Here is the rules and format for the 2016 Fishlife Big Bass Battle. Still working on the locations and dates
2016 Fishlife Big Bass Battle
Fishlife’s commitment to conservation dictates some rules that are not common to most tournaments. Please make sure you are familiar with all rules before participating in any of our tournaments.
ALL tournaments are open to all individuals regardless of race, creed, color or gender. Contestants may fish alone or with a partner(s) with no limit to the number of people per boat as long as you do not exceed the USCG rating plate in the boat. If there is no plate then you may not fish out of that boat. No one under the age of 18 may fish without being accompanied by an adult.
ALL decisions and interpretations of the rules made by the Tournament Director is final.
REGISTRATION:Entry fee is $50 PER CONTESTANT. You may register online or you may print the entry form, fill out entirely and bring it with you to the tournament. Please remember that you will NOT be registered until payment has been made and received.
Registration on the morning of the tournament will be accepted on a cash or credit card basis only. Payment by credit card on the morning of the tournament will be charged a $10 processing fee per entry fee.
Registration forms must be completed in full and turned in.
Boat numbers will be assigned in order of paid registrations accepted.
Boat numbers will be issued for safe blast off purposes only. After blast off there will be no need for boat numbers.
When weighing in you must present your state issued drivers license for verification of identity and your name must be on the roster of participants.
Check in will start at 3:30 am and will be open until 8:00 am. Initial blast off will be at safe light. Final weigh in will be at 3:00pm. All participating anglers must check in and blast off at weigh in location. You may launch from another ramp and come by water but your boat must be checked in at the weigh in location.
Format: The official scales will open at 8am. Individual anglers will be allowed to weigh in until 9am which will be the close of the 1st period. At 9am the angler with the largest fish during that period will be awarded $500. The 2nd period will open at 9:01am and will close at 10am.
The Official Weigh In Periods will be:
Period 1 – 8:00am – 9:00am / Period 2 – 9:01am – 10:00am / Period 3 – 10:01am – 11:00am / Period 4 - 11:01am – 12:00pm / Period 5 – 12:01pm – 1:00pm / Period 6 – 1:01pm – 2:00pm / Period 7 – 2:01pm – 3:00pm
The overall Big Bass of the day will be awarded $1000. No one may weigh more than 1 fish per hour. In the event of a tie, the angler that weighs in first will be awarded the win.
PARTICIPATION/ELIGIBILITY: The Fishlife Big Bass Battle is open to all anglers as long as you have a valid State of Alabama Fishing License.
OFF LIMITS / PRE-TOURNAMENT PRACTICE: The lake will go into an off limits period at 5pm on the preceding Sunday of the tournament and will open at safe daylight of the tournament date.
HOURS: Tournament hours will be from safe light until 3:00 PM. Blast off will be by boat number. Note: The Fishlife Big Bass Battle reserves the right to adjust tournament hours as needed or at our discretion.
CHECK-IN: Failure for participants to check-in at weigh-in or notifying a tournament official that you are off the water may result in disqualification. Official check-in area is neither the pier nor the launch unless there is a Fishlife Tournament official present. Contestants who are not in the official check-in area by 3:00 PM will result in a disqualification. The Fishlife Big Bass Battle reserves the right to adjust tournament hours as needed or at our discretion.
OFFICIAL CHECKPOINTS: There will be only one official checkpoint for boat check-in the morning for when arriving by vehicle and trailer and one official check when arriving by water 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 official checkpoint in the afternoon will result in losing credit for that days catch. All competitors and their boats must be in full compliance with tournament rules before they can depart from the official check point in the morning. All fishing must cease upon check-in in the afternoon.
WEIGH-IN: Scales will open at 8AM. No Dead Fish Will Be Weighed. Remember, the Fishlife Bass Tour puts conservation first.
Scales will close at 3pm. If you are in the weigh-in line at this time you will be weighed, if not you will be disqualified.
Places of finish for a given tournament will be determined by total weight scored in pounds and hundredths of pounds.
In the event of a tie, the angler that weighs in first will receive the win for the designated period.
It is the angler’s responsibility to be aware of size restrictions for the given lake the tournament is on. If an angler tries to weigh an undersized fish, they will be disqualified for the remainder of the event. Remember, the Fishlife Bass Tour puts conservation first.
TRAILERING: No Trailering is allowed.
There will be no swapping of fish between boats. If anyone is caught doing this, both boats will be disqualified and banned from any Fishlife Big Bass Battle events.
SAFETY: Safe and Lawful boating must be observed at all times. Each contestant is required to wear a chest type life preserver anytime the boat is on plane. All boats must be equipped with approved U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment as required to be compliant with the size of vessel being used. Boat motors must not exceed USCG rating plate. This includes working navigation lights and a kill switch.
INSURANCE & LIABILITY: It is the sole responsibility of all Fishlife Big Bass Battle participants to carry and maintain the mandated, state required minimum liability coverage for themselves and their passengers. Contestants also need to be aware that not all insurance policies cover tournament participation, therefore all parties involved with the Fishlife Big Bass Battle must consult with their insurance company prior to competing in any Fishlife Big Bass Battle event. By participating in a Fishlife Big Bass Battle sanctioned event, all contestants by virtue of their entry agree to release, hold harmless, and absolve Fishlife Big Bass Battle Staff, Tournament Sponsors, Co-Sponsors and their employees, officers or agents from any and all responsibility for any damage or personal injury that results from their participation in the tournament or related activities. Contestants are required to have in their possession and provide proof, upon request, of coverage to the tournament director.
ALCOHOL & DRUGS: During tournament hours, no alcoholic beverages or narcotic drugs (unless prescription drugs prescribed to the user, and must not be the operator of the vessel) may be consumed or allowed in the boat while on the water. Operator must be coherent at all times. Any use of alcohol or drugs during the entire Fishlife Big Bass Battle event will result in disqualification
SPORTSMANSHIP: All anglers are expected to act and conduct themselves in a professional manner. Displaying of poor sportsmanship, willful violation of rules and Local, State or Federal laws, and bringing unfavorable publicity to the sport of bass fishing shall be grounds for disqualification. If one member is disqualified, the entire boat shall be disqualified. Fishlife Big Bass Battler reserves the right to revoke entry fee at any time without remuneration. Fishlife Big Bass Battle also reserves the right to refuse service to any angler seeking to participate in sanctioned events. Fishlife Big Bass Battle participants are required to cooperate with tournament officials boats for the purposes of boat inspection, photography, and sponsor and media requests.
TACKLE & EQUIPMENT: Intentional snagging of fish will not be allowed. Trolling with the aid of combustion is not permitted. Only artificial lures may be used. No live bait or prepared bait permitted with the exception of pork rinds. Liquid fish attractants are allowed. Only one (1) rod may be used at any one time by each angler. Other rods may be in the boat and ready for use, however, every cast and retrieve must be completed before another cast is made. Rods may not exceed eight feet in length. The use of underwater cameras is not allowed during competition. Nets may not have a handle in excess of eight (8) feet in length. All boats must be equipped with a functional bilge pump, aerated live well space adequate for the contestants to maintain a live limit catch.
PERMITTED FISHING AREAS: Fishing on the tournament waters is permitted anywhere except: (A) within 50 yards of another competitors boat whether anchored or on the trolling motor. All such boats are required to advise any other competitor when such boat believes the competitor is close to being within this 50-yard radius. No such boat shall permit selected competitors to fish within the 50-yard circle claimed by him, to the exclusion of any other competitor; (B) any water within these boundaries posted Off-Limits or No Fishing by state or federal agencies will be OFF-LIMITS.Fishing within 50 yards of the event boat launch or areas where live fish have been released is not allowed.
RESERVED AREAS: No person may “hold” or “reserve” a fishing area for a contestant at any time. Infraction of this rule will result in disqualification of all parties involved.
INFORMATION SHARING: Once an event has started, or from 5:00pm the preceding Sunday prior to each event a contestant cannot receive help or information about how/where to catch fish from anyone or any means other than public sources such as fishing forums.
RADIO OR PHONE TRANSMITTING: Transmittal of fishing information via phone, radio, and text messaging or other means of communication concerning any aspect of fishing during a tournament is prohibited. Communication between contestants may be used for breakdowns, emergencies, business, or personal reasons excluding the sharing of fishing information. Use of social media is allowed however no fishing information may be exchanged or received.
REGISTRATION & PRE-TOURAMENT MEETINGS: Registrations are accepted until 8am the morning of the event. Each contestant must check in. There will be no pre tournament meetings for the 2016 season however the Fishlife Big Bass Battle reserves the right to amend this rule if needed.
OFFICIAL BOATS: Officials may be on the waters during contest hours and can approach or observe any contestant’s boat. Each contestant is required to cooperate with all reasonable requests from media representatives or officials.
FISH TRANSPORT: Restricting natural movement of fish by any means such as but not limited to: use of nets, tanks or dams will result in immediate disqualification. Restricting access to waters normally accessible to anglers by any means such as but not limited to: felling of trees or placement of obstructions will result in disqualification. Transporting live game fish taken in one area and releasing them in another area for the purpose of catching or establishing a population in the new area, during the tournament, or 30 days prior to the tournament is strictly prohibited and grounds for disqualification.
SIGHTFISHING: This rule concerns “sight or bedding” bass and is in effect at any time either of these conditions exist, and is designed to eliminate illegal snagging of bass. Intentional snagging of fish will not be allowed. A sight or bedding fish is defined as one that can be seen and watched as it approaches the lure. Fish caught under these conditions must be caught by hook and line and by the fish ingesting the lure. Any bass caught that is either a “sight” or “bed” fish must be caught “hook in mouth with the hook point entering from the inside of the mouth” – and must be verified as a legal catch by the angler’s in-boat partner. Any “sight” or “bed” fish caught by snagging or with hook starting from outside the mouth shall be deemed an illegally caught fish and must be released. This same fish may be caught again by the legal method – with the hook starting from inside the mouth. Any angler catching a fish under these conditions and not verifying the hook location with the other person in the boat may be disqualified from the tournament. Standing on seats, or motor or the use of ladder or raised platform for the purpose locating or fishing for bedding fish is not permitted.
TOURNAMENT CREEL LIMIT: Each participant may only weigh 1 fish per hour and may only have a maximum of 3 fish per contestant in their possession at all times.
Any fish that “appears” to have been tampered with such as cutting the tail to fall within slot limits will be disqualified.
Other considerations concerning length of fish or slot limit will be governed by State and Local laws for that particular body of water.
Only Black Bass (Largemouth, Spotted, or Smallmouth) will be weighed. Fish weighed must meet the minimum length according to the Golden Rule or equivalent measurement system to be determined by the State of Alabama Regulations according to the lake that is being fished. It is the participant’s responsibility to make sure they know and understand the requirements of each lake and any rules contrary to state limits.
CULLING FISH: It is the responsibility of each team to have no more than the tournament limit in their live well during the event. Culling must be performed at the time a fish is caught that puts you over the tournament limit. Culling is not allowed at the ramp or dock.
BREAKDOWN-EMERGENCIES: Anglers are not permitted to leave their boats nor touch another boat without the approval of the tournament director, with the exception of an emergency or major equipment failure during the tournament. In this case, it is permitted to be towed either to safety or back to the weigh-in area by any safe means available. You may not transport fish by land if you choose to trailer back to the weigh-in area; however, you may have your fish transported to the weigh-in by another tournament boat participating in the same event. Transported fish must be held separate from another contestant’s fish. At least one person must stay with your fish at all times and neither angler is permitted to fish while under the assistance of another boat during the breakdown period.
WINNINGS/MONEY: Payback for all events will be by check or cash and made out or paid to the individual who placed in the money in the event. Any participants who win over $599 in a calendar year and receive a check in their name will receive an IRS Form 1099 at the end of the year.
PRIZES: Awards during all Fishlife Big Bass Battle events require the winners to be present at the time the awards are distributed. Winners not present at the awards ceremony will forfeit any and all prizes selected for them. If your name is called for an award as the result of placement in the tournament and you are not present, then the next placed competitor will receive the award. If the next competitor does not claim the prize, one more attempt will be made for a third competitor. If a third competitor does not come forward then the award and or prize will become the property of the Fishlife Big Bass Battle.
PROTEST: All protests must be submitted in writing within 10 minutes after the official closing of the scales. A re-weigh may be requested while at the scale only. Any team asking for a re-weigh will be given one; however no matter the outcome that team will take the re-weigh weight for their official weight
POLYGRAPH: All contestants are subject to a polygraph test. Failure to submit is grounds for automatic disqualification. Any contestant who has failed a polygraph test in any bass tournament or contest or whose results are found to be inconclusive shall not be eligible to compete in the Fishlife Big Bass Battle. Polygraph and voice stress testing are performed at the discretion of the tournament director.
PHOTOGRAPH & VIDEO: All photos and or video taken at a Fishlife Big Bass Battle event are the property of the Fishlife Big Bass Battle and may be used for promotional purposes. If you are approached by media you are expected to present yourself in a professional manner and accommodate them within reason. During weigh in you are expected to present yourself in a professional manner and answer the questions to the best of your ability. Remember, you are representing our sport.
Any form of cheating or malpractice will result in immediate disqualification from current and future Fishlife Big Bass Battle events. By your participation in this tournament, you agree to comply with the all rules of the Fishlife Big Bass Battle.
The Tournament Committee, whose decision will be final, will resolve any and all conditions that may arise which are not covered by the above.
-- Edited by Jody Harrison on Wednesday 25th of November 2015 03:19:53 PM
