2013 RI State Qualifying Tournament
Lake Champlain, NY
2013 S.Q.T. Tournament Rules
Interpretation of these rules will be left exclusively to the Tournament committee.
Decisions of the tournament director are final in all matters and are subject to appeal
except for provisions made in bylaws of the RI B.A.S.S. Federation Nation. Protest must
be made in writing before the closing of the scales.
1. Participation
Participation is open to members of the RI B.A.S.S Federation Nation in good
standings.
2. Pre Tournament Practice
There will be no official practice period or of limits period prior to the pretournament
meeting. No contestant may be on tournament waters for the purpose of
locating fish or potential fishing waters after the start of the pre tournament meeting
except during tournament hours.
3. Registration and pre tournament meeting
Each contestant must register in person at the designated site during the official
registration hours. NY fishing license must be presented at the registration meeting.
Contestants not present for both days of the competition will forfeit their entry fee
and will not be entered in the following year’s state qualifying tournament.
4. Parings
Partners will be paired by blind draw. The pairings will be drawn at the Tournament
meeting on 8/14/2013. The tournament director, at his sole discretion, may reassign
partners prior to takeoff.
5. Safety
Safe boating must be observed at all times. Each contestant is required to wear a
fastened, U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device any time the
combustion engine is in operation. All boats must be equipped with an emergency
ignition shut-off device that must be securely attached to the drivers body whenever
the combustion engine is in operation. At the discretion of the tournament director,
tournament days may be shortened, postponed or canceled due to unsafe weather or
water conditions.
6. Sportsmanship
All contestants are required to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy and
conservation and to conduct themselves in a manner that will be a credit to
themselves and the sport of bass fishing. Examples of conduct not complying with
those standards include, but are not limited to the following:
A. Violation of or failure to comply with any of the official rules.
B. The consumption and /or possession of alcoholic beverages or any kind of
mind-altering substance during tournament hours extending through the
weight-in procedure.
C. Any word, conduct or actions reflecting unfavorable upon efforts to promote
safety, sportsmanship, fair competition and compliance with tournament rules.
In case of any conduct not complying with the standards will result in
disqualification.
7. Boat & horsepower regulation
A. All boats must be a minimum of 16 feet in length and have a rear deck.
B. All boats must be equipped with wheel steering, no other steering device will
be permitted.
C. Boats must contain a properly aerated livewell space to alive catch of bass by
both contestants.
8. Permitted fishing methods
All bass must be caught alive in a conventional sporting manner. Only artificial lures
may be used with the exception of pork trailers. Only one fishing rod may be used at
a time. Trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited.
9. Permitted fishing locations
Contestants may fish anywhere on tournament waters available to the public and
accessible by boat , except areas designated as “off limits” or “no fishing” by local,
state or federal officials. All angling must be conducted from the boat. At no time
may a contestant leave the boat to land a fish or to make more accessible fishing
waters. Contestants must leave & return to the official checkpoint by boat. The boat
must remain in the tournament waters during the tournament day. No tournament
boat may be loaded on the trailer before the weigh-in except with the permission of
the tournament director. In the event of equipment failure or emergency, there will be
only two permitted methods of returning to the official check-in.
A. By both partners( If you draw a partner) remaining in their boat and being
towed by water.
B. By both partners entering the boat of another tournament contestant.
Boat rendering assistance will not be penalized.
Any contestant returning to the check-in point will be eligible to restart and resume
competition under the supervision of the tournament official. It is the sole
responsibility of the contestants to locate the tournament director to request a resart.
Partners must remain together at and within sight of each other until the weigh-in slip
is signed in order for their catch for that day to be counted. ( If you draw a partner) If
you are fishing alone you have to sign your weigh in slip. The momentary condition
of being out of sight of each other for restroom breaks is permitted. If a contestant
must violate any part of this rule due to an emergency or for any reason except
loading boats onto its trailer when in site of a tournament official, their catch for the
day will not be counted.
10. Official checkpoints
There will be only one official check point for boat check in the morning and one
official check-in point in the afternoon. Failure to go through boat check and checkout
in the morning or failure to check-in at check-in point will result in
disqualification. All fishing must cease upon check-in.
11. Late penalty
Contestants who are not at the official area at the appointed time will be penalized 1
pound per minute, deducted from the total weight including any weight to be counted
toward a big bass award. Any contestant more than 15 minutes late will lose credit for
that day’s weight.
12. Live fish ( 5 Fish Limit)
Every effort must be made to keep bass alive through the use of a properly aerated
live well and the use of livewell additives that promote the healthy return of bass to
their natural habitat. Dead fish can not be culled. The penalty for dead fish is 4 oz
(.25) Violation of the 5 fish limit will result in disqualification.
13. Scoring
Scoring will be determined by the pounds & decimals (100’s) of each contestant’s
catch during each round of qualifying tournaments.
14. Ties
The most fish will break the tie, the second tie breaker will be the heaviest fish.
15. Insurance
All boaters will be required to have $300,000 liability insurance. A copy of
declarations page must accompany you entry check and index card when turned into
the S.Q.T. tournament committee.
16. Other Rules
All state laws and applicable B.A.S.S. Federation Nation rules will apply unless
stated. The use of any communication device or cell phone during the tournament
other than a weather radio or in emergency conditions is prohibited.
17. Modification to Tournament rules
These tournament rules may be modified at any time by a Tournament Committee
decision. This year we will permit constants to fish alone in their own boats. Non-
Boaters will be drawn at the Tournament briefing.
