Official trail regulations · 2026 / 2027

Fair play
on the water

A summary of the 2026/2027 Cast for Cash rules — teams, junior Keepers and Kickers, boats, weigh-in and prizes. The PDF is the full binding document.

5
Fish limit
Click to download PDFDownload full rules PDFPDF · official tournament rules
01

Overview

Cast for Cash is a monthly bass tournament on the last weekend of each month, except December. The 2026/2027 season runs from August 2026 to May 2027 across Gauteng and North West. Anyone can enter — no club affiliation is required — and you may fish as many events as you wish.

Monthly events qualify teams for the Cast for Cash National Championship in May. Signing the entry form means you have read and accepted these rules. Tournament committee decisions are final and are not subject to appeal.

02

Team composition

  • 1A team is a maximum of two competing adult anglers on one boat. A team may also be one person.
  • 2Registered junior anglers are extra and do not count toward the two-adult limit. A maximum of three people may be aboard during tournament hours.
  • 3Teams may name two adults plus one reserve. All members must be registered before 30 November 2026. Registrations cannot change after that.
  • 4Replacing a member during the season starts a new team and resets season points to zero.
  • 5A reserve may fish a maximum of two events and may not fish the Championship. Juniors cannot be registered as reserves.
  • 6Anglers under 18 must fish with a registered adult skipper. Written consent from a parent or legal guardian must accompany the junior entry.
03

How JNRs work

Juniors fish two dedicated divisions, each for one biggest fish of the day, on their own board. Junior fish are tagged or clipped, presented separately, and weighed before the adult bag.

Keepers · under 13
Kickers · under 18
  • 1Division is set by the oldest age the angler reaches at any point in the season — not their age on registration day.
  • 2An angler who turns 13 during the season must register as a Kicker from the first event.
  • 3An angler who turns 18 during the season fishes as an adult that season.
  • 4If a junior is entered, they must fish that event. You cannot withdraw them on the day and revert to a standard team. Junior fees are not refundable.
  • 5Junior Angler of the Year (Keepers and Kickers) is decided on podium finishes — a top-three placing in that division at an event. No minimum field size is required.
  • 6Every registered junior in Keepers and Kickers qualifies automatically for the National Championship.

A. Standard team · 2 adults + 1 junior

The adults fish a five-fish bag. The junior fishes separately for one biggest fish. The junior catch cannot upgrade the adult bag. Maximum six fish to the scales.

B. Solo skipper · 1 adult + 1 junior · Junior Upgrade

The only setup where a junior fish can upgrade the main bag. If the tagged junior fish is heavier than the skipper’s smallest fish, it replaces that fish in the five-fish bag and still counts on the junior board. The displaced fish must be released on the water — culling at the scales is not allowed. If it does not upgrade the bag, you weigh six fish: five adult plus the junior fish on its own. This setup is R300 in place of the usual Keepers or Kickers fee.

C. Solo skipper · 1 adult + 2 juniors

The adult fishes a five-fish bag. Each junior fishes separately for one biggest fish. Junior catches do not upgrade the adult bag. Maximum seven fish to the scales. The two juniors may be in different divisions.

Junior Upgrade is available only in setup B. In A and C the junior catch is scored separately, because an upgrade there would put three baits in the water against two for a standard team.
See the JNR's page for boat setups →
04

Entry fees

  • 1Team, two adults: R900.
  • 2Solo skipper, one adult: R450.
  • 3Keepers (under 13): R100.
  • 4Kickers (under 18): R200.
  • 5Junior Upgrade (setup B only, in place of the division fee): R300.
Examples: two adults plus one Keeper is R1 000. Solo skipper plus one junior with Upgrade is R750. Solo skipper plus two Keepers is R650.
05

Boat & safety

  • 1Boats must be propeller driven or trolling-motor driven, and at least 3 metres (about 10 ft) long.
  • 2Every craft needs a working aerated livewell or other suitable live-fish system.
  • 3Engines under 15 hp wait at take-off until the rest of the field has left.
  • 4Trolling-motor-only craft need written Tournament Director approval before the event, and may be refused at venues where they are unsafe.
  • 5Boats with 15 hp or more must carry valid papers and meet SAMSA rules.
  • 6A fastened PFD is required whenever the boat is under way, including on the trolling motor. A kill switch must be attached whenever the combustion engine is running.
No watercraft the tournament committee deems unsafe will be allowed to participate.
06

Fishing & weigh-in

  • 1Catch, weigh and release. No stringers, keep nets or fish nets.
  • 2Adult bag: five fish to the scales. A boat may hold six adult bass in the livewell, plus one extra bass per registered junior aboard.
  • 3There is no minimum size. Culling at the scales is not allowed. Over the livewell limit for your setup is a disqualification.
  • 41 000 g is deducted for each dead fish, as decided by the weigh master.
  • 5Check-in is 16:00 sharp — tags must be on the board. A late tag disqualifies the catch. Joining the weigh-in queue after 16:20 is also a disqualification.
  • 6One wet rod per angler, artificial lures only (pork trailers and biodegradable soft baits excepted). Trolling is prohibited. Stay 45 metres from another competitor’s boat.
07

Prizes & season points

  • 1Gauteng: 1st R10 000 guaranteed, 2nd R5 000, 3rd R2 500 — plus Adendorff prizes. North West and Free State prize money depends on entries for the day. Biggest fish R1 500. Keepers and Kickers heaviest fish R1 000 each.
  • 2Trophies for the top three and heaviest fish. Lucky draws at prize giving. Prize money is paid to teams. Tied teams share the two places they occupy.
  • 3Season standing is participation points plus your best six Grand Prix scores in one region. Winner 100, then 99, 98 and so on, plus five extra participation points per event fished. Points do not transfer between regions or to a new team.
  • 4The National Championship is by invitation: the top 50 percent of each region’s adult log. All registered Keepers and Kickers qualify automatically.
08

Season & regions

The season runs August 2026 to May 2027 across Gauteng and North West. Each venue is announced at the previous month’s captains meeting, on castforcash.co.za, and in the WhatsApp group.

Join the WhatsApp group
Download full rules PDFView tournament schedule