South Atlantic Release Rodeo
Releasing fish is part of fishing—now it can also be your ticket to winning prizes while supporting the future of the snapper grouper fishery!
From May 1 to July 31, Sea Grant invites South Atlantic fishermen to take part in the fun and rewarding South Atlantic Release Rodeo. During this three month challenge, fishermen have the opportunity to win fishing gear and other prizes simply by submitting information on their released shallow water grouper and Red Snapper to the SAFMC Release citizen science project.
Every time you submit to SAFMC Release, you’re not just entering into the giveaway, which includes awesome South Atlantic Release Rodeo prizes like lead weights, a kite rod and reel combo, and a Turtlebox speaker—you’re also helping to improve our understanding of the snapper grouper fishery with your first-hand knowledge.
How it Works
From May 1 to July 31, South Atlantic fishermen can take part in the South Atlantic Release Rodeo by submitting information on their released shallow water grouper and Red Snapper to SAFMC Release through the free SciFish mobile app.
During the South Atlantic Release Rodeo, each submission to SAFMC Release that includes a photo of your released fish earns you an entry into Sea Grant prize giveaways.
- Standard Submissions: Every valid SAFMC Release submission with a photo earns you one entry into Sea Grant’s monthly and grand prize giveaways, with a maximum of four submissions for giveaway entries allowed per month.
- Double Submissions: Boost your chances in the giveaways by including a ruler or an item of known length (e.g., a soda can) in your photo to show the fish’s length. Verified length photos will earn you two giveaway entries for one submission, meaning you can double your monthly giveaway entries—up to eight per month!
At the end of each month of the Release Rodeo (May, June, and July), Sea Grant will select two winners from that month’s pool of qualified entries to receive prize packages that include lead weights and circle hooks. After the Release Rodeo wraps up, all entries from May, June, and July will be pooled together for a grand prize giveaway. One lucky participant will win a kite rod and reel combo donated by SeaQualizer and a Turtlebox speaker donated by Haddrell’s Point Tackle. Employees of Sea Grant, SAFMC, and other state or federal agencies are not eligible to receive prizes.
Winners will be contacted via the email address linked to their SAFMC Release account — so be sure to check your inbox (and your spam folder) for updates!
Getting Started
Set up a SAFMC Release account by filling out this online form or contacting Meg Withers at meg.withers@safmc.net. Once an account is set up, your login information will be emailed to you. If you already have a SAFMC Release account – you can log into SciFish with your existing username and password.
Download the free SciFish app from the Apple App store or Google Play store and log in with your username and password. We recommend anglers practice using the app before the event begins. Here is a link to some helpful videos to familiarize yourself with the app, including videos on starting, completing and submitting an entry.
Starting an Entry
Available Data Fields
Submitting a 'No-Release'
What is SAFMC Release?
SAFMC Release is a citizen science project that partners with South Atlantic commercial, for-hire, and recreational fishermen to collect information on released shallow water grouper and Red Snapper using the free mobile app, SciFish. Through their submissions, fishermen can share details of their released fish including fish length, depth caught, optional location, observations of shark predation, and use of barotrauma reduction techniques – like descending devices.
Entry Rules
- The South Atlantic Release Rodeo is open to commercial, for-hire, and recreational fishermen in South Atlantic waters (North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and east coast of Florida).
- Submissions must be for a released Red Snapper or shallow water grouper species (Black, Gag, Yellowfin, Scamp, Yellowmouth, Red, Coney, Graysby, Red Hind, and Rock Hind). Check out the Shallow Water Grouper Species ID Guide for photos and tips on how to identify these species!
- To earn entries for Sea Grant giveaways, participants must make a submission to SAFMC Release through the free SciFish app that includes a picture of their released fish.
- 1 SciFish submission to SAFMC Release that includes a photo = 1 entry toward the monthly and grand prize giveaways.
- 1 SciFish submission to SAFMC Release that includes with a photo with the fish on a ruler or next to an item of known length for length verification = 2 entries toward the monthly and grand prize giveaways.
- Follow these guidelines to ensure your length verification photo submission is valid:
- The entire fish, from nose to tail, must be visible.
- The fish’s nose should be aligned with the zero mark on the ruler or the start of the item of known length.
- Take the photo from directly above the fish with a bird’s-eye view.
- Participants can earn up to 4 entries per month for Sea Grant giveaways with standard photo submissions, or up to 8 entries per month if their photo submissions include valid length verification.
- Only submissions made between May 1 and July 31 will qualify for Sea Grant giveaways.
Why Participate? Support the Snapper Grouper Fishery
While kept fish can be sampled at the dock, gathering data on released fish is much more challenging. As the number of released fish in South Atlantic waters grows, the need for firsthand data on these releases is greater than ever—and fishermen like you hold the key. Your submissions to SAFMC Release can help us better understand what species are being released, the size of released fish, and how many survive. Such information provides valuable insights into our snapper grouper fishery and may help inform assessments and management.
Contribute to a Meaningful Citizen Science Project
You make observations every time you fish. By logging those observations with SAFMC Release, you’re transforming your everyday experiences into valuable data that can help scientists and managers better understand the fishery. Check out the 2024 SAFMC Release Data Summary to see how participant contributions are helping us understand more about our snapper grouper fishery.
It’s Free & Confidential
Participation costs nothing, and all individual data collected through SAFMC Release is kept confidential. Information about your individual data will only be shared with science and management agencies to help inform fisheries management. When described or presented in public settings, trip and fishing location information will be combined with that of other users.
Earn Prizes for Your Contributions
Hook more than just fish—hook prizes, too! Every eligible submission you make during the Release Rodeo earns you entries into Sea Grant prize giveaways for gear you can use on the water. Moreover, there are opportunities to win Sea Grant prize packages for your submissions to SAFMC Release outside of the South Atlantic Release Rodeo through the Participant Recognition Program (PRP). Check out how you can win prize packages through the PRP here.
Questions?
For questions regarding the South Atlantic Release Rodeo, please contact Greyson Webb (greyson.webb@safmc.net).
For questions regarding SAFMC Release, please contact Julia Byrd (julia.byrd@safmc.net) or Meg Withers (meg.withers@safmc.net).
Help Spread the Word
Want to help get more anglers involved? Download and share the official Release Rodeo poster with your fishing club, local tackle shop, or on social media.
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