Date: RESCHEDULED TO OCTOBER 23rd, 2010 DUE TO FLOODING
$ 5,000 First Prize $
Come out and fish this one day tournament and compete for our $5,000 first prize, or our big fish pot. We will have entertainment, games, and food after the weigh-in at the tournament. All participants will receive t-shirts and gift bags upon weigh-in. Rules are posted in this article. TWRF is a 501 (C) 3 non-profit organization, and is not a part of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. We do, however, assist TWRA with various projects that benefit fish and wildlife throughout the state. The mission of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation is to promote habitat conservation, responsible land stewardship, and Tennessee’s hunting and fishing heritage. Funds raised at this tournament will assist us in delivering our mission to all parts of Tennessee. To register click here.
TWRF 2010 Fishing Tournament Rules
1. RULE CHANGES AND INTERPRETATION: Interpretation of these rules will be left exclusively to the Tournament Directors. The decision of the Directors will be final in all matters. Infractions of any rule can result in disqualification.
2. PARTICIPANTS AND ELIGIBILITY: Entry fee is $100.00 per boat and big fish pot is $10.00 per person. Participants who are not 18 years of age or older must have a parent/guardian sign the registration and release of liability form. A properly completed and signed Official Entry Application form and a full registration fee of $100.00 per tournament will hold your place. TWRF reserves the right to discontinue acceptance of applications prior to the deadline and also has the right to extend the acceptance date. Any competitors that have been suspended or disqualified from any tournament or fishing organization are grounds for refusal of an angler’s entry. There will be a $25.00 charge on all returned checks.
3. PRE-TOURNAMENT PRACTICE: No Off Limits on the tournaments. Each competitor agrees to report to Tournament Officials any infraction of tournament rules. The failure to report violations or suggestions to violate these rules or false verification of weigh-in forms will be cause for disqualification. PROTESTS: Any competitor filing a protest must do so in writing 15 minutes prior to the first boat’s check in time. The Tournament Directors will rule on any protests and their decisions will be final. All contestants agree to abide by the decisions of the Tournament Directors. Each competitor agrees to submit, by his/her signature on the application form, to a polygraph examination should he/she be so asked by an official. The administration and interpretation of the polygraph test shall be solely the responsibility of the Tournament Directors.
4. REGISTRATION: Competitors must read and sign a “Registration and Release of Liability” form. Tournament Directors reserve the right to prohibit any person(s) from fishing the TWRF, Inc. Fishing Tournament
5. SAFETY: Safe boating must be observed at all times. Each competitor is required to wear a Coast Guard-approved life preserver any time the combustion engine is running. All boats are required to have emergency engine shutoff switch and they must be attached to the driver any time the gas engine is in gear. At time of check-out, running lights must be turned on and during times required by State Regulations. All boats and motors must comply with Boating Institute of American (BIA) and U.S. Coast Guard horsepower ratings. When required, each boat must have a U.S. Coast Guard horsepower rating plate attached to the boat by the manufacturer. At the discretion of the Tournament Directors tournament days may be shortened or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions, etc. If tournament is canceled the entry fee will be refunded or applied to the next Tournament.
6. SPORTSMANSHIP: Competitors in TWRF Tournaments are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation. Hole sitting will not be tolerated, and will be cause for disqualification from this tournament and from all future tournaments conducted by TWRF. No alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs will be allowed during the tournament hours. Violators will be disqualified. Any competitor receiving a citation/ticket on tournament(s) for a fishing violation will be disqualified and the team will lose their weight.
7. BOAT AND MOTOR: Boats must be 15’ or more in length and have functional and properly aerated live well space to adequately maintain a live limit (5) catch of bass. Tournament Officials shall have the sole responsibility for determining whether aeration and capacity is proper and adequate.
8. PERMITTED FISHING METHODS: All bass must be caught live in a conventional sporting manner. When fishing bedding fish they must be hooked inside the mouth. Foul hooking fish is strictly forbidden. Only artificial lures may be used with the exception of pork trailers. Only one fishing rod (not to exceed 8 ft. in length) may be used at a time. Trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited.
9. PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS: Fishing on tournament waters is permitted anywhere except within 50 yards of a refueling dock of a marine or within 50 yards of another competitor’s boat that is anchored with the trolling motor up. No such anchored boat shall permit selected competitors to fish within a 50-yard circle claimed by him/her to the exclusion of any other competitor. No fishing is allowed in areas that are designated as “Off Limits” or “No-Fishing” by local and state officials. Competitors must return to the official checkpoint by boat. Competitors must remain in the boat at all times except in case of emergency (an act of nature excepted). Trailering of boats during tournament hours is prohibited except when approved by Tournament Directors.
10. OFFICIAL CHECK POINT: There shall be only one official point for check-out in the AM and check-in in the PM. At the time of checkout, all competitors must have their running lights turned on and their boats shall be in full conformity with all rules set forth herein. Exact check-in times will be posted prior to the tournament. TOURNAMENT HOURS: Safe light first boat back at 3:00 pm. Each boat must be given, prior to each day’s start, an inspection check by a Tournament Official. In the event of equipment failure or emergency, there are only two methods of returning to the official check-in:(1) By both partners remaining in their boat and being towed in by water, or (2) By one partner entering the boat of another tournament contestant with their fish. Under these two conditions, catches may be counted (normal penalties apply such as dead fish, late penalty, etc.) If a team must violate any part of this rule due to an emergency or any other reason, the catch will not be counted.
11. SCORING: Tournament standings and final winners shall be determined by the pound and hundredth weight of each competitors catch. Only largemouth, spotted, or smallmouth bass will be weighed. The limit shall be five (5) fish per day unless the prevailing state limit is less than five in which case the states limit shall be the tournament limit. All competitors are bound by the prevailing statutes and regulation of the various states in which they fish. At no time shall the competitors have in their possession more than the limits described above. In the event a competitor exceeds the above described limit, the Tournament Official shall cull down to the limit prescribed, taking the largest bass first. Fish will be measured on a flat (golden rule) board with mouth closed and by moving tail side-to-side. There will be a 1-pound penalty assessed for each short fish and the short fish removed from the creel. Bags will be furnished by the Tournament Officials, and those bags must be used for the weigh-in no exceptions. Dead fish: (1- pound) will be deducted from the total weight for each dead fish weighed in. The Dead Fish (1- pound) rule also applies to the Big Bass Competition. Big Bass Pot: Only one big bass prize awarded per team. It’s the angler(s) responsibly to have any fish weighed for big fish prize. Ties: In case of ties, positions will be resolved by combining the awards and dividing them equally.
12. LATE PENALTY: Failure to report to the official check-in point on time will result in a 1-pound per minute penalty. After 15 minutes, the entire weight will be lost.
13. PRE-ENTRY: There is a cut-off for TWRF Tournaments. Entries must be postmarked by midnight May 3rd, or will owe $25.00 late fee per boat. You can sign up on Friday at the Tournament Site from 3:00 pm- 6:00 pm or Saturday morning at 4:30 am by paying a late entry fee of $25.00 per boat. Your pre-entry is non-refundable and non-transferable.
14. LIABILITY INSURANCE: All tournament entries must carry a minimum of-$100,000 of liability insurance on any boat they might use during the TWRF tournament. Failure to do so or reporting of false information will result in disqualification. Competitors must include the company name and either the policy number or the name of the agent binding the coverage on the entry form for each tournament.
15. CAMERA RELEASE: Competitors grant TWRF, Tournament Officials, and Sponsors the unconditional right to use their names, voice, photographic likeness and biographical information for video/audio production, promotions, and press releases, and shall not be entitled to receive any royalties or other compensation in connection with such use.
