1. RULE CHANGES: Tournament rules may be changed any time during the year if submitted in writing to the membership in one month and voted on during the following month. To be adopted, the proposal must be approved by at least two-thirds of the members voting. All rules to be voted on by the club majority present. Rules will be enforced by the club officers. The decision of the club officers will be final in all matters.
2. PARTICIPANTS & ELIGIBILITY: Starting 2009 the club’s anglers will compete in a Boater Division and a Non-Boater Division. The points system will stay the same for each division. The prize monies will be allocated based on the entry fees for each division. Participants for the club tournaments must be paid up members or a guest. The fee for the tournaments will be $40.00 per man ($10.00 club + $30.00 prize). Members who have not paid their dues and/or tournament fees will not be eligible to fish. Guests are not eligible for points but are entitled to any prize money if they had paid into the tournament and they win.
3. REGISTRATION:
A. TOURNAMENTS: Individuals will have until the morning of the tournament before blastoff to enter and pay fees. Tournament fees will be carried over to the next tournament if you miss a tournament, after having paid that entry fee. Any monies collected on the morning of the tournament will be in an envelope with the anglers name affixed on the front.
B. LAUNCH POSITIONS: Launch positions will be determined by the draw at the Tournament Directors discretion. The last boat drawn will call out the boat positions the day of the tournament.
C. THE DRAW: If prior to the draw, it is determined that all non-boaters have a ride. A boater may request exemption from the draw if he brings a quest. The executive committee must approve all other exceptions. Each member will be allowed three (3) exemptions to the draw per calendar year. After the third exemption a boater will not be able to avoid the draw for ANY reason. All non-boaters will be drawn first and paired with a boater, after all non-boaters are paired up, the remaining boaters will have the option to:
q fish alone.
q pair up.
q bring a guest.
In order for the members to get to know one another, boaters and non-boaters, no boater can fish more than three (3) times in a twelve (12) month period with the same non-boater. This will allow a better rotation of fishing opportunities for all members.
D. GUEST: All non-boaters must have a ride before a guest is approved to fish a tournament, with all other exceptions approved by the executive committee. Guests are limited to fishing two (2) tournaments a year, to allow that guest more time to get to know the club members. Then, must join the club if they wish to continue to fish our tournaments.
4. SAFETY: Safe boating conduct must be observed at all times by all tournament competitors. Each competitor is required to have a Coast Guard approved life preserver. These preservers must be worn while any gas engine is running after the official start of the tournament and until the official end of the tournament. All boats having 75 hp or more engines, must have a functional kill switch attached while running. (Spot checks may be done by the tournament officials at their discretion to insure that switches are working properly). Warnings will be given by the Tournament Director. The 3rd infraction will cost a member 5 point in the standings and 5 points for every infraction thereafter. The Tournament Director will announce the Official Start at the club meeting and the Official Stop will be announced prior to take-off.
q Definitions: Official Start: take off
Official End: when the boat is on the trailer
5. SPORTSMANSHIP: Competitors in all club tournaments or functions are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation. Any infraction of these fundamental sporting principles may be deemed cause for disqualification. The use of any alcoholic beverages or any illegal drugs by a competitor during the tournament will not be tolerated and shall be cause for automatic disqualification. Maximum courtesy must be practiced at all times, especially with regard to boating and angling in the vicinity of non competitors who may be on tournament waters. Any act of a competitor which reflects unfavorably upon the clubs efforts to promote fisheries conservation, clean water and courtesy, shall be reason for immediate disqualification.
6. TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT: Only artificial lures are permitted. No live bait or prepared bait will be permitted, with the exception of pork rinds, etc... Only one (1) rod and reel may be used at a time. Fly rods are not permitted. Use of airboats is prohibited. Use of anything other than ROD AND REEL to catch fish is prohibited. Trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited, except with use of an electric trolling motor.
7. BOAT AND MOTOR: For the safety of all contestants, ALL BOATERS MUST BE EQUIPPED WITH SOME TYPE OF OPERABLE IGNITION KILL SWITCH. This ignition-kill device must be attached to the drivers body any time the combustion engine is operating. Anytime the combustion engine is operating and in gear, there must be a driver in the drivers seat in full control of the boat. Fishing boats may be used that are fifteen (15) feet or more in length. Any raised platform or decks cannot be higher than the gunnel of the boat. A small electric trolling motor may be used for slow maneuvering; however, trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited. All BLADDER tanks and any other type of AUXILLIARY gas tanks that are not installed by the boat manufacturer are prohibited. Additional gas tanks that are factory options and installed by a manufacturers authorized dealer are legal. Boats that do not have factory-installed gas tanks are restricted to a maximum of eighteen (18) gallons of gasoline in tanks that meet U.S. Coast Guard regulations. Gas tanks must be properly secured or strapped in a boat. During the official practice and during the tournament, no portable gas tanks or containers capable of holding gasoline can be placed anywhere on the tournament waters or shoreline for use by any competitor. No "barges" or similar cumbersome craft will be permitted. NO BOAT EQUIPPED WITH "STICK STEERING" SHALL BE PERMITTED TO BE USED DURING THE OFFICIAL PRACTICE OR DURING THE TOURNAMENT BY ANY COMPETITOR. The definition of "stick steering" shall be made by the Tournament Director. A competitor answering affirmatively the question, "Will you bring a boat and motor?" will be expected to make that boat and motor available for tournament use by himself and his daily partner, if so requested by tournament officials. Those answering the same question negatively will be presumed not to have a boat and motor available and will be paired with one who does when possible. It shall be the responsibility of the fishing partners to mutually agree on whose boat to use and a basis for sharing operational expenses. If partners are unable to agree, the Tournament Director shall make such determination, which shall be binding upon the partners. Any competitor may rent a boat and motor to fish the tournament in, providing it meets the above criteria. Such rental will be the sole responsibility of the competitor. All competitors are responsible for their own transportation to and from the tournament sites.
Boats must have an operating livewell or livewells capable of holding applicable limits of fish for both boater and non-boaters.
8. BOAT OPERATION AND EXPENSE: In view of the large expense involved in operating and maintaining a fishing boat, it is the obligation of the non-boater to share half the expense for the competition day. (i.e. gas & oil). A fixed rate for a non-boater to pay for local tournaments is $35.00. A fixed rate of $50.00 for Lake Okeechobee. All other tournaments including away tournaments will be negotiated between the parties involved.
9. TOURNAMENT WATERS: The official tournament waters are all bodies of water reachable from the launch point without removing the boat from the water or having to ford natural or man made banks. Special off limit areas may be announced prior to the tournament by the Tournament Director.
10. OFFICIAL CHECKPOINT: There shall be only one (1) official checkpoint in the morning and one (1) official check-in at the close of the tournament. These official points will be designated by the Tournament Director.
A. In case of an emergency causing the competitor to return early and leaving the tournament area, notification must be given verbally to a member, or a note left on one of the members vehicles.
B. Failure to comply with "paragraph A" above will result in the following:
q First time - loss of ten (10) points in club standings.
q Second time - may face disciplinary action.
C. Any competitors who are late for the official start of the tournament must leave a note on one of the members vehicle at the time of arrival.
11. QUALIFICATIONS & SCORING: Only Largemouth, Spotted, Red Eye, Sunshine, Smallmouth and Peacock Bass (limited to two (2)) will be weighed in. The limit will be the combined total weight of the listed fish above. No more than five (5) fish per person will be permitted to be weighed, unless the state limit is less than five (5), in which case the state limit shall prevail. All competitors are bound by the prevailing state statutes and regulations in which they fish. At no time will a competitor have in his/her possession more than the limits described above. Tournament officials will conduct checks for violations of this provision and in the event a competitor has more than the above described limits in his/her possession, shall cull the largest bass first, down to the limit described above. Tournament officials will conduct checks for violations of this provision and in the event a competitor has more than the above described limits in his/her possession, shall cull the largest bass first, down to the limit described above. Only bass described, which measure twelve (12) inches or more in length (with mouth closed and tail fanned on a "golden rule" board shall be weighed in). Any competitor who presents for weigh in any fish which fails to measure twelve (12) inches or more, will be disqualified and will not receive any tournament points. The Tournament Director can pre measure fish on request before weigh in (courtesy check). Dead fish brought to the scales will be penalized .50 lbs. per dead fish.
Tournament standings, auxiliary awards and final winners for monthly competition shall be determined by the sum of the points for total weight of catch. Points for catch will be as follows:
q 100 points for 1st
q 99 points for 2nd
q 98points for 3rd, etc
Anglers who have no fish to weigh in will be awarded twenty (20 points) less than the lowest angler who did weigh in fish for their participation. Five (5) points will be awarded for attending meetings. Five (5) points will be awarded for big fish for both boater and non-boater divisions. In determining Angler Of The Year and Royal Classic participation, two (2) tournaments will be dropped each year with the total points being determined by the best ten (10) tournaments plus all meeting points.
12. TIME: Time will be from safe daylight until 3:00 p.m., unless state tournament hour rules dictate otherwise, as seen in the past during the summer months. Any competitor arriving after 3:00 p.m. or the state mandated time, will be penalized one (1) pound per minute from the catch. After fifteen (15) minutes, the catch will be disqualified. Safe light will be determined by the Tournament Director. Weigh in times can be changed by the Tournament Director with a majority vote of the participants. The weigh in times for away tournaments is 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. In case of a breakdown, catch can be transferred to another boat, with one man accompanying the catch while his partner stays with the disabled boat. If fishing alone, fish may be transferred to another boat for weigh in. See Rule 4: for “Official Start and Official End” definitions.
13. EXTRAORDINARY EVENT: If an extraordinary event occurs that affects the majority of the anglers participating to be late for a weigh-in, the tournament director and the tournament committee will decide the outcome.
14. TIES: In case of ties, awards will be split. Points for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc... shall be awarded equally with both anglers getting 100 points for 1st, etc. etc. etc... In case of a tie in the year end top 10 anglers, which will determine the competitors for the Royal Classic, 10th place tie will be broken by comparing the total weight caught for the entire year of the two (2) tied anglers, with the largest weight being used as the deciding factor for the 10th place angler.
15. PAIRING OF CONTESTANTS: Each competitor will arrange his/her transportation. Tournament officials will have no responsibility for finding missing partners, it is suggested that a minimum of 30 minutes is required for preparation prior to blast off.
16. INSPECTIONS: None of the above stated rules shall prohibit a properly designated tournament official from approaching or boarding any competitors boat at any time.
17. PROTESTS: There are two opportunities to protest. The first is prior to blast off for violations before the start of the tournament. The second will be before the official results are announced at weigh in. If there are no protests, once the awards are made, the results are official. All protests will be settled by the officers within 48 hours of the protest.
18. MONTHLY PRIZE MONEY: From the $40.00 per person tournament fee, the payout will be:
- $10.00 goes to the club. $30 goes towards payouts.
- Each division pays 1 in 4 places.
- 4 or less participates - winner takes all (100%).
- 5 to 8 participates will be a 60/40 split.
- 9 to 12 participates will be a 50/30/20 split.
- 13 or more participates, 4th place gets $25, then a 50/30/20 split.
Twenty percent (20%) of the total treasury balance at year end will be paid to the Angler Of The Year.
19. YEAR END AWARDS: None
20. PROTECTING THE FISH: When fishing any tournament site inside a basin or inside a lock, all boaters will be put back into a draw to determine fish release boats. Two (2) boaters will be drawn. These two (2) boaters will be responsible for storing and releasing all fish outside the lock or basin. The non-boaters who fished with the boaters drawn to be release boats must also help release fish.
21. MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICES: The use of mobile communication devices such as cellular phones, marine radios, walkie-talkies, CBs, etc. to communicate fishing locations or fishing information during tournament hours is strictly prohibited. Any violation would result in disqualification from that tournament for both parties involved.
22. BIG FISH OF THE YEAR MONEY: The angler catching the biggest single fish out of all the tournaments for the year, will win the big fish of the year money. This angler must have fished at least half of the club tournaments throughout the year to be eligible to win this money. Each participating angler will pay a onetime fee of $20.00. This fee will apply in any month they join.
23. ROYAL CLASSIC: The year end classic will be determined by the top ten (10) members with the highest point total at the end of the year. The top qualifiers will determine location and date of the classic. The classic purse will consist of all remaining monies after all awards, prizes, and expenses have been met. The classic winner will receive a trophy in addition to cash awards. Any ties for the year end Royal Classic will be determined by the Tournament Director, by comparing the total weight caught for the year by each of the tied anglers, with that place being awarded to the angler with the heaviest weight between the two anglers that are tied. Classic pay out will be structured depending upon available funds at the time. All non boaters who qualify for the classic must arrange for their own fishing ride, there is no draw for the classic tournament.
24. TOURNAMENTS: The twelve (12) regular tournament sites will be determined by the membership at the monthly meeting one (1) month prior to the scheduled tournament. For example, the club members will vote on the March tournament site at the clubs February meeting. The dates of the twelve (12) regular tournaments will be determined by the Executive Committee. Sunday is the designated day for the one day tournaments. Tournament sites may be changed by the Executive Committee due to water levels, weather conditions, etc.... The number of tournaments for the year will be twelve (12). There will be two (2) away tournaments per year, which will consist of two days. Total weight for the two (2) days will determine the winners.
25. TOURNAMENT SITE VOTING: Nominations for the next months tournament site will be taken as explained in Rule Number twenty-three (23) of the South Florida Bass Kings Tournament Rules and Regulations. If there are more than two (2) tournament sites nominated, voting will take place to come up with the top two (2) of the total sites nominated. There will then be a second vote on the top two (2), in order to determine the final location.
26. TOURNAMENT SITE RESTRICTIONS: Prior to a tournament the Tournament Director can announce any restrictions on that body of water. Note: All bodies of water north of Okeetantie on Lake Okeechobee will be considered an away tournament.
27. FEDERATION CHAMPIONSHIP: Each angler who qualifies for the Federation Championship tournament will receive a maximum of $100.00 to help with expenses. The total paid for this benefit is capped at $500.00, so if there are more than five (5) qualifiers, $500.00 will be divided evenly between them. For any member to claim this benefit they must be an active member and fished at least six (6) club tournaments that year.
These Tournament Rules and Regulations were last amended on December 17, 2009.
Copyright South Florida Bass Kings 2010. All rights reserved.
