2018 Tournament Rules
- The rules of tournament fishing will stand as written. Changes or amendments will be made only by majority vote at a regular January monthly meeting.
- PROTEST - A protest must be lodged prior to or during weigh-in at a club tournament to a member of the league of officers. The officers must rule on the protest within thirty (30) minutes after the official weigh-in time. There must be at least three officers present to make a decision. If necessary, tournament committeemen will be used.
- The club will have a tournament committee consisting of a Tournament Director and two (2) elected club members. Or the tournament director may appoint a committee.
- All fees must be paid prior to the tournament, preferably at the monthly meeting before a scheduled tournament. There will be no refunds after a drawing is held. IF YOU SIGN UP, YOU MUST PAY FOR THE TOURNAMENT. There will be a late pay fee of $5.00 for not paying at the club meeting when you sign up for the tournament. Late pay fee money goes to the Tournament of Champions Fund.
- Members wishing to fish a tournament will sign up at the regular monthly meeting prior to the tournament. An impartial draw will be used to determine fishing partners. Partners will be responsible for deciding which boat they will use to fish out of. When boaters are paired together in the regular tournament drawing they will have the option of fishing alone from their own boat. In the case of a late sign-up with an even number of fishermen in the drawing the late sign-up will be paired with the first person of the paired boaters or the first person the tournament director can contact. The tournament director will have final approval on all pairings. Members may sign up late by calling the tournament director no later than the Friday before the tournament. He will be assigned a partner at this time if there is an odd man. There will be a late sign-up fee of $10.00. Late sign-up money will go to the General Fund. There will be a maximum of two late sign ups allowed for any angler. After their second late sign up, then any further late sign ups will automatically result in that angler being signed up as a non-boater and they will be paired with another boater for that tournament.
- If there is an odd man left after the drawing, or a contestant fails to show up at the tournament for the start, a person may fish the tournament alone from his boat. If there is a re-pairing of partners due to a no-show, the highest launch position will be used to assign the pairing.
- Partners for a tournament should be at the start site together thirty (30) minutes prior to launch. Once the tournament begins, they must stay in sight of a club member until the end of the days fishing and the official weigh-in is over.
- If a person is late for the start, he will not be penalized. He must locate another member fishing the tournament to have his live well checked before he can begin fishing.
- It will be a Shotgun start on lakes that are Trolling motor only or No Wake, and on all other waters the start will be staggered and the last boat drawn will start each boat as the others clear.
- The tournament director has the official time. His watch starts and ends the tournament.
- It is prohibited for any contestant to accept fish from anyone. Only fish personally caught using authorized equipment and methods qualify for weight in. It is prohibited for any contestant to offer his fish to any other contestant. Any infraction of this rule will constitute disqualification of all parties involved at the tournament where the infraction took place.
- TYPES OF TACKLE – Only casting, spinning, or spin casting tackle may be used. Only one rod may be used at a time. No more than two lures can be rigged to a rod. More than one rod may be rigged and ready to use.
- TYPES OF BAIT – Only artificial lures may be used. No live or prepared bait can be used in tournaments. Pork rinds, chucks, strips, etc. are permitted. Trolling of lures is prohibited.
- Depth finders, LCR’s, compass, temperature gauges, GPS, and other electronic devices are permitted.
- FISHING AREAS – Fishing is permitted anyplace in the tournament waters which are reachable by boat. The boat cannot be carried over land to other waters. Fishing is only allowed from the boat. Contestants are not permitted to leave the boat with rod and reel during the fishing tournament. Fish must be landed by a contestant from within the boat.
- Areas off limits during tournaments will be determined by prevailing state law and any areas as designated by the tournament director.
- Electric Trolling motors are permitted for moving the boat into and during fishing positions.
- Each contestant must wear a life saving device during take off and anytime the boat is underway, when the boat is operating at or near capacity, or when water conditions threaten. Boat owner can insist on a device to be worn when any of the above conditions exist.
- Each member is responsible for his gear needed for a tournament, including a life jacket.
- All boats must stay in the water during fishing hours. Trailering of boats from one fishing location to another is not permitted.
- If there is a serious problem with the boat or motor, high winds, or any type of condition that is a threat to the life and safety of the contestants, you may return by whatever means are available, as long as you stay in sight of a club member. The club officers can rule on the validity of such a transfer.
- SCORING – Scoring is by pounds to the nearest 1/100th (0.01) pound. Winners will be determined by total weight caught during the tournament. Only Largemouth, Small Mouth, and Kentucky bass will be counted. Total weight is the weight of all fish caught minus any penalty deductions incurred. Deductions will be made for dead fish, late weigh-in, or short fish. The adjusted total weight will determine tournament placing and total weight for angler of the year award.
- SIZE – Contestants are responsible to weigh in fish only of legal length. The official bump board will determine if the fish is of legal length. Contestants may use the official bump board prior to weigh-in to check size. Once the fish has been turned over to the committeeman and placed on the scales, the contestant is liable for judgment by the tournament committee. Any fish deemed short will not be counted, and one pound will be deducted from total weight for every fish that is short. The tournament director will have the final decision. Contestants from first or second out boat are responsible for bumping fish prior to weigh in.
- Any contestant who brings more than the daily limit of fish to the scales will be disqualified and none of his fish will count that day for score.
- Any fish that appears to have been mashed or disfigured in any way by a contestant will become subject to disqualification for score by the tournament committee.
- One half pound (0.500) will be deducted for each dead fish that is brought to the scales, with a maximum of two dead fish allowed at weigh - in. Any fisherman that brings more than two dead fish to the weigh - in will be disqualified from the tournament. The officers who weigh the fish will determine live fish. They will call live fish, total weight of stringer, and weight of largest fish on stringer, if applicable. Gills must move for fish to be considered alive.
- MEASUREMENT – Total length is measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail, with the fish laid flat on the bump board, mouth closed and tail lobes pressed together.
- LATE WEIGH-IN PENALTY – Contestant who are late to the check-in site will be penalized two (2) percent of total actual pounds for each minute they are late. The maximum late penalty is fifty (50) percent of weight. Contestants checked in thirty (30) minutes or more from official deadline will lose all credit for pounds of fish and fish point(s) that for that day. Boat and motor problems will not be a valid excuse for late arrivals during any tournament.
- All fish will be weighed on the same scale for official record. The club will provide the official scales. The scales will be set up at the edge of the water at the start ramp area. Only weight measured from the official scales will be counted for daily total.
- TIES – If two more contestants have the same final total weight, placing will be lumped together and split equally between the tied constants.
- POINTS – Points will be awarded as follows: The club uses a fifty (50) point step down system: 1st= 50 points, 2nd=49 points, 3rd= 48 points, 4th=47 points, Etc. descending point system. Each person will earn 10 Participation points.
- Limits on the number of fish will be one (1) fish below the lake or river limit. State law or local rules and regulations supersede club rules.
- TOURNAMENT of CHAMPIONS (TOC) will consist of members who fished at least four (4) regular club tournaments, and the top 20 point leaders who paid to fish a minimum of three (3) tournaments. If in good faith a member has paid his entry fee at or before tournament sign-up and was unable to attend because of an unforeseen emergency, the elected officials may rule that an unforeseen emergency prevented the member from fishing the tournament and can qualify the individual to fish the TOC. Only Club members may attend the TOC. There will be no refund, nor will there be any participation points awarded. It will be the member’s responsibility to contact an elected official before the next regular meeting to receive an emergency ruling. There will be no cost to a member to fish the TOC if he has fished all the scheduled tournaments throughout the year. Any member who has not fished all scheduled tournaments must pay $5.00 for each tournament he missed to fish the TOC even if he had qualified.
- A tournament director will be responsible for securing the permits for all waters. Also, the tournament director will decide what waters and when the TOC will be held.
- OPERATING COST – Any non boaters will be responsible for paying the tournament entry fee of the boater they are fishing with.
- A Tie at the end of the year will be determined by total weight of the year!! Ties at the TOC will be determined by boat position at the start of the tournament.
- Constants between the ages of sixteen and eighteen must have written consent of their parent or legal guardian to compete in a club tournament. No one under sixteen (16) will be allowed.
- LAKE SCHEDULE – At or before the March meeting members will vote on fishing areas and dates.
- Contestants are not allowed to fish within a fifty (50) foot perimeter of an anchored boat. Trolling motor must be up.
- ENTRY FEE – Tournament entry fee is $25.00. $17.00 is paid back to the tournament, $3.00 to big fish, and $5.00 for the TOC fund.
- PAY BACK SCHEDULE – Regular tournament. 1st = 50%, 2nd = 30%, 3rd = 20%
- PAY BACK SCHEDULE – TOC. 1st = 39%, 2nd = 27%, 3rd = 16%, 4th = 10%, 5th = 8%
- TROPHIES – First through fifth place for the year, Biggest fish of the point tournaments for the year, Heaviest stringer of the year during points tournaments $50.00 Angler of the Year (Bylaw rule #9), Sportsman of the Year award (Bylaw rule #10), and a Plaque for 1st place TOC.
- Participants must follow all state laws and local lake rules and regulations when fishing in a tournament. If there is a concern on this rule it must be brought up at the tournament and then the tournament director will call a meeting with the officers and make a ruling.
- During weigh – in at all tournaments, both non-boaters from boat #1 and boat #2 are responsible for bumping fish and helping the tournament director during the weigh – in process.
- Once a tournament is scheduled and the location set, it cannot be changed unless there are life threatening conditions, or the water is determined to be non fishable in which case the tournament will move to the designated alternate lake or river as determined by the tournament director.
- All lake rules for outboard horsepower must be observed. Anyone found using a motor that is larger than allowed on the tournament water, will be disqualified. Any person found using a motor that is over powered for their boat, or has motor decals altered to look like a legal outboard motor when it is in fact over sized, will be disqualified.
- All tournament waters are off limits to everyone, on the day before to the tournament, except if you are fishing an organized tournament with another club.
- During all club points tournaments and the T.O.C. If a club member has to fish as a non-boater, for any reason, then their launch position will be the same as the boat owner that they are fishing with. The boat owner will not be allowed to assume the launch position of the non-boater that is fishing with him he must keep the launch position that he was assigned during the tournament drawing.