Tournament Rules

Tournament winner will be vessel that accumulates the most overall points. Fish can be weighed Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at either weigh stations. All vessels must return and radio register with OBBC weigh station boat at Oak Bluffs Harbor Entrance by 5pm on all fish days except for Saturday, which will be 2pm. Once checked in with OBBC committee boat, tournament vessels must verbally declare which weigh station they are going to. Tournament catch forms and release footage must be submitted when weighing fish. Be sure and review points structure.

FISH DAYS--IMPORTANT
All vessels will be allowed to fish 2 out of the 4 tournament fish days. Vessels will be allowed to fish overnight. All vessels planning to fish single days must return by designated times on that same day of departure. Vessels can leave at midnight. Vessels can leave from any port. All vessels must declare departure BEFORE leaving the dock by using the tournament phone app and clicking the "Start Trip" button. Be sure and familiarize yourself with the app, and get it working before you plan to fish. Because of the awards ceremony on Saturday, boats returning that day will have an abbreviated fishing time, and must be checked in by 2pm, not 5pm.

Boat Points For Qualifying Fish

BLUE MARLIN: 300 points for each released fish (unlimited releases allowed)
WHITE MARLIN: 100 points for each released fish (unlimited releases allowed)
ROUNDSCALE SPEARFISH: 100 points for each released fish (unlimited releases allowed)
BLUEFIN TUNA: 75 points for released fish (3 fish allowed total for tournament)
SWORDFISH: 2 points per pound (60" inch minimum, 1 fish maximum to be weighed in per vessel) and 100 points per released and or caught fish (3 fish maximum to count in tournament regardless of kill/release) *swordfish catches will only count as 1 pt per pound in all billfish calcuttas
YELLOWFIN: 1 point per pound (2 fish allowed total for tournament)
ALBACORE: 1 point per pound (2 fish allowed total for tournament)
BIG EYE: 1 point per pound (2 fish allowed total for tournament)
DOLPHIN: 1 point per pound (1 fish allowed total for tournament)
WAHOO: 1 point per pound (2 fish allowed total for tournament)

2022 OBBC Tournament Rules

All entrants must sign and/or check the respective "I agree" boxes on the online tournament REGISTRATION form in regards to the POLYGRAPH and INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT before being eligible to register for the event. Any breach of any of the above Tournament Rules will result in disqualification. Decisions of the Tournament Committee are final.

1. Upon departure, all tournament vessels must declare their start time and trip departure by clicking the "Start Trip" section of the OBBC tournament app. This procedure will alert tournament officials the GPS location and time of each vessel's departure. Your cell phone's "location" mechanism must be turned on to use the app correctly. Vessels who do not declare a trip departure before leaving the dock will not be able to count that day of fishing. Once a vessel declares a departure/start trip, it cannot be changed. Vessels encountering mechanical failure issues WILL be allowed to switch vessels but must continue fishing their originally declared trip. Vessels can also declare departure by texting a clear picture of vessel's chartplotter containing both a GPS time stamp and tournament catch flag. This pic and boatname must be texted to tournament staff at 508-221-5136.
2. Calcuttas can be registered on Tuesday July 12th at Summercamp registration room 2pm - 6pm. If you are unable to attend the on island registration, calcuttas can also be registered at the Falmouth registration tent location at MacDougalls Marina 2pm - 6pm.
3. Tournament packets which contain tournament programs and tournament catch flags must be picked up in person at check in at one of the 2 tournament registration locations. For vessels registering on the mainland, packets can be picked up at the Falmouth tournament registration location tent at MacDougals Marina 2pm - 6pm.
4. All boats weighing fish must return to the designated check in area next to the Oak Bluffs harbor entrance buoy, and also check in with tournament committee boat on tournament channel 72 by 5pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Boats returning on Saturday mist check in by 2pm.
5. Boats checking in must declare which weigh station they are planning to proceed to.
6. Check in time for vessels weighing fish will be no later than 5 pm and at 2 pm on Saturday.
7. All vessels returning to weigh fish/submitt release footage must receive verification of arrival by weigh station. That means your vessel has to be physically seen by OBBC staff. Vessels will be given instructions on when to approach the weigh stations. For vessels weighing in in Falmouth, once you are visually verified and checked in, you can proceed to the Falmouth Weigh Station. Upon arrival to Falmouth Harbor entrance, you must call the Falmouth OBBC weigh staff using VHF Channel 71 and proceed as instructed.
8. The OBBC will follow International Game Fish Association Rules and additional rules specified herein.
9. 130 lb Line class is the maximum allowed in this tournament.
10. Electric reels can be used as teaser reels, dredge reels, and for a breakaway system with a release. Electric reels containing a manual conventional retrieval mechanism CAN be used providing the electric component of the reel is not be used to fight fish, tease fish, or change bait depth. The motor can only be used to retrieve the bait all the way to the surface ONLY.
11. Leaders are to be no longer than 30 ft. in total to comply with IGFA rules. The combined length including double line shall be no greater than 40 feet.
12. Vessels will be allowed to retain legal swordfish under 60 inches and such fish will count as 100 points.
13. Spreader Bars will be allowed in the OBBC, but must only contain one hook.
14. Double hooks and J hooks are allowed
15. In case of a tie(same number of points), winner will be determined by earliest time of cumulative points attained during fish days. Video documentation of all catches with a GPS time stamp(chartplotter) is highly recommended.
16. Tournament catch forms (documenting catch times and species) must be filled out and submitted to weigh station staff when weighing in fish or declaring release footage. All forms and release footage must be handed in to weigh station staff. If you are not weighing any fish, but have release footage to declare, you still need to hand in catch forms and footage to the weigh station staff by 7pm on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday...and 4pm on Saturday. If your vessel is checked in and in line for either weigh in, you may present your catch form at the time of your weigh in. Just be sure and check in and be verified at Oak Bluffs harbor entrance by 5 pm on all fish days except for Saturday which will be a 2 pm check in deadline.
17. There will be a 130 mile range limit for all vessels from Hooter Buoy.
18. The angler must hook, fight and bring the fish to the gaff or tag stick unaided by any other person (excluding gaff and leader man). An alternate angler will be allowed to hook and hand the rod one time for each fish hooked.
19. This is a rod and reel, hook and line tournament. The use of hand lines, rope, nets, harpoons, and any other means of fish capture other than rod and reel are strictly prohibited.
20. Fish cannot be fought from the rod holder.
21. Harpoons are not allowed.
22. Winners of the OBBC will be presented with an invitation to fish the IGFA Offshore World Championship
23. Each vessel will be presented with a tournament flag at the captains meeting. All released fish entries must be documented with a digital video camera. All catches must be documented from the time of leadering to 5 full seconds after the time of release. All captured video footage with tournament fish must contain a clear view of the tournament flag. Video must be uninterrupted video only.
24. Tournament boats are not allowed to discard fish racks in either tournament harbor. Any infraction of this rule will result in immediate disqualification. A fish buyer will be set up at the Falmouth weigh station during all fish days to broker tournament fish.
25. The official clock of the tournament will be kept on continuous GPS time.
26. Boats are to respect fellow competitors, at all times. Reasonable distance should be kept from all boats fighting fish. If requested by a boat fighting a fish, other boats shall keep clear until the fight has concluded.
27. All boats entering or leaving the harbor should adhere to the “NO WAKE” speed limit.
28. The OBBC assumes no responsibility for the conduct or safety of any boats or entrants. All participants enter the tournament at their own risk
29. All participants and their crews, friends, and family shall be respectful of the tournament hosts Oak Bluffs Harbor, as well as its staff and residents.
30. There is no tournament weather committee. All boats are responsible for making decisions regarding weather, and do so at their own risk.
31. All vessels will be given oversized trash bags to contain fish racks and there will be a designated dumpster along the Oak Bluffs Harborfront to dispose them in.
32. Any and all protests must be filed in writing and handed off in person to Damon Sacco or Christian Giardini by 8 pm each day of fishing, except Saturday by 5pm. Protests will cost $250 and proceeds will go to the designated tournament charity.
33. All tournament caught fish are the property of the boat. After the weigh master releases the fish, its disposal must be done outside the harbor.
34. All vessels are required to have their fish picked out and ready to weigh. The OBBC weigh staff will not be able to weigh fish to determine weight ahead of time.
35. No mutilated fish shall be eligible for competition. Mutilation shall be defined as damage which would impair the fighting ability of the fish.
36. The weigh master reserves the right to retain and inspect any fish that is deemed questionable. If retention is refused, the fish is automatically disqualified.
37. All weighed fish must be whole and in the round. Gutted fish will not be accepted.
38. Anglers and crew aboard winning boats may be subjected to a lie detector test.

All entrants must sign and/or check the respective "I agree" boxes on the online tournament REGISTRATION form in regards to the POLYGRAPH and INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT before being eligible to register for the event. Any breach of any of the above Tournament Rules will result in disqualification. Decisions of the Tournament Committee are final.