Please Read Carefully!!!  Changes to rule numbers 1, 6, 8, 10, 11!

1.    RULES.  The following rules are the official rules of the Sturgeon Bay Open Bass Tournament (SBOBT). Interpretation of these rules shall be left up to the SBOBT Rules Committee. The decision of the “TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR” shall be
final in all matters.  THE SBOBT  RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE ENTRY TO ANY INDIVIDUAL OR TEAM FOR ANY REASON THAT THE SBOBT MAY DEEM APPROPRIATE. 

2.    PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY.  There is no age limit, but contestants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a contestant 18 years of age or older.  All contestants must complete an official entry form and pay the proper entry fee before the tournament deadline. 

3.    REGISTRATION AND TOURNAMENT MEETING.  One member of each team must be present to register at the tournament headquarters from 4:00PM to 5:30PM on Friday.  All entrants must attend the pre-tournament meeting starting at 6:00 PM Friday.  Contestants not attending this meeting will be disqualified from the tournament. 

4.    INSURANCE.  All boats competing in the SBOBT shall maintain their own liability insurance during all practice and tournament hours.  Contestants assume all risks of loss and waive any or all claims they may have for injury, property damage, consequential damages, or any damage of any nature against any director, official, sponsor or any contestant or other person connected with the SBOBT and related events. 

5.    HEADQUARTERS AND WEIGH-IN AREA.  SBOBT Headquarters and weigh-in area will be at the Sawyer Park Boat Launch, located on Neenah Avenue at the east end of Oak Street in Sturgeon Bay, WI. 

6.    BOATS. BOATS MUST BE A MINIMUM OF 16 FEET IN LENGTH, comply with all Wisconsin DNR and Coast Guard regulations and have a manufactured, aerated live well capable of keeping a one day limit of fish alive.

7.    BOAT IDENTIFICATION.  All boats will be required to display an official team number that will be furnished by the SBOBT which shall be affixed to the outboard motor, (inboards will display the number in an easy to see spot). 

8.    BOAT POSITION.  Posting for starting positions will take place on or before April 4, 2009. Flights will be determined by total entry field. This will be discussed at the tournament meeting. 

9.    BOAT INSPECTION.  All boats will be made available before each days start for inspection.  At this time all live-wells, compartments and storage areas will be made accessible to SBOBT inspection personnel.  NO boat shall be allowed to compete that has not been inspected each day of competition. 

10.  FISHING RULES.   All Federal, State & Local rules will apply. The Tournament Director may specify more stringent regulations. Only those fish caught in normal angling methods will be accepted. ONLY ARTIFICIAL BAITS MAY BE USED. Entrants must possess all required licenses. Only 2 rods per person may be used at the same time during the tournament fishing.

11.  SCORING.  Tournament standings and final winners shall be determined by the pounds and ounce weight of each 2 person teams catch during the competition days of the tournament. Only large mouth and small mouth bass will be weighed. The limit shall be a combined total of six (6) of the above species per day per team, unless otherwise specified by tournament officials. At no time shall a team have in their possession more than the State limit. Only large mouth and small mouth bass are allowed in the contestant’s live well and brought to the scales. Any other species will result in disqualification of that day’s weight. Tournament officials will conduct checks for verification of this provision. In the event that a team has more than the above described limit in their possession WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION OF THAT DAYS WEIGHT.

The official length shall be fourteen inches (14”) determined by the tournament director and announced at the tournament briefing. As described above which measures the official length or more on the longest straight line shall be weighed. Closed mouth and pinched tail shall determine the length. Bass presented for weigh in which fails to measure the official length, shall result in disqualification of that days weight. Any bass that appears dead or to be judged improper (i.e. white gills, sunken eyes, mangled, mashed, mauled or otherwise altered) will be weighed and credited only at the discretion of the “TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR”. After teams check in at the official checkpoint, they MUST present all legal fish in their possession to a tournament official to be counted, measured and weighed. Once a team’s catch is measured, counted, and verified by a tournament official, that team member may not return to their boat until they acknowledge that their catch has been weighed and recorded by signing their official weigh in slip. Bass must not be stringered at any time during the tournament. Culling tags or clips are allowed.

CATCH AND RELEASE: CULLING OF DEAD BASS IS PROHIBITED. For each legal dead bass presented to weigh in officials, the team shall be penalized the loss of one pound (1 lbs) per dead fish. The “TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR” shall have sole authority for assessing penalties. The “TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR” may reduce tournament hours or tournament limits for fish care purposes or for safety reasons. Once a team’s catch has been weighed, it will be retained by SBOBT for live release.

12.  BOUNDARIES.  Fishing will be allowed in all legal waters of the Sturgeon Bay and Green Bay within 5 miles of the Door County shoreline.  Waters within 1/2 mile of Chambers Island are also included.  No fishing allowed north of Gills Rock.  The southern boundary will be no further than a 90-degree angle from Chaudoir’s Dock to the west shore.  No fishing permitted east of buoys #5 and #6 at the US Coast Guard Station located toward Lake Michigan from the weigh in area.  There will be no fishing allowed in Lake Michigan.  A 25-yard distance between anchored boats will be enforced.  The use of a trolling motor while anchored to position the boat, thus blocking other boats is prohibited.   

13.  TROLLING:  No fishing will be allowed while any combustible engine is running.  Also the use of Planner Boards are prohibited.

14.  PRACTICE.  Pre-tournament practice fishing can be done anytime up until 3:00 PM on the Friday before the tournament begins.  Contestants must be off the tournament waters by 3:00 PM Friday.  CONTESTANTS CAUGHT ON THE WATER AFTER 3:00 PM ARE SUBJECT TO DISQUALIFICATION.   

15.  TOURNAMENT HOURS.  Fishing will start at 6:30 AM each day and end at 4:00 PM ON SATURDAY AND 3:00 PM ON SUNDAY.    BOAT INSPECTION WILL BEGIN AT 5:00 AM AND FLIGHT TIMES WILL BE AS FOLLOWS:    

SATURDAY:
   FIRST FLIGHT   6:30 AM – 3:00 PM
   SECOND FLIGHT 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM

 SUNDAY:           
   FIRST FLIGHT   6:30 AM – 2:00 PM
   SECOND FLIGHT  7:00 AM – 3:00 PM

16.  PROTESTS.  A $150 protest fee is required to protest another team.  Fee will be refunded if protest is deemed valid. 

17.  TIES.  In case of a tie after two days of fishing, the team with the 2nd day’s heaviest weight shall be determined as the 1st place winners.  This is for the 1st place only.  Ties for lower places shall divide the total of tied places amongst the tied teams.  Between means “2” and amongst means more than “2”.  (i.e. a tie for 3rd shall add prize money for 3rd and 4th and divide it equally between the teams). 

18.  LATE RULE.  Check in time will be announced each morning.  Contestants must be checked in by that time or you will be disqualified for that day’s participation.  NO Exceptions!!  Each team must check in each day.  Failure to check in will result in disqualification. 

19.  SAFETY.  Safe boating shall be observed at all times.  During competition, each contestant shall wear a chest type life preserver anytime the main combustion engine is running.  All boats shall be equipped with an emergency ignition shut-off device (“kill-switch”), which must be securely attached to the driver whenever the main combustion engine is in operation. 

20.  SPORTSMANSHIP.  All contestants are required to follow the highest standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, and conservation at all times.  Drunkenness will be cause for immediate disqualification at anytime during this contest.  The use of illegal drugs will also mean disqualification from all and any part of this sporting event. 

21.  SEVERE WEATHER.  Under normal conditions, no contestant may leave his/her boat during the tournament hours, except at the weigh-in area.  The exception to this rule would be in the event of severe weather.  In this case you may seek shelter at the nearest shoreline or shelter. 

22.  ALCOHOL USE.  At no time will there be any alcoholic beverages aboard any tournament boat during tournament hours.  There will be no use of alcoholic beverages before start of either day’s competition.  Drinking of alcoholic beverages after each day’s weigh in is allowed, but please uphold the high standards of this tournament and its sponsors while doing so. 

23.  NO WAKE ZONES.  Boating safety is a must in this tournament!  Any and all no wake zones will be observed.  This also pertains to areas near other fishing boats. 

24.  BREAKDOWNS.  In the event that your boat becomes inoperable, you may be towed to the weigh-in area.  You may receive a tow from any other boat including U.S. Coast Guard, a non-tournament boat, or a tournament boat.  You may not leave your boat unless it is in peril of sinking.  The towboat must not come in contact with your boat in any other way than the towrope.  Breakdowns are not an exception to the late rule.

25.  USE OF RADIOS OR CELLULAR PHONES.  We strongly recommend that each boat have an emergency communication system of either a marine radio or cellular phone.  No fishing information may be relayed via radios or phones.  Binoculars or cameras with telephoto lenses will not be allowed in tournament boats.