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July 1, 2008
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Tournament Rules

OFFICIAL 2008 OCONEE MARINE

TEAM TOURNAMENT RULES

 

To protect the integrity of Oconee Marine and our anglers, all winners will be subject to a polygraph exam before checks are distributed at each event.  Contestants must pass the polygraph exam at tournament site to receive prize money and points for the event.

 

 

  1.          RULE CHANGES: Decisions of the Tournament Director are final and are not subject to appeal.  Interpretation of these rules will be left exclusively to the Tournament Director.  Protests must be made in writing before blast-off or within 10 minutes of the official closing of the scales at each tournament. There will be a $100 protest fee charged for any protest made.
  2.         PARTICIPATION/ELIGIBILITY: All Oconee Marine Tournaments are open to all anglers.  Any person entering an Oconee Marine Tournament under the age of 18 must also have the signature of their parent or legal guardian in the provided space on the official entry form.  All contestants are required to have a valid fishing license. Any person who has ever failed a polygraph in a prior tournament will not be eligible to fish this trail.
  3.         PRE-TOURNAMENT PRACTICE: All Oconee Marine Qualifying Team Events have no off-limits period except the 2-Day Classic. The Classic Will Be off Limits Monday through Thursday.  No contestant may be on designated tournament waters for any reason during the official off-limits period.
  4.         REGISTRATION TIMES: Registration for all Oconee Marine team events will be held at 5:00 AM the morning of the event.  Each team must register in person at the designated site during the official registration.  A completed and signed entry form must be received before the start of each competition day.  Teams will be sent out the number in which they register. All Teams paid prior to tournament will save their place for the year unless there is a no show. Payments may be made with check, cash, Master Card or Visa. Credit cards will have a $10.00 surcharge applied
  5.         SAFETY: Safe boating must be observed at all times.  Each contestant is required to wear a fastened U.S. Coast Guard approved, personal flotation device anytime the combustion engine is in operation from take off until check-in.  All boats must be equipped with an emergency ignition shut-off device, which must be securely attached to the driver’s body any time the combustion engine is in operation.  The driver must be seated in the driver’s seat anytime the combustion engine is engaged in gear.  Tournament days may be shortened or canceled due to unsafe weather conditions that would endanger the safety of the competitors.  The decision to shorten or cancel the tournament days will be determined by the Tournament Director.
  6.         PERMITTED FISHING METHODS: All bass must be caught alive in a conventional sporting manner.  Only artificial lures may be used with the exception of pork trailers.  Only one fishing rod per angler may be used at any one time.  Additional rods may be in the boat and ready for use; However, each cast and retrieve must be completed before another cast or rod is used.  Trolling with the combustion engine as a method of fishing is prohibited.  Switching or sharing fish with other teams or individuals will result in immediate disqualification.  All angling must be conducted from the boat.  At no time may a contestant leave the boat to land a fish or to make the boat more accessible to fishing waters.
  7.         SPORTSMANSHIP AND CONDUCT: All contestants are required to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, conservation and to conduct themselves in a manner that will be a credit to themselves, to Oconee Marine, sponsors, the sport of fishing, and Oconee Marine’s efforts to promote that sport.  Examples of conduct not complying with those standards include, but are not limited to, the following: 1) Consumption and/or possession of alcoholic beverages or any mind-altering substances during tournament hours extending through the weigh-in procedure, 2) Abuse of, or addiction to mind altering substances, 3) Conviction of a felony within the past 36 months, 4) Any other words, conduct or actions reflecting unfavorably upon Oconee Marine, Oconee Marine Tournaments or the sponsors of those tournaments or reflecting unfavorably upon efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship, fair competition and compliance with tournament rules.  If conduct does not comply with the standards set forth, Oconee Marine, and its director shall have the right to refuse any application, or to deny a confirmed application, by returning the deposit or entry fee of a previously accepted application, or disqualify a contestant.  Oconee Marine reserves the right to place an official observer in a contestant’s boat at any time during competition hours.
  8.         BOAT OPERATION: During hours of competition, contestants may not receive assistance from non-competitors, follow a non-competitors boat, participate in the practice of “hole sitting”, or the placing of markers by non-competitors.  The use of mobile communication devices such as cellular phones, marine radios, walkie-talkies, CB’s, etc., to communicate fishing information during tournament hours is strictly prohibited.
  9.         BOAT AND HORSEPOWER REGULATION: Each boat must have all required U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment.  Boats must contain a properly aerated live well space to maintain alive a limit catch of bass.  Maximum horsepower for all outboards used in tournament competition may not exceed the horsepower limitations as set by the U.S. Coast Guard.  By signing the entry form, each contestant agrees to submit their boat and/or motor to an inspection.  Falsifying information on entry forms or altering the horsepower numbers on the motor or rating plate will be cause for disqualification from the tournament and may result in future ineligibility to enter any Oconee Marine tournaments.  No contestant may have a platform, raised deck, or ladder which is higher than the gunwale of their boat.  Standing on the fishing seats or outboard motor will not be allowed in Oconee Marine events.  No air or jet drive boats will be permitted during official practice or competition days.
  10. PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS: Contestants may fish anywhere on the tournament waters accessible by boat, except areas designated as “off limits” or “no fishing” by state or federal officials or within 50 yards of a competitor’s boat which was first anchored (an anchored boat is a boat held in a stable position by a line attached to a weight with the trolling motor in the up position), or within 25 yards of a non-anchored boat competitor’s boat unless otherwise agreed upon by the other tournament angler.  The act of moving bass from one area of the lake to another confined area of the same lake is not permitted.
  11. OFF-LIMITS AREAS: Off limits areas will be established and announced at each registration.  Contestants fishing inside the established off-limits area will be immediately disqualified.  Contestants’ boats must remain in the tournament waters during the event.
  12. TRAILERING IS NOT ALLOWED: All boats must leave the official check point by boat in the order designated at registration.  Contestants may launch their boat at a ramp other than the designated take-off location, but all contestants must come through the official check point location before leaving to fish.  In the event of severe weather, alternate take-off instructions will be given at the registration site.  In the event of severe weather conditions you may also receive alternate take-off instructions by calling (706) 816-1896 within 30 minutes of safe light.  There will be a recorded message with alternate take-off and weigh-in instructions.
  13. OFFICIAL CHECKPOINTS: There will be only one official checkpoint for boat inspection in the morning, and one official check-in point in the afternoon.  Failure to go through boat checkout in the morning or failure to check-in at the check-in-point will result in disqualification.  During morning check-out, all teams are required to idle a minimum of 100 yards before putting the boat on plane.  It is the sole responsibility of each contestant to arrive at the designated check-in location on time, regardless of what they are told.  It is the angler’s responsibility to verify their provided flight card time.  All fishing must cease upon check-in.
  14. SCORING: Scoring will be determined by the pounds and ounces of each anglers catch during the tournament.  Only Largemouth, Spotted, Red Eye or Smallmouth Bass are accepted species.  The limit will be five bass per team or individual. When the 6th fish is caught either angler or both may be involved in culling a fish and a fish must be culled at the time of that catch . Never will there be more than five fish in the live wells. One angler may continue fishing while the culling is in-process.  Any contestant who possesses more than the tournament limit will have their catch for that day disqualified.  Official length limits will be presented at registration of each event.  Bass presented for weigh-in, which fail to measure the prescribed length limit, will result in loss of that particular fish and a One Pound Penalization to remaining weight.  Each contestant’s catch must be presented in an official weigh-in bag and verified by the signature of at least one team member. 
  15. LIVE FISH:    Every effort must be made to keep bass alive through the use of a properly aerated live well.  The use of chemical live well additives, (such as “Please Release Me”) which promote the healthy return of bass to their natural habitat is recommended.  A One Half Pound Penalty will be deducted for each dead bass presented for weigh-in.  Any team who weighs in a dead fish for the Big Bass award will receive a One Half Pound Penalty from the total Big Bass Weight.
  16. LATE PENALTY: Contestants who are not at the official check-in point at the appointed time will be assessed a One Pound Per Minute Penalty from the total weight including any weight to be counted toward a Big Bass Award.  Any contestant more than 15 minutes late will forfeit that day’s catch.  In the event of a mechanical break down, a contestant may return to the check-in-location with their catch by receiving a ride from another registered contestant or tournament official only.  The contestants must return to the official check-in-location by their assigned check-in-time to avoid late penalty.
  17. CLOSING OF THE SCALES: Scales will close 30 minutes after the last flight is due in.  Due to certain weigh-in-locations this time may be lengthened or shortened at the tournament director’s sole decision.  Any change to the above stated official scale closing time will be announced during registration and during boat checkout.  It is the angler’s responsibility to verify the official scale closing time and to be in the weigh-in line by that time.
  18. Weigh-In: Fish must be weighed before boat is removed from the water. Team partner may remove boat while fish are being brought to the scales. Oconee Marine will provide personal to assist angler with the removal of boat while fish are being weighed.
  19. TIES: All other ties will be resolved by splitting that place and the next place’s money.
  20. 2-DAY CLASSIC: All teams who pre enter by paying up front for five of the six tournaments will qualify for the Classic.
  21. ALTENATS: There can only be one alternate per team. If the original team member or the alternate can not fish then the Angler may fish alone.
  22. ANGLER(S) OF THE YEAR (AOY): The Team or individual that accumulates the greatest amounts of Weight for the entire season will be awarded the prestigious “Angler of the Year” title.  Anglers of the Year will receive free entry fees the following season.



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