~ OMBTT RULES ~
THE RULES CONTAINED HEREIN WILL REMAIN IN FORCE
DURING THE
COURSE OF THE 2009 TOURNAMENT
SEASON.
ELIGIBILITY: Participation in the tournaments
will be by paid entry. Anyone, whose entry has been received and approved, is
16 years of age or older, is a current member of the Ohio Mega Bass Tournament
Trail (hereinafter referred to as OMBTT) and having paid the appropriate entry
fee or deposit by the Wednesday (prior) deadline date, may be eligible to fish.
OMBTT reserves the right to refuse any entry/s received without showing cause.
Anglers under the age of 16 must fish with a parent or guardian and explicitly
exempt the OMBTT from any liability thereto.
FIELD LIMITATION: Shall be limited to sixty (60) paid
entrant/team boats per event of the six-event series.
MEMBERSHIP AND
ENTRY FEES, DEPOSITS, DEADLINES: A membership fee of seventy-five (75)
dollars is due and payable, along with the event’s entry fee, prior to the
first tournament fished; there will be no pro-rating of this fee. Entry Fees shall be two-hundred (200) dollars
per event.. Teams may “reserve” their
entry slot with payment of a $50 deposit, as long as the balance ($150) is paid
prior to the imposition of a late fee. Event pre-pays (within the deadline)
will “draw” for start number. Teams
choosing to pay for the entire season ($1200) will be allowed to double-draw
for their start number. A late fee of
$20 will be added to all entries starting that Wednesday prior to each
tournament. At-site entries will be accepted prior to the start of the event if
the field size has not been exceeded. Entries received after the 6-day
deadline, as well as that at-site, will be assigned starting numbers in the
order of receipt of entry. Deposits may be transferred to another tournament
during the same year, but are not refundable. All championship side pots are
optional. Starts will be by the
“numbers”. At no time during the event will any competitor’s boat pass another
competitors boat, which is first underway, in any no-wake zones.
RESERVED STATUS: Starting with
this year’s (2009) tournament season, teams may “reserve” their slots with the
payment of fifty (50) dollars for each of the season’s 6 events ($300)
provided, however, that the balance is due and payable within the time frames
noted in the preceding section. Team’s which have chosen this option will not
qualify for the double-draw option. As
an addendum, the Director/s have instituted this rule as a means of addressing
team concerns which centered on angler commitment to the series overall.
STARTS: Will be “by the
numbers”, e.g., that is the number drawn, or assigned, at the beginning of each
event. Participant boats must pass within 50-feet of the start boat, if
planning on fishing areas “behind” the start boat, teams must pass around the
start boat and then safely proceed to u-turn while underway. At no time, will
any boat pass another competitor/s boat which is “first underway” in any no
wake zone/s.
POINTS: Will be based on a DROP “20”
SYSTEM on a 100-point descending scale of one-point per place, i.e., 100-points
to first place, 99 to second, 98 to third and so forth until all teams who’ve
caught fish have been “pointed”, we will then DROP 20 and remaining anglers
will receive the total left. POINTS
ARE USED FOR ANGLER (TEAM) OF THE YEAR (AOY) ONLY! The Angler/Team of the Year will “fish for
free” in the following season’s regular events.
OFF-LIMITS: There shall be no off-limits
time periods EXCEPT that all competitors’ boats must be off of the tournament
waters starting at 12:01 AM the morning of the tournament.
SAFETY: Safe boating conduct must be
observed at all times. Each contestant is required to wear an approved personal
floatation device (PFD), anytime the combustion engine is operated above an
idle speed. All boats must be equipped with an ignition shut-off device,
securely attached to the operator when boat is operated above idle speed. At
the discretion of the Director/s, tournament days may be shortened or cancelled
due to unsafe weather/water conditions. Alcoholic beverages/drugs are
prohibited (prescribed medications are allowed).
COMMUNICATION DEVICES. The use of
mobile communication devices during tournament hours for the transmission of
any fishing information is strictly prohibited.
SPORTSMANSHIP:
All
contestants are required to follow the highest degree of sportsmanship,
courtesy and conservation as well as conduct themselves in a manner that will
be a credit to themselves; the OMBTT, our sponsors and the sport of tournament
fishing. Any words, conduct or actions reflecting unfavorably upon efforts to
promote safety, sportsmanship, fair competition and compliance with tournament
rules will not be tolerated and may result in disqualification. During the
hours of competition, contestants may not obtain or receive assistance from
non-competitors, follow a non-competitors' boat or participate/benefit from the
practice of “hole sitting”.
ALTERNATES: An Alternate may fish in place
of one, or both, regular team members provided that they meet all eligibility
requirements including an Alternate Membership Fee of fifty (50) dollars each.
Alternate’s ARE NOT eligible to fish the Classic except under the most dire
circumstances. A team may not use more
than TWO ALTERNATES PER SEASON and no two alternates may fish together in place
of the regular team.
CLASSIC:
All teams, in paid status for all six (6) regular season events will
auto qualify for Classic competition provided that regular team members fished
a minimum of four (4) events as partners. Start numbers will be “drawn” by each
team at the Classic Meeting the evening before the event.
LIMIT/CREEL: The tournament limit shall be five (5) fish,
twelve (12) inches or greater in length, OR the lake length/slot limit,
whichever applies. Only largemouth,
smallmouth or spotted bass will be presented for weight. Fish will “bumped” with their mouth closed,
tail compressed and brushed for length.
PERMITTED FISHING METHODS: All fish must be caught
in a conventional angling manner, utilizing no more than one rod, 8-feet or
less in length, which must be in hand contact at the time of the catch. Only artificial lures may be used, pork
trailers being the only exception to this rule. Trolling is strictly
prohibited. Anglers MAY NOT leave their
boat to “push” their boat, in order to afford access to remote fishing
areas. The use of “push poles” if used
from the confines of the boat, shall be allowed.
OFFICIAL CHECK POINT: There will be only one site for check-out in the
morning and check-in in the afternoon. At the time of morning inspection, all
competitors must be in full compliance of all rules set forth in these rules.
All boats shall identify themselves at check-in sites by means of boat number
and proceed IMMEDIATELY to the designated weigh-in area. Failure to check-out
in the morning or to check-in at the check-in point will result in
disqualification of that days catch.
OFFICIAL WEIGH-BAG: Participants
are required to use OMBTT Weigh Bags which are logo’d as Bas-n-Bag. Personal
bags (Bas-n-Bag or Bass-ina-Bag) may be used.
A team bringing their catch to scale in an unapproved bag will forfeit
their catch for that event.
LATE PENALTY: One-pound per minute after the
designated end time, up to five minutes, after which time the competitor/s will
be automatically disqualified.
DEAD/SHORT FISH: Every effort shall be made to keep the catch
in a viable state of health. Dead fish presented for weight shall incur an
eight (8) ounce penalty. Participants
will be responsible for disposing of their own dead fish in an appropriate
manner so as not to negatively impact future OMBTT tournament activities. Short fish will incur a one (1) pound
penalty. Fish will be measured with
their mouth shut, tail compressed/brushed.
BIG BASS:
Competitors may choose only one bass out of their bag as an entry into
the “big bass side pot/s”.
TIES:
Will be broken by first; total live fish weighed, second; total fish
weighed, third; big bass of the bag and fourth; if everything else is equal, a
toss of a coin. If the tie is for big
bass, then prize money is split and the BB plaque awarded by coin toss. In case
of a tie for 1st Place; teams will be sent out for a one-hour
fish-off, team with the heaviest weight will win, if still tied; number of
fish, then big bass, if still tied, flip of the coin (or split OF the 1st and 2nd
Place purses).
BREAKDOWNS:
Teams may choose to double-up with another team in order to bring their
catch to the scale, provided, however, that the catch is kept separate and/or
distinctively marked. Catch must be well cared for, if more than two fish
expire, don’t bother to come to the scale.
INSURANCE/LIABILITY: Each boater, as a condition of participating
in these events, shall carry a minimum of $300,000 in liability insurance.
Participants will also agree to hold everyone associated with these events
harmless in case of injury or death.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
TESTING: By their
signature on the entry form and/or participation in these tournaments, all
participants agree to any quality assurance tests as required by the Directors.
They may include all or part of the following; polygraph test, urinalysis,
blood test, and/or observer in or out of the boat. Refusal of anglers to submit
will result in immediate disqualification plus subsequent disqualification from
future tournaments. None of the above rules shall prohibit the Director/s or an
authorized member of the Tournament Committee from observing, approaching or
boarding a competitor's boat during official tournament hours. Quality
assurance tests will be conducted as soon as possible after conclusion of
official tournament hours.
THE COMMITTEE: A committee of “the whole”;
Tournament Committee, will be appointed by the director/s at each event by
drawing the three (3) teams from the field.
This committee will address all issues of note. If, for any reason, one (or more) of the
drawn teams are themselves a subject of rules violation, then another team will
be drawn to take their place.
KNOWLEDGE OF THESE RULES IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY: Failure to read these rules and/or
ignorance of these rules is not an excuse for prohibited conduct. Any extreme
violation of rules will be grounds for disqualification from all future OMBTT
events. Any announcement made by the Director/s at tournament sites takes
precedence over written rules if in conflict with same.
PRESUMPTIVE
CONDUCT: Defined as intra-team
interaction on the water, as an
example, contestants who were FIRST ANCHORED OR TIED TO a fixed-point,
with their trolling motor stowed (up) and prior to the arrival of another
competitor’s boat may claim exclusivity within a 50 yard radius of their boat.
This does apply to those instances where the boat claiming the exclusivity is
blocking access to “another area” (creek, bay, slough, etc.) in those cases,
egress shall be allowed to other competitors boats. Competitors boats which are obviously fishing
in a fixed position, such as on a point, should, as a matter of courtesy, be
given a wide berth when approaching, going around and going away from, as a
matter of good sportsmanship. Conduct
prior to, as well as after the conclusion of the event and while still at site,
must reflect the highest standard of sportsmanship. Cursing, fighting words, and any other action
or conduct which may reflect negatively on the series or its competitors, will
not be tolerated and may result in disqualification from further events.
Jami Norman, DIRECTOR
OHIO MEGA BASS TOURNAMENT TRAIL
10-25-2008