Big fish tournament with hourly weigh-ins and 100% guaranteed prize pay back.
Date and Time
Sunday May 3, 2015 5:00 AM - 3:00 PM EDT
Sunday, May 3rd from safelight until 3pm.
Location
Toho Marina, Big Lake Toho, Kissimmee, FL
69 Lakeview Drive, Kissimmee, FL 34741
Fees/Admission
$75 per person early registration, limit two per boat
$85 per person after 6:00pm Friday, May 1, limit two per boat
Event T-Shirt to first 100 registrants
RULES:
All anglers are encouraged to enter this event which is designed to create excitement about Florida’s trophy fish and one that will give many hours of enjoyment and lasting memories to all that participate.
ELIGIBILITY
Anglers of all ages are encouraged to enter this event with the following exceptions:
Any person who has been disqualified or failed lie detector tests from any previous tournament events will be subject to disqualification from this event.
All contestants are required to have a valid Florida Fishing License and abide by all State and Federal laws at all times. Violations may be subject to disqualification.
Any person under any medication or prescribed medication that could be a danger to themselves or anyone else and/or inhibit their performance in the boat or operating a boat safely is ineligible.
Tournament officials have the right to refuse any entry for any reason.
Anglers under 18 must have a parent or legal guardian written permission before they can enter this event. See Anglers under 18 rules section L.
PERMITTED FISHING AREAS AND HOURS
Permitted fishing bodies of water are West Lake Toho, Lake Cypress, Lake Hatchincha, Lake Kissimmee and Tiger Lake.
Trailering is not permitted to official weigh in site, contestants must have proper equipment to transport fish in a safe manner that does not endanger the well being of the fish.
Tournament director has the right to disqualify fish presented to the weigh master that has not been properly cared for.
All valid fish weighed in must be weighed in at the official weigh in site which is The Kissimmee Lake Front Park, 69 Lakeview Drive, Kissimmee, Florida
Fish entered must be caught during the official weigh in hours, see weigh-in times.
Off limit times begin at 6:00 PM on May 2, 2015, and all waters are off limits until official start time which will be announced by the tournament director on May 3.
Anglers may leave from any launch ramp on permitted fishable waters at any time during the morning of May 3. No contestant may begin fishing/casting until the tournament director has given start time and directions to begin fishing. **All contestants are responsible to know the official start times, start times will be broadcast either by radio, text message or email.
No fishing in off limits posted by any state or federal governmental agency to include locks and other marked areas. Treat off limit area where signage begins as a wall and no casting past that wall or sign will permitted.
No fishing within 50 feet of gas dock or marinas, especially where fish are fed or chummed.
REGISTRATION
Entry forms with payments must be received before the contestant can begin fishing.
No refunds.
Entries will be accepted during days of competition however all entries must be completed and full payment received before fishing begins. **Note: If entries are received during competition day no competitor will have been allowed on tournament waters after 6:00 PM Saturday May 2. Also if entry is received on morning of May 3, contestants are required to attend briefing meeting that morning at Kissimmee Lake Front Park before fishing begins.
Entry fees are as follows:
One Day $75.00
Late Entry Fees after 6:00 PM Friday May 1.
One Day $85.00 Late Entry
No entries will be accepted after 10:00 AM on May 3
PERMITTED FISHING TECHNIQUES
All fish must be caught on ARTIFICIAL BAITS ONLY.
Boaters are allowed as many anglers in boat as desired but boat must meet all State and Federal laws and be a contestant in the tournament.
Fishing can only be performed with a rod and reel. One rod at any given time per angler can be in use.
Trolling is NOT allowed.
Electronic devices such as GPS/Sonar units are permitted however the use of electronic tracking devices (tagging fish) may not be used at any time to locate fish for this tournament.
Fish species; Large Mouth Bass only.
All fish entered must have been caught on the approved tournament waters and during official tournament hours – NO EXCEPTION.
All site fish must be caught in the mouth and will be policed by polygraph testing or other witnesses.
WEIGH IN PROCEDURE
Only one fish per contestant may be weighed in per hour and no fish will be carried over to another hourly time zone.
In the event of a tie in any category, monies will be divided evenly between contestants.
Only fish alive and in good condition are eligible to be entered at weigh in.
All fish brought to the official weigh in station must be in a weigh in bag with adequate water and one fish per bag. Bags and assistance will be available at weigh in station.
The contestant originally catching the fish is the only person allowed to have physical possession of the fish during the weigh in process.
Any fish presented at weigh in appearing to be altered in any manner will be subject to inspection by tournament officials/state and federal agencies and may be disqualified along with possible prosecution by Federal law.
All fish weighed in will become the property of the tournament organization and will be released alive back into tournament waters.
Weigh in inspections may be performed at official weigh in station or at any time during competition. Tournament officials are the only person(s) permitted in anyone’s boat that is not a contestant in the tournament and tournament officials are permitted to inspect fishing license, boat registration, live wells, fishing equipment, safety equipment, all storage boxes and any other areas deemed important by the tournament director.
Each person in a boat must be a paid contestant of the official tournament and abide by all tournament rules and regulations. If a non-competitor is found to be in a competitor’s boat at any time during tournament hours, all contestants in that boat will be disqualified.
Any contestant found to be in violation of the official rules is subject to disqualification as well as any partner in the same boat.
If contestants present a fish for weigh in, contestants are required to bring their boat and respective partners to the official weigh in station for inspection, interview and possible polygraph testing.
Size limit: Florida law is a minimum size limit on Florida Black Bass of 14 inches. You may only possess at any time one fish over 22 inches per Florida Law. For this tournament the state of Florida has issued a Black Bass Exemption. The holder of this exemption is allowed to have in their possession any fish with a minimum of 14 inches in length with no cap on larger size fish to be weighed in. Contestant are responsible to obtain a Black Bass Exemption from tournament officials during briefing meeting and may not have in their possession at any given time more than 2 fish.
Exemptions can be obtained at both briefing meetings.
Mandatory catch and release of all fish entered in the contest along with a mandatory release of all fish held in boats or other devices at the end of each day. No carry over from day one to day two weigh in.
All persons in a boat must be a paid contestant. Anglers may fish alone or with a paid contestant. Tournament staff reserves a right to assign an official observer to contestant’s boat if officials deem necessary.
BOAT AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT
All boats and equipment are subject to inspection by tournament officials at all times. When weighing any fish during the hourly weigh in the boat and safety equipment must be present for inspection.
All boats are to be equipped with a safety cut off device (kill switch) on any remote steering outboard and securely attached to boat operator at all times the outboard motor is in operation.
Kill Switch devices are required on all boats. Boat operator is responsible to insure kill switch device(s) are operating properly. If a hand controlled outboard motor is used, again, the kill switch must be operational and attached to the operator at all times.
U.S. approved Coast Guard life jackets are required for each person in the boat. Life jackets must be worn and fastened at all times during the operation of the combustible engine.
Boat operator must show proof of valid registration. Any boat operating with an outboard higher than the Coast Guard approved horsepower rating shall not be used in this event.
All boats used during this event must be properly insured with Liability Insurance. Proof of insurance may be part of boat inspection and operating a boat not properly insured may result in disqualification.
ALCOHOL AND ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES
No alcohol or illegal substances shall be consumed or present in the boat or in any contestant’s possession during official tournament hours unless the contestant is finished fishing and had their boat inspected and completed a successful polygraph for that tournament day.
Any person under any medication or prescribed medication that could be a danger to themselves or anyone else and/or inhibit their performance in the boat or operating a boat safely is ineligible.
No fire arms are allowed in contestant’s boat or possession during tournament hours. This rule is not applicable to sworn law enforcement officers.
BOAT INSPECTION
All contestants by entering this event hereby agrees to allow their boat to be boarded by a tournament official at any time and cooperate fully with a complete inspection of the boat safety equipment, registration, coast guard horsepower rating, live well, fishing equipment and all other contents requested by the tournament official.
POLYGRAPH
Each contestant by signing the official entry form and/or participating in the tournament agrees to submit to a polygraph examination at the direction of tournament officials.
Polygraph test will be given on a random basis or at the request of the tournament director. Polygraph must be passed. Refusing to a polygraph test for any reason will result in immediate disqualification.
Polygraph test will be given at random during weigh in procedure. All contestants in the publicized payoff schedule per that hour and their respective partners, their boat must remain at the official weigh in site until said hourly winners are declared official or released by the tournament director. If contestants leave before decisions are final contestants will be automatically disqualified.
Contestants determined by the results of the polygraph test or by tournament officials to be intoxicated or under any type of chemical substance at the time the polygraph is administered are in violation of tournament rules and will be disqualified.
It is the responsibility of the contestant to notify the polygraph examiner prior to the examination of any medication which may affect the results of the polygraph test.
Contestants attempting to mutilate or defraud this event will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
SPORTSMANSHIP
Sportsmanship, safety and courtesy are required of all contestants at all times and may be grounds for disqualification.
SCORING
Each hour a fish entered during that hour will be eligible to win during that hourly weigh in determined by the weight of each individual fish.
The overall largest fish in competition will be eligible for the overall grand prize as described in payout information.
ANGLERS YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OF AGE
Everyone is welcome to participate in this event that meet tournament requirements. Angler under 18 years of age may enter the tournament, paying the appropriate tournament fee and be subject to all rules and regulations described in the official rules as well as being eligible for all advertised payouts.
All anglers under age of 18 without exception must have a signed approval of a parent or legal guardian.
Final Decision and Protest
All protests must be registered in writing with the tournament director within 15 minutes of the designated weigh in.
All decisions of the tournament director are final and not subject to appeal.