2026 Fish For Education Tournament Rules

The following rules and regulations will remain in effect for the 2026 Quinlan Education Foundation Fish for Education Memorial Weekend Classic Bass Tournament. Interpretation of the rules will be defined and enforced exclusively by the QuinlanISD Education Foundation/Tournament Director. Each participant agrees to immediately report any and all rule violations to the Tournament Director. A rule violation can result in sanctions deemed appropriate by the Tournament Director including but not limited to disqualifications, forfeiture of prizes, and prohibition from participation in any and or all Quinlan ISD Education Foundation Bass Tournaments. Decisions of the Tournament Director are final in all matters and are not subject to appeal, and are not reviewable in any court of law. The Quinlan ISD Education Foundation reserves the right to make needed changes to these rules to ensure the safety and welfare of the participants and or the public, also to preserve the integrity of the Quinlan ISD Education Foundation. It is the responsibility of every participant to read and understand the rules. All participants will be required to sign an affidavit that the rules have been read, understood and that the participant accepts all the rules. The Tournament Director reserves the right to place an observer in the boat of any participant at any time.

• Participation is open to current all fishermen in good standing. 
• Anyone who has competed in the FLW Majors, Bass Master Elite Series, MLF Majors, N.P.F.L. or has entered a tournament that required an entry fee of $2500 or more or has guided for Largemouth, Smallmouth, or Spotted Bass on the Tournament Lake in the past twelve months is not eligible to participate. 
• The Quinlan ISD Education Foundation reserves the right to refuse participation for any reason in any and all events to any team or person at the discretion of the Tournament Director.
• All participants must have a valid State Fishing License and must obey all Federal, State, and Lake-specific regulations.
• A team will consist of one or two participant anglers only. (The only exception is an observer or captain for a high school team placed into a team's boat)
• All Bridges (marked or unmarked) are considered "NO WAKE ZONES" Do not run on the plane under any bridge!
• Running lights must be illuminated until safe light or until the fog has lifted.
• Participants must register, and pay the cash or credit card entry fee prior to fishing in the Tournament. Credit cards can be accepted at https://www.quinlaneducationfoundation.com/donations.html. The Foundation is a 501 c3 tax-exempt organization. 
• Participants asked to submit to truth verification testing must take the polygraph test when asked and pass the test to qualify for prizes.
• Tournament fishing hours will be determined by a safe light start and flight return times unless otherwise specified for a specific tournament. Each Team must have their number chip/card placed in the official number collection bucket by the pre determined flight return time for their drawn boat number to qualify for weigh-in. The official bucket will be at the weigh in site and numbers will be checked to insure teams arrive on time! (Alarm will be set for each flight arrival time and the weigh in line close time) Late arrivals will not be allowed to weigh in. No exceptions. One Team Participant must be in the weigh-in line with their catch not later than 15 minutes after the last flight was due in. (The weigh in line close time will be posted at the Chip/Card return location-If you do not see it please ask to insure that you are not late) Weigh-in will continue until all contestants in line have been weighed. If no one is in the official weigh in line and it is 15 minutes after the last flight was due in the scales will be closed.
• Teams may weigh in only 5 fish. One of the five fish can be weighed for the Big Bass prize. A boat used during the Tournament must be equipped with a properly aerated live well. Do not enter the weigh-in line with more than five fish. (No Culling in Line) A team can only bring five fish to the weigh-in line. All fish will be measured on an official Check It Stick measuring board on its side with mouth closed; the tail fin will be squeezed together and or turned in a way to obtain the maximum overall length as described in the 2025-2026 Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual Hunting and Fishing Regulations. All Bass must be at least 14 inches in length to qualify for weigh-in.
• This is a catch-and-release tournament. The use of Sure-Life catch and release formulas are recommended. All live fish will be released back into Lake or placed into the Catch & Release Tank. All participants must do everything they can to preserve the resource.

• Participants are not allowed to in any way alter the length of a fish.
• Any fish turned in for weigh-in will be examined by any means necessary to deem any presented fish as unaltered.
• Fish must be brought to weigh in a tournament weigh-in bag.
  • A 1 lb. A penalty will be assessed for each dead fish weighed in. No culling of a dead fish! If a fish dies while in your possession it becomes part of your team’s five fish to be weighed in. Do not throw a dead fish back into the lake during the tournament or at the weigh-in site. Remedy it in accordance with state regulations. (No iced or Frozen fish will be weighed)
  • Black Bass, Kentucky Spotted Bass, and Small Mouth Bass only qualify for weigh-in.

• No alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs will be allowed during the tournament. Participants must be of sound mind and not be under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs immediately prior to or during the tournament. The use of alcoholic beverages is restricted during all ceremonies and is not to be consumed at the tournament site. We will maintain a family-friendly environment. Profanity, heckling, and aggressive gestures will not be tolerated and sportsmanlike conduct will be expected by every participant.
• All participants in the boat must be team members and entered the tournament. Participants must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life vest fastened and or zipped with an emergency shut-off devise securely attached to the driver when the big motor is running. No trolling of lures with the big motor. Safe boating practices must be used by all participants. Any boat used in the tournament must meet all coast guard regulations, have the required safety equipment, have a rating plate, and not exceed the established horsepower rating.
• Participants must fish from their entered boat. No wading, inner tubes, or dock fishing. Do not leave the boat to land a fish. Participants are required to keep both feet on the deck surface of their boat while fishing or landing a fish. A participant may leave the boat at a recognized facility to take a restroom break or to resolve an emergency situation. No fishing will be allowed until the complete team is back in the boat. If a participant leaves the boat for any reason the occurrence must be reported to the Tournament Director prior to the published tournament end time.
• Fishing is allowed only on the navigable waters of Tawakoni Lake. Navigable waters are those waters not separated by land, a dam, or embankment and can be accessed from the main lake area of Tawakoni Lake by the boat used in the tournament under the power of the trolling motor, outboard, or hand assist tools from within the boat. (No getting out of the boat to push a boat into or out of any area!)
• The use of mobile communication devices such as cell phones, marine radios, walkie-talkies, and citizen band radios to communicate fishing information during tournament hours is strictly prohibited.
• No fishing within 25 yards of another entered fishing team. Having someone hold or sit on a hole in an attempt to allow a participant to gain an unfair advantage will not be tolerated. Be very courteous to all others on the lake. Do not cut anyone off or pass them on a plane in narrow areas.
• All fish must be caught on artificial lures.
  

• No live or prepared bait except pork rinds and spray fish attractants.
• Participants may possess as many rod and reel setups they deem necessary. Each Participant may only use one rod and reel at a time. A rod and reel set up must be completely reeled in with the lure out of the water before another rod and reel set up can be used to continue fishing.
• Tawakoni Lake will be off-limits to fishing on the Friday prior to the tournament from sunset until the start of the tournament on Saturday. You can fish on Friday but must be off the lake by sunset.
  
• A team may only get on the lake with his boat no earlier than the registration start time which is 4:30am on Saturday. 
• Participants using an alternate launch location prior to the tournament must immediately proceed to the registration location to register and to draw a start number.
  
• Once registered Participants must wait in the immediate Two Mile Bridge West Public Boat Ramp Area for the tournament director to begin calling boat numbers. The boat numbers will be selected by participant drawing. Numbers will be divided into 15 boat intervals. Boat numbers: 1-15 must have their boat number card turned in by 3:00pm, 16-30 must have their boat number card turned in by 3:15pm, 31-45 must have their boat number card turned in by 3:30pm, 46-60 must have their number card turned in by 3:45pm. Flights may be added or reduced as needed. Participants will have 15 minutes after the last scheduled flight to get into the weigh-in line with their catch. (weigh in line close time will be posted at the number return location) Please anticipate your boat number and drive by the release location at the tip of the dock adjacent to the boat ramp. When your boat number is called drive by the tournament director on the dock with your livewell open, Life jackets on, and Kill switch attached to be released to begin fishing. Safe light will be determined by the tournament director. Once participants number is called, they idle their boat by the tournament director, and had their livewell checked participants can start leaving the Two Mile Bridge West Public Boat Ramp Area by water in their boat to go to their fishing areas and begin fishing. The official time will be regulated by an electronic devise showing the official time in our time zone and will be available for comparison at the weigh-in site. These tournaments will not have a shot gun start and contestants must clear the no wake zones and allow any boat near them to clear 100 feet distance before taking off. Failure to participate in the numberd start will result in immediate disqualification. The Tournament Director reserves the right to allow trailering at any time as a result of weather or safety concerns.
• All pre-registered teams must come by the registration site to draw their number card and participte in the numbered start on the morning of the tournament before they can begin fishing in the tournament.

All ties will be broken by adding places and splitting them equally.

Registration will be from 4:30 am until the safe light numbered start begins on Saturday, May 00, 2025.

Early Bird entry will be $175 per team and the day of tournament entry will be $200 per team.

For Early Bird registration information Contact Tiffony Chapman at (903) 356-1222, (903) 441-1003, or  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Checks can be mailed or hand-delivered to Tiffony Chapman at 401 E. Richmond Avenue Quinlan, Texas 75474. 

Credit card payments can be made on the website at https://www.quinlaneducationfoundation.com/donations.html. 

For all rule inquiries contact Larry Ladnier at (817) 917-8261

Entry Form Form/disclaimer/release must be signed prior to each tournament:  

I have read and fully understand the rules for the Quinlan Education Foundation Fish for Education Tournament. I have voluntarily completed this application and have included my entry fees to participate. I hereby agree to be bound by and comply with all tournament, federal, & state rules and regulations. I expressly assume all risk(s) associated with each tournament event and I hereby release the Quinlan Education Foundation, the host, all sponsors, and tournaments officials, but not limited to each of their respective employees, officers, directors, managers, members, insurers, and representatives (collectively “releases”) from all claims or injury and/or damage arising out of, or related to and/or incurred in connection with a Quinlan Education Foundation-sponsored event(s). I hereby agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Releasees from and against any and all demands, claims, causes of action, (including, but not limited to, causes of action in contract, tort, strict liability, or otherwise, and specifically including, but not limited to, any claim of negligence and/or fault of participation in any Victory Fishing Events sponsored event. I hereby grant the Quinlan Education Foundation, sponsors, the unconditional, royalty-free, perpetual right and license to use my name, voice, and photographic likeness

in connection with Quinlan Education Foundation promotions, videos, television commercials, shows, and/or articles and press releases. I agree that I am not entitled to receive any royalties or any other compensation in connection with such use. I further understand and agree to the tournament director reserves the right to reject my application for any reason. By signing this application I agree to submit to any truth verification testing required by the Quinlan Education Foundation, and provided by a polygraph test selected by the Quinlan Education Foundation, and agree with the outcome of any such testing shall be final and binding. I agree that I have sufficient health, accident, and liability insurance to cover any bodily injury or property damage incurred by myself or others as a result of my participation in any Quinlan Education Foundation-sponsored event. If I have no such insurance, I declare that I am capable of paying for any and all such expenses or liability. I understand that I am responsible for paying all local, state, and federal taxes, title, license, and registration as a result of my participation in any Quinlan Education Foundation-sponsored event. I agree that the sole and exclusive venue for the determination of any claim or controversy arising out of or related to any Quinlan Education Foundation-sponsored events shall be in the State District Court, Hunt County, Texas where the principal office of the Quinlan Education is located should it become necessary for the Quinlan Education Foundation or any Releasees to incur attorney’s fees and costs to enforce this release. I agree to pay the attorney’s fees thereby expended, or for which liability is incurred. If this is a team event, I agree that my partner-participant, If absent from signing this Release, understands all statements, rules, and regulations stated above and has given me express permission to sign on his behalf. By signing this Release, I am stating that my partner-participant and I both agree to these terms.