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California State Championship Rules

1. Rule changes

These rules will remain unchanged throughout the 2010 California Bass Championship. 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. Each competitor agrees to report any rule violation to the tournament director immediately following the tournament weigh in. Failure to report violations may be cause for disqualification. The violation of a tournament rule may result in disqualification for the entire tournament or, in an extreme circumstance, ineligibility to participate in future California Bass Championship events. Protests must be made in writing within 20 minutes of the check-in time of the final flight of each tournament day.

2. Participation

Participation is open only to members of California Bass Championship aged 16 and older. Anglers under the age of 16 are elgible to fish the team events provided at least one member of the team is 16 years or older. Any person under the age of 18 entering a tournament must also have the signature of a parent or legal guardian in the provided space on the entry form. All contestants must have a valid fishing license.

ENTRY: The first 50 anglers to sign up and pay in full for each event will be assured their spot in each local event. Dates and times registration can be found on the website at http://californiabasschampionship.com/Register.html .

REGISTRATION:

The full 50 spots for the first event in each region will be available on December 22 at 8:00 PM.

For all other events (other than the first in each region) we will accept 25 entries on December 22 at 8:00 PM.

Finally the remining 25 spots for the 12 events that are not the first in their region we will accept registration for them one event at a time at 8:00 AM the day after the previous event in their region. (please see the registration page for more information)

3. Off-limits

This tournament will have no off limits periods for any of the local, regional or championship events.

4. Pre-tournament meeting

There will be a pre-tournament meeting 45 minutes prior to safe light and launch at every local, regional and championship event, meeting times will be posted on http://www.CaliforniaBassChampionship.com .

5. 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 each day of the tournament.

All boats must be equipped with an emergency ignition-shutoff 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, postponed or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions.

6. Sportsmanship

All contestants are required to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy and conservation and to conduct themselves in a manner that will be a credit to themselves, to California Bass Championship organization and Calfiornia Bass Championship sponsors.

Violation of, or failure to comply with, any of the rules for the 2010 California Bass Championship.

Consumption and/or possession of alcoholic beverages or any kind of mind-altering substance during registration, the pre-tournament meeting or during tournament hours extending through the weigh-in procedure.

Suspension/disqualification from any tournament or fishing organization.

In case of any conduct not complying with the standards outlined above, California Bass Championship shall have the right to refuse an application to compete, to deny a confirmed application to compete by returning the entry fee (minus deposits) or to disqualify a contestant.

7. Boat operation

Exiting the boat for any reason other than to receive or offer emergency help or use the restroom will be disqualified from the event.

The use of mobile communication devices, including but not limited to, cell phones, marine radios, walkie-talkies, CBs, etc., during tournament hours is strictly prohibited except in an emergency (severe weather, etc.) or to communicate with the tournament director.

Contestants offering or receiving emergency help for disabled boats can weigh in at the weigh in time of the angler who is providing the help. In such cases the angler receiving the help cannot fish from the helping angler's boat at any point. The angler receiving the help can report to the weigh in at the boaters weigh in time without receiving a penalty.

8. Boat regulation

All boats must be equipped with wheel steering; no other steering device will be permitted.

Each boat must have all required U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment.

Boats must contain a properly aerated livewell space to maintain a live a limit of 5 bass.

Fuel may be carried only in built-in fuel tanks. Any additional fuel used during the tournament day must be purchased from a retail facility open to the public and pumped through a hose with a nozzle.

9. Permitted fishing methods

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.

Fishing is defined as having a lure attached to a line and a rod and reel with the lure in the water.

10. Permitted fishing locations

Contestants may fish anywhere on tournament waters available to the public and accessible by boat and legal by all government and local lake rules. , except areas designated as “off-limits” “no boats” or “no fishing” by local, state or federal officials.

Contestants must stay at least 25 yards from a competitor's boat that was first anchored. An anchored boat is a boat held in a stable position by a line attached to a weight or by a Power-Pole with the trolling motor in the up position.

All fishing 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 check-in by boat.

The boat must remain in the tournament waters during the tournament day.

In the event of equipment failure or emergency, there will be only two permitted methods of returning to the check-in:

1. by remaining in their boat and being towed by water, or

2. by entering the boat of another tournament contestant.
Under these two conditions the contestants' catches may be counted without a penalty (except for late penalties, dead-fish penalties or other penalties pertaining to other tournament rules). Contestants who elect to return to the check-in by any other means than cited above will forfeit their day's catch.

Any contestant returning to the check-in point will be eligible to restart and resume competition under the supervision of the tournament director or his designated tournament official. It is the sole responsibility of contestants to locate the tournament director to request a restart.

11. Late penalty

• Contestants arriving to the checkpoint after their designated time shall be subject to a one pound per minute penalty. After 15 minutes the contestant will be disqualified from competition.

12. Live fish

Every effort must be made to keep bass alive through the use of a properly aerated livewells. California Bass Championship recommends the use of Catch & Release, which promotes the healthy return of bass to their natural habitat. Two tenths of a pound will be deducted from the total weight for the contestant for each dead fish brought to the scales.

13. Scoring

Scoring will be determined by the pounds and fractions of pounds of each contestant's catch.

Only largemouth, spotted or smallmouth bass are accepted species.

The limit will be five fish unless otherwise specified by the tournament director. Contestants possessing more than the tournament limit at any time throughout the day will have their catch disqualified.

The minimum length limit for bass will be 13 inches unless otherwise specified by the tournament director. DVL will be a 15" minimum and there may be other changes for each event. The tournament director will cover this at all pre-tournament meetings. Bass presented for weigh-in that fail to measure the prescribed length limit will be penalized at the rate of 1 pound for each short bass presented plus the loss of that fish's weight.

Each contestant's catch must be presented in an official weigh-in bag.

14. Ties

Anglers tying for the tenth and final spot at all local qualifying events will advance to their regional's.

Ties for the tenth and final spot for all regional qualifying events will be determined by the angler who qualified highest in their local event.

15. Truth verification test

Each contestant agrees to submit to a polygraph or voice stress analysis examination and to abide by its conclusion. Failure to pass an examination will result in disqualification. Truth verification tests will be used at California Bass Championship sole discretion, and the determination of the meaning of the results will be made solely by the California Bass Championship management.

16. Insurance

Liability insurance with coverage in reasonable amounts is required of all contestants in California Bass Championship tournaments.

17. Team Events are a 7 fish Limit unless otherwise specified by the tournament director.

California State Championship Rules

1. Rule changes

These rules will remain unchanged throughout the 2010 California Bass Championship. 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. Each competitor agrees to report any rule violation to the tournament director immediately following the tournament weigh in. Failure to report violations may be cause for disqualification. The violation of a tournament rule may result in disqualification for the entire tournament or, in an extreme circumstance, ineligibility to participate in future California Bass Championship events. Protests must be made in writing within 20 minutes of the check-in time of the final flight of each tournament day.

2. Participation

Participation is open only to members of California Bass Championship aged 16 and older. Anglers under the age of 16 are elgible to fish the team events provided at least one member of the team is 16 years or older. Any person under the age of 18 entering a tournament must also have the signature of a parent or legal guardian in the provided space on the entry form. All contestants must have a valid fishing license.

ENTRY: The first 50 anglers to sign up and pay in full for each event will be assured their spot in each local event. Dates and times registration can be found on the website at http://californiabasschampionship.com/Register.html .

REGISTRATION:

The full 50 spots for the first event in each region will be available on December 22 at 8:00 PM.

For all other events (other than the first in each region) we will accept 25 entries on December 22 at 8:00 PM.

Finally the remining 25 spots for the 12 events that are not the first in their region we will accept registration for them one event at a time at 8:00 AM the day after the previous event in their region. (please see the registration page for more information)

3. Off-limits

This tournament will have no off limits periods for any of the local, regional or championship events.

4. Pre-tournament meeting

There will be a pre-tournament meeting 45 minutes prior to safe light and launch at every local, regional and championship event, meeting times will be posted on http://www.CaliforniaBassChampionship.com .

5. 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 each day of the tournament.

All boats must be equipped with an emergency ignition-shutoff 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, postponed or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions.

6. Sportsmanship

All contestants are required to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy and conservation and to conduct themselves in a manner that will be a credit to themselves, to California Bass Championship organization and Calfiornia Bass Championship sponsors.

Violation of, or failure to comply with, any of the rules for the 2010 California Bass Championship.

Consumption and/or possession of alcoholic beverages or any kind of mind-altering substance during registration, the pre-tournament meeting or during tournament hours extending through the weigh-in procedure.

Suspension/disqualification from any tournament or fishing organization.

In case of any conduct not complying with the standards outlined above, California Bass Championship shall have the right to refuse an application to compete, to deny a confirmed application to compete by returning the entry fee (minus deposits) or to disqualify a contestant.

7. Boat operation

Exiting the boat for any reason other than to receive or offer emergency help or use the restroom will be disqualified from the event.

The use of mobile communication devices, including but not limited to, cell phones, marine radios, walkie-talkies, CBs, etc., during tournament hours is strictly prohibited except in an emergency (severe weather, etc.) or to communicate with the tournament director.

Contestants offering or receiving emergency help for disabled boats can weigh in at the weigh in time of the angler who is providing the help. In such cases the angler receiving the help cannot fish from the helping angler's boat at any point. The angler receiving the help can report to the weigh in at the boaters weigh in time without receiving a penalty.

8. Boat regulation

All boats must be equipped with wheel steering; no other steering device will be permitted.

Each boat must have all required U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment.

Boats must contain a properly aerated livewell space to maintain a live a limit of 5 bass.

Fuel may be carried only in built-in fuel tanks. Any additional fuel used during the tournament day must be purchased from a retail facility open to the public and pumped through a hose with a nozzle.

9. Permitted fishing methods

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.

Fishing is defined as having a lure attached to a line and a rod and reel with the lure in the water.

10. Permitted fishing locations

Contestants may fish anywhere on tournament waters available to the public and accessible by boat and legal by all government and local lake rules. , except areas designated as “off-limits” “no boats” or “no fishing” by local, state or federal officials.

Contestants must stay at least 25 yards from a competitor's boat that was first anchored. An anchored boat is a boat held in a stable position by a line attached to a weight or by a Power-Pole with the trolling motor in the up position.

All fishing 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 check-in by boat.

The boat must remain in the tournament waters during the tournament day.

In the event of equipment failure or emergency, there will be only two permitted methods of returning to the check-in:

1. by remaining in their boat and being towed by water, or

2. by entering the boat of another tournament contestant.
Under these two conditions the contestants' catches may be counted without a penalty (except for late penalties, dead-fish penalties or other penalties pertaining to other tournament rules). Contestants who elect to return to the check-in by any other means than cited above will forfeit their day's catch.

Any contestant returning to the check-in point will be eligible to restart and resume competition under the supervision of the tournament director or his designated tournament official. It is the sole responsibility of contestants to locate the tournament director to request a restart.

11. Late penalty

• Contestants arriving to the checkpoint after their designated time shall be subject to a one pound per minute penalty. After 15 minutes the contestant will be disqualified from competition.

12. Live fish

Every effort must be made to keep bass alive through the use of a properly aerated livewells. California Bass Championship recommends the use of Catch & Release, which promotes the healthy return of bass to their natural habitat. Two tenths of a pound will be deducted from the total weight for the contestant for each dead fish brought to the scales.

13. Scoring

Scoring will be determined by the pounds and fractions of pounds of each contestant's catch.

Only largemouth, spotted or smallmouth bass are accepted species.

The limit will be five fish unless otherwise specified by the tournament director. Contestants possessing more than the tournament limit at any time throughout the day will have their catch disqualified.

The minimum length limit for bass will be 13 inches unless otherwise specified by the tournament director. DVL will be a 15" minimum and there may be other changes for each event. The tournament director will cover this at all pre-tournament meetings. Bass presented for weigh-in that fail to measure the prescribed length limit will be penalized at the rate of 1 pound for each short bass presented plus the loss of that fish's weight.

Each contestant's catch must be presented in an official weigh-in bag.

14. Ties

Anglers tying for the tenth and final spot at all local qualifying events will advance to their regional's.

Ties for the tenth and final spot for all regional qualifying events will be determined by the angler who qualified highest in their local event.

15. Truth verification test

Each contestant agrees to submit to a polygraph or voice stress analysis examination and to abide by its conclusion. Failure to pass an examination will result in disqualification. Truth verification tests will be used at California Bass Championship sole discretion, and the determination of the meaning of the results will be made solely by the California Bass Championship management.

16. Insurance

Liability insurance with coverage in reasonable amounts is required of all contestants in California Bass Championship tournaments.

17. Team Events are a 7 fish Limit unless otherwise specified by the tournament director.