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NORTH EAST BASS ASSOCIATION OF CONNECTICUT, INC.
OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT RULES FOR YEAR 2012
FOR THE 6 QUALIFYING TOURNAMENTS INCLUDING THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
TOURNAMENT FOR THE 2013 NEBA OF CONNECTICUT CLASSIC
1.RULES AND REGULATIONS: The following Rules and Regulations
will remain unchanged for the duration of the current tournament season.
Interpretation of these rules shall be left up to the Executive Committee
under the direction of the Tournament Director. The decision of the Tournament
Officials shall be final in all matters.
2. Tournaments: The North East Bass Association, (NEBA)
of Connecticut will hold 6 regular season Invitational Tournaments and the
State Championship Tournament.
3. ELIGIBILITY: a. Any member of NEBA
of Connecticut may participate in the 6 regular season Invitational Tournaments
and the State Championship Tournament
b. Any angler who has fished 3 tournaments in total in any combination of
the Bassmaster Tournament Trail, Bassmasters Top 150 , Everstart or the
FLW Tournaments as a Professional Fisherperson within 1 year prior to the
start of the year of the NEBA of Connecticut Tournament Trail year being
fished, will not be eligible to fish any of the NEBA of Connecticut Tournaments.
c. All contestants must have a minimum of $300,000.00 liability insurance
in force on the boat being used in the tournament.
d. Any contestant who has an outstanding financial obligation to the NEBA
of Connecticut, (bounced checks,unpaid dues,etc), will be declared ineligible
to fish any further tournaments until the issue is resolved. The NEBA of
Connecticut will charge a $20.00 fee for any check returned for insufficient
funds
e. NEBA of Connecticut reserves the right to deny any applicant that they
deem may be a detriment to this tournament trail.
4. FEES: Entry fees for the 6 regular season Invitational
Tournaments and the State Championship will be $100.00 per boat, per tournament.
An Optional lunker fee of $20.00, ($10.00 for largemouth & $10.00 for
smallmouth) will be collected at the ramp before each tournament.
5. Prizes:
a. Payment for the Regular season Invitational Tournaments will be 80% of
the total pre-registered entry fees collected. This amount will be dispersed
as follows: up to 44 boats 1st place 40%2nd Place 30%,3rd Place20%,4th Place
10%
45 to 54 boats: 1st Place 40%,2nd Place 30%,3rd Place 15%, 4th Place 10%,
5th Place 5%
55 to 64 boats: 1st Place 38%,2nd Place 27%,3rd Place 15%, 4th Place 10%,
5th Place 6%, 6th Place 4%
65 to 74 boats: 1st Place 35%, 2nd Place 25%, 3rd Place 14%, 4th place 10%,
5th Place 7%, 6th Place 5%, 7th Place 4%
75 boats 1st Place 34%, 2nd Place 23%, 3rd Place 15%, 4th Place 9%, 5th
Place 7%, 6th Place 5%, 7th Place4%, 8th Place 3%
b. Two additional awards of $100.00 minimum each may be paid from the 80%
prize money. These will be the top man/woman and the top adult/youth teams.
To award these prizes there must be a minimum of 3 teams participating in
the category and the prize money will be increased by $25.00 for each additional
team fishing in each category. Note: Adult/Youth, Child can not have reached
their 18th birthday by the first tournament, Adult, can be father, mother,
grandparent or an adult with written authorization from the child’s
parents and approved by NEBA of CT. If a team in these two categories receives
a prize from the top places, no additional prize will be awarded to the
next highest team in that category.
c. There will be NO payout in the State Championship.
6 REGISTRATIONS:
Registration for all NEBA of Connecticut Invitational Tournaments will be
by mail only, to the person listed on the bottom of the application.. Registration
cut off for mailing balance of entry fee will be a postmark of no later
than 14 days prior to each tournament. Exception: Teams who are not NEBA
of CT. members and wish to join the State organization, will be allowed
to sign up at the ramp upon payment of all dues, provided that the trail
is not full. There will be no new entries accepted after the second tournament.
Participants must check in with tournament officials and have their boats
in the water by 6:30 am. All boats that arrive between 6:30 and 6:45 will
be allowed to fish but will start at the end of the line. Any team arriving
after 6:45 am will be disqualified. Participants may launch their boats
in at any state launch they choose, unless assigned a particular launch
by State permit requirements. All boat checks and weigh-ins will be at the
official tournament site only.
7. SPORTSMANSHIP:
All participants in the NEBA of Connecticut tournaments are expected to
follow the highest standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation.
Any infraction of these fundamental sporting principals may be deemed cause
for disqualification. Violations of State rules and regulations of the state
in which the tournament is being held may also result in penalties and/or
disqualification. Boisterous and/or argumentative conduct at a tournament
can result in the disqualification and the non-acceptance of applications
for the remainder of the season. The possession or consumption of alcoholic
beverages and/or illegal drugs by any participant during tournament hours
will be cause for disqualification. A tournament is not considered over
until the scales are officially closed by the tournament director. Maximum
courtesy must be practiced at all times, especially in regards to the general
public. No competing boat may fish within 50 feet of another competing boat
or within 50 yards of a competing anchored boat with the trolling motor
up. Any act by a participant which reflects unfavorably on the NEBA’s
efforts to promote fisheries, conservation, clean water and sportsmanship,
may be reason for disqualification from the tournament.
8. SAFETY:
Safe boating conduct must be observed at all times. Each participant is
required to wear a Coast Guard approved chest type vest life jacket which
must be worn and secured anytime the gas motor is running. The operator
of the boat must have a kill switch hooked to his person whenever the gas
engine is running. All boats must be operated in a safe and sane manner.
Any violation of safe boating practices reported to the tournament officials,
(prior to the closing of the scales) may be cause for disqualification from
the tournament.
9. TACKLE and EQUIPTMENT:
Only artificial lures may be used. No live or prepared bait will be permitted
with the exception of pork rinds.
10. BOATS and MOTORS:
Tournament boats must be a minimum of 14 feet in length must have 2 fishing
positions and must have an aerated livewell capable of sustaining a Tournament
limit of fish... Each boat must have a functioning kill switch. No boat
may be powered by an outboard larger than the horsepower rating for that
boat. Stick steering boats must not have a motor larger than 40 hp. It is
strongly recommended that a courtesy bucket be on board for male participants
to use if the need arises. Beaching the boat for female competitors is allowed.
11. TOURNAMENT PROCEDURES:
a. Register by mail
b. Check in with tournament officials and get boat in the water by 6:30
am,( anyone arriving after 6:45 will be disqualified). Get boat checked
and have ribbon tied to trolling motor.
c. READ and UNDERSTAND any instructional information that you may receive
from tournament officials.
d. Fish tournament with 2 person team. In the event of an emergency, one
team member may fish alone, (this is a once per year privilege and includes
the Classic qualified for in that year and only 6 fish may be weighed in).Substitutes
are not allowed for any NEBA tournaments. One of the registered members
of the team fishing the tournament must be at least 18 years in age in order
to participate in a NEBA of Ct. Tournament.
e. All tournaments are from 7-3 unless otherwise stated by tournament director.
When returning to weigh-in site, be on time. Make sure that the check-in
boat knows your number. Start paddle will be turned in at scales. Any boat
not turning in their start paddle will be disqualified. Late penalty is
10 ounces per minute late. After 15 minutes late, the team is disqualified.
f. Tournament Officials will tell you when to remove your boat from the
water.
g. A limited number of weigh-in bags will be issued to control the pace
of the weigh-in. Once you have a bag you can get your fish and proceed to
the scales. Any fish presented to the scales in unofficial bags will not
be weighed. You will have to wait your turn to get a bag.
h. Scoring: A courtesy measurement will be given to one fish per tournament,
if you request it prior to presenting your fish to the tournament officials.
The official measuring board may used before the tournament for comparison
checking of individual boards. Tournament scores will be based on total
weight caught by the team. Points for yearly standings: 1st place-100 points,
and as we work down the list, we descend in one point increments until we
reach the teams that didn’t catch fish. We will then drop 3 points
and the remaining teams will receive the same number. Only largemouth and
smallmouth bass will be weighed. Unless otherwise specified, there will
be an 8 fish limit, culling must begin immediately after the tournament
limit is reached and at no time shall a team have in their possession more
than the tournament limit of fish. If more than the limit is found in the
possession of a team, that team will be disqualified. Culling of dead fish
is grounds for disqualification. Bass must be a minimum of 12 inches in
length. If a fish has been turned over to tournament officials and does
not measure the minimum length and a courtesy measurement was not requested,
the team will be disqualified. If, in the judgment of the tournament officials,
any fish has been mashed, mauled or mangled, it may be cause for disqualification.
A dead fish penalty of 4 ounces per fish will be deducted from the weight.
No dead fish will be weighed for lunker fish.
i. TIES: In case of ties for any position, they will be broken in the following
manner: Most Fish, Most Fish released Alive, Largest Fish, and Toss of coin.
12 PROTEST and COMPLAINTS:
PROTESTS: Any participant may protest another; however, the protest must
be submitted to the Tournament Director in writing and signed by both contestants
prior to the closing of the scales. The protesting participants must be
available to confront the accused with the Tournament Officials. If the
accuser request a polygraph test, he is responsible for 100% of the cost
up front. If the polygraph test is passed, the accuser pays 100% of the
cost. If the accused fails the polygraph test, NEBA of CT. pays 100% of
the cost and the accuser is reimbursed. The Tournament Director, at his
sole discretion, may request a polygraph test which would be paid for by
NEBA of Ct. Any participants that fail a polygraph test will be disqualified
and will be ineligible to participate in any further North East Bass Association
of Connecticut activities.
ROUTINE COMPLAINTS: Participants may request a complaint form from the Tournament
Director at any time prior to the closing of the scales. If you feel that
you have a valid complaint about another fishing team, but do not wish to
protest, you may file a complaint form and we will talk to the team in question.
Both parties involved in the complaint will be invited to discuss the matter
and if as a result of said discussion, the complaint is deemed valid, the
Tournament Director may issue the team a warning. In the event that the
Tournament Director receives three valid complaints about the same team,
the third valid complaint may be considered cause for disqualification.
STATE LAWS:
If a written fine is received on the waters during the tournament by a participant
and the Tournament Director is notified and receives, prior to the closing
of the scales, legal evidence of a violation issued by a proper Law Enforcement
Official, this MAY result in disqualification from this tournament.
13. CLASSIC QUALIFICATIONS:
a. Only teams that are members of the NEBA of Ct. participating in the regular
season invitational tournaments will accumulate points as outlined in RULE
11h. NEW: We will qualify 10 teams minimum or 20% of the Man/Man teams;
top 5 only from the Championship and the A/Y and M/W teams will qualify
as follows: (Minimum of 5 teams fishing the trail, (in a category), 5 teams
fishing will qualify 1 team and we will adjust accordingly for additional
teams.
b. Each year we will hold a State Championship Tournament which will be
open to all active NEBA of Conn. Members. Members must fish a minimum of
4 of the 6 regular season tournaments to qualify to fish this tournament.
The top 5 teams from this tournament will qualify to fish in the NEBA Classic.
Adopted as amended
December 2011 NEBA of CT. Board of Directors.
