Join the Flounder Tournament
The Largest Single Day Flounder Fishing Tournament in the Nation
The 13th Annual "Who's Your Flattie Daddy" Flounder Tournament runs Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Weigh-in is at the Galveston County Fair Grounds in Hitchcock. Entry is $100 per angler, and you can fish any legal body of water in Texas. There's no check-in before you launch. You fish, you drive to the scales, you find out where you stand.
What started as a FishStix idea has grown into the biggest single-day flounder event in the country. Tournament director Hunter Welch built it the way he builds rods: for the people actually standing in the water. Kayakers compete against boat guys. A kid fishing a bulkhead can beat a guide running a bay boat. Four separate categories mean the heaviest fish isn't the only way to get paid.
Flattie Daddy Registration and Swag
What to bring
Flounder bite differently than trout or reds. They inhale, they hold, and they don't run. The bite is a soft thump and then dead weight, and the rod that wins is one that lets you feel that thump and set the hook the instant you do: a sensitive fast tip over real backbone that drives a hook through a jaw built like a shoe sole.
That's the job the 7-foot medium-heavy Drum Stix was built for. The fast tip telegraphs the thump, and the backbone buries the hook on the first sweep. Every FishStix rod is a custom inshore build designed for how people actually fish the Texas coast: wading a shoreline, working a drain, hopping a jig along a channel edge. Not sure which one fits your setup? The FishStix rod buyer's guide walks through it.
And bring a Check-It Stick. Blackjack and Toaster are decided by fractions of an inch, and the tape in your tackle box that's been curling at the end since 2019 is not the one to bet $100 on.
Flattie Daddy Flounder Tournament FAQs
When and where is the 2026 Flattie Daddy Flounder Tournament?
The 13th Annual "Who's Your Flattie Daddy" Flounder Tournament is Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The weigh-in is at the Galveston County Fair Grounds, 10 Jack Brooks Road, Hitchcock, TX 77563. You can fish any legal body of water in Texas — no check-in required before you start fishing.
How much does it cost to enter and how do I register?
Entry is $100 per angler, and you can register online right here at getfishstix.com. Everyone fishing on your boat must be entered in the tournament. This is an individual tournament — no pooling of fish.
What are the tournament categories and payouts?
The tournament pays three places in each of four main categories: Heaviest Flounder, Heaviest Stringer (five flounder max), Blackjack Flounder (closest to 21 inches without going over), and Toaster Flounder (smallest combined length of two flounder, each at least 15.5 inches). There's also an extra $250 for the heaviest flounder weighed in each hour from 10 AM to 3 PM, plus jackpot bonuses: win Heaviest Flounder at an exact X.00-pound weight and take home $25,000, or win Heaviest Stringer at an exact X.00 pounds and win a Polaris Ranger side-by-side.
What fishing methods and baits are allowed?
Kayak, bank, wade, pier, and boat fishing are all welcome. All fish must be caught on rod and reel only — no gigging. Each angler may have one line in the water at a time (tandem rigs are allowed), and artificial lures, live bait, dead bait, and cut bait are all permitted. All Texas Parks and Wildlife rules apply.
Why should I buy the tournament shirt and hat?
Wearing an official 2026 tournament shirt to weigh-in unlocks bonus winnings: 4th and 5th place payouts in all four main categories, a 2.5-pound flounder category, and the Wheel of Flounder — spin the wheel, and if your flounder's weight matches, you win $1,000. Buy the 2026 bonus hat, wear it to weigh-in, and finish top three in any main category to earn free entry into next year's tournament.
When is weigh-in and is there a captains meeting?
The weigh-in line opens at 10:00 AM and closes at 3:00 PM sharp — you must be standing in line by 3:00 PM to weigh fish. A captains meeting will be held Friday, October 16, 2026, at 6 PM in the first outside pavilion from Hwy 6 at the Galveston County Fair Grounds. It's not mandatory but highly recommended, it streams live on Facebook, and you can pick up your tournament shirts and hats there.
Can kids fish in the tournament?
Yes — the Flattie Daddy is a family tournament. Any angler under 16 must be accompanied by an adult unless permission is granted by the tournament organizers.
Do I need a Texas fishing license to fish the Flattie Daddy?
Yes. Every angler needs a valid Texas fishing license with a saltwater endorsement, the same as any other day on the coast. Tournament entry doesn't replace it. Licenses are available online through Texas Parks and Wildlife and at most coastal tackle shops.
What are the Texas flounder size and bag limits during the tournament?
Texas flounder rules are a 15-inch minimum length and a five-fish daily bag per angler. Those apply on tournament day just like any other day. The Heaviest Stringer category caps at five flounder, so the tournament format lines up with the state limit.
Does one $100 entry get me into all four categories?
Yes. A single entry puts you in Heaviest Flounder, Heaviest Stringer, Blackjack, and Toaster, plus the hourly payouts from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Adding the official shirt unlocks the bonus categories on top of that.
What's the best rod for flounder tournament fishing?
The best flounder rod pairs a sensitive tip with real backbone: the tip to feel a bite that comes as a soft thump and dead weight, and the backbone to bury a hook through a bony jaw the instant you feel it. That's exactly what the 7-foot medium-heavy Drum Stix was built for, with a fast action tip over a strong lower blank. If you fish differently, the FishStix rod buyer's guide will sort out which build fits your style.
I've never fished a tournament before. Is the Flattie Daddy beginner friendly?
It's one of the friendliest big tournaments on the coast. There's no boat requirement, no pre-fishing, and no team format to organize. You buy an entry, fish where you're comfortable, and drive to Hitchcock. The Friday captains meeting is the fastest way to get comfortable with the rules.
Why is the tournament in October instead of November?
Texas closes flounder harvest entirely from November 1 through December 14 to protect the fall spawning migration. Mid-October puts the tournament at the front edge of the run, when fish are staging and moving but harvest is still legal.
What's the difference between Blackjack and Toaster?
Blackjack is a single flounder as close to 21 inches as possible without going over. Toaster is two flounder with the smallest combined length, each at least 15.5 inches. Blackjack rewards precision on one fish. Toaster rewards restraint across two.
Can I fish with a guide or with a partner?
Yes, and plenty of anglers do. The tournament is open to all anglers and guides fishing public Texas water. Just remember that everyone fishing on the boat has to be entered, and it's still scored individually. No pooling fish onto one person's ticket.