Small Gar Tournament

2025 Force Feed’em Small 10 Gar by Weight Rules

Saturday, May 24 7pm to 2am 

Launch: Force Feed'em Bowfishing

Entry Fee - $200

Big Gar Side Pot - $40

Cash Entry 

Click here to pre-register - pay at the shop to receive your launch number.

Tournament Waters - Cheatham Dam to the Ohio River, Pickwick Dam to the Ohio River. From the Sherman Minton Bridge in Louisville on the Ohio River all the way to the Mississippi River. From the Cairo Bridge on the Mississippi River down to the Caruthersville Bridge. Tributaries such as the Wabash, Green, and Duck Rivers are fishable if accessed by tournament waters.

1. NO RUNNING DRY, JUMPING LEVEES, OR UNLOADING YOUR BOAT (AIRBOATS) WITHOUT TRAILER BEING IN THE WATER. IF CAUGHT IT WILL BE AN AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION. 

2. You may not enter a redzone at anytime during or 1 day prior to the tournament date. Several of the redzones are larger marinas. You can not use the boat ramps inside of a redzone. Red zones can be found on the Sector Bowfishing App.

3. You must use a Kentucky or Tennessee public boat launch during the tournament.

4. NO CATFISH OR SPOONBILL ALLOWED.

5. No alcohol or drugs permitted during tournament activities. Offenses will be determined by Force Feed’em and or law enforcement and will result in immediate disqualification.

6. Each team participant must have proper state(s) fishing license. 

7. Each participant is responsible for knowing the laws of the state you plan to fish. Each state’s laws are different and must be examined on a state-by-state basis.

8. Fish can only be gar. Fish mush be in one piece. 

9. All fish must be taken from a boat. No wading, walking the bank, or swimming.

10. The boat/vehicle combination that leaves the tournament must be the same boat/vehicle combination that returns to weigh in.

11. You will be allowed 1 chase truck. This truck has to be at the tournament location, leave in line with the rest of the team, and stay with the boat and truck combo it leaves with.

12. Teams must have a minimum of 2, and no more than 4 SHOOTERS. Cameraman/crew is allowed as long as footage is available to check at weigh-in. All team members must be present at team registration and weigh in.

13. Each team must have proper boat registration papers and registration numbers along with proper safety equipment. This includes proper running lights, fire extinguisher, horn/whistle, life jacket for each person on the boat, and one throwable life preserver. 

14. All fish weighed must be shot with a bow and arrow. At least one arrow hole must be evident on each fish.

15. No nets or gigs will be allowed in any boat. Single hook gaffs are allowed for landing shot fish. Gaffs may not be over 5ft in length.

16. No baiting, chumming, shocking, or strobing fish.

17. Any violation of state or federal law will result in immediate disqualification.

18. If a team is disqualified for any reason, they will forfeit their entry fee.

19. Each team may only weigh fish that were shot by members of their team in the allotted time of the tournament. No teaming up and no transferring fish from one boat to another. Violators will result in disqualification of both teams, and future tournaments. 

20. All participants will respect the rights of non-participants on or around the public waters in which the tournament is to be held. Please be courteous and polite to all people encountered. 

21. Any physical altercations (fighting) during tournament hours will result in immediate disqualification and will not be allowed at future events.

22. Any team involved in poor sportsmanship (cursing, arguing, yelling, etc.) or inappropriate behavior will either be warned or disqualified at the discretion of Force Feed'em.

23. Teams must be respectful of each other on the water. No crowding, harassing, or “owning a spot” while on the water.  There’s plenty of fishable water.

24. The winner of the tournament will be decided upon the total weight of their smallest 10 gar. It is the TEAM's responsibility to have their smallest 10 gar separate and ready for weigh in.

25. Every team will have the option to sign up for the Big Gar side pot. It will be up to the team to have these gar set out to be weighed first. Winner of the side pots will get the total amount raised during sign in. Big gar will NOT be added to the total weight for Small 10. 

26. All BOATS must make OFFICIAL FISH WEIGH-IN TIME. Failure to do so will result in disqualification and forfeiture of entry fee. No grace period will be allowed. Official time is kept by Force Feed’em at the tournament site. You must be on-site on or before the official ending time at 2am CST.

27. In the case of a tie, the winner will be determined by the team with the smallest single fish by length. If both teams small fish are the same length, the winner will be the team with the smallest 2 fish, or 3 fish, and so on until one team has the smaller length. If all fish measure the same, the team that weighed in first will be the winner. The fish measured must be a part of the 10 fish you weigh in. 

28. There will be a $100 protest fee. If a team is suspected of cheating, and someone has valid proof, the suspected team will be subject to disqualification at the discretion of Force Feed'em. If the suspected is found guilty, the protest fee will be refunded. If the suspected team is found not guilty, the fee will be forfeited. 

29. Force Feed'em will not be responsible for any accidents or lost/stolen property.

30. Rules and red zones are subject to change and 100% decided by Force Feed'em. Force Feed'em will make the final decision.

31. Tributaries of the main tournament waters are fishable. Boat ramps on tributaries are usable if the water is accessible by the main body of water and isn’t blocked by any type of barrier such as a dam or spillway. You must stay on water that can be driven to by the main body water.

32. If 20 boats show up, payout will be: 50% paid to 1st, 20% paid to 2nd, 10% paid to 3rd, 5% paid to 4-7th (20% total)

If 10 boats show up, payout will be: 70% paid to 1st, 20% paid to 2nd, 10% paid to 3rd

Less than 10 boats, payout will be: 70% paid to 1st and 30% paid to 2nd.
Big fish will be 100% payout to winner.