Pleasure Island Team Surf Challenge Rules

April 11 – 13, 2025

2025 PLEASURE ISLAND TEAM SURF FISHING CHALLENGE RULES

Click here for a printable version of the rules: 2024 Pleasure Island Team Surf Fishing Challenge Rules

The tournament’s entry fee places the team in all four categories—bluefish, red drum, black drum, and sea mullet. The entry fee does not place the team in the Team Aggregate TWT.
Teams are comprised of up to four anglers, and each team (no matter how many anglers) can have a total of up to eight rods in the water at one time.
All anglers on a team (up to four anglers) must fish within one 25-yard span. One member of the team must be designated as the Team Captain, and at least one member of the team must be 21-years-old or older.
No substitutions of any team member can be made after the close of Registration on Friday, April 11, at 11:00 pm.
Primary prizes for each of the four categories are awarded solely based on three-fish aggregate weight. Each team may weigh in up to three fish of each species. In the event of identical three-fish aggregate weights within a category, the first team to weigh in shall be declared the winner. Teams are not required to weigh in a total of three fish in a category to qualify for these prizes.
A team may not place more than once in any one category, but a team may place in multiple categories (for example, a team can’t place twice in the Bluefish category, but a team can place once in Bluefish, once in Sea Mullet, etc.).
Each team and all participants on each team must be registered by 11:00 pm on Friday, April 11. Registration is on Friday, April 11, from 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm. The team/captain may pre-register by mailing in the entry form in our tournament booklet or on our website at www.FishermansPost.com (click on “Tournaments” and then “Pleasure Island Team Surf Fishing Challenge”), or the team/captain may pre-register in person at Island Tackle, Intracoastal Angler, or Tex’s Tackle (the team/captain may only pre-register at these locations up until Thursday, April 10; afterwards, the team/captain must register in person on Friday, April 11, at Tournament HQ at Lazy Pirate).
The tournament fishing time starts at 11:59 pm on Friday, April 11, and lasts around the clock until 11:00 am on Sunday, April 13.
There are no weigh stations. Teams must bring their fish to the official weigh-in at Lazy Pirate on Sunday, April 13. The scales will be open from 10:00 am-12:00 noon. All teams must be in the weigh-in line by 12:00 noon.
Each team and all participants on each team must fish from the Pleasure Island surf. No boats. No sound or pier fishing. The North End boundary is the first (the southernmost) of the 5-6 poles (yellow marking near top of all 5-6 poles) in a row and in close proximity just before the beach strand’s inlet bend. The South End boundary is the “No driving past this point” signs.
No fishing is permitted within 100 yards of Carolina Beach and/or Kure Beach fishing piers. No fishing while standing on the pipe or its structure located near the Oceaneer Motel.
All fish weighed must have been caught by the team bringing the fish to the weigh-in. All fish must be caught on hook and line.
No kites, balloon rigs, paddling out baits, bait cannons, or drones. No chumming or chum pots. No gaffing or netting fish (cast nets are allowed for the purpose of catching bait only).
The tournament will fish rain or shine—no makeup dates are scheduled.
Each participant on a team must physically attend Registration on Friday, April 11, between 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm to receive the tournament wristband—no exceptions. All participants on a team must then display the tournament wristband while fishing.
All fish must adhere to North Carolina state size regulations.
No cut or mutilated fish will be accepted.
Any fish weighed in may become the property of the Pleasure Island Team Surf Fishing Challenge.
No fish species need to be weighed in alive. Any red drum weighed in must be in the slot, and red drum will be measured with belly facing the weigh master and a uniform pinch of the tail.
The Team Aggregate TWT payouts go to the teams that weigh in the heaviest four-fish aggregate of a single fish from each of the four categories—one bluefish, one red drum, one black drum, and one sea mullet. Teams are not required to weigh in all four categories to qualify for this prize. In the event of identical aggregate weights, the first team that weighed in shall be declared the winner.
The secondary prizes go to the teams that weigh in the single heaviest fish in that category. Prizes are awarded solely on the basis of fish weight. In the event of identical weights, the first fish weighed shall be declared the winner.
The Hall of Fame award goes to the team that weighs in the heaviest total weight of all fish from all four categories. In the event of identical aggregate weights, the first team that weighed in shall be declared the winner.
By signing the entry form, the captain/team consents that the Pleasure Island Team Surf Fishing Challenge may use without payment or restrictions any photographs in which team members appear for any purpose whatsoever, including but not limited to resale, advertising, commercial, or promotional material.
Any angler from any team, if directed by the tournament committee, must submit to a polygraph test within 72 hours after the last fish has been weighed. This decision is at the sole discretion of the tournament committee. Should the test be failed or if the angler fails to participate in the polygraph test within the 72 hours, the tournament committee reserves the right to forfeit all winnings awarded to the team in question.
All protests made to the tournament committee shall be accompanied by a $350 cash deposit. All protests shall be made no later than one hour after the last fish has been weighed. The $350 cash deposit will be returned if the tournament committee upholds the protest. The $350 cash deposit will become the property of the Pleasure Island Team Surf Fishing Challenge if the protest is not upheld. All decisions of the tournament committee shall be final.
The tournament committee has the right to refuse entry from any captain/team. If an entry is refused, then 100% of the captain’s/team’s entry fee will be returned.
All teams and participants are responsible for reading and following all rules and regulations set forth by the Pleasure Island Team Surf Fishing Challenge.

Questions? Contact Fisherman’s Post at (910) 452-6378 or surf@fishermanspost.com.