RULES & REGULATIONS
Register at :
Pittsburg Marina Harbor Office/Fuel Dock
51 Marina Blvd Suite E Pittsburg, CA 94565 (925) 439-4958
Fishermen’s Catch Bait & Tackle – 27 Marina Blvd., Pittsburg, CA 94565 – (925) 267-2535
Castro Valley Sports – 3794 Castro Valley Blvd. Castro Valley CA 94545 – (510) 537-8191
Benicia Marina 509 Claverie Way #3044, Benicia, CA 94510 – (707) 745-4921
Fishing License & Sturgeon Report Card
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR ALL ANGLERS
Seminar / Raffle
Friday, January 23, 2026
Doors open at 5pm
Pittsburg Yacht Club
3 Marina Blvd. Pittsburg, CA 94565
Derby will begin Saturday, January 24 at 7:00 AM and end promptly at 4:00 PM
Awards Ceremony following by 5:00 PM at the Pittsburg Yacht Club 3 Marina Blvd. Pittsburg, CA 94565
Kids Awards Ceremony
Adults Ceremony
Must be present to win.
Boaters Only – Rain or Shine – No Refunds. No Adult Shore Fishing
Boundaries
Suisun Bay, Grizzly Bay, Honker Bay and deep water Pittsburg (Chipps Island to Winter Island), New York Landing
(ZONES SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Weighmaster Lyle Shore: 1 (925) 408-6086
Entrants must have their derby entry ticket stub (attached to the rules), valid fishing license, and Sturgeon report card at weigh-in.
One ticket per white sturgeon slot size 40” to 60” verified on the water by a roving weighmaster. Weighmaster will verify release of the sturgeon. Multiple tickets may be entered. Everyone on the boat must be entered.
On the water weighmasters; dispatch call on VHF Channel 68 or CELL 1(925) 550-9037. Weighmaster will verify entry tickets when dispatched to the location of your boat, verify the measurement of the sturgeon, photo and a price ticket will be provided for its SAFE Release.
WEIGHMASTER’S DECISION IS FINAL. You may continue to fish and may have multiple-entry tickets.
The fish must be between 40” and 60” nose to the fork of the tail to be entered in the derby and receive a fish entry ticket.
WEIGHMASTERS DECISION IS FINAL
Violation of CA Fish & Game or Derby Rules/Regs will disqualify the entire boat.
Individuals participating in derby do so at their own risk. Flash Sport Fishing, the City of Pittsburg, volunteers, and their sponsors assume no responsibility for personal injury, loss, or damage to personal or other property and equipment deemed lost or damaged by adult or child contestant, volunteers, and their guests.
Kids
All kids enter for free.
Prizes will be given to all the kids participating.
Kids ages 1 to 15 may enter to fish the derby from a boat or the Pier. Enter your child’s name at the list of locations below.
This applicable for kids both on the boat or Pittsburg Fishing Pier.
Enter your child’s name at the list of locations below:
Pittsburg Marina – 51 Marina Blvd Suite E Pittsburg, CA 94565 (925) 439-4958
Fishermen’s Catch Bait & Tackle – 27 Marina Blvd., Pittsburg, CA 94565 – (925) 267-2535
Castro Valley Sports – 3794 Castro Valley Blvd. Castro Valley CA 94545 – (510) 537-8191
Riverview Jetty Kids Fishing
1 PM to 4:30 PM
Volunteer Anglers Doug and David Shigematsu will assist with baiting, casting, and reeling in fish. A fishing pole and bait are available to all the participating kids.
A goody bag to all kids participants awarded at the Awards Ceremony 5pm at Pittsburg Yacht Club 3 Marina Blvd. Pittsburg, CA 94565
Call to register your kid now and reserve a pole. (925)439-4958
On the boat kids enter for free. Fishing must be tagged to identify as a kid fishing pole. White Sturgeon caught and release in a tagged kids fishing pole do not get an entry for the prize winning. It will be entered into the trophy category and additional fishing equipment prize.
For more information please contact the Pittsburg Marina at
(925) 439-4958
General
All fishing and boating rules will be observed. Any violation to the rules will result in an automatic disqualification. Misbehavior by child or accompanying adult(s) will also result in an automatic disqualification.
Any child age 3 to 15 can enter for free.
One rod per child.
Any child entering the derby must be checked-in at: PITTSBURG MARINA, Fishermen’s Bait and Tackle
The child’s rod must be tagged during the check-in process
The tag must remain on the rod throughout the entire Derby.
Only fish landed with the tagged rod can be submitted for a drawing ticket.
We have lots of prizes. Only one prize will be awarded per child.
More than 1 fish may be submitted for a derby prize ticket.
Youth Division participants do not have to fish the entire derby, but must be present at the award ceremony to accept any prize
if a youth angler hooks up a sturgeon they will have to show proof of a Sturgeon Report Card to a derby official, regardless of age or platform where the sturgeon was hooked and reeled in. But the sturgeon must be released to enter the drawing.
Youth anglers that catch & release any fish will receive a ticket for every fish they release.
Kids “Catch & Release Any Fish Derby”
Kids Division Rules (age 3 – 15)
Boating
Children in boats must maintain the use of a PFD. Automatic disqualification for children & adults in a boat that violate this rule.
As soon as a fish is hooked up call for a weigh master to verify the child catching his or her fish. If you have trouble hailing a weigh master on channel 68, call:
Captain Steve Talmadge 510 851-2500
Lyle Shore 925 408 6086
Pittsburg Riverview Park
Children must be accompanied by an adult or guardian, 16 years old or older.
As soon as a fish is hooked up, hail for a pier official to verify the child catching his or her fish. Multiple pier officials will be stationed on the pier.
Per 2023 DFG Regulations, no snares nor gaffs will be allowed for Sturgeon. Multiple pier nets will be stationed on the pier for the derby use. *If the accompanying adult/guardian is reluctant to use the pier net, a pier official will be able to assist.
Participant agrees to releases all liability to Host, Sponsors, and Steve Talmadge
David Shigematsu, Pier Director, Pittsburg Marina
Adult Division Rules
Register at one of the two official locations only (in person):
LATE ENTRIES AT THE SEMINAR.
Weigh in on the water
Boaters Only – Rain or Shine
Boundaries: Grizzly Bay, east of Suisun Bay, Honker Bay to Winter Island.
Call Lyle Shore (925) 408-6086 for Zone and weighmaster.
Entrants must have proof of paid $25.00 entry ticket stub, valid Fishing License and Sturgeon Report Card at weigh-in to be eligible for prizes.
We will have a water weigh master. You must call him on channel 68. At the time you hook a fish, he will come to your location, measure, photo and observe the release of the fish. You may continue to fish and may have multiple entries. The fish must be between 40″ to 60″ (from nose to fork in tail) to be entered in Derby Drawing. Multiple fish may be entered, but only one prize per person.
This Is Not A Target Size Derby It Is Strictly A Catch And Release.
Weighmaster Must Witness The Release Of A Healthy White Sturgeon In Order To Enter The Drawing.
Weighmasters Decision Is Final
Procedure to Follow to Enter a Fish into Derby Drawing
We are trying to prevent any damage to any Sturgeon that is going to be released:
IMMEDIATELY upon hooking a sturgeon call a weighmaster on VHF Channel 68 or the weighmaster’s manager (Command Central) by cell phone,
Lyle Shore (925) 408-6086
That way we may have a weigh-in vessel dispatched to your location to witness landing and measurement of fish AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
t’s better to call for a weigh-in vessel even if you’re not sure of the fish’s size. Our goal is to measure the fish in the water and to do an “in-the-water” release.
Prizes – Adult Division
One name will be drawn for each place (only one prize per person).
In the event that there are not enough fish caught to award all prizes, ticket stubs will be drawn at random to award all remaining prizes in order.