Otter Lake Tournament Series

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TOURNAMENT RULES

REQUIREMENTS TO FISH

- All anglers must be at least 18 years of age, or fishing with a parent or guardian.


TOURNAMENT FEES

- The fee to fish any one tournament will be $40.00 per boat. 

          - $7.00 of each entry fee will go towards the Big Bass pot, which will be paid back to the boat weighing in the largest bass.

          - $5.00 of each entry fee will go towards the kitty for the "Classic" at the end of the year.

          - $3.00 of each entry fee will go towards the "Tournament Fund," which will be set aside to cover any tournament expenses if and when

             they should incur.

          - The remaining $25.00 of each entry fee will be paid back to the top 3 places.  

          - Every team will have the option to get in a side pot for Big Bass. Side pot will be $10 per boat. 1st Big Bass will win 70% of the 

            side pot money, and 2nd Big Bass will win 30% of the side pot money.

- Top 3 places for each tournament will be paid out as follows:

          - 1st Place 50%

          - 2nd Place 30%

          - 3rd Place 20%

- If there are 30 boats or more, top 4 places will be paid out as follows:

           - 1st Place 50%

           - 2nd Place 25%

           - 3rd Place 15%

           - 4th Place 10%


REGISTRATION

- There will be no pre-registration. All registration will take place the day of the tournament.  A tournament director will be at the Otter Lake boat ramp one hour prior to take-off time to collect entry money.


TOURNAMENT RULES

- All decisions made by the tournament committee will be final and binding.

           - 4 anglers will be selected at random, during registration, to serve as tournament committee for that tournament.

           - If tournament committee cannot come to a unanimous decision on a matter, the final decision will be up to the

             tournament directors.

- Live well inspections will be performed by tournament directors on every boat, prior to take-off.  A random angler will inspect

  the tournament director's live well.

- Per Otter Lake regulations, there will be a 115 hp limit.

- Launch order will be drawn for, once all anglers have registered.

- Contestants will not be permitted to use or possess any illegal drugs or substances during a tournament or while on Otter Lake property.

   Doing so will result in disqualification from that tournament and all future tournaments put on by Otter Lake Tournament Series.

- Safe boating must be observed at all times.  All state and local laws and water rules must be adhered to.

- All tournament contestants must have a life jacket on at take-off and anytime the combustion motor is running.

- All boats must have an aerated live well in operating condition.

- All boats must be equipped with a functioning kill switch.

- Only casting, spinning, and spin-casting tackle may be used.

- Only one rod may be used at a time.

           - Extra rods may be rigged and ready for substitutes.

- Only artificial and sport type lures may be used.

- All fishing must be conducted from the boat.

- No contestant will be permitted to fish within 50 yards of another contestant's boat, which has its trolling motor in the water.

- It will be prohibited for a contestant to give or offer fish to any other contestant.  It is also prohibited for any contestant to                               

  accept fish not actually caught by him.  An infraction of this rule will automatically disqualify both contestants from this and all future

  tournaments put on by the Otter Lake Tournament Series.

- All tournaments will start promptly at the designated take-off time.  The tournament directors may change the start time the day of the

  said tournament based on weather conditions, low light, or unsafe fishing.

           - If, due to an emergency, an angler wishing to compete in the tournament is going to arrive late, he must call one of the tournament

             directors to let them know.  He then must immediately find the tournament director on the water, before he does any fishing, to pay

             his dues and to have his live well checked.

                        - Emergencies happen, but habitual tardiness will not be tolerated.

- All contestants are required to be at the check-in on time.  A penalty of 1 pound per minute up to a maximum of 5 minutes, after which

  the contestant will be automatically disqualified.  Valid excuses will be considered by the tournament committee.

           - Contestants will be considered on-time once they are in the "No-wake" zone near the boat ramp, in plain sight, and with no lines in

             the water at or before the designated ending time of the tournament.

- Weigh-in for the tournament will be held at the same place where the boats are launched.

- The tournament directors will be in charge of all weigh-ins. 

- Per Otter Lake regulations, there will be a 15 inch minimum length limit. 

- Per Otter Lake regulations there will be a 5 fish limit per boat.

            - Any contestant bringing in more than the legal limit will be disqualified from the tournament.

            - All fish will be taken in a sporting manner.  Any fish appearing to be mashed or disfigured, in any way, will become subject to

              disqualification of score by the tournament committee.

- Big bass at the weigh-in will break all ties on individual stringers.

           - Contestants are allowed to weigh in 1 big bass of the stringer.

- All fish will be bumped at weigh-in by the tournament directors. 

           - A GOLDEN RULE bump board will be the official bump board.

           - In the event a short fish is weighed in, the short fish as well as the largest fish of the stringer will be disqualified, and will not be

             counted or weighed for official score.

                         - A fish is considered to be short if it is less that 15 inches with it's MOUTH CLOSED.

                         - A courtesy bump will be allowed.  The request must be made to one of the tournament directors before the contestant

                           weighs his stringer.

           - There will be a (.5) half pound deduction for each dead fish weighed in.

                         - A contestant may not weigh in a dead fish as his big bass.

- All fish will be weighed to the hundredth of a pound or to the nearest ounce on the low side of the scale markings.

- Scoring:

            - Only Largemouth Black Bass, Kentucky Spotted Bass, and Smallmouth Bass will be scored for points during the tournament,

            - Scoring will be 100 points for 1st place, 99 points for 2nd place, 98 points for 3rd place, and on down through 50th place for 51

              points.  Contestants who fish the tournament, but fail to weigh in any legal fish will be awarded 50 points for participation.  If there 

              are more than 50 boats, 50 points will be the minimum number of points earned.

- The end of the year "Classic" will be comprised of the top 10 contestants according to points for the season. 

- Any team that wins a season tournament will automatically qualify for the "Classic."  Tournament winners will not be counted towards the top 10 qualifiers for the "Classic."

- In addition to qualifying for the "Classic," the team finishing the season number one overall in points will be deemed "Fishermen of the Year," and both team members will receive plaques. This team will also be granted free entry into every series tournament the following season, with the exclusion of the following year's "Classic."


  - A  copy of all rules and regulations will be handed out to each contestant prior to take-off.  It is the responsibility of each contestant to read and abide by all rules and regulations.   


- Tournament director may add any additional rules or amend rulesas needed.  All contestants will be informed of any and all rule changes.

- Tournament director reserves the right to refuse participation in a tournament to anyone, so long as there is just cause.


PARTNERSHIP

- Contestants are expected to choose their own partner.  Partners will be competing together for one combined 5 fish stringer.

- You must declare your partner at your initial registration.  You may fish with a substitute, as long as one of the original team members is fishing with the substitute.  The boat owner may fish the "Classic" with anyone who he has fished at least one season tournament with.  In the event that the boat owner cannot fish the "Classic," the non-boater who he has declared his partner may fish the "Classic" alone or with anyone who he or his partner has fished a season tournament with.

              - Keep in mind that if you fish alone, Otter Lake regulations permit you take only 3 fish.  Any more than 3 fish weighed in will

              result in automatic disqualification from that tournament.

- Contestants may fish with a replacement partner in any of the regular season tournaments, with points acquired going to the boat.

- In the event that a partnership is broken up, both contestants may find a new partner, but the non-boater who forms a new team will have to start over with zero season points. 

- Contestants may choose to fish alone, but are still required to pay the full $40.00 entry fee, and will only be allowed to weigh-in 3 fish.


PROTESTS

- Any contestant wishing to lodge a protest against the score or against another contestant must do so in writing.  The protestor must sign the protest within 30 minutes following the final weigh-in and give it to a tournament  director for a final decision to be made by the tournament committee.

           - If tournament committee cannot come to a unanimous decision, the final ruling will be that of the tournament directors.