Spring Slam
April 24 – May 25, 2026
Post-spawn action across the nation.
View on Fishing Chaos →Cast for a Cause
Fish your water.For a reason.
Five tournaments a season. You fish your own water on your own schedule, photograph your catch on a measuring board and submit through the app. No travel, no entry queue, no boat required.
The 2026 season
Every tournament earns Angler of the Year points, with the Season Championship weighted heaviest. Registration, catch submission and live standings all run through Fishing Chaos.
What it costs to fish. A Series membership is $30 for the year, and each tournament you enter is $25 on top of that. The membership is what makes you a member of the club and eligible for Angler of the Year; the entry fee is what puts you in a given tournament.
The Kids Division is $5 per tournament with no membership required — and 100% of kids entry fees go to kids prizes.
Before you enter, read the official rules — particularly the measuring and photo requirements, which decide whether a fish counts.
Summer Sizzle
June 7 – July 12, 2026
Beat the heat and catch ’em deep.
View on Fishing Chaos →Dog Days Derby
July 19 – August 23, 2026
Grind it out through the hottest weeks.
View on Fishing Chaos →Fall Frenzy
September 4 – October 11, 2026
Fall feed is on. Big fish are moving.
View on Fishing Chaos →Season Championship
October 16 – November 8, 2026
The season decider.
View on Fishing Chaos →2026 results
Top three per division. Full standings live on Fishing Chaos.
Spring Slam
April 24 – May 25, 2026
Northern Division
- 1 Ricky T. 97.25″
- 2 Brian B. 97.00″
- 3 Ken P. 91.75″
Southern Division
- 1 Mack T. 105.00″
- 2 Ray B. 102.00″
- 3 Caleb K. 99.00″
Summer Sizzle
June 7 – July 12, 2026
Northern Division
- 1 Ricky T. 102.75″
- 2 Brian B. 98.25″
- 3 Ken P. 95.75″
Southern Division
- 1 Ray B. 106.50″
- 2 Caleb K. 103.50″
- 3 Mack T. 102.50″
Dog Days Derby
July 19 – August 23, 2026
Northern Division
- 1 Brian B. 98.50″
- 2 Ken P. 93.25″
- 3 Kevin S. 83.25″
Southern Division
- 1 Dale W. 103.75″
- 2 Ray B. 98.50″
- 3 Dustin J. 97.00″
Kids Division
- 1 Buxton P. 34.75″
Angler of the Year
Two regional titles are decided across the season — one North, one South. Standings update after every tournament, and every membership tier competes on equal terms.
How points work
First place scores 100 points, and every place below that is one point less — so 10th scores 91 and 20th scores 81. The Season Championship scores 120 for the win, on the same scale.
Enter a tournament and catch nothing and you still bank 20 points. That is a floor, not a bonus: fish get you your finishing points instead, which are higher.
Every event counts — there is no drop. Miss one and it is a zero, which is the single most expensive thing you can do to a season.
What the winners get
Cash to first place in each region from the championship pool, and trophies for first, second and third in both divisions. The trophies are a program expense — they do not come out of the prize pool.
Showing up beats hero fishing
Because places are only a point apart, consistency wins this and brilliance does not. Here is a full season, four regular events plus the Championship:
| A season where you… | Season total |
|---|---|
| Win all five | 520 |
| Finish 10th every time | 475 |
| Finish 10th, but skip one event | 384 |
Winning every tournament is worth 45 points more than finishing mid-pack in all of them. Missing a single event costs 91. You do not have to be the best angler in your region to win Angler of the Year — you have to turn up.
The AOY Club
Membership is how you join the club: it makes you eligible for Angler of the Year and it is the most direct way to support the mission. Every tier competes equally for the title — the only difference is how much goes to charity. $18 of every membership funds the championship prize pool anglers compete for; the rest funds the mission. You do not have to fish to join.
Series
$30
$12 funds the mission
$18 to the prize pool
$18 to the prize pool
Impact
$60
$42 funds the mission
$18 to the prize pool
$18 to the prize pool
Champion
$100
$82 funds the mission
$18 to the prize pool
$18 to the prize pool
Legacy
$250
$232 funds the mission
$18 to the prize pool
$18 to the prize pool
In 2026, 16 members contributed $1,120, with $832 committed to the mission and $288 funding the championship prize pool. Membership dollars are disbursed to our charity partners as the season closes out. That makes membership the most efficient way to support us, and it is why the club exists.
Membership provides Angler of the Year eligibility, which has value, so not every dollar is tax-deductible. The written acknowledgment we send with your membership states our good-faith estimate of that value and the deductible amount. Kindlewood Cares does not provide tax advice — please consult your own advisor.
The Kids Division
Ages 13 and under, $5 a tournament, no membership needed. Same format as everyone else — catch, photograph on a board, submit.
How it works
A parent or guardian registers the child through Fishing Chaos and submits the catches. An adult needs to be along for the fishing. Kids fish the same windows and the same waters as everyone else.
What they win
Trophies and gear. 100% of kids entry fees go to kids prizes — there is no charity split on a child's $5, it all comes back to them. Kids are not in the Angler of the Year race and do not fish the Championship.
We publish placings by first name and last initial. Photographs of anyone under 18 are used only with a parent or guardian's consent.
Causes we have fished for
Alongside the yearly series, we run one-off events for causes that matter to us. Each one is listed here for as long as Kindlewood Cares exists.
Tron Foster Memorial
A standalone tournament honouring Tron Foster, a member of the Straight Up Fishing community lost to cancer. Our most charity-weighted event — 60% of entry fees go to charity — benefiting The Outdoor Dream Foundation. We sent $850 to the Outdoor Dream Foundation from the 2026 events.
Harry A. Bateman Memorial Derby
An annual derby in memory of Harry Bateman, benefiting The Jimmy Fund at Dana-Farber. It is where the yearly hand-built rod is raffled. We passed $195 to the derby in 2025; the derby raises and donates its own funds separately.
2025 — our first season
Three tournaments, 21 anglers, and the first Jimmy Fund Rod. It was the season we learned how to run this.
3
Tournaments
21
Anglers
$495
Given to charity
You do not need a boat, a tournament trail, or a sponsor. You need water, a rod, and a reason.