Tournament Rules and Regulations

Tournament Rules and Regulations

All members will receive a copy of the tournament rules and regulations prior to the tournament season.  This will insure ample enough time to comply with these rules and regulations.       

The following rules shall apply to both paper and weigh-in tournaments.

1.  The Safety Officer will inspect all boats at the first tournament that the boater participates in.  After the initial inspection, all boats will be subject to random inspections at the request of the officers.  All boaters are responsible for cooperating with these rules and regulation and for maintaining safe conditions for themselves and their partners.  Our safety inspection is designed as a preventive measure and is strongly enforced by the United States Coast Guard and the New Jersey Fish and Game.

The penalties for non-compliance with the safety inspection are as follows: 

A.  (1^st Offense) -Boaters are subject to a 16-point penalty; 

B.  (2nd Offense) -Boaters and Non-Boaters will be disqualified from the tournament until these rules and regulations are met the  satisfaction of the safety officer.

2.      Any use of drugs or Alcohol are prohibited prior to and/or during any club tournament.  This will be a safety violation. 

3.      No live bait is to be used, unless previously agreed upon by all members.

4.      United States Coast Guard Approved flotation devices are required for each occupant in all boats and must be worn when the gas engine is in use.

5.      No trolling is permitted and any angler may use only one (1) rod to fish at any one time.

6.      All tournament participants must abide by the starting and finishing times of all scheduled tournaments.  All Boaters and Non-Boaters must check-in with the Tournament Director by the posted finishing time and advise the Tournament Director of the total number of fish caught.  Any boat less than ten (10) minutes late will lose one-half (1/2) of their total points/weight on the tournament day.  Any boat more than ten (10) minutes late will be subject to a forfeiture of all fish caught on that tournament day.  Any deviation of this rule must be discussed prior to the tournament.  Acts of GOD or uncontrollable circumstances are always subject to Officers Decision.

7.      All tournament participants must strictly adhere to all New Jersey Fish and Game regulations and United States Coast Guard Boating regulations.

8.      All participants must have and display a valid fishing license and boater’s registration, if applicable.

9.      The Member fee to participate in any tournament is thirty ($35.00) Dollars, with the option of entering the lunker pool for an additional Five ($5.00) Dollars. Paper tournaments are closed to non-members.

10.   All boats participating in the tournament shall maintain a
“courtesy” distance of at least 50 feet from all other participating boats.

11.   There shall be no pre-fishing of tournament waters for at least 24 hours prior to a tournament.

12.   The only type of fish species that will be counted in any tournament will be the largemouth or smallmouth bass.

13.   No bass measuring less than 12 inches will be allowed and must be immediately released.

 

The following rules shall apply to paper tournaments.

14.   All bass must be measured on a Golden Rule, and measure a minimum of 12 inches.  All Bass will be measured with the mouth closed and the tail pressed together. 

15.   The tournament participant's partner should do the measuring.  The length in inches and 8ths will be recorded on tournament sheets and the fish should be unharmed and returned to the water as soon as possible.  At the conclusion of the tournament, the recording sheets should be turned in to the tournament director.

The following rules shall apply to weigh-in tournaments.

16. Only weigh-in tournaments are open to members and registered non-members.  PLEASE CONTACT A CLUB OFFICER TO ARRANGE FOR A NON-MEMBER TO REGISTER AND PARTICIPATE IN A TOURNAMENT.  The fee to participate in a weigh-in tournament is thirty ($35.00) Dollars, with the option of entering the lunker pool for an additional Five ($5.00) Dollars.   

17. At the end of the tournament the Tournament Director, appointed by the club's president,  will oversee and record the fish weigh-in process. 

18.   The Tournament Director will decide all ties by the participant with the largest single fish from their catch both by weight and/or by length. The Tournament Director’s decision will be final.

19.   The maximum number of bass weighed in shall be five for each tournament participant.

20.   Every attempt should be made to insure that all fish to be weighed in are to be alive and unharmed.   

21. As per NJ Fishing Regulations:
    a. Tournament participants may NOT cull dead or dying fish.  
    b. Dead or dying fish are to be brought back to the weigh-in area
        and will be considered part of your daily catch.    

22.  In the event a dead or dying fish is weighed in, the following penalty will be imposed: the weight of the dead fish will be entered as 4 ounces less than the actual weight of the fish.  

The following are proposed additions to the rules made at the Central Jersey Bassin' Buddies meeting on September 3, 2003.

23. The tournament director will be responsible to see that all weigh-in tournaments will start with a new set of batteries in the club's scale. The scale will be checked with a 2-1/2 lb. weight to insure accurate readings. This reading will then be logged in for a starting reference.

24. All fish will be measured with Golden Ruler at the weigh-in and the fish's weight as well as length will be recorded by the tournament director. Should the scale malfunction during a weigh-in, it will be re-checked with the 2-1/2 lb. test weight and then the questionable catch will be re-weighed. Once the fish's weight has been recorded and logged in by the tournament director, it shall remain as the final amount.

25. The club's scale will be sent out for recalibration at the end of every season to further insure the accuracy of our weigh-in tournaments.

 

Inclement Weather:

During a club tournament, all tournament participates MUST adhere to the following rules in the event of inclement weather:

1.         If a thunder and/or lightning storm develop, all participants shall immediately exit the lake and return to the launch area.  If it is not safe to return to the launch area, all participants shall go to the nearest safe location and take shelter until the storm passes.  All participants are to return to the launch area as soon as it is safe to do so.  The Club Officers present at the tournament will make a decision whether to cancel the event.

2.         In the event a tournament is cancelled due to inclement weather within the first three (3) hours of the tournament, all fish caught shall be forfeited and the tournament rescheduled to another date.  All tournament fees collected will be carried over to the rescheduled tournament date.

3.         In the event a tournament is cancelled due to inclement weather after the first three (3) hours of the tournament, the tournament shall be declared completed and all fish caught shall be weighed and counted in the usual manner.