Team Bass Xtreme rules and regulations
1. Participation and Eligibility: Team Bass Xtreme (hereinafter “TBX”) events are open to anyone eighteen (18) years of age or older or minors participating with their legal gaurdian. To be eligible to participate in the Lake Erie Circuit event , you must have participated in anouther regular season event the same year prior to this event.
2. Membership Requirements: To be eligible to participate in any TBX event, each participant must complete a TBX membership form and pay the mandatory yearly membership fee for the series that they wish to participate in.. Membership fees are due by launch time of the first regular season event of the series in which the participant chooses to participate. A late fee of $10.00 will be assessed for all memberships taken at the ramp the morning of the first event and there after. No exceptions! Membership fee’s are used to pay for series expenses.
Membership fee’s for each series are as follows
Team Series membership fee = $40.00 per person.
Elite Series membership fee = $20 per person.
T.B.X. Total series package memberships are $50.00 per person. This allows a $10.00 discount for anglers who participate in all T.B.X. Series (team/Elite). Both membership forms must be submitted at the same time to obtain this discount.
Membership forms and payments should be sent to the T.B.X. headquarters one week prior to the first regular season event in the division anglers wish to participate in. All participants who whould like to apply at an event must pay membership fee's in cash only.
In addition to the above requirements, EACH PARTICIPANT IS REQUIRED TO READ AND SIGN THE TEAM BASS XTREME WAIVER OF LIABILITY AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK FORM, a copy of which can be obtained by visiting the TBX website at www.teambassxtreme.com, or by contacting a TBX tournament director. TBX must have in its possession an original signed copy of this form before any participant will be eligible to participate in any event.
3. Entry Fees:
Team Series : Entry fees are $110.00 per boat, per event. The $110.00 entry fee includes the $10.00 Big Bass pot.
Elite Series : Entry fee is $40.00 per event. The $40.00 entry fee includes the $5.00 Big Bass Pot.
Participants may buy into up to "2" events for any series and recieve show up points.
Entry fee's can be paid by the following methods. If you would like to pay for the entire season, a check or money order will be accepted within one week of the first event. All other entry fee's must be paid via cash at the ramp during registration or by check or money order at the previous event.
4. Teams and Substitutes:
Team Circuit : Each team event will consist of a one or two person team. Each team is allowed to use Two additional people as a substitute during the regular tournament season. Teams may be use a substute for up to three events during the season and must be acknowledged on the membership application before the first regular season event in order to be eligible to participate in any event. Substitutes are required to pay a $25.00 registration fee. A substitute may fish alone if neither of the original team members cannot attend an event. The local director must be notified of this at the tournament registration. Substitutes must read and sign the Team Bass Xtreme Waiver of Liability and Assumption of Risk form mentioned above. Substitutes are not eligible to participate in the fish-off .
Members may pair up with a member of a different team if they would like to participate in an event outside of the division that they are fishing for points. When participating in this manner they will only be fishing for the prize purse. This will not count toward an event for the classic qualification.
Elite Series: Only the original participant may participate in the Elite Series events. There are no substitutes permitted in the Elite Series.
5. Paybacks: Seventy percent (70%) of all entry fees collected at each regular season event will be paid back at the ramp on the day of the event. The remaining thirty percent (30%) of all entry fees will be placed into a “Classic fish-off fund”. One hundred percent (100%) of the “fish-off fund”, along with any additional sponsor contributions will be paid out at the year end fish-off.
6. Big Bass: The big bass pot will pay one (1) place at every regular season event. Ties for big bass will split the pot. Dead bass will not be weighed for big bass.
7. Tournament Hours: Tournament hours are safe light until 3pm for the Team Series and safe light until 12:30 for the elite series. The tournament director reserves the right to change any tournament's hours in the event that weather or other circumstances do not allow for a safe launch. All decisions regarding start and end times will be made exclusively by the tournament director.
8. Tournament Registration: There will be a registration area set up at the tournament site starting approximately one hour prior to the tournament's scheduled launch time. All participating teams are required to register at the registration table before each event. Registration will close fifteen minutes prior to the scheduled start time of each event. It is the responsibility of each participant to read and understand all Rules and Regulations governing the TBX tournaments, and to understand all tournament briefing information before the start of each tournament.
9. Limit: There is a five (5) fish limit per event. Any participants bringing in more than five (5) fish to the scales will have their sack culled to the five (5) fish limit, starting with their largest fish and then proceeding in descending order of weight. Participants may posses a legal limit of fish in their livewells. All culling must be done on the water before the boat is pulled onto the trailer. Fish that appear to be altered or mangled will only be weighed at the discretion of the tournament director. TBX strives to be a 100% catch and release circuit. Therefore, all live fish must be returned to the water from which they were taken.
10. Short Fish Penalties: All fish must be of legal size for the body of water from which they are taken. All participants are responsible for checking the length of their fish before bringing them to the scales. A courtesy board will be available at the weigh-in sink. Teams may check only 2 fish on their own at the courtesy board as to not hold up the weigh in process. Ounce you give your fish to the T.B.X official at the weigh in sink , it is up to their discretion to make sure that the fish measure to the correct size limit. Short fish will be culled from participants’ sacks, and any team bringing a short fish to the scales will receive a one (1) pound penalty for each short fish . If two (2) or more short fish are brought to the scales, the team will be disqualified.
11. Dead Fish Penalty: Any bass brought to the scales in which the gills are not working properly on their own will be considered a dead fish. A one (1) pound penalty will be assessed to a team’s total weight for each dead fish brought to the scales by the violating team. If a team brings more than 2 dead fish to the scales at an event, the team will be disqualified. Dead fish will not be weighed for big bass.
12. Permitted Fishing Methods: All bass must be caught alive and in a conventional sporting manner. Only one (1) rod may be used at a time by each participant. Trolling as a method of fishing is absolutely prohibited. Only artificial lures can be used in all tournaments. The use of pork trailers is permitted.
13. Late Check-Ins: A one (1) pound per minute penalty will be assessed to any team that is late to check-in at the end of a tournament. Teams arriving more than five (5) minutes past the check-in time will automatically be disqualified. Check-in time will be announced prior to the launch of each tournament.
14. Scoring: Only largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass can be weighed-in by participants. All tournaments are scored in pounds and hundredths of pounds, with points awarded to teams by order of their place of finish. Points will start at one hundred (100) for first place. There will be a one (1) point difference between places of finish for teams weighing-in fish at each tournament. Teams that do not weigh-in any fish will receive points equal to twenty (20) points less than the last place team weighing-in any fish. All total weight ties will be broken by the following. 1st by number of fish 2nd by the weight of the teams big bass. If a team is disqualified during a tournament, for any reason, show points will be awarded and no money will be refunded. Whether a team is disqualified is the sole decision of the tournament director.
15. Series Points Champions: The points champion in each series will be figured by totaling the participants points from each regular season event. All events on that series schedule will be used. There will be no dropping of any scores for this calculation. The seasons points champion for each division/series will receive paid entry fee’s for the following season for that division with the exception of the big bass side pot.
16. Year End Classic Fish-Off:
Team Circuit : The fish-off for the Team Circuit will be a two (2) day event The event location will be located in Ohio and will announced as eaely as possible. The top 40 percent (40%) of the average participating field will advance to the fish-off. Each teams 6 tournament scores will be calculated in the division in which they signed up for on their membership form. All teams who participate in a total of 8 Team Bass Xtreme "Team Series" events with the originaly signed members throughout any of our divisions will recieve an automatic invitation to participate in the year end fish off. There will be an entry fee of $130.00 to participate in the fish-off. $30.00 per entry will be put into the big bass pot. A big bass award will be paid each day of the fish-off as well as big bass of the event. Take-off position for the fish-off will be determined by draw.
Elite Series : The fish off for the Team Bass Xtreme Elite Series will consist of a one day event. The top 40 percent (40%) of the average participating field will advance to the fish-off. Only an anglers best 7 out of 8 scores will be used to figure out their total score. Theree is an entry fee of $50.00 to participate in the fish off. $10 of this entry will be put into the big bass pot for the event. Take off will be determined by anglers points finsh for the season.
17. Take-Off: Take-off position will be assigned by draw at the registration location for all participants. All participants that pay for the entire season prior to the first event will receive "Double Draw status" and the better of the two numbers drawn will be their starting position. There will be no shot-gun starts. Participants must be in line and prepared to take-off when their number is called or the next starting position will be called.
18. Boat Inspection: All livewells will be checked by the tournament committee prior to the start of each tournament at the boat ramp.
19. Safety: Safe boating must be observed at all times. Each participant is required to wear a chest type life preserver and have the safety kill switch lanyard attached to their person at all times while the boat is on plane. The tournament directors reserve the right to refuse any rig which is extremely overpowered or deemed dangerous. During poor weather, participants may take to the closest shelter. During any emergency, participants must return to the tournament launch ramp if possible. Participants must remain with their partners in their boat at all times during the tournament, except in the event of: sickness; brief restroom breaks; severe weather; or other harmful or threatening events or emergencies. If for any reason a team must leave the water early, they must first notify the tournament director. The tournament director(s) shall have the sole authority in making rulings pertaining to this section.
20. Sportsmanship: All participants are required to follow the highest standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation. Flagrant sportsmanship violations may result in disqualification. Any participant whose conduct reflects unfavorably upon efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship, fair competition or compliance with tournament rules is subject to disqualification at the sole discretion of the tournament director.
21. Alcoholic Beverages or Drug Use: The use of alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs before or during tournament hours (extending through the close of weigh-in) is strictly prohibited and is cause for immediate disqualification.
22. Off limits and angling ethics: Participants may not leave their boat except for brief rest room breaks or bad weather. No fishing within fifty (50) feet of a marine gas pump. Pulling in front of another participant’s boat fishing a shoreline within 100' will not be permited. Turning around within 50' of anouther competitor when fishing toward each other is not permited unless comunicated and agreed upon by both competing boats. Passing anouther competitor while fishing should be done in a sporting manner. No fishing within 100' any direction of any competing boat who was first ancored with the trolling motor up.Ancored boats cannot block access to entering any area (creekcove etc.) and must allow access to area for all competitors.
23. Cheating: Any participant caught cheating in any tournament event will be immediately barred from all future TBX events. TBX reserves the right to have a random truth verification test (lie detector test) performed at any time. Refusal to take the truth verification test or the failure of such test is grounds for immediate disqualification.
24. Boat and Motors: The boat and motor that each participating team will or may be using during the season must be listed on the membership form. Liability insurance is required for a boat to be eligible. A maximum of two (2) boats may be used during the season, unless otherwise determined by the tournament director. All boats must be equipped with an emergency kill-switch device, securely attached to the driver’s body whenever the boat is on plane. All boats must be a minimum of fourteen (14) feet in length. Both Tiller and console steer outboard motors are permitted to be used in tournament events. Each boat must have all required U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment on board at all times. Boats must contain a properly aerated livewell space that is capable of keeping the day’s catch alive. Maximum horsepower for all motors used in tournament competition shall not exceed the horsepower limitations as set by the U.S. Coast Guard for the vessel. Each boat must have a U.S. Coast Guard horsepower rating plate attached to the boat by the manufacturer. Fuel may be carried only in U.S. Coast Guard approved mounted or secured fuel tanks.
25. Protest: All protests must be submitted in writing to a tournament director as soon as the protester is on land and before weigh-in has started. Participants can obtain an official protest form from their local director. Verbal protests will not be accepted. Decisions regarding protests will be made solely by the tournament director.
26. Local Director: Participants must allow the local Directors and staff to pull ahead of them in the take out line.
27. Insurance: All members must carry a minimum of a $100,000 liability insurance policy on any boat they register to use during any TBX event, and must register the boat with TBX before participating in any event. Failure to carry the requisite insurance or the reporting of false or misleading information to TBX will result in disqualification. Participants must provide their policy information for any boat that they will be using on their membership form in order to be eligible to participate. If insurance policy changes occur after registering a boat, the participant must notify their director immediately. Random policy checks may be performed by TBX directors, without notice.
28. Unfavorable Conduct: Any act of any participant which reflects unfavorably upon TBX’s efforts to promote fisheries conservation, clean waters, and general courtesy to other competing anglers shall be reason for disqualification. Chemical substance addiction or abuse, conviction of a felony or other crimes involving moral turpitude, or other conduct reflecting unfavorably upon TBX’s efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship and compliance with tournament rules and regulations may be grounds for disqualification, at the sole discretion of the tournament director.
29. Communications: Citizen band radios, marine radios and cellular phones are allowed in the boat for emergency use only. Any transmission of information via any communicative device concerning any aspect of fishing is prohibited during tournament hours.
30. The use of foul or obscene language is not to be used in the registration or weigh in areas. Participants will be issued a warning for the first offence and will be disqualified for each offence there after for the rest of the season.
31. Rules and Regulations: Participants are expected to be familiar with these Rules and Regulations as well as all local and state laws before entering any TBX event. These Rules and Regulations are subject to change (with proper notice to participants) at the discretion of the tournament director. Any decision made by the tournament director will be final in all matters.
