2011 Tournament Rules

1. Rules - All decisions made by the Tournament Officials are final. The Tournament Officials can make a change when the safety of the contestants are in question.

2. Tournaments - We will fish 8 regular tournament starting on March 19, 2011 thru October 15, 2011 and have the championship on the weekend of November 12 & 13, 2011. No new entries after the May Tournament.

3. Entry Fee - A one time charge of $50 per team, which will be applied to the championship fund. Entry Fees for each tournament will be $80, which $10 will go to championship fund and $10 to Big Bass pot of that month's tournament.

4. Eligibility - An individual can fish by him or herself but they must pay all the fees just as a 2 person team. At least 1 member of a team must be 18 or older. No one other than your partner is allowed in your boat during tournament hours unless you are helping someone.

5. Big Bass - Only 1 Big Bass Prize will be given at each tournament.

6. Baits and Tackle -  Only artificial lures may be used with the exception of pork rinds and liquid bait attractants. Only 1 rod at a time may be used. A cast must be fully retrieved before another rod is picked up.

7. Permissible Waters - All fish must be caught from the tournament lake during designated tournament hours. No tubes or wade fishing will be allowed. No fishing within 25 yards of a non anchored boat or 50 yards of an anchored boat. A participant can not leave the boat to land a fish.

8. Protests - Any protest must be submitted to a Tournament Official in writing within 15 minutes of the weigh in. The decision of the Tournament Officials will be final.

9. Points - Points will be awarded after the final standing of each tournament, the final points total after the 8 regular tournament will determine the Team of the Year. This team will receive free entry to the championship tournament. Each team that weighs fish will receive 1 less point than the previous place plus weight, all teams that do not weigh fish will receive 5 less points than the last team that weighed fish(example: 1st 100 pts + weight, 2nd 99 pts + weight, etc). Any team that does not fish is awarded 0 points.

10. Championship - You will qualify for the Championship if you fish 6 of 8 regular tournaments. All rules apply to the Championship as they did in the regular tournaments with the exception you must be qualified to fish. No Substitutes for Championship military or not.

11. Fish Limits - Any combination of 5 fish made up of Largemouth, Smallmouth and Spotted Bass can be weighed. We will honor the slot limits on all lakes.

12. Ties - All prize money for the place tied will be added together and split equally and the highest point value of the place tied will be awarded to each team that tied.

13. Late Penalty - A 1lb penalty will be accessed for each minute a team is late to weigh-in up to 15 minutes then the team will be awarded last place points only for that tournament.

14. Registration - Only cash will be accepted for both the Championship Fee and Tournament Fees. Registration will start approximately an hour before the designated start time of the tournament and will close 15 minutes before the designated start time.

15. Culling - No culling in the weigh-in line.

16. Safety - Life jackets are optional. Please use good judgment while on the lake, we want all of you to be around for our next tournament.

17. Weigh-in - Any team weighing a dead fish will receive a 1/4lb penalty for each of the dead fish. A 1lb penalty will be accessed to each team for each short fish that is brought to the weigh-in. Big Bass will be determined by the actual weight of the fish regardless if the fish is dead. Teams that bring more than 5 fish to the weigh-in will be awarded last place points and no weight.

18. Substitutes - No substitutes will be allowed with the exception of Military personnel. If one member of the team is transferred from his/her current duty station the other member can get another partner to complete the team. A copy of the transfer orders for the person that is being transferred is required. No Substitutes for Championship military or not