Tournament Rules of
FLORIDA TRAILS JUNIOR BASSMASTERS
Junior Club of Florida Trails Bassmasters
Orlando, Florida
(October 1, 2009 – September 30, 2010)

A. GENERAL

1. The rules of this Club will remain unchanged through the 2009 – 2010 tournament year.  If it is determined a rule needs to be amended during the year, it will be discussed at a regular scheduled meeting, be voted on, and passed or failed by a “Majority of Votes” by the club members.  Interpretation and enforcement of these rules shall be left exclusively to the Tournament Director and the tournament staff.
2. In the event of a rule violation, the Tournament Director may impose such sanctions, as he deems appropriate, including, without limitation, disqualifications, forfeiture of prizes, and prohibition from participation in subsequent tournaments.  The decision of the Tournament Director and tournament officials shall be final in all matters.
3. All anglers are expected to obey all applicable Florida Boating or Fishing and Wildlife Statutes or Rules.  Violation of such rules may result in your disqualification from tournaments and being banned from future participation in Florida Trails Junior Bassmasters.  All local, state, and federal laws supersede all Florida Trails Junion Bassmasters Tournament Rules and By-laws should there be a conflict.
4. Each angler agrees to report to the Tournament Director any violation or infraction of these Tournament Rules.  The failure to report violations or suggestions to violate these Rules, or false verification will be cause for disqualification from club.
5. Tournament rules may be amended at any general membership meeting by a two-thirds majority vote of the membership present, and will require notification in writing to all members.

B. SPORTSMANSHIP

1. Anglers, boat captains, and parents/guardians involved in or observing Florida Trails Junior Bassmaster’s tournaments are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety, and conservation.  Any infraction of these fundamental sporting principles may be deemed cause for probation, suspension, or dismissal from the club.
2. Maximum courtesy must be practiced at all times, especially with regard to boating and angling in the vicinity of non-competitors who may be on tournament waters.  Any act of an angler which reflects unfavorably upon the club’s efforts to promote fisheries conservation, clean waters, and courtesy shall be reason for probation, suspension, or dismissal from the club.
3. Inappropriate behavior by the anglers, or parents/guardian, will not be tolerated.  Such action will result in angler’s dismissal from the club.
4. Disrespect or bad behavior during club meetings, tournament hours, or other club functions will no be tolerated and could result in disqualification from tournament and/or dismissal from the club.
5. Use of alcohol or drugs (other than those purchased over the counter or prescribed by a licensed physician) by any competitor during a tournament will not be tolerated and shall be cause for automatic disqualification from all tournaments and may be deemed as reason for probation, suspension, or dismissal from the club.
6. The boat captains are all volunteers and giving up their free time to take anglers out fishing for the day.  Be courteous to them at all times and make sure they know their time is greatly appreciated.
   (a)Remove all trash from their boats.
   (b) Wipe or rinse your feet off prior to entering boats.
   (c) Do not stand on or use the seats as steps and respect the gel coats by not standing or resting your feet on them.
   (d) Offer to help the boat captain unload, or load their boats and offer to wipe down their boat.
   (e) It is suggested that $10.00 at a minimum be offered by each angler for the boat captain’s gas and expenses.

C. SAFETY

1. Safe boat conduct must be observed at all times by tournament competitors.
2. During each tournament, competitors and boat captains are required to wear a Coast Guard approved chest-type life preserver, which must be worn anytime the combustion engine is operating.  This preserver must be strapped, snapped or zippered securely and maintained in that condition until the competitor reaches his fishing location and combustion engine is shut off.  Anglers and boat captains must be sitting down (NOT ON PEDESTAL SEAT) until combustion engine is shut off.  Violation of this rule shall be reason for disqualification.
3. The Tournament Director has the right to delay or cancel the start of an official tournament day because of bad weather or other factors that would endanger the safety of the competitors.  Tournament waters may also be restricted at any time because of bad weather.

D. PARTICIPANTS AND ELIGIBILITY

1. Participation in Florida Trails Junior Bassmaster’s Tournaments is open to its membership in good standing.
2. Tournaments are open to members who are 18 years of age or younger and who are active members of Florida Trails Junior Bassmasters.  Two age groups will be recognized so long as there are three or more anglers in each group.  The age groups are 11 to 14 and 15 to 18.
3. Any candidate for competition who, in the judgment of the Tournament Director, is handicapped in such manner as to unfairly hinder his partner or endanger the safety and well-being of his partner, boat captain, or himself shall not be eligible.

E. PAIRING OF CONSTESTANTS

1. This is a draw format club, which means two anglers and a boat captain will be assigned to each boat.  It will be at the discretion of the Tournament Director if more than two anglers and a boat captain will ever be drawn to fish out of a single boat during a tournament.
2. Pairings will be made at the regular monthly meetings of the club, which is to take place prior to the tournament.
3. Each member must register in person with the Tournament Director or his representative to participate in club tournaments each month.  A member that wishes to fish and will not be present at the club meeting is responsible to contact the Tournament Director at least 24-hours prior to the tournament blast-off time and may only fish as long as space is available.
4. PRIORITY STATUS: Any angler missing more than three meetings or three tournaments will lose Priority Status to participate in club tournaments.  Anglers losing Priority Status will be entitled to fish so long as space is available.
5. Anglers present at the club meeting will have PRIORITY STATUS and be paired with boat captains first and then those anglers who wish to fish but are not present at the meeting will be paired with a boat captain, so long as they retain PRIORITY STATUS, until there are no more boats available.  An angler that is not present at the club meeting is not guaranteed to fish and is NOT entitled to receive points for showing up to fish the tournament and catching 1-fish (3-points).  At the point when there are an uneven amount of anglers, the remaining angler will be permitted to fish alone, so long as an observer is in the boat with the angler and the boat captain.  There are to be three individuals in a boat at all times.  An angler that is not paired with another angler will be paired first at the following meeting.
6. If an angler is present at the club meeting, has PRIORITY STATUS, and there is a shortage of boat captains, and a boat captain is not found at least 24-hours prior to the tournament blast-off time, the angler(s) will be entitled to those points for showing up to fish the tournament and catching 1-fish (3-points).  The angler(s) will also be guaranteed to fish the next month.
7. No two members may be drawn as partners in consecutive month’s tournaments (i.e., no back-to-back draws).
8. Pairings made during club meetings may not be changed without approval of the Tournament Director.
9. Partners and boat captains shall decide between themselves such matters as meeting time, life jackets, transportation, etc.
10. All anglers must remain with their partners and boat captain from launch time until after you have weighed your catch.  Even if you don’t have fish, you must still remain with your partner and boat captain.
11. In the case of an emergency, and an angler is unable to fish a tournament, the angler is required to notify the Tournament Director, boat captain, and the assigned partner.  All participants are required to be present for the start of each tournament.
12. If, by mutual agreement, both anglers in a boat wish to stop fishing prior to the scheduled time of weigh-in, they may do so, however the anglers must remain with their partners and boat captain until both anglers parent/guardian are available.  REMEMBER there should be three individual present at all times.
13. Any angler who, in the judgment of the boat captain, operates the boat in such a manner as to unfairly handicap his partner shall be disqualified.
14. It is the responsibility of the two anglers and the boat captain to hold a full discussion, prior to blast off, as to the schedule of boat operations.  This schedule must permit each angler equal time to fish from the front of the boat and to operate the trolling motor, so as to afford each partner the opportunity to fish his selected waters an equal number of hours, if so desired.  Distance traveled to fishing locations must be considered in order not to deprive either angler fishing time while traveling to and from fishing waters.  If an angler waives any of the above rights, he shall retain the right to select the fishing waters for one-half the tournament day.
15. Anglers must not depart the boat to land fish.
16. Both anglers must remain in boat at all times except in case of dire emergency.  A boat captain has up until 10 minutes before the scheduled weigh-in to notify the Tournament Director of a boat malfunction that may prevent the anglers and boat captain to return to the designated weigh-in site on time.   In such an emergency, anglers may be removed from their boat, to a boat operated by another boat captain of the club for immediate return to the weigh-in site.  All anglers involved in the rescue must cease fishing at the scheduled tournament end time.  If after the emergency situation is resolved by tournament officials and enough time is left for the anglers to resume fishing, a restart will be allowed and the anglers will continue and their catch will be counted.  This applies only to dire emergency situations.
17. Each angler is responsible for keeping his fish separate from his partner’s.

F. TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT

1. Only artificial lures may be used.  No “live bait” or “prepared bait” will be permitted, with exception of pork strips, rinds, etc.
2. Each competitor is allowed six rod and reels for use during tournaments.
3. Only one casting, spin-casting or spinning rod and reel may be used at any one time.  All other types are prohibited.  Other rigs as specified above may be in the boat ready for use, however, only one is permitted in use at any given time.
4. Dip nets are allowed.
5. All bass must be caught live and in a conventional sporting manner.  Anyone guilty of snatching or snagging fish on spawning beds will have their day’s catch disqualified.  When visually fishing for bedding bass, all bass must be hooked inside the mouth to be counted as a legal fish.
6. During tournaments, anglers may not use a CB radio, a VHF marine band radio, cellular phone, or any other type of communication device for the purpose of locating or catching fish.  All anglers will be required to store all communication devices in a dry storage facility of the boat where it will remain until after the tournament is over.  Only in the event of an emergency will anglers be permitted to use a radio or cellular phone during tournaments.  Anglers found using communication devices once a tournament starts will be returned to the ramp immediately.
7. Anyone guilty of any of the above infractions, will have their weight disqualified for that tournament.

G. PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS

1. Selecting tournament sites and dates will be at the discretion of the Tournament Director and the tournament staff.  A list of tournament sites and dates will be distributed to the membership prior to each new tournament year.  Lake selections can be changed due to unforeseen circumstances at discretion of the Tournament Director and his staff.
2. Only that water open to all public fishing will be considered tournament waters.  Fishing on the tournament waters is permitted anywhere except:
   (a) Within 50-yards of any marina gas pump
   (b) Any water within these boundaries posted Off-Limits or NO Fishing by state or federal agencies will be off limits.
   (c) The live bass release area established by the Tournament Director will be off limits and will be announced at the tournament briefing.
   (d) Any waters closed to public fishing will be closed to tournament anglers.

H. OFFICIAL CHECKPOINT

1. At each pairings meeting, the Tournament Director will announce the blast off time, otherwise tournament hours are safe daylight until 1:00 P.M.  Tournament hours can be increased or decreased by the tournament director.
2. There shall be only one official checkpoint for check-out in the morning, and check-in in the afternoon and this point shall be designated at the tournament briefing.
3. Anglers are expected to be at the designated launch sites at least 15 minutes before blastoff.  Tournaments will start at the designated times of the Tournament Director.  Anglers not present at the time of the blastoff run the risk of not fishing that days tournament.
4. At the time of blast off, all anglers, boat captains, and their boat shall be in full conformance with all rules set forth by the Tournament Director.
5. At check-in, all boats shall identify themselves by boat number and competitor’s names, and then proceed immediately to the designated weigh-in area.

I. WEIGH-IN AND FISH CARE DURING TOURNAMENTS

1. No culling of dead fish is permitted.
2. Fish must not be kept on a stringer at any time during the tournament.
3. Tournament standing, auxiliary awards and final winners shall be determined by the weight of each competitor’s catch in total pounds during tournaments.
4. Only largemouth bass will be weighed.
5. The limit shall be five (5) bass.  Any angler bringing in more than five (5) bass will be penalized that days catch and only be entitled to those points for showing up to fish the tournament (2-points).
6. Anglers will at no time have in their possession, in the live well, more than the tournament limit of fish.
7. Tournament official length for bass shall be 14 inches, unless state limit is under 14 inches, in which case the state limit will prevail, or tournament officials provide state exemption cards for fish shorter than 14 inches.  Only bass as described above which measure 14 inches or more in length on an “Official Golden Rule” with mouth closed will be weighed.  Short fish shall result in loss of that fish and 1 pound off total weight.  Anglers with only one fish will lose that fish and 1-point from overall points for the year.  No courtesy measurements will be permitted at the weigh-in station.
8. Each angler must present his catch to the weigh-in official.
9. Don’t kill your catch.  Each angler is expected to keep his bass alive by use of a properly aerated livewell.  Any bass that appears to have been mangled, mashed, mauled or otherwise altered will not be weighed.
10. Dead fish will be determined at the scales by the Tournament Director or the designated weigh-in official.  For the purpose of this rule, a “Dead Fish” will be considered any fish that is not moving.  For each legal dead fish presented at weigh-in, the competitor will be penalized a quarter of a pound of weight.  The Tournament Director and/or his designated appointees shall have the sole authority for assessing penalty points.
11. If a dead fish is the Big Fish of the Tournament, penalty points do not apply toward the Big Fish award.
12. A boat captain has up until 10 minutes before the scheduled weigh-in to notify the Tournament Director of a boat malfunction that may prevent the anglers and boat captain to return to the designated weigh-in site on time.  Failure to notify the Tournament Director of the problem, will result in the anglers being penalized 1 pound for each minute they are late at the weigh-in site.  After 15 minutes the anglers will be disqualified.
13. Do not bring fish to the weigh-in area until asked to do so by Tournament Officials.
14. TIES: In case of a tie, the following tiebreakers will be used in order.
    (a) The individual with the largest number of legal fish weighed in during the competition.
    (b) The individual with largest number of legal LIVE fish weighed in during the competition.
    (c) The individual with the single largest fish.

J. POINTS SYSTEM AND AWARDS

1. The tournament year will consist of 10-tournaments – 8 regular tournaments, the year-end Classic Tournament, and the Florida BASS Federation Nation Junior State Championships.
2. Points will be determined for the eight regular tournaments.  Points do not apply to the Classic Tournament or the FBFN Junior State Championships.
3. Points and awards will be based on appropriate age groups 11-14 and 15-18 so long as there are three anglers or more in each age group as of October 1 of each year, otherwise all ages will compete against each other.
4. The following points system will be applied during the tournament year.
   (a) 6-Points will be awarded to the angler with the heaviest weight of each tournament.
   (b) 5-Points will be awarded to the angler with the second heaviest weight of each tournament.
   (c) 4-Points will be awarded to the angler with the third heaviest weight of each tournament.
   (d) 3-Points will be awarded to the angler with the biggest bass of each tournament.
   (e) 2-Points will be awarded to each angler for fishing the tournament regardless if they caught a fish or not.
   (f) 1-Point will be awarded to anglers for participating in club meetings.  An angler attending every meeting and every tournament during the year will be granted 1-point for participation.
   (g)Special Event Points: Points for Special Events will be determined by the Tournament Director.  Special Events may include Youth or Conservation programs, BASS related functions, and fundraisers held by the club during the year. 
   (h) Catch points will be applied to the number of fish an angler weighs-in during each tournament.
   1. An angler that weighs 5-fish will receive 5-points.
   2. An angler that weighs 4-fish will receive 4-points.
   3. An angler that weighs 3-fish will receive 3-points.
   4. An angler that weighs 2-fish will receive 2-points.
   5. An angler that weighs 1-fish will receive 1-point.
5. In the event there is a tie for total points at the end of the tournament year, the angler with the most tournament wins shall prevail.  Should there still be a tie, then the angler that had the most finishes in the Top 3 of each tournament during the tournament year shall prevail, should a tie still exist, then the angler that caught the most fish during the year shall prevail; and finally if a tie shall still exist, then the angler that has the most weight shall prevail.
6. Plaques will only be awarded for First Place and Big Bass.
7. All awards will be distributed at the next club meeting following the tournament.

K. QUALIFYING FOR THE FBFN JUNIOR STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

1. Only those anglers who retain PRIORITY STATUS will be entitled to fish the FBFN Junior State Championships.

L. QUALIFYING FOR THE CLASSIC AND CLASSIC AWARDS

1. All anglers of the club may fish the Year-End Classic Tournament if they choose to do so, however only the anglers that retain Priority Status during the year will qualify and be eligible to fish for the Year-End Classic Tournament Awards.  All other members will be fishing for the fun of it.
2. The Year-End Classic will be a one-day event and will be held on a body of water selected by the Tournament Director and the tournament staff.
3. Any angler that wants to fish the Classic Tournament must register in person with the Tournament Director or his representative to participate.  A Classic qualified angler that is not going to be present at the club meeting must notify the Tournament Director before the club meeting and disclose their intentions to fish so they may retain priority to fish over unqualified anglers.  All other anglers that wish to fish and are not present at the club meeting are responsible for contacting the Tournament Director at least 24-hours prior to the tournament blast-off time and may only fish as long as space is available.
4. Pairings for the Classic Tournament will be made at the last club meeting of the year, which is to take place prior to the Classic Tournament.
5. The pairings for the Classic Tournament will be as follows:
   a. No more than two anglers and a boat captain will be drawn to fish out of a single boat during the Classic Tournament.  Anglers that qualify for the Classic Tournament will be paired first.  Qualified anglers that are present at the pairings meeting will get first priority and then those anglers not present will be paired.  Qualified anglers will be assigned to each boat until there are no more qualified anglers available.
   b. When a Classic qualified angler is paired with non-qualified angler, the Classic angler has the choice of where to fish and is not required to share part of the day or boat operation with the non-qualified angler if they choose not to do so.
   c. Once all Classic qualified anglers are paired, normal pairing rules apply for the remaining anglers that wish to fish in the Classic Tournament as long as space is available.
   d. All anglers are responsible for paying the boat captain a minimum of $10.00 for expenses in the Classic Tournament.
6. Rules for weighing fish at the Classic Tournament will apply as stated in Tournament Rule I. WEIGH-IN AND FISH CARE DURING TOURNAMENTS.
7. Plaques will be awarded for First Place and the Big Bass of the Classic Tournament.
8. All awards will be distributed at the Year-End Classic Banquet following the tournament.

L. MISCELLANEOUS AWARDS AND RECORDS

1. Angler of the Year (AOY)
   The Angler of the Year will be the angler with most points based on the point system described under Tournament Rule N – POINT SYSTEM.  The Angler of the Year Award will be based on the 8-regular tournaments held during the year.  The club will recognize an Angler of the Year for the appropriate age groups 11-14 and 15-18 so long as there are enough anglers to participate in each age group during the year, otherwise only one angler will be recognized as the overall Angler of the Year.
2. Big Bass of the Year Award
   Each year the angler catching the biggest bass during the tournament year for the appropriate age groups 11-14 and 15-18, will be recognized so long as there are enough anglers to participate in each age group.  This excludes any big bass caught during the Classic tournament; otherwise the biggest bass caught during the regular tournament year will be recognized.