THE RI BASS FED TOURNAMENT TRAIL RULES

ELIGIBILITY:  Tournament is open to all federation anglers.  Anglers must be a minimum of 18 years old. Entry forms and tournament fees must be received no later than March meeting, 2010.

BOATS:  Boats must meet U.S. Coast Guard safety standards including Floatation devices for each member of the team.  Boats must be equipped with aerated live wells or equivalent thereof, which is capable of supporting a limit (8) bass.  No stringers will be allowed.  All boats will be inspected at the launch ramp prior to the start of the tournament.

 Safe boat conduct must be observed at all times by competitors. During the official competition, each competitor must wear a US Coast Guard-approved chest-type life preserver. This preserver must be worn at all times the combustion engine is running. This preserver must be strapped, snapped or zippered securely and maintained in that condition until the combustion engine is no longer running. Violation of this rule shall be reason for disqualification.

NO CONTESTANT MAY OPERATE A BOAT UNLESS THAT CONTESTANT HAS DOCUMENTED PROOF OF AN INSURANCE POLICY IN FORCE, THAT COVER THE EVENT DATES WITH A MINIMUM OF $300,000 BOATING LIABILITY COVERAGE ON THAT PARTICULAR BOAT. PROOF OF INSURANCE MUST BE WITH THE BOAT BEING USED AND MUST COVER THE COMPETITOR USING THAT BOAT.

HORSEPOWER REGULATIONS:  Horsepower cannot exceed the limitations set by the U.S. Coast Guard. When required, each boat must have a U.S. Coast Guard horsepower-rating plate attached to the boat by the manufacturer. The horsepower of the outboard engine must not exceed the rating specified on this plate.

SPORTSMANSHIP:  Anglers are expected to follow the highest standards of sportsmanship at all times and observe all state and local boating laws.  Any act by an angler which reflects unfavorably upon the effort to promote fisheries conservation, clean water, courtesy and/or sportsmanship shall be reason for disqualification. Consumption of alcoholic beverages or controlled substances before or during tournament hours is strictly prohibited.  No boat/team may fish within 50 feet of another boat/team.  Anglers must remain in the boat during tournament hours unless in case of emergency.  The lake is off-limits to contestants starting at 12:00 o’clock midnight - Wednesday Night, until tournament start time. 

During the official competition days of the tournament, a competitor may not use a CB radio, a VHF marine-band radio, a cellular phone, or any other type of communication device, for the purpose of locating or catching fish. Competitors are permitted to transmit by radio, telephone, or any other type of communication device, only in the event of an emergency. If so equipped, competitors may listen to the marine-band weather information.

INDIVIDUALS:  Tournament standing shall be determined by the total combined weight of bass caught by the individual teams 8 fish limit per team. (The tournament committee may impose a creel limit of less than eight fish if they deem weather and/or local conditions warrants the reduction.) At no time shall a competitor have in his/her possession more than the tournament limit. Culling must be done immediately upon catching the ninth fish.

TACKLE:  Artificial lures only! ! !  No live or prepared bait of any kind will be allowed with the exception of pork rind and/or strips.  No fly-fishing rods will be permitted.  Only one rod may be used at any time by an Angler.  Trolling will be prohibited.

SCORING:  Tournament standings will be determined by the total weight of each individual’s catch.  Largemouth and Smallmouth bass only, will be weighed and must be 12 inches in length (closed mouth to tip of tail).  Mangled or otherwise altered bass will not be weighed.  All decisions with respect to the size and/or weight of the fish will rest with the Tournament Chairman (Bryan Mayo).  At last call for fish and close of scale if no complaints are brought to the chairman’s attention all decisions will be final. All Culling must take place on the water, within the tournament fishing hours. Only a tournament legal limit of fish shall be on board at any time, with the exception of the cull period.

PENALTY:  A Penalty of 8 ounces (0.50 lbs.) will be deducted from the total weight of a team for each dead bass weighed in.  No courtesy measurements will be allowed.  Any short (undersized) bass brought to the scales by an individual will disqualify their entire catch. 
Penalty: In addition to the above referenced rules, infractions of any state, federal, local water authorities or other governing authorities may be grounds for disqualification.

A dead bass cannot be weighed in as a team’s lunker.

Competitors who are not in the official checkpoint area at the appointed time shall be penalized at the rate of one pound per minute to be deducted from the total weight of their catch that day, including any "Big Bass Award."
Any competitors more than fifteen (15) minutes late shall lose all credit for that day's catch.

TIES:  In the event of a tie for total weight, the first tie breaker shall be the total number of live bass weighed in.  .  If a tie still exists, the second tie-breaker shall be determined by the largest fish (lunker) between the two teams.

AWARDS:  All awards and prizes are final.  See entry blank for distribution of prize money. 

START TIME:  Tournament hours are listed per pond launch sequence shall be determined by blind draw at check-in time at least ½ hour before blast off!!!

ALTERNATES: Each team will have one alternate for the year.  That will be the only alternate that they can use for the year.  They can use the alternate more than once during the trail BUT NEVER IN THE TOC!!!!!

SCORING:  POINTS NOT POUNDS. NO TIES FOR YEARS TOTAL.  POINTS FOR THE YEAR ARE 55 FOR FIRST, 54 FOR SECOND ALL THE WAY DOWN.  YEAR END SCORING FOR THE TOC AND ANGLERS OF THE YEAR WILL CONSIST OF DROPPING THE LOWEST SCORE FOR EACH TEAM AND THEN TOTALING THE POINTS.

TOC: WILL CONSIST OF THE 15 TOP QUALIFYING TEAMS AND THERE WILL BE A DRAWING AT THE LAST EVENT FOR PARTICIPANT THAT HAVE FISHED ALL 5 QUALIFYING EVENTS AS A WILDCARD DRAW.