NATIONAL BREAM CLASSIC TOURNAMENT 2007 RULES

• Interpretation of these rules will be left exclusively to the Tournament Director. Decisions of the Tournament Director are final in all matters and not subject to appeal.

2. Participation

• Participation is open to anyone 16 years of age or older. Anyone entering a tournament under the age of 18 must also have the signature of their parent or legal guardian in the provided space on the entry form.
• A completed entry form and the complete entry fee must be received no later than the prescribed closing date. (Normally 2 weeks prior to the Tournament).
• Entry fees may be refunded if notification is received one week prior to the briefing meeting.

3. Sportsmanship

• All Team members 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 tournament sponsors, the sport of fishing and the tournaments efforts to promote the sport.
• No alcohol or drugs will be allowed during tournament hours extending through the weigh-in procedure. Intoxication will be cause for immediate disqualification.
• Any words, conduct or actions reflecting unfavorably upon the sport and efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship, fair competition and compliance with tournament rules are grounds for disqualification.

4. Pre-tournament practice

• There will be an official practice period on the day of the briefing from Sunrise to Sunset. There shall be a pre-fish ban prior to this for 14 days. No Team or member of a team may be on tournament waters for the purpose of locating bream or potential fishing waters during this period.

5. Pre-Tournament Briefing

• It is mandatory that each team (or one member of the team) must register in person during the official registration hours commencing at 7:15 p.m at a location nominated by the Tournament Director. (the day before the tournament). Team's (or one member of the team) who do not attend registration will forfeit their entry fee and will not be entered in the tournament.

6. Safety

• Safe Boating must be observed at all times and any speed restrictions adhered to. Each team member is required to wear a fastened, Waterways approved, personal flotation device anytime the boat is on the plane. All boats must be equipped with an emergency ignition shut-off device that must be securely attached to the driver’s body whenever on the plane.
• At the discretion of the Tournament Director Tournament days may be shortened or cancelled due to unsafe weather or water conditions.
• All competitors are requested to proceed to their fishing spots with due care and attention to the safety of themselves, other competing boats and the general public.

7. Insurance & Liability

• It is the sole responsibility of the boat owner to carry adequate public liability insurance covering them and their passengers. All contestants are required to sign a waiver absolving the tournament sponsors, so-sponsors, and their employees from any responsibility for any damage or personal injury sustained as a result of their participation in the tournament or related activities.

8. Licenses & Registration

• Each team member must have in possession a valid and current fishing license governing the fishable waters of the event. Penalty for such an offense is disqualification for that day’s catch. Additionally, contestants must have current, valid registration for their boats in order to be eligible to fish the event.

9. Boat Operation

• During the hours of competition contestants may not obtain or receive outside assistance, except in an emergency (definition see Rule 13).
• The use of mobile communication devices such as mobile phones, marine radios, walkie-talkies, CB’s, etc. to communicate fishing information to other competitors or outside people, during tournament hours is strictly prohibited.

10. Boat regulation

• All boats must be a minimum of 3.70 metres in length.
• No barges or similarly cumbersome craft will be permitted.
• Each boat must have all required Waterways safety equipment.
• Boats must contain an aerated livewell to maintain your limit catch of bream by the team.

11. Permitted fishing methods

• All Bream must be a caught in a conventional sporting manner. No Burley allowed. Only lures or fly may be used.
• Only one fishing rod may be used at a time. A snagged lure which is still attached to the rod, pick up another rod and begin casting constitutes using two rods.
• Trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited.
• Team members must remain together at all times and within sight of each other until the weigh-in. The momentary condition of being out of sight of each other for rest room breaks is permitted.

12. Permitted fishing locations

• Contestants may fish anywhere on tournament waters accessible by boat, except:
  • areas designated as “off limits” or “no fishing” by local, state or National and Tournament officials;
  • within any marina;
  • within 30 metres of a competitors boat which was first anchored, under electric motor power or actively fishing.
• All angling 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. The boat must remain in the tournament waters during the tournament day. Contestants must leave and return to the official checkpoint by boat. No tournament boat may be loaded on the trailer before the weigh-in except with the permission of the Tournament Director.

13. Emergency

• In the event of equipment failure or emergency, the team is required to contact the Tournament Director via a supplied Mobile number. The Tournament Director will then assess and decide on the appropriate course of action. STC will have Marshal boats which the Tournament Director may at his/her discretion, despatch to render assistance. Teams who elect to return to the official check-in by other means than cited above will forfeit their day’s catch to that point in time of the tournament day.
• If team members are separated due to an emergency or for any other reason, their catch for that day will not be counted.

14. Starts

• Teams will start in random order as determined by a draw at the tournament briefing for day one. Day two will be a Chase Start.
• Teams are to follow Official Starters instructions at all times.
• A Tournament is deemed to have commenced when the official starter releases the boats on any one day of the event.
• All teams are to present their boat for livewell, PFD and lanyard inspections prior to start.

15. Checkin.

• All teams are to be checked in by no latter than the finish time of 2.00pm each day.
• Checkin locations and procedures per round will be notified at Briefing.
• All fishing must cease upon check-in.

16. Weigh-in's

• Teams are to present their live catch to the Weigh master in the tournament approved bags (supplied) at the conclusion of the days fishing.
• Dead Fish will be disqualified.
• Under sized fish will be disqualified.

17. Scoring

• Scoring will be determined by total weight of each team’s catch during the tournament.
• Only Bream are accepted species.
• The limit will be five live (5) bream per team per day. If you already have five fish in your livewell and catch another, immediately release a fish.
• Any team who possesses at any time, more than the tournament limit will have their catch for that day disqualified.
• The official minimum length for Bream will be the regulation of the state the tournament is held.
• Bream presented to the weigh-in, which fail to measure the prescribed length limit, will not be weighed.
• Each contestant’s catch must be presented in an official weigh-in bag or container.
• Points are awarded on weight.
• The top 3 team weights from each round qualify for the Grand Final.
• The next 8 teams (or number required to make 20 teams) with the highest scores overall after all 4 rounds (excluding the round qualifiers) are invited to the Grand Final.
  

18. Late penalty

• Teams who are not at the official check-in area at the appointed time will be penalised 50 grams per minute deducted from the total weight including any weight to be counted toward a big bream award. Any team more than 15 minutes late will not be eligibile to weigh-in.

19. Cooperation with Media/Promotion

• The tournament will be filmed for television, competitors are asked to comply with any interview requests during tournament hours including the Check-in and weigh-in times and observe extreme professionalism whilst being filmed. Within the framework of reasonable requests, all contestants must be available for filmed & print interviews and will cooperate with media representatives covering the event. Likewise, participation in the tournament grants Sportsfish Australia Pty Ltd and the Production Company, ET Productions Pty Ltd, the use of any pictures or film of contestants, accounts, or interviews with contestants it gathers for the lawful promotion of Sportsfish and its tournament operations.