Rules And Regulations

CAFT LLC

Christian Anglers Fellowship Trail, LLC

FRIDAY NIGHT TOURNAMENTS

2011/2012 Rules and Regulations

Participants and Eligibility: Open to all individuals, male and female. Those under 18 may participate with the written permission of a parent or guardian. CAFT reserves the right to reject any entry we feel is not in the best interest of the trail.

Membership: is $10.00 per competitor for the Friday Night Tournaments on Lake Hickory. This membership will be valid from Jan.1 thru December 31st of the same year it is purchased. (example)To fish 2011 regular season, you must purchase a new 2011 membership.

Partners/Subs: A team shall consist of one or two anglers. You may fish the entire trail alone, but, the entry fee shall be the same. You cannot add a permanent partner that has not fished the recommended 10 tournaments for Championship purposes. You may substitute your regular partner as many times during the year, but remember for either to be eligible to fish the Championship, nobody will be allowed to fish if they have not qualified.Substitutes can purchase a Guest Membership for $5.00 – good for that day’s competition only. If that sub returns and wishes to establish a team the $5 will go toward his or her membership.

Entry Fees: Entry fee for all regular season tournaments shall be $30.00 per team(boat) which includes big fish pot for the Fri. Night Tournaments.. There will be 1 big fish paid at regular season tournaments. You can only win one big fish per tournament.

Prize Payout's: The payout for the Fri. Night tournaments will be 83% payback. Will pay 1st 2nd 3rd and big fish.

1/2 of the $10 membership goes to the points fund,to be paid out at the championship,and $5 of each entry will be held out for the championship,also to be paid out at championship.

Championship/Qualification/Payout: The CAFT Friday Night Championship will be held at Whittenburg,landing lake Hickory. And the time will be the same as the regular season time. 7pm to 1:30 am

Scoring/points: 1st=100 2nd=97 3rd=94 4th=92 5th=90 6th=88 and from 7th on ,87,86,85,and so on in 1 point increments. The teams not weighing fish will receive 5 points less than the last team that weighed fish. Example: 7th place with 1 fish=87 points. 8th place had no fish and will receive 82points.

Qualification: FISH 10 FRIDAY NIGHT TOURNAMENTS PERIOD.

Entry Fee for Championship: FREE !!

Launch Sequence/Off-Limit/Off-Limit Periods: Starting position will be determined by the points. If you are not sure of any off limits ,It is your responsibility to ask your Director.

Safety: Safe boating conduct must be observed at all times. Each competitor must wear a US Coast Guard approved life vest, suspenders or belt, securely fastened anytime the combustion engine is running. Also a kill switch must be attached to the driver anytime the combustion engine is running. Failure to do so will result in immediate disqualification and forfeiture of entry fees and any prizes. Tournament days may be shortened or canceled due to severe weather or any conditions that would danger the safety of the competitors and/or staff. All decisions will be by the tournament Director and will be final.

Boats: All boats must be equipped with a live well system capable of keeping a limit of fish alive. Each boat must also be equipped with a bilge pump and kill switch – both in proper working order. Motors cannot exceed the horsepower rating of the boat.

Sportsmanship: Each contestant is expected to follow the highest standards of sportsmanship and courtesy. No boat may fish within 50 yards of another competitor who was first anchored with the trolling motor up. Furthermore, no competitor may fish within 25 yards of another competitor without the permission of the other team. Permission shall not be granted to one team at the exclusion of another. Fighting will not be tolerated and may result in disqualification and the member/members may be permanently banned. Hole sitting by a non- competitor to aid a participant will result in disqualification of that team.

Tackle and Fishing Methods: Only artificial baits may be used except pork chunks or strips. All bass must be caught in a sporting manner. When sight fishing the fish must be hooked inside the mouth. No snagging or chumming. No live bait may be in a competitor’s boat at any time during tournament hours. A competitor may use only one rod at any given time. No trolling with combustion engine. No rods over 8 ft. in length may be used during competition. No competitor may leave the boat to land or to catch a fish.

State Laws and Regulations: All participants must abide by all local, state, federal and wildlife laws. No alcoholic beverages or drugs may be consumed at any time during the tournament until the time you weigh your fish. Prescription medication may be taken if under a doctor’s orders.

10.

Scoring: A tournament limit shall consist of five bass (largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass) may be weighed in with minimum length of no less than 14" (inches). Closed mouth and swinging the tail gently. Length will be measured on a Golden Rule. Length limit will vary depending on local or state game laws.

Penalties: (Late Penalty) Competitor’s not back at the weigh-in area on time will be penalized 1 lb. per minute late. After ten minutes the team will be disqualified.(Example 1:30 weigh-in @ 1:31 you will be late) The team will still earn last place points.

Short Fish: Penalty shall be 1 lb. for short fish and loss of short fish.

Dead Fish: Penalty shall be .25 lbs. (4 oz.) per dead fish.

Culling: All culling must be done on the lake and not at the weigh-in area or marina. At no time can you have more than six (6) fish in the boat. No culling is allowed after you have checked-in. Once the bag is handed over to tournament officials it is considered CAFT property and no fish may be added to the catch.

11.

Emergencies: Competitors shall not leave the boat except in emergencies, sickness, severe storms, nature calls, etc. are deemed emergencies. If a boat breaks down, you may ride back with another competitor while the other partner stays with the disabled boat. You may be towed in by anyone. Any penalties incurred will still apply. You must return by boat to the weigh-in site. If you must trailer back to weigh-in site, your catch will be disqualified for that day.

12.

Point Format: 1st=100 2nd=97 3rd=94 4th=92 5th=90 6th=88 7th=87 and decreases in 1 point increments from there. Any team not weighing fish that paid their entry and fished will receive 5 points less than the last team weighing fish.

13.

Protests/Polygraphs: Any protest must be submitted in writing to the tournament Director in writing within 15 minutes of scale closing. The CAFT committee reserves the right to ask a member to submit to a polygraph exam at any time. Failure to do so will result in immediate disqualification and all entry fees and prizes will be forfeited. By signing membership form/entry form participants agree to abide by the results of the polygraph exam.

14.

Liability Insurance: All boaters must carry a minimum of $100,000 in liability insurance at all times. CAFT reserves the right to spot check at any tournament, failure to prove insurance coverage will result in disqualification and forfeiture of entry for that day and for any prizes for that day. It is boater’s responsibility to provide proof of coverage at any CAFT sanctioned event if spot checked.

15.

Liability/Camera Release: By signing an official entry form, you agree to assume all risk associated with the tournament and to release CAFT, LLC, it’s sponsors, advertisers, directors, employees and hosts from any and all damages, claims, demands and expenses relating to an injury of any person(s) including yourself and to damages of any property which you may sustain or which you may cause by reason of participating in a CAFT, LLC event. You also grant the CAFT, LLC, it’s sponsors, and host the unconditional use of your name, voice or photographic likeness for use in any video, audio or print media and our press releases. You understand that you shall not be entitled to any monies, royalties or other compensation in connection with such use.

16.

Rules Interpretation: Interpretation will be left up to each individual tournament director or his/her assistant. Infraction of any rule may result in disqualification of catch and forfeiture of entry fee and/or prizes. The decisions of CAFT, LLC officials are final.

17.

Miscellaneous: Please understand that acts of war, terrorism, civil unrest, strikes, natural disasters and severe weather may cause CAFT, LLC to adjust payout's and schedules. Also sponsor commitments may cause adjustment to payout or bonus programs.