Rules - Belhaven Trout Tournament

2025 Official Tournament Rules

Last updated August 11, 2025.

Goal Statement

Our goal is to provide friendly and family-oriented fishing tournaments for our anglers; helping our communities through special fundraising events and most importantly to establish lifelong relationships with our youth and locals throughout our communities.

Rules & Regulations

  1. If at any time a participant or member decides to leave the tournament early or if an incident should occur that prevents coming to weigh-in, you must contact one of the Tournament Directors directly. Your Tournament Directors are Tim Askew and Captain Hugh Sutton.

  2. Life vests (PFD's) must be worn by anyone in a boat at the time of initial blast-off. Participants are strongly encouraged to wear a PFD at all times while boating.

  3. Each boat will have the opportunity to weigh a maximum of 3 speckled trout that comply with the NC slot limit for speckled trout (14"-20" with one fish being able to be over 26" per day). A youth angler, under age 16, may weigh one speckled trout for the youth division. *If a team wishes to use the youths' trout as part of their 3 fish, they shall inform the weighmaster. No other fish are permitted in the live well when you arrive to weigh in on tournament days. If you have more than the daily limit or another species in your live well, it will result in a disqualification. The youth fish may be used for total weight of the adult team and as the one fish for the youth in the youth division.

  4. All fish must be caught during tournament hours. Before launching, Tournament Staff may check boats for fish. Failure to allow a check will result in expulsion from the event.

  5. The Weigh Master has the authority to make official decisions and may disqualify any fish he or she deems suspicious or not within length limits which are set by the DMF; any protest must be presented to the Tournament Directors– Hugh Sutton or Tim Askew, within 10-minutes of the scales closing. All fish weighed in shall belong to the tournament and every effort will be made to keep all fish alive and released.

  6. All Federal, state and local laws apply at any event and/or tournament.

  7. No alcohol or drugs allowed. Detection of alcohol or drug use during an event can lead to disqualification.

  8. The use of live or cut/dead bait during this tournament is prohibited. Only artificial baits are allowed.

  9. At blastoff, there is no passing between the breakwater and the bridge. Once outside of those structures, passing is permitted but shall be done so safely. Blastoff will begin at first safe light.

  10. All anglers must remain in their boats. There is a 4 person limit per boat of which there can be no more than 3 adults. A team could, for example, be comprised of, 3 adults and 1 youth, two adults and two youth, or even 1 adult and 3 youth anglers. There is no out of the boat bank or island fishing allowed. The only exception for leaving the boat is for emergencies such as using a restroom or a medical emergency (youth angler is any youth 15 years old and younger).

  11. When you name your team, up to 3 adult anglers, that is your team for the 2-day event. No substitutions either day.

  12. No trolling. No more than one rod may be fished with, per angler, at any time.

  13. There is no boundaries for fishing limits except that no boat can enter the Atlantic Ocean.

  14. Boats used in the tournament must be at least 15 feet in length and must be powered by a gas powered engine. No kayaks or self-propelled boats. All tournament boats shall have a working live well and attempt to keep fish alive for weigh-in. We realize all fish may not survive, but the intent is to release as many healthy fish as possible. No tournament fish are to be presented at weigh after being placed on or in ice.

  15. If a teams' boat suffers mechanical failure, being towed back to the ramp is permissible by any non-tournament boat. The teams' fish may not be transported on another boat: the team boat, even if being towed in with their fish, must be back at or before the allotted weigh in time or it is a disqualification. In this tournament, no transport of fish by another team is allowable. No exceptions.

  16. In case of inclement weather, the tournament director may delay blastoff or the tournament could be postponed/rescheduled. Every effort will be made to make the decision as soon as practical based on the weather forecast. Safety is #1.

  17. There is no fishing within 150 feet (50 yards) of another tournament angler. If an angler encroaches upon another angler, photos should be taken and presented to the Tournament Directors – Hugh Sutton or Tim Askew. The Tournament Directors will determine if a disqualification is warranted. *All anglers shall practice good sportsmanship towards all other boats on the water*

  18. On tournament day, no team shall communicate in any manner with any boat or fishermen not fishing the tournament. This includes phone calls, text messaging, smoke signals, telegrams, telegraphs, morse code, radio, or any other form of communication not mentioned here. Spot holding or communicating with any boat not fishing the tournament on tournament day shall result in disqualification.

  19. The weigh master or tournament director has authority to randomly select any place winners for a polygraph test. Failure to submit to a polygraph test shall result in immediate disqualification from the tournament. Any rule violations that are uncovered as a result of the polygraph shall result in disqualification and returning any and all winnings to the tournament.

  20. There will be a mandatory Captains meeting on Tuesday, October 7 in Belhaven. Place and time will be announced at a later date.

  21. Weigh-in is at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, October 10 and 3:00 pm on Saturday, October 11 unless otherwise specified at the Captain's meeting. Fish shall be at check-in with a team member NO LATER than 15 minutes after any alternate weigh-in time given at the Captain's meeting or the team will not be allowed to weigh. That is 3:15 pm on Friday, October 10 and 3:15 Saturday, October 11. Flights will be established for specific weigh in times each day, depending on which flight you are in.

  22. When coming to weigh-in, all fish shall be kept free swimming in the live well until pulling up to the weigh station. Once stopped, a team member can take the fish out of the live well, place them in the bag, and present them to the weighmaster. All fish become property of the BTTF with the goal of being released healthy.

  23. In case of a tie, the team's heaviest fish will break the tie. If the tie cannot be broken due to teams having the same weight big fish, the tie will be broken by whichever team registered first for the tournament.

Notes

  1. Belhaven Trout Tournament & Festival (BTTF) (Waiver of Personal Responsibilities)

  2. BTTF and its Tournament Staff are not responsible for any property loss and/or damage.

  3. BTTF and its Tournament Staff are not responsible for any personal injuries and/or loss of life.

  4. Each angler and/or participants are personally responsible for your own safety during tournament operations.