2021 Bass Cat Invitational – Tourney X affiliated Rules for October 22nd and 23rd, 2021
Participants will cut to 25 Teams (boats) and will use Owners Invitational Rules October 24, 2021
1. PARTICIPANTS AND ELIGIBILITY: Participation in the annual Bass Cat Owner’s Invitational Tournaments will be open to registered owners of a Bass Cat or Yar-Craft boat, who are invited, and their individual partners, or qualified College Anglers. Limited invited guests at the will of Bass Cat Boats, who may not own a Bass Cat Boat. An invitation may be rescinded at any time. All participants in this event which are under the age of eighteen (18) shall be required to notify the Tournament Officials at least 12 hours prior to take-off time. Minors shall also be required to provide a release signed by a parent or legal guardian should they not be participating with them. Family Teams, over 2 persons, of Parents and Youth(s) under 16 may compete for all except the 1st, and 2nd Place Prizes when more than two (2) to a boat are competing. Any exceptions are at the discretion of the tournament officials.
2. SAFETY: Safe boating conduct must be observed at all times by all tournament participants. Caution and safety on morning take-offs must be observed. Each participant must wear a securely fastened U.S. Coast Guard approved chest type life preserver any time the combustible engine is operative. OPERABLE SAFETY SWITCHES ARE REQUIRED ON ALL GASOLINE MOTORS. Safety switches must be worn at all times when the gasoline engine is in operation. There will be no alcoholic beverages permitted in the boat during tournament hours. There will be no exceptions.
3. TYPE OF TACKLE: Only artificial lures may be used. No “live bait” will be permitted; however, pork or pork-type strips, rinds, etc. may be used by those in the Bass Cat division. Only casting, spinning or spin-casting rods and reels may be used. Only one rod may be used at any one time. Other rigged rods may be in the boat for substitute purposes; however, only one “rig” is permitted in use at any one time. All tackle must be used in a conventional casting manner, no trolling, dragging, or similar manner is allowed. No Alabama style rigs will be allowed and no multiple baits or appendages. Only spinner baits up to twin spins allowed. Only one (1) bait, or similar concept, per rod allowed, no teasers will be allowed. No front teasers for top waters allowed.
4. BOAT AND MOTORS: All boats must be in accordance with United States Coast Guard Regulations at their time of production. There will be no boats allowed which are over the recommended maximum horsepower rating. Legally rated boats and motors only.
5. BIG BASS: A $40 portion of the Entry is set aside as “Big Bass” payback. To be determined separately for each day, limited to one “big bass” payback per boat, per two day event. Payback for the Big Bass will be as follows: 10% will be contributed to a local area project, 40% for Big Bass, 30% for second biggest, 20% for third biggest. Big Bass will be weighed daily and paid via US Postal mail post event.
6. FISHING LOCATIONS: No fishing within 50 yards of another contestants anchored boat or Pole(s) Down, unless mutual agreements were made between teams. All boats first within the dedicated 50 Yard area of anchored boat have first right to anchor and may not be eliminated from the area. Encroachment is a violation. All fishing must be done from the boat, no departing boat to land fish. Boats must stay in the water during tournament day. All contestants must leave the official launch site(s) by boat and return by boat to designated sites. ALL TAKE OFF AND WEIGH IN’s will be at Lake Norfork Marina. All other State and Federal Regulations apply, including any Lake Norfork area restrictions.
7. LATE PENALTY: At the end of each tournament day and any contestant not within the markers of the designated dock will be determined late. Contestants who are not in the official docking area on time shall be penalized 10 inches for each one (1) minute they are late. All contestants must proceed directly to weigh-in upon returning to dock. Any contestants more than 10 minutes late shall lose all measured credit for that date. Boat and motor trouble and other problems will not be an excuse for tardiness. In no case shall a tardy contestant be allowed to make up lost time.
8. SCORING: The legal limit shall be five (5) – 15” fish per day, per team. Scoring shall be determined by total inches on first two days. There will be a random measurement by draw and all leading Top 10 or 20 teams as announced, this will be done following each days check in and from the days results on the rolling scoreboard. The 2 day event leaders will be determined by total inches, accumulated during culmination of the first two (2) days of tournament fishing.
Only BLACK BASS, LARGEMOUTH, SPOTTED, RED EYE OR SMALLMOUTH which are legally caught are permitted. After presented fish have been transferred to officials NO PERSON EXCEPT OFFICIALS shall touch said fish. *A contestant bringing in more than his limit will be disqualified for that days catch. *The legal length limits will be 15 inches for all Bass. Any bass brought to the scales/boards/images/TourneyX under the regulated 15” limit shall be subtracted at the rate of 15 inches per infraction from the total catch. Any fish that appears to be dead, mangled, mashed, or mauled, will be credited only at the discretion of the officials. Catch will be disqualified should that days limit be deceased, live release as stewards of our sport is imperative.
TourneyX: All fish image must be submitted through the TourneyX app and library images on smart phones may be accessed to verify those images. All fish will be free measured LEFT SIDE ONLY, using TourneyX guidelines, using the ONLY the left hand restraining the fish on central section of the fish. All required location, access and GPS services must be accessible by TourneyX.
Mouth must be closed and tail must be free of any obstruction and view, with clear vision of the last inch increment on measuring board used. (Example: a 16 ¼” fish MUST have visibility of all ¼” marks on the board beyond 16” to 17”) The associated Gator Grips Golden Rule will be the official measuring board. To be provided: Gator Grip Golden Rules with 1/4” increments have been ordered and are to be included, delivery pending.
A. All 5 fish will be held in livewells for all days of this event. Following each day of Tourney X the leading teams, and up to 20 random teams, measurements will be verified. Notice: random team selection will occur at final check-in.
B. All Big Bass awards including Wild Card walleye, Striper/Hybrid/White Bass and Ozark Bass will be weighed daily. Those WILL NOT be monitored in the Tourney X software.
C. DO NOT ENTER WILD CARD FISH IN TOURNEY X.
D. Tourney X is only used for all 15” and larger largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass stringer length calculations.
E. All event fish will have a required release method and we are coordinating with the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission on that effort. This may require some angler effort as fish are not all handled by our staff.
F. Wild Cards will post on Saturday, via Bass Cat Facebook and Bass Cat Owners Forum. Que$t payout distribution will be after the completion of the event, that following week via mail.
Any request to split or separate a payment, for proximity address reasons, must be done by 10/26 via email to [email protected].
IRS Guidelines may require execution of a W-9 form prior to payment, for 1099 purposes.
Limit of Only One Major Prize in Excess of a $5,000 Value will be Awarded Per Team.
9. PROTEST: Any contestant wishing to protest the score of a fellow contestant must do so in writing within twenty (20) minutes after the official closing of the scales.
10. TIES: In case of a tie on Days 1 and 2, the Tourney X platform and time of submission will determine the winner. In case of a tie for Big Bass, or other fish, ties will be broken by the longest stringer in inches and smallest large fish in inches. Thus rewarding consistency.
11. SPORTSMANSHIP, COURTESY, SAFETY AND CONSERVATION are expected from each participant. Any infraction of these fundamental sporting principals may be deemed cause for disqualification or refusal of participation as this is an Invitational event for both participants. Bass Cat Boats reserves the right to refuse that Invitation to any party for any of these reasons deemed violated by the Tournament Director. Possession, or, use of alcohol on the part of any contestant during the tournament will not be tolerated, and shall be cause for automatic disqualification from this tournament. The intentional snagging of a fish shall be reason for disqualification under this paragraph.
12. TOURNAMENT FISHING HOURS: All contestants must be signed-out and inspected by the tournament officials and shall begin the day from the official dock. At the listed day’s end time, all contestants must be at the official dock and signed-in with the tournament officials by or before the ending time for that day.
13. LAKE HEADQUARTERS: Lake headquarters shall be Lake Norfork, and Henderson Marina as dedicated. Anglers may launch from any boat ramp but proceed directly to main docks for boat check.
14. ENTRY FEES: Entry Fee is $200.00, plus TourneyX and Credit Card fees, which includes $40 Big Bass ($215). Entries may be mailed ($210) to Bass Cat Boats, P.O. Drawer 1688, Mountain Home, AR 72654. Each participant will be responsible for selecting their team partner before each entry is made, and shall designate the captain of the team with their entry.
15. LIABILITY: A release of liability will be required at the time of registration. Signature of release of liability issues permission of submission to a lie detector (polygraph), or Voice Stress analysis test and results are final at decision of officials. This release of liability is also considered as approval of, and permission for use of any likeness and photos in promotional opportunities.* (*Unless otherwise notified)
16. Great effort, study and research have gone into the formation of these rules. The rules of this Tournament will be interpreted and amended solely by the judges and Tournament Officials and shall be final in all matters. A non-partial tournament committee of three (3) participants will be appointed to witness rulings and decisions.
17. Each Bass Cat Dealer will be eligible to fish the Tournament as will approved employees of the dealership. They must use a Bass Cat Boat just as the contestants are required to do so. Those employees must also be approved by Bass Cat and validated as employees to be invited. Yar-Craft boats are permitted
18. All fish must be submitted to, and will only be received by, the weigh-in officials in bags supplied or approved by tournament officials. Outer protective support will be allowed as a supplement. Second only to participants safety is the care of the fish, for release and research purposes.
19. Under CoVid 19 alterations have been made to maximize social distancing, minimize contact and work to assure the safety of all participants. We ask that you respect others, maintain distance around those outside your inner circles, exert caution while in the area and keep your social circles tight. While ultimately your safety is your responsibility, we have an obligation to maximize the safety of these environments and do everything possible, under the conditions, for you to return safely to your families.