OFFICIAL RULES FOR THE BRYAN BASS CLUB OPEN TEAM TOURNAMENT
  LAKE SOMERVILLE - OCTOBER 20th, 2007 at LAKE SOMERVILLE PARK/ PAVILLION

1. RULE CHANGES: The following rules will remain unchanged throughout the event. Interpretation and enforcement of these rules shall be left exclusively to the Tournament Officials. In the event of a rule violation, the Tournament Officials may impose such sanctions as they deem appropriate, including without limitation, disqualification, forfeiture of prizes, forfeiture of entry fee and prohibition from participation in future tournaments. The decision of the Tournament Director and Tournament Officials shall be final in all matters. It is at the Tournament Officials discretion to make a change where safety of the contestants is a concern. All Federal, State and local laws must be obeyed and it is the contestant’s responsibility to know these laws.
2. PARTICIPANTS AND ELIGIBILITY: Invitation in this tournament is open to all individuals. Each team must provide a completed & signed entry form with full entry fee  to be entered in this Tournament At least one team member must be 18 years of age or older. This is a team tournament, however, you may fish it as an individual. Both team partners must fish from same boat. Contestants are the only persons allowed in tournament boats during tournament hours except in the case of an emergency or boat break-down. There will be no refund of entry money after entering tournament. 
3.   ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND DRUGS: No alcoholic beverages or drugs (other than prescription) are allowed in the boat or to be consumed during tournament hours.
4.  SPORTSMANSHIP: All contestants are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation. Any team who displays poor sportsmanship, violates these rules or any State or local laws or brings unfavorable publicity to the sport of bass tournament fishing will be disqualified.
5.   BOATS AND MOTORS: There is no horsepower limit, however no engine may exceed the BIA horsepower rating for the boat on which it is used. All boats must meet U.S. Coast Guard and State regulations. All boats must have an emergency kill switch. All boats must have a working aerated livewell large enough to sustain a tournament limit in releasable condition. Extra gas tanks must be secured and must meet U.S. Coast Guard specifications.
6.  SAFETY: Boating safety must be observed at all times during tournament day. A U.S. Coast Guard approved chest type life preserver must be on and fastened any time the combustible engine is operative and the kill switch must be attached to the driver during competition day.
7.  TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT: All fish must be caught in a legal and sporting manner. Intentional snagging of fish is prohibited. Fish caught by sight fishing (bedding bass) must be hooked inside the mouth. Trolling with the aid of the combustible or electric motors is prohibited. Only artificial lures may be used. NO live bait. Pork rinds and liquid fish attractants are permitted. Only one rod may be used at a time per contestant. A cast and retrieve must be completed before another cast is made. The use tracking devices, CB radio or cell phone is prohibited during the tournament day for the purpose of locating bass.
8.   OFF-LIMITS:  Lake Somerville is off-limits from Monday October 15th thru Friday October 19th the week of the tournament. It is against tournament rules for any contestant to be or to have been on Lake Somerville for any reason during the off-limits period 
9.  PERMITTED FISHING WATERS: No tube or wade fishing. Boats may not be trailered during tournament hours unless under the direction of the Tournament Director. No fishing within 25 yards of a non-anchored tournament boat unless invited. No fishing within 50 yards of a Marina gas pump. Having a non-contestant sit on a fishing location for a contestant will be grounds for disqualification. Contestants cannot leave boat to land a fish. Contestants must be able to drive boat into fishing area without getting out of the boat. The practice of restricting the natural movement of fish by any means such as, but not limited to the use of nets, tanks or dams will result in disqualification. Restricting the access to waters normally accessible by all anglers, by any means such as, but not limited to the felling of trees or the construction of obstructions will result in disqualification.
10. INFORMATIONAL ASSISTANCE: Contestants are prohibited from receiving the advice or assistance from anyone who has been on Lake Somerville during the off-limits period for the purpose of catching or locating bass. During tournament hours, contestants are prohibited from receiving advice or assistance from anyone except for another entered contestant for the purpose of catching or locating bass. 
11. CULLING: It is the responsibility of each team to keep no more than a maximum of five (5) fish a livewell. Upon exceeding a five fish tournament limit, one team member must cease fishing and cannot resume fishing until they have culled to a five fish limit. Culling  (releasing to obtain a 5 fish limit) is not allowed inside host marina area.
12. SCORING/ PENALTIES: Only Largemouth, Kentucky Spotted, Red Eye and Smallmouth bass will be scored. Each team may weigh in a maximum of five (5) fish per tournament with a minimum length of 14” with mouth closed and tail compressed. Check-it-Stik is the official measuring board for this Tournament. There will be a one (1) pound penalty assessed per short fish attempted to be weighed plus the loss of short fish. Any team bringing more than five (5) fish to weigh-in will be disqualified. All teams creel for tournament day becomes official when a teams bag of fish is placed inside weigh-in sink. Any team returning to check point late will be penalized at the rate of 1/2 pound per minute up to fifteen minutes. After 15 minutes no weight will be allowed for tournament. A dead fish penalty of .25 (1/4 pound) will be deducted per dead fish from total weight for the day for the team weighing the dead fish. Tournament standings will be determined by the net weight (total weight minus all applicable penalties) for the competition day. Teams having the exact same weight will have the winnings of the places involved added together and split equally. Ties for plaques will be by the flip of a coin. 
13.  PROTESTS: All protests must be presented to Tournament Officials in writing before the scales are officially closed for the tournament day.
14. POLYGRAPH: All contestants, winners and non-winners are subject to a polygraph test. Failure to submit to a polygraph will result in immediate disqualification. Any contestant who has failed a polygraph test in connection with any bass tournament for cheating will not be eligible to compete in this    Bryan Bass Club Open Tournament.
15. BIG BASS: $10 of each entry will go towards the big bass pot. Only one Big bass award will be paid per team or individual .
16. ENTRY/REGISTRATION: There are two methods of Entry: (A) Early Entry by U.S. Mail,  (B) Late Entry in person at the Tournament 
 (A) Early Entry by U.S. Mail: You may enter by U.S. Mail at Bryan Bass Club c/o Bill Ray  1107 Verde # 87 Bryan ,Tx. 77801. Mailed entries must be postmarked by Monday October 15th, 2007
 (B) Late entries at tournament - will be taken beginning at 5:30 am on Saturday at Lake Somerville  Park. Late entries will incur a $10 late fee. 
17. Boat Number Draw - Teams that register by mail (Early Entries) will draw for their boat number (take-off position). Late entries will be assigned the next available boat number.  i.e. if there are 40 early entries, the first late entry will be boat #41..
18. TAKE-OFF: This is not a Trailering tournament. Each team is required to leave from and return to the host weigh-in site. Each team will draw or be assigned a boat/ team number. This number will serve as the method by which each team is recorded by and accounted for during the entire tournament day. Teams will be released by the Tournament Director by boat/team number beginning at safe daylight. Each team is responsible for knowing their boat number, official tournament time, check-in time and check-in location. Each team must have their boat inspected prior to take-off.
19. CONSERVATION:  This should be of great importance to all of us as anglers/sportsmen. Contestants are required to use care when handling fish and while holding them in your livewell during the tournament day. Adequate livewells are mandatory on each boat and must provide aeration to maintain fish in good condition. Every Effort will be made to return fish to the lake following weigh-in.

EXCEL FISHING
TOURNAMENTS
Presents
The
2002  
Sportsman’s Series
Team Tournaments

       The  21st  ANNUAL 
      BRYAN  BASS  CLUB		
  OPEN TEAM TOURNAMENT

		

 	
	          Saturday  -  October 20th, 2007
    Lake Somerville Park & Pavilion - Daylight to 3:00 pm
	  OFF LIMITS - Monday, Oct. 15th thru Friday, Oct. 19th 

    Mailed Entry Deadline - Postmarked no later than Monday October 15th
           Late Entries will be accepted at lake tournament morning with a $10 late fee

	

    sPONSOR     
  $ PRIZES $

 Food  for
Everyone!!

  
 TOURNAMENT PAYOUT

 1st  **  $1,000	5th **  $350
 2nd **  $   800	6th **  $300
 3rd **   $   600	7th **  $250
 4th **   $   450
Big Bass  1st- $300, 2nd- $200
************************************************
Payout above based on 50 teams. If more or less than 50 teams enter, payout will be adjusted. One Place paid for every 7 entries.

1st Place  $1,000.00
  Guaranteed