Skip to main content
Menu
  • Home
  • FWC Pensacola Lionfish Invitational

FWC Pensacola Lionfish Invitational

1st Annual FWC Lionfish Pensacola Lionfish Invitational

TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANT REGISTRATION

  1. Registration is available on this Form through an online registration system. All participants must read and understand the Tournament Rules prior to registering. Payment is due at time of registration.  Payment and completed registration shall constitute a representation by each participant that he/she has read and fully understands the tournament rules and that he/she will abide by such rules and decisions of the tournament committee.  After completing the registration form, please return here to pay your registration fee. 
  2. Non-refundable registration fees are as follows and must be paid to complete your registration: 
    1. $100 per participant through August 21, 2026 (selected shirt size guaranteed).  Click here to pay the $100 registration fee.
    2. $125 after August 21, 2026 (selected shirt size not guaranteed)
    3. Active Participants in the 2026 FWC Lionfish Challenge (have submitted at least 1 lionfish) will receive a discount on the tournament registration for the 2026 FWC Pensacola Lionfish Invitational. Click here to pay the $75 registration fee. (Subject to verification)   
  3. Each registrant will receive a tournament packet, including a tournament shirt, commemorative coin and 10 raffle tickets to be used at the raffle table drawing. Packets can be picked up at the registration table at the festival on Sunday 9/27/26. If you are unable to pick up your packet, please designate someone to pick it up for you. Packets will not be mailed to participants after the event. 
  4. To qualify for prizes and awards, participants must be registered, paid and show proper identification.  All applicants must be registered completely by 7:00 pm Thursday 9/24/2026 
  5. Teams will be limited to 4 persons maximum; though more than one team may be present on the same boat. Each member may declare a team upon registration or before the Captain’s Meeting begins and registration closes at 7:00pm on Thursday  9/24/2026. Once registration is closed, teams are locked. Teams may not substitute participants during the tournament for any reason, and will be subject to disqualification. Individuals can register as a single person team to be eligible for prizes.

2026 FWC Pensacola Lionfish Invitational

Rules are Subject to Change. All changes to the rules and final instructions are given at the mandatory Captain’s Meeting which takes place Thursday, September 24, 2026 at 7:00 pm. Changes shall be posted on the 2026 FWC Pensacola Lionfish Invitational site and social media pages.

MANDATORY CAPTAIN’S MEETING 

  1. The mandatory captain’s meeting will be held from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Jaco's Bayfront Bar & Grille, 997 S Palafox St, Pensacola, FL 32502, on Thursday, 9/24/2026.  A link to attend the Captain's Meeting virtually will be provided the week of the tournament.  A team representative must either be present in person or must comment in the virtual meeting.
  2. Registered teams who do not check in at the mandatory captain’s meeting either in person or on the live stream will not be eligible for participation.

ACCEPTABLE FISH/COOLERS

  1. Lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) eligible for entry may only be taken during the tournament hours. No previously caught or frozen lionfish will be allowed, however, please keep all lionfish on ice. 
  2. Only legal means of capture in areas allowing use of those gear types will be allowed. All existing federal, state, and local laws must be followed.
  3. Lionfish must be properly iced and the coolers must be able to be placed on a cart and wheeled to the fish counting station.  Each cooler being checked in should not exceed 150 quart capacity and must be able to be loaded and unloaded by team participants. 
  4. All lionfish must be in whole condition (no missing heads or tails). Largest and smallest fish will be determined by total length of the fish in millimeters measuring from tip of snout to tip of tail. 
  5. Lionfish submitted for the tournament may be donated for sampling, research or for consumption during the event days or returned to the submitting team.  The team member submitting the lionfish must make this decision at the time of submission and it applies to all fish submitted by that team. 
  6. Protective gloves should be worn when handling lionfish. Participants are encouraged to carry an appropriate first aid kit specific for Lionfish stings.

TOURNAMENT HOURS 

  1. Teams may start from any waters where lionfish are legal to harvest. Tournament hours are first light until last light Friday 9/25/2026 and Saturday 9/26/2026.  All fish must be present at the cooler drop off station by 11:00 am on Sunday 9/27/2026. Any fish not present at the cooler drop off station by the designated time will NOT be counted for the tournament.
  2. All waters are eligible for tournament harvest. The tournament shall take place regardless of weather conditions. Captains make their own decisions about venturing out.  

COOLER DROP OFF STATION HOURS 

  1. Coolers must be presented to the cooler drop off station located at Plaza De Luna.  The cooler drop off station will open on Saturday, 9/26/2026 from 12pm to 6pm, Sunday, 9/27/2026 from 7:00am to 10am.
    All fish must be present at the cooler drop-off station by 10:00 am Sunday, 9/27/2026, to be counted. 
  2. Team captain or designee must deliver the cooler(s) to the designated cooler drop off station and check in with the cooler drop off station staff, who will verify the number of coolers and place tape across the lid of the cooler indicating the team name, number of coolers associated with the team, date, time and if the team wishes to DONATE their fish or RETURN to the team, which must be declared at that time.  Team captain or designee must initial the cooler log in sheet to confirm their drop off.  
  3. It is recommended that teams separate their contenders for largest and smallest for easier identification by the scoring station staff and weighmaster. 

SCORING STATION PROCEDURES

  1. The team captain or designee should be present when the fish are being counted and measured by scoring station staff. If there is a backup at the scoring station, the team captain or designee should stay close enough where scoring station staff can locate them quickly if necessary.
  2. Scoring station staff will direct the team coolers to a specific counting station. Staff will remove the lionfish from the cooler, measure and record the total length of each fish according to current scientific established methods.
  3. An overall count, minimum and maximum size will be recorded by the scoring staff on the team scoresheet and submitted to the weighmaster.

TOURNAMENT AWARDS

  1. Only one winning entry per team will be allowed in the most, largest and smallest categories. All teams are eligible to win in the two bonus categories. In the event of a tie the winning team or individual will be determined by the earliest check in of its lionfish at the scoring station.
  2. Cash awards will be presented to the team according to the following schedule:

Most Lionfish
1st Place   $2,000
2nd Place  $1,500
3rd Place   $1,000

Largest Lionfish
1st Place   $750
2nd Place  $500
3rd Place   $250

Smallest Lionfish
1st Place   $750
2nd Place  $500
3rd Place   $250

The SIZE Is Right!  $500 
FWC will choose a size in MM and place in sealed envelope at the Captains Meeting. Envelope will be handed to the data entry team for verification after all fish are entered. The team that turns in the closest lionfish to that size without going over wins!

We MEAN Business!  $500
The total number of fish turned in for the tournament will be calculated and divided by the count of participating teams. The team that submitted the closest total number of fish to that “mean” number wins!

  1. A raffle prize table will be on display throughout the festival on Sunday, 9/27/26. Each participant will receive 10 raffle tickets to put in the drawing for each raffle item(s) of their choice. Raffle prizes will be drawn randomly until all prizes have been distributed. Additional tickets will be available for purchase at the festival on Sunday, 9/27/26.

PAYMENT OF CASH AWARDS

Checks will be written and mailed to the name and address written on the W-9 form within 14 days of the tournament award ceremony.

  1. Teams can only earn one place in each of the categories: most, largest, and smallest.  Every team is also eligible to win in the two bonus categories, The Size Is Right, and We MEAN Business.  In the event of a tie, the winning team will be determined by the earliest check-in of its lionfish at the cooler drop-off station.
  2. For winners of cash awards, a single check will be written to the representative payee for the total of tournament cash awards and a W-9 must be completed and signed by the payee.
  3. Checks will be written and distributed after the tournament awards ceremony.
  4. The tournament accepts no responsibility for the division of any cash awards between team members.

ADHERENCE TO TOURNAMENT RULES AND PROTESTS

  1. The tournament is an honor system tournament with all registrants being responsible for compliance with the rules.
  2. Any violation of the rules may result in disqualification and forfeiture of entry fee, prizes and cash awards, and at the sole discretion of the tournament officials, prohibition from entering any future tournaments.
  3. If non-compliance with tournament rules are suspected, the tournament committee reserves the right to conduct a polygraph. Without a successful polygraph the team will forfeit all prizes.
  4. All protests must be presented in writing along with a $500 deposit by the team captain to the tournament committee no later than 15 minutes after results are posted on the final day of the tournament.
  5. Tournament committee will refer to submitted count sheets for any protests relating to count or size. If teams are not present during the counting, they forfeit their ability to protest the accuracy of the count sheets.
  6. Poor sportsmanship will be grounds for disqualification from this tournament.

PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES

All participants agree to allow tournament officials and FWC to use participant’s name, awards, and photos for any media and promotional purposes.

ALL DECISIONS OF THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR AND RULES COMMITTEE ARE FINAL.

Tournament Dates: Thursday, September 24, 2026 - Sunday, September 27, 2026 

Thursday, Sept 24  
Mandatory Captain’s Meeting - 7:00 pm,  
A link to attend the Captain's Meeting virtually will be provided the week of the tournament.

Jaco's Bayfront and Grille
997 S Palafox St
Pensacola, FL 32502

Registration ENDS at 7:00 pm 

Friday, Sept 25  
Harvesting begins at first light and ends at last light. 
NO WEIGH INS ON FRIDAY 9/25/26

Saturday, Sept 26  
Harvesting begins at first light and ends at last light.
Weigh station open from 12pm to 6pm.

Sunday, Sept 27  
NO FISH MAY BE HARVESTED ON SUNDAY 9/27/26
Weigh station open from 7:00am to 10:00am

1pm to 2pm Crowning of the 2026 FWC Lionfish Challenge Award Winners
3pm to 5pm Raffle Drawings and Awards Ceremony

Festival Dates
Saturday, September 26, 2026, 10am to 6pm, - Sunday September 27, 2026, 10am to 5pm