Preface

The following rules will be interpreted solely by the club Officers.  Any announcements made by the club Officers at the tournaments site take precedent over written rules.  Any situations arising during a tournament that are not covered by the following rules will be addressed by the club officers present.

A. General

1. All individuals with a paid entry fee and a current paid membership to South Jersey Reel Burners are eligible to fish.
   
2. Participants must have a Tournament Rules acknowledgment form signed and on file with the club treasurer.
3. Entrants must have a boat livewell with adequate capacity and a pump constantly adding fresh or re-circulating water.
4. Events are Solo Tournaments with not more than (2) registered anglers fishing from the same boat.
   

B. registration

1. Tournament registration fee is $30.00 per angler which includes a "Lunker" pool for each tournament.
   
2. The tournament director must receive the tournament registration fee 20 minutes prior to the tournament beginning. 
3. Any angler that is late to a tournament must find a club officer to have their livewell checked and pay their registration fee PRIOR to fishing.
4. Tournament registration fee's are non refundable.
5. In the event that a tournament is cancelled, the tournament registration fee will be carried over to the next tournament or refunded to the team at their request.
6. A livewell check will be conducted by the Tournament Directors beginning 30 minutes prior to the designated takeoff time.
7. A pre-tournament meeting will be held each tournament day approximately 10 minutes prior to designated takeoff time.  Questions and rule clarifications will be addressed at this time.
8. Guests may fish with the club as long as there is a spot available.  A guest must be invited by a club member and can only fish with the member who invited he/she.  The guest will only be able to compete for lunker with a registration fee of $10.  If the guest decides that he/she wants to join, then that angler will receive the points gained from the previous tournament entered. 
   
9. If no bass are weighed in at a tournament, the pot will then be carried over to the next tournament.  (no refunds)
   

C. Tournament fishing

1. Fishing is allowed anywhere on the designated tournament waters during tournament hours except in the "No Fishing" area as defined during the pre-tournament meeting or any other area declared off limits by local or other authorities.
2. All fishing must be done from the registered boat.  No fishing from the bank is allowed.  Contestants may not depart the boat to enter a fishing area or to land fish or to carry, tow, push, or pull their boat to access fishing areas not otherwise accessible.
3. Only artificial baits may be used (pork chunks, attractants, masks, etc. are allowed).  All bass must be caught live and in a conventional sporting manner.
4. Only one rod and reel may be used by one angler at a any time.
5. Grading or culling of fish shall be in accordance with the Department of Conservation guidelines, to include, no culling of dead fish.
6. All contestants must leave from and return to take-off site by boat.  Anglers are encouraged to leave their boats in the water during tournament hours, but in the event that a team must trailer their boat during tournament hours, boat and all anglers must not leave the immediate area of the take-off site until the tournament is officially over.

D. Weigh in procedures

1. Only Largemouth and Smallmouth bass are eligible for weigh in.  No more than (3) fish per member are eligible for weigh in.
   
2. Club officers will have the option to weigh in first to allow time for them to perform their weigh in duties.  Weigh in begins once all boats are off of the water.  Weigh in closes once all members have weighed in their fish.
3. Fish must be segregated by anglers during the tournament and when presented at the weigh in.
4. Mangled, mauled, bloated, or mutilated fish will not be eligible for weigh in.
5. Dead fish will be eligible for weigh in with a -.50 (-1/2 lb) point penalty assessed against the anglers total weight only.
   
6. Fish submitted for weigh in that do not comply with specific length limits, for the designated lake will not be eligible for weigh in.  A fish measured will be determined legal by the club tournament director. 
   
7. (1) courtesy measure is accepted per angler.  A courtesy measure must be asked for by the angler submitting fish for weigh in.  Any fish under the required length (without asking of courtesy or outside of your (1) courtesy measure) will result in a -.50 (-1/2 lb) point penalty assessed against the anglers total weight only.
   
8. Upon completion of a teams weigh in, all fish submitted will be returned to the water. 
9. Prize money will be paid following the last tournament weigh in.  Fish total placement ties will split the payouts for tied positions.  Lunker placement ties will be decided by length of fish (longer fish wins tie).
   
10. Anglers are responsible for supplying their own weigh-in bags.

E.  safety/sportsmanship

1. Take off may be delayed due to unsafe conditions as determined by the Club Officers present.  In the event of inclement weather of extenuating circumstances, the tournament may be cancelled by the acting President after discussion with Club Officers present.
   
2. Safe boating conduct must be observed at all times.  All participant must abide by all of the rules outlined in the NJ Boating Safety Manual, as well as US Coast Guard navigation rules. 
   
3. All contestants are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety, and conservation. 
   
4. SJ Reel Burners encourages all contestants to have a cell phone in their boat for emergency use.
   

Note:  The South Jersey Reel Burners recommend that all participants wear a serviceable U.S. Coast Guard approved personal flotation device at all times during tournament hours.

f.  points/penalties

1. (1) Point rewarded for participation in each tournament.
   
2. (1) Point per total weight of bass weighed in (10.50 lbs = 10.50 points).
   
3. (1) Point per bass weighed in (1 bass = 1 point).
   
4. (1) Bonus point for weighing in a limit of (3) bass.
   
5. (1) Bonus point for weighing in the lunker of each tournament.
   
6. -.50 (-1/2 lb) penalty for weighing in a dead fish.
   
7. -.50 (-1/2 lb) penalty for weighing in a short fish (without asking for a courtesy measure). 
   
8. -.50 (1/2 lb) penalty for having more than 3 fish in your livewell.