Official Reeling for Kids Rules

2012

Captains and Anglers:

Welcome to the 2012 Reeling for Kids Fishing Tournament, our 9th edition.  In a perfect world, there would be no rules other than 1) have fun and 2) the big fish wins.  Unfortunately those are not enough to protect the integrity of the tournament and ensure as level as playing field as possible for each participant.  Some folks are not content to prepare well and count on a little luck, they put winning above honesty.  It is also entirely possible to break the rules simply because you do not place enough value on being informed.  It is my job to try to state the tournament rules plainly and interpret them fairly so that all participants can rest assured that those who are found to break the rules, whether intentionally or due to a failure to understand them, will not profit from it.  Please have a great time, I wish each of you the nest of luck.

Capt. Wiley Horton, Tournament Director

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 *No late entries accepted by mail after June 1, 2012; they should be brought to the tournament, the Boys & Girls Club of Alachua County or one of two Captain’s meetings.

See entry form. Enter by mailing completed entry form no later than June 1, 2012 with a check, credit card, or money order made payable to the Reeling for Kids, Inc. PO BOX 382, Melrose, Fl 32666. Entry fee is $275 for the Inshore division and $375 for the Offshore division. Entry fee covers your boat and all anglers on your boat. There will be an additional late registration fee of $50 after June 1, 2012.

Tournament Schedule

This year’s tournament fishing days are Friday, June 8 & Saturday, June 9, 2012. Entrants may fish one or both days competing for awards. Refer to the Prize Guide for specific category awards.

Friday Fish of the Day Jackpots

Boats fishing both days of the tournament will have the opportunity to win special prizes for fish weighed in on Friday. The boat weighing in the heaviest legal Red Snapper will win $250. The boat weighing in the heaviest legal Kingfish will win $250. The boat weighing in the heaviest legal Redfish will win $250. The boat weighing in the heaviest legal Cobia will win $250.

Trout Stringer: Pick your heaviest five Trout on Friday to compete for this award. You must decide which of your trout you want weighed and present them to the weigh master in a bag. Regardless of the number of anglers on the boat, only one of the fish to be weighed can be over 20 inches. The winner will be the boat with the heaviest total weight of five legal trout and will be awarded $1,000. Second place will be the boat with the next heaviest five fish and will be awarded $500.

*Measure carefully, more than one fish over 20 inches will remove you from the Trout Stringer award consideration.

*The Reeling for Kids Tournament uses FWC rules for measuring fish. Fish are placed on a measuring board and the tail is pinched to make the fish as long as possible.

The winning fish on Friday are also eligible for the Tournament’s other prizes and can be counted toward the Master Angler categories.

Basis of Awards

Eligible fish categories are listed in the Awards guide. Other than the Friday Jackpot Awards, a boat/entrant can be a winner in only one place within a category, but can win in multiple categories. Awards are based on a 100 boat tournament. (Subject to change if less than 100 boats) Awards will not increase if there are more than 100 entrants. Winners will be subject to on site polygraph examination. This is a boat tournament, however all cash and merchandise awards will be made to the tournament entrant and a valid SSN is required to receive awards. Checks will be paid out by Reeling for Kids, Inc.

Types of Awards

Cash and merchandise will be awarded to category winners. All winners must be present at the awards presentation Saturday evening to receive their awards. Exception due to hardship will be made at the discretion of the Reeling for Kids, Inc. management. If an exception is granted, it will be the sole responsibility of the winner to arrange for pickup of all merchandise awards at their own expense within 30 days after the awards presentation.

Ties

All boats will be assigned a tournament number. This number will be recorded on the weigh-in slip. In the event of a tie, the boat with the earliest dated registration shall be declared the winner. The loser shall assume the next lower position in the category.

Fishing Rules

1. Payment of the entry fee constitutes a representation by each Captain that he/she has read and understands the Tournament Rules and the Captain and crew will abide by such rules and the decisions of the Tournament Director and the Tournament Rules Committee.

2. The tournament will be fished in accordance with the FWC/NMFS rules for size and catch limits for the state of Florida. 

3. All tournament fish must be caught rod and reel. Any state law or United States federal law that conflicts with these rules shall override these rules, and all anglers are responsible for knowing and abiding by state laws and United States federal also governing fishing in this tournament.

4. All illegal brought to the Weigh-In Station could disqualify the boat and all anglers from the tournament. FWC Officers will be present on the water and at the weigh-in each day. An illegal fish could result in a citation as well as a disqualification.

5. Gag grouper are out of season and as such, your boat will be disqualified for bringing one to the weigh-in.

6.The “Open Fish” category is open to any fish outside of the prize categories, except for Sharks and Stingrays. Sharks are an over fished public resource, the tournament will not consider any species of shark for the “Open Fish” category.

7. The Grouper division is limited to Red Grouper only. Warsaw and other deepwater grouper species are not allowed. Scamp and Black Grouper will qualify for the “Open Fish” category.

8. Cobia category is open to both inshore and offshore anglers, three places will be paid.

9. Amberjack is CLOSED, do not bring one to the weigh-in station.

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Master’s Category

The Master’s Category was created to recognize fishing prowess. The Offshore and Inshore awards will be won by the boat with the heaviest combined weight of one fish from each of the identified species. CHANGE FOR 2012:  it’s necessary to catch EACH identified species in order to win in the Inshore and Offshore Master’s categories. (this is different from previous years)

Fishing Hours

10. Official Time: All times given represent Eastern Daylight Time in Steinhatchee, Florida occurring June 8th & 9th, 2012. Tournament fishing hours begin (First Lines in the Water) at 6:00am, Friday, June 8th, 2012. Fishing in all divisions continues without interruption until 3:00pm, Saturday, June 9th, 2012.

11. Official Weigh Station hours are 2:30pm-5:30pm, June 8 and June 9, 2012. Friday’s Fish of the Day Prizeswill be determined after the close of weigh-in on Friday, June 8 at the Official Weigh Station. Friday FOD Prizes will be awarded at the Tournament Awards Ceremony.

12. Tournament Awards Ceremony will be held Saturday, June 9th, 2012 after the Weigh-In has completed, at the Tournament Headquarters located at The Estuary.

13. ALL FISH WEIGHED-IN MUST BE CAUGHT FROM ENTERED BOATS DURING OFFICIAL FISHING HOURS. NO FISHING FROM ENTERED BOATS DURING NON-FISHING HOURS, THIS WILL BE PART OF THE POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION.

Check-Out and Check-In

14. Entered boats may leave from your port of choice between Dekle Beach to the north and the Suwannee River on the southern end. Departure can be anytime after midnight on Thursday, June 7th, 2012.

15.  Fishing times are clear: “Lines In” is at 6:00am on Friday, June 8, 2012. Fishing may continue through 3:00pm on Saturday, June 4th, 2011. All lines must be out of the water at 3:00pm on the June 9.

16. Catching bait is allowed until 7pm on Thursday, June 7th. No fishing after 7pm  until lines in on Friday, June 8th.

17. This tournament is a test of both man and machine. All fish must be brought by the entered boat to be weighted-in at the official tournament Weigh-Station at The Estuary. You must make it to the weigh station by water without assistance. No boat may be trailered from another port to the weigh station, the fish must be brought by water. After launching from an eligible port, the first contact with land your boat should make it at the Weigh-In Station.

To ensure rules are observed, departure times, lines in and lines out times will be questions asked of the boat Captain on the polygraph.

Polygraph

18. Winning teams agree to the polygrahed to ensure rules and fishing hours are observed.  All participants in tournament are subject to a polygraph at the request of the Reeling for Kids management. Failure to successfully pass such an examination will result in automatic disqualification of the boat and all anglers and forfeiture of any awards. This is at the sole discretion of the Reeling for Kids management.

Weigh-in

19. The official weigh-in station is where all fish considered for awards must be weighed in. All fish must be caught during tournament fishing hours on Friday the 8th or Saturday the 9th of June, 2012. Fish must remain on and be removed directly from the entered boat by weigh-in station personnel. Fish will be weighed with at least one participant of entered boat in attendance. All fish must be of legal size to be considered in this tournament.

20. Only one fish per category may be unloaded to be weighed in. It is the responsibility of the fishing team to determine which fish they want weighed. The Weigh Master reserves the right to hold and examine internally and externally any fish weighed in as a tournament catch to determine if the fish is eligible for an award. Any fish that has an unnatural material in or on the fish will be disqualified.

21. Fish caught by Junior Anglers must be properly identified by a tag provided by the tournament prior to unloading at the weigh dock. It is the Captain’s responsibility to make sure this rule is observed and no exceptions will be granted once the fish is on the dock.

Weigh-In Mulligan

22. An additional 30 minute Mulligan can be purchased to extend your weigh-in time from 5:30 to 6:00pm each day. Mulligans are $50 if purchased before June 1 and $100 from June 2nd June 7th. No Mulligans will be sold after the Captain’s Meeting on June 7th.

Communications

23. The tournament VHF channel will be 72. The Weigh-In Station will broadcast official tournament time and other important information via channel 72. A committee boat will be offshore both days for general questions. It is recommended all boats monitor channel 72 during the day. Channel 9 will also be monitored by local marinas.

Disqualification

24. If any boats come together or if anything is passed between boats or docks for any reason after the official start of that day’s fishing and before each boat has weighed in, then such boats shall be disqualified. However, as safety is of prime importance to the operation of the tournament, exceptions may be granted by the Reeling for Kids management for emergencies, but only to boats granting assistance and not to boats receiving assistance in such case.

Protests

25. All protests must be presented in writing to the Reeling for Kids Tournament Director at the weigh-in station on the day of the alleged infraction, within one hour after the closing of the weigh-in station. A $100 cash deposit, refundable if the protest is upheld, must accompany protest. The Reeling for Kids Rules Committee will make all decisions, and their decision is final. If the protest is not upheld, then such deposit will be forfeited to the tournament.

Reeling for Kids management reserves the right to modify/change the rules prior to any tournament.

Captain’s Meetings / Amendments

26. Captain’s Meetings are not mandatory but are highly recommended. The statements and rules contained herein may be amended by additional verbal instruction and/or printed matter distributed by the Reeling for Kids management.

27. All Captains are responsible for knowing the rules and any additional verbal instructions presented at the Captain’s Meetings. Failure to follow the rules will result in disqualification.

Weather Conditions

28. The Reeling for Kids management reserves the right to terminate the tournament day because of unsafe conditions at sea. If due to bad weather, we are unable to fish one of the tournament days, the remaining day will constitute a tournament. If both days are not fishable, the event will be postponed to a future date yet to be determined. Entry fees are not refundable.

29. Regardless of the Tournament Committee’s decision, it is the individual Captain’s responsibility to determine the suitability of his/her craft for the conditions.

Weigh-in Time

30. Weigh-in station officially opens at 2:30 p.m. and closes at 5:30 PM both days except for boats already in line. Boats with fish to be weighed in must be visually checked in by 6:00 PM by management stationed at The Estuary. Official Tournament time will be kept by the Tournament Director and announced periodically during the day via VHF channel 72.

*A Mulligan can be purchased to extend the weigh-in time to the purchasing team until 6:00 PM.

Sportsmanship

31. All participants will exercise good and courteous sportsmanship whether at the dock, underway, or fishing. Violators will be subject to disqualification at the sole discretion of the Tournament Committee without refund.

32. The Tournament Director, at his sole discretion, reserves the right to refuse the entry of any angler/team/boat he deems unsuitable for participation in this tournament.

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Optional CALCUTTA-Tournament within a Tournament (TWT)

Entry fees and winnings under this division are in addition to the Tournament Awards. This is a separate TWT available only to participants whose boats are already entered in the Tournament. Only the entrant of the Tournament Within a Tournament (TWT) may claim the winnings at the awards presentation held on Saturday. All rules pertaining to the Tournament shall apply to the Tournament Within a Tournament. If you enter each category, you may win in each category.

Sign up by mail or fax with your Entry Form or purchase at the registration table located at Tournament Headquarters by 6:00 AM on June 8th.

The entry fee is $200/boat for offshore category fish (Red Snapper, Red Grouper, Kingfish) and $100/boat for inshore category fish (Spanish Mackerel, Redfish and Trout). The total entries in each TWT category will be divided as follows: 50% to first place, 20% to second place and 10% to third place, with 20% going to the Tournament charity.

Based on 50 entrants in the offshore category, the winner would pocket $5000, second place would be $2000 and third place would be $1000….this calculation is provided for illustrative purposes only. Actual payouts will be based on the number of participants