Rules

2012 Lake Ontario Pro/Am Official Rules

NOTE: Violation of ANY of these rules MAY result in disqualification for the day or the Tournament

1 – CAPTAINS & OBSERVERS MEETING:

There will be a MANDATORY Captains meeting the Friday evening before the event. One (1) Team Captain or Team member and ALL Team Observers involved are required to attend. Attendance will be limited to one (1) Team Captain or Team member and ALL Team Observers. ALL Team representatives will be required to sign in at the pre-registration table. ANY exceptions to this rule MUST reported to and pre-approved by the Tournament Director.  Exact times and locations for Captains meetings can be found at www.lakeontarioproam.net .

2 – COMPETITION PARAMETERS:

The Tournaments intent is to fish two days. Hours of the competition are defined in Table A and shall apply to each day of each event unless altered by the Tournament Director based on inclement weather.

a)       In the event of foul weather, two hours of fishing will constitute a full day. One two hour day will constitute completion of the Tournament.

b)       Teams should be prepared to adjust their schedules to allow for fishing up to 8PM Saturday, 4PM Sunday if weather conditions are a factor.

c)       If the first day is completed any time fished on the second day (even if less than two hours) will count toward the day.

d)      All team members and all Registered Tournament Boats are prohibited from returning to the waters of Lake Ontario from the time they cross the pier head day 1 until the designated departure time day 2. Any exceptions to this rule MUST be pre-approved by the Tournament Director.

e)       NOTE: There will be no refunds. In the event that the entire Tournament is cancelled due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances all entry fees will be put in escrow and applied to the following year.

TABLE A:

Trophy and Classic Divisions West Events:

Disclaimers Leave starting point Start fishing Inside Piers In weigh-in line

5:00 AM

5:30 AM

6:00 AM

2:00 PM

3:30 PM

Trophy and Classic Divisions East Events:

Disclaimers Leave starting point Start fishing Inside Piers In weigh-in line

4:30 AM

5:00 AM

5:30 AM

1:30 PM

3:00 PM

Open Division – All Events – Leave when they want            In Weigh-in Line – 12:30PM

3 – TOURNAMENT LIMITS:

All team members and registered Tournament boats must enter and exit from assigned ports ONLY.

a)       Tournament fishing is limited to US waters ONLY.

b)       Fishing tributaries is prohibited. The Niagara River will be considered a tributary.

c)       It is the responsibility of the team Captain to remain within the Tournament boundaries. Straying outside of Tournament boundaries at any time for any reason is prohibited and will result in disqualification for the day.

d)      Tournament boats are prohibited from all open water boat to boat contact unless it involves law enforcement or an emergency.  Any exception must be pre-approved by the tournament director or will result in disqualification for the day.

4 – TEAM STRUCTURE:

Teams are not limited to a maximum number of anglers. All Teams are limited to 3 fishing rods per person but no more than 8 fishing rods in the water at any time. Team Captains are responsible for insuring that the appropriate number of NYS fishing licenses are present on the boat to accommodate Tournament fish and rod limits.

5 – OBSERVERS:

All competing teams (except Open division) are required to provide an Observer 18 years of age or older.

a)      Observers are required to attend the Captains Meeting the Friday before the event.

b)      Team Captains are required to have their Observers on their assigned boats no later than 5AM for the West Events and 4:30AM for the East events. No team may leave the dock without their Observer present on their assigned boat. Captains that fail to have their Observer on their assigned boat by 5:00AM (West Events) or 4:30AM (East Events) will be required to forfeit a team member to fill in as Observer no later than 5:15AM (WEST) or 4:45 (EAST).

c)      Observers may not physically assist their assigned team in the act of fishing.

d)     Observers are required to check the “fish box” or designated cooler on the boat that they are assigned to at the beginning of each tournament day to ensure that it contains only ice or water.

e)      Observers are required to view the measurement of all landed fish prior to release.

f)       Team Captains must ensure that Assigned Observers fulfill their responsibility to log each fish boxed on the score sheet when landed. Items that must be recorded are species, time of catch, estimated weight and exact GPS location (degrees, minutes and seconds). Team Captains MUST make certain their Assigned Observer fills in all required fields correctly for each fish kept, and then initial the corresponding field. A sample will be provided with each score sheet to ensure accuracy.

g)       Score sheets must be signed by Captain and Observer immediately upon the completion of the fishing day. Both signatures must appear on the next available entry space (i.e. if the last fish was recorded on line 12 the signatures must appear on line 13).

h)      Observers are required to stay with the team cooler at all times until it has been received by the Tournament Weigh-Master. Any exceptions must be approved by a Tournament Official.

i)        Observers are required to remain at the weigh-in site until released by the Tournament Director. Any exceptions must be approved by a Tournament Official.

6 – BOAT RESTRICTION AND IDENTIFICATION:

Boat size will be limited to no less than 18 feet. All boats are required to have a working VHS radio and GPS which must be functional at all times as well as USCG regulated safety equipment. Each team (except Open’s) will be issued a pennant which must be affixed to the boat’s antenna. Tournament Control will monitor Channel 16 and all boats will be directed to channel 9 for announcements. It is the Captains responsibility to maintain contact with Tournament Control in the event of foul weather.

Open Communication will be in effect throughout the event. NOTE: this rule is designed for Captain to Captain communication ONLY. The Tournament Directors and their committees suggest that communication concerns be addressed at the conclusion of the Captains meeting. All teams may decide to communicate or not. We ask that all teams respect each other’s wishes and conduct themselves in a socially acceptable manner.

7- START AND END TIMES:

RECREATIONAL OPEN TEAMS: May leave the dock to fish at any time, from any harbor. They MUST be in line at the Tournament no later than 12:30PM at all events.

TROPHY/CLASSIC DIVISION TEAMS:

a)      Must turn in their signed Disclaimer forms at the designated locations announced at the Captains meeting BEFORE leaving the dock. Disclaimer forms may be turned in starting at 5:00AM (West Events) or 4:30AM (East Events).

b)      In the event of inclement weather, a weather announcement will be made prior to the Disclaimer turn in time.

c)      West Event teams may leave the starting points at 5:30AM. East Event Teams may leave the starting points at 5:00AM. NOTE, “Starting points” may vary from Tournament to Tournament based on each harbors characteristics. Contestants will be informed at the Captains meeting exactly where the designated starting points are for each Tournament harbor.

d)     For West Event Teams, start fishing time will be 6:00AM. For East Event Teams, start fishing time is 5:30AM.

e)      All electronics may be used prior to start fishing time including temp probes. Planer boards may be deployed. Nothing used to attract, hook or land a fish may be placed in the water before the start fishing time.

f)       West Event teams must be at the pier head no later than 2:00PM, East Event teams must be at the pier head no later than 1:30PM, even if mechanical issues arise. Failure to cross the pier-head by the designated time for any reason will result in a DQ for the day.

g)      All West Event teams must be in the weigh-in pre-check line no later than 3:30PM. All East Event teams must be in the weigh-in pre-check line not later than 3:00PM.

h)      Failure to abide by these rules will result in disqualification for the day.

8 – WEIGH-IN:

a)      Upon returning to port the cooler containing the days catch must be immediately drained of water and transported to the weigh-in site.

b)      Any attempt to alter the weight of a tournament fish (excessive soaking, pumping, injecting, etc.) will result in a self-inflicted DQ for the day.

c)      The cooler containing the day’s catch (up to 12 fish overall for the Classic Division) may not leave the boat until your big fish for the day, as well as your next 4 “Trophy” fish (for the Trophy Division – five in total), are tagged with zip ties (in the mouth and out the gills, odd color zip tie must be placed in your largest fish) provided by the Tournament. Failure to do so will result in you, your Observer and your box being “held” in the pre-check area until a Tournament official is available to oversee the proper “tagging” of your fish.

d)     As soon as the cooler leaves the boat it will be considered “sealed”. The handling of your fish by anyone other than a Tournament Official is prohibited.

e)      At least one team member and the Observer must remain with the days catch until surrendered to the Weigh-in Official. Any exception to this rule must be pre-approved by a tournament official.

f)       Failure to abide by these rules result in disqualification for the day.

9 – COOLERS:

a)      To qualify for scoring, all coolers must return to your designated harbor in your designated boat.

b)      All coolers must be marked with the team name and number.

c)      All coolers must arrive at the weigh-in free of loose ice and water. ONLY block, bagged cubes, and frozen plastic containers are approved.

d)     Failure to abide by these rules will result in self-induced removal to the back of the pre-check line for correction.

10 – SCORE SHEETS:

Team Score sheets will be reviewed and must be in compliance with Tournament rules (see rule 5 section  f). NOTE, Team Score sheets must reflect the number of fish brought to the weigh-in, the EXACT (degrees, minutes and seconds) GPS numbers recorded and the time caught for every fish boxed. You will not be allowed to correct this information after the fact. Failure to abide by these rules will result in disqualification for the day.  Failure to record all required information in the appropriate spaces will result in your cooler being held at the pre-check area until such a time as a tournament official is available to oversee any necessary corrections.

11-SCORING:

Recreational Open Teams Limits:

a)      May not arrive at the Weigh-in with more than 3 fish in their cooler.

b)      Scoring will be based on up to 3 “Tournament Legal” fish of which only 1 can be a Lake Trout.

Trophy/Classic Teams Limits:

a)      Tournament limit shall be no more than 12 fish no more than 1 of which may be a Lake Trout.

b)      The first Tournament legal limit of 12 fish on board must be kept. NO CULLING. Upon landing your limit of fish teams must cease fishing and return to the harbor.

Points:

a)      Each Tournament legal fish will score 10 points.

b)      1 point will be scored per pound of fish weighed.

c)      All Trophy/Classic Division teams are qualified to enter fish and build points in both the Trophy and Classic competitions. Recognition and reward will be based on where you place day 1, day 2 and overall in both divisions.

d)     All Trophy/Classic Division teams will be awarded “Cup Points” points based on where both their Trophy and Classic box scores ranked in the field day 1, day 2 and overall. Rank point values will be posted on the Pro/Am web-site.

12 – NYS AND TOURNAMENT LEGAL FISH DEFINITIONS:

FOR ALL TEAMS:

Steelhead – NYS legal length is 21 inches. Minimum Tournament length is 21 ½ inches. Captains are allowed the discretion to release Steelhead up to but not exceeding 22 inches. Attempting to weigh-in a Steelhead between 21 and 21 ½ inches will result in the loss of the fish and 25 points from your box score that day. Attempting to weigh-in a Steelhead less than 21 inches will result in disqualification for the day.

Atlantic Salmon –NYS legal length is 25 inches. Minimum Tournament length is 25 ½ inches. Captains are allowed the discretion to release Atlantic’s up to but not exceeding 26 inches. Attempting to weigh-in an Atlantic between 25 and 25 ½ inches will result in the loss of the fish and 25 points from your box score that day. Attempting to weigh-in an Atlantic less than 25 inches will result in disqualification for the day.

All Other Trout And Salmon –Minimum length is 18 inches. Captains are allowed the discretion to release fish up to but not exceeding 18 ½ inches. Attempting to weigh-in a fish less than 18 inches will result in the loss of the fish and 25 points from your box score that day.

HANDLING FISH:

  • Teams must make very reasonable effort to immediately land every fish that is “hooked-up”.
  • All fish brought to the boat must be immediately landed by net and allowed to be viewed by the Observer. Landing fish by lifting them into the boat by hand, line, rod and reel or gaff is prohibited.
  • Observers must be allowed to verify the exact length and species of all “potential” undersized fish prior to releasing them.
  • Any intentional act to cull fish such as, but not limited to, shaking off, over-aggressive reeling, breaking off, knocking off with the net, burning off or leaving a fish “hang” (Example: Allowing a hooked fish to sit in a rod holder unattended intentionally) is prohibited.
  • Any attempt to alter the length of a fish by breaking the spine or other form of mutilation is prohibited.
  • Teams found in violation of these rules after a thorough investigation by Tournament officials will be disqualified.

HANDLING YOUR LIMIT FISH:

  • The moment a team has boated 11 Tournament legal fish, the next fish “hooked-up” will constitute “possession” of your “limit” (12th) fish.
  • While a team is in “possession” (fighting/landing) of their “limit” (12th) fish, any additional fish “hooked-up” must be brought to the boat, and at the discretion of the Captain, may be secured in the net but not lifted from the water or boated.
  • When your limit fish (12th) is netted, boated, determined to be Tournament legal and boxed, your team will be “limited-out” and must immediately release any additional fish at the boat, cease fishing and return to the harbor.
  • Teams found in violation of these rules after a thorough investigation by Tournament officials will be disqualified.

Certified measuring boards will be used at the weigh-in site. These boards will be present at the Captains meeting for teams to compare their own measuring devices to. This board will be the “OFFICIAL” measuring boards of the Tournament, used to determine whether or not a fish is Tournament legal.

In no case will a team’s score be made less than zero.

13 – PROTESTS, RULINGS AND LITIGATIONS:

a)      Any contestant or Observer witnessing a violation of the rules is required to IMMEDIATELY report the alleged violation to Tournament Control.

b)      Any suspected violations will be turned over to the Competition Committee for review. This committee will report all information to the Tournament Director. The Tournament Director will attempt to facilitate a resolution of the issue. Before an Official Protest is filed.

c)      Any Team member or Observer has the right to file an Official Protest by completing and signing the Official Protest Form provided by the Tournament Director. This form must be presented to the Tournament Director within 30 minutes of receiving the form. Upon receiving the Official Protest form the Tournament Director will present the protested team with 15 minute opportunity to resolve the protest. Any unresolved protests will be forwarded to the appropriate Law Enforcement Agency for investigation.

d)     A $50.00 (fifty dollar) non-refundable protest fee (cash only) must accompany any filed protest form.

e)      The Tournament scores of protested teams will not be considered official, and any awards won by a protested team will be withheld until a complete investigation is finalized.

f)       Failure of any team to cooperate with the Competition Committee or the Tournament Director will result in immediate self-induced disqualification from the event.

g)      THE “SPIRIT” OF THE RULES WILL BE ENFORCED AT ALL TIMES. ALL DECISIONS OF THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS WILL BE FINAL.

14 – INSPECTIONS:

All teams must at any time, allow Tournament Officials to board their boat for inspection. All Tournament boats must be available for inspection for the duration of the event. Inspections shall include, but not be limited to, GPS units, fishing tackle and coolers. Failure to comply with an Official’s request for inspection will result in immediate disqualification.

15 – MISCONDUCT:

Any inappropriate, improper or abusive conduct by any participant towards any Tournament Official, volunteer, observer or fellow participant shall be deemed a violation of the rules and may subject the violator to penalties or disqualification as determined by the Tournament Committee. Any person or team that has been disqualified by any other Tournament or Derby for an overt act to deceive or defraud may be barred from entry into any future events.

15 – LIABILITY:

Every reasonable precaution will be taken by the Tournament Committee to protect persons and property during the event. However, the Committee, its judges, sponsors, officers, directors, volunteers or employees of the same will not be held responsible for the safety of persons or property participating in the tournament. All participants further understand and agree to hold harmless members of the aforementioned groups from any liability or claim of damages.

a)      All Tournament boats should carry liability insurance.

b)      Each Contestant and Observer will be required to sign a liability disclaimer each morning before the Tournament begins.

14 – GENERAL:

a)      All fish will remain the property of the Tournament until released to the teams.

b)      All fish may be tested for legality.

c)      Disposition of all fish is the teams responsibility and must be in compliance with state and local laws.

 15 – ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING;

All entrants agree that their purchase of a registration or participation in any of these events shall constitute an acknowledgement of the rules and they further acknowledge that they understand their obligations and responsibilities outlined within and they agree by these rules and the decisions of the Tournament Officials.

NOTE: Violations of ANY of these rules MAY result in disqualification for the day or the event.  See specific rules for exact penalties.