Code of Conduct
Tournament Trail Rules
$10 Registration Form
Qualifying for the Nationals
Lady, Junior & Senior Divisions
Pro Tour

OVERVIEW OF THE SKA  The Southern Kingfish Association was founded in 1990 as a sanctioning body for King Mackerel tournaments. It is now the largest sanctioning organization of saltwater fishing tournaments in the world. The SKA sanctions tournaments in twelve geographic divisions, throughout the Southeast and west from North Carolina through both coasts of Florida and into the Gulf Coast states all the way to Texas. Members fish in divisional competition on the Mercury Tournament Trail in hopes of qualifying for the SKA’s year end National Championship in November. The National Championship qualifies more than four hundred boats and they compete for cash and prizes. The top places in the Nationals are boat/motor/trailer packages. Prizes are donated by our primary sponsors for the Championship. The honor of being named the SKA’s National Champion is one of the most coveted awards in saltwater sport fishing today. For those with above average skills, there is also the Professional Kingfish Tour. This is a five tournament series throughout the Southeast, with the winner being crowned the SKA’s Top Angler of the Year. Cash prizes are also significant, as is the media attention placed upon the Pro Tour.

MEMBERSHIP IN THE SKA - The SKA reserves the right to refuse Association entry to any person or persons.

Professional Kingfish Tour Captain	$140
Competition Member	$70
Family Competition Membership	$90
Associate Member	$40
Competition Renewal	$65
Family Competition Renewal	$85
Each Additional Family Member	$30

You must be a Competition Member of the SKA to win any SKA sponsored prizes. Competition membership runs from January 1 to December 31.

A Competition Family may consist of a husband, wife, or child under the age of 22 still residing at home. The membership includes any two (2) members, i.e. father and son, husband and wife, etc. Additional memberships can be purchased for $30 for other family members.

Competition Members are entitled to the following: The right to compete in any of the Divisions, Lady Angler, Junior Angler or Senior Angler Divisions. All memberships include eleven issues of Angler magazine, the official publication of the SKA. Two SKA decals. One SKA embroidered full color patch. SKA membership certificate suitable for framing. Personalized membership card with your name and membership number. Free Classified Ads published on the SKA’s web site and in Angler magazine. Access number for the SKA website forum. Discount marine insurance available through Charter Lakes Marine Insurance.

ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP: ASSOCIATE MEMBERS are NOT entitled to compete in divisional competition or entry into the National Championship. They will also receive SKA decals and a membership card identifying them as Associate members plus patches.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP: Professional Memberships are available by invitation thru qualifiying only (see FISHING THE PRO TOUR).

RESPONSIBILITY OF MEMBERS: By registering as a member of the Southern Kingfish Association, LLC., the member consents to the use, without payment or restrictions, of any photographs, and his or her name, in which the member, their crew and / or boat appears for any purpose whatsoever. The member further releases the Southern Kingfish Association, LLC., its officers, directors, committee members and sponsors from any liability for libel, slander, loss, damage, negligence, injury and / or death suffered by any member, family, crew, boat and / or other person which may occur during the term of membership. Any member or members who threaten or pursue any form of litigation against the Southern Kingfish Association, LLC. will be permanently expelled from the organization. It is the responsibility of every member to read the membership rules, angling rules, and the code of conduct, and practice same in SKA sanctioned events they fish unless there are specific rules for an individual event that differ from SKA rules. They would take precedence. In SKA produced events, SKA rules and code of conduct apply at all times. By joining the SKA every person agrees to abide by the rules set forth in the membership rules, code of conduct, and angling rules whether they have read them or not. Furthermore, member agrees that all decisions on disputes and/or protests are final and cannot be judged by any court or other authority.

CODE OF CONDUCT: Each person joining the SKA is expected to conduct her-/himself in a manner that reflects the wholesomeness and image of the organization. While the tournaments are highly competitive in nature, good sportsmanship is and will be paramount at all times. Members are expected to be role models, as this is a family organization. At no time shall any boat captain or crew make verbal or written contracts that effect the splitting or receiving a percentage of a tournament prize or purse and / or TWT monies with another team or boat entered into the same event or tournament trail itself. Failure to conform will result in the immediate forfeiture of all points for the season for all boats involved. Captains are responsible for the safety and conduct of their crew and / or team members during all aspects of an event. Demeaning the SKA, SKA sponsors, or another member’s character or heritage will not be tolerated and can result in expulsion from the organization. Any member putting the welfare of the general membership at risk with sponsors or potential sponsors will be expelled from the SKA immediately by SKA managers.

UNDERSTANDING THE RULES: It is the responsibility of all SKA members to familiarize themselves with all the rules and regulations of this association and to abide by said rules and regulations. Members also agree by joining the association that all decisions of the Board of Directors and / or SKA management are final.

DISQUALIFICATION: Any angler or captain being disqualified from a sanctioned or SKA produced tournament because of a rule violation, regardless of the severity of the violation, will not receive points for that day of the disqualification. If a member is disqualified from the entire tournament, the member will not receive any points gained during that event. Members are also subject to expulsion depending upon the severity of the violation, subject to the discretion of the management of the SKA. Anyone expelled from the SKA will also forfeit any points already awarded prior to the infraction which caused the expulsion. Members also agree to abide by any and all tournament rules and the decisions of the sanctioned tournament rules committees and directors when joining the SKA.

TOURNAMENT PARTICIPATION:All SKA members participating in a sanctioned event understand that the SKA does not get involved in tournament disputes. The SKA are guests of the event and will act accordingly. All decisions made by sanctioned tournaments, their rules committees, and directors are final. If a member believes he/she has been slighted by an event, the member(s) should contact the SKA in writing, explaining the problem to SKA management. The matter will be taken under advisement. Our recourse for flagrant violations is cancellation of the SKA sanction for the following season(s). Any member issuing a worthless check, stopping payment on a check, or credit card that does not clear, made out to a sanctioned tournament, the SKA, or cash, will have points frozen until the matter is resolved. If the practice persists, the SKA will automatically suspend membership privileges. Captains are responsible for their crews and/or teammates at all times. Any protests will be addressed through the team captain only.

INDIVIDUAL TOURNAMENT RULES: In an SKA sanctioned tournament, any tournament rule that is in conflict with an existing SKA rule, replaces the SKA rule for that event only. The King Mackerel size limit rule is the exception. SKA still will not accept any fish under 10 pounds for points even though the tournament may accept it. Otherwise all other SKA rules, Angling rules, Code of Conduct, and the Conservation rule apply to all SKA members at all times. All local, state, and federal boating and fishing laws must be strictly adhered to at all times.

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND / OR ILLEGAL DRUGS:The consumption of alcoholic beverages during tournaments is strongly discouraged by the management of the SKA. Anglers and members are expected to practice good sportsmanship and because of the families fishing with us, are expected to set good examples. Abuse of alcohol or illegal drugs will result in disqualification and/or expulsion from the organization at the discretion of SKA management. Members smoking or drinking during picture taking will not have their photos used in Angler magazine.

VHF RADIO USE: Members are asked to practice common sense when using the VHF radio. Bad language with children possibly listening, poor sportsmanship, and the demeaning of other anglers on the air can result in points not counting for that event. Frequent abuse can also result in expulsion from the organization, at the discretion of SKA management and/or the Board of Directors.

CONSERVATION: Each and every member is encouraged to practice and set examples of good conservation. Take only fish that you intend to weigh and release the rest unharmed to grow and reproduce. No SKA angler shall unnecessarily kill a King Mackerel during a tournament or while pre-fishing unless said fish is to be weighed or used as table fare. Abuse can result in disqualification from a sanctioned tournament and/or expulsion from the organization, at the discretion of the SKA management.

TOURNAMENT CANCELLATION: In the event that a sanctioned tournament is canceled due to bad weather or any other reason, and is rescheduled at a later date during the same year on the date of another sanctioned tournament within the same division, the rescheduled event will NOT count as a sanctioned event. If two tournaments decide to hold their events jointly, only the tournament that was originally scheduled for that date will be sanctioned.

MERCURY TOURNAMENT TRAIL DIVISIONS: This is a team competition in which the team’s captain receives one (1) point per pound for their largest King Mackerel weighed in per tournament. SKA must have the make, model, power and boat name of the team. This is a boat/team effort. The boat you register at the start of the season is the boat you must fish throughout the year in that division. If you sell your boat, you will be allowed to transfer points to the new boat, providing that you remain within the same class, i.e. if you begin the year in the Class of 23, garner points, then purchase a 31 foot boat, you will NOT be allowed to transfer points between the Class of 23 and the Open Classes. Putting your current boat up for sale and fishing on another vessel does NOT qualify as a reason to carry over points to another boat. You may not substitute a boat for one that is already in competition in the same division unless that boat forfeits their points gained at that point in the division. There are two exceptions: one is a licensed boat dealer fishing a company owned demonstrator boat. The MSO of the boat must be in the dealer’s name and the name given the boat at the start of the season must remain the same. The other pertains to breakdowns.

BREAKDOWNS: If you start a tournament in your registered boat and you have a breakdown, you will be allowed to switch boats for the remainder of that event, providing you notify the SKA representative in attendance of your intention to switch boats, and providing that the sanctioning tournament allows such a substitution, limit two breakdowns per season once you have entered an event. If your boat breaks down before an event, you will be allowed only one boat substitution per division. Remember that this is a team and machine contest. The ability to keep your boat in running order is equally important to your success. Exception: In the event your boat cannot be repaired because of circumstances beyond your control, you must get special approval from the SKA management to change boats for the remainder of the season or till the problem is resolved. For example, you blow a power head and parts are unavailable for an extended period of time. You will be required to provide proof of the problem for verification.

WHO CAN BE CAPTAIN: Members who register as captain or co-captain must be at least 16 years of age and must have had their sixteenth birthday prior to fishing their first sanctioned event of that season. It is highly recommended that if you register as captain with the SKA that you also register as captain with the sanctioned tournament’s officials in order to eliminate any confusion in score keeping.

CLASS OF 23: This is a division for boats whose manufacturer classify, advertise, and publish the manufacturer’s length as a 23’11” foot vessel or less (Cannot exceed 23’11” waterline). The SKA will not physically measure any boat to determine its length. If the manufacturer classifies its product as something greater than 23’ to 23’11” then the vessel will not be eligible to compete in the Class of 23 regardless of the boat’s overall length. Horsepower will not exceed the manufacturer’s recommendation for that boat for it to be allowed to compete in the Class of 23. The boat cannot exceed 23’ 11” waterline length regardless of the manufacturer’s size claim. You will be automatically be placed in this class upon registration of your boat with the SKA at the first tournament you fish. You may choose to fish the Open Division in a Class of 23 boat, however, we must have your written authorization on file to change classification in the SKA Corporate Office and this must be done before you fish your first tournament of the season.

DIVISIONS AND POINTS: There are 12 Divisions in the SKA. A team’s best three fish, one per event, out of the 3 to 5 events in the division, counts toward the team’s score.

EACH TEAM MUST REGISTER WITH THE SKA AND COMPLETE THE SKA $10.00 REGISTRATION FORM DURING TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION HOURS. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN THE TEAM’S POINTS NOT COUNTING FOR THAT TOURNAMENT … THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS!!

The SKA staff will man a booth, trailer, table or other setup during the hours of tournament registration, and will be located in an area near the registration. It is the responsibility of the captain to ensure that one team member completes the SKA ($10) Registration Form and turns it in to the SKA representative, along with the $10 fee, prior to fishing and during the registration hours. You will be given a copy for your records. Teams may fish in as many divisions as desired, but their points are not transferred between divisions. Points garnered must remain with that team and within that division. Captain or alternate captain must be an SKA Competition member and one or both must be on board in order to receive points in the divisions. Individual team members are not required to be on board for every tournament during the season. The captain and the boat receive points, and points remain with the boat throughout the season. A captain switching teams may NOT carry his points from one boat to another. The points remain with the boat.

QUALIFYING FOR THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: The top 25 boats in the Open Class (24 foot and above) and the top 20 boats in the Class of 23 at the end of that division’s season will be invited to compete in the SKA’s National Championship and will receive invitational letters to that effect. Only SKA current year competition members will be allowed to compete. Captain’s can either fish with their original team or may pick their crews from the general competition member rank and file of the SKA. All crew/team members must have fished a minimum of two SKA sanctioned tournaments during the current year season. All members of a National Championship crew must be SKA Competition members and have fished in at least two tournaments as such during the season in which they qualified for the Championship. SKA Corporate Partners and members of the press are the only exceptions, and must be approved prior to fishing by the SKA management. All team members should be SKA Competition members for this reason. Any boat that qualifies in the Pro Division is automatically pulled out from any Divisional qualifying position. Any boat qualifying in more than one division will go to the Nationals based on their highest Divisional finish and will be pulled from any lower Divisional finishes, allowing other boats to move up. The boat, however, still gets credit for where they finish for the record books. Any ties in Divisional competition will be broken by the size of the largest fish of the three that count toward the boat’s points. The boat with the larger fish will break the tie. In the event of identical big fish weights, the size of the second largest fish will break the tie, and if needed, the third largest fish. Any and all ties in divisional competition will be broken. There will be no co-winners or equal placing in the divisions. SKA will guarantee that two boats 20 feet or less in length, as determined by the manufacturer (see Class of 23 rules), will also be invited to the Nationals as part of the Class of 23. If no 20 foot or under boats finish in the top 20, we will go down the standings to find the highest two finishing 20 foot or under boats. Anyone qualifying in a 20 foot or under boat may fish in a 23 foot boat in the Nationals in the Class of 23. Class of 23 boats are competing for their own set of prizes in the Nationals, and are unable to win any prizes in the Open class (and vice versa). Past National Champions and Top Anglers of the Year (captains and co-captains only, one or the other or both, but must be on same boat, only one qualifies with preference going to the Captain) and are automatically qualified for the Championship and will be purged from any Divisional qualifying finishes, allowing other boats to move up. (Must use the name of boat used for Championship wins or Angler of the Year title). If boats that have qualified for the Nationals do not attend, SKA does not go down the qualifying list. Past Champions and Anglers of the Year must renew their Competition memberships prior to April 1 of the current year and must fish a minimum of two events during the calendar year on their own boat to be eligible for participation in the Championship. A Qualifying Captain may choose to bring another boat (other than the one he or she qualified in) to the Championship however it must conform to the class they qualified in. If the Captain elects not to attend the Championship, so not to penalize the co-captain and/or team members, they can elect to use the qualifying position. SKA must be notified of this change.

LADY ANGLER DIVISION: Best three (3) fish out of the three to five events in each division. The Top Lady Angler in each Division will receive a plaque engraved with their name, boat name, division and year. Lady Angler must be aboard the boat to receive points, but does not have to be the angler on the fish. SKA rewards them for participating with the team only. Lady Anglers must remain with one single team in a division in order to garner points throughout the division. Boat switching in a division is not allowed with the exception of approved breakdown substitution. Lady Anglers must be clearly and properly marked on the SKA ($10) Registration Form to be eligible for points (must be done at each event they fish.) In the event a Lady Angler is indicated but does not fish, it is the responsibility of the team captain to notify the SKA representative so the SKA ($10) Registration Form can be corrected. Anyone violating the honor system will not be awarded points for that event. There will be one Top Lady Angler per division. There will be one Lady Angler of the Year award. The Top Lady Angler of the Year will receive a custom gold and diamond pendant. Lady Anglers must be at least 16 years of age. Ties are broken by the weight of the largest of the three fish counted for scoring. In the event that the largest fish also tie, the winner will be determined by the second largest fish weighed in. Lady anglers fishing in Division 7 or 8 (upper Gulf) have a 39 point handicap. (Their highest three fish aggregate will be reduced by 39 points). The Pro Tour is not eligible for Top Lady Angler of the Year honors. This is for Divisional participants only.

JUNIOR ANGLER DIVISION: Best three (3) fish out of the three to five events in each division. The top (3) Junior Anglers in each division will receive a plaque engraved with their name, boat name, division and year. A Junior Angler’s sixteenth (16th) birthday must not fall prior to May 1 of that calendar year in order to be eligible for competition in the Junior Angler division. There will be one Top Junior Angler of the Year. Junior anglers must be aboard the boat to receive points, but do not have to be the angler on the fish. SKA rewards them for participation as part of the fishing team. Junior Anglers must remain with one single team in a division in order to garner points throughout the division. Boat switching in a division is not allowed with the exception of approved breakdown substitution. Junior Anglers must be clearly and properly marked on the SKA ($10) Registration Form to be eligible for points (must be done at each event they fish.) . In the event a Junior Angler is indicated but does not fish, it is the responsibility of the team captain to notify the SKA representative so the SKA ($10) Registration Form can be corrected. Anyone violating the honor system will not be awarded points for that event. Ties are broken by the weight of the largest of the three fish counted for scoring. In the event that the largest fish also tie, the winner will be determined by the second largest fish weighed in. Junior Anglers fishing in Division 7 or 8 (upper Gulf) have a 39 point handicap. (Their highest three fish aggregate will be reduced by 39 points). The Pro Tour juniors are not eligible for Top Junior Angler of the Year. This is for Divisional participants only.

LONNIE BROADWELL SENIOR ANGLER DIVISION: Best three (3) fish out of the three to five events in each division. The top Senior Angler in each division will receive a plaque engraved with their name, boat name, division and year. The Lonnie Broadwell Senior Angler of the Year award will be awarded to the divisional winner in the Senior Angler category with the highest three fish point total. Upper Gulf Seniors must deduct 39 points from their three-fish total for parity among the rest of the divisions. The winner of the Broadwell Award will receive a trophy with their name, boat name, division, and year engraved upon it. The Senior Angler’s 55th birthday must fall prior to May 1 in the calendar year of competition. The Senior Angler must be aboard the boat in order to receive points but does not have to be the angler on the fish. We reward them for participation as part of the fishing team. The Pro Tour is NOT eligible for the Broadwell Senior Angler of the Year award, this is offered to Divisional winners only. Senior Anglers must remain with one single team in a division in order to garner points throughout the division. Boat switching in a division is not allowed with the exception of approved breakdown substitution. Ties are broken by the weight of the largest of the three fish counted for scoring. In the event that the largest fish also tie, the winner will be determined by the second largest fish weighed in. It is the responsibility of the person registering the team on the $10 form to properly identify all senior anglers on the team for that person(s) to receive points for the event they are fishing.

YAMAHA PROFESSIONAL KINGFISH TOUR: The Pro Tour is a prestigious five tournament series with host cities throughout the Southeast. At stake is the title of SKA’s Top Angler of the Year, the most prestigious and coveted award in the world of saltwater sport fishing today. The winners have proven themselves to be capable of locating and catching sizable King Mackerel far from home, in unfamiliar waters and by using varied techniques. Captains must be signed up as Professional members ($140 annually) prior to fishing in the first Pro Tour event of the season. This enters the boat into Pro competition. Top Angler of the Year honors go to the captain of the boat with the highest point total of their best seven fish at the end of the five tournament series. The tournaments are aggregate in nature, with the teams weighing in the biggest single fish during each of the two days of competition. The teams top seven, of a possible ten fish (five tournaments, two fish per event) will count toward their final score. All boats (teams) who physically fish all five Pro Tournaments will qualify for the National Championship and will be purged from any divisional finishes.

• Entry fees for Pro events are $1,000 per event. All members of Pro teams must be SKA Competition members during that season. The boat entered into the Pro season must remain with the team for the entire season and keep the same name. If a boat is sold during the season it can be replaced, however it must carry the same name. Two boat substitutions may be made in the five-event series and must be done for mechanical reasons or sale of the boat. Designated Captain must be on board for at least three of the five events. A Co-Captain must be designated at the beginning of the season. To qualify as co-captain, he or she must fish with the Captain in a minimum three of the five events, Top Angler of the Year (Captain) will receive a ceremonial gold ring. The Top Angler of the Year (Captain) will also receive a large gold cup trophy engraved with his/her name, boat name, and year. The Top Angler of the Year Captain is also automatically qualified to fish in any National Championship event, providing that they renew to sit out a season can be re-instated any year for the processing fee of $250. No team fishing the Pro Tour may recruit or pay a guide to assist them in a tournament during the tournament fishing days. Pre-fishing with a guide is allowed. Likewise, teams may not add members to their team who possess local knowledge or who would create an unfair advantage against the other teams competing. Please see Angling Rules for additional rules.

POLYGRAPH POLICY: It is the official policy of the SKA to polygraph tournament winners as well as random tournament participants in the following tournaments: all Pro events, all SKA produced events, and Nationals when deemed necessary or possibly as the result of any and all protests. Any participant in any SKA event, sanctioned or produced, who refuses to take the test will automatically lose his or her SKA membership. All members agree that the results of the test will be final and accepted by the participant(s).

rev. 01/10/07