“It happens every season: at some point there will be a captain or crewmember who feels they did not receive a fair share of tournament prize money.” With that in mind, we set out to research the subject of a crew percentage. What’s fair? What’s too little, or even too much? We conducted extensive interviews with some of the sports top owners and captains and the results were…lets just say interesting.

For those who compete in tournaments with more than a pickle dish at stake, crew tournament winnings is a subject that is near and dear to both hearts and wallets: the percentage of prize money awarded to the captain and crew. The amount can range from zero to 100 percent but generally falls somewhere in the middle.

In line with the preferences expressed by the owners consulted for this article, we are maintaining their anonymity. They believe that the financial agreements with their crews are confidential, a viewpoint we respect. To ensure a balanced perspective, we have included insights from these owners without revealing their identities or the names of their vessels.

The Agreement Disagreement

Capt. Rob Stalcup has been around the tournament scene for quite a while so when he jumped on a boat earlier this year he looked forward to fishing a few East Coast events. He led the team to a couple high-profile wins but was disappointed to learn that his expectations and his owner were quite different when it came to the crew percentage. Ive always been paid off the winning number, he says. So I was blown away when the owner took out not only the calcutta entry but all the expenses…Explore the full article by clicking here. For more expert insights and leading editorial content, consider subscribing to InTheBite Sportfishing Magazine. Join our community of dedicated big game fishing enthusiasts today!