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1st Annual Bye-Weekend Classic Fishing Tournament

Registration:(Register Online)
  • No angler will be eligible to receive tournament prizes or contribute to a team score unless properly registered, with payment of the all applicable fee(s), before catching the entered fish.
  • All properly registered entrants will be issued a captain�s ID card that must accompany fish brought to weigh-in and which must be presented when claiming prizes.
  • Tournament officials may verify proper registration at any time by requesting presentation of a captain�s tournament ID and other identification.
  • Registration may be completed in advance by mail, in person at selected locations, or as indicated on the registration from.
  • Mailed entries must be received by Saturday, October 30, 2004
  • The final deadline for entry without late fee is Friday, November 5, 2004
  • The final day to enter the tournament will be Friday, November 12, 2004, at the Captain�s Meeting which is to held at AJ�s Sports Bar and Grill, and will be accompanied by a $25.00 late fee per boat.
  • Entry fees in all categories are non-refundable.
Safety and Conduct:
  • Participants are expected to follow all applicable laws and rules for safe boating, including those regarding USCG equipment requirements.
  • Participants are expected to follow all applicable laws pertaining to the taking of marine fish.
  • Participants are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship and courtesy. Any participant who exhibits threatening behavior or who otherwise engage in disorderly, illegal or improper conduct of any kind is subject to immediate disqualification by the Tournament Judge or the Tournament Chairman.
  • Willful violations of marine laws or other violations of safe and proper conduct may lead to disqualification as provided in Section M.
Eligibility:
  • Open to all anglers who possess a valid State of Florida Fishing license which can be requested by tournament officials at any time. All state and federal regulations apply.
  • Anglers are eligible to enter all available categories sanctioned by the tournament.
Tournament Rules:
  • This tournament is a competition among boat teams vying for cash prizes and plaques
  • A separate registration fee is required for each boat team; no individual registration fee applies, except for the optional calcutta and cobia pots.
  • Boat teams shall be limited to six named persons including captain and crew.
  • All members of a single registered boat team must fish from the same vessel.
  • At no time may a registered team boat contain more than six persons at any time, including captain and crew.
  • Teams may register under the name of a boat or under any other name, insofar as the name is, in the opinion of the Tournament Director, not offensive or in bad taste.
  • Boat teams are prohibited from changing boats once the tournament has begun. To be eligible for awards, boats, which begin the competition, must complete the competition under their own power.
Fish Categories and Eligibility Requirements:
  • Fish eligible for the tournament are listed below with minimum length requirements:
    • KING MACKEREL � 25� Fork
    • AMBERJACK � 36� Fork
    • GROUPER, RED OR GAG (BLACK) � 23�
    • COBIA � 34�
    • TROUT 25 cm (Inshore tournament)
    • FLOUNDER 23 cm (Inshore tournament)
Scoring:
  • Scoring by weight: All scoring in the tournament is based on the weight of single fish entered
  • Single category: Individual anglers or teams may hold only one place at a time in a single category.
  • Official Weigh Stations: All fish to be considered for scoring must be weighed on an official scale at an Official Weigh Station.
  • Boat Team Scoring: The scoring system for these divisions determines a single list of winning boat teams, from first to third place in the Masters Division. Points are awarded for the three heaviest qualifying fish in each species category as follows:
    1st -100
    2nd - 50
    3rd � 25

    A team may hold only one place at a time in a species category, as determined by the heaviest qualifying fish posted by a member of that team. The sum of points accumulated for placements in the various categories determines the final overall standing of the team. Ties are broken by a formula based on the weight of the teams' scored fish in comparison to the average weight of all fish placing in the applicable category(ies).
Prizes:
Cash prizes are to be paid to the captain�s or sponsors of boat teams which place in first through third place overall. The total distribution of prizes shall be as follows:
  • KING MACKEREL
    First place - $1250
    Second Place - $750
    Third Place - $400

  • AMBERJACK
    First Place - $1250
    Second Place - $750
    Third Place - $400

  • GROUPER, RED OR GAG (BLACK)
    First Place - $1250
    Second Place - $750
    Third Place - $400

  • TROUT (Inshore Tournament)
    First Place - $100 (min)
    Second Place - $75 (min)
    Third Place - $50 (min)

  • FLOUNDER (Inshore Tournament)
    First Place - $100 (min)
    Second Place - $75 (min)
    Third Place - $50 (min)

  • COBIA and CALCUTTA prizes are determined by overall participation.
  • All Jackpots are based on a minimum 50 boat entry.
  • Offshore prize money will is based on 50 boat entries.
Fishing Areas:
  • Departure points: Tournament entrants must depart from port along the portion of the Gulf of Mexico coastline from Apalachicola in Franklin County to St Marks in Wakulla County.
  • Boundaries on water: Providing that stated limits on points of departure are observed, there are no boundary restrictions on the waters tournament entrants may fish.
Tackle and Methods:
  • The entrant credited with a catch in tournament scoring must have hooked and played the fish to boatside without assistance. Normal sportfishing practices for landing a fish (e.g. gaffing, wiring, or landing nets) may be assisted.
  • Fish must be hooked and landed on a single rod and reel, pole, or handline.
  • Expressly prohibited fishing methods for purposes of this tournament include: mounted winch devices ("one-armed bandits"), motor-driven longlines, spearing, gigging, netting, shooting (including use of bangsticks), or any method of catch in violations of State or Federal laws. Evidence of prohibited methods will disqualify the catch and all entrants fishing aboard the vessel on which such rule violations were committed.
  • Presence of prohibited gear on a contestant's boat will be considered evidence of use and shall be considered grounds for disqualifying the catch and all entrants fishing aboard the
Official Schedule:
  • Official Time: All times given represent Eastern Daylight times in Tallahassee, FL occurring from November 10-13, 2004
  • Captain meetings at C-Qurters, Carrabelle Nov.10th 7 PM (sign-up available)
  • Captain meetings at AJ's Sports, Tallahassee Nov.11th 7 PM (sign-up available)
  • Tournament fishing begins (first lines in the water) at 5:30 a.m., Saturday, November 13, 2004 and continues uninterrupted until 5:30 p.m. that same day.
  • Official Weigh Station hours are: 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday, November 13, 2004
  • The Tournament Awards Ceremony will be held Saturday at 9:00 p.m. November 13, 2004 at Tournament Headquarters, AJ�s Sports Bar and Grill, Tallahassee, FL.
Weigh- In:
  • Scoring: To be eligible for scoring, fish must be brought to an Official Weigh Station within the weigh-in hours specified above by a person or persons bearing the Tournament ID card(s) of the registered angler(s) whose fish are to be scored (see 6. below).
  • Official Weigh Station: C-Quarters Marina located in Carrabelle, FL.
  • Weigh-In Zones: Fish, intended to be scored, shall be considered eligible only if at posted deadline times they are located within the following designated zones. The zones begin with the in-line traffic at each scale at an Official Weigh Station. No waivers of these rules will be granted because of hardship or other eventualities.
  • Deadlines: For tournament prizes to be awarded, fish must be within an above weigh-in zone by 5:30 p.m. sharp on Saturday, November 13, 2004. All times given represent Eastern Daylight time in Tallahassee, FL.
  • Open Times: Fish may be officially weighed any time the weigh stations are open. Entrants are encouraged to bring their catch to weigh-in as soon as practical to ensure freshness and the least loss of weight.
  • Tournament ID: Fish will not be officially weighed without presentation of the entrant's Tournament ID, in person or by a representative.
  • Handling: Fish qualifying for places on any of the tournament competition leader boards will be tagged with the official weight, time, entrant's name and Tournament ID number, gut checked and held by tournament officials until close of the tournament or until no longer qualifying for any placement.
  • Removal: Entrants are responsible for removing their catch following any and all weigh-ins and verifications. Any catch remaining in cold storage after the close of the final awards ceremony shall become the property of the tournament.
Rulings and Rules Compliance:
  • Rules violations, the eligibility of entrants or entered fish, disqualifications, and any other matters not specifically covered by these rules will be decided by the Tournament Judge in consultation with the Tournament Chairman. The Tournament Judge may disqualify any person who commits any violation of tournament rules. The Tournament judge may disqualify entrants from this tournament and from future tournaments and events.
  • Decisions of the Tournament Judge are final and binding on all entrants.
  • Any and all issues of dishonesty witnessed or suspected by the Tournament Judge or Tournament Chairman will be resolved using a lie-detector (polygraph) test, administered by a third party.
  • Protests of any nature must be submitted to the Tournament Chairman in writing by 8:00 p.m. November 13, 2004 along with a cash deposit of $30.00 to be binding on the outcome of this tournament. An unsuccessful protest will forfeit the $30.00 deposit.
  • Protests filed after 9:00 p.m. on November 13, 2004, will not affect the results of this tournament and will only be considered with respect to other actions against entrants.
  • The inshore fishing class rules are the same other than that you are allowed to fish from shore or from a boat or canoe. Persons fishing in the inshore tournament aren�t judged as a team they will be judged individually. Inshore fishermen that are in the inshore class are fishing for (trout & flounder) only.
Liability:
  • All entrants participate in the tournament at their own risk.
  • Tournament officials, Official Weigh Stations and all other persons directly or indirectly connected with the operation of the tournament are exempt from any liability for loss, damage, injury, negligence, or harm to any entrant, their companions or other participants, boat captains, crew members, vessels, or equipment which may occur during the tournament.
Communications:
  • Ship-to-shore communication for safety and for periodic tournament announcements will be maintained throughout the tournament on marine VHF channel 09.
Entry Fees:
  • Entry fees for the 2004 Bye-Weekend Classic
    • Tournament entry fee: $200 (per boat)
    • Cobia Jackpot: $25 (per boat)
    • Calcutta: $50 (per boat)
    • Inshore fishing class: $30 (per person)

  • Make Checks payable to:
    Aaron Galley fishing tournament
    P O Box 21362
    Tallahassee, Fl, 32316

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