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Bluefin Open

Bluefin Open

June 6 - June 12, 2022

Presenting Sponsor SPONSOR

Tournament Rules

1. TOURNAMENT RULES

A. Boat Entry Guidelines

2022 MRMTC Bluefin Open Tournament Rules and Awards

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  1. Tournament Entry Fee is $500 or $400 if paid by May 20, 2022. An individual, group of individuals, corporations, partnerships or any other entities having any financial interest in a vessel or more than one vessel is only allowed a maximum of one entry

  2. Only one boat needs to fish one day to make the tournament official and for awards to be presented.

  3. The tournament may be altered, canceled, postponed or extended to other dates by the MRMTC.

  4. Cash, checks and credit cards(for early entry only and processing fee applies) are acceptable forms of payment. If payment is made

    by check, please issue a separate check for the Tournament Entry Fee and a separate check for the total of Calcutta’s entered .

  5. Each boat entered into the tournament will be assigned a Boat Number. Upon registration, the Entrant will be provided with three placards with the Boat Number. These placards must be firmly affixed to the starboard and port sides of the boat during their declared fishing day(s), from prior to departure from Manasquan Inlet through completion of weigh-in or release reporting. The placards shall be placed in an unobstructed location with the Boat Number being visible away from the boat. The third placard is to

    be used for any release Calcutta available at the time of Captain’s Meeting.

B. Federal Legislation and IGFA Rules Apply

  1. All State and Federal Regulations and Rules apply to participants of this tournament.

  2. All-tackle IGFA Rules apply to participants of this tournament except as follows:

    a. Spreaderbarsarepermitted.
    b. A fish may be hooked by anyone on board the boat provided that the rod is immediately transferred to the angler after hook-up. From that time on, the angler must fight the fish alone until the fish is boated or released. Fish may NOT be fought from the rod holder.

4. The use of J-Hooks with bait is permitted in this tournament.

C. Fishing Days, Fishing Times, Inlets and Distance Parameters

  1. All boats must leave from either Manasquan Inlet or Shark River Inlet and return directly to Manasquan Inlet if fish are to be weighed.

  2. There is a fishing distance limit of 75 nautical miles from the Manasquan Inlet Sea Buoy.

  3. Each boat is allowed to fish a maximum of 1 day.

  4. The times for departure from and return to the inlet are as follows:

a. Boats may not depart either inlet earlier than 12:00 AM the evening prior to their declared fishing day.
b. AnyboatleavingtheinletearlywillbedisqualifiedfromtheTournamentinitsentiretyandallfeespaidshallbeforfeited. c. Boats must return to the inlet by 6:45 PM on the days from Wednesday, June 8th to Saturday, June 11th.
d. Boatsmustreturntotheinletby4:45PMonSunday,June12
th.

Participants are assumed to have all necessary permits and registrations required by law. For permit and registration

information, visit https://hmspermits.noaa.gov/ or call the HMS Management Division at (978) 281-9260, and visit

www.saltwaterregistry.nj.gov/ However, it is not the responsibility of the tournament officials or di rectors to verify that all

required permits, licenses and/or registrations are acquired by anglers participating in the tournament. All Bluefin Open

participants must report their catches and releases via the NOAA fish catch reporting website:

https://hmspermits.noaa.gov/catchReports. Charterboat/Headboat and HMS Angling permitted vessels must adhere to HMS

Angling RECREATIONAL RULES for catch retention limits. Atlantic Tuna General Category permitted vessels must comply with

Atlantic Tunas General Category regulations when fishing for, retaining, possessing, or landing Atlantic Tunas.

  1. All boats must declare their fishing day no later than 11:59 PM the day prior to the day the boat is fishing.

  2. To declare a fishing day, a representative from the boat must call (732) 612-8052 and leave a message with the following

    information: Entrants Name, Boat Name, Boat Number, time of call, and the day fishing. Should there be a problem with that phone number or it’s recording of your message, the alternate phone number for calling is (732) 423-6520 . If no message is received, the boat will be considered NOT fishing that day..

  1. In the event of a participant boat disability prior to a fishing day, participants may transfer to a substitute boat and assu me the

    disabled boatnumber without paying an additional entry fee. Any/all Calcutta’s entered by the disabled boat would then also apply to the substitute boat. The disabled and substitute boat must be reported to the MRMTC prior to departure for that day s fishing by contacting MRMTC officials Christian Guthrie at 908-596-0701 or Brian Kimmins at 732-614-3841.

  2. In the event of a boat breaking down after departure from Manasquan Inlet or Shark River Inlet, that boat will be granted a substitute fishing day as long as all of the following conditions are satisfied:

    1. The boat must commence its’ return to port as soon as safety of the crew is addressed.

    2. Theboatmustcallintoreportits’breakdownassoonascommunicationcanbemadewithanMRMTCOfficial.Thereportshall

      include the boat name, boat number and a description of the breakdown including time, location, return progress and estimated

      time of arrival at Manasquan Inlet.

    3. The boat must return to Manasquan Inlet or Shark River Inlet by 10:00 A.M. on the same day it departed. The boat must call in

      to an MRMTC Official as soon as it enters port.

    4. Fishinglinesshallhavenotbeenplacedinthewater.

    5. The boat shall be made available to a MRMTC official for confirmation of the breakdown.

  1. Reporting and Weigh-In Procedures

    1. All boats having fish for weigh-in must return from sea through Manasquan Inlet and call-in to the MRMTC Weigh Master (VHF #65, VHF #71, phone (732) 423-6520 upon entering the inlet. Boats not having fish to weigh-in are also requested to call in to the MRMTC Weigh Master upon entering the inlet so that the weigh scale does not need to remain unnecessarily open.

    2. An MRMTC observer will be at Manasquan Inlet to monitor the arrival of participant boats returning from sea. Any boats entering the Manasquan Inlet later than the time deadline will not be eligible to weigh-in fish.

    3. To be eligible for awards, all fish must be weighed-in on the boat’s declared fishing day. All fish must be weighed-in at Brielle Yacht Club between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM for the days Wednesday June 8th through Saturday, June 11th, and between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM on Sunday, June 12th.

    4. All fish must be brought to the weigh scale by the participant boat upon which the fish was caught.

    5. Upon submitting a fish for weigh-in, the angler responsible for landing the fish will be required to fill out an MRMTC Weigh Slip

      that must be signed by the angler and the MRMTC Weigh Master.

    6. An MRMTC BLUEFIN OPEN official weigh slip will be included in your registration packet, additional weigh slips will be availa ble at

      the weigh scale upon your return as well.

    7. All weights will be rounded off to the nearest 1/10th of a pound.

    8. All release times are to be reported in hours and minutes.

    9. The MRMTC Weigh Scale closure time allows 15 minutes from the deadlines for entering Manasquan Inlet for boats to navigate to

      Brielle Yacht Club. Should a participant boat encounter a situation (such as a RR bridge closure, extreme river congestion, etc.) whereby the participant boat suspects that the 15 minutes may not be sufficient time to get to Brielle Yacht Club, the participant boat shall immediately contact the MRMTC Weigh Master (VHF #65, VHF #71, phone (732) 423-6520 and advise of the Boat Name, Boat Number, its location and the prevailing circumstances.

    10. Observersarenotrequiredforweigh-inentries.

  2. Fishing Guidelines

1. This is a trolling, jigging, casting/popping and/or chunking tournament. 2

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Boats may also declare a fishing day via the MRMTC BLUEFIN OPEN APP, available in the App store as well as Google Play

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Marketplace.

  1. Fish species available for weigh-in awards are Bluefin tuna, unless otherwise notified at the Captain’s Meeting.

  2. A maximum of twelve (12) hooked lines may be used for fishing.

  3. This is a recreational fishing tournament. No commercial gear such as green sticks, bandit gear, etc. or similar recreational gear

    may be used. Use of spotter planes, drones or any other types of aerial surveillance is also prohibited.

  4. Use of harpoons is prohibited, fish fought from a rod holder are disqualified.

  5. Once a boat leaves the inlet, no outside assistance of any nature may be rendered to that vessel. The providing of fuel, bait , tackle

    or mechanical assistance etc. to allow for the enhancement or continuation of fishing is strictly prohibited and will result in disqualification of that entry.

F. Protest

  1. Protests must be officially submitted in writing, with cash or a check in the amount of $250 made payable to MRMTC. The protest must include the Boat Name, Boat Number, anglers name and phone number, a detailed description of the protested matter and include any supporting evidence available. The protest must be signed by the protesting angler and submitted to the MRMTC Weigh Master. If the protest stands, the $250 will be returned.

  2. The MRMTC Weigh Master may protest any catch.

  3. Any protested catches may be retained by MRMTC for further evaluation.

  4. MRMTC retains the right to engage a Marine Biologist to determine fish species, freshness and condition of a fish in dispute.

  5. Protests will only be entertained for violations of IGFA/MRMTC Bluefin Open Tournament Rules. MRMTC will not entertain protests

    for failure to have necessary permits and/or registrations. It is the participating Entrant’s responsibility to ensure compliance with

    all applicable state and federal regulations.

  6. Allegations of violations of any of the above rules may be submitted only by an official tournament registrant and must be

    submitted in writing prior to the closure of the scale 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 wh ether any violation materially aided the angler, crew, or vessel, or otherwise affected the outcome of the tou rnament. Any subsequent penalty will be solely at the discretion of the tournament directors and shall be final. In all cases, registrant s and their crews agree to be bound by the ruling of the tournament directors. The tournament committee has the right to protest any fish at any time prior to final closing of the scales.

  7. Any and all counsel fees, expert witness fees and all costs which are required by MRMTC to defend or prosecute any claim arising from this tournament shall be paid from the following sources and in the following order: 1) base entry awards 2) Calcutta involved in claim 3) all remaining Calcutta’s.

G. Money Payout Procedures

  1. In the event of a tie on weight, the award for the tied placements are combined and averaged for awards determination, i.e. if there is a tie for first place, the first and second place awards (50% & 30%) are combined and each winner will receive 40%.

  2. Award money will be paid by check in the name of the Entrant whose name appears on the Bluefin Open Entry Form or any individual crewmember.

  3. Any entrant and any crew member may, at the discretion of MRMTC Tournament Committee officials, be required to take a polygraph test prior to awarding of prize monies. MRMTC Officials will notify subject participants of the need to take a polygraph test. Participants must make themselves available for polygraph testing in the Manasquan River area within 48 hours following notification from MRMTC Officials. In the event that the polygraph test cannot be taken at the scheduled time and location, MRMTC reserves the right to reschedule the test within 30 days of the tournament end date. The rescheduled test will be at the angler’s expense. All polygraph tests will be administered by a MRMTC approved examiner.

  4. All winners will be required to submit federal/state tax information before any award will be presented. A 1099 tax form will be issued to all award recipients.

  5. Awards will be presented at the Awards Party. If a protest or polygraph test has not been resolved by that time, the disputed award will be made as soon as the issue is resolved.

    6. In the event of polygraph tests needing to be administered, the effected awards will be deferred until the polygraph test results are reviewed and a decision is finalized by the tournament committee.

MRMTC & Rule Interpretation

  1. The MRMTC 2021 Bluefin Open Rules have been established for the best interest of all concerned. In the event of necessity, any rule may be altered at the discretion of the MRMTC.

  2. All interpretation of the Rules and final decisions will rest with the MRMTC.

  3. If the official MRMTC Weigh Scale at Brielle Yacht Club becomes malfunctioning, the MRMTC will establish an alternate official

    scale for continuation of weigh-ins until such time as the MRMTC Weigh Scale is repaired or replaced.

TOURNAMENT DATES

Captains Meeting Monday June 6th 2022, 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the Pig & Parrot, Located at Brielle Yacht Club

Fishing days- Wednesday, June 8, 2022 through Sunday, June 12th 2022.

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3. TOURNAMENT AWARDS
A. Tournament Entry Fee Awards 
– Only Bluefin Tuna Less Than 73 inches qualify for Base Entry

1. The distribution of Entry Fee award money will be as follows:

Heaviest Bluefin Tuna less than 73” – 50%
Second Heaviest Bluefin Tuna less than 
73” – 30% Third Heaviest Bluefin Tuna less than 73” – 20%

B. Calcutta Awards

1. The entry fee for each Calcutta is listed below and the distribution of Calcutta award money will be as follows:

Bluefin – Skill Level A: Entry Fee - $1,000
Awards: Heaviest Bluefin Tuna 
Less Than 73” – 50%

Second Heaviest Bluefin Tuna Less Than 73” –30% Third Heaviest Bluefin Tuna Less Than 73” –20%

Bluefin – Skill Level B: Entry Fee - $400
Awards: Heaviest Bluefin Tuna 
Less Than 73” – 60%

Second Heaviest Bluefin Tuna Less Than 73” –40%

Bluefin – Skill Level C: Entry Fee - $200
Awards: Heaviest Bluefin Tuna 
Less Than 73” – 60%

Second Heaviest Bluefin Tuna Less Than 73” –40%

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Bluefin – High Roller: Bluefin Heaviest Double:

Bluefin Heaviest Triple:

Heaviest Under Double:

Bluefin Heaviest Under:

Boats 32’ and less A

Boats 32’ and less B Boats 32’ and less Double

Entry Fee - $1,000
Awards: Heaviest Bluefin Tuna Less than 73
” Winner Take All.

Entry Fee- $500
Awards: Any combination of 2 heaviest Bluefin Tuna 
Less Than 73”. Must weigh two Bluefin to qualify

for Double.
First Place - 50% Second Place 
– 30% Third Place – 20%

Entry Fee- $300
Awards: Any combination of 3 heaviest Bluefin Tuna 
Less Than 73”. Must weigh three Bluefin to

qualify for Triple. One fish over 47” and two fish under 47”. First Place - 60%
Second Place 
– 40%

Entry Fee - $300
Awards: Heaviest TWO 
Bluefin Under 47” MUST weigh two Bluefin under 47” to qualify for under

double.
First Place - 60% Second Place 
– 40%

Entry Fee - $300
Awards: Heaviest 
Bluefin Under 47” First Place - 60%
Second Place 
– 40%

Entry Fee- $300
Awards: Heaviest Bluefin Tuna 
Less than 73” – First Place - 60%
Second Place 
– 40%

Entry Fee- $100
Awards: Heaviest Bluefin Tuna 
Less than 73” – Winner Take All

Entry Fee - $300
Awards: Any combination of 2 heaviest Bluefin Tuna 
Less Than 73”. Must weigh two Bluefin to qualify for Double.
First Place - 60%
Second Place 
– 40% Daily Jackpot (Bluefin Tuna Less than 73”): Entry Fee - $100 In order to join this Calcutta, the Entrant must enter at least one of the Tuna Skill Levels (A, B, C, or Double, Triple or Under) above.

Awards: Largest tuna weighed on the day – Winner takes all for prorated day

Costa Release Award: Included free in all base entries. Rule details below in #5

  1. Registration for the Calcutta’s will be during the Captains Meeting, Monday, June 6th at Pig & Parrot, 6:00 pm to 8:00 PM.

  2. Each boat may enter as many Calcutta’s as desired.

  3. The Daily Jackpot purse will be 1/5th of the money collected in the Daily Jackpot Calcutta. For any particular day in which no Bluefin

    tuna are brought to the scale, that day’s purse will be evenly distributed amongst all Daily Jackpot winners.

  4. The Costa Release Award is included in all base entries and will be a raffle held on Sunday 6/12 at the Awards Ceremony. To be eligible for this award, you must submit a weigh slip to the weigh dock on the day you fish during the weigh in hours for that given day. You must also submit a picture of the fish you’re releasing either on deck or still in the water. If still in the water, you must have the fish boatside with leader in hand and fish visible. Boat number must be included in your picture with the fish you ’re releasing. You must submit weigh image to win@mrmtc.com. You must be present at the awards to win. Awards ceremony will be held on

    Sunday 6/12 at Pig & Parrot from 5:30-7:30 PM. *Maximum 1 release slip per entry can be submitted into the raffle.