Lower Tournament Buy In, Condensed Calcuttas, Expanded Boundaries, Enhanced Hospitality & the Coveted Championship Ring Await at JJFISHWEEKAC 2025
Jimmy Johnson ‘Quest for the Ring’ Championship Fishing Week (JJFISHWEEKAC) is making its highly anticipated return to Atlantic City, NJ and Ocean City, MD from July 13-19, 2025, bringing another high-energy tournament experience for anglers and their families.
With a refreshed prize structure format designed for lower buy in, greater accessibility and higher competition, JJFISHWEEKAC 2025 will estimate a purse nearing $2 million with tournament buy in starting at $3,000 (comped for early entry teams), condensed Calcuttas so you can fish for more with your Calcutta buy ins, more manageable boundaries, two weigh stations, enhanced hospitality and entertainment, and Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach Jimmy Johnson’s legendary Championship Ring and coveted Ring of Honor up for grabs.
Held annually in Atlantic City, NJ in partnership with the Atlantic City Sports Commission, JJFISHWEEKAC is hosted at the Frank S. Farley State Marina, managed by Golden Nugget Casino, Hotel & Marina during the week with weekend events hosted at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. The event is proudly additionally presented annually by Contender Boats, powered by Yamaha Outboards, and guided by Garmin Marine, with an additionally host venue, hosted by Sunset Marina in Ocean City, MD.
Boundaries Update & New Weigh-In Stations:
This year’s event will once again feature a main weigh station in Atlantic City, NJ with nightly hospitality suite experiences, but once again, an additional weigh station will be hosted all week long at Sunset Marina in Ocean City, Maryland, improving accessibility for participants and spectators along the Northeastern coast. In addition, the new boundaries will be 145 miles in any direction from the Atlantic City Headpin to ensure a more manageable experience for all to enjoy and compete.
Additionally, with the weigh station in Ocean City, MD, Ocean City participants will also enjoy expanded hospitality, including a Monday Funday Night Party at Sunset Marina in Ocean City, plus continued hospitality at Sunset Marina all week long. To ensure Ocean City, MD-based teams can fully experience the excitement in Atlantic City, discounted weekend hotel rates and shuttle service will be provided to and from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, allowing all participants to enjoy the end the week’s epic gifting experience and over the top closing awards bash.
You Asked, We Delivered: What’s New for 2025?
The 2025 theme, “Your Input, Our Commitment” reflects direct feedback from past participants, inspiring key enhancements including:
- More Weigh-In Options – Teams can depart from any port and weigh in at either Atlantic City or Sunset Marina in Ocean City, MD.
- Lower Tournament Buy In & Simplified Calcuttas – Reduced tournament entry to $3,000 and Calcutta optionals went from 20 to 12 Calcuttas, with category buy-ins applying to multi-species to increase payouts per category.
- New Daily MVP Calcutta – The Daily Game Ball MVP Calcutta introduces an exciting new way to compete and win daily, where the on the board weight will carry over to the next day and the daily Calcutta applies to multiple species so you don’t have to buy in to each daily Calcutta for each species.
- Enhanced Ocean City Experience – Expanded hospitality, including a Monday Funday Night Party at Ocean City Marina.
More than 80 teams from across the country will battle in multiple categories, fishing for: white marlin, blue marlin, tuna, wahoo, dolphin, small boat tuna and marlin, yellowfin and bigeye tuna aggregate weight, catch and release, and non-sonar calcuttas for marlin and tuna, and an overall high points champion. Teams will compete for bigger payouts, early entry teams will benefit with an additional $100,000 guaranteed general entry payout (for early registrants), and of course, it wouldn’t be JJFISHWEEK without the ultimate honor — securing the coveted Championship Ring and earning a spot in Coach Jimmy Johnson’s famed Ring of Honor.
In addition to high stakes fishing, JJFISHWEEKAC also delivers unparalleled entertainment for its anglers and their families. The week-long event kick-offs with a celebration at the Golden Nugget Rooftop in Atlantic City on Sunday, July 13. Throughout the week, participants and their guests
enjoy daily dockside parties and legendary post-fishing dinners, open bars and games at JJFISHWEEK’s Hospitality Suite.
On Saturday, July 19, JJFISHWEEKAC wraps up at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City with the Ultimate Gifting Experience, where teams will receive over $5,000 in swag and gifts from sponsors, followed by the Closing Awards Bash – an unforgettable night of live entertainment, dinner and dancing.
JJFISHWEEKAC 2025 will continue its commitment to giving back through JJ’s Catch for the Community station where teams have a chance to graciously donate their catch to be filleted and donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic City. Last year, over 4,000 pounds of fish were collected to help underserved youth and families in Atlantic City.
For more information and a schedule of events, visit https://questfortheringac.com. To register, visit JJFishWeek.CatchStat.com.
