national redfish league

For Immediate Release 

February 23, 2020

If you love the sport of competitive redfishing. If you have ever dreamed of a solid, unified sport and industry. If you have ever dreamed of a centralized organizational structure to support the growth of the sport and industry. If you have ever dreamed of consistent rules, formats, and payouts. If you have ever dreamed of competing on a level playing field where your skills and strategy determine your results. If you have dreamed the dream of genuine professionalism in every aspect of our sport……..

Then dream no more – because the dream is now a reality!

Let me introduce you to the National Redfish League (NRL). The NRL is a non-profit 501c3 organization designed to build, grow, and maintain the sport of competitive redfishing. The NRL has been created for a specific purpose: to build an infrastructure expressly for the unification and solidarity of competitive redfish events.

The supervision, management, and operations of the NRL and its entire structure are under the direct control of its Board of Directors. This Board is tasked with designing and developing a strategic national configuration for competitive redfishing events.

A structure that is based on honesty, integrity, fair play, and professionalism in all matters. A structure with the sole purpose of building, promoting, and advancing the sport of competitive redfishing on a national level. A structure that will legitimize our sport and the industry leaders that support it.

This unified aspect of our beloved sport of competitive redfishing has, for too long, been absent and without it we can never have the value, the permanence, the respect, or the status this sport deserves.

The NRL is dedicated to the principles of equality, fair play, honor, and integrity of the participants, the events, and the overall management of the sport of competitive redfishing. We also ardently support our designated charitable organizations and encourage the protection of our natural resources.

With dedication, time, and a lot of hard work the NRL will build a framework within which every event in every division will utilize the same rules, formats, methods of measurement, weighing, payback structure, and production thereby creating a truly level playing field for competitive redfish anglers across the country.

For the first time in the history of our sport there will be a unity, a harmony, a purpose, and a team spirit that has heretofore been so woefully absent.
The NRL is comprised of Five Divisions, Two Open Events, and a Grand Finale.

Each Division will hold four events annually with each event eligible for points in the RWS ranking system. The two Open events will be designated as an Eastern Open and a Western Open and will be held in different locations annually to allow as many competitors as possible to have the opportunity to immediately qualify for the RWS in the same year. The Redfish World Series is, of course, the Grand Finale to every year and is where the World Champions are crowned.

The current structure of the NRL is as follows:

Five Divisions:

1. Carolina Division
2. Sunshine Division
3. Mardi Gras Division
4. Lone Star East Division
5. Lone Star West Division

Two Open Events:

1. Atlantic Open
2. Gulf Open

The Grand Finale:

1. Redfish World Series

Each Division will have a Manager that also sits on the NRL Board of Directors. The current Managers of each division are as follows:

1. Carolina – Bradley White & Jeff Walsh
2. Sunshine – Lori Gosewisch
3. Mardi Gras – TBD
4. Lone Star West – Ron Henne, Jr.
5. Lone Star East – Geoff Austin

These divisions are designed to include the entire coastline from North Carolina to Texas giving every redfish competitor an opportunity to participate in the National Redfish League and qualify for the Redfish World Series. As we grow and the need arises, we are fully prepared to make necessary changes in the initial structure with additions of new events and personnel in each division as needed to produce a comprehensive national coverage of competitive redfish events.

Over the next several months the NRL Board will be meeting to solidify the rules, formats, production, etc for the inaugural NRL season in 2021.

Everything you have ever dreamed possible for this sport is about to happen.

Join us and be a part of history as we change the face of the competitive redfishing world forever.

The future begins here.

The future begins now.
 
GG