Tournament Rules

1. SAFETY: Boats shall have all required safety equipment, and be in compliance with USCG regulations. Life jackets shall be worn and the driver will have the kill switch connected to his person whenever boat is on plane. The Tournament Director has the right to inspect boats and may delay or cancel the start of a tournament for severe weather or factors that endangers the safety of competitors. Violation is loss of all weight for the day.

2 ALCOHOL/NARCOTICS: Competitors may not consume alcohol immediately before or during tournament hours. Participants will not operate a boat under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. Violation is disqualification from the tournament.

3. SPORTSMANSHIP: All angling must be done from the boat. Competitors may not leave the boat to land fish or to make the boat more accessible to fishing waters. Competitors may not fish within 50 yards of another competitor’s boat, unless by mutual consent. All fish must be caught alive and in a conventional sporting manner. Violation is disqualification from the tournament.

4. TACKLE AND TROLLING: Only artificial baits/lures may be used. Only one rod may be used at a time, others may be rigged and ready, but each cast must be retrieved before another is made. Landing nets may be used to land fish. Trolling with the combustion motor is prohibited. Violation is disqualification from the tournament.

5. EXPENSES: Non-boater is responsible to pay designated per diem rate to the boater prior to the start of the tournament. Failure to pay the designated per-diem makes the angler ineligible for any future tournaments until paid.

6. PERMITTED WATERS: Competitors may not fish waters posted Off-Limits or No Fishing. Violation is disqualification from the tournament.

7. TOURNAMENT START: Competitors may not begin fishing until the official start time. Teams start in the order they were drawn. The last team drawn is the starter boat. The starter will call out team numbers to start each boat. The next boat may proceed once the preceding boat is on plane. Teams not prepared to start for whatever reason when their number is called must wait and will not proceed until after the starter boat. Violation is loss of half (½) of all weight for the day.

8. WEIGH-IN SITE/TIME: The Tournament Director designates the official weigh-in site/time prior to the start of the tournament. The Tournament Director is the official timekeeper. All Competitors must weigh-in at the designated site. Trailering is permitted. Penalty is 0.50 lbs for each one (1) minute competitor is late to the weigh-in, and is deducted from the competitor’s biggest fish. Competitors more than fifteen (15) minutes late lose all weight for the day.

9. BASS BAG AND SLOT LAKES: Only largemouth, smallmouth, spotted and guadeloupe bass are scored. Competitors may present up to five bass per weigh-in. The following rules apply on “slot” or “restricted possession” lakes:

a. Competitor will measure partner’s “slot” fish. Measurements are rounded down to the nearest ¼”. Fish are measured, recorded and released. Measurement is taken with mouth closed, and tail pinched or turned in a way to obtain maximum length.

b. Fish outside the “slot” are presented at the weigh-in. Unless, number of fish outside the “slot” exceeds lake possession limits, then the biggest fish allowed by possession limits will be presented at the weigh-in. All other fish will be measured, recorded and released. Fish are considered presented at the weigh-in when they are transferred from the competitor’s weigh bag to the weigh-in basket. Violation of state or lake possession limits is loss of all weight for the day.

10. SHORT FISH: Minimum length for all CTBA tournaments is fourteen (14) inches. The Check-it-Stick is the official measuring board. Short bass that fail to measure fourteen (14) inches are not scored. Penalty for one “short” bass presented at the weigh-in is 1.00 lbs. Penalty for more than one “short” bass is loss of all weight for the day. During paper tournaments fish not measured with the Check-it-Stick will not be counted.

11. DEAD FISH: Each boat is expected to have adequate live-wells to keep fish alive. All live fish shall be released. Penalty for each dead fish presented at the weigh-in is 0.25 lbs.

12. TEAM PAYOUT: Scoring is based on the team’s combined stringer weight. Payout is 100%, and distributed as follows: For 8 or more teams entered; 1st - 50%, 2nd - 30%, 3rd - 20%. For 5-7 teams entered; 1st - 60%, 2nd - 40%. For 4 teams or less; 1st - 100%.

13. BIG BASS POT: The biggest bass (by weight) outside the slot presented at the weigh-in shall win the “Big Bass Pot”. If no bass are caught outside the slot, then the biggest bass scored on the paperweight chart shall win. The “Big Bass Pot” is a separate cash award, and is paid out 100% to the winner.

14. TIES: In the case of ties, cash awards will be combined and then divided equally between the tied teams.

Length	Weight	Length	Weight
14	1.47	19	3.90
¼	1.56	¼	4.06
½	1.64	½	4.23
¾	1.74	¾	4.41
15	1.83	20	4.59
¼	1.93	¼	4.77
½	2.03	½	4.96
¾	2.14	¾	5.16
16	2.25	21	5.36
¼	2.36	¼	.57
½	2.48	½	5.78
¾	2.60	¾	6.00
17	2.73	22	6.22
¼	2.86	¼	6.45
½	3.00	½	6.68
¾	3.14	¾	6.92
18	3.28	23	7.17
¼	3.42	¼	7.42
½	3.58	½	7.68
¾	3.73	¾	7.94

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