Blog

Operations, sponsors, and the dock.

Field-tested guides for tournament directors. Written by a director, for directors. New posts as we learn from each event.

Case Study · Featured How we ran 48 boats across three concurrent leaderboards with zero disputes

The director's POV on Game Fish SJDS 2026 — the tournament that pushed every feature in DockScore. Configuration, day-of operations, and the dispute that didn't happen.

May 2026 · ~12 min read Read the post → OperationsThe real cost of running a tournament on a spreadsheet

The actual math: director's time × hourly value + mistakes that cost money + disputes that cost sponsorships. The spreadsheet is not free.

~7 min readRead → Operations5 mistakes first-time tournament directors get wrong

Underestimating registration time. Late rules. No catch verification process. Missing sponsor follow-up. No archive strategy. How to avoid each.

~8 min readRead → SponsorsHow to build a fishing tournament sponsor package that gets a yes

Platinum, Gold, Supporting tiers. What goes in each. How to price. What sponsors actually care about and how to put it on one page.

~9 min readRead → TechnologyWhy your tournament leaderboard should be public

The economic argument: 12,000 spectators sharing your leaderboard means more captains next year, more entry fees, a better event. Private leaderboards leave money on the table.

~6 min readRead → OperationsCatch and release scoring — how to set up your points system

Release format point systems, species multipliers, bonus categories, tie-breakers. The technical guide for billfish and conservation events.

~9 min readRead → En EspañolCómo organizar un torneo de pesca — guía LATAM

Versión en español de la guía completa. Contexto adicional para Nicaragua, México, Colombia, Costa Rica.

~12 min lecturaLeer → Operations · ProHow to run a fishing tournament Calcutta (and not lose control)

What it is, the formats, pool management, common disputes, and how to do the ceremony reveal so it lands as a moment instead of a spreadsheet readout.

~7 min readRead → OperationsThe 90-day timeline for tournament directors

Week-by-week action plan from 90 days out through post-event. Practical, specific, and what each week actually requires.

~10 min readRead → SponsorsWhat fishing tournament sponsors actually want in return

Observations from directors who renew sponsors year after year. The key insight: sponsors want proof, not exposure promises.

~6 min readRead → OperationsRunning a bilingual tournament — English and Spanish at the same time

Communication plans, bilingual judge training, EN/ES registration forms, and how DockScore handles simultaneous bilingual operation.

~7 min readRead → Case Study"What happened when we moved from paper to DockScore" — director Q&A

Interview format. A director describes their experience switching from manual operations. Before/after comparison with specific numbers.

~8 min readRead →

For directors

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