Ludington Big King Bonanza 2026 Rules
The 2026 Bonanza will consist of two segments:
Segment 1: Saturday April 18th to Friday July 3rd at 6pm
Segment 2: Sunday July 5th to Saturday September 5th at 6pm
The entry fees will be:
Non-charter boat: $125 per segment OR $200 for both segments.
Charter boat: $225 per segment OR $400 for both segments.
Registration:
Must be done in person at Captain Chuck’s II and paid via cash at the time of registration.
Registration for this derby is by boat, not by the individual angler. So once your boat is signed up, it is covered regardless of who comes and goes from that vessel. This is why we take a boat name, length, and captain name upon registration. If a registered boat breaks down, this Bonanza must be notified immediately (prior to weighing any fish) and the captain is permitted to one boat change for the 2026 year.
Upon making your registration, the exact date and time (to the minute) will be noted and marked by the weigh master. At that time begins a mandatory 24-hour kill period, where no weigh-ins by that boat are allowed until 24 hours after the vessel’s initial registration.
All fish must be weighed at Captain Chuck’s II in Ludington.
The acceptable fishing locations are all of Lake Michigan and adjoining Lakes and Tributaries
For the Big Salmon Pot, the payouts will be done as a percentage of the Pot
First Place: 35%
Second Place: 20%
Third Place: 15%
Fourth Place: 10%
Fifth Place: 8%
Sixth Place: 6%
Seventh Place: 4%
Eighth Place: 2%
Each entered boat is allocated one spot on the Big Salmon Board. You may upgrade that position as many times as you can, however only one cash payout will be allocated to each participating boat. It is possible to win a Big Salmon prize plus one or more Big Trout Kicker’s.
Our Tournament Committee reserves the right to properly inspect any weighed in fish for unnatural items intended to artificially increase the weight of the fish
We reserve the right to decline any potential weigh in if we determine doing so is necessary to preserve the integrity of the Tournament
Cash payouts will be done through Captain Chucks:
Segment 1 winners will be paid out on Sunday, July 5th
Segment 2 winners will be paid out on Sunday, September 6th
Big Trout Kicker:
Upon Entering for the Big King Bonanza. Registrants will be automatically entered into the Big Trout Kicker competition for Steelhead (rainbow trout), Lake Trout, and Brown Trout.
The biggest of each of these fish entered in each segment, will be awarded $500 cash. That means an additional $3,000 in cash prizes awarded above and beyond what you pay for when entering the Bonanza.
Tie breakers for all categories will be determined by the date and time of the weigh-in. The fish weighed earliest in the derby will win the disputed position. If fish are weighed on the same day, prize money will be split evenly.
By entering the Big King Bonanza, participants grant permission for the tournament to use photographs of anglers, boats, and fish for promotional purposes.
All participating individuals must have legal fishing licenses and abide by all rules attributed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. If fishing Lake Michigan in another State, all rules and licensing required by that state is mandatory as well.
