Official Rules & Regulations – James Madison Alumni Rockfish Shootout – 2009
1.) This is a team tournament and there is no limit to the number of anglers/team members per entry, however, theremust be at least 2 team members per entry. All anglers/team members must be registered in writing with thetournament prior to 7:00pm, December 11th, 2009, unless the tournament committee chooses to extend the time.Each team shall designate in writing a team captain, and only the team captain or designee shall be authorized tosign the entry registration form and score sheets. This is a team tournament format, not a boat tournament, and eachteam shall submit a team name with their entry. This is a one day tournament; tournament entry fee is $250.00 perteam. All entry fees and additional skill level entries must be received/paid no later than 8:30pm, December 11, 2009to be eligible for prizes and awards (unless the time is extended by the tournament committee). The entry feeincludes 1 Captain's Bucket, four (4) commemorative tournament shirts, and four (4) Saturday awards dinner/banquettickets @ Oyster Bar @ 2143 Vista Circle, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. Additional dinner/banquet tickets can bepurchased for $20/person. Additional commemorative tournament shirts can be purchased for $20/each (to ensureyour size please pre-order on registration form). There will be no beverage tickets for sale, Chick's Oyster Bar isinstead offering "Happy Hour" pricing & drink specials both evenings for our group (wristbands will be issued).Children under the age of twelve are free for dinner & welcome.
2.) Each team is eligible to weigh-in their two (2) largest Striped Bass/Rockfish (Morone Saxatillis) that meet Virginiastate regulations and awarded 1 point per pound. No fractions; weight will be rounded down to nearest whole pound.
3.) The tournament reserves the right to refuse entry to any person or team. The tournament asks that this be your only paid fishing tournament on December 12th.
4.) Checkout and Check-In: All boats may depart from any Virginia port, but must return for weigh-in at Chick's OysterBar at Lynnhaven Inlet. The official tournament channel is Channel 78.
5.) Fishing Hours & Boundaries: Lines in at 7:00am. The Northern boundary is Wachapreague sea buoy and the Southern boundary is the sea buoy at Oregon Inlet. Only fish caught between 7:00am and weigh-in deadline of 5:00pm will be eligible. You may not be in illegal waters during tournament hours.
6.) Weigh-In Procedure: The official weigh station (Chick's Oyster Bar Dock) will be open at 2:00pm on December 12th, 2009, and will remain open until all eligible teams have weighed in. An eligible team is described as a team inline at the scales by 5pm, NO EXCEPTIONS. You may drive your fish in if you must. We will only weigh your fish onetime. Only the designated team captain will be permitted to accompany the team's fish to the official scale, and mustsign the scorecard. Fish will be checked for freshness and subject to inspection of stomach contents.
7.) Inlet Protocol: To enable prudent and safe passage for all boats within the inlet, all tournament boats shall abideby the posted speed/no wake regulations and Rules of the Road. Any boat observed for violating this rule andoperating in a reckless or unsportsmanlike manner may be disqualified.
8.) After the tournament begins, two or more boats congregating (close enough to pass fish) or touch land or a dockother than weigh-in dock will be disqualified. The only exception is in the case of a life threatening emergency.
9.) Scoring: One (1) point per pound. No fractions; weight will be rounded down to nearest whole pound. In case of atie, the fish that are weighed first shall be deemed the winner.
10.) All fish submitted for weigh-in become the property of the tournament, and must be in suitable condition forhuman consumption. Please ice your fish properly. - Donated fish will be utilized for tournament banquet, and theremainder will be processed and donated to a selected charity. The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia gladlyaccepts additional donated fish.
12.) This is a rod and reel tournament only. The tackle is unlimited, and live bait may be used. Power driven reels ofany kind are prohibited. This includes motor, hydraulic, or electrically driven reels, and any device that gives theangler an unfair advantage.
13.) Mutilated/Injured Fish: IGFA rules shall apply. The decision of the tournament rules committee shall be final.
14.) Registration and Captain’s Meeting: Registration will be between 7:00 and 8:30 pm, December 11th, 2009. The Captain’s Meeting will be at 8:30pm. Location: Chick’s Oyster Bar @ 2143 Vista Circle, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. So long as the team captain has conformed to the following shall the Captain’s Meeting be optional: (1) declared his team in written form and competes with no alterations to crew, (2) paid the teams full entry fee up front prior to the Captain’s Meeting, & (3) has read & printed a copy of the official tournament rules. The Tournament Committee reserves the right to declare any captain or angler ineligible if these stipulations are not met.
15.) Mechanical Breakdown: Your boat's condition and efficiency are equally as important as your fishing skills. Allboats/teams are responsible for getting their fish to the weigh station aboard their own boat (or vehicle).
16.) Weather: The tournament does not provide a weather committee and it is a Captain's choice tournament. Allteam captains, members, boat owners and all other participants are responsible to determine that their craft is seaworthy,and are advised and encouraged to be familiar with the current local weather conditions and forecasts todetermine if conditions permit the safety of the boat, crew, anglers and guests to proceed to depart to sea and returnin a safe and prudent manner. The tournament reserves the right to cancel the tournament. The tournament willdetermine by 7pm, Friday, December 11th, if Sunday, December 13th will be fished. For updated messages, pleasecall 757-450-4790 (Hal) or 757-262-8422 (Jason). If one of the two eligible days of fishing is declared fishable, it shallconstitute the tournament.
17.) Cash Awards: The cash payout will go as follows at the rate of $125 per boat entered: 1st Place: 50%, 2nd Place:30%, 3rd Place 20%. For Example, if there are 30 boats entered, with $125 per boat entered going towards cash prizethe payouts would be: 1st Place: 50% ($1875), 2nd Place: 30% ($1125), 3rd Place: 20%($750). The cash payoutrepresents ˝ of your entry fee, leaving the remaining ˝ to offset tournament expenses (accommodations @ Chick'sOyster Bar, food, beverages, captain's bags, prizes and ensure a successful donation to the Hampton Roads DukeClub & James Madison University).
In the event of a natural disaster, or act of God, or no eligible fish are weighed in, or the tournament cancels alleligible days of fishing due to adverse weather conditions, the tournament will have a drawing from the registeredtournament teams to award the top 3 places at a payout the same as the tournament cash awards (1st Place: 50% ,2nd Place: 30%, 3rd Place: 20%). The drawing will be held at 8:00pm at the banquet at Chick's Oyster Bar onDecember 12th, 2009. A team representative must be present to win. If no registered team member is present within 5minutes of their team's number being drawn, the tournament will keep drawing until a winner is selected.
18.) Additional Skill Levels: There will be two (2) optional skill levels @ $50/each for teams to participate in. You arenot required to do both to qualify; you can choose to do 1 or the other, or both!
$50 – "Duke Dog Challenge" - Winner take all.
$50 – "Cash Calcutta" - Pays: 50% 1st place /30% 2nd place / 20% 3rd place
Additional skill levels will be paid out according per level. For example, if 10 teams enter "Duke Dog Challenge" and20 teams enter "Cash Calcutta," the "Duke Dog Challenge" will be paid out $450 (10 X 50 = 500 X 90% = $450payout). In the event that only two (2) teams score points in the "Cash Calcutta," then the basis shall be 65% 1stplace and 35% for 2nd place and if only one (1) team scores, it shall be a 100% to the winner basis. *The tournamentwill retain 10% of additional skill levels to be applied to tournament expenses and charity donations.
19.) Cancelation Policy: All additional skill level monies will be refunded 100% if the tournament is declaredunfishable or canceled. There is no refund on paid entries.
22.) Federal and State Regulations: The weight and/or length of the eligible fish submitted for weigh-in are subject toState and Virginia and/or Federal laws. All tournament boats must possess current and valid Virginia SaltwaterFishing Licenses and any other permits as required by applicable law at time of weigh-in. Any team without validpermitting and/or in violation of State and/or Federal law may have their fish disqualified at time of weigh-in.
24.) Waiver /Disclaimer : It is expressly understood that participants in this tournament enter at their own risk, andthat James Madison University, The Duke Club, The James Madison University Alumni Association, TournamentDirectors, Officers, Tournament Sponsors, Committees and all other persons connected directly or indirectly with theoperation of said tournament, shall be exempt from any liability whatsoever for liable, slander, loss, damage,negligence, harm, injury or death suffered by any participant, entrant, vessel and equipment, companions and guests,boat captains, mates, crew members, which may occur during or in conjunction with this tournament. By signing theofficial tournament registration form, the boat owner, captain and mate(s), anglers and guests, consent that thetournament may use without payment or restriction any photographs, video footage, in which he or she may appearfor any purpose whatsoever, including but not limited to resale, advertising, commercial or promotional material. Byvirtue of signing the Tournament entry form all participants agree to the final decision of the Tournament RulesCommittee. It is understood that the spirit intended of the tournament is to be enjoyable and in good fellowship for allparticipants to help raise money for the Hampton Roads Duke Club, James Madison University, & local charities.
25.) Venue : It is expressly understood that all participants consent and agree that the City of Virginia Beach GeneralDistrict Courts shall be the sole venue for litigation arising out of participation in the Tournament.