New Smyrna/Daytona Beach Striker Offshore Tournament

Rules and Regulations/Entry Fee and Registration
To encourage early registration, entries received one week prior to Captain's Party are eligible for a discount on entry fee. Enter by mailing completed entry form with a check made out to World Sports & Marketing LLC, credit card number or money order to: World Sports & Marketing C/O New Smyrna/Daytona Beach Striker, 460 N. Orlando Ave., Ste. 200, Winter Park, FL 32789.

Entry fee is $400 for early registration and $450 after early registration. We do not recognize the postmark date as the date of payment. Entry fee covers boat and all anglers on the boat. Late registration will be accepted on Thursday, from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the registration desk during the Captain & Anglers' Party in the Brannon Center at Riverside Park, New Smyrna Beach. No entries will be accepted after 8:30 p.m. unless the first day of fishing is cancelled. In an effort to maximize participation, additional entries will be accepted if the first day of competition is cancelled due to bad weather. Entry is not refundable. At check-in desk, each boat will be given an identification number that is to be displayed on the boat. This is a boat registration tournament. Only officially registered boats can compete in the tournament. Tournament management must approve any boat changes prior to 8:30 p.m. at the Captain & Anglers' Party. Entrant's social security number is required on all applications.

BASIS OF AWARDS
Eligible fish categories for the general tournament are wahoo, dolphin, king mackerel, tuna (yellowfin, blackfin and bigeye only) and billfish (marlin and sailfish only). Fish category winners will be for the four heaviest fish in each of the listed categories and the four highest release point totals for billfish. All fish under 200 pounds will be weighed to the tenth of as pound. Fish category weights on the final board will determine the points awarded toward the boat awards. A boat/entrant can be a winner in only two (2) places within a fish category. The teams possessing the most species on the board and the highest total weight/points accumulated will determine boat champions. Since billfish are all-release, the first through fourth billfish boats will be awarded points to be added with the other fish category weights. Winners may be subject to polygraph examination. All cash and merchandise awards will be made to the tournament entrant. This is a boat registration tournament.

TYPES OF AWARDS
Each boat that weighs in a tournament fish over the minimum weight or brings in an acceptable release photo, receives an entry into the boat/motor/trailer drawing. The fish do not have to appear on the final standings board. Cash, trophies and merchandise will be awarded to top boats overall and category winners. The entrant must be present at the awards presentation to receive their awards. Exception due to hardship will be made at the discretion of the tournament management. If an exception is granted, it will be the sole responsibility of the entrant to arrange for pickup of all merchandise and awards at their own expense within 30 days after the awards presentation.

TIES
Boats with fish to weigh will be assigned a number by the official check-in boat. In the event of a point tie, the boat accumulating the points first (with the lowest check-in number) shall be declared the winner; the loser shall assume the next lower position in the points standing.

TOURNAMENT WITHIN A TOURNAMENT (TWT)
Entry fees and winnings under this division are in addition to the General Tournament winnings. This is a separate tournament available only to participants whose boats are already entered in the General Tournament. Only the entrant of the Tournament Within a Tournament may claim the winnings at the awards presentation held on Sunday. All rules pertaining to the General Tournament shall apply to the Tournament Within a Tournament. If you enter each category, you may win in each category. Sign up by mail with your entry or at the official Tournament Within a Tournament table at the Captain & Anglers' Party.

FISHING RULES
This tournament will be fished in accordance with the Department of Natural Resources rules for size and catch limits for the state in which the tournament is held. Wire lines or electric reels are not allowed. All fish must be weighed in/ photo turned in on the day caught. All tournament fish must be caught on rod and reel. Any state law or U.S. federal law that conflicts with these rules shall override these rules, and all anglers are responsible for knowing and abiding by state laws and U.S. federal Laws governing fishing in this tournament.

Tournament management reserves the right to modify/change the rules prior to the tournament. All Tournament management decisions are final.

FISHING HOURS
Fishing hours begin with a shotgun start when announced by the committee boat via VHF radio Channel 72 at 6:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and end by announcement at 4:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. All lines, teasers and baits must be removed from the water at the conclusion of each fishing day. If an angler is fighting a fish hooked prior to 4:30 p.m. Friday or Saturday they may continue fighting the hooked fish, provided they have notified tournament control by radio prior to the deadline. All boats must be checked in for weigh-in by 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday or no fish on such boat will be recorded as a tournament catch on that day. Fishing times are clear. NO FISHING FROM ENTERED BOATS DURING NONFISHING HOURS!

FINAL REGISTRATION CAPTAIN & ANGLERS' MEETING, KICKOFF PARTY
The final registration Captains' Meeting Kickoff Party will be held Thursday May 27 from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Brannon Center at Riverside Park. The Captains Meeting will be at 7:45 p.m. in the Brannon Center. A representative from each boat MUST attend this meeting. You must bring your entry number to enter the meeting, one person per boat. At this time, rules governing the tournament will be explained and any questions answered.

POLYGRAPH
All participants in the tournament are subject to a polygraph at the request of the Tournament management. Failure to successfully pass such an examination may result in a test of second team member; second failure results in automatic disqualification of team. This is at the sole discretion of the Tournament management.

WEIGH IN
All fish considered for awards must be weighed in at the official weigh-in station at Riverside Park in New Smyrna Beach. All fish must be fresh-caught that day. Fish must remain on and be removed directly from the entered boat by weigh-in station personnel. Fish weight will be measured to a tenth of a pound unless the fish is over 200 pounds, then the fish will be measured in pounds. The Weigh Station opens at 3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Boats must be back to the check-in boat by 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday to be eligible to weigh fish or turn in billfish-release photos. Once you have checked in, you will remain in the area and wait to be called in to the dock. When an eligible boat number is called to come to the weigh station, the boat has 15 minutes to get to the dock.

REQUIREMENT OF FISH ELIGIBLE TO BE WEIGHED IN OR RELEASED
All fish must meet the following minimum weights to qualify for awards:

Wahoo -- 15 lb.
Dolphin -- 15 lb.
King -- 15 lb.
Tuna* -- 15 lb.
Marlin -- 300 points (release only)
Sailfish -- 100 points (release only)

*(Eligible tuna are yellowfin, blackfin and bigeye.)

The weighmaster reserves the right to hold and examine internally and externally any fish weighed in as a tournament catch to determine if the fish is eligible for an award. Any fish that has an unnatural material in or on it will be disqualified.

FEDERAL TUNA PERMIT or ATLANTIC HMS ANGLING PERMIT (NEW FEDERAL LAWS)
You must have a federal tuna permit on board your vessel while fishing for tuna. All permits must be renewed annually. A permit fee is required and may be paid by credit card, certified check or postal money order. To renew or to obtain a new permit, you may call toll-free 1-888-USA-TUNA (1-888-872-8862) for information. Your new permit will be mailed within 10 days of your call. Or register online at www.nmfspermits.com

BILLFISH CATEGORY RELEASE RULES
All teams must provide their own digital still or video camera. The camera must show the correct time and date stamp on each photo or video. To score an official release, an identifiable photo/video must be taken of the fish showing the control code, time and date stamp. The control codes will be given at the Captains Meeting. The photo must identify the species, finger control code, time and date stamp.

After the release photo is taken, the official time, species, control number and angler must be written on the catch report affidavit. Each angler and boat captain must then sign the catch report affidavit. At the end of the day's fishing, the camera, catch report affidavit and ALL photos/video taken must be brought to the weigh station for verification of official release points. Failure to do so will result in disqualification of that day's catch.

All billfish are release species and must not be brought to the dock. There are two (2) billfish in this category, marlin and sailfish. Each marlin release is worth 300 points, and each sailfish release is worth 100 points. All billfish must be reported to the weigh-in station by radio when hooked and again when released. (The release time will determine the winner in case of a tie in points.) The camera with photographs and signed release affidavit slips must be returned to the weigh station daily. You must check in and report that you have release photos to the committee boat inside Ponce Inlet by 6 pm. or the boat will receive no billfish points for that day. There is no limit to the number of billfish that can be released toward points. Billfish-category winners will be the four boats with the most points scored during the general tournament. In the event of a tie, the boat with the earliest release time shall be declared the winner. Photos that are returned become property of the tournament. All entrants on the final board in the release categories are subject to random polygraph.

COMMUNICATIONS Radio/Cell Phone
The official tournament control channel is 72. All boats must be equipped with a VHF radio. If for any reason VHF Channel 72 is off the air, communications will move to VHF Channel 68 temporarily. If necessary, ask for a relay from other tournament boats. We will also provide a cell phone number at the Captains Meeting that teams can call in on.

DISQUALIFICATION
If any boats come together or anything is passed between boats or docked for any reason after the official start of that day's fishing and before each boat has weighed in, then such boats shall be disqualified for that day. However, as safety is of prime importance to the operation of the tournament, exceptions may be granted by the Tournament management for emergencies, but only to boats granting assistance and not to boats receiving assistance in such case.

Boats are not allowed to be put on a boat trailer after checking out with tournament checkout boat until boat has checked in unless there is an emergency.

PROTEST
All protests must be presented in writing to the Tournament director at the weigh-in station on the day of the alleged infraction, within one (1) hour after the closing of the weigh-in station. A $100 cash deposit, refundable if the protest is upheld, must accompany protests. The Tournament management will make all decisions, and their decision is final. If the protest is not upheld, then such deposit will be forfeited to the tournament.

GENERAL TOURNAMENT DAYS
Weather permitting, this is a two-day tournament and a three-day event. Check-in, final registration, and Captain & Anglers' Party are on Thursday, May 27. Fishing starts on Friday, May 28, and ends on Saturday May 29. An awards presentation will be held Sunday, May 30, starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Riverside Park in New Smyrna Beach. The entrant must be present to receive awards. Come and see the FishStock boat show Saturday and Sunday at Riverside Park.

CHARTER BOATS
Any captain can enter a charter boat, regardless of where based, by paying the entry fee and following the established registration procedures.

AMENDMENTS
The statement and rules contained herein may be amended by additional verbal instruction and/or printed matter distributed by the Tournament management.

WEATHER CONDITIONS
The Tournament management reserves the right to terminate a day's fishing because of unsafe conditions at sea, but the tournament shall be considered complete if one day's fishing is completed, regardless of weather.

SPORTSMANSHIP
All participants will exercise good and courteous sportsmanship whether at the dock, underway, or fishing. Violators will be subject to disqualification without refund.

EXIT, ENTRY, AND CHECK-IN
All boats fishing the tournament must leave and return via Ponce Inlet. The checkout boat will be in place and on station from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. All boats must CHECK OUT with the committee boat stationed inside the inlet by showing your boat number. Each boat will receive a radio confirmation on Channel 72 and then proceed to a holding area approximately 1 mile offshore where two committee boats will mark the North and South boundaries. No boats are allowed East of the committee boats until the shot gun start of the tournament at 6:30 a.m. Boats checking out after committee boat is off-station MUST visually check out at the official weigh-in station at Riverside Park in New Smyrna Beach. NOTE: This is a boat registration tournament. Angler changes need not be called in. Please keep the radio free for daily instructions.

A committee boat will be stationed inside the Inlet from 4:30 pm. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Upon returning from fishing all boats must CHECK-IN by showing their boat number and then inform the committee boat on Channel 72 if they have fish to weigh or release photos to be checked. You will receive radio confirmation that you have checked in and then proceed to the weigh-in station located at Riverside Park in New Smyrna Beach. Check-in MUST be acknowledged. ANY BOAT THAT DOES NOT CHECK IN CAN BE DISQUALIFIED.

Minimum Wake Zone will be in effect from a quarter (1/4) mile each side of the checkout and check-in boats.