Panhandle Bass Club Pensacola Florida 2012 Season

Tournament Rules

Effective Date October 4, 2011

Under the leadership of the Tournament Director, it is the responsibility of each participant to police his own adherence to the tournament rules.

The Tournament Director, prior to the start of the tournament will ask all participants to synchronize their watches and announce the weigh-in time No boat will leave prior to the official start of the tournament.

The Tournament Director will use his own judgment to determine safe daylight. At that point, it becomes the responsibility of each boater to judge for himself whether or not safe conditions exists and act accordingly.

1. In order to receive credit for fishing a club tournament, a member must be in good standing. Dues and tournament fees paid prior to starting the tournament. If the club member doesn’t actually fish the tournament, it will not count as one of the fished tournaments towards the fish-off but the member will receive his tournament points in accordance with rule 11b. (below). To receive credit for FISHING a tournament a member must “Launch” his boat and be called out in the morning start. If the member chooses to leave at that point he has fished the tournament.

1A. Blast off order will be determined by a draw system and flights will be determined by the tournament director. In order to draw a blast off number the member must be present at the meeting prior to the tournament. If a member does not attend the meeting for that month, he will be placed in the last flight.

The tournament director will determine flights based on the body of water being fished. In more restricted waters smaller flights may be necessary for safety reasons.

2. There is a tournament entry fee. 25% of these fees will be placed in the “fish-off pot”.

3. Normally there will be one monthly club tournament. The tournament director will have the authority to reschedule or delay the tournament due to emergencies, severe weather, etc. The future of the rescheduled tournament will be decided at a special club meeting or at the next regularly scheduled meeting

4. Tournament sites will be selected by a committee chaired by the tournament director, and comprised of the newly elected board members. At E-board discretion, a minimum of 4 tournaments and a maximum of 5 tournaments in a given season can be 2-day events (one of which will be the fish-off). These sites will be published in the November newsletter for the following year. One day tournaments will end at 4 pm (except June, July, and August, they will end at 2pm. Two day tournaments will end at 4pm on Saturday and 1pm on Sunday.

5. A minimum of 2 boats are required to start a Tournament

6. All boats must be operated in a safe manner. Contestants must wear a coast guard approved life jacket while the boat is on a plane. All boats must have an operational “kill switch”. All safety equipment required by the Coast Guard, State and local regulations will prevail. Any infractions will result in disqualification of the offender.

7. No contestant will be allowed to fish within 100 yards of another club boat unless permission is obtained from the fisherman occupying the area in question. No fishing will be allowed in water prohibited by county, state, or federal regulations. All fishing must be conducted from the boat and contestants will not be allowed to portage boats.

8. A maximum of two (2) rods may be used. Only casting, spinning or spincasting

Tackle may be used in conjunction with artificial lures.

9. A five (5) fish limit is allowed to each member per day unless state or local laws restrict limits to less.

Fish must be a minimum of 12 inches long, unless otherwise restricted by state or local laws. The tournament director will determine 12 inches (or whatever length is legal length for that body of water not less than 12 inches) with mouth closed and tail pinched. This does not include altering the fish. Contestants weighing in undersized fish will lose that fish and their largest fish of the day. The decision of the tournament director is final. Contestants weighing in dead fish will be penalized 0.2 lbs per dead fish. Late arrivals will be disqualified unless ruled by the Tournament Director to have been late due to assisting a boat in distress. Tournament winners and places will be determined by the total weight of the catch less any penalties. Only artificial baits may be used. In case of a contestant breaking down, another member may weigh your fish in for you at the weigh-in.

10. The three contestants recording the highest poundage at each tournament will be awarded cash prizes at the next meeting according to the following.

a. 1^st place 50% of the tournament pot

b. 2^nd place 30% of the tournament pot

c. 3^rd place 20% of the tournament pot

d. In the event a place is not filled, any moneys from that place will be carried forward to

the next fish off pot

11. Points for each tournament and monthly meeting will count toward the fisherman of the year award in October. Points will be as follows.

a. 2 points for attending the monthly meeting

b. 3 points for fishing one day tournaments or one day of a two day tournament

c. 6 points for both days of a two-day tournament.

d. 15 points for 1^st place, 14 for 2^nd, 13 for 3^rd, 12 for 4^th, 11 for 5^th, 10 for 6^th, 9 for 7^th, 8 for

8^th, 7 for 9^th, 6 for 10^th, 5 for 11^th, 4 for 12^th, 3 for 13^th, 2 for 14^th, and 1 for 15^th. Members who are wearing their club hat and shirt at the time of weigh in, will receive one point. During a two-day tournament, you only have to wear them one of the two days to receive the point. To receive shirt and hat points a member must have them on at the weigh in on a 1 day tournament, and on 2 day tournaments members must have them on the first day at the weigh in. Members not fishing the first day but fish the second day can receive the points provided they wear the shirt and hat at the weigh in and notify the tournament director.

e. In the event of a tie for a tournament the tied fishermen will be awarded the points for the tied places then the next position will be skipped. In the event of the tie being in the money positions, the money will be combined and split equally between the tied members. In the event of a tie at the end of the year, the following tie breaker will be used in order.

The individual with the largest number of legal fish weighed in for the year.

The individual with the largest number of live fish weighed in for the year.

The individual with the heaviest single tournament stringer of fish weighed in during the year.

Tournament Points in the event of a 3^rd place tie will be:

15 points for 1^st place, 14 for 2^nd, 13 for the tied 3^rd place, 11 for 5^th, 10 for 6^th, 9 for 7^th, 8 for 8^th, 7 for 9^th, 6 for 10^th, 5 for 11^th, 4 for 12^th, 3 for 13^th, 2 for 14^th, and 1 for 15^th.

12. Protest must be filed within 15 minutes of the closing of the scales to the Weigh Master or any officer present. Protest will be arbitrated by the club officials present, provided none is involved in the protest. All decisions are final.

13. Culling must occur after the “ limit” fish is boated. Possession of more than the tournament limit in the boat at any time will result in disqualification.

14. All tournaments shall be live release. Each angler will be required to furnish his

“own “ weigh-in bag. Fish will be given to the weigh master at which time the fish will be placed in a bag provided by the weigh-master and the fish will be weighed. Fish that show any signs of life will be considered live. Fish will be returned to the angler to be released back to the water. Members may keep a lunker for mounting

15. Nothing can be attached to a fish at the time of weigh-in.

16. Only largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass will be allowed.

17. A disqualification will result in forfeiture of all points for that tournament.

Forfeiture will only apply to the day of disqualification if it occurs on a 2 day tournament.

Corrections may be e-mailed to Charles@panhandlebassclub.com