Tarpon
Scored with a set point value. Tarpon are released without leaving the water, and a helper can assist in knee-deep water.
Game on the line
Know the Targets
Species, scoring and the rules that matter on the beach.
Scoring
Every centimeter counts
Measured to IGFA rules, from the tip of the mouth to the fork of the tail.
1 pt
Per centimeter
Each full centimeter is one point, rounded down.
35 cm
Minimum size
The minimum to score. It can change at a captains' meeting for the next session.
Set
Big-fish points
Tarpon, sharks and large goliath grouper earn a set point value instead of a length.
15 min
Last-cast rule
A fish hooked before the final horn counts if it's landed within 15 minutes.
The species
Know the targets
Warm-water game fish that hit lures from shore. The organizers' species list sets the points for each event.
Jacks & trevally
Fast, hard-pulling lure fish that count by length. The beach judge photographs and measures every one.
Sharks
Like tarpon, sharks earn a set point value once the leader is touched, and they're released in the water.
Goliath grouper
Large goliath grouper are scored with a set point value and must stay in the water, like tarpon and sharks.
Snook
A classic Florida lure fish around inlets and beaches, and one of the species NASFF's selection criteria call for.
Snapper & grouper
Structure fish that punish a slow hookset. Count on them to test your drag near rocks and jetties.
On the beach
How a fish gets scored
- 01
Hook it in the mouth
The fish must be hooked between the far edge of the gills and the mouth. Anything else is disqualified.
- 02
Fight it alone
Only the angler touches the rod and line until the fish is on the sand. No nets, gaffs or spears.
- 03
Leave the lure in
The lure stays attached until the beach judge photographs the hookup.
- 04
Keep it alive
The judge records species, length, lure and hook placement while the fish stays healthy.
- 05
Release it
The angler unhooks and releases every fish alive.
The rules
What matters on the sand
Equipment
- Any rod length, any line strength and material
- Mechanical reels only, no electric or power-assisted reels
- Artificial lures only, with single, double or treble hooks
- No snagging, gang or quadruple hooks
- Extra leader or line can't be longer than the rod
Courtesy
- No crossing lines, casting over or impeding another angler
- When someone's hooked up, the anglers around them stop and clear out
- Start on dry sand at the starting horn and leave the water at the closing horn
- Fish only inside the flagged zones
Penalties
- Fish disqualified: dead or mutilated, helped during the fight (except tarpon and sharks), or hooked outside the mouth-to-gill area
- Angler disqualified: obstructing another angler, using natural bait, impersonating another angler, or fishing outside the flags
Safety & ties
- Four repeated air-horn blasts means an emergency stop: everyone returns to shore and base
- Individual tiebreak: the last angler to take a fish out of the water loses the tie
- Team tiebreak: the nation whose angler was last to present a fish loses the tie
Best practice
Handle with care
- Don't hoist big fish vertically. It damages the jaw, bones and organs.
- Hold the fish horizontally: grip the body or lower jaw and support the belly.
- Tarpon and large grouper stay in the water.
- To release, hold the base of the tail and move the fish forward only, or face it into the current so water runs over the gills the right way.
Every fish goes back alive
This is a summary. The organizers' official 2026 brochure is the final word, and details like session times and the minimum size can change at the captains' meeting.
