Events

Upcoming Events

Location: Bulls Bay Golf Course
995 Bulls Bay Drive – Awendaw, SC 29429

Tournament Format: 4 Man Captain’s Choice

10:00 am: Player check-in and Tee Gifts

11:00 am: Shot Gun Tee Off – Lunch will be provided on the course

Upon Completion of Golf – Awards Ceremony in the clubhouse with drinks/food

Saturday, March 16th ,2024

A youth fishing redfish tournament in loving memory of Brody Bates.
Presented by Sportsman Boats

MAKE-UP: March 23,2023
Charleston, SC

Past Events

Golf Tournament 2023

Location: Bulls Bay Golf Course
995 Bulls Bay Drive – Awendaw, SC 29429

Tournament Format: 4 Man Captain’s Choice

10:00 am: Player check-in and Tee Gifts

11:00 am: Shot Gun Tee Off – Lunch will be provided on the course

Upon Completion of Golf – Awards Ceremony in the clubhouse with drinks/food

2023 Tournament Awards Info

Fishing Tournament 2023

A youth fishing redfish tournament in loving memory of Brody Bates.Presented by Sportsman Boats

DATE: April 22, 2023
Charleston, SC

MAKE-UP: April 22, 2023
Charleston, SC

Fishing Tournament 2022

A youth fishing redfish tournament in loving memory of Brody Bates.Presented by Sportsman Boats

DATE: April 2nd, 2022
Charleston, SC

MAKE-UP: April 9th, 2022
Charleston, SC

Golf Tournament 2022

Location: Bulls Bay Golf Course
995 Bulls Bay Drive – Awendaw, SC 29429

Tournament Format: 4 Man Captain’s Choice

10:00 am: Player check-in and Tee Gifts

11:00 am: Shot Gun Tee Off – Lunch will be provided on the course

Upon Completion of Golf – Awards Ceremony in the clubhouse with drinks/food

2022 Tournament Awards Info

Fishing Tournament 2021

A youth fishing redfish tournament in loving memory of Brody Bates.Presented by Sportsman Boats

NEW DATE: April 10, 2021

Charleston, SC

Awards
1st Place
2nd Place
3rd Place
Big Fish
High School Division
$3,500 + Prize Pack
$2,500+ Prize Pack
$1,500+ Prize Pack
PRIZE
Middle School Division
$3,500+ Prize Pack
$2,500+ Prize Pack
$1,500+ Prize Pack
PRIZE
All prizes will be paid out to the student in the form of a scholarship through a 529B account.
Guidelines

Inclement Weather Plan

The tournament director will communicate with the boat captains by phone and post on “Social Media" should weekend weather cause the tournament to be cancelled. If weather impedes the tournament, it will be rescheduled April 4th. Safety comes first.

During the event, if there is lightning or thunder, the tournament director will communicate with the boat captain to “stop fishing” so all boats will be secured and participants asked to return to the nearest safest location. Please honor this request until the director communicates to “continue fishing”. If the director communicates to “return to landing”, then we will begin the weigh ins when it is safe to begin the process.

We would cancel a tournament when there is: 100% chance of rain or very cold temperatures with cold rain.

We would add an additional launch site if the winds increase the risk of traveling across Winyah Bay, and/or the Charleston Harbor. The final decision and boundaries will be made up to the morning of the tournament, but the director can announce an additional launch site as soon as the day before. Each team would have to report to Buck Hall before using an additional launch site. Boundaries are set for safety which is the initial concern. Weigh ins would be at Buck Hall.

Flights

  • Flights allow the launch, the retrieval of boats and the weigh in to go more smoothly.
  • Flights will give all anglers the same amount of time to fish
  • Flights will be announced the Wednesday before the event so teams know when to arrive
  • If you miss your flight, you can blast off with the next flight but your must honor your original time to return for weigh ins

    March 21 sunrise is 7:18 am
    1 = 7:00 to 3:00 #1-10
    2 = 7:15 to 3:15 #11-20
    3 = 7:30 to 3:30 #21-30
    4 = 7:45 to 3:45 #31-40
    5 = 8:00 to 4:00 #41-50

  • Check In Begin at 6:00 for Flight 1
  • Boat inspection livewell and lifejackets plus capability to attach the safety engine harness
  • Weigh in Card card with emergency contacts and directions about weigh in procedures
  • Cull Tag tag the biggest fish using the clip on the lips
  • Weigh in Bag boat captains responsibility to already have a bag on the boat

Launching

  • Cut your lights as you approach the boat landing area
  • Dock the boat long enough until the boat captain can return from parking
  • Drive the boat to the designated area and anchor
    • North Bound: set up on the far bank on the left to the boat landing
    • South Bound: set up on the far bank on the right to the boat landing

Blastoff

A neon flip chart and/or mega phone will be used

  • North Bound: do not blast off until you are 100 yards past the docks on the left
  • South Bound: blast off once you are 100 yards past the first dock on the right

Weigh In

  • Once your boat arrives at the dock, have an angler take the card to the director.
  • Trucks will retrieve boats then tow them to the weigh in circle. Teams without fish are to park in the overfill area.
  • If the weigh in circle is backed up or IF WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THE CIRCLE AREA, THEN, the trucks will have to park and we will use golf carts to help transport kids with fish.
  • Students will report under the tents where we will have air pumps set up to help keep air in their bags until called to the stage.
  • Students arrive on the stage, the weigh in team will bump the length of the fish and conduct weigh ins with a big fish weight then a total weight of the two fish.
  • Use the Big Fish Cull Tag to designate your Big Fish.

Early Weigh In

Any team can weigh in early once the scales open.

Livewells

Since our first priority is catch and release, if your livewell is not working, you can return to the landing and weigh in fish so they can be released. This will conclude your fishing for the day.

Only with permission of the director can you transfer fish from one boat to another to make weigh in with the live fish. This is under special circumstances only. You must have the director’s permission in advance. If you are putting 2 fish in a livewell that already has 2 fish, you must have a tag system to identify the fish. Tag using the lip, not the gills.

Boundaries

  • No fishing within 100 yards from the boat landing that you launched from.
  • No fishing on the outside of a jetty. Only use the ocean as means to exit Mother Norton when that is your only option.
  • Private or gated area not available to the public cannot be used.

Boats

  • Equipment includes a working livewell (built in or carry on) and all safety equipment as required by the US Coast Guard and SCDNR.
  • Participants must use only the gear that is in the boat when the boat leaves the dock at the start of the day with the exception of acquiring a livewell from the director.
  • Captains need to have current boat registration and have turned in a copy of insurance to the director. Captains and student anglers (16 and older) must possess a current fishing license.
  • In respect to the location of the Sampit River launch site, the director suggests that you have both freshwater and saltwater license.

Boat Operation

  • Captains operate the gas engine in a safe manner abiding all boating laws when carrying student anglers to fishing locations with the Lanyard Ignition cut-off device attached to the boat captain at all times the main engine being used to travel.
  • Lifejackets should be on anytime the gas motor is running for safety.
  • Student anglers can operate electric trolling motors.
  • Captains are encouraged to return to the landing for rest room breaks.
  • Use caution with other boats around you, and remember, you are responsible for your wake and can earn a DQ if you endanger another one of our teams as well as be subject to a fine from SCDNR.

Fishing

  • Only the student who casts the rod can land the fish. IF anyone else touches the rod during process of the cast to the landing of the fish into the boat, the fish does not count.
  • Only fish caught by students on a rod and reel in the boat will count.
  • In this event, we do NOT let boat captains fish or even touch a rod to repair it.
  • One rod per angler in use at a time which includes using rod holders.
  • Red Drum = artificial and if you CAN use live or cut baits BUT circle hooks are mandatory
  • Only fish caught with a hook in the mouth will count. No snagging or netting a fish.
  • Cast nets can be used to harvest live bait that will be used for fishing
  • Cast nets cannot be used to retrieve fish for the weigh in
  • Bait cannot be used to feed fish in the livewell to add more weight
  • The boat captain can assist with : using a landing net, but don’t touch the fish until it is in the boat.
  • Anchor fishing in the middle of a creek in order to block others is not allowed because some creeks are small and other cannot get past you so make sure you set up on the side of these creeks.
  • Anchor fishing should be at least 25 yards from another boat.

Fish Length

  • SCDNR is one of our partners and could be involved with the weigh in procedures since we have to get ramp permission to host the tourneys, they know we are fishing.
  • Each fish is subject bump boards at weight ins and measured in accordance to the rules of SCDNR. We will pinch the tails together. 15 to 23 inches is the slot.
  • Each boat is HIGHLY encouraged to have a bump board. Before you put a fish in the livewell, measure the fish on the boat's bump board. When in doubt, release the fish. Please don't risk the DQ and/or a ticket at the weigh in from SCDNR.

Dead Fish

  • .25 pound penalty per fish and the fish is property of SALTT
  • Do not cull a dead fish

Teams

A team consists of an adult 21 or older fishing with one or two students registered in grades 6-12 from any South Carolina public, private, charter, virtual, or home school. Students in Adult Education cannot participate. If a senior is graduating after the first semester and has not turned 19 before the end of the school year, then this student can finish the season.

  • A middle school angler fishing with a high school angler will be scored for the trail with the high school division.
  • A elementary school angler fishing with a middle school angler will be scored for the trail with the middle school division.
  • A elementary school angler fishing with a high school angler will be scored for the trail with the high school division.

Launch and Weigh Ins

7am and 3pm (8 hours of fishing)

Sponsors

Gold $2,500

Silver $1,000

Bronze $500

Patron $250

2020

Tournament Gallery