TOURNAMENT RULES
SOUTHERN 175 SERIES
2012 RULES
RULES: The following tournament rules shall apply to the Southern 175 series operated by Southern 175 Series Chattanooga Division. Interpretation and enforcement of these rules shall be left exclusively to the Tournament Director or his/hers designee at any tournament. Southern 175 Series reserves the right to refuse any entry at any time for any reason by the Tournament Director or his/hers designees. Also in the event of any rule violation, the Tournament Director or his designee may impose such sanctions, as deemed appropriate by them, including, without limitation, disqualification, and forfeiture of prizes, entry fee and prohibition from participation in any other tournaments. The decision of the Tournament Director, his/hers designee shall be final in all matters. Rules violations must be reported to the Tournament Director or his/hers designee on site within 10 minutes after the announcement the scales are now closed.
1. PARTICIPANTS AND ELIGIBILITY: Participation is open to teams in good standings with Southern 175 Series Chattanooga Division and that he/she has never been banned from any other tournaments. You must be at least 14 years of age or older. Contestants under 18 years of age must have a parent or guardian signature on the waiver release form prior to the tournament date. One contestant of the team must be 18 years of age or older. Individuals who are serving as a licensed guide or are paid for guiding on tournament waters are not allowed to participate in any Southern 175 Series tournaments. If a contestant has fished with a guide or been guided he or she may not fish the Southern 175 Series tournaments unless a 60 day grace period has passed also if a contestant has paid $500 dollars or more in any one tournament in entry fees in the past year he or she is not eligible. Once the team is established the Tournament boat being used must be owned by one of the team members and proof by TWRA Registration and Insurance card or some other form approved by the Tournament Director or his designee consideration will be given to boats that may have mechanical trouble after one tournament has been fished.
2. ANGLER CODE OF CONDUCT: Anglers participating in any Southern 175 Series Chattanooga Division event shall observe this code of conduct and the applicable rules for the specific event in which he/she is participating in. Anglers shall at all times conduct themselves in a manner as professional anglers that will not reflect unfavorably on Southern 175 Series Chattanooga Division its members, officers or representatives or sponsors.Southern 175 series reserves the right to refuse any entry at any time for any reason by the tournament director or his/hers designee.To this end anglers shall use their best efforts to demonstrate sportsmanship and integrity in the sport of bass fishing. Any angler who violates any of the provisions of the ANGLER CODE OF CONDUCT may be subject to forfeiture of tournament winnings, suspension from competing in individual Southern 175 Series events. Permanent ban from completion, or any combination thereof deemed appropriate by Southern 175 Series Tournament Director and or his Designees.
3. PRACTICE AND COMPETITION: During regular season events, there will be no off limits or official practice days with the exception of the classic. The week prior to the classic all tournament waters are off limits with the exception of Saturday the day before the classic. During competition a competitor can only have the assistance or advice of another competitor for the purpose of locating or catching bass on tournament waters. A Tournament official must be granted permission to enter any competitor’s boat at anytime during competition. Failure to grant access may result in immediate disqualification.
4. POLYGRAPH: By his/hers signature on the tournament entry form and/or the liability release form, each competitor agrees to submit to a polygraph examination/truth verification method or any other type examination as determined by Southern 175 Series Chattanooga Division, and abide by its conclusion should he/she be accused of any rule violation. The Tournament Director or his designee shall have the discretion to determine the need for a polygraph/truth verification method examination. The competitor shall make him/she available at the location selected by the Tournament Director and shall cooperate on all respects with such examination. Anglers taking a polygraph/truth verification method examination may be responsible for any and all costs incurred.
5. REGISTRATION / SIGN-UP: Will be done the week of the tournament date at the following locations. (1) Nichols Marine 4719 Dayton Blvd, Red Bank Tn.(423) 870-1952 (2) Island Cove Outdoor Center 6010 Hwy 58 Harrison Tn. (423) 344-1276. Monday thru noon Saturday. Sign-ups the morning of the tournament at the ramp must pay a (20) twenty dollar late fee. Must be signed in no later than 30 minutes before first light. (NO EXCEPTIONS) Your boat number is determined by the order in which you sign up so sign up early to ensure a good boat number.
CLASSIC REGISTRATION / SIGN-UP: Will be done the week of the classic Monday thru Friday at the above locations.You will not be allowed to sign up on Saturday due to this being the official practice day for the classic.
6. TEAM COMPOSITION: Once a team has been registered, the team must fish together throughout the year to be eligible for point accumulation and qualification for year end classic and awards. Both members of the team must fish together the first event to establish the team. After the establishment of a team, in the event one partner cannot fish a tournament the remaining partner may fish that tournament alone. Throughout the year a representative of the original team may fish only two (2) tournaments alone. In the event uncontrollable circumstances arise within the original team the Tournament Director will evaulate the circumstances and make the decesion of whether a new team member could be obtained if approved all points ect would convert to the new team member.
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8. SAFETY: Safety is a must and anglers must recognize that; Safe boat conduct must be observed at all times by competitors. Each competitor must wear a US Coast Guard approved type life preserver. This preserver must be worn while the engine is in gear with the safety-stop switch to his/hers person when engine is in gear. Violation of this rule could result in disqualification. Tournament officials have the right to delay, shorten, restrict tournament waters or cancel the start of a tournament day because of bad weather or other factors that would endanger the safety of the competitors. Competitors are allowed to leave the boat and seek shelter in bad weather where danger may be imminent, at which all fishing must cease.
9. SPORTSMANSHIP: Competitors in Southern 175 Series tournaments are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety, and conservation. Use of alcohol or drugs is ground for termination from the Southern 175 Series and banned for life. Maximum courtesy must be practiced at all times with regard to boating and angling in the vicinity of non-competitors who may be on tournament waters or on the bank.
10. TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT: Only artificial and biodegradable lures maybe used. No LIVE BAIT or PREPARED BAIT will be permitted during tournament hours, with the exception of pork strips or rinds. Only one rod 8ft maximum length and reel may be used at any one time. All bass must be caught live and in a conventional sporting manner no multiple baits tied on any one rod will be allowed. This includes any variation of the Umbrella Rig, Tennessee Rig, Alabama Rig. Anyone caught with any of the rigs mentioned above in their possession will be disqualified from any other Southern 175 Series events and that days catch will not count. Snatching or snagging visible fish will have their catch disqualified. All fish must be hooked in the mouth to be considered legal fish to be brought to the scales if you are sight fishing all other state laws will apply.
11. BOATS: All boats must be equipped with a kill switch, aerator pump, and bilge pump No boats shall be smaller than 16ft. trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited. No portable gas tanks will be allowed or no tiller or stick steering. All boats that are fishing the tournament shall keep a distance of 50 yards between the competitors this also includes non competitor boats during tournament hours excluding emergency situations and or blast off and returning for weigh in. Boats being used in any Southern 175 Series tournament must be registered in one of the team members name.
12. HORSEPOWER REGULATIONS: Maximum horsepower for all outboards used in the tournament will be 175 Horsepower or less. The horsepower of the outboard cannot exceed the rating specified on the U.S. Coast Guard rating plate or the rating set by Southern 175 Series Chattanooga Division.
13. TOURNAMENT HOURS: Official start will be at safe light weather permitting. Our best effort will be given to allow 9 hours of fishing time this could vary due to the time of year with days getting shorter and or weather conditions that might exists. Weigh in times will be given the morning of the tournament for your flight. The Tournament Director will designate 1 team from each tournament that must be in 15 minutes prior to the weigh in time to assist the Tournament Director in preparing for the weigh in.
BLAST / OFF PROCEDURES: All boats will idle by the dock when your boat number is called and continue to idle to the no wake markers. There will be no passing until you have reached the mouth of Chester Frost Park you must keep a distance of 50 yards between you and the boat in front of you at all times.
14. SCORING: Tournament standings and final winners shall be determined by the pound-and-hundredths weight of each teams catch during the competition day. Only Largemouth, Smallmouth, Spotted bass will be weighed in. The limit per team shall be five (5) of the above species. At no time shall any team have in their possession more than the tournament limit once the sixth (6) fish is caught both fishermen must stop fishing and cull. The minimum length shall be 15 inches for Largemouth bass and 18 inches for Smallmouth bass and 12 inches for spotted bass or will be the longest state limit for the tournament waters being fished. Bass brought to the scales that fail to measure will not be weighed.
15. CATCH AND RELEASE: No more than Two (2) dead fish can be weighed in. A penalty of 8 ounces (.50 pounds) will be deducted from the total weight for each dead fish. In the event the angler’s big fish is dead a penalty of 8 ounces (.50 pounds) will be deducted from big fish total weight.
16. LATE PENALTY: Competitors who are not in the no wake zone and not fishing at the end of the tournament day at their appointed time shall be penalized at the rate of 1 pound per minute to be deducted from the total weight of their catch that day including any weight to be counted towards big fish award. No points awarded if the net weight after penalties is zero or less. Any competitor more than 15 minutes late shall lose all credit for that days catch. It is the angler’s responsibility to confirm his/hers check in times each day of any Southern 175 Series tournament.
17. TIES: In case of first place tie the tie will be broken by the team with the largest fish. This fish must be alive to be considered as the teams largest fish. All other ties will receive same points and split winnings. Example: If you finish in second place and another team also finished in second place both teams would receive second place points. The winnings would be split for second and third place winnings.
18. POINT SYSTEM: Points are based on a 100 points awarded to the first place team. Points will be awarded in 1 point decreasing increments depending on place of finish. (i.e. 1st 100 2nd 99 ect.)All teams not weighing in a fish will receive 10 show points.
19. WAIVER AND RELEASE: As a condition of participation in each tournament, competitors must execute a waiver, release of liability and name and likeness release. I f you are under the age of 18 a parent or guardian must sign the waiver release form prior to the tournament date for you to be able to fish.
20. PAYOUT: 80 % PAYBACK with the remaining 20% to be put for the Fish Off at year end. Southern 175 Series will pay one (1) place for every 7 boats.
21. Divisional Fish OFF: To qualify for the Divisional Fish Off you must have finished in the top 40% of the field in points or fished all six (6) tournaments and finished in first place in any one (1) tournament. Also Southern 175 Series will offer 1 team a wild card slot drawing to those who have fished all six tournaments and did not finish in the top 40% in points.
