Hawgz Bass Series: Rules and Regulations

Rules and Regulations

RULES AND REGULATIONS 2009

1. PARTICIPANTS AND ELIGIBILITY

Open to all individuals, male and female. Those under 14 years of age may participate with written permission from a parent or guardian to fish in any tournament. HAWGZ bass series reserves the right to reject any entries which we feel are not in the best interest of the tournament.

2. SIGN UP & ENTRY FEES

Member fee is $35.00 for the year. And boat no# fee is $5.00 for the year. Entry fees will be $120.00 (Lake Series) and $120.00 (River Series) per boat per tournament, All entries paid on Friday night and tournament morning will be cash only. All early entry fees paid by check must be post marked 5 days prier to a tournament. There will be a $25.00 fee charged on all checks returned for insufficient funds. Winners are responsible for any and all taxes on any money or prizes won.
Only pre entry's 6 days before all tournaments will be eligible for the Blue Water LED Bass n' Bucks drawing

3. Pay Out

All Divisions will be paid out @ 90% at the ramp and 10% goes to the end of the year Classic Tournament.
100% of the BigBass and the Bass n' Bucks will be paid out at the ramp.

4. OFF LIMITS

Lake division N/A

River Division is Open to all pools.

6. TOURNAMENT HOURS

Tournament hours will be from safe light to 3:00 p.m. We reserve the right to assign flights and change hours if necessary.(June, July and August tournaments will end at 1:00pm per Iowa DNR rulings)

7. LAUNCH SEQUENCE

Starting positions will be determined by drawing on the morning of each event by anglers turning in their paid/signed entry form.

8. SAFETY

Safe boating conduct must be observed at all times. Each competitor is required to wear a Coast Guard approved life vest, securely fastened, at all times while the boat is being propelled by the combustion engine. Furthermore a kill switch must be fastened to the driver anytime the combustion engine is propelling the boat. Failure to do so is grounds for disqualification of the offending team. Running lights must be operational and turned on at the blast-off of each tournament. Each competitors boat must be equipped with a live well system capable of keeping a tournament limit of bass ALIVE!

9. SPORTSMANSHIP

Each contestant is expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, and conservation. NO TEAM MAY DRIVE WITHIN 50yds of the front of a competers boat.But can at any time fish behind a competitor boat but must keep a 25yrd spacing between boats.(No hole setting)

10. TACKLE AND FISHING METHODS

Only artificial baits may be used. No live or cut bait is permitted (pork baits are permitted). All bass must be caught alive in a legal and sporting manner. No snagging. Each competitor may only use 1 rod at a time. No more than 1 line in the water at a time per angler. Trolling with the combustion motor is not permitted. No competitor may leave the boat to land or catch fish.

11. STATE AND FEDERAL GAME REGULATIONS

All participants are required to abide by all state and federal laws and game regulations. Any participant who consumes, or is under the influence of alcoholic beverages, stimulants or depressants during any HBS tournament or practice will be disqualified. (Prescribed medications taken per doctor's instructions are excluded.)Any team that has been served a citation during a HBS tournament will be fined the same amount of the citation upon the review of the tournament Director.

12. LIMITS

Minimum lengths will be set at the discretion of the Director.Lenghts will be measured with mouth closed and tail pinched on a pro-rule ruler. Short fish will not be weighted and returned to the water. Expired fish will be penalized 1lb. for the first fish, 3lbs for two expired fish, and 3 expired fish is automatic Disqualification for the events day. Only Alive bass will be weighted for Big Bass moneys.

13. EMERGENCIES

Competitors shall remain with their partners in the boat at all times during the tournament, except in the event of sickness or brief excursions for "nature calling", severe storm or other such hazard. Competitors may leave the boat to dislodge it, but only to return the boat in the direction it came from. Leaving the boat to advance it is not permitted. (In falling water conditions, a team may leave the boat to advance it only to return from water they accessed without leaving the boat.) If for any reason either or both team members decide to leave the tournament waters early, both members shall bear full responsibility for notifying a tournament official. If one team member leaves the water early, he/she may not return and resume fishing. However, his/her partner may continue fishing for the remainder of the tournament hours. In case of a breakdown, one partner may return with fish by another tournament boat or a HBTS Staff Boat while the other partner is permitted to stay with the disabled boat.HBTS Director has the right to end a tournament for weather hazards.And will adhere to the advice of Iowa DNR officials.

14. WEIGH-IN PROCEDURES

Weigh-in will be on a first come first serve basis. Once fish have been presented to a Tournament Official to be weighed-in all fish become the property of the HBS. and no additional fish may be brought to the scales. Bags will be limited in order to avoid a bottleneck at the weigh-in tanks. Teams will be given a bag as they are pulling out of the water and 1 team member will go directly to weighing sight .Teams not weighing any fish are still required to check in with tournament officials in order to account for all teams. Once a team member has checked in or left the boat for the purpose of checking in, neither team member may fish or continue fishing. No fishing within 100yds of weigh in sight after weigh-in-starts or tournaments end witch ever comes first.

15. LATE PENALTY

Competitors who are not checked in by the check in deadline will be disqualified. The contestants will retain their participation points for their yearly total. Official time will be announced at start of tournament.

16. POINT STANDINGS

All points will be awarded to the boat number/team. Only one or two persons per boat during tournament hrs. All participants must be members of Hawgz bass tournament series. In case of single participation the creel will be limited to 3 fish at the Lake Division and a 5 bass limit at the River Division.
Members must fish in the boat that they signed up with. Angler replacements' are allowed but must be a paid new member before fishing a tournament.

17. PROTEST AND POLYGRAPH TEST

Any protest must be voiced to the Tournament Director within 15 minutes of the close of the weigh-in. And submitted to the tournament committee. A committee will be the Director of HBS and boat no#3 and boat no# 10, all descriptions will be final. HBS reserves the right to give a polygraph test to any participant at any time. This test does not have to be administered on site and may be set up by the Tournament Director at his discretion. All participants agree to abide by the results of any polygraph test administered. In the event of a protest and an off-site polygraph test the Tournament Director will have the option of mailing all the checks to the teams in the money pending the outcome of the polygraph.

18. CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

The point system will be 100 for first 99 second 98 third with one point drop. All teams not turning in fish will have a five point drop behind the last team that turned in fish. Ten points will be awarded to all teams that have paid entry and have fished in the tournament.

Best 5 out of 8 points tournaments scored in 2010

19. LIABILITY INSURANCE

All members must carry a minimum of $100,000 of liability insurance on any boat they might use during any HBS. Failure to do so, or reporting of false information will result in disqualification of any further tournaments. Until proper information is supplied. Participants must include the company name and either the policy number or the name of the agent binding the coverage on the entry form for each tournament.Anglers must sign the Release of Liability form at every event. Tournament officials reserve the right to refund any membership and /or entry fees,if they shall choose for any reason not to accept the application for entrance.

20. RULES INTERPRETATION

Interpretation of these rules will be left to the Director. Infractions of any rule may result in disqualification of tournament or fines or both. Any infraction that is seen by staff wile on the water will be dealt with at that time. All rulings on grievances will be posted in detail on web sight.

21 AGE LIMITS

All or any persons under the age of 14 will not be required to pay Member fees, But can fish as a partner in the Hawgz bass series. All or any persons entering a tournament that is under 18 years of age must have the signature of a parent or guardian on entry form. All persons under the age of 14 must fish with parent or guardian at all tournaments. All anglers under the age of 14 must have a life jacket on at all times during tournament hours.Anglers 14 and under will not be allowed to operate the movement of their boat during tournament hours .

22 TIE

All ties in weigh creels will result in a split in the prize money. All ties in point standings at years end will be settled in total weight from creels from all the tournaments combined.

23 REFUNDS

All refunds will only be paid if called in 24hrs before practice day to the tournament Director. Or will be assessed towards the next HBS tournament

Rule 24

N/A

Rule 25
All teams must fish 3 tournament in one Division to go to the classic.The top 5 teams in each Division will have Free entry for both days of the Classic.Any team that has fished 3 tournaments in one division will be able to buy their way into the Classic. Each team must finish in the top 10 of their division after day one, to fish the second day of the Classic.Combined weight for the two days will determine the winners.

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LIABILITY RELEASE and MEMBERSHIP

I AS A MEMBER OF HBS AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. I will assume all risk of injury and or death which my result from fishing in the HAWGZ Tournament series.
2. I will release all HAWGZ tournament Sponsors,Directors and Employees from all Liabilities from accident,injury or death that may have resulted from the HAWGZ tournament Series.
3. I will allow the tournament to use all pictures, video and names for the media or advertising of the tournament without any compensation to me.
4. I have read and understand all HAWGZ tournament series rules and will abide by all state and local laws, ordinances and HAWGZ tournament rules.

MEMBERSHIPS will run from January1 through December 31 of each year

Member 1_____________________________________________

Member 2_____________________________________________

This form must be filled out and signed by both members along with a check for the amount due as stated above. All member balances due must be in by March 1st. to be eligible for the end of year drawings.

Make checks to: HAWGZ Bass Series. mail to : Joe Winkler 1347 James st.Webster City Iowa 50595

Or pay on line at: hawgz.com

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