TOURNAMENT RULES & REGULATIONS
Revised
Replaces Document dated April 12.2000
1. RULES- Interpretation of these
rules shall be left exclusively to the tournament Committee. The decisions of
the tournament Officials shall be final in all matters. Additional rules or regulations can be added or deleted
with the approval of the club.
2. PARTICIPANTS & ELIGIBILITY- Participation in our club tournaments is open to anyone who wishes to fish by invitation. (18 years or older)
3. PRE-TOURNAMENT PRACTICE- Entrants fishing the tournament can not fish the designated lake for a period of one (1) week before the tournament.
Any tournament out of state
(including
4. SAFETY- Safe motoring conduct must be observed by all tournament participants. Caution and safety on morning take offs must be observed. Each participant is required to wear a COAST GUARD APPROVED PFD (personal floatation devise) which must be secured (snapped, zippered, etc.) and maintained in that position any time the combustion engine is running. All anchors must be inside the boat when the combustion engine is operating. (Anchors bolted or locked to the davit are acceptable.)
5. SPORTSMANSHIP- Sportsmanship, courtesy, safety, and conservation is expected from each participant. Any infraction of these sporting principals may be deemed cause for disqualification. Drunkenness on the part of a contestant during the tournament will not be tolerated.
6. TACKLE & EOUIPMENT- Only artificial lures may be used. No live bait or prepared bait will be permitted, however, pork strips or rinds, etc. May be used. Only one rod may be used at any one time. Trolling, as a method of fishing is prohibited. All bass must be caught live and in a conventional manner.
7. BOAT & MOTOR- Fishing boat must be at least eight (8) feet in length. Gas motors must not be of more horsepower than boat is rated for. Electric motors are permitted. Contestants may use his own boat and motor or may borrow or rent boat and/or motor. Boats that are deemed unsafe, whether because of overloading & boat/motor combination or other obvious hazards will not be allowed to participate in club events until the hazard is amended. Motorboat registration and motorboat operator’s license must be in possession of the operator (electric motors included.)
8. BASIC BOAT EOUIPMENT- Each boat must have standard Coast Guard safety equipment regardless of gas or electric motors. All boats must have an approved aerated live well (12 volt only), a manually operated or electric bilge pump, signaling devices, both audio and .visual are required (police whistle and red flag) on sixteen (16) ft. boats or larger kill switches are a must on gas powered boats over 15 horsepower. Electric only boats must have a bailing device (can, cup, ac.). Each boat must have a Coast Guard approved PFD (personal flotation device) for each person on boat.
9. BOAT
OPERATION & EXPENSE- A full discussion should be held
between the two partiers, prior to a
morning departure, as to the schedule of boat operation and expense.
10. Permitted FISHING LOCATION- Fishing is permitted any place on the tournament waters. However, no fishing is permitted within twenty five (25) yards of any other contestant or non-participating boat that was first at the location, also if the tournament waters have posted “DO NOT ENTER OR Restricted ZONE”. The tournament committee also has the right to restrict waters if they are deemed unsafe or as to cause an undue advantage to other contestants. All fishing must be done from the boat and contestants must not depart from the boat to land fish.
11.
Late contestants, after registration, must check in with nearest contestant on tournament waters. At that time the late party must have their live well checked for its empty contents. After live well check, late party can start fishing for tournament scoring. Upon fishing for tournament scoring, the late party is responsible for the ten ($10.00) dollar tournament fee
Contestants leaving early must give reason for leaving to tournament committee prior to blast-off
In case of any emergency a contestant must leave, that party must find the nearest boat and inform them of his departure of the tournament waters.
12. SCORING AND PRIZE MONEY- Thirty five (35) pts. lst place
Thirty (30) pts. 2nd place
Twenty nine (29) pts.. 3rd place
ETC.
BONUS: Three (3) pts. for lunker, Five (5) pts. for showing up if no fish caught by contestant. At the end of the tournament season, one (1) point
per live fish will be added to the total points for club standings.
PENALTY: Minus four (4) oz. 0.25LBS per dead fish weighed in at scales or released that will not be able to live unharmed (as per tournament committee).
TOURNAMENT WINNINGS: Tournament winnings will be paid to contestants at one hundred percent (100%) unless, due to financial problems of the club, the board of directors can reevaluate and adjust tournament payback with the club members consent. The split ratio of tournament winnings shall be, fifty percent (50%) will be awarded to the winner, twenty fist percent (25%) will be awarded to the second (2nd) place holder, and twenty five percent (25%) will be awarded to Lunker. The total pay back shall be one hundred percent (100%) of all allocated moneys for that club tournament to be awarded by the tournament director.
A probationary member can obtain tournament
points and winnings, but will not count in standings till he is a full member
voted in by the club (6 months waiting
period)
13. MULTIPLE DAY TOURNAMENTS- Ten dollars ($10.00) for each day will be paid by the contestant on the first day, or at the discretion of the tournament committee or director. Lunker will be paid on a daily basis at twenty-five percent (25%) of the total fees collected for that day. Lunker points will be awarded on a daily basis also.
One (1) overall winner will be paid and awarded points for total weight of the entire multiple day tournament Total tournament fee will be ten dollars ($10.00) X days of tournament I.E.: two day tournament at ten dollars per day equals twenty dollars per contestant.
14. TIES- In the event of a tie between two or more contestants with the same number of fish and the same total weight, the tiebreaker will be the largest fish. In the event of a second tie the tiebreaker will be the amount of fish. In the event of ties in first and second event not broken, then first place will be awarded to both parties involved and no second place will be awarded, first and second place money will be added and split evenly between both parties, 35 points will be awarded to both parties and net heaviest weight will be awarded 29 points etc.
15. TOURNAMENT GUESTS- Guests are allowed to fish in club tournaments, but must fish with a club member and pay the ten dollar ($10.00) entry fee. As a courtesy to a club member in need of a boat or ride to participate in a club tournament guests must be turned down and the club member must be first chosen as a partner.
16. DRAW TOURNAMENTS- The following rules apply to all Swimming River draw tournaments:
A. To be eligible to fish in the draw tournaments you must be at the proceeding months meeting when pairings are drawn.
B. Draw tournaments are only open to full and probationary members, no guests are
allowed to fish in the draw tournaments.
C. If
an odd number of members choose to fish the
draw tournaments or someone
cannot attend the tournament after the
pairings are drawn, the odd person remaining can fish on his own and is
on his honor to measure all fish
caught.
17. TOURNAMENT TROPHY FUND- Trophy Fund will be decided by the club and board when necessary.
18. LATE PENALTY- Contestants who are not in the official docking area on time shall be penalized (1) pound per each minute he is late. Any contestant checking in at dock area more than fifteen (15) minutes late shall lose all credit for that day. The only exception to this rule shall be: Any entrant helping a disabled boat will not be penalized and nor will the boat being helped, provided they have a valid and just reason that is accepted by the tournament officials.
19. TEAM TOURNAMENT- The team representing Swimming River Bass Masters shall be comprised of the top six (6) point standings of six (6) members. In the event of a tie the tournament committee will use total number of fish caught and if still tied go to the total weight of fish caught for the year by the tied contestants to break the tie.
20. DON’T KILL YOUR CATCH- Each contestant will be expected to keep his bass alive and in — condition by the use of his aerated live well abroad his boat All contestants must use a weigh bag to bring fish to scale for weigh in (no exceptions) and to handle and release all bass in such a way as to cause the least harm or shock to the fish.