27th Bonaire International & Local Fishing Tournament

 

The official rules will be distributed in the booklet at the event .

These rules are not final.

 

 

The local fishing tournament is geared towards the local boats that are not equipped for or interested in deep sea bill fishing, but aim for fish to eat.  This category is for any local boats, be you a career fisherman or a weekend fisherman.

This year the competition will be split into 2 categories, one for small boats (less than 17 feet) and large boats (17 feet and larger)



Local Tournament Rules
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This is a tournament for fish for eating and though it is labeled as local as this is the main focus, it is open to boats from elsewhere if they would like to participate.
 

1. The Captain must sign out in person prior to departure. This can be done with the Security at the Festival lot by It Rains fishes from 11:00pm on Friday night until 6am. After 6:00am you can sign out with the committee at It Rain's Fishes. Boats are not allowed to put lines in the water until after Midnight (12:00).
 

2. Boats may depart from any port on Bonaire.
 

3. All catch must be delivered by the boat catching it directly to the Club Nautico Pier for weighing in. Fish arriving by car or other means will not be accepted. Fish arriving after 2:00 PM sharp will not be accepted. All fish must be cleaned and ready for weighing before 2:30 pm.
 

4. As this competition does not have cameras and controls for catch and release, no credit will be given for any Bill fish released. Any Billfish under 300lbs returned to the shore will disqualify the boat completely from the competition. Though not the target of this tournament, Blue Marlin over 300 lbs may be brought to the scales. They should not be cleaned.  There is a prize of $1,000 for the Antillean Record Breaking Blue Marlin (803lbs) The local tournament does NOT qualify to win the truck.
 

5. You may not use nets or spears.
 

6. Target Fish include:
Tuna (Buní); Dorado/Mahi Mahi (Dradu); Wahoo (Mulato); Horse Eye Jack (Korkobá);
Jacks (Yag); Rainbow Runner (Grastèlchi laman afó); Red Snapper and other snappers (Piska kòrá, Sabonèchi i otro tipo di snapper); Grouper (Jampau); Barracuda (Pikú.); Balaú blanku mas 300 liber;
 

You are NOT allowed to fish for:
Shark (Tribon;); Sail Fish (Balaú kòrá); White Marlin (Balaú pretu); Blue Marlin (less than 300 lbs must be released, over 300lbs can be caught) Balaú blanku (si e ta pisa mas ku 300 liber si e ta konta); Reef fish (Piska di ref); Trigger fish (Pishi porko); Parrot fish (Gutu); Rock Hind (Purunchi), Rays (Chuchu). 
 

7. Minimum weight of any single fish is 500g (1/2kg, 1 lb) any fish smaller than that should be released.
 

8. Minimum weight to qualify for prizes is a total of 10kg of fish.
 

9. All fish must be caught on one boat. There is no limit to the number of fishermen or crew on each boat. Fish being transferred from one boat to another will automatically disqualify both boats.
 

10. All fish except for Blue Marlin if caught should be returned to the dock gutted and cleaned so as not to sacrifice the quality of the fish for the weight.  Blue Marlin should not be cleaned before weighing
 

11. Weight Alteration - Attempted weight alteration of any fish will automatically disqualify the boat from the tournament. IGFA rules apply regarding mutilated fish. The Rules Committee reserves the right to cut open any fish for inspection of suspected weight altering efforts such as inserted weights, ice, water, etc.
 

12. Any fish deemed to have been previously frozen and/or not fresh will disqualify the boat from the tournament.
 

13. All fish remain property of the fishermen. 

 

14. We look forward to good sportsmanship. Any boats cheating will be disqualified from this event and the jury will consider a ban from the following year’s tournament as well.
 

15. The organization, sponsors or affiliates are not responsible for any accidents, damage or injuries that may occur, before, during or after the tournament.
 

​Jury
The Jury will consist of at least 5 members of the organizing committee who are not participating in the event.

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​General Rules and Disclaimers
The Bonaire Fishing tournament organizers, sponsors or other affiliates will take no responsibility for any material damage or personal injury that may occur in association with the event or travel to and from the event.

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All photos submitted to, or taken by the organizers become property of the event and can be used for publication with permission of the organizing committee.

IGFA rules will apply when not in conflict with these rules.

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Bolding of the text in these rules does not imply that portion to be more important in any way. It is simply to assist in finding the section that you are looking for.  Bolding should not in any way change your interpretation of the entire section.

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We highly recommend the use of Circle hooks for this tournament and all of your fishing.
Circle hooks tend to hook the fish on the jaw and drastically reduce the chances of a fish swallowing the hook and causing internal damage. Circle hooks set easily at the mouth of the fish. They require a slightly different fishing technique to set the hook, however they are shown to be effective in all types of fishing. Once set, there is an identical catch rate with circle hooks and traditional J hooks. The strike rate is also the same.  See Circle hook page for hints on rigging and using circle hooks.
Circle hooks have also been shown to greatly reduce the by-catch of unwanted species such as turtles. If caught, as with the Billfish, the circle hook allows for a much better outcome for the turtle.