Rules

• Rules: Rules and regulations are included here in with special notations. You are expected to be familiar with items before entering any tournament. The following rules will remain unchanged throughout these events unless federal state or local laws are in conflict. Alcoholic beverages or controlled substances prior to or during tournament hours will result in immediate dismissal from the tournament as well as membership into Freedom Bass.
• Rule Changes: Rule changes and revisions will take place at the time the revision is made. It is the director’s decision to make a change where safety or cancellation is concerned. The decision of the Tournament Director and Tournament Officials will be final in all matters.
• Eligibility: Participation is open only to members of Freedom Bass, for any person over the age of 17. A member under the age of 17 must be accompanied by a parent. . This is for all trails. All participants under 17 must have the signature of his or her parent or legal guardian on the membership form. Freedom Bass Trail Tournaments are open to all people regardless of race, sex, religion or national origin. Freedom Bass Trail Reserves the right to refuse any application for membership and tournament entry fees.
• Membership: To participate in any Freedom Bass Trail Tournament you must be a member of Freedom Bass at a cost of $40.00 per season. Note, if a personal check or company check does not clear, a $25.00 fee will be charged back and that will be subject to any other fees that might be generated.
• Guides: Individuals who are serving as a licensed guide or who have guided without a license for pay on the contest body of water that week is not eligible.
• Sportsmanship: Competitor’s are expected to follow the highest standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation. Any infraction of these fundamental sporting principles may be deemed cause for disqualification.
• Pre -Tournament Practice: Tournament waters will be off limits the Wednsday before at 6 P.M. the bodies of water are Shirley, Wamponaug, Nashua River Groton, and Lake Manomonac.
• Registration: Launching will be done at Registration ramp unless otherwise approved by tournament director 24 hours prior to the competition. Each contestant must register at the designated site before 6:30 am. Contestants must attend the pretournament meeting held 15 minutes before the designated start time.
• Polygraph: Anyone may be subject to a lie detector test. Failure to do so will result in a termination of membership. Failing the polygraph test will result in a further review by officials and authorities
• Safety: Safe boating conduct will be observed at all times, All competitors must follow all state and local laws for each tournament body of water. Each competitor must wear a serviceable US Coast Guard Approved Chest-type Personal Floating Device (PFD). This PFD must he worn, strapped, and secured any time the combustion engine is operating. The boat operator must have a safetylanyard attached to his or her person to a functional kill switch when the combustion engine is running and in gear, Violation of either the PFD or the safety-lanyard switch rule will result in, disqualification. Tackle and Equipment: Only artificial lures with the exception of pork rinds may be used. Only one rod and reel combination may be used at one time. Trolling, as a method of fishing, is prohibited, All bass must be caught alive in a traditional sporting manner
• Boat and Motor: All boats entered in the Freedom Bass tournament must carry a minimum of $100,000 liability insurance policy. All boats must equipped with a functional safety-stop switch. No boat under 14-ft., may be used during the tournament. Each boat must have all US Coast Guard required safety equipment. Each boat must have a properly aerated and recirculating live well system unless pre-approved by tournament director. The live well must be capable of holding a limit of bass for both contestants. Maximum horsepower for the outboard will not exceed the maximum Horsepower allowed as to the boat’s specifications. (For Draw Trail only if needed)
• Boat Operation: Partners must discuss operation prior to the day’s competition. Any contestants who, to the judgment of the Tournament Director, operates the boat in such a manner as to unfairly handicap his partner will he disqualified. The responsibility for a mutual agreement as to the shared expenses for the day will rest with the non-boater before the morning’s competition. A minimum of $10.00 will be paid to the boater by non-boater, Permitted Fishing Locations: Contestants may fish anywhere accessible by boat except areas designated by Federal, State, or local officials or within 100 feet of another competition boat. Violation of the 100-foot rule will result in disqualification if a grievance is filed in writing to the tournament director, prior to the weigh in. This rule may be waived or lifted if stated by the tournament director prior to the day’s competition. All angling must be down from the boat contestants may not depart their boat to land a fish.
• Official Checkpoint: There will be one official checkpoint for checkout and weigh in designated by the tournament director. If not designated it will be the site that the competitors checked in at. Competitors not at the checkpoint at the designated time will be penalized at the rate of 1 pound per minute starting at the lunker and continued through and deducted from his/her total weight for the day. Any competitor more than 15-minutes late for check in will be disqualified for the day.
• Tournament Hours: Official start and weigh-in times will be announced at the pre-tournament meeting. Our best effort will be given to allow 8 hours of fishing time. In the case of adverse weather conditions, the tournament director may open weighin earlier for safety.
• Scoring: The total weight will determine Tournament standings of each competitor’s catch during the tournament. Only large mouth and small mouth bass are eligible to be weighed. The creel limit will be announced at the pre-tournament meeting. At no time shall a competitor have in his/her possession more than the Tournament limit. Culling must be done immediately and on the water. Any boat culling at the ramp will be disqualified. Competitors bringing more then the legal limit of fish to the scale will be immediately disqualified. Minimum length will be 12 inches or more (on a flat board) unless the prevailing state rule is larger. A 4 ounce or .25 pound penalty will be deducted from the total weight for each dead fish brought to the weigh-in. Any fish to qualify as lunker must be weighed in and released alive. From ice out until June 15th, fish must be a minimum of 12-incher in length From June 15th until Oct.1 a 14-inch length limit will be mandated unless otherwise stated by Tournament Director at the Pre-Tournament meeting. One courtesy Measurement will be allowed if requested. All fish brought to the scales must be meet the minimum length limit determined prior to that day’s competition. Presentation of a short fish will result in disqualification if courtesy measurement is not requested. Mangled, mashed, mauled or otherwise altered fish will be grounds for immediate disqualification. No regurgitated baitfish will be weighed. All fish must be returned to the water alive. Dead fish will be the responsibility of the angler in possession. No dead fish will be released into the water. Ties: In case of tie for any place the tie will be broken in the following manner 1)biggest fish 2) total number of fish if there is still a tie it will be then up to the 2 teams/singles to decide how they would like to determine the outcome.
• Point System: A One-day tournament win is worth 200 Points. Points will decrease in 2 point increments, No one will receive less than 50 points.
• VIOLATION OF THESE RULES LISTED SHALL BE CAUSE FOR IMMEDIATE DISQUALIFICATION
• TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS (MA North Trail & NH Trail): To be eligable for the TOC, you need to fish five tournaments as a team(one substitute per a year) on the MA North trail, 4 tournaments on the NH Trail. NH trail members you must have a partner for the TOC.
• These rules apply as of November 2009