TBN Southeast Region Official Tournament Rules 1. Rule Changes: Great effort, study and research have gone into the formulation of these rules. These rules shall remain unchanged throughout all events. In the event of a rule violation, the Tournament Director may impose such sanctions, as he deems appropriate, including and without limitation, disqualification, and forfeiture of prizes, entry fees and prohibition from participation in subsequent tournaments. Decisions of the Tournament Director and Tournament Officials are final in all matters, and are not subject to appeal, and are not reviewable by any court of law. The Texas B.A.S.S. Nation reserves the right to make needed changes to these rules in order to ensure the safety, welfare of the Texas B.A.S.S. Nation anglers, and/or the public and preserve the integrity of the Texas B.A.S.S. Nation. Any rule changes will immediately supersede all previously published copies of rules. It is your responsibility to read and understand the rules and how you, any points, and qualification for the Championship are affected by not complying with the following rules. Every angler, by submission of a signed entry form, acknowledges and agrees that he/she has read, understands, and accepts all rules. 2. Participation & Eligibility: Anyone who is 16 years old or older, a member in good standing with B.A.S.S., a member in good standing with the Texas B.A.S.S. Nation and a member in good standing of a Texas B.A.S.S. Nation affiliated club in the Southeast Region may fish the Southeast Region tournaments and accumulate tournament trail points. Individuals who are not a member of a Texas B.A.S.S. Nation affiliated club in the Southeast Region but are members of B.A.S.S. and the Texas B.A.S.S. Nation may pay the tournament fee and participate and will be awarded A.O.Y. points. Only members and immediate family (parent, spouse or child), or persons under the age of 16 are allowed in the boat during tournament hours. . Proof of age to the satisfaction of tournament officials is the responsibility of contestant. All contestants must have a valid fishing license. Contestants must fill out a complete personal information form before fishing the first tournament for the computer standings program. 3. Guides: Contestants may not utilize the service of guides 30 days prior to official event day. Paid guides may not register or participate in a Texas B.A.S.S. Nation tournament that they have guided on the tournament lake in the previous 30 days. (Fishing Guide Definition – A person who, for compensation, accompanies, assists, or transports a person or persons engaged in fishing for bass in the water of this State). 4. Alcoholic Beverages & Drugs: No alcoholic beverages or drugs (unless prescribed) are allowed in the boat or to be consumed during tournament hours. Tournament hours are concluded for a contestant when their weigh-in slip is signed. 5. Sportsmanship: Any contestant(s) who displays poor sportsmanship, violates the rules of any federal state or local laws or brings unfavorable publicity to the sport of bass fishing will be disqualified and shall forfeit all entry fees and/or prize money. The use of communications devices for the purpose of locating fish is prohibited. Contestants must remain 50 ft. from another contestant with the trolling motor down and 100 ft. from contestants that are anchored with the trolling motor up. 6. Boats & Motors: All boats and motors must meet U.S. Coast Guard and State regulations. No motor shall exceed the BIA rating for that boat. The maximum horsepower allowed for any contestant’s boat will be 250 hp. Minimum boat length for any contestant’s boat is 16 ft. All boats must have a working **** switch and an adequate aerated live well. All boats will be inspected by a tournament official prior to the start of the tournament. It is required that all contestants carry a minimum $300,000 of liability insurance coverage for a boat used in a Texas B.A.S.S. Nation tournament. A copy of the certificate of insurance must be presented on request by tournament officials or the contestant will not be allowed to fish in that tournament. 7. Safety: U.S. Coast Guard approved life preservers must be worn and fully fastened by all boat members at all times that the combustion engine is in operation and the **** switch must be attached to the operator. 8. Tackle & Equipment: All fish must be caught in a legal and sporting manner on artificial lures. No trolling with the combustion engine or snagging fish is permitted. No live or prepared bait is permitted with the exception of pork rind. Liquid fish attractants are allowed. Only one rod may be used at any one time. A cast must be fully retrieved before another rod is picked up. Only rods shorter than 8 feet in length may be used. The use of electronic tracking equipment is not allowed at any time. Nets WILL be allowed. Starting the 2019 Season only non-puncture style cull tags are allowed to be used and in the boat. 9. Protests: All protests must be submitted in writing, to the tournament director, within 15 minutes of the close of the weigh–in. 10. Polygraph: All contestants are subject to a polygraph examination at the request of the tournament director. Failure to submit to or pass a polygraph examination will result in immediate disqualification and forfeiture of entry fees and claims to any prizes. 11. Officials: All contestants are required to cooperate with all requests from all tournament officials, on and off the water. 1st Place boater and 4 random boaters who finish in the money will comply to a boat check for safety items(throw cushion, fire extinguisher, non-mechanical items) and also puncture style cull tags not present. Any violation will result in a disqualification. 12. Scoring: Will be based on points plus pounds (Example: 250 points plus total weight for 1st place, 249 points plus total weight for 2nd, 248 points plus total weight for 3rd and so on through the placements). Contestants with no weight will receive the point equivalent to ten points less than last point placement. Each contestant may weigh in a 5 fish limit with a minimum length of 14 inches (using official tournament measuring board) unless minimum length for that body of water is greater. Any contestant bringing a fish to weigh–in that is short of legal length will lose his entire weight for that day as this constitutes a violation of state law. A dead fish penalty of 0.50 pounds per fish will be deducted from the total weight for that contestant. Each contestant is required to leave from and return to the designated checkpoint. Any contestant returning to the checkpoint late will be penalized at the rate of one (1) pound per minute up to 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, no weight will be allowed. Culling of fish is each contestant’s responsibility and no more than 5 fish may be kept in the live well. Culling of dead fish is prohibited. Only Largemouth, Small- mouth and Kentucky Spotted Bass will be weighed in. 13. Ties: In case of a tie, the following tiebreakers will be used: 1) The individual with the most fish weighed in. 2) The individual with the largest single fish. 3) If a tie still remains, a flip of the coin will determine the winner. Big bass will be penalized 0.50 pounds if weighed–in dead due to this being a separate prize. 14. Conservation: This is the primary concern of the Southeast Region of the Texas B.A.S.S. Nation. All fish caught during a Region tournament become the property of the Region and will be live released if possible. Contestants will be furnished weigh–in bags at each tournament. Fish will not be weighed in brought to the scales in bags not furnished at the tournament. 15. Registrations: Contestants may register by online registration or by mail addressed to the tournament director if postmarked no later than Friday of the week prior to the tournament date, or at the host marina or other designated place from 4 PM to 6 PM on the Friday prior to the tournament. A copy of proof of insurance is required to be given to the Region Dir prior before the beginning of the season or prior to first tournament. A contestant who has registered, but is unable to attend the tournament, may cancel his registration by notifying the Tournament Director or other Region Officer by the close of registration on Friday. The entry fee of any such contestant shall be applied to the next tournament on the schedule. If cancellation is for last event of season the contestant entry will be refunded. Entry fees for Region Officers are waived. 16. Starting Position: Contestants will receive their starting position the Sunday after each tournament as assigned by the Director or Tournament Director. Boat numbers will be randomly assigned to those contestants already pre-registered for the upcoming tournament. Thereafter, boat numbers will be assigned in sequential order as registrations are received. Online registration will end at midnight on the Wednesday prior to the tournament. Any contestant who starts prior to his number being called by the starter will be disqualified from that tournament. 17. Championship: “Angler of the Year” will be decided by the total points of the angler’s best (4) tournaments. $2.50 from each Regional Circuit entry will go into a special jackpot fund for the “Angler of the Year”. In the event of a tie, the angler with the highest place finishes during the year will be named “Angler of the Year”. The Southeast Region State Team Representative(s) (angler who goes to the Regional B.A.S.S. Nation Tournament) will be determined at a boater/non-boater format tournament after the Regional circuit is concluded. The top boater and the top non-boater will receive invitations to the State Team. This tournament will be held at a lake outside of the S.E. Region. Contestants for this tournament must fish 4 of the 6 Regional tournaments. The top 40 points leaders will comprise the field. (See Official Region Championship rules for a full description of rules pertaining to this event.) SE TX B.A.S.S. Nation Directors