Rules and Regulations – Mel Tillis & Friends Fishing Tournament
Click here for 2010 Tournament Rules in PDF format.
4 th Annual “Fishing with Mel” Tournament Rules
1. Registration & Entry Fee – This event is open to all anglers provided the angler operating the boat is at least 18 years of age. Entry fee is $95 per angler with entry checks or money orders being made payable to Fishing with Mel and mailed to Fishing with Mel & Friends Fishing Tournament, P.O. Box 154, Steinhatchee, FL 32359. Each person on the boat must be entered into the contest. No non-competitors are allowed on the boat during the competition hours. Registration for this event will be from 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM at the registration table located at Gulfstream Marina, Steinhatchee, FL, Friday, April 16, 2010. ALL ANGLERS need to check in at the registration table to receive tournament credentials, their angler's bag, and other tournament related materials. All anglers' entry forms and releases must be completed prior to the tournament registration. Registration hours may be extended at the discretion of the tournament committee.
2. “Dock-tail Party” – The “Dock-tail Party is the official kick-off event to the Mel Tillis and Friends Fishing Tournament and includes a VIP / Celebrity Reception, a cash bar, light snacks, live entertainment and more. The “Dock-tail Party” is Friday, April 16, 2010, at Gulfstream Marina and begins at 6:00 PM and continues until 9:00 PM.
3. Captain's Meeting - The Captain's Meeting is scheduled for 7:30 PM during the “Dock-tail Party”. It is important that at least one person from each boat be present at the Captain's Meeting. In the event that the Captain cannot make it to the meeting, he may assign the responsibility to one of the anglers fishing the tournament from his boat. Due to space restrictions, the Captain's Meeting is open to competitors only.
4. Rules – The tournament will be conducted in accordance with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rules for size and catch limits for the State of Florida and any other jurisdiction that may have regulations in effect within the tournament waters. Any state or federal law that conflicts with these rules shall override these rules. All anglers are responsible for knowing and abiding by the rules of the tournament and by the state and federal laws governing fishing in this tournament.
All fish must be caught and weighed-in on the tournament day, during the tournament hours. Fish must be caught in a sporting manner using a rod and a reel. Wire lines or electric reels are not allowed. No spear fishing is allowed. Tournament rules may be amended at the discretion of the Tournament Rules Committee at any time prior to the event. All anglers agree to abide by the decisions of the Tournament Rules Committee at all times without further action. The decisions of the Tournament Rules Committee are final.
5. Hours of Competition – Contestants are permitted to launch and to begin the tournament from any area. Additionally, contestants may proceed into tournament waters before the official start of the competition.
Each boat will be assigned a boat number. This boat number must be displayed to the official starter upon departure, during all fishing hours, and upon your return at check-in time. Please use this boat number when checking in or out via radio or cell phone.
Tournament fishing hours are from 7:07 AM (sunrise) until 4:00 PM on Saturday, April 17, 2010. Fishing (lines in the water) may not begin until the safelight announcement via radio from the tournament director. (7:07 AM for those without radios).
Competitors must obey state and federal navigational laws while participating in this event, including the no wake laws when leaving and entering the Steinhatchee River.
Boats may not come together with other boats during tournament hours, nor may they dock during tournament hours except in the case of an emergency or for fuel.
All fishing must stop and all lines must be out of the water by 4:00 PM. In the event a fish is being fought at 4:00 PM, the fish may be boated PROVIDED the boat radioed tournament headquarters of the hook-up prior to the 4:00 PM cut-off.
Scales open for weigh-in at 2:00 PM and will close at 5:00 PM. Only those anglers in line and ready to weigh-in at 5:00 PM will be weighed in.
6. Tournament Checkout, Check-In, and Weigh-In – All boats must checkout with the official starter before beginning the tournament, either in person at the dock at Gulfstream Marina, via VHF Channel 68, or via cell phone (Number will be given out at the Captains Meeting).
For safety reasons it is IMPORTANT that ALL boats check in at the end of the tournament. If you have no fish to weigh-in, or if you choose not to weigh-in your catch, check in with the tournament staff by radio or by cell phone.
Fish will be weighed-in at the tournament stage located at Gulfstream Marina. Fish must be brought to the scales by boat and must be weighed-in by the angler that caught the fish or by an angler on that boat who can attest the catch. Only fish caught during tournament hours are eligible for weigh-in.
Scales open at 2:00 PM and close at 5:00 PM. It is mandatory that all contestants follow the instruction of the tournament dock master during the weigh-in. Please do not tie off in areas designated for boats weighing in. Please remove your boat from the weigh-in area immediately following the weighing in of your days catch.
7. Eligible Species |
|
INSHORE |
OFFSHORE |
Redfish |
Grouper |
Speckled Trout |
Amberjack |
Spanish Mackerel |
Kingfish |
All fish must be of legal size and caught in a sporting manner by a registered tournament angler. The Tournament Rules Committee reserves the right to inspect a fish both internally and externally. Any fish that contains unnatural materials, or that has been mutilated in any way will be disqualified. Alteration or mutilation of one fish in your catch will disqualify your entire catch.
8. Sportsmanship – All contestants are expected to conduct themselves in a courteous and sportsmanlike manner throughout the event. Unruly conduct or un-sportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated and is grounds for immediate disqualification. Violators will be subject to disqualification at the sole discretion of the tournament committee without refund.
9. Communications – Monitor Channel 9 for “Hailing”. Tournament Channel shall be Channel 68. Those boats not weighing in fish or that do not have VHF radios will be given a check-in /check-out telephone number at the Captain's Meeting.
10. Tournament Events –
Friday, April 16, 2010 – “Dock-tail Party” 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Captain's Meeting – 7:30 PM
Saturday, April 17, 2010 – Tournament Day
Fishing begins – 7:07 AM
Fishing ends – 4:00 PM
Scales open – 2:00 PM
Scales close – 5:00 PM
Awards Ceremony – 6:00 PM
Anglers must be present at the awards ceremony to receive their awards and to be eligible for door prizes.
11. Charter Boats – Any angler can participate on a charter boat provided all persons on said boat are entered into the tournament and all persons on the boat come under the jurisdiction of the rules of the tournament.
12. Weather – Captain's choice. The fishing by any registered tournament angler constitutes a tournament. The Tournament Rules Committee reserves the right to call the tournament for any weather related or safety related issue. Weather day is Sunday, April 18, 2010. If both days are not fishable, the event will be postponed to a future date yet to be determined. Entry fees are not refundable. Regardless of the Tournament Committee's decision, it is the individual Captain's responsibility to determine the suitability of his/her craft for the conditions.
13. Disqualification and Protest – There are two times in this event to register a protest.
The first time being on Saturday, April 17, 2010, BEFORE the launch of the tournament for any infraction that may have incurred prior to the beginning of the tournament.
The second time to register a protest is at 5:00 PM on the same day at the closing of the scales and before the awards presentation begins.
Once the awards presentation begins, all results of the tournament are considered fair and final.
All protest must be in writing and a $200 cash deposit must accompany all protests. The cash deposit is forfeited if protest is not upheld and becomes part of the donation to The Shriners Hospital for Children and The Scottish Rite Foundation for Children. The cash deposit is refundable if the protest is upheld.
All decisions made by the Tournament Rules Committee with regards to protest or polygraph examinations are final.
14. Polygraph Examination – By participating in this event all anglers contractually agree that a polygraph examination will be the final method of disposing of all disputes and will be used to determine that the winning catches were caught according to the rules and regulations of the tournament. The failure of an angler to take or to successfully pass a polygraph examination will result in immediate disqualification.
15. Awards
BOAT AWARDS
OFFSHORE – CAPTAIN'S GRAND SLAM This award is presented to the boat that has the highest combined weight of the three offshore species, grouper, amberjack and kingfish . (Limit one fish per specie.) There is a first, second and third place in the offshore category for this award.
INSHORE – INSHORE TRIPLE PLAY This award is presented to the boat that has the highest combined weight of the three inshore species, redfish, trout and Spanish mackerel, (Limit one fish per specie.) There is a first, second and third place in the inshore category for this award.
OFFSORE - GROUPER STRINGER This award is presented to the boat that has the highest combined weight for single legal limit of Grouper. There is a first, second and third place in the offshore category for this award.
INSHORE - SPECKLED TROUT STRINGER This award is presented to the boat that has the highest combined weight for single legal limit of Speckled Trout. There is a first, second and third place in the inshore category for this award.
INDIVIDUAL ANGLER AWARDS –
Angler awards are presented to the top three heaviest individual fish in all six of the species. This would include first place through third place for the heaviest Redfish, Speckled Trout, Spanish Mackerel, Grouper, Amberjack and Kingfish.
JUNIOR ANGLER AWARD S – Inshore and Offshore Divisions
Presented to the junior angler that catches the heaviest individual fish of any one of the six tournament species. The junior angler must not have reached his 16th birthday by April 17, 2010. There will be a 1 st , 2 nd, and 3 rd place award given for Junior Anglers Inshore Division and 1 st , 2 nd, and 3 rd place award given for Junior Anglers Offshore Division.
LADY ANGLER AWARDS – Inshore and Offshore Divisions
Presented to the lady angler that catches the heaviest individual fish of any one of the six tournament species. There will be a 1 st , 2 nd, and 3 rd place award given for Lady Anglers Inshore Division and 1 st , 2 nd, and 3 rd place award given for Lady Anglers Offshore Division.
All cash and merchandise awards will be made to the tournament entrant and a valid SSN is required to receive awards.
THERE ARE A OVER 30 WAYS TO WIN IN THIS TOURNAMENT.16. Ties – In the event of a tie, the prizes for the two places that have tied will be combined together and divided between the two who have tied. If there is a tie for a last place position, those monies will be split between those who have tied. Example: Tie for first place; prize money for first and second combined and split equally between the two that have tied. No award presented for 2nd place. In the event of a tie for third position, first and second received normal award, the two tying for third shall divide the third place awards equally. Awards for tying positions shall be determined by a flip of the coin.
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