The rules for 2026

Prizes:
Adult Category -

1st Place – Biggest 3 combined bass in cm.

2nd Place – Next biggest 3 combined bass in cm.

3rd Place - Next biggest 3 combined bass in cm.

Junior Category –
1st Place - Biggest single bass caught, measured in cm
2nd Place – Combined 3 biggest bass in cm.

Fun Category –
Smallest bass in cm.
Funniest bycatch. (anything caught that is not a bass)

In the event of a tie the angler with the longest single bass of the 3 submitted entries wins the place.

We will also be holding a raffle table, tickets are available at sign on and presentation, for £2 a ticket.

This competition operates a strict catch and release policy. Whilst we cannot police everyone that competes, we will operate a trusting relationship upon your entry.
IFCA rules must be followed by every angler.

Anglers are required to be at the presentation to win any prizes.  If a winner is not present at the presentation to collect their prize, by default the prizes will go to the next inline and you will forfeit your place in the competition.
Anglers must enter their fish photos WITH NO EDITS.

What happens when I land a shore, lure caught bass:

There is no minimum landing size for the South Coast Bass Lure Open 2026. ALL BASS COUNT. It’s up to you to decide which 3 you would like to submit.
All fish MUST be caught by yourself and not during any professionally guided sessions.
Whilst maintaining constant care and attention towards the caught fish, the angler will lay the fish on a competition match measure.
The fish will be measured from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, The tail must be flat, no brushing of the tail to make it longer. If the tip of the tail is between two marks on the measure it will be rounded down.
A photograph of the fish will then be taken with the competitor’s match card lying next to the fish on the match measure in a specific location, the location of where the card is to be placed will be announced on social media at 12 noon on Friday 11th September. The angler must make sure the card number and measurement numbers are visible in their catch photo –
If a photo is edited in ANY way and if the card is not in the correct position, IT WILL NOT COUNT!!!
Please make sure you have data or Wi-Fi at your location to know the correct area to place your card.
It is then up to the angler to maintain an in-focus picture of their recorded catch. Any blurry images will be subject to scrutiny and may not be entered as a caught fish.
If there is any doubt regarding dates and times of the fish being entered, we will check the images information to confirm. Wayne , Jill & Paul have the final say.
As much as possible, without harming the caught fish, please take photos with a lure still in the fish’s mouth – we accept this is not always possible.
Once an adequate picture has been taken, release the fish as quickly as possible, allowing where necessary the fish to recover.

And take pictures with you and the fish, we would love to see them and share them on our social media.

Boundaries:
Anywhere along the South Coast between St Austell & Dover including the Isle of Wight.

Please Note: Out of bounds include any RESTRICTED MOD property and the Beaulieu River and its mouth. Park Shore at Beaulieu. ANY hot water run-off.

Nurseries:
The only stipulations on fishing within these nursery areas is from a sea going vessel. Anglers that wish to participate in this competition are free to catch and release bass from these areas from the shore only with a lure as bait.

We ask that you are sensible when fishing in these areas. There is no need for excessive numbers of anglers to be fishing the same shoreline within a specific nursery. Whilst we are fishing in a competition, we want to maintain the safety of the fish we are targeting. We also need all anglers to be aware of the environment you are fishing in, be aware of the nature around you, other users of the area you are in that aren’t partaking in the competition and be respectful of our wonderful shorelines. Full shoreline caught bass legislation can be found at the Southern IFCA website https://www.southern-ifca.gov.uk

For any further information please contact Wayne, Jill or Paul at
southcoastbasslureopen@gmail.com
or the competition Facebook page search “South Coast Bass Lure Open”