CLEARLAKE
BASSMASTERS TOURNAMENT RULES
01/01/2002
1. Clearlake
Bassmasters events are open to members and their guests
only. General Membership is entitled to fish all
tournaments for points toward trophies for Angler of the
Year and Spring and Fall Championships. Valid California
fishing license required for all Contestants, when
applicable.
2. Participants must
check in and sign a release form prior to each
event.
3. Blast off and
weigh-in time will be announced by the tournament
director(s) at the meeting prior to the tournament. Any
contestant late may be disqualified at the tournament
director's discretion. There will be a one minute
leniency for late weigh in only.
Draw: Terms
and Procedures:
A. Sign
up:
1. By
calling tournament director(s) before meeting.
2. By other prior arrangement with tournament
director(s).
3. Immediately before meeting.
4. Immediately before draw.
5. By proxy (any no show revokes option).
6. One late sign-up per angler per calendar year,
subject to tournament director(s) approval, by 9:00
p.m. the Thursday night before the
tournament.
B. Payment of option
money:
1.
Immediately before meeting.
2. Immediately before draw.
3. No late exceptions; cash only.
4. All monies must be collected prior to draw.
5. No refunds or transfers.
C. Draw to determine
boaters (when boaters exceed non-boaters).
D. Draw for partners
and starting positions.
E. "Rub-a-dub-dub"
draw (when non-boaters exceed boaters).
F. Adjustments - due
to no-shows and late sign-ups will be determined by
Tournament director(s); by draw when convenient.
Tournament director(s) decisions are final; anglers
will be notified A.S.A.P. Tournament director(s)' may
cancel or move tournaments at their
discretion.
G. Re-draw: When the
same anglers are paired in the draw for consecutive
tournaments, the non-boater shall be re-drawn from the
remaining non&endash;-boaters. If they are the last
pairing, the non-boater shall be swapped with the
preceding drawn pair's non-boater.
4. Life vest must be
worn whenever the boat's main engine is running. No
riders permitted. No boat may pass another contestant's
boat in a restricted speed zone, in an effort to gain an
advantage.
5. One operational
aerated live well system is required for all boats. Two
are preferred.
6. Poor sportsmanship,
cheating, violation of Fish and Game laws, use of
alcoholic beverages, unsafe boat operation, or being late
for blast off or weigh-in may result in
disqualification.
7. Non-boaters will pay
the boaters for the day's tournament fishing, a minimum
of $30.00 for Clear Lake. One half the days expenses (tow
vehicle's gas, boat gas, oil and launch fees) for out of
town tournaments.
8. Boat and Motor: All
boats entered in the tournament must be at least 15 feet
in length and motors must be greater than 40 horsepower.
If a non-boat owner draws a boat, which he considers
unsafe, he may contact a tournament director regarding a
re-draw of partners. All boats must be equipped with a
bow mount trolling motor, depth finder, aerated live well
and engine shut-off safety switch. Each contestant is
responsible for furnishing his own proper safety vest,
and it shall be worn anytime the outboard engine is
running. The tournament director(s) reserve the right to
prohibit any boat from participating in the start if such
boat is considered unsafe or the operator unqualified.
Boats equipped with motor horsepower in excess of factory
or (BIA) rating will not be allowed in tournament
competition.
9. The minimum size for
bass is thirteen (13) inches on a wil-e-go board; laid
flat; mouth open; tail swished; or longer if required by
the Department of Fish and Game. Five (5) fish limits for
draws and draw team events. All fish shall be released
except for trophy fish of five (5) lbs. or more which may
be kept. Exception: a "courtesy length check" of one fish
of a limit may be requested prior to weigh-in.
10. Contestants who
have not checked in at the official checkpoint on time
may be disqualified. Boat and motor problems are no
excuse for tardiness! Anyone weighing in a fish smaller
than the thirteen (13) inch minimum length will have the
fish disqualified and one pound will be subtracted from
the remaining total weight. Fish will be measured on a
wil-e-go board; laid flat; mouth open; tail swished. Any
fish that appears to have been altered or mutilated, in
the tournament director(s) judgement, will be
disqualified, and one pound will be subtracted from
remaining total weight for each such fish. Any contestant
who is ticketed during official hours of a tournament,
for any reason, will be subject to
disqualification.
11. Six (6) ounces per
dead fish to be deducted from total stringer weight in
any club event. No deduction to weights for big fish
standings.
12. The tournament
director(s) may add specific rules when necessary. These
special rules will be in effect for the length of the
tournament and should not be considered a regular rule,
but will be announced and enforced as such.
Interpretation of all rules will be left exclusively to
the tournament director(s), whose decision will be final
in all matters.
13. Guest:
A. A guest may
be invited for special events only.
B. Members will have preference over guests in all
events or tournaments.
C . Each member may invite one (1) guest once every
year with the tournament director's approval for
special events only.
14. Tournament results
will be based on total individual or team weights. Points
will be counted at each tournament. The end of the year
total will be based on angler's best eight (8) events;
spring and fall championships will be based on angler's
best four (4) events.
15. Points will be
awarded to the top fifty (50) places in any event as
follows: Fifty (50) points for 1st place; and
One (1) point less for each following place; and, an
additional five (5) points will be awarded to all members
participating. Up to a maximum of forty (40) points per
year per individual (best eight (8) out of ten (10)
finishes); and a maximum of twenty (20) points per spring
or fall championship (best four (4) out of five (5)
finishes). Draw team event will Award points to the top
fifty (50) teams as specified for other events. Each team
member will receive the full point value for the place
the team finished (i.e. fifty (50) points for
1st, etc.).
Full points will be
awarded for ties and the following place will not be
awarded.
Pro Am team events will
award points as specified for other events. Points will
be awarded for Pro's (boater) and Am's (non-boaters)
based on the cumulative two (2) day standings for Pro's
and Am's. The combined two-day weights for each
individual will determine final standings for Pro's and
Am's (fifty (50) points for 1st, etc., will be
awarded to both Pro's and Am's). Each individual angler
will be credited for full team weight for each
day.
16. "Top-six
tournament": The final Angler of the Year point's
standings for the calendar year preceding will be used to
determine club participant's eligibility for the top-six
team.
Top 12 club members in
point's standings will be team members. Alternates will
be selected on a descending order from the point's
standings. Team members will select a team captain who
shall attend the team captains meeting; and schedule a
team strategy meeting prior to the event.
The team members shall
meet at the club meeting prior to the event to determine
boaters/non-boaters. The club will pre-pay team entry fee
and options. All team members to pay pro-rata entry fee
prior to event.
17. Points will
determine angler of the year trophy (best eight out of
ten finishes) and points will determine spring and fall
championships for three places (best four out of five
finishes).
18. No alcoholic
beverages are allowed during official tournament
hours.
19. Partners: Partners
must remain together throughout the fishing day, and may
not leave the boat unless accompanied by a tournament
official.
20. Each contestant has
the right to operate the boat from the front seat and to
choose the fishing area for one-half of the fishing day.
Failure to comply with this rule may result in
disqualification.
21. Any person found
deliberately operating a boat in a manner which handicaps
his partner's efforts may be disqualified from the
tournament. A contestant may not "hold" or "reserve" a
fishing area for another contestant. Infraction of this
rule will result in disqualification of both boat
operators involved. The judgement of the tournament
director(s) will be final.
22. Tackle: Only
artificial lures can be used. No prepared or live bait,
other than pork rind strips, is permitted. Only rods and
reels are permitted. They must be casting or spinning or
spin-casting outfits, with rods not to exceed 8 feet in
length. Only one rod may be in use at one time. However,
any number of rigged rods may be in the boat for
substitute purposes.
23. Permitted Fishing
Waters: No fishing permitted within the 5 mph buoys of
the weigh-in station. All fishing must be done from a
boat to land fish. All contestants must leave and return
at tournament headquarters docks by boat. Boats cannot be
trailered from one fishing location to another during
tournament hours. No two boats may touch or appear to
touch during tournament hours; this includes
non-contestant boats as well as contestant
boats.
A contestant may not
leave his boat for the purpose of carrying, towing or
pushing his boat to fishing waters, which are otherwise
inaccessible. A contestant may not get out of his boat to
reduce weight or improve floatability for the purpose of
gaining access to fishing waters that are otherwise
inaccessible; the only exception is calls of nature.All
fish brought within 5 mph buoys must be weighed in and no
culling within 5 mph buoys.
24. A "25 yard rule" is
in effect at all times during competition. No
contestant's boat may move within 25 yards of another
contestant's boat at any time for the purpose of fishing.
A boat moving from one area to another may infringe upon
this zone as long as the moving fishermen do not attempt
to fish while doing so. Other "lake specific" rules may
also be imposed to meet conditions found on some waters.
In the case of fishing docks or piers, no contestant's
boat may "tie up", "claim", or "protect" more than a
single dock at one time regardless of the distance
involved.
25. Complaints must be
submitted in writing no later than fifteen (15) minutes
after weigh-in. The tournament director(s) will rule on
any complaints or disqualification.
26. The transmitting of
information over a C.B. radio or any form of modern
communications, concerning any aspect of fishing during a
tournament is prohibited.
27. Team Rules: All
rules apply except obvious draw tournament
rules.
28. All fish shall be
released one-half mile from weigh-in station.
29. Cash options: All
participants in points tournaments have the option to
join the following pools:
A. Big Fish -
$ 5.00
B. Big Stringer - $ 10.00
C. 6.00 to 6.99 - $ 1.00
D. 7.00 to 7.99 - $ 1.00
E. 8.00 to 8.99 - $ 1.00
F. 9.00 to 9.99 - $ 1.00
G. 10.00 lbs. Plus - $1.00
Special event pots
shall be $5.00 for Big Fish and $5.00 for Big Stringer
per team. Big Stringer money must be paid prior to
draw - no exceptions - BE ON TIME!
If both members of a
team elect to join Big Stringer or Big Fish options, both
anglers will split option money. If one member of a team
elects to join the Big Stringer or Big Fish options, that
angler shall receive (one-half) the option money. The
remaining one-half will go to the raffle fund for the
year end Awards night. A member fishing alone in a team
event is eligible for full option money.
Only one Big Fish award
(Option A) per angler in a draw event. Only one Big Fish
award (Option A) per team in a team event.
Payout for Big Fish and
Big Stringer shall be as follows:
1ST - 50%
2ND - 30%
3RD - 20%
Tied anglers for first
and second places will share option money for that place
and the following place. Third place ties will share
third place option money.
Options C through G
shall accrue until claimed. Options C through G will be
paid to the angler catching the fish. Only one option (C
through G) can be claimed per fish, however, multiple
options can be claimed by separate fish.
Probationary members
and guests shall not be eligible to participate in
options C through G.
Cash and
correct change only.
