Rules
1. RULES & CHANGES: All decisions made by the tournament director of Luck of the Draw Tournament Series. The tournament director can make a change at his discretion. Interpretation of rules will be left to the tournament director. It is the right of Tournament Director to refuse entry. Any vessel or equipment is subject to inspection by the tournament director.
2. PARTICIPANTS & ELIGIBILITY: This is an open tournament. Participation in each event is open to all. A legal guardian must sign a waiver for any contestant under the age of 18. There will be TWO alternate allowed to fish TWO tournaments in case one of the regular team members can not make a tournament You must have a valid fishing license during tournament.
3. REGISTRATION, ENTRY FEES & PAYBACK: First tournament entered, you must provide a completed entry form with signature, entry forms can be completed online. Luck of the Draw will keep entry form on file and you may then sign up over the phone or e-mail for the next tournament. On tournament mornings, for Saturday team series events only, you may register at the weigh-in site beginning at 5:00 a.m. The entry fee for Luck of the Draw Saturday Team Series events will be $200.00 per team. (10% goes towards big bass) Payback will be 1 for every 5 paid entries at 85%, 10% goes to Big Bass (There will be no refunds.) You may be required to fill out a w-9 for tax purposes.
4. SPORTSMANSHIP: All contestants are expected to practice courtesy, safety and follow local and state game laws. Anyone displaying poor sportsmanship or violating local and state game laws will be disqualified
5. ALCOHOL AND DRUGS: Anyone consuming alcoholic beverages or drugs (other than prescription) during tournament hours will be disqualified. If you feel you may have big bass or your fish may put you in the money, do not consume alcohol or drugs until polygraphs have been determined. NO alcohol or drugs allowed in boat
6. POLYGRAPH: Each contestant agrees to submit to a polygraph examination by entering this tournament and must abide by its conclusion. All polygraphs must be passed in order to receive cash or product.
7. FISHING, TACKLE & EQUIPMENT: Must be done with artificial lures only. Contestants may use only one rod and reel at a time. Each cast must be completely retrieved before using another rod and reel. No intentional snagging of bass. No elevated platforms or ladders allowed in boat. Push poles are permitted
8. OFF LIMITS & GUIDES: No fishing inside any state, federal or lake buoys disallowing entrance to area. No hiring guides starting the Monday before the tournament.
9. PERMISSIBLE WATERS: NO fishing is allowed within 25 yards of another contestants boat or 50 yards from anchored contestants boat with trolling motor out of water. No tube, bank or wade fishing is allowed. No trolling with the combustion engine is allowed. All fish must be caught in a legal and sporting manner during competition hours from tournament waters. Waters fished must be accessible by boat without getting out of boat to gain access. A contestant may not leave boat to retrieve fish from any structure. All Bass at weigh in become property of Luck of the Draw to be released at host weigh in site. NO Hole sitting by or for entrants.
10. LATE PENALTY: You must be checked in at the weigh in tank by the weigh in time you were given at take off. If you are late you will be disqualified.. NO TOLERANCE.
11. BOATS AND MOTORS: No engine shall exceed the maximum BIA horsepower rating for the boat on which it is used. No Stick Steering, Jet Drives or Air Boats. All boats must have built in aerated live wells.
12. INSURANCE & SAFETY: Liability insurance is required. Safe boating must be observed at all times. Each contestant is required to wear a fastened (fully zipped and/or all clips fastened) U.S. coast guard approved; personal flotation device anytime the boat is on plane during competition days & official practice. All boats must be equipped with an emergency ignition shut-off device which must be securely attached to the driver’s body any time the boat is in on plane operation. Driver & passengers must be seated anytime the combustion engine is running and engaged in gear. During bad weather entrants may leave boat to seek shelter at which time no fishing may occur.
13. SCORING & PENALTIES: Will be determined by the total weight of not more than 5 bass in live well per team per day. Ties for cash prizes will be settled (1st by number of fish) or (2nd by weight of biggest fish) or (3rd by combining two cash awards and splitting the total between tied teams). Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and Kentucky bass will be counted. Check it stick will be official ruler of tournament. If any contestant would like to compare their ruler to official ruler it must be done prior to weigh in. A dead fish penalty of .50 lbs. per fish will be deducted from total weight and Big Bass weight. Any team bringing in (1) short fish, will forfeit that fish, any team bringing in (2) or more short fish will lose entire creels weight. *All fish will be measured according to TPWD standards* Contestant responsible for knowing the length limits of the lakes we are fishing. For example, Lake Conroe is a 16" minimum. Sam Rayburn is a 14" minimum, and Fayette county you may only weigh in fish under 16" and (1) fish over 24" NO CULLING OF DEAD BASS.
14. PROTESTS: All protest must be submitted in writing within 5 minutes of final weigh-in. The decision of the tournament director will be final. NO VERBAL PROTEST.
15. BREAKDOWNS/EMERGENCIES: In an emergency or major equipment failure, you may hitch a tow from any boat on the water, but may not bring yours or partners’ fish in except in yours or another tournament contestants boat.
16. AWARDS: Those who cannot attend will forfeit any claim to merchandise earned in competition.
17. TRAILER TOURNAMENT & TAKE OFF: Some Tournaments will be Trailering events due to inclement weather. Otherwise you will receive a boat number upon entry and we will have a controlled take off. As your number is called you are to idle by the tournament director with your live wells open, kill switch attached and life jackets on and fully fastened. If entered in 2 events on same day, you must not leave launch ramp before Luck of the Draw start time and be in line with fish in bag by official weigh-in time. It is contestant’s responsibility to know his or her boat number, official start time and weigh-in time.
18. SERIES POINTS & CHAMP QUALIFYING: Each team will receive a minimum of 1 point per tournament entry. AOY position will be determined by accumulated points standings of the team. You and/or your team must be in the top 50% or top 10 teams (Whichever is greater) to qualify for the 2-day Championship. The Championship event will be an free entry fee for our top 10 teams, additional teams will be required to pay $200 entry fee. Championship will be 100% payout plus added money. You must fish 5 tournaments out of the 8 to Qualify for the championship. In the event we do not have enough contestants for the championship we will call the next closest qualifying team regardless of how many tournaments they fished.
19. AOY REQUIREMENTS: AOY winners will be Determined by the most overall points. Winners of the AOY award will receive free entry into the following season and $500 each. The amount of points a team receives from a tournament will be determined by the amount of teams entered. For example if 20 teams are entered, first place will receive 20 points, second place will receive 19 points, 3rd- 18 points, etc.. any team that zeros or doesn't bring fish to the scales will receive 1 point for entering the tournament. Alternates fishing will not be allowed to claim AOY points, the points will go to the primary team. All tournaments count towards AOY points