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2003 Rules and Regulations

Registration and Pre-tournament meeting
Contestants can pre-register by mailing a completed application and a check for $150.00 (includes big bass pot) payable United Way Bass Tournament to 807 Knotty Pine Cove, Southaven, MS 38671. The early bird deadline is October 5, 2003. The entry fee will be $200.00 after that time. Each team must be present at the pre-tournament meeting on October 24, 2003, unless arrangements have been made with the tournament director. You can register anytime between 4 P.M. and 8 P.M. at the Pickwick State Landing Hotel (1-800-250-8615) P.O. Box 15 Pickwick Dam, TN 38365. (Unless prior arrangements have been made with the tournament director, your team will be ineligible to participate) At registration you will receive additional information concerning tournament day. Times for boats in the water, blast off, and weigh in will all be covered at this time.

Pre-tournament practice
There will be no official practice period or off-limits period prior to the pre-tournament meeting.

Safety
Safe boating must be observed at all times. Each contestant is required to wear a fastened, U.S. Coast Guard approved, personal flotation device anytime the combustion engine is in operation from boat check until weigh-in. All boats must be equipped with an emergency ignition shut-off device that must be securely attached to the driver's body whenever the combustion engine is in operation. At the discretion of the tournament director tournament days may be shortened or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions.

Sportsmanship
All contestants are required to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy and conservation. Consumption and/or possession of alcoholic beverages or any kind of mind-altering substance during tournament hours is strictly prohibited. Any contestant who does not adhere to all applicable state fish and game laws will be disqualified. This includes all applicable fishing licenses. All bass must be caught alive in a conventional sporting manner. Only artificial lures may be used, with the exception of pork trailers. Only one fishing rod may be used at a time. Trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited. All fish caught will be immediately released after the weigh-in.

Boat and horsepower regulations
Boats must contain a properly aerated live well space to maintain alive a limit catch of five fish. Maximum horsepower for all outboards used in tournament competition will not to exceed the horsepower limitations as set by the U.S. Coast Guard. Fuel may be carried only in factory installed (built-in) fuel tanks. Any additional fuel used during the tournament day must be purchased from a retail facility open to the public.

Permitted fishing locations
Contestants may fish anywhere on tournament waters accessible by boat, except within 50 yards of a competitor's boat which was first anchored (an anchored boat is a boat held in a stable position by a line attached to a weight with the trolling motor in the up position). All angling must be conducted from the boat. At no time may a contestant leave the boat to land a fish or to make the boat more accessible to fishing waters. Contestants must leave and return to the official checkpoint by boat. The boat must remain in the tournament waters during the tournament day.

Penalties
Anyone that checks in after their weigh-in time will be given a late penalty of 1 pound per minute. Anyone 15 minutes late will be disqualified. Eight ounces will be deducted for any dead bass weighed in. You may only keep 5 fish in the live well at one time. After your sixth keeper fish you must cull immediately.

Standings
Total pounds will establish standings. Size limits will be Smallmouth Bass - 14 inches, largemouth and spotted bass -12 inches. Fish will be measured using a golden rule. Pinch the tail and close the mouth to measure. Any short fish will not be included in the total weight and the largest fish will also be disqualified. No courtesy measurements will be allowed at the official weigh-in.

Interpretation of these rules will be left exclusively to the tournament director. Decisions of the tournament director are final in all matters and are not subject to appeal. Protests must be made in writing within 30 minutes of the official check-in time of the final flight on October 25, 2003.