ARTICLE VIII: TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
THE FOLLOWING RULES SHALL APPLY TO THE REGULAR CHAPTER SPONSORED TOURNAMENTS AS SCHEDULED. THESE RULES APPLY TO ALL MEMBERS, MEMBERS WITH GUESTS, AND PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS.
SECTION 1: TOURNAMENT FEES
1. The total payback of entry fees, less operation charge, shall be 100%. A $5.00 operation charge is taxed on each person entered into each tournament; this money is placed into the chapter’s operation fund and is non-refundable. This $5.00 tax is not considered part of the entry fee for payback to contestants.
2. The basic payback shall be made to the eligible anglers in the order of their respective finishing places.
a. One (1) place shall be paid for every five (5) anglers who participate up to a maximum of five (5) paid places.
b. Pay out is based on individual weight.
3. The LUNKER payback shall be 100% to the eligible participant
4. Total tournament fee due prior to any regular Chapter tournament is as follow;
a. One (1) contestant – fee is $20.00
i) $5.00 operation charge
ii) $12.00 for participation
iii) $3.00 for Lunker pot.
b. One (1) contestant not fishing, but wants to acquire tournament points – Fee is $8.00
i) $5.00 operation charge
ii) $3.00 for Lunker pot.
SECTION 2: TOURNAMENT RULES
1. Culling – As defined by the FLW organization, to remove and release lighter-weight fish from a live well so the heaviest or tournament limit is retained.
2. No Angler shall cull their catch at the ramp or after the end of the Tournament.
a) Penalty for Violation: Disqualification from Tournament with loss of fees, and points
3. Violation of TWRA and/or U. S. Coast Guard regulations that result in a citation shall disqualify the Angler and/or both Anglers from the tournament with loss of fees and points.
4. Each participant shall have the respective state fishing license or permit where this tournament is held where applicable.
a) Penalty for Violation: Disqualification from Tournament with loss of fees, and points
5. There is a 12 hour tournament water off limits for Regular Chapter tournaments before the commencement of said tournament.
6. The only persons eligible to fish the regular Chapter tournaments shall be Members and the members with approved guests in accordance with ARTICLE VI.
7. Fish submitted at weigh in shall be of legal minimum length as described by TWRA. A courtesy board will be available for the angler to use.
a) Penalty: Each Bass submitted at the weigh-in site that does not meet the minimum legal length and is within 1/8” of legal minimum length, shall be assessed a penalty at the rate of one pound for each illegal fish submitted and loss of that fish. The total assessment of all illegal fish submitted shall be deducted from the total individual weight of legal fish.
b) Any fish submitted that is not within 1/8” of legal minimum length shall result in the angler being disqualified from the Tournament with loss of fees, and points
8. Each participant shall apply only his five heaviest fish for points. In the event, that a participant submits more than five fish, the tournament director shall cull the LARGEST fish from the person’s bag until the five fish limit is reached.
a) A late Penalty for any late participant(s) shall be assessed at the rate of ONE POUND per minute for the first 15 minutes after which the late participant(s) shall be disqualified from the tournament with automatic loss of entry fees.
9. The late penalty shall be deducted in addition to deductions for illegal Bass, and shall be deducted from the LUNKER weight if the participant is entered for LUNKER only.
10. All legal bass submitted for weigh in should be alive and in good condition. In the event that a dead fish is presented for weigh in, the dead fish shall be assessed a penalty of ¼ pound. Movement in the check basket prior to being weighed will determine a fish being alive. Only one dead fish allowed to be submitted to weigh in.
11. Any member, or members with approved guests that arrive late to fish a tournament, shall locate another member and pay respective tournament fees. They shall have their live well inspected by the party collecting fees, and be advised of any changes in the rules and/or schedule.
12. All eligible/legal Bass shall be caught on the designated Tournament Lake during the designated tournament hours.
13. Only ARTIFICIAL LURES may be used. The possession of or the usage of LIVE BAIT is illegal and strictly prohibited. Any Angler(s) found in violation will be disqualified from Tournament with loss of fees, and points.
14. Trolling is illegal and strictly prohibited.
a) Penalty for Violation: Disqualification from Tournament with loss of fees, and points
15. Participants shall stay in their respective boats while in the ACT of FISHING.
16. Rods, Cane Poles, fiberglass poles, jig poles or Flipping Sticks (with or without reels attached) over eight (8) feet in length are illegal for these tournaments and are strictly prohibited.
a) Penalty for Violation: Disqualification from Tournament with loss of fees, and points
19. Only one rod may be used at a time to take fish during the tournament.
20. Fly rods less than nine (9) feet in length with either automatic or single action fly reels attached (using those lures designed to be cast effectively with a fly rod) may be used.
21. Each fisherman shall bring his/her fish to the scale in a manner that clearly distinguishes his/her fish from his/her partner in order to obtain timely and accurate weight for points computation. (It is preferred to bring your fish to the scales in separate bags.)
22. The splitting of weight between anglers is expressly forbidden, and will result in the disqualification of both anglers as a penalty for attempting to split weight.
23. In the event that a tournament(s) is canceled and not rescheduled, the canceled tournament(s) will not be used in the computation of points. No points shall be given for any canceled tournament(s).
24. The Tournament Director has the authority to determine legal/illegal-fishing equipment. At his discretion he may, INSPECT LIVE WELLS, STORAGE LOCKERS, and/or OTHER SUSPECTED AREAS WHERE ILLEGAL ITEMS MAY BE FOUND, at any time before, during or preceding payback time of tournament. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS REQUESTS pertaining to this tournament and its participants shall result in automatic disqualification from tournament with loss of entry fees, tournament winnings, and points.
SECTION 3: SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
1. Some or all of the tournament rules may be altered/changed for SPECIAL TOURNAMENTS. The Tournament Director shall request approval at the next scheduled monthly meeting of the members present. The following examples may apply: Children only, Crappie only, species other than Bass, Wildcats and other approved tournaments or methods. These special tournaments are eligible for additional participation points based upon approval listed in #3 below.
2. Scheduled Chapter events (i.e. Casting Kids Contest, Fishing Expos, etc.) will be eligible for awarding additional participation points based upon approval listed in #3 below.
3. Additional points can be awarded for Special Tournaments and Scheduled Chapter events with a majority vote of present voting members at any Chapter meeting. A minimum of 30 days notice to all members is required prior to the Special Tournament or Chapter Event that will be awarded additional points.
4. Any contestant may borrow a measuring board from the Tournament Director and take it back to his/her boat to measure fish prior to bringing the fish to the scale. (Please do not make the Tournament Director penalize you for short fish by carrying them to the scale area and submitting those short fish to be weighed).
5. The Tournament Director has the authority to determine legal/illegal-fishing equipment. At his discretion he may, INSPECT LIVE WELLS, STORAGE LOCKERS, and/or OTHER SUSPECTED AREAS WHERE ILLEGAL ITEMS MAY BE FOUND, at any time before, during or preceding payback time of tournament. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS REQUESTS pertaining to this tournament and its participants shall result in automatic disqualification from tournament with loss of entry fees, tournament winnings, and fish.
SECTION 4: POINTS CALCULATION
1. Eligible fish shall be; Largemouth, Smallmouth,
2. Minimum Chapter legal length for bass is 12 inches (measured with mouth closed and jaw intact)
3. Specific respective State Regulations may override minimum Chapter legal length. Fish shall be taken according to these Tournament Rules in a legal and sporting manner, on legal fishing gear.
4. Each member participant shall be awarded 1 point for each regular Chapter tournament he attends and fishes
5. Eligible Bass shall be weighed for the computation of points on a tournament finish scale. Bonus points will be awarded for participants who weigh in an eligible bass for the places of 1st through 30th.
a. 1st place will receive 50 bonus points, plus 2 points for winning the tournament.
b. 2nd place will receive 49 bonus points
c. 3rd place will receive 48 bonus points… 30th place will receive 21 bonus points.
d. In the event that a Tournament participant does not weigh in an eligible fish, they will receive 5 points less than the last place participant’s bonus points that weighed a legal fish. Example #1: Total participants = 23. Bonus points for last legal bass = 28. Last place points (no legal fish) = 23. Example #2: Total participants = 19. Bonus points for last legal bass = 32. Last place points (no legal fish) = 27.
e. Participants who wish to purchase tournament points are not eligible for participation points. They will receive 10 points less than the last place participant’s bonus points that weighed in an eligible fish. Example #1: Total participants = 23. Bonus points for last legal bass = 28. Purchased points = 18 plus 0 point for participation. Example #2: Total participants = 19. Bonus points for last legal bass = 32. Purchased points = 22 plus 0 point for participation.
f. Refer to ARTICLE II, Section 2, and Line 5 for deduction of accrued points.
6. No BOAT LIMIT of Bass shall exceed 10 Bass at any time or 5 Bass if fishing alone. NO CULLING AT THE RAMP
7. Each participant shall apply only his five heaviest fish for points. In the event, that a participant submits more than five fish, the tournament director shall cull the LARGEST fish from the person’s bag until the five fish limit is reached.
8. Each fisherman shall bring his/her fish to the scale in a manner that clearly distinguishes his/her fish from his/her partner in order to obtain timely and accurate weight for points computation. (It is preferred to bring your fish to the scales in separate bags.) The splitting of weight between anglers is expressly forbidden, and will result in the disqualification of both anglers as a penalty for attempting to split weight.
9. In the event that a tournament(s) is cancelled and not rescheduled, the cancelled tournament(s) will not be used in the computation of points. No points shall be given for any cancelled tournament(s).
SECTION 5: PENALITIES
The Tournament Director, after consulting with the Tournament Committee, has the authority to access the following penalties for violating the listed rules from ARTICLE VII and ARTICLE VIII;
a. Disqualification from tournament with loss of fish, tournament fees, and tournament points.
b. Recommend removal of membership according to ARTICLE II SECTION 6.
