1. PARTICIPANTS | ELIGIBILTY • Participation is open only to members of Sun County Bass Team Trail. • No person who has received payment for fishing guide services within 30 days of a tournament, is allowed to fish the tournament on the lake in which they received compensation for their services. • Any member under the age of 18 must have the signature of their parent or legal guardian. • A team will consist of one or two anglers per boat, only registered contestants may be in the boat during tournament hours and during official pre-fish for championship. A contestant may fish alone as single person team. • Sun Country Bass Team Trail reserves the right to refuse any membership or tournament entry fees for any reason. 2. ENTRY FEES | PAYOUTS • Entry fee is $300.00 per team and includes big bass (tournament $280 big bass $20). • Annual membership is $50.00 per person. • Payout will be one place paid per six entries. • All ties will be resolved by 1.) total number of fish weighed, 2.) total number of live fish weighed 3.) big fish weighed. If tie is still not resolved a coin flip will decide. • Sun Country Bass Team Trail reserves the right to give a polygraph to any contestant for any reason. 3. Registration | Tournament Hours • Each team must register in person at the designated location. A completed and signed entry form must be received before the start of competition. • Registration will take place the Friday evening before each of the qualifying tournaments at a designated location. If a member of the team cannot make Friday’s registration time, you must text (Aaron Brewer 575-218-5227) by 8:00 P.M. on the evening of registration in order to obtain a boat number. If you do not do so, you will be last boat out each day. • Contestants will be assigned boat numbers at registration and must leave from the official check point in numbered order. Contestants may launch their boat from any ramp, but must come through the official check point before leaving to fish. • Trailering is not allowed. In the event of severe weather, alternate take off instructions will be provided by the tournament director. • It is the angler’s responsibility to get official time from the tournament director. • Only 2 Contestants from the same team may be allowed in the boat during tournament hours. 5. PERMITTED FISHING METHODS • Only artificial baits may be used. No live or cut bait is permitted (pork baits are permitted). • All bass must be caught alive in a legal sporting manner. No snagging. Each angler may only use one rod at a time. No more than one line in the water at a time per angler. • All fishing must be conducted in the boat. • Trolling with the combustion motor is not permitted. 6. PERMITTED FISHING WATERS • Contestants may fish anywhere on tournament waters accessible by boat, except areas designated off limits or no fishing by state or federal officials • No fishing is allowed within 25 yards of another contestant’s boat which was first anchored or tied with their trolling motor in the stored position 7. SCORING • Tournament winners will be determined by total weight of each teams catch. • A limit of five bass (Largemouth, Smallmouth, and Spotted bass) may be weighed in. No team may have more than the tournament limit (5 bass) in the live well at any time during the tournament except for the short time frame of culling a fish. • All fish must be a minimum of 14”. One (1) lb. penalty will be deducted from the team’s total weight for each short fish presented to the tournament director. (The short fish will not be weighed.) • Bass are measured on a flat board, mouth closed, tail compressed and swiped to achieve greatest overall length. • There will be a .25 lb. penalty for each dead bass presented for weigh-in. Culling of dead bass is prohibited. • A late penalty will result in a forfeit of the total weight for that days catch. 8. SPORTSMANSHIP | SAFETY • All contestants are required to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation. • Safe boating must be observed at all times. Each contestant is required to wear a fastened US Coast Guard approved personal floatation device any time the boat is above idle. All boats must be equipped with an emergency ignition shut-off device, which must be securely attached to the driver’s body any time the boat is above idle. • Tournament hours may be shortened or cancelled due to unsafe weather or any conditions that would endanger the safety of the competitors at the tournament director’s sole and absolute discretion. • Baiting of a hole or area is not permitted. You cannot catch and relocate fish prior to the tournament. • In the case of inclement weather, it will be the constantan’s decision to stay and fish or seek shelter/leave. Once tournament fees are paid and the tournament has begun there will be no refunds for any reason. • Mobile communication devices are encouraged for safety reasons but their use is prohibited during tournament hours for the purposes of finding or locating fish. • Consumption of alcohol or any non-prescribed drug is prohibited during tournament hours. • All constantans must comply with all state and federal laws. • Boat owners must have at least $100,000.00 of Boating Liability Insurance. Proof of insurance may be asked for at any time and may be a question on the polygraph test. 9. CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFICATION • In order to qualify for the championship, you must do one of the following: 1.) Fish at least 2 tournaments with the same partner and pay for an additional tournament. The entry for the tournament not fished must be paid by registration deadline of the last tournament. 2.) Fish 3 tournaments with the same partner 3.) Fish 4 or 5 tournaments (at least 2 with the same partner) ***In the event that one or more qualifying tournaments are cancelled, the championship qualification rules will be amended.