1. GENERAL:
These rules apply
to the 2009 tournament season. For
simplification, all competitors will be referred to as “he” in these rules, but
will apply to everyone. Interpretation
and enforcement of these rules will be left to the Tournament Director. The decision of the Tournament Director will
be final in all matters. If the
Tournament Director is unable to execute his duties as outlined in these rules,
he will designate an individual who will be authorized to execute the
Tournament Directors duties. The club
president, or the highest-ranking club officer available, will be informed of
the identity of the acting Tournament Director.
2. PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY:
Full participation in club tournaments shall be
limited to members in good standing of the Rochester Bassmasters only. All
contestants entering as Boaters are required to show proof of liability
insurance, with a certificate of insurance for $100,000 minimum. All contestants must have valid fishing
licenses for the license year. New or
re-joining members must participate in a boater orientation session and display
an understanding of boater responsibilities and safe boat operation in order to
use their boat.
3. REGISTRATION:
Proper
registration and fees must be received by the tournament registration team
prior to the “partner draw” in order to register as a boater. The dates of the partner draw meetings are
listed on the 2009 Tournament Schedule at the end of these rules. A fee of $15.00 will be imposed for late
entries and such entries will be accepted from pro non-boaters only. Tournament entry fees are NON-REFUNDABLE after
the “Partner Draw”, except in emergency
situations, as determined by the Tournament Director. 100% of the entry fees will be paid back to
competitors. Tournament entry fees for
professionals are $45 for one-day tournaments, $45 for each day of a two-day
tournament ($90 if both days are fished).
For two-day events, the stated entry fees allow contestants to compete
on either or both days. The fee is $0.00
for amateurs for any event.
4. RE-REGISTRATION:
The
re-registration times will be announced at the tournament draw. Competitors arriving late to re-registration
will be assessed a one-half pound per minute penalty. Competitors
who are more than 15 minutes late will be disqualified for the day.
5. SAFETY:
Safe boating conduct must be observed at all times.
A Coast Guard approved chest type preserver MUST BE WORN anytime the combustion
engine is running and in gear. The preserver must be strapped, snapped or
zippered securely, and maintained in that position until the competitors reach
their fishing location and the combustion engine is put into neutral or shut
off (this excludes loading and unloading of boats in the launch area). Violation
of this rule is reason for automatic disqualification from the tournament. It is mandatory that partners discuss safe
boat operation and conduct prior to the take off. The Tournament Director has the right to
delay or cancel the start of the tournament day, or move the launch site,
because of bad weather or other factors, which would endanger the safety of the
competitors. Tournament waters may also be restricted at any time due to bad
weather. Drunkenness or substance abuse
shall be cause for automatic disqualification and loss of boating or fishing
privileges indefinitely. No alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs may be
consumed during the tournament hours.
5. SAFETY (continued):
Competitors are allowed to
leave the boat and seek safe shelter in bad weather where danger may be
imminent.
6. SPORTSMANSHIP:
Competitors are expected to exhibit high standards
of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation. Maximum courtesy must be practiced at all
times, especially with regards to boating and angling in the vicinity of
non-competitors. A contestant must immediately release his fish if he decides
to bow out of a tournament. If that
person is a non-boater, the boater shall be permitted to continue full
participation in the tournament. If that person is a boater, he is responsible
for transferring the non-boater and his/her fish to a boat in which the boater
has no partner; this new boater must accept this new partner. Any violation of these sportsmanship
rules may be grounds for disqualification from all future Rochester Bassmaster
tournaments.
7.
TOURNAMENT PRACTICE:
Tournament waters will not be closed prior to the
tournaments, except for the Conesus
tournament. Conesus Lake
is off limits from midnight Friday 8/7/09 until the start of the tournament
8/15/09. Once the tournament has begun, all contestants are prohibited from
fishing or further practice except during designated tournament hours.
8. TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT:
Only artificial lures will be permitted for
tournament use. Pork rinds will be permitted. Only one rod with a maximum of 8’ can be used and in the water at a time. All bass must be caught in a
conventional manner. Trolling or
Fly-fishing as methods of fishing is not
allowed. Landing nets will be optional in a participants boat during the
tournament.
9. BOATS AND MOTORS:
Only boats 15’ or
longer will be permitted for tournament use. Each boat must have a U.S. Coast
Guard/B.I.A horsepower-rating plate attached to the boat by the manufacturer.
The horsepower of the outboard engine must NOT exceed the rating specified on
this plate nor the horsepower maximum set by BASS (250 hp). Each competitor agrees to submit his boat
and/or outboard motor to an inspection by factory-trained personnel, if there
is any reason to suspect the horsepower is in excess of the rating. In the event that an inspection is requested,
the club will pay for testing if it is proven that the equipment tested meets
the applicable standards, otherwise the competitor will assume full
responsibility for testing costs.
Failure to submit a boat and motor for testing, if requested, will
result in disqualification from tournaments and possible removal from club
membership. Normal maintenance of
engines is allowed. Changing or altering standard factory parts of a
competitor's engine to increase the horsepower over the factory horsepower
rating is forbidden, and will result in disqualification. Falsifying information or altering the
horsepower-rating numbers on the engine is also cause for immediate disqualification
from tournaments, and possible removal from club membership.
9. BOATS AND MOTORS (continued):
All boats must be equipped with an operational
engine kill switch that is attached to the driver’s body anytime the combustion
engine is operating. All boats should provide ease of fishing for both
contestants. There should be no obstacles in the way to hinder ones casting or
safety. All boats need to provide stable, elevated platforms for both
contestants to safely fish from. The boater must provide a pedestal seat for
the non-boat partner.
10. BASIC BOAT EQUIPMENT:
Every boat must have all the required Coast Guard
safety equipment on board; it must also have a functional bilge pump and live
well space, properly aerated to adequately maintain a limit catch of bass by
both fishermen using the boat. The Tournament Director will have the sole
responsibility for determining whether aeration and capacity is “proper and
adequate”. The Tournament Director will disqualify a boat with an inadequate
live well system from the tournament. In the event of a live well breakdown
during a tournament, every effort will be made to keep the fish alive. The boat
owner must notify the Tournament Director at the weigh-in site upon arrival so
that the fish can be weighed as soon as possible. Boats deemed to be unsafe may
be culled by the Tournament Director. If the Tournament Director determines
that a boater has an unacceptable record of weighing in dead fish, the
Tournament Director may forbid the boater from entering future tournaments as a
boater.
11. BOAT OPERATION AND EXPENSES:
A full discussion should be held between partners prior to the morning kick-off as
to schedule of operation and expenses. Each partner should share equal time fishing
waters of their choice. In view of the
large expense involved in owning and maintaining a tournament bass boat, the
non-boater will pay $25.00 per day expense fee.
.
12. FISHING LOCATIONS:
The Tournament Director shall determine permitted
fishing locations and boundaries. A
25-yard radius shall be maintained from another competitor’s boat that was
first anchored. A properly anchored boat is one that has an anchor out and the
trolling motor up before another competitors boat enters the 25-yard radius. No
anchored boat shall permit any competitor to fish within 25 yards of their
anchor to the exclusion of other competitors. During a tournament day, a
competitor must not have the assistance of another person for “Hole Setting” or
placing of markers for them. All angling must be done from the boat, and
contestants must not leave the boat to land fish. No trailing of boats is allowed for the
purpose of fishing or transporting of fish.
13. OFFICIAL CHECKPOINT:
There shall be only one official checkpoint in the morning
and one checkpoint in the afternoon.
This checkpoint shall be designated by the Tournament Director. Weights will be recorded (no signing
required). No weigh slips will be
issued. Tournament hours are from “Safe Light” till 3:00 PM, unless otherwise
specified by the Tournament Director.
14. PAIRING:
The partner draw will be made by random draw at a
designated general meeting prior to the tournament. Non-boaters will be paired
with boaters. Competitors will not fish with the same partner twice in the same
season. If during the partner draw
competitors are paired who have already fished together, a new partner will be
drawn for both, the boater maintains his position while the non-boater is
paired with the next boater drawn who he has not fished with. In the event
there are more boaters than non-boaters, the remaining boaters will be allowed
to fish alone. Boaters who fished
without a partner on the previous tournament day, or didn’t fish the previous day,
will be the first to draw a partner. For two-day tournaments, a separate
partner draw will take place for each day, following the above guidelines.
The last boat drawn each day will be the kickoff boat.
In the event of a “down boat”, all
available boaters will be put in a hat for a random partner draw. Non-boaters
to be drawn first and then boaters. If
the down boat included a non-boater, the new partner pairing with that
non-boater assumes the non-boaters original kickoff position and the former
boater assumes his new partners original position. If there was not a non-boater originally, the
lowest kickoff position will be assigned to the new pairing.
15. SCORING:
Tournament standings, awards and final winners shall
be determined by the weight of each competitor’s catch during the tournament.
No regurgitated contents from a fish will be weighed. Only Largemouth and Smallmouth bass will be
weighed. The daily tournament limit will be the prevailing New York State
limit (5). Any contestant who exceeds the tournament limit will be disqualified
from the tournament.
Only bass
described above, which measure 12” or more in length with the mouth closed,
shall be legal and weighed. Bass presented for the weigh-in which measure less
than 12” will result in that fish being disqualified, plus the largest fish
culled for each short fish presented. A 0.12-pound penalty will be assessed
against each dead fish presented to weigh-in.
The penalty will be assessed against the dead fish. No culling of dead fish is allowed at any time. Culling of live fish will be allowed in the
weigh-in area prior to being presented to the Measure Master. A courtesy board,
which will match the tournament board, will be provided. The measure master
determines whether or not a fish is legal length and if it is alive. If the
competitor whose fish is/are in question disputes the measure masters call, the
fish will be checked by the weigh master. If the weigh master agrees with the
measure masters ruling, the call stands.
If the weigh master and measure master disagree, the Tournament Director
makes the final determination. At no time can another competitor question
whether a fish is dead or alive, or of legal length. Fish shall be transported
to the weigh-in area with bags furnished by the Tournament Committee.
15. SCORING (continued):
There will be a “last call” announcement, giving a
competitor 10 minutes to weigh in his fish.
Failure to weigh fish in before the 10 minutes is over will
automatically disqualify a competitor’s catch.
Competitors arriving late to the weigh-in will be assessed a one
pound per
minute penalty, starting with the angler’s largest legal fish. Competitors who
are more than 15 minutes late will have their weight disqualified for the
day. No excuses will be accepted. If a
boat breaks down, fish can be transported by either a competitor’s boat or
non-competitors boat for safety reasons, but must be accompanied by the
competitor whose catch is to be weighed.
16. PROTESTS:
Protests must be made verbally to the Tournament
Director within 10 minutes of the last weighed fish, followed up by a written
and signed protest delivered to the Tournament Director within the next 15
minutes. The Tournament Director will make all decisions and rulings in a
reasonable amount of time. Written protests will be answered with a written
decision submitted to all parties involved, as well as the executive committee.
Protests involving the Tournament Director will be
handled as above, except, the highest ranking available club officer will
assume the role of Tournament Director.
17. PAYOUT:
The tournament prize list will consist of 100% of
all entry fees payable as follows:
One-Day Tournament:
$150 will be paid for lunker, with the remainder split 36%, 24%, 12%,
10%, 8%, 6%, 4% from first to seventh place.
Two-Day Tournament:
$150 will be paid for lunker each day, with the remainder for each day
split 36%, 24%, 12%, 10%, 8%, 6%, 4% from first to seventh place.
In the event not enough fish are caught to pay the
specified number of places, the Tournament Committee will establish the pay
out. If a merchandise prize is available, by order of finish the contestants
shall have the option to receive the merchandise prize instead of the cash
award. For one-day events, 1st, 2nd and
3rd place will each receive a trophy, lunker does not. There will be no overall
1st, 2nd and 3rd place for two-day events, each days 1st,
2nd and 3rd place will receive a trophy, lunker does not.
At the end of the tournament schedule the individual with
the most accumulated weight using the current scoring method will be declared
Bass Angler of the Year. The club will award the following: second through 10th place in the Angler of
the Year standings will receive trophies.
The largest largemouth bass caught in any point tournament will receive
the Largemouth Lunker of the Year award, and the largest smallmouth bass will
receive the Smallmouth Lunker of the Year award. Contestants must drop their lowest point
tournament day for the yearend standings.
18. TIES:
In
case of a tie, the appropriate position money will be split. Example:
two way tie for first; they split first and second prize money.
19. PRO-AM:
A Pro-Am status shall apply to all club tournaments.
Non-members are eligible under special circumstances at the approval of the
tournament committee, but are not eligible for cash, merchandise, prizes or
trophies. Pro entries are eligible for
cash, merchandise, Lunker pool and trophies.
Amateur entries are eligible for trophies only (see Section 20 for exception).
Amateurs will not be allowed to go as a Boater. All member contestants receive Angler of the
Year points.
20. CLASSIC:
All tournament rules apply, except where specific
changes are written in this section.
The classic is entry fee free. Qualifiers are determined as follows:
The Top 20 finishers and the next Top 2 non-boaters
(someone who has fished all tournaments as a non-boater) as determined by the
Angler of the Year standings. If any
qualifier decides not to compete in the classic, his name will be eliminated
and no replacement will be made. A non-boater who has fished as an Amateur
during the year is still eligible to fish the classic, and is also eligible for
the classic cash prizes and trophies.
Format: A one-day tournament, with each contestant
fishing from his/her own boat (or boat supplied for that person’s use). Non-boaters who qualify will be allowed to
fish alone, or be accompanied by another boat’s owner.
Kickoff: The
order of kickoff will be the top 20 overall finishers, in the order determined
by the Angler of the Year standings, followed by the top 2 non-boaters, also
determined by the Angler of the Year standings.
Scoring: Places
will be determined by the best total weight minus penalties.
Payout: To be determined
by budget allotment. Possible payout if
$1,200.00 allotted -
First - $500,
Second - $300, Third - $200
SM Lunker - $100
LM Lunker - $100
21. CLASSIC LOCATION:
The lake will be selected by a random draw from the
following bodies of water: Canandaigua
Lake, Cayuga Lake, Conesus Lake, Honeoye
Lake, Keuka Lake, Seneca Lake, and Sodus Bay. The decision on whether to eliminate one of
these locations from the draw, for any reason, will be made by the Tournament
Director.
2009 Tournament Schedule
Draw
Thurs. 6/18/09
Saturday 6/27/09 Chautauqua NYS launch
Sunday 6/28/09 Chautauqua NYS launch
Payout 7/1/09
Off limits: Long Point State Park Marina, 100 foot
distance around launch area and Marina.
Special Rules: No wake zone in the narrows (mid-lake). Speed limit heavily enforced.
Draw
Thurs. 7/16/09
Sunday 7/19/09
Cayuga Union
Springs town launch, east side
Payout 8/5/09
Off limits: All
marinas on Cayuga Lake and adjoining bays. 100 foot distance around launch area.
Special Rules: No locking out permitted.
Draw
Thurs. 7/16/09
Saturday 8/1/09
Oneida
Boats-A-Float Marina
Sunday 8/2/09 Oneida (east
side of Maple Bay)
Payout 8/5/09
Off
limits: Boats-A-Float Marina and channel out to the lake.
Special Rules: No locking out permitted.
Draw
Wed. 8/5/09
Saturday 8/15/09 Conesus NYS
launch
Payout 9/2/09
Off
limits: Midnight Friday 8/7/09 until
start of tournament 8/15/09. 100 foot distance
around launch area.
Draw
Wed. 8/5/09
Saturday 8/29/09 Sodus Town launch
Sunday 8/30/09 Sodus
Town launch
Payout 9/2/09
Off
limits: 100 foot distance around launch area.
Special Rules: 5 mph speed limit from lake entrance to the
first point (enforced). Also,
no alcohol is to be consumed in the
parking area after the tournament
Draw
Thurs. 9/17/09
Sunday 9/27/09 Canandaigua NYS launch, north end
Payout 10/7/09
Off
limits: launch ramp and canal out to
the lake.
Special Rules: Lake speed
limit is 45 mph.
Sunday 10/4/09 TBD Classic
Off
limits: TBD
