Rules

2013 Keli Wagner Lady Angler Tournament

**Rules and/or Registration information is subject to change prior to the upcoming Big Rock Tournament, June 7-15, 2013

1. REGISTRATION - All boats must be registered with the Tournament Committee and entry fee paid to qualify for prizes and trophies. Any boat may be substituted but must be registered with the Tournament Committee prior to fishing. Any boat entered in the Big Rock Tournament shall not be entered in another tournament simultaneously, except for the NC Governor’s Cup. The tournament reserves the right to deny entry to anyone.

2. RULES  MEETING - At least one person from each boat should be represented and is responsible for knowing the rules including any changes that may take place at the Captain’s Meeting on Friday evening, prior to the tournament at the Civic Center.

3. FISHING TIME - No lines or teasers in the water before official fishing hours.  Official fishing hours are 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.  This is a one-day billfish release/gamefish tournament scheduled for Saturday, June 8, 2013.  Official time will be GPS time.

4. ROD & REEL RULES - This is a rod and reel, hook and line tournament. Double line and leader combined may not exceed 40 ft; neither of which may exceed 30 ft. The following practices are illegal in this tournament: a) Use of handline or rope attached to the line or leader, b) shooting, harpooning, or lancing and c) no participant may transfer from one boat to another. After hook-up, only a female may fight the fish.

5. REPORTING - All blue marlin, white marlin and sailfish must be reported to TOURNAMENT HEADQUARTERS when hooked, lost or released. Radio frequency shall be VHF CHANNEL 72 and alternate channel 78a and SINGLE SIDEBAND CHANNEL 4146.0 Fish hooked prior to or after fishing hours are not eligible.

6. BOUNDARIES - All boats fishing in The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament must fish between the Southern boundary of 33 degrees 30 minutes North latitude and the Northern boundary of 35 degrees 10 minutes North latitude. All fish must also be hooked within those coordinates.

7. QUALIFYING BILLFISH - All fish must adhere to State and Federal regulations to qualify for prizes in this tournament.  This is an all release tournament.  No billfish shall be boated.  In the event a billfish is boated, the boat will automatically be disqualified from the tournament.

8. FEDERAL AND STATE REGULATIONS - (Marlin and Gamefish) As of 1/1/09

Billfish Release Methods - Under these regulations, anglers are allowed to remove the hook from a billfish using a hook-removal device. 

Yellowfin Tuna- 27” curved fork length, 3 per person per day. Permit required. www.nmfspermits.com.

Wahoo-2 per person per day
Dolphin- 10 per person per day

*Size limits apply throughout Atlantic Ocean and adjacent waters to U.S. citizens and U. S. flagged vessels. 

HMS Permits
All boats must have one of the following valid permits - HMS Angling (recreational), HMS Charter/Headboat, or Atlantic Tunas General Category Permit (commercial). Permits must be on board the vessel when engaged in fishing. The Big Rock Tournament is a registered recreational HMS tournament. For more information - www.nmfspermits.com or (888)-872-8862.

North Carolina Recreational Fishing License: As of 01/01/2010
The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries will require a recreational fishing license for anyone participating in fishing aboard a vessel. This includes a license for the captain, the mate and the anglers. These individual licenses can be purchased on a 10-day, annual or lifetime basis.  252-726-7021. http://www.ncfish-eries.net/recreational/NCCRFL.htm

Participant is responsible for knowing all state and federal regulations or any recent changes that may occur.

9. GAMEFISH - Winning gamefish will be determined by weight.  In the event of a tie, the winner will be determined by the first fish weighed-in.  Fish must be in fresh edible condition and fit for human consumption.  All gamefish must be weighed in the day they are caught.    All gamefish to be weighed-in must be reported as soon as possible after 1:00 p.m. to the Committee boat.  No hook-up reporting is required for gamefish.  Only one gamefish per species per boat may be weighed in. Weigh Master has the right to refuse any fish. Winner Take All-dolphin level funds will rollover to the next year’s tournament if there are no qualifying fish.

10. WEIGH-IN - All gamefish eligible for prizes must be off-loaded and weighed at the official Tournament weigh station from the boat landing the fish unless authorized by the weigh-master at the weigh station. The fish must be entered on the official entry form by the Tournament Weighmaster. The same scales and weigh station will be used for all fish including those entered in the Governor’s Cup Series. Gamefish scales will close at 5:00 p.m.  Weigh Station is located on the Morehead City Waterfront. Weighmaster has the right to refuse any fish.

11. MANDATORY HOOK REQUIREMENTS - Non-offset circle hooks are mandatory when deploying natural bait or natural bait/artificial lures.  “J” hooks are allowed on artificial lures only.

Circle hooks are defined as any hook regarded as a circle hook designated by the manufacturer and originally designed and manufactured so that the point is turned perpendicularly back to the shank to form a generally circular or oval shape.

12. RELEASE POINTS - A cash prize will be awarded to the boat that scores the most number of points first.  In order for a billfish to be counted as a release, a member of the fishing team or a crewmember must touch the leader. A fish is boated when any portion of the fish breaks the plane of the boat.  

Release points (j-hook and circle hook) are awarded as follows: 
Blue Marlin 400 points, White Marlin 125 points, Sailfish 125 points, Spearfish 125 points and Hatchett Marlin 125 points.
In the event of ties, the first boat to achieve the winning totals shall be declared the winner. Released fish must be attested to by signature of the female angler, captain and two witnesses (if available) on board the boat at the time of the release on the Official Release Form provided by the Tournament Committee.  This form shall be turned in to the OFFICIAL WEIGHMASTER, TOURNAMENT HEADQUARTERS, or any OFFICIAL REPORTING STATION.  Release forms must be turned in (no later than 10:00 pm on Saturday June 8, 2013) to qualify.  

13. PRIZE PAYOUT SCHEDULE - Trophies will be given to release winners in three places.  Cash prizes will be split 50/50 for billfish and gamefish.  Billfish is winner take all.  Gamefish will be winner take all in each species.  Prize money checks will be made payable to the person or entity so indicated on the registration form of the winning boat.  Social Security number or Taxpayer I.D. number of the recipient must be provided on the entry form.  All checks will be distributed 10 days after the Awards Banquet on June 15, 2013.

14. PROTEST - Any protest by any participant against the catch of another must be submitted in writing to the Tournament Rules Committee. Any protest must be received by 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 9, 2013. Any member of the Rules Committee, or the Official Weigh-Master, retains the right to hold and keep any fish deemed questionable by him with respect to being qualified for any prize or cash award. If retention of the fish is refused, the fish is automatically disqualified. 


15. WEIGHT ALTERATION - Attempted weight alteration of any gamefish will automatically disqualify the boat from the tournament.  IGFA rules apply regarding mutilated fish. The Rules Committee reserves the right to cut open any fish for inspection of suspected weight altering efforts such as inserted weights, ice, water, etc.

16. POLYGRAPH - Polygraph Tests may be administered to the top money winners, release winners, (captain, mate and/or angler) and others as deemed necessary by tournament officials.  Participants must make themselves available for polygraph testing in Carteret County within 24 hours following notice from Tournament Officials. Individuals that are required to take the polygraph test must not consume alcohol or any controlled substance within eight hours prior to the test.  A participant’s refusal to take a polygraph test or failure to answer test questions in a manner satisfactory to Tournament Officials, in their sole discretion, may result in disqualification.  By entering the tournament, participants consent to the admissibility of polygraph results in any dispute or proceeding arising out of the tournament. 


17. WITHDRAWAL FROM  TOURNAMENT - No fees will be refunded. 

18. REFUNDS - In the event that no qualifying fish are caught, the prize money will be handled as follows; a) Half of each entry fee will be donated to the Lady Angler charity, b) 85% of remaining entry fees will be retained by the tournament and added to the following year’s purse accordingly.   

19. RULES COMMITTEE - Any boat breaching any of the above Tournament Rules may be disqualified, except as previously stated.  Decisions of the Rules Committee and Board of Directors are final.

20. DISPUTE RESOLUTION – A protest by one participant against the catch of another must be submitted in accordance with Rule 15.  All other disputes, controversies, or claims of any kind arising out of or relating to the tournament (hereinafter, “disputes”), including, but not limited to, all disputes concerning decisions by Tournament Officials, Boards, or Committees, must be submitted in writing to the Rules Committee no later than 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 9, 2013.  Failure to submit any such disputes in writing by that date and time shall constitute a waiver and release of any and all such disputes.  Without waiving any other provisions in these rules concerning the absolute discretion and finality of decisions made by the Rules Committee or Board of Directors, all participants in the tournament agree that any legal action or proceeding arising out of or relating to any dispute shall be brought exclusively in the Superior Court of Carteret County, North Carolina.  All persons participating in the tournament irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the Superior Court of Carteret County, North Carolina, and waive any objections to personal jurisdiction, subject matter jurisdiction, forum, or venue in such Court.

The terms and conditions of this Agreement shall be construed, interpreted, and enforced under the laws and judicial decisions of the State of North Carolina, notwithstanding any principle of conflicts of law.  In the event any part of this Agreement shall be declared illegal, invalid, or void, such declaration shall not affect the validity of any of the other terms or provisions of this document.