Tournament Rules

Updated rules effective 4.26.25 and based on results from post-tournament survey.

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- No morning check in on the day of the tournament. If a participant can't make it to the check in on the afternoon before, please pre-register and contact tournament admins to prearrange a check in on the morning of before lines in. 

- Adjusted times for afternoon check in on the day before tournament (4:00-7:00pm)

- Team Captains can sign release for entire team, but must list all team members' names on preregistration form. 

- Youth participants whose team only wish to participate in the Youth Division are free to enter competition. If youth's parent or guardian team wants to participate in the tournament, they must pay entry fee for either Adult or Pro division.

- Youth participants are entered as individuals and win individual prizes (no youth teams) 

- Clarification: single largest fish wins youth division (two largest fishes win Adult and Pro team divisions) 

- Youth catches may be simultaneously entered as team catches in the Adult and Pro divisions; single largest fish for youth wins, top two largest fish for Adult and Pro win. For example, if there are three youths in team, each youth can each submit a fish as individuals. However, only the 2 largest of those fish will count in the adult or pro division team entries.

- Youths must be between ages 5 to 15

- Non-monetary prizes will be awarded to top three places in youth division

- Revised pre-registration form to include all team members' names and emails 

- Registration and catch submission confirmation emails will be sent automatically 

- Revised prize payout structure for Adult and Pro divisions is as follows (15% held aside from both adult and pro divisions for tournament admin expenses)

- 1st place: 50% of prize pot

- 2nd place: 25% of prize pot

- 3rd place: 10% of prize pot 

 

​General Rules 

• The Blue Ridge Striper Tournament is a public competition. Participation is open to the general public.  

• Tournament Administrators retain the ultimate authority regarding participation criteria.  

• Participants are expected to strictly adhere to all tournament rules and applicable local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and guidelines.  

• Participants 16 years of age and older must have a valid Virginia fishing license.   

• All anglers including professional guides, amateur adult, and youth who wish to participate in the tournament must complete a registration form and sign a release of liability (Team Captains may sign release for entire team). 

• Blue Ridge Striper and its Tournament Administrators are not liable for any tickets or citations received by an individual participating in the tournament.  

• Blue Ridge Striper and its Tournament Administrators are not liable for any bodily harm or injury to participants incurred during the tournament. 

• Blue Ridge Striper and its Tournament Administrators are not liable for any damage to personal or public property that is incurred on behalf of contestants.  

• Tournament is intended to target freshwater striped bass. In keeping with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ striped bass management plan, this competition is intended to uphold responsible angling practices and maintain healthy fish populations, and as such is a catch, photograph, and release only tournament.   

• In an effort to maintain fair competition practices, regardless of participant’s equipment set up, participants are asked not to fish up river of the kayak launch at Back Creek or upriver at the mouth of the river at Ponderosa.  

• Participants may submit catches for tournament placement via the QR code provided during check in, or via the tournament email address 

• Catches will be recorded including participant’s name, team, division, size, and time of submission 

• Fish length in inches is the criteria by which the tournament will measure catches  

• Fish weight will not be considered for this tournament. 

• Each participant/team may submit as many catches as they desire; however, only the two (2) largest catches per person/team will be considered in the calculation for winner. The rest of the catches submitted for participant/team will be "culled."  

• All participants must use Blue Ridge distributed measuring boards with randomly assigned number clearly written on board 

• Fish must be placed on designated Blue Ridge measuring board for photograph

• The entire fish must be visible in the picture 

• The entire board must be visible in the picture 

• Fish’s mouth must be flush with the board stop, and there should be nothing in the fish’s mouth. No photographs with fish oriented in a different direction on the board will be accepted.  

• Fish must clearly be in good health and freshly caught in the photograph. Any questionable catches will be disqualified from the total catches submitted.  

• Fish tail may be pinched for the measurement and picture; however, the tail must be OVER the measurement mark to count. For example, if the fish is 35.5”, the tail must be over the half inch mark and short of the 3/4” mark.  

• Photos must be original and must not be altered in any way including cropping, color adjustment, or filtered.  

• Participants should save original pictures on their phone or other device for reference should there be a question about the authenticity of the photo​ 

• Teams participating in tournament must stay with the registered captain’s boat and may not fish from another vessel or location. For example, teams may not enter with two boats.  

• Only striped bass caught at Smith Mountain Lake during the designated tournament hours may be entered in this event. No fish caught prior to the start of the tournament may be submitted in this event. Fish caught by one team may not be entered by another team as its own. No fish may be caught prior to the tournament event and held in a live well and then submitted in this event.  

• Fish must be caught with a rod and reel.  

 

Adult Amateur Division Rules 

• The maximum team size is 4 adults. Teams may have additional participants between the ages of 5 and 15, but must adhere to coast guard regulations regarding passenger limitations on the vessel.   

• Adult amateur registrants may not hire a professional guide to help them with the competition and may not have a professional guide on their team.  

• Adult amateur division catches may also be simultaneously submitted as an individual youth catches

• Adult registrants may register for both the professional guide and adult amateur division of the competition, but will be required to pay registration fees for both divisions.

• Adult amateur registrants may also have youth participants on their team

 

Professional Guide Division Rules 

• The maximum team size is 4 adults. Teams may have additional participants between the ages of 5 and 15, but must adhere to coast guard regulations regarding passenger limitations on the vessel.   

• Participants registering as a professional guide in the competition may NOT also participate in the adult division, though professional guides’ children ages 5-15 may participate in the youth division.  

• As with the adult division, guides may simultaneously submit a youth catch in the pro team division 

 

Youth Division Rules​​ 

• All minors participating in the Children's portion of the tournament must be between ages 5 and 15 and must register separately from their parent/guardian; parent/guardian must sign the release of liability on behalf of their minor.  

• Youth participants must reel in their striped bass submissions, but may receive assistance from an adult.  

• Youths may enter their catches in either the youth competition, adult competition, or guide competition as a team catch

 

Optional Big Fish Pot

• All participants may choose to participate in the optional big fish pot.

• The fee to participate in this pot is $20 per team.  

• Largest striped bass catch in inches is winner

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Optional Muskellunge Bounty  

• All participants may choose to participate in the optional muskie bounty.  

• The fee to participate in this bounty is $20 per team.  

• Any size muskie is eligible for submission; largest catch in inches is winner

• If no muskie is caught during this event, the total cash bounty will roll over to the next event in the same year series.  

• If no muskie is caught in any of the events in the annual series, the funds will be donated to a charity of the Tournament Administrators’ choosing.  

 

Registration and Morning Check In 

• Prospective participants MUST be registered by the cutoff time on the day of the tournament, no exceptions. 

• Check in will be in person at the designated site (may be different for each event) 

• ​All anglers who wish to participate in the tournament must complete a registration form and sign a release of liability (Captains may sign release for entire team). 

• At least one member from each team must be present at the in-person check in to pay the registration fees and pick up the measuring board

 

Entry Fees 

• Cash only registration due at time of in-person check in 

• $300 registration fee per professional guide team 

• $100 registration fee per adult amateur team 

• Youth participants ages 5-15 are free to enter competition with a paying adult amateur or professional guide team 

• $20 optional muskie division entry per team 

• $20 optional big fish pot

 

Launch/Lines In 

• After check in, participants may launch from any location at Smith Mountain Lake  

• Participants are reminded that in an effort to maintain fair competition practices, regardless of participant’s equipment set up, participants are asked not to fish up river of the kayak launch at Back Creek or upriver at the mouth of the river at Ponderosa.  

• Shotgun start/lines in at designated time set and communicated by Tournament Administrators 

• Start times are event-specific and may change based on date/event  

• Participants are expected to uphold the honor code in which all teams start the competition only at the designated start time  

 

Afternoon Check In and Final Submission Cutoff 

• The tournament end time will be set and communicated by Tournament Administrators  

• End times are event-specific and may change based on date/event  

• Cutoff time for afternoon check in is final. Participants arriving after the designated cutoff time will be disqualified. No exceptions. 

• No catch submissions will be accepted after the designated end time  

• Participants checking in late will be disqualified. 

• If a participant cannot successfully submit a catch via the QR code/website or via the tournament email, they may appear in person in advance of the check in time to submit their catch/photo in person to the Tournament Administrators.  

• There is a $50 fee for any damaged or missing measuring boards. 

 

Winning Determination and Tie Breakers​​ 

• Winner will be determined based on the cumulative total inches in length of the top two (2) striped bass that are correctly photographed and submitted, or photo evidence presented in person before the check out time, by the lines out cutoff time.  

• Credit will be issued based on the submission time. For example, if two anglers submit a fish of the exact same length, the angler who submitted first based on timestamp will be considered the winner.  ​ 

• ​Winners must have completed final check in and returned their Blue Ridge measuring board to be eligible to receive prize winnings.  

• Final determination of winners will be made by the Tournament Administrators. All decisions are final and nonnegotiable.   

• Professional Guide and Adult Amateur divisions of the competition will have tiered prize structure as outlined below

• Youth Division will include prizes for top three winners.

 

Payout Structure, Prizes 

• Both Adult Amateur and Pro Guide division payout structure is as follows:

  • 1st place - 50% of prize pot​

  • 2nd place - 25% of prize pot

  • 3rd place - 10% of prize pot

• A 15% stipend will be deducted from the total amount of the guide division registration fees for the Tournament Administrators’ expenses.  

• There must be a minimum of 3 registered pro teams to hold the pro division tournament

• There must be a minimum of 5 registered adult amateur teams to hold the adult amateur division tournament

• Youth Competition prize will constitute a plaque or donated giveaways from our sponsors. Prizes may be different for each event.  

• Cash prizes will be awarded to the individual winner or team who submitted the entry.  

• Blue Ridge Striper is not responsible or liable for equitable distribution of prize winnings within a team or for mediating disputes among team members regarding prize winnings. 

 

​ Honor Code 

• Any participants at any time (either currently registered during the tournament or pre/post tournament) found to falsify any provided information including but not limited to picture submissions will be banned from participating in the current and any/all future tournaments hosted by Blue Ridge Striper.  

• Any participants who display unsportsmanlike conduct or interfere with the participation of another angler in the competition will be immediately disqualified and banned from any/all future tournaments hosted by Blue Ridge Striper. 

• All claims or witness of falsified information or unsportsmanlike conduct will be thoroughly investigated by the Tournament Administrators. The final determination in such situations will be the sole decision of the Tournament Administrators. All decisions are final and nonnegotiable.  

• The use of alcohol or drugs is prohibited during tournament hours. Contestants appearing to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the tournament will be disqualified.  

• If the actions of one team member are egregious, the entire team may be disqualified at the Tournament Administrators' discretion.  

• If a participant would like to lodge a complaint or dispute a winning claim, he or she must voice their concern on the day of the tournament. After the close of the event, no complaints or disputes will be considered.