Safety First
No fish or prize is worth risking your life.
Prioritize safety at all times.
Plan your dive and dive your plan.
Monitor air consumption and, if applicable, decompression times frequently.
Unsafe diving practices will result in immediate disqualification, with no exceptions.
Protect the reef and marine life; do not cause any damage to the reef.
Wear protective gloves when handling Lionfish and carry a first aid safety kit.
General Participation
- Participants must be registered for the tournament and comply with all applicable Florida recreational saltwater fishing regulations (see https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/).
- The Throw Down is an individual tournament; submissions must reflect only the participant’s catch. Commercial harvests do not qualify.
- Lionfish must be harvested within designated tournament waters (Florida State waters within the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf), as defined by Florida state and federal regulations. Catches outside these areas will not count.
- Participants assume all risks associated with diving and harvesting Lionfish and agree to hold Tournament organizers, ZooKeeper (The LZK Group, LLC), sponsors, and affiliates harmless from liability.
- All entrants consent to the Tournament officials, ZooKeeper, and event sponsors/supporters using photos for media and promotional purposes.
Legal and Equipment Rules
- Only legal capture methods (spear, hand net, slurp gun, or hook and line) are permitted in areas where such gear is allowed. All federal, state, and local laws must be followed and will be strictly enforced.
- Chemicals, traps, or other collection devices are prohibited.
- Equipment must comply with state and federal regulations. Non-standard or modified gear may be subject to review by Tournament officials.
Conduct and Fairness
- Participants must demonstrate sportsmanship and respect toward other competitors, officials, and marine environments. Unsportsmanlike conduct may result in disqualification.
- In case of a tie, the winner will be determined by the earliest submission to the Fishing Chaos app.
- Violations of Tournament rules, as determined by officials, will result in disqualification from prizes and a ban from future tournaments. Decisions of Tournament officials are final.
Disputes and Modifications
- Participants may submit disputes in writing to Tournament officials within 24 hours of a submission or announcement. Decisions made after review are final.
- Tournament officials reserve the right to modify rules if needed. Participants will be notified of changes via email or the Fishing Chaos app.
Each morning, all registered participants will receive an email containing the daily “identifier.” Include this identifier in your submitted photo(s) with the date and number of lionfish.
- After harvesting Lionfish, arrange the fish alongside the daily identifier, date caught and number of Lionfish being submitted.
- Take a clear photo and submit it via the Fishing Chaos app by selecting “Submit Catch.”
- Enter the number of fish shown in the photo.
- Upload the photo for review.
- You will receive a confirmation email upon submission, followed by a second email once your submission is approved.
Important Notes:
- Submissions must be made within 24 hours of the identifier’s timestamp. NO EXCEPTIONS!
- Only one submission per day, using that day’s identifier, will be accepted. If more than one submission is made with the same identifier, only the first submission will be counted.
- If the Lionfish cannot be clearly counted in the photo, the submission will be rejected.
- If the daily identifier is not visible, the submission will be rejected.
- All Lionfish must be whole (no missing heads or tails).
- Duplicate or altered photos will result in rejection and disqualification.
- Submissions with uncountable fish, invisible identifiers, doctored photos, or duplicates will be rejected.
- Tournament officials may conduct random audits or request additional evidence to verify catches. Failure to comply may lead to disqualification.
Prize Drawing Details
- Five (5) prizes will be awarded monthly.
- Prize details will be revealed later, with each prize valued at a minimum of $30.
- Prize drawings will occur at the end of each month (October, November, December).
- Any registered participant who submits at least one fish during a month will be entered into that month’s drawing.
- All prizes will be shipped to winners at the address provided in their registration documents within five (5) business days of the drawing.