Rules

2026 Fishin’ Fiesta

Official Tournament Rules

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Please review the following rules carefully. All participants are expected to abide by these regulations as outlined by the Freeport Host Lions Club.

1. Every participant must be registered prior to fishing.
2. No participant shall begin fishing prior to 12:01 a.m. Thursday, July 2, 2026.
3. All participants must catch their fish with rod and reel or pole and line. Only Gar may be killed before boating (Flounder may be gigged).
4. Important All entries must have been caught from public fishing areas. THE DOW BARGE CANAL IS STRICTLY OFF LIMITS!
5. All entered fish must be caught in Texas Coastal waters or adjacent federal waters (excluding Gar, which may be caught in upland rivers).
6. All fish entered must be caught legally according to all Texas Parks and Wildlife and Federal fishing rules and regulations.
7. Fish will be checked for freshness. Spoiled, mutilated, deformed, frozen, or gutted fish will be disqualified by a certified weight master. No fish will be weighed in with any foreign material attached. Fish may be gutted and examined and undigested fish, however introduced, will be removed.
8. The official weighing station will be located at the Freeport Municipal Park.
Family & Juvenile Rules
9. Family entries include husband, wife, and all children 16 years and under. When children are registered under a family entry, they may only compete in the juvenile categories.
10. Juveniles under the age of 8 are required to document their legal catch by live video of any gars or large fish and present it at the weighing station if requested.
11. Juveniles (16 years and under) can only fish in the division they are registered in.
Prizes & Winners
12. Polygraph All winners agree to take a polygraph examination before receiving any money. For juveniles who win, the parent/guardian who was with the juvenile will be required to take the polygraph examination. Winners will have ten (10) days to complete this polygraph or forfeit their winnings.
13. In case of a tie, the first fish entered will be the winner.
14. If a person under 18 years of age wins a cash prize, their legal guardian over 18 must accept that prize for them.
15. Winners are responsible for picking up their prizes within TEN (10) DAYS after the close of the tournament. After ten (10) days all unclaimed prizes become the property of the Freeport Host Lions Club. Winners must also examine prizes for irregularities and inconsistencies. There will be no exchanges or replacements of prizes after ten (10) days.
General Provisions
16. The Freeport Host Lions Club reserves the right to exclude anyone from the tournament.
17. The Tournament may be rescheduled due to inclement weather by the Tournament Directors.
18. The Freeport Host Lions Club and workers of the tournament may not be held responsible for any injuries to persons or damage to personal property.
19. Protests will only be accepted in writing during weigh-in hours. The protest will be presented to Tournament Directors only.
20. Decisions of the Freeport Host Lions Club Tournament Directors will be final.
21. All fish that are submitted for weigh-in will be considered property of the Freeport Host Lions Club. However, due to health reasons, the fisherman may be asked to remove fish from the park premises and dispose of them properly.
22. The Freeport Host Lions Club is not responsible for the payment of any cost that is associated with award prizes.
23. Person submitting fish in tournament must be present with fish at weigh-in.
24. Tournament only weighs slotted fish. Fish tagged over slot limit will not be accepted.