1. RULES. State regulation has precedence, and the following rules will be interpreted by the tournament director and or staff and all decisions are final. Any dead fish maybe given away to the public or properly disposed of. All fish weighed will be released back into the water per Exemption Rules.
SAFETY & SPORTSMANSHIP. Safe boating and fishing practices must be observed at all times. Life jackets must be worn when boat is on plane. Speed under bridges will be at idle in accordance with state law. Teams may not fish within 25 yards of another contestant’s anchored boat unless given permission. All contestants are required to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, conservation and conduct in a manner that will be a credit to the club, themselves and to the sport.
ELGIBILITY. You must be a member or a substitute for an existing member of Fish 'N Frenzy Bass Club to compete. Participation is open to anyone who is eighteen (18) years of age or older. Any person entering a tournament under the age of 18 must also have the signature of his or her parent or legal guardian on the registration form. Only through special circumstances may there be a child that’s fifteen years of age or younger as a third person in a boat. There will be at least a 48-hour notification to the staff to clear this request. Due to our aggressive blast off, the team with the child will take off last for safety reasons. The child will not be able to fish during tournament hours. Any person fishing with Fish 'N Frenzy Bass Club must not have been registered as a professional angler or a guide on lake of trail tournaments. Each team must fish or pay for at least 5 regular tournaments to qualify in the Championship.
ENTRY FEES. Fees will be paid by cash at the ramp, or by check if paid 2 weeks in advance. If check is returned from the bank, entrants will be charged $40.00, no refunds. If check is not made good at boat ramp, that contestant will be banned from all future events. 25 points will be given to each team for entry, all fees must be paid prior to the tournament. Championship point will be added to the overall points. Championship entry fee are set at $200.00 per team.
FISHING ALONE. Contestants may elect to fish without a partner and pay full entry fee. Team must have an existing partner in order to use a substitute.
SUBSTITUTIONS. Each team may have one (1) person substitute with a $5.00 sub fee on tournament day. Unlimited use of substitution is allowed. Subs will only have to pay up to the total of $25.00 (this does not mean they are club members). At least one original member per team will be present if a substitute is to be used. A championship substitute will be allowed. All members are responsible for briefing their subs on club rules.
DEPARTURE & RETURN. The staff reserve the right to assign hours as deemed necessary. Boats may be trailered at staff’s discretion at morning of tournament but must have their live wells inspected prior to trailering. You must start from the designated launch point. Boats may be loaded on trailer as long as team card has been turned in on time to weigh fish.
PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS.You can fish anywhere on the lake except for the off-limit areas. Fishing from boat only. You may not leave boat to retrieve fish. You must fish waters accessible by main body of water on tournament day. Pertaining to the two-day championship, members will not be allowed to return to the lake to fish after day 1 weigh-in.
ENTRY DEADLINE. Entries will be accepted on the morning of the tournament up to 15 minutes prior to takeoff. Any late entries must call and find a staff member to have their live wells inspected and pay their entry fee before they can start fishing. NO EXCEPTIONS.
TOURNAMENT PROCEDURES. The morning of the tournament, anglers will pay their entry fees, have live well checked by staff member or appointee and receive team card. At weigh-in, an official bag will be furnished for your fish (no baskets, stringers or nets may be used to transport fish). Place team cards on easel board prior to end of tournament time. If a team loses their team card, they must advise a staff member before weigh-in. If a team chooses to leave early, then they must place their team card on the board to ensure the staff knows that you are safely in and off the lake. Once your fish are weighed, verify your weight is correct on the official weigh-in sheet. No changes will be made once verified.
CULLING FISH.No team may have more than six (6) fish in the live well at any time. Staff will not give courtesy bumps at weigh in. It is recommended you bump your board or fish against the official weigh-in board before weigh-in time.
SCORING. 5-fish limit at weigh in station. If more than 5 fish are brought to the weigh-in area the largest will be released. Teams must comply with current tournament, state and/or lake regulations on size of fish unless stated by staff and not to take away from wildlife conservation practices. Bass measurement: mouth closed, and tail pinched per state regulation without altering the fish. Fish will be measured on the longest side by appointed bumper or staff members (staff has final say). Only Largemouth, Smallmouth, Spotted, Kentucky, and Mean mouth bass will be weighed with all sharing the same size limit. Total stringer weight per team will determine place. Any frozen, altered, or iced fish presented at weigh-in will result in immediate team disqualification. Any dead fish will be weighed upon discretion of officials and a 1/2 (half) pound will be deducted from total weight (not Big Bass) for each dead fish. A short fish will result in loss of the fish and a 1/2 (half) pound penalty against total weight. All attempts to keep fish alive must be practiced. Ruling will be final. All fish must be caught during tournament hours. Five (5) fish per team measured on official board. The point system will be as follows; each team will receive 25 points for entering plus their points that reflect their weight. If two Frenzy team members fish together, total points will go to boater unless specified prior to blast off.
LATE PENALTY. Team cards must be posted by official tournament end time. If a team loses their team card, they must advise a staff member before weigh-in. If team card is not on board, one pound per minute up to 5 minutes will be deducted. After 5 minutes, the team will be contacted for safety and will not be able to weigh their fish.
MONEY TIES. In the event of a tie, the winner will be the team with the most fish. If both teams have the same number of fish, the team with the biggest fish will be the winner, if a tie still exists, two or more positions will be added together, divided by the number of ties, with the amount of payback awarded equally.
TACKLE & EQUIPMENT. Only artificial bait or lures may be used. Pork-style bait is allowed. No trolling with big motor. Fish must be caught on rod and reel.
BOATS & MOTORS. Any safe boat 10 ft. or longer if powered by an engine 9.9 horsepower or more. Any brand of boat may be used in the tournament.
NO ALCOHOL. Alcoholic beverages may not be consumed during tournament hours, unless the team is done fishing and waiting to weigh-in.
PROTEST. Any protest must be in writing and filed with official staff within fifteen minutes of conclusion of weigh-in.
TRUTH DETECTOR (Polygraph) TESTS Test may be given at the discretion of tournament officials. By signature on entry form and/or participation, contestants agree to a polygraph test by a qualified examiner. Refusal to submit will result in immediate disqualification. Provisions for polygraphs will be available at the earliest convenience. All payouts will be held until polygraph is completed.
The Cotton Rule. Do not argue with Lake/Park ranger, they do have authority.
