How It Works
The Kingfish Cup is a limited entry tournament series that annually pays over $450,000 in prize money to winners. It offers 100 teams the opportunity to compete over a course of four qualifying events to earn an invitation to a Championship event which will pay out over $240,000 to its winners. The Kingfish Cup qualifying events are the Jolly Mon, Got’em On, Rumble and Fall Brawl King Mackerel tournaments. The 100 teams that choose to sign up to participate in the Kingfish Cup will fish these four events to amass the highest three fish point total; there will be one drop weight available out of the four events. The 25 teams that amass the highest three fish point total will receive an invitation to compete in the NO ENTRY FEE Kingfish Cup Championship event. Further, any Kingfish Cup team that wins 1st place in a qualifying event will earn an invitation to the Championship. And lastly, a Kingfish Cup Wildcard event will be held the Wednesday prior to the Championship. The top 3 finishing teams not yet qualified will win a wildcard invitation to fish in the Championship. Thus the largest possible field to fish the Kingfish Cup Championship will be 32 boats (25+4+3). This final event will be held the first weekend in November from the Ocean Isle Fishing Center, Ocean Isle Beach, NC.
To participate in the Kingfish Cup, the 100 teams must pay the required minimum Level 1 entry fee of $1000. There will be two optional entry levels; Level 2 fee is $2000 and Level 3 fee is $3000.. Entry to Level 1 will close when the 100 boat field is filled. However, teams within this 100 boat field may add additional Levels to their entry up until the start of the first qualifying event, the Jolly Mon. All 100 teams participating in the Kingfish Cup will compete for Level 1 money while only those teams who enter the optional levels will be competing for that level’s money.
Level 1, 2 and 3 money will be awarded in two different ways. The first will be through the qualifying events; Jolly Mon, Got’em On, Rumble and Fall Brawl. In each of these qualifying events, the top 10% of the teams will win money based on which level or levels of entry they are participating. The second way that Level 1, 2 and 3 money will be awarded is at the Kingfish Cup Championship event. The 28-32 teams who qualify for the NO ENTRY FEE Championship will be competing for the remainder of the purse not awarded in the qualifying events.
Click the below ALL THE DETAILS for projected payouts, qualifying and championship event details and other general information
All the DetailsEnter the Cup
2026 Event Schedule: Jolly Mon 6/12-14, Gotm On 7/10-12 Rumble 10/16-18, Fall Brawl 10/30-11/1, Wildcard 11/11 or 12, Championship 11/13-22
Kingfish Cup Gallery
