BLUE RIDGE BASS ANGLERS Tournament Rules Participants and Eligibility: ---Entry Fee is $60 per team OR individual angler. 100% payback for all places and big fish. Tournament will pay out 1 place for every 5 boats. Registration ends 30 minutes prior to launch time. ---A second big fish pot will pay to the team with the heaviest fish 5 pounds or over. The pot will continue to roll over to the next tournament until a 5 lbs. or heavier fish is weighed. In the event we have multiple 5 pounders, the heaviest of those will win the pot. If no big fish has been weighed by the trials end then the big fish, regardless of weight for that last tournament, will win the final pot. Any Winning team must be paid up to win any side pot. ---All boats will have livewells checked to participate. Late arrivals must locate a club officer on the water and have live well checked and pay entry fee at that time. If you are going to be late, you must call and notify an officer. ---Membership dues are $20 per member per trail---FEES must be paid before an angler can fish or vote. ---ANY visiting teams may fish with the club with the Tournament Director’s pre-approval. Visitor will pay $20 membership dues along with entry fees. The intent is to recruit new members but protect the integrity of the club. Director reserves the right to deny any visiting team from participating in our tournaments. ---The Director will rule on any protest or unusual situation such as weather delays or cancelations. Tournament payout will be held during any protest period until protest is adjudicated. The Director will consult the other club officers for advisement but make the decision, and ALL DECISIONS ARE FINAL. Scoring and Penalties: ---Tournaments are decided by each team’s total weight of 5 legal bass per team. ---Length requirements will follow NC wildlife laws. ---.25 lb. (4 oz.) penalty per dead fish; 1 lb. penalty for each “short” fish. ---1-pound penalty per each minute late and after 15 minutes the late team or angler is disqualified except for a stranded boat or boat in distress. Must be reported to club officer prior to tournament’s check in time. ---In the event of a tie, the team with the largest individual bass wins. Same applies to AOT points race. ---Points are calculated by finishing position. Winning team receives 150 points and will increment down 5 points per position. Any team not weighing fish will be awarded 15 participation points. 2-day tournaments will be awarded double points by final position. It will be 300 points for first place, increments 10 points per position and 30 points for participation with no weighed fish. ---Points for each event will be recorded and tracked by the Secretary and President. The top three Anglers of the Trail (AOT) will be awarded trophies along with the Biggest Bass of the Trail. --- Must cull on the water. No Culling at the ramp. Penalty is loss of big fish. --- Lakes are off limits for the 5 workdays before each tournament except for the 2-day tournaments. Anyone caught breaking this rule will be banned for the season and forfeiture of any winnings of the said tournament. ---You may throw out one tournament per trail that will not count towards current trail’s points total. ---Plaques will be awarded to top 3 finishing teams of each trail along with $300 for 1st place team, $200 for second place teams and $100 for third place teams. ---Tournaments can be fished team or solo. In the event of a substitute angler, the team must consist of at least one member and can be fished from a non-members boat. ---Members of opposing teams may fish together and keep separate points with each member paying full entry fee or members of opposing teams can fish together if they are not keeping separate point but must inform the director prior to launch which team will receive points for that event. Tackle and Equipment: ---No live bait! Only artificial lures may be used and MUST fall under local game regulation requirements. ---No trolling with gasoline operated motors ---Only 1 rod per person with 1 line in the water at any given time. ---When sight fishing, the fish MUST BE HOOKED IN THE MOUTH to be valid; any snagged or “foul hooked” bass must be returned to the water immediately. Sportsmanship: ---Any team may protest, an opposing team fishing within 50 feet of their boat while anchored. ---If any rules infraction is noticed on the water while fishing, a team may protest to the club Tournament Director prior to weigh-in. Protest procedures will take effect at this point. --IF any angler witnesses what they believe to be an inappropriate action or suspected mistake during weigh-in, whether it potentially affects them or not, has the right and responsibility to immediately make the tournament Director, or members conducting the weigh-in, aware of this infraction or officially protest. The tournament Director will act at that point and decide or begin the protest procedures. All decisions are final. No anglers weight can be challenged once recorded and the fish have been returned to the lake. ---Blue Ridge Bass Anglers (BRBA) members and visitors will be held to a higher standard of bass fishing sportsmanship. BRBA expects all anglers to obey and enforce all conservation and safety regulations. Any adverse actions that are not in agreement with these standards are subject to tournament disqualification or bar to membership. Safety: ---Life Jackets must be worn at blast off and encouraged to be worn any time the big motor is running. ---Boats must have all required Coast Guard safety equipment. ---Must observe all Coast Guard regulations and local lake regulations. Liability: ---Damage of any nature is the responsibility of the tournament participant. Both the driver and passenger who participate accept full liability and responsibility for all personal injury and/or property damage that may occur.