OFFICIAL RULES: 1. Fish should be taken in accordance with principles of good sportsmanship. No set of rules can be written which do not contain provision(s) that are subject to different interpretations. Good sportsmanship shall be the lodestar by which these rules should be interpreted. 2. Only flycasting will be permitted. Only artificial lures may be used. Chumming is not allowed. You may not fish within 250’ of another boat’s chum slick nor benefit from anyone’s slick. Residential canals, dock fed fish, etc. are off limits. 3. Tippet material of up to 20# manufacturer's stated test will be furnished at no charge by the tournament. Guides or anglers can pick up at World Wide Sportsman. All anglers are to use this tippet material. 4. The addition of a stiffening device, up through the rod butt, after the fish is hooked, thus changing the tackle is forbidden. 5. Release gaff must be two feet or less with ropes or straps not to exceed 12". All fish maybe lip gaffed only. 6. To release a fish, the angler or guide must grab the leader and break it or the angler may wind the nail knot into the first guide, clamp down and break off. If any attempt is made to measure the girth of a fish at the boat and fish is subsequently lost, fish is eligible for release credit 7. Fish must be at least 4 feet to receive release points. 8. All entries must be approved by the tournament judges. 9. Angler must be accompanied by a non-relative fishing guide, licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard. Guide should have all required licenses and insurance. VHF radios are required for angler safety. Cell phones are not acceptable alone. Cell phones are not to be used to relay any information, other than safety info, between boats. If Guides plans to fish within Everglades National Park boundaries it is imperative the he/she have a Park Permit. Park has asked for, and received, a guide’s list. 10. No assistance may be given an angler, other than by the Guide who handles the boat and gaffs, measures or releases the fish. 11. No ladder or heightening device platform may extend more than four feet above the gunwale of the boat. 12. The length of the skiff shall be no more than 20 feet or at the discretion of the rules committee. 13. The policy of the tournament is that the first boat to arrive at a spot is entitled to fish there. The Guides Committee very strongly recommends that all recognized courtesies and sporting practices between fishing boats be observed at all times. 14. There is no fishing or staking above the pocket at Buchanan Bank. Boats staked on Buchanan Bank shall be parallel to the Bank, in the approved fashion, and shall have a pushpole and stakeout pole. 15. Failure to turn in a Catch/Release form at the end of each day will result in a 500 point penalty. 16. Any violation of the above rules automatically disqualifies any points or releases acquired during the day of the violation. 17. There will be 500 penalty points assessed against any angler that misses, or is late, for the first angler meeting. 18. All grievances must be submitted in writing to the Official Scorekeeper by 5 pm of the same day of the alleged infraction. All grievances must be signed. 19. If a tarpon is brought to the boat and its girth exceeds 42 inches, the angler may, at his discretion, bring the tarpon in to be weighed since this girth would indicate a possible new world's record. The fish can be used for weight points. Strap length is 48" 20. In case of an emergency or illness of an angler or guide a substitution may be made. 21. A timed start will be established. One member of each team shall leave in each wave.
TACKLE SPECIFICATIONS, MEASURING AND RELEASE INSTRUCTIONS:
22. Only one-handed rods and single action reels, designed specifically for flycasting shall be eligible. The butt may not extend more than four inches below the reel seat. The rod may not be altered after fish is hooked. 23. The leader shall not exceed 16 feet. It shall contain not less that 15 inches of tournament approved tippet material between the knots. A shock tipped of non-metallic or metallic material of overall length not to exceed 12 inches including knots, may be tied directly to approved tippet. 24. A chart converting girth in inches to pounds has been established to calculate weight points. Measuring straps will be supplied and must be used exclusively. The fish shall be lip gaffed only, brought out of the water by the guide so that the angler can place the strap around the widest part of the fish. Pull it snug and then slip it off over the tail of the fish. A 4' stick will be provided to determine that fish meets minimum length. 25. A camera will be provided to photograph each fish. Angler or guide is to photograph the scoreboard each morning. SCORING:
26. Tournament is based on the 'big fish rule.' If a 'weight' fish is not entered only those awards based on release points will be awarded.
WEIGHT: Minimum - Tarpon must be 70 lbs POINTS: 70 lbs, and over, 10 points per lb
LIMIT: Five (5) fish may be measured and entered for weight points all may be entered in one day, or spread over the entire tournament. PENALTY: An underweight fish will cause the loss of the strap used to measure the fish. The fish cannot be counted as a released fish. RELEASES: Released fish shall count as 200 points. Total release points allowable cannot exceed total weight points. For example, if you have caught an 85 lb fish, your total weight points are 850. The release points allowable would be to 850 points, which would give you 1700 accumulated points. EMERGENCY RULE: Call Suzan Home: 305-664-2080 Cell: 305-393-0111 |
