OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT RULES
Please read all official tournament rules and regulations prior to signing the entry form and/or participating in the tournament(s). The following items will be checked after contestants weigh in during boat checks. Violation of any rules regarding the following items will be cause for immediate disqualification:
*Fishing License *Kill Switch *Alcoholic Beverages
*Boat Registration *Horsepower Rating *Life Jackets
Tournament will be held regardless of weather. Should conditions threaten safety, please use caution.
DECISIONS:
1. All decisions of the Tournament Director are FINAL.
2. All protests must be submitted to the Tournament Director in writing within 15 minutes of the designated weigh in.
INFORMATION:
1. Any and all announcements concerning emergencies and hourly results will be broadcast over the OFFICIAL radio station. Bring a portable radio in your boat.
ELIGIBILITY:
1. All State & Federal penal code laws shall apply at all times.
2. All State, Coast Guard, Federal Parks & Wildlife regulations shall apply at all times.
3. This tournament is designed primarily for amateurs, therefore, anyone who has fished 5 or more tournaments within the past 12 months of this tournament with an entry fee over $1000 or anyone who has provided guide service for pay within the past 90 days of this official tournament lake, will not be eligible to compete in this tournament.
4. Contestants must present their valid fishing license or official email confirmation with expiration date for said tournament lake at time of weigh in and it must be on their person during tournament hours.
5. Each person in boat must be a paid contestant of official tournament and abide by all tournament rules and regulations.
6. No one other than paid contestants or tournament officials are permitted in a competitors boat during tournament hours.
7. Any contestant found to be in violation of any tournament rules and regulations will be subject to disqualification from this tournament and all future tournaments.
8. All bass caught by contestants fishing together will be disqualified if any of the said contestants are found to be in violation of any tournament rules and regulations.
9. Any person who has been disqualified from any prior tournament may be subject to being refused entry into tournament.
10. Tournament officials have the right to refuse ANY ENTRY.
11. Participants under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or adult with written parental permission.
REGISTRATION AND ENTRY FEE:
1. Entry form with complete entry fee must be received before fishing.
2. ONCE TOURNAMENT ENTRY FEE HAS BEEN SUBMITTED AND RECEIVED, THERE WILL BE NO REFUND OR SUBSTITUTION OF ENTRY FEES FOR ANY REASON!
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES:
1. No alcoholic beverages are to be consumed by tournament contestant nor are alcoholic beverages allowed in contestants’ boat during official tournament hours, unless tournament contestant is finished fishing/has had their boat inspection and polygraph for that tournament day.
SAFETY (THE FOLLOWING IS MANDATORY):
1. All boats must be equipped with some type of emergency ignition cut-off device (kill switch) on any remote steered outboard while main engine is in use. Ignition cut-off device (kill switch) must be attached to boat operator at all times while main engine is in use. Kill switch must operate properly. When the kill switch is activated; the outboard main engine must stop running immediately. However, kill switches are not required with hand operated engines unless equipped with one when manufactured.
2. Boat operator must show proof of valid registration.
3. US Coast Guard approved life jackets are required for each person in boat. Life jackets must be worn and fastened while main engine is in use.
4. No boat shall have a motor of higher horsepower than the approved Coast Guard maximum.
PERMITTED FISHING AREAS & HOURS:
1. All bass caught during tournament hours each tournament day (6am – 2pm) may only be weighed in during official tournament weigh in hours (7am – 2pm) on that day.
2. No fishing is allowed during official “Off Limits” which begins at 8pm prior to each tournament day and ends at 6am of each tournament day.
3. Contestants may leave from any launch site on official Tournament Lake. No casting until 6am official clock. Official start-stop times will be determined by Official Radio Station.
4. No fishing within 50 yards of a marina gas pump.
TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT:
1. All bass must be caught on artificial bait by casting. No trolling with big motor. Contestant may use only one rod at any one time. Other rods may be in the boat for substitute purposes.
2. Bank fishing is permissible.
3. No electronic tracking devices (implanted microchips) may be used to locate fish for tournament purposes (Depth finders and graph charts are the only exception).
WEIGH IN SPORTSMANSHIP AND CONSERVATION:
1. Sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation are expected from every participant.
2. All bass weighed in will become the property of the Tournament and will be released back into the lake each tournament day alive if possible.
3. All contestants shall be required to bring their boat and respective partner(s) with them to the weigh-in site when weighing in bass.
4. Trailering is permissible.
5. No bass on ice. Bass must be alive to be weighed in.
6. All bass brought to weigh in station must be in weigh in bag with water.
7. No contestant may weigh in more than one bass per tournament hour. Only one bass per weigh-in bag is allowed. Bass entered in the Big Bass of the Hour contest do not carry forward from hour to hour. Your biggest bass is registered into the final overall standings.
8. Bass must be weighed in by the contestant who originally caught the bass and it must be in said contestant’s physical possession in the weigh-in line.
9. Any artificially weighed or preserved bass will be disqualified and that contestant will be subject to prosecution under federal laws.
10. Any questionable entry will be subject to inspection by a marine biologist or similarly qualified expert of
the applicable State’s Parks & Wildlife Dept.
11. Only Largemouth, Smallmouth, and Kentucky Spotted Bass (Black Bass) will be weighed in all lakes.
12. Minimum length of bass to be weighed in is 14 inches on Lake Sam Rayburn & Lake Toledo Bend and 15 inches on Lake Guntersville. Lake Fork is a slot lake and the length limit is posted on the Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept. website. Official measuring board is the CHECK-IT-STIK.
13. No contestant may have more than three bass in possession at any time during official Tournament hours. One bass only is allowed to be weighed in during any Tournament hour.
14. This is a mandatory catch and release program during Official Tournament hours. When tournament is officially over each day all bass must be released back into tournament waters.
15. Contestants are to be attentive to litter and should make every effort to maintain their trash in their boat and dispose of it properly.
POLYGRAPH:
1. Each contestant, by signing the entry form and/or participation in the tournament, agrees to submit to a polygraph examination.
2. Polygraph test will be given on a random basis and must be passed.
3. There will be random polygraph tests given after the conclusion of each official tournament hour as soon as that hour has elapsed. All contestants who have placed during said hour, their respective partners and boats, if any must remain at the official Tournament site until said hourly winners are declared official. If not present, contestants will automatically be disqualified.
4. Any contestant determined by the polygraph examination or other Tournament officials to be intoxicated or on any type of illegal drugs at the time said contestant is required to take the polygraph examination, or in violation of Tournament rules, will be disqualified from this and all future Tournaments.
5. Any contestant found to be in possession of any illegal substance will be subject to disqualification and prosecution.
BOAT INSPECTION:
All contestants, by entering this Tournament, hereby agree to allow their boats to be boarded and inspected by Tournament officials at any time during said Tournament, and checked for items to include, but not limited to, their boat registration, Coast Guard horsepower rating plate, and boat contents to include live well, rod boxes, closed storage compartments, tackle boxes, life jackets, PFD’s and safety equipment. Refer to checklist above.
* The above mentioned rules are for your own safety *
For additional information or rule verification please contact Sealy Outdoors, Inc.
Office: 409.698.2591
Fax: 409.698.2616
Email Address: tournament.info@sealyoutdoors.com
Website: sealyoutdoors.com
Facebook & Instagram: bigbasssplash1984
Office hours are subject to change during tournament events