Fish Stock

11th Annual New Smyrna Beach Redfish-Trout Challenge Unofficial Rules

REGISTRATION AND ENTRY FEE
Enter by mailing completed application form with a check, credit card number or money order to Bonnier Corp c/o New Smyrna Beach Redfish-Trout Challenge, 460 N. Orlando Ave., Ste. 200, Winter Park, FL 32789. Entry fee is $100 and covers all anglers on the boat. On-site registration will be accepted from 4 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, May 24, 2013, at the registration desk during the Captains and Anglers Party in the Brannon Center at Riverside Park, New Smyrna Beach. The Captains and Anglers Meeting will be held at 8:00 p.m. No entries will be accepted after 9:00 p.m. May 24, unless the first day of fishing is canceled. In an effort to maximize participation, additional entries will be accepted if the first day of fishing is canceled because of bad weather. Entry fees are not refundable unless the tournament is canceled. In the event that the tournament is canceled, the base entry fee of $100 will be refunded less a 10% administration fee. All optional tournament within a tournament entry fees will be refunded 100%. At the check-in desk, each boat will be given an identification number to be displayed on the boat. Boat numbers are assigned when registration is received and will determine each team’s place in line for the start each morning. This is a boat registration/entrant tournament. Only officially registered boats can compete in the tournament. Boat changes are allowed but must be reported prior to the start of each day’s fishing. Tournament management reserves the right to deny tournament entry to any individual, organization or corporation.

FINAL REGISTRATION, CAPTAINS MEETING AND KICKOFF PARTY
The final registration, Captains Meeting/Kickoff Party will be held from 4 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday, May 24, in the Brannon Center at Riverside Park, New Smyrna Beach. The Captains Meeting will be held at 8:00 p.m. A representative from each boat MUST attend this meeting. You must bring your entry number to enter the Captains Meeting, one person per boat. At this time, rules governing the tournament will be explained and any questions answered. If they do not attend, they accept and agree to be bound by all instructions and/or rule changes made orally or in writing during that meeting.

FISHING RULES
The tournament will be fished in accordance with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rules for size and catch limits for the state in which the tournament is held. All participants must fish from the boat. No tournament boat may leave the water before weigh-in unless there is an emergency. All fish must be weighed in on the day caught. All tournament fish must be caught on rod and reel. Any state law or United States federal law that conflicts with these rules shall override these rules, and all anglers are responsible for knowing and abiding by state laws and United States federal laws governing fishing in this tournament. Tournament management is not responsible for enforcement of the state and federal fishing laws. Tournament management reserves the right to modify/change the
rules prior to the tournament. Any violation of tournament rules and regulations, or failure to follow the instructions of Tournament management, may result in immediate disqualificaiton, as determined in the sole discretion of Tournament management. All decisions made by tournament management are final and nonapealable.

FISHING HOURS
Fishing hours begin immediately after a boat has checked out with the committee station located at Riverside Park Waterfront docks. Fishing will begin at 6:00 a.m. Saturday, May 25, and Sunday, May 26, and end at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 25, and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 26. All lines must be removed from the water at the conclusion of each fishing day. If an angler is fighting a fish hooked prior to 2:00 p.m. Saturday or 1:00 pm Sunday, they may continue fighting the hooked fish. Boats are allowed to catch bait with cast nets prior to the start but are not allowed to use hook and line to catch bait prior to the start. Both hook-and-line and cast-net bait fishing is allowed during tournament hours. Purchasing bait prior to the start is permitted, but no bait purchasing or use of bait pens is allowed during tournament hours. All boats must be in the weigh-in line by 2:30 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday or the fish will not be recorded as a tournament catch for that day. Fishing times are clear. NO FISHING FROM ENTERED BOATS DURING NONFISHING HOURS! The tournament awards presentation will begin at 5 p.m. May 27, 2013, at Riverside Park.

BOUNDARIES
No boat shall go out the inlet into the Atlantic Ocean (not past the north jetties). The exception is that boats are allowed to fish the north and south sides of the jetty rocks.

TOURNAMENT BOAT CHECKOUT AND CHECK-IN PROCEEDURES
All boats fishing the tournament must leave and return by water via the dock at Riverside Park waterfront, New Smyrna Beach. All boats must CHECK OUT at the dock and then proceed to fishing locations. Checkout will be single-file so that your boat number can be recorded beginning at 6:00 a.m. and ending at 7:00 a.m. Your boat number determines your position in line for the checkout each morning. A checkout station will remain on location until 7:00 a.m. Boats checking out after 7:00 a.m. MUST contact tournament control and visually check out at the weigh-in station.

NOTE: This is a boat-registration tournament. Angler changes need not be called in. Please keep the radio free for daily instructions.

A committee person will be located at the dock by 1:00 p.m. Saturday and 12:00 p.m. on Sunday. On returning from fishing, all boats must CHECK IN by showing their boat number and then proceed in line to the weigh in dock if they have fish to weigh. Boats must check in by 2:30 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday for their fish to count toward awards. Once you have checked in, proceed behind the boat in front of you in single file and wait to be called to the weigh dock. All boats MUST check in and be acknowledged. Even if you do not have fish to weigh, you still must check in with the committee. If you don’t have fish to weigh and do not check in at the weigh station, please check in by VHF radio or cell phone. It is important for the tournament to know that each boat is back to port with all participants present and accounted for. Fishing after tournament hours is prohibited. Minimum Wake Zone will be in effect from a quarter (1/4)-mile each side of the checkout and check-in location. Trailering boats are not permitted during tournament fishing hours unless there is an emergency.

WEIGH-IN
Fish considered for awards must be weighed in at the official weigh-in station at Riverside Park, New Smyrna Beach. All fish must be fresh-caught that day. Fish must remain on and be removed directly from the entered boat by the registered entrant or team member. Fish will be measured with the tail pinched on the measuring board. Each boat is allowed to weigh two redfish and one trout per day. Fish weights will be measured to the 100th of a pound.
The weigh-in station officially opens at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, May 25, and 12:00 p.m. Sunday, May 26. Boats with fish to be weighed in must be visually checked in by 2:30 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday by the committee station at a predetermined location. When a boat is called to come to the weigh station, the boat has 15 minutes to get to the dock. If you don’t have fish to weigh and you don’t check in at the weigh station, please check in by VHF radio or cell phone. It is important for the tournament to know that each boat is back to port with all participants present and accounted for.

REQUIREMENT OF ELIGIBLE FISH
Fish must be of legal state length to be considered in this tournament. Every effort must be made to keep redfish alive for weigh-ins. All boats used in the tournament must contain recirculating or aerated live wells that are at least 2.4 cubic feet or 18 gallons in capacity (the minimum live well size for a 2-person team bag limit of redfish), and that failure to meet this live well requirement will result in disqualification. Also, because this event will be targeting both redfish and seatrout, the tournament rules must specify that redfish and trout must be kept in separate live wells (or that trout must be kept on ice). All redfish weighed that are not alive will receive a 1-pound penalty. Each boat is allowed to weigh two redfish and one trout per day.

Redfish: Minimum length of 18 inches; maximum length of 27 inches.
Trout: Minimum length 15 inches, maximum length of 27 inches.

The weigh-master 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.

BASIS OF AWARDS
Eligible-fish categories for the tournament are redfish and trout. Fish-category winners will be for the three heaviest fish totals in each fish category. Top-boat awards are based on combined weight of both fish categories. Each boat is allowed to weigh two legal redfish (18-27 inches) and one trout (15-27 inches) per day. Every effort must be made to keep redfish alive. Any redfish weighed that are not alive will receive a one (1)-pound deduction. Each registered boat that weighs in an eligible redfish or trout receives an entry into the PRIZE DRAWINGS at the awards ceremony. Each boat can qualify for one drawing entry on Friday and Saturday, giving them a chance to receive two total entries in the drawing. Qualifying entrants will be combined in drawings during Sunday’s awards presentation. The tournament entrant must be present to claim the prize. The entrant will have two (2) minutes to claim the prize before another slip is drawn. The winner is responsible for all taxes.

Winners may be subject to polygraph examination. All cash and merchandise awards will be made to the tournament entrant. This is a boat-entrant tournament.

TYPES OF AWARDS
Cash, trophies and merchandise will be awarded to the top three boats overall, top three fish-category winners and the drawing winners. The entrant must be present at the awards presentation to receive their award. Exception due to hardship will be made at the discretion of tournament management. If an exception is granted, it will be the sole responsibility of the winner to arrange for pickup of all merchandise awards at their own expense within 30 days after the awards presentation.

TIES
The official check-in committee will record the boat order of check-in for teams with fish to weigh. In the event of a point tie within the tournament, the boat accumulating the points first shall be declared the winner; the loser shall assume the next lower position in the points standing.

OPTIONAL TOURNAMENT WITHIN A TOURNAMENT DIVISIONS
Winnings under these divisions are in addition to the tournament winnings. This is a separate tournament division available only to participants whose boats are already entered in the tournament. Only the entrant of the tournament may claim the winnings at the awards presentation held on Sunday. All rules pertaining to the tournament shall apply to the optional Tournament Within a Tournament divisions. If you enter each category, you may win in each category. Sign up by mail with your entry or at the registration check-in table at the Brannon Center on Riverside Park, New Smyrna Beach, from 4 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on May 24.

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

COMMUNICATIONS Radio/Cell Phone
The official tournament channel is 68. All boats should be equipped with a VHF radio or cell phone. The tournament cell-phone number will be posted on the back of your boat number. If you do not check in at the weigh station, please check in by VHF radio or cell phone. It is important for the tournament to know that each boat is back to port with all participants present and accounted for.

DISQUALIFICATION
If any boats come together or if 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 can be disqualified for that day. However, as safety is of prime importance to the operation of the tournament, tournament management may grant exceptions for emergencies.

Protests
Participants may lodge protests against any catch which they believe was not made in accordance with these rules. All protests must be stated in writing and accompanied by $100. The tournament judges may call a protest hearing in their discretion; a protest hearing is not guaranteed. All protests will be settled on the day of the incident. All protests on May 25 and 26 must be in the hands of the tournament’s designated rules official within one (1) hour after the closing of the weigh-in station unless there is a protest regarding a fish that comes to the scales late. The protest party, as well as the accused team members, captain and crew, must be present at any official protest hearing. The tournament committee may refuse to consider any protest evidence not submitted at the protest hearing in the presence of the protested team. If the protesting or protested team fails to show up for the protest hearing, that team forfeits its right to submit evidence. Decisions of the tournament organizers with regard to protests are final, nonappealable, and nonjusticiable.

TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT
Artificial lures, live bait, dead bait or any combination is permitted in the tournament. Treble hooks are permitted for LURES ONLY. No treble hooks are allowed for live- or dead-bait fishing. Fish must be caught on rod and reel.

GENERAL TOURNAMENT DAYS
Weather permitting, this is a two-day tournament and three-day event. Check-in, late registration and the Captains and Anglers Party is from 4 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, May 24, in the Brannon Center at Riverside Park in New Smyrna Beach. Fishing is on Saturday, May 25, and Sunday, May 26. An awards presentation will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday, May 26.

GUIDE BOATS
Any captain can enter a chartered 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 tournament management. All tournament-management decisions are final.

WEATHER CONDITIONS
Tournament management reserves the right to terminate a day’s fishing because of unsafe conditions, but the tournament shall be considered complete if one day’s fishing is completed, regardless of weather. If, due to bad weather, we are unable to fish at least one designated fishing day, tournament management will inform all registered teams of the rescheduling date.

Sportsmanlike Conduct
All participants are expected to maintain a reasonable and sportsmanlike demeanor at all times throughout the tournament. Unsportsmanlike or threatening conduct towards tournament organizers or other participants, or any other behavior which the tournament organizers deem inappropriate, in their sole discretion, will result in immediate disqualification of the entire team with no refund of entry fees.

PRIZES AND AWARDS
BOAT AWARDS
Boat awards are based on the teams that have the most species and total weight. For instance, if only one boat has two species, they will be the winner of the top-boat awards. If two boats have two species, then the team with the most weight will be the winner, with the other boat assuming the next position. Each boat is allowed to weigh two redfish and one trout per day. Tournament cash awards are based on the total number of entries less 30 percent.

Example: 125 boats entered at $100 per boat = $12,500 less 30% = $8,750 total available cash purse. If fewer or greater than 125 boats enter, prize money will be adjusted accordingly.

Top Boat Awards
1st Place: 22.5%
2nd Place: 17.5%
3rd Place: 10%

FISH-CATEGORY AWARDS
There are two fish categories, redfish and trout. Awards are based on the total weight for each species over the two days of fishing. Each team is allowed to weigh two redfish and one trout per day.

Redfish
1st Place: 12.5%
2nd Place: 7.5%
3rd Place: 5%

Trout
1st Place: 12.5%
2nd Place: 7.5%
3rd Place: 5%

Top 3 Lady Angler Award (age 18 and over)
The women weighing in the three heaviest tournament-legal fish receive an engraved plaque and a prize package.

Top 3 Young Angler Award (age 17 and under)
The young anglers weighing in the three heaviest tournament-legal fish receive an engraved plaque and a prize package.

Top Fly Angler Redfish/Trout
The angler catching the largest redfish on a fly and the angler catching the largest trout on a fly receives a plaque and prize package.

Optional Tournament Within a Tournament (TWT)
There are three optional TWT categories! The TWT purse is made up of 70 percent of all TWT entry fees. Winnings under the optional Tournament Within a Tournament divisions are awarded in addition to the tournament winnings. Only entrants officially registered in the tournament may enter the optional Tournament Within a Tournament divisions, and only the entrant may claim the winnings at the awards presentation. All rules pertaining to the tournament shall apply to the optional Tournament Within a Tournament divisions.

Category 1: Redfish (TWT) Jackpot
Entry fee is $25 and is optional.
Based on total weight.

Category 2: Trout (TWT) Jackpot
Entry fee is $25 and is optional.
Based on total weight.

Category 3: Redfish Most Spots (TWT) Jackpot
Entry fee is $25 and is optional. Based on total
individual spots 1/4" or larger in diameter on a single fish.