1. Eligibility

• Open to any fishing team willing to abide by Tournament Rules, Michigan DNR Regulations, and payment of entry fee.
  Entrants may register to fish in only one division – Pro or Am
  • Any crew member that is, or has been within the past 2 years, an active licensed Great Lakes charter boat captain must register in the Pro division.
  • All other non-charter boats have the option to register in either division                                                                 
  • All teams must use the same boat both days.

2. Dates & Scheduling

• The tournament fishing dates are Saturday, July 25th and Sunday, July 26th.
• Tournament schedule:
  • Friday, July 24, 2026 
    • 6:00pm – Registration and Captain’s Meeting for PRO & AM. Location: Tournament tent at Adelaide Pointe Marina. All team captains or a representative (all divisions) must attend.
  • Saturday, July 25, 2026 – Pro | Am Tournament Day 1
    • 6:00am – Tournament boats to depart Muskegon pier head (must be in Muskegon) in an orderly fashion. Boats may stage within a ½ mile of the arms. Tournament Control will start each fishing period by radio communication on Channel 06 FM.
      
    • 1:30pm – All boats must be in the pier head to avoid DQ. You can fish until whatever time you want if you are in the pier head before 1:30pm.  Tournament Control will end each fishing period by radio communication on Channel 06 FM.
    • 2:30pm – All participants must be in weigh-in line within 1 hour of the end of the tournament fishing time.
  • Sunday, July 26, 2026 – Pro | Am Tournament Day 2
    • Same schedule as Saturday. 
    • The award ceremony will immediately follow upon completion of the weigh-in at Adelaide Pointe Marina. 

3. Boat Identification & Inspection

• Identification
  • The Tournament Committee will provide a colored boat identification number for each Pro contestant’s boat.
  • The ID number must be prominently always displayed on the starboard side of the participant’s boat during the tournament.
• Inspection
  • All boats are subject to inspection by the Tournament Committee and/or its agents at any time. 
  • Any boat failing inspection will be disqualified.
• Boat Length
  • Pro Division – Minimum boat length is 18’.  If you don’t have an enclosed head, you must notify the Tournament Committee. Failure to notify the Tournament Committee during the registration that you don’t have an enclosed head will result in disqualification.
  • Am Division – The minimum boat length is 18’

4. The Observer System

• Pro and Am Division Observers will be assigned as follows: 
  • Day 1: The top 5 Pro boats and top 3 Am boats from the previous year’s “Muskegon Pro/Am Tournament standings. 
  • Day 2: The top 5 Pro Boats and top 5 Am boats from the Day 1 standings. 
  • Two or more additional observers will be assigned at-large, based upon availability.  
  • All observers will be supplied by the Tournament Committee.
• An “Official Weigh-In Log Sheet” will be provided for each fishing period.
  • The observer or a crew member shall enter data into the log sheet.
  • The observer or crew member shall enter the time of each legal catch. For each fish landed, the observer or crew member shall record the species and approximate weight. 
  • At the conclusion of each fishing period, the log sheet must be signed by both the observer (if applicable) and the captain prior to presenting the log sheet and the day’s catch at the official weigh-in station. 
  • Failure to submit a log sheet with all signatures will result in a disqualification for that fishing period.
  • The Tournament Committee reserves the right to assign observers to vessels as it sees fit.  For boats without observers a crew member must fill out the log sheet.
  • ***Weigh-in sheets must be filled out in its entirety prior to the weigh-in or else the team will be penalized 10 points. This includes time, species, approximate weight, and signature. No exceptions!!!!***

5. Start, Finish & Official Contest

• Tournament Control will start and end each fishing period by radio communication on channel 06 FM.
• Once the fishing period is declared closed by Tournament Control, no more fish may be boated.
• All boats must proceed directly to the weigh-in station.
• Alternate fishing times may be established by Tournament Control when conditions dictate.
• The contest is considered official if a minimum of three (3) hours fished between Saturday and Sunday. Prizes will be awarded based on points accumulated during the official fishing periods. 
• There shall be no fishing by tournament contestants except during tournament hours either day of the contest. Nor shall any boat leave the harbor for any reason during tournament weekend outside of the fishing period each day. The Muskegon Harbor is defined as the line between the “Inner Arms” not the outer breakwater.

6. Radio Procedure

• Each boat must be equipped with an operating VHF marine radio including channel 06.
• Stand-by is on channel 06 FM.
• Open communications for all divisions
• It is your responsibility to monitor Channel 06 for safety and emergency tournament information.

7. Fishing Rules

• No fishing boundaries
• A limit of fifteen (15) fish per boat may be boated. 
  • Pro rule – 10 fish will be weighed. Pro will weigh 10 fish. No more than 7 salmon or trout. 
  • Am Rule – 7 fish will be weighed. No more than 5 salmon or trout. 
  • Salmon are defined as King, Coho, Atlantic, or Pink. Trout are defined as Lake Trout, Steelhead, or Brown trout.
• All fish must be brought to Adelaide Pointe on Saturday and Sunday. All sorting of fish is done before you enter the weigh-in line. ONLY get in line for weigh-in with your 10 fish (Pro) and 7 fish (Am) in your cooler. (All eligible per section 8.b.iii.)
• A maximum of nine (9) rods will be allowed.
• Each boat that attains the fifteen (15) fish limit shall immediately discontinue fishing, retrieve their fishing gear and return to the weigh-in station. No further fishing is allowed during the fishing period.  All fish caught past (15) must be released immediately.
• If more than the allowed catch is brought to the scale, over the ten (10) fish limit for Pro and seven (7) fish limit for Am, that days catch will be disqualified. 
• An attempt must be made to reel in any hooked fish and NO intentional dragging or shaking will be permitted.
• All fish must be DNR Legal Size.  Any undersized fish per DNR rules and regulations shall be thrown back and not counted against your 15 fish Max. 
  • Certified boards will be used at the weigh-in sites to standardize measurement. These boards will be present at the Captains’ Meeting for teams to compare their own measuring devices to. These will be the official measuring boards of the tournament and will determine whether a fish is legal for the event.
  • Length Measurement Directions – from Michigan DNR 2023 Master Angler Application: measure fish from top of nose (or lower jaw) to tip of tail in a straight line. DO NOT measure in a curve around the_body from nose to tail. Measure to the closest 1/8 inch. The tail and jaw should be pinched together.
  • In the event a short fish comes in, by tournament rules or State of Michigan regulations definition,_further action will be taken to ensure the integrity of the tournament. 
  • If any fish submitted for weigh-in is found to be smaller than the minimum size established by tournament rules, the undersized fish will be disallowed. Also, 10 points plus 1 point per pound of the undersized fish will be deducted from the team’s score. However, in no case shall a team’s score be made less than zero.
  • All point leaders must be willing to submit to a polygraph examination. 
  • All winning fish may be tested for time in possession. 
  • All fish weighed in must remain in the specified area until the completion of weigh-in. 
  • Any fish taken in violation of state law will disqualify the day’s catch. 
  • Disposition of fish must follow state and local laws. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.
  • Failure to comply with these rules will result in stiff penalties to be determined by the judges. 
• By signing the registration form, the team Captain offers implied consent to the Tournament Committee for one or more of the following: (1) disclosure of fishing conditions and (2) way a fish was taken.

8. Weigh-In & Scoring

• Weigh-In
  • At the close of each fishing period, the boat shall immediately proceed to the designated weigh-in station. The captain will disembark one crew member, the observer assigned to that boat (if applicable), the fish container, and the signed log sheet. The crew member and observer (if applicable) must remain with the fish until officially weighed in and scored.
    • PRO Teams – only proceed to weigh-in with the 10 fish that will be weighed. Pro will weigh 10 fish. No more than 7 salmon or trout.
    • AM Teams – only proceed to weigh-in with the 7 fish that will be weighed. No more than 5 salmon or trout.
    • Salmon are defined as King, Coho, Atlantic or Pink. Trout are defined as Lake Trout, Steelhead, or Brown Trout.
    • If more than the allowed catch is brought to the scale, over the ten (10) fish limit for PRO and seven (7) fish limit for AM, that day’s catch will be disqualified.
  • Failure of a boat to proceed to the weigh-in after sorting their catch in a timely fashion will result in disqualification.
  • The team member is responsible for all special fish weigh-ins, including Big Fish prizes.
• Scoring
  • Winners will be determined by total accumulation of points based on:
    • Ten (10) points per legal fish weighed, plus
    • One (1) point per pound (nearest hundredth pound) 
  • The team accumulating the highest number of points over all hours of the tournament will be declared the winner; the team with the next highest accumulation of points, second and so on.
  • The following species shall be eligible: (a) Chinook Salmon; (b) Lake Trout; (c) Atlantic Salmon; (d) Pink Salmon; (e) Coho Salmon; (f) Steelhead; and (g) Brown Trout.
  • Each team Captain will designate their team’s largest fish prior to weigh-in. In the case of a tie for the largest fish in class, the team’s fish with the earliest posted log sheet will be declared the winner.
• Sunday
  • The top 5 Pro and Am coolers will be sealed and weighed at the end on Sunday.   It’s the captain’s responsibility to make sure the cooler makes it to the designated area to be sealed.
  • Each cooler sealed for weigh-in on Sunday will be provided 1 bag of ice by the Tournament Committee.

9. Disqualifications, Penalties & Protests

• Disqualifications & Penalties
  • Participants violating the rules of the contest or acting uncooperatively or in a disorderly manner may be disqualified or penalized by points deduction at the discretion of the Tournament Committee.
  • Boats must be checked in by the Tournament Committee at weigh-in not more than 60 minutes after the close of the regular or shortened fishing time.
  • If you have not cleared the pier head before the close of the fishing time, you will be disqualified, and your day’s catch NOT weighed.  
  • Automatic disqualification will result from the following:
    • Running gunnel to gunnel with other boats or passing objects from boat to boat or person to person, from the start of the fishing period until the catch is surrendered at the weigh-in station.
    • Failing to report directly to the designated weigh-in station at the close of the fishing period.
    • Possession of fish other than those fairly caught during the designated fishing period. 
    • Fishing inside the pier heads will NOT be allowed.   
    • No loose ice or excess water in the cooler.  Either will result in a DQ for the days catch       
  • Tournament participants are duty bound to report any rule violations they observe to the Tournament Committee.
  • An unsigned observer log sheet will result in a disqualification for that fishing period.
• Protests
  • The Protest Committee will be appointed prior to the captain’s meeting.
  • Protests must be presented to the Tournament Committee in writing, on the day of the infraction by 3:00pm with $100. If your protest wins, you will get back $200; however, if it does not, the Tournament keeps the $100.
  • A five (5) person Protest Committee will resolve disputes. Their decision shall be final and binding.
  • Excessive complaints and unsportsmanlike behavior at any time during the tournament weekend will not be tolerated and will result in disqualification from the current tournament. 
  • ***Disqualified participants may not be invited to future tournaments***

10. Disclaimers

• Rule Changes – The Tournament Committee has the discretion to modify these rules; however, any changes will be made in written form and posted publicly 45 minutes prior to the start of the tournament.
• Liability – All reasonable precautions will be taken by the Muskegon Pro-Am Tournament Committee to protect persons and property during the tournament. Neither the committee, judges, officers, directors, nor sponsors can or will be responsible for the safety of persons, for accident, theft, damage by fire, vandalism or any other cause for loss to a contestant’s property.
• BAD WEATHER – In case of bad weather, 3 hours of fishing constitutes a completed tournament. If we cannot start fishing on the 1st day of a 2-day tournament by 10:30 am due to weather conditions, the tournament will be cancelled for the day.  On day two, if we start at 10:30 am, fishing will end at 1:30 pm unless advised differently by the Tournament Committee.
  • It is your responsibility to monitor Channel 06 for safety and emergency tournament information.  
  • If the tournament is called off before a minimum of 3 hours is fished, the whole day will be cancelled, and no fish will be weighed.  
  • A weather boat committee will be selected and announced at the Pro/Am Captains’ meeting. 
    • This committee, in conjunction with Tournament Control, will make all weather-based decisions once the fishing period has commenced. 
  • If the tournament must be called early due to poor weather conditions, ALL events and divisions will be cancelled for the day.
  • The deadline will be 1.5 hours from the time of the announcement. 
    • For example, if Tournament Control announces that the tournament will be called due to bad weather at 10:00 am, all boats must return to the harbor before 11:30 am. Fishing will be permitted during that hour and a half, if the boat returns to the pier heads before 11:30 am.
• ***Participants understand and agree to hold harmless the aforementioned groups and individuals from liability or damage as may be incurred from the participation in this Tournament***