2026 Red Stick Fly Fishers "Big Stick" Contest
Link to the Entry Form
Email to submit a photo if you cannot use the form above: RSFFmedia88@gmail.com
View the Submissions Received
Entries for this contest are limited to public waters in the state of Louisiana.
Our Big Stick Contest kicks off January 1st and ends November 30th at 11:59pm. Winners will be announced and participants will be eligible for prizes drawn at our annual Christmas party in December.
The Big Stick Contest is designed to see who is the club’s best lunker lander! There will be 4 “species categories”: Bass, Bream, Redfish, and Speckled Trout. The top 3 entries for each species will be awarded points as follows: 1st place = 3 points, 2nd place = 2 points, and 3rd place = 1 point. The total points for the contest will be an aggregate of total points, e.g. you will add all your points from each species together, and the winner will be the one with the most total points at the end of the year.
The tournament format is CPRE (Catch/Photo/Release Encouraged). All you need to participate is a phone or camera, fly rod, fly, a measuring device, and of course the fish.
When you catch a fish, simply take a photo of the fish on a measuring board or tape, measuring from nose to the fork of the tail. Include the fly rod and/or fly. You will -not- need a token, as we are asking contestants to submit the original photograph. This will allow the Big Stick Challenge Director to determine date of catch.
To submit the fish, come to this web page, and use the link above to fill out the catch info. Then attach your photo at the end of the form or email the matching photo to the email link above.
Rules may be subject to amendment. Decisions of the Big Stick Challenge Director are final.
Please note important items in red.
- participant must be a paid 2025 member of RSFF by April 1st
- the contest begins January 1st (12:01am) and ends November 30th (11:59pm)
- all fish must be caught on flies and fly fishing equipment
- fish must be caught fair, no foul hooked fish are allowed
- fish must be caught in Louisiana, and in public water
- the contest will be on the honor system
- fish must be submitted within 30 days of the catch date, and before end of contest.
- to enter a fish you must submit a single photograph that includes the fish and measurement device -and- either the fly rod or the fly used.
- the photograph must also meet the photo requirements listed below.
- every entry logged in requires the date on which you caught the fish, and the fly the fish was caught on. The form cannot be submitted without this info.
- please submit your photo as soon as reasonably possible as in the event of a tie, we will use the earliest entry as a tie breaker
Award guidelines:
- The contest winner will be the member who accrues the most points across all species
- The “Species Categories” are defined as follows:
o Bream: any member of the Lepomis family, including hybrids (e.g., bluegill, green sunfish, redear sunfish, etc. Crappie are NOT included)
o Redfish
o Speckled Trout
- We will recognize the top 3 winners and draw for prizes for all other participants at our annual Christmas Party.
Photo requirements:
- Photo must include fish and either fly or tackle (rod/reel) or both. It must be clear when looking at the photo that it was caught on fly.
- Photo must include a measuring device that is not “homemade”, any store bought measuring board or tape is acceptable. Measurement will be from the nose to the fork of the tail. The Bick Stick Challenge Director will make the final determination of approved length.
- The photo must be the original unedited photograph as the metadata of the photo will be used to confirm date of the catch. Make sure your camera or phone has the correct system date. EXCEPTION: some phones let you edit a photo and retain metadata. If this is the case, then - and only then - can an edited photo be submitted.
- Photos should be clear and provide sufficient detail to identify the species. This is particularly important for fish that are similar in appearance to other species. Keep in mind that the safety of the fish is paramount, so please use safe handling and release techniques while photographing the fish. The website keepfishwet.org has best practices on handling fish and taking fish photos safely.
- Although this is not a true Catch/Photo/Release contest (you can keep the fish if you choose) DEAD FISH CANNOT BE SUBMITTED – please submit a photo at the time fish was caught (no ice chest, driveway, or cleaning table photos allowed).
- Only one photo of each species of fish should be submitted per member as only one will be counted. If you feel like other photos may help with identification or you got a good grip-and-grin you'd like to share, feel free to email those photos as well to RSFFmedia88@gmail.com
This contest will be a great opportunity to promote our club and our sport, not to mention a lot of fun!
