Southport Inshore Challenge Rules

August 15 – 16, 2025, at Morningstar Marinas Southport

2025 SoIC RULES

Click here for a printable version of the rules: 2024 Southport Inshore Challenge Rules

The primary payouts go to the boats with the heaviest single red drum.
The tournament’s entry fee allows you to have as many anglers on your boat as you’d like (within safety limitations).
The one fishing day is Saturday, August 16. The tournament will reserve the right to hold Sunday, August 17, as an optional foul weather day, or the tournament may make the decision to hold the event on a separate weekend.
There are no checkouts and no boundaries.
Fish must be caught during tournament hours. No lines in the water until 6:30 a.m.
All boats must be in line at the mouth of Morningstar Marinas Southport by 4:00 p.m.
Scales will open at 2:00 p.m. at Morningstar Marinas Southport. No weigh-ins allowed before 2:00 p.m.
Each boat may present only one red drum, or a boat may also present a second red drum (if entered in the Two Red Drum TWT) and/or one “trash fish” (one oyster toad or one lizardfish, if entered in the “Trash Fish” TWT) to the weigh master, at which time their fishing day has ended.
All fish weighed in will become the property of the Southport Inshore Challenge.
Any angler, 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 winner 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 Southport Inshore Challenge if the protest is not upheld. All decisions of the tournament committee shall be final.
The four TWTs (tournament within a tournament)—Single Big Red Drum TWT, High Roller Single Big Red Drum TWT, Two Red Drum TWT, and “Trash Fish” TWT (one oyster toad or one lizardfish)—all have a payout ratio of 1st—50%, 2nd—30%, and 3rd—20%. Participants in the tournament are not required to enter the TWTs. They are offered as another way for you to win money.
The Two Red Drum TWT is awarded to the heaviest total of up to two red drum.
The “Trash Fish” TWT is awarded to the heaviest weight of either one oyster toad or one lizardfish.
Prizes are awarded solely based on fish weight. In the event of identical weights, the first fish weighed shall be declared the winner.
All fish must be caught on hook and line and from the registered boat.
All fish must be weighed in from the boat in which they were caught. All fish must remain aboard the boat on which they were caught until a crewmember takes the fish to the scales. No overland transport to the weigh station will be allowed, and a crewmember must accompany the fish to the scales.
By signing the entry form, the captain and crew, etc. consent that the Southport Inshore Challenge may use without payment or restrictions any photographs in which he or she appears for any purpose whatsoever, including but not limited to resale, advertising, commercial, or promotional material.
Two or more boats seen congregating may be disqualified from the tournament.
This tournament does not have any boundaries; however, a boat may not fish within 25 yards of the CP&L intake wall and a boat may not fish within the barriers separating Morningstar Marinas Southport from the ICW.
All fish must adhere to North Carolina state size regulations.
All fish will be received, inspected, measured, and weighed by the terms of the weigh master.
Red drum will be measured nose to nose plate, belly facing the weigh master, and with a uniform pinch of the tail.
No cut or mutilated fish will be accepted, and fish must be in edible condition.
A boat may only win one primary prize, but a boat may win more than one secondary prize.
The Junior Angler must be 14-years-old or younger (as of August 15, 2025). This prize is based on the single heaviest red drum.
The Lady Angler must be female and 15-years-old or older (as of August 15, 2025). This prize is based on the single heaviest red drum.
The Senior Angler must be male and 60-years-old or older (as of August 15, 2025). This prize is based on the single heaviest red drum.
The SeaTow prize is based on the single heaviest red drum and goes to the boat whose owner has a current SeaTow membership.
The Special Weight prizes are closest to the designated special weight—it doesn’t matter if the fish is over or under the special weight. In the event of a tie, the special weight prize goes to the fish that was weighed in first.
The tournament committee has the right to refuse entry from any applicant. If an entry is refused, then 100% of the applicant’s entry fee will be returned.
All captains and crewmembers are responsible for reading and following all rules and regulations set forth by the Southport Inshore Challenge.

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