15pm on Day 2 will be disqualified.
- Each team will receive a push notification from the iAngler Tournament App indicating that their weigh-in was received timely with the length of each fish weighed in as determined by tournament officials.
- Tournament anglers are encouraged to not wait until the last minute to upload photographs to the iAngler Tournament App. Tournament anglers are also encouraged to consider and plan for the risk of not having sufficient cellular reception to submit their cath based upon their location.
- You may upload multiple, separately-caught Redfish and Snook to the iAngler Tournament App per day. The iAngler Tournament App will automatically cull your two biggest Redfish and single biggest Snook based upon your declaration of the size at the time of uploading. No other photos will be reviewed.
- Anglers will be notified if the tournament committee’s review of fish length varies from the length declared by the tournament angler.
- Anglers are required to have their weigh in photos available for inspection at the Awards Ceremony/Dinner, if necessary.
- At least one Angler from Teams eligible for awards must be present at the Awards Ceremony/Dinner to claim prizes.
- After uploading your fish to the iAngler Tournament app, we ask that each Team post their weigh-in photos and individual photos of the angler holding the fish on their social media accounts with hashtags #tampabaywaterkeeper and #thewaterman prior to the Awards Banquet.
Disclaimer Click to Read
GENERAL RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND WAIVER OF CLAIMS In consideration for receiving permission to participate in The Waterman Fly Fishing Tournament sponsored by Tampa Bay Waterkeeper, Inc. in the state of Florida territorial waters between the southern tip of Sanibel Island, Florida and the southern edge of the Crystal River Power Plant Channel on February 14, 2025 and February 15, 2025 and the Awards Ceremony, Dinner and Raffle held at Bradenton Yacht Club located at 4307 13th St W, Palmetto, FL 34221 on February 15, 2025 (hereinafter referred to as the “Tournament”), I hereby, on behalf of myself, successors and assigns, COVENANT NOT TO SUE AND HEREBY RELEASE AND AGREE TO INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS Tampa Bay Waterkeeper, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates, including, (collectively, “Tampa Bay Waterkeeper”) and Tampa Bay Waterkeeper’s officers, directors, agents, servants, employees, volunteers, The Bradenton Yacht Club, Inc. and other persons connected with or associated with Tampa Bay Waterkeeper and the Tournament, including any and all sponsors of the Tournament (collectively the “Releasees”) from all liability, claims, demands, actions and causes of action whatsoever arising out of or related to any loss, damage, or injury, including death, that may be sustained by me, or any of the property belonging to me or in my possession, custody, or control, WHETHER CAUSED BY THE SOLE OR PARTIAL NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASEES including gross negligence, or otherwise, while traveling to or from or participating in the Tournament, or while in, on or upon the premises where the Tournament is being conducted.
I understand that the Releases do not assess or warranty the boating, fishing or outdoors proficiency of the other participants in the Tournament, and the Releasees do not make any warranty or representation of any type, kind or character, whatsoever, as to existing conditions upon the lands I may enter for the Tournament. I am participating in the Tournament at my own risk, and I accept land or property in the existing conditions, and recognize that boating, fishing and other outdoor activities are inherently hazardous activities and expose me to dangerous conditions, risks and hazards.
I agree and represent that I will comply with all current regulations, all laws of the State in which the Tournament is held, all federal laws, and any other controlling authority’s rules and regulations while participating in the Tournament.
I am fully aware of the risks involved and hazards connected with participation in the Tournament and I hereby elect to voluntarily participate in the Tournament with full knowledge that said activity may be hazardous to me and to property owned by me or my family members or in our possession, custody, or control. I VOLUNTARILY ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY RISKS OF LOSS, PROPERTY DAMAGE OR PERSONAL INJURY, INCLUDING DEATH, that may be sustained by me, or any loss or damage to property owned by me or my family members or in our possession, custody, or control, as a result of being engaged in such activities associated with the Tournament, WHETHER CAUSED BY THE NEGLIGENCE OF RELEASEES OR OTHERWISE, including gross negligence.
IN SIGNING THIS RELEASE, I ACKNOWLEDGE AND REPRESENT THAT I have read the foregoing General Release of Liability and Waiver of Claims, understand it and sign it voluntarily as my own free act and deed; no oral representations, statements, or inducements, apart from the foregoing written agreement, have been made; I am at least eighteen (18) years of age fully competent to execute this General Release of Liability and Waiver of Claims on my behalf; and I execute this General Release of Liability and Waiver of Claims for full, adequate and complete consideration fully intending to be bound by same.