Tournament Rules

 

INTERPRETATION: The Tournament Rules are subject to interpretation only by the Tournament Officials. The Tournament Director’s decision shall be final.

ELIGIBILITY: Participation in the tournament is open to anglers 16 years old or more and younger anglers if partnered with an adult.

ENTRY FEES: The entry fee is $110 (Includes $10 for big fish)

REGISTRATION: Pre-Registration will end on the Wednesday before the tournament. There will be no late charge to register the morning of the tournament, but be aware that starting positions will be determined in the order of registration.

SPORTSMANSHIP: Participants shall observe high standards of ethics, sportsmanship, and personal conduct. They shall obey all of the laws and the authorities having jurisdiction in the tournament area. No alcoholic beverages shall be permitted in competition boats during competition hours. Competitors shall yield to inspection by Tournament Officials at any time during the tournament.

TOURNAMENT WATERS: Tournament waters shall be defined as public waters which are accessible by boat from the tournament headquarters. All fishing by participants shall be done from a boat on tournament waters. All participants and competing boats shall remain on tournament waters throughout the competition hours. Fishing on tournament waters shall not be permitted within 50 yards of another competitor’s boat, which was first anchored. Any such boat shall have its trolling motor retracted from the water. It is the responsibility of the anchored boat to make other competitors aware that he or she is anchored.

LIVEWELL INSPECTION & SAFETY: Each boat must have been through Livewell inspection before going through blast off

SAFETY: Life jackets must be on when the gas engine is running.

FISHING TACKLE: Shall be limited to casting, spinning, and spin-casting rods and reels and artificial lures. No live or dead bait is allowed. Animal skin (pork frogs for example), fur, and feathers may be used to dress artificial lures.

FISHING METHODS: Trolling is prohibited. Only one rod and reel per person may be actually in use at one time.

EMERGENCY CONDITIONS: Emergency conditions are those which subject persons or property to imminent danger or which are deemed by the Tournament Officials to be of an emergency nature. Only under emergency conditions, or in cases where boats are disabled, may participants leave their boats. Under such conditions, they may ride in other boats and bring their fish to the tournament headquarters for scoring.

FISH: Tournament limit will be five bass, 14 inches in length. The dead fish penalty is ¼ pound per dead fish and will be deducted off total weight. You cannot cull a dead fish. A short fish will not be weighed and 1 pound will be deducted from team weight. All fish must measure 14″ on a Golden Rule (mouth closed and tail pinched).

TIMELINESS: Each team must check in with the check-in boat or check-in point. If late, you will be so informed at that time. The official time is always on the Tournament Director’s clock. Any boat not in weigh-in area promptly at the appointed time will be assessed a penalty of 1 lb. for each minute late. Disqualification after 15 minutes.

SCORING: Competitor’s scores shall be the weight of bass they have caught and kept during the competition hours. Weight may be deducted from competitor’s scores by the Tournament Officials as a penalty for short fish or late return to weigh-in. Any bass which appears mangled, mashed, or mauled will be credited only at the discretion of the weigh-in officials. Bringing more than 5 fish to the weigh-in will result in disqualification.

TIES: In case of a tie, the prize money will be divided between the participants equally. PROTESTS: Participants who suspect that the Tournament Rules have been violated may file IN WRITING a protest with the Tournament Director within 15 minutes after that day’s weigh-in process and before awards begin. The Tournament Committee will decide all protests. Decisions of the Tournament Director are final.

VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES: Participants shall honor the letter and intent of the Tournament Rules or they shall be judged to have violated them. All judgments are reserved to the Tournament Officials. All participants shall be presumed to be familiar with the Tournament Rules. Participants held by the Tournament Officials to have violated the principles of fairness, sportsmanship, and ethical conduct explicitly or implicitly included in the Tournament Rules may be declared as disqualified