TOURNAMENT
RULES
Times
& Boundaries
1.
Each registrant must designate their choice of Official Inlets; Cape May, NJ or
Manasquan, NJ. Boats must sail from and return to their designated inlet. All
boats must return to their designated port for weigh-in. Canyon Club Resort
Marina is the official weigh-in location for Cape May, NJ. Brielle Yacht Club
is the official weigh-in location for Manasquan Inlet.
2.
Boats are not permitted to clear the Sea Buoy at their designated inlet prior
to 4:30 AM.
3.
Fishing begins at 8:00 AM. No lines or bait of any kind may be put into the
water until starting time.
4.
Fishing ends at 3:30 PM on each scheduled fishing day. Any fish hooked prior to
the deadline may be played until boated or released, provided that said fish is
announced hooked on the tournament channel before the deadline.
5.
Boundaries for the tournament will be 100 nautical miles from either the Cape
May Sea Buoy or Manasquan Inlet Sea Buoy. The boundary is not port specific, all
boats can fish the entire range regardless of port.
6.
Weigh-in begins at 5:00 PM. All eligible fish must be available for weigh-in by
7:30 PM aboard the boat on which they were caught.
Angling
& Fishing
7.
Participants shall comply with I.G.F.A. equipment and angling rules with the
following exceptions: A) A fish may be hooked by someone other than the angler
provided the rod is immediately transferred to the angler after hook-up. From
that time on, the angler must fight the fish alone until boated or released; B)
No Harpoons, dart gaffs, or greensticks; C) Live baiting is not permitted. The
Tournament Directors retain sole authority for interpreting and implementing
the I.G.F.A.’s rules.
8.
There is no limit on the number of lines or teasers.
9.
All billfish released are to be announced on the tournament channel at the time
of the catch. Tuna boated over 50 lbs. should also be reported.
10.
This is a trolling tournament. While hook-ups accomplished with no headway are
permissible if they occur at a time when baits settle while fighting another
fish, the use of live bait or stopping and casting or pitching to tailing fish
or fish balling bait is not permissible.
11.
For release purposes, a fish will be considered caught when the mate grabs the
leader, or the swivel touches the rod tip.
12.
Fishing will be on each scheduled day unless cancelled by the weather committee
by 6:30 AM.
13.
Anglers may not switch to another boat nor can anyone from another boat come
aboard to assist in fighting or boating a fish.
Scoring
& Prizes
14.
Only one day need be fished for the tournament to be considered official &
prizes to be awarded.
15.
Fractional weights will be rounded to the nearest pound.
16.
For release points to count, boats must be dockside by the weigh-in deadline
and submit a Daily Catch Report by 7:30 PM at the official tournament weigh
station.
17.
In the event of a tie, the winner shall be the first boat or team reaching the
winning point accumulation.
18.
In order to be eligible for awards and prizes, fish must be caught in
compliance with all tournament rules. Said rules include conformance to state
and federal size limits and possession of a current NMFS angling, general or
charter/headboat category HMS permit.
19.
All fish eligible for cash prizes may be subject to examination by the
Tournament Directors, consulting biologists and/or Torrymeter, should there be
any question as to the “freshness” of the catch. It shall be the responsibility
of the participant to keep all eligible catches in suitable and proper
condition until weigh-in. In the event of any disputes arising from such
examination, the decision of the Tournament Directors shall be final.
Polygraph examination may be required of winning crews.
Administration
20.
The designated tournament VHF radio channels are 69 (Primary) and 71
(Alternate)
21.
The Tournament Directors and hosting facilities assume no liability or
responsibility for any damage or loss.
22.
In the event of boat disability, contestants may transfer to another boat not
entered in the tournament and may fish in the name of the original, with the
prior approval of the Tournament Directors.
23.
Allegations of violations of any of the above rules may be submitted only by an
official tournament registrant and must be submitted in writing on the day of
the alleged infraction. In the event of such an allegation, the tournament
directors will have the sole and exclusive responsibility to investigate the
alleged incident and to rule as to whether any violation materially aided the
angler, crew, or vessel, or otherwise affected the outcome of the tournament.
Any subsequent penalty will be solely at the discretion of the tournament
directors and shall be final. In all cases, registrant and their crews agree to
be bound by the ruling of the tournament directors.