Litchfield County Worm and Jig

  Tournament Rules:

 

 

1. Members must have paid yearly membership dues and must hold a valid Connecticut fishing license. Entry fee is cash only, $40.00 per team and $35.00 per individual with $5.00 per man lunker pool included.

 

The cut-off for eligibility to fish the Club Classic is the second tournament of the year. Any member joining the club after the second tournament will not be eligible to fish the Club Classic. Any exception to this rule will be determined by the Tournament Director and the Executive Board.

 

1. All State and Federal rules and regulations regarding fishing & boating will apply for each tournament.

 

1. All members wishing to use their boat must obtain and maintain through the season a minimum of $300k liability insurance policy. A copy of their boat insurance displaying the policy period and insured amounts must be submitted to the Tournament Director prior to placing their boat in the water for any LCW&J event.      (New-adopted 11/25/07)

 

Provide an option for those fishing solo, to pair with another angler fishing solo. Each angler will still pay their $35 and be allowed to retain 5 fish with their weight going to their individual teams. This is only to allow solo fishermen to share a single boat for the day to increase their enjoyment. (New adopted 11.25.07)

 

SAFETY

 

Each competitor must supply and wear a life vest (Coast Guard Approved PFD) properly zipped, buckled, or snapped at all times when the craft's gasoline engine is running. 

 

• Tournament officials have the right to delay, shorten or cancel the start of the event because of bad weather or other factors that would endanger the safety of the competitors.  Tournament waters may also be restricted at any time because of bad weather. (adopted 11.02.08)

 

• In the event of an emergency situation, competitors should call 911 first and then notify tournament officials.

 

• LCW&J reserves the right to impose boat speed limits during any or all tournaments. Whether or not to impose a speed limit, the area covered by the speed limit, and/or the actual speed limit imposed, shall be left exclusively to the discretion of the Tournament Director. (adopted 11.02.08)

 

• ompetitors are allowed to leave the boat and seek safe shelter in bad weather were danger may be imminent. (adopted 11.02.08)

 

• For the safety of all competitors during official competition, all boats must be equipped with an approved type of operable ignition kill switch and lanyard. Only one lanyard may be used and must be attached to the driver’s body any time the combustion engine is operating. Any time the combustion engine is operating and in gear, there must be a driver in the drivers seat in full control of the boat (adopted 11.02.08)

 

OFF LIMITS, PRACTICE AND COMPETITION

 

1. Cut-off time for pre-fishing will be 12:00 AM the day of the scheduled tournament.

 

Contestants may not enter tournament waters to fish, test equipment, sightsee, etc, during the off limits period. Flights over tournament waters are not permitted at any time after the start of the off limits period. (adopted 11.02.08)

 

During the off limits period and competition days, anglers may not solicit and/or receive fishing information from anyone except confirmed LCW&J anglers and through publicly available sources. Beginning with competition, anglers may not obtain fishing patterns or fishing information from any noncompetitors or follow a noncompetitors boat or participate in the practice of “hole sitting” or the placing of markers by anyone. The purchasing, or bartering for, information or the hiring of services will not be permitted after the start of the off limits period. The sharing of tournament winnings in exchange for fishing information is strictly prohibited (adopted 11.02.08)

 

All State rules and regulations will apply for each tournament.

 

The period between the official check in time on day one, and the official start time of day two of our yearly two-day event, tournament waters will be deemed Off Limits (adopted 11.02.08)

 

TOURNAMENT CONDUCT

 

Boat position start numbers will be drawn ¾ hr before the start of the tournament. Start boat will be the highest number drawn. Any boat showing up after the numbers have been drawn will receive the next highest number and will become the start boat.

 

There will be a 100 foot distance between each tournament boat. Common courtesy will be strictly enforced. Any complaints must be voiced before the close of the scales.

 

1. Drugs and alcohol are not allowed during tournament hours. Only prescription drugs will be allowed.

 

1. No live baits are allowed. Artificial baits only.

 

1. Trolling is not allowed.

 

1. Every boat must have a working aerated live well. No stringers allowed.

 

1. Only one wet line per angler at any time.

 

1.  A broke down competitor needs to be assisted in safely getting off the water. This does not imply that this action need be taken during tournament hours.

 

COMPETITORS MUST REMAIN IN BOAT:

During the competition, must not depart the boat to land fish or to make the boat more accessible to fishing waters. Boats must remain in tournament waters during tournament days. Competitors must leave from and return to official checkpoint by boat. Both competitors are to remain in the boat at all times except in the case of dire emergency or with permission of the Tournament Director. In the event of a boat breakdown, it is allowable to transfer, and transport the teams catch to another boat and return to the check in point provided at least one team member travels with the teams catch, AND, The Tournament Director has been notified and approves this action, AND, the teams catch has been properly identified, AND, the action of transferring and transporting a teams catch and or participants does not break any State, or Federal regulations. In the event of a needed restroom break, contestants are allowed to leave the boat upon which all fishing will cease until partners are back together in the boat. If a competitor violates any of the above conditions (to contact the Tournament Director by phone or other means or to report a breakdown or emergency) both competitors must cease fishing at this point and their catch must be verified by a tournament official in order to be counted in the tournament. If after the emergency situation has been resolved by tournament officials and enough time is left for the competitors to resume fishing. A restart will be allowed and the competitors will continue and their catch will be counted. This applies only to dire emergency situations as determined by the Tournament Director or his designee. Towing boats on trailers during tournament hours is prohibited except by the direction of tournament officials. (adopted 11.02.08)

 

SCORING

 

1.  Catch and release will be used at all tournaments. All fish must be kept alive. A .25-pound penalty will be given for each dead fish brought to the scale. THE CULLING OF DEAD FISH IS PROHIBITED. A dead fish will not be considered for any Lunker award. (Adopted 11-21-08)

 

1.  All largemouth and smallmouth bass must be 12 inches minimum, unless otherwise instructed.

 

1. There is a 5 fish limit for teams and individuals.

 

 

1. Late participants will receive a penalty of one pound per one minute late if not in the staging area at the end of the tournament time. After 15 minutes late, participants catch for the day will be disqualified.

 

If a competitor volunteers to tow in another competitors broken vessel to the check in point, the tow boat will not receive any late penalty for up to 15 minutes. After the 15 minute exemption the typical one pound per minute penalty will be in place. The boat being towed will still be bound by all normal rules.

 

1. The Tournament Director will appoint a tournament committee at the beginning of each tournament.  Weigh in procedure will be determined by the Tournament Director.

 

1. The official(s) running the scale will allow one courtesy measurement per Team. If more than one fish is short, the weight of the biggest fish in the catch will be deducted from the total weight.

 

1. In case of a tie for total weight, the biggest fish of the catch will determine the winner. If still tied a coin toss will determine the winner.

 

1. The team or individual with the most weight will receive first place trophy(s).

 

1. Tournament payouts are 50%, 33.5%, and 16.5% of the available pool.

 

1. A $50 prize may be awarded for a perfect limit season. If no one scores a perfect season, the money is rolled over to the following season where another $50 is added. This prize pool will accumulate until the perfect season is achieved.

 

A point system will be used for year-end awards. A 100-point system will be used. The overall winner of each event will receive 100 points, second place 99, and third place 98 and so forth, while anyone not weighing a fish will receive 5 points less than the last place person. (New-adopted 11/25/07) A NO SHOW will accumulate zero points UNLESS they pay their entry fee one week in advance of said missed tournament, whereas they will receive their show up points. For the 2018 season, a one season experiment, will occur whereas your best 10 of 11 tournaments will determine Team of the Year status. A NO SHOW, with zero points awarded cannot be dropped. (Adopted 12/17/17) In the case of a tie for total end of the year points, ties will be broken in the following manner:

First tie breaker – Weight YTD

Second tie breaker – number of fish YTD

Third tie breaker – coin toss

 

The Tournament Director has the final say in regards to rewarding show up points to participants that receive a DQ.

 

 

 

23.  COMMUNICATION DEVICES:

During the tournament, a competitor may use a CB radio, a VHF marine band-radio, a cellular phone, or any other type of communication device for the purpose of locating and/or catching fish amongst other participating club members only.  Information may NOT be solicited in any form from other non-club members while during tournament hours. 

 

24. Any breach of the tournament rules may be grounds for disqualification. 

Interpretation and enforcement of these rules shall be left exclusively with the Tournament Director or his/her designee at a tournament. In the event of a rule violation, the Tournament Director or rules committee may impose such sanctions as deemed appropriate by them, including, without limitation, disqualification, and forfeiture of prizes, entry fee and prohibition of participation in subsequent tournaments. The decision of the Tournament Director or his/her designee, or the rules committee shall be final in all matters.

 

Penalties for rule violation may include the following:

• Reduction of tournament hours as determined by the Tournament Director.

• Loss of catch for the day of violation.

• Disqualification from the tournament in question.

• Disqualification from future LCW&J events, which may be for a specific, number of events, or for a specific period of time, or may be a lifetime disqualification.

• Any different or additional penalties determined by the Tournament Director including but not limited to monetary fines. (adopted 11.02.08)