TOURNAMENT RULES
1. This is a "Bass" only tournament with total weight determining the winners. Maximum of two (2) persons fishing from each boat; fishing alone is permitted, however you may be leaving another club member stranded on the bank unable to fish without your boat being made available to them.
a. Non-boaters will draw from the boater pool for boat ride in the club tournament each month.
2. Please plan on launching your boat early enough to allow all contestants to be in the water prior to tournament launch. Member must be in good standing and entry fee paid prior to member starting to fish.
3. All tournament fees must be paid in cash at or before the tournament. If paying at the tournament site, you must have the correct entry fee. No change will be available at the tournament site.
4. Payoffs will be for total weight of fish caught. Payoffs are 80 percent of entry fees (1st Place Trophy cost deducted)— paid to winners in 50, 30, 20 percent increments for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. Big fish pot is optional and paid to the participating individual catching the heaviest fish during the tournament hours.
5. The Tournament Chairman or assistant/committee member will start the tournament and will stop it when the official watch indicates the tournament is over. Contestants who are not at the official check-in area at the appointed time will be penalized at one (1) pound per minute deducted from the total weight including any weight to be counted toward the big bass pot. Any contestant more than fifteen (15) minutes late will lose credit for the day’s weight.
6. There will be only one official checkpoint for boat check in the morning and one official checkpoint for check-in in the afternoon. All boats will be checked prior to tournament start for any previously caught fish. Failure to go through boat check in the morning or failure to check-in at the check-in point will result in disqualification. All fishing must cease upon check-in.
(1) This applies only to the boat owner to allow them to protect their investment. Their partner, if one, must bring their own fish in personally.
7. All bass must be caught live in a conventional sporting manner – casting, spinning, spin-casting, or fly rod tackle may be used. Only artificial lures may be used with the exception of pork rind trailers. Only one fishing rod may be used at a time. Trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited.
8. A courtesy measuring board will be set up prior to the scale area. Contestants are encouraged to measure any doubtful fish prior to approaching the scale area.
9. All fish brought to the scale area will be in accordance with state and local laws; five (5) fish limit each contestant. Minimum fish length must meet established size limit determined by state game and fish rules for the body of water the tournament is conducted on. Penalty for undersized fish placed on the scale will be not only the loss of that fish, but
the contestants largest fish will be deducted as a penalty. Also, there will be a penalty of 4 ounces for each dead fish weighed in. The fish will be placed on a marked measuring board, mouth closed, and tail laid on the board pinched closed. Fish will be weighed on scales minus stringers or transport bag by the Tournament Chairman and Weigh Masters. Contestants will maintain possession of their fish (if any doubt exists) until the results of the tournament are made official. Bass may not be stringered at any time during the tournament. A Bass 10 pounds or larger may be kept for mounting purposes only.10. In case of tie, place will be determined by the largest single fish recorded at this tournament by the contestants concerned with the tie. If the tie is unresolved, prize will be split. EXAMPLE: Tie for 1st would result in 1st and 2nd place monies split between the tied contestants. 3rd place would be awarded normally.
11. All boats must be operated in accordance with state and local laws. Safe boating will be observed at all times. DURING COMPETITION, EACH CONTESTANT IS REQUIRED TO WEAR A FASTENED U.S. COAST GUARD APPORVED LIFE PRESERVER ANYTIME THE COMBUSTION ENGINE IS IN OPERATION.
12. Contestants may fish anywhere accessible by boat, except areas designated as "off limits" or "no fishing" by local, state or federal officials or within 50 yards of any marina gas pump or within 100 feet of any other competitor’s boat.
13. All angling must be conducted from the boat. At no time may a contestant leave the boat to land a fish or to make the boat more accessible to fishing waters. The boat must remain in the tournament waters during the tournament day. Contestants must leave and return to the official checkpoint by boat.
14. All contestants are required to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy and conservation. Intoxication will be cause for immediate disqualification. Conduct reflecting unfavorably upon efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship, fair competition and compliance with tournament rules are grounds for disqualification and/or rejection of any application for participation.
15. All participants agree to hold harmless the State where the tournament is held, Lowndes Bassmasters Club, any sponsors, officials, and all other contestants for any and all injuries and/or material and bodily damage in connection with this tournament.
16. Rule interpretation will be left exclusively to the tournament committee. Decisions make by the tournament committee may be appealed to the Board of Directors. Any decision make by the Board of Directors on an appeal is final.
17. Protests against any club member for rule violation(s) must be registered within fifteen (15) minutes of the conclusion of the weigh-in. Protests will be investigated by the Tournament Committee who will then make recommendations to the chapter Board of Directors. The chapter Board of Directors will rule on violations of the tournament rules. All decisions are final.