Owners Tournament Rules, Regs, and Info

First Annual Skimmer Skiff Owners Tournament 2019

May 4, 2019

Benefiting Captains for Clean Water

 

Captains meeting and Registration: 5:00pm-7:00pm May 3, 2019

Tournament Hours: 7:00a – 3:00p May 4, 2019

Teams: Two angler teams

Scoring Structure: (Live scoring by Anglr Labs Free App and Approved Measuring Device) EXAMPLE

Rule Structure: Follows IFA rules (with exceptions see below)

Mini Contests: will be scored by photo uploaded to the ANGLR app during competition

  • Grand Slam: Trout, Snook, Redfish (first to catch all three wins category)
  • ENTRY FEES AND PAYMENTS: An Entry Fee of $120 per team (includes 1 year membership to Captains for Clean Water), is due by the Captain’s Meeting prior to the event. All entry fees are NON-TRANSFERABLE and NON-REFUNDABLE NO EXCEPTIONS. Anglers who are current members of CFCW must produce a current membership in order to receive the rate discount of at the time of registration.
  • REGISTRATION AND CAPTAIN’S MEETING: Registration will be from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM local time the day before each event followed by the Captain’s meeting at 7:00 PM. All teams are expected to attend the Captain’s Meeting, and sign in at the designated time and location. If a team is unable to attend a Captain’s meeting due to valid emergency reasons, they may designate an alternate to draw their number and attend in their place. In addition, they must contact the Tournament Director. A designated alternate may not represent more than two teams at a Captain’s Meeting. Teams agree that it is their own responsibility to find out what was discussed at the Captain’s Meeting. No team may fish or have anyone fish or scout for them after 7:00PM the day of the Captain’s Meeting. (Location: New Smyrna Marina, 200 Boatyard St, New Smyrna Beach, FL,  32169)
  • FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LAWS: All competitors are expected to obey all applicable federal, state and local regulations and laws. Violation of such rules may result in disqualification from the tournament. Repeated or flagrant violations will result in said competitors being banned from future participation in Inshore Fishing Association tournaments.
  • SPORTSMANSHIP: Competitors are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation. Any infraction of these fundamental sporting principles may be deemed cause for disqualification. Maximum courtesy must be practiced at all times, especially with regard to boating and angling in the vicinity of non-competitors who may be on tournament waters. Any act of a competitor, which reflects unfavorably upon the effort to promote fisheries conservation, clean waters, and courtesy, shall be reason for disqualification. Evidence of chemical substance addiction or abuse, conviction of a felony or other crimes involving moral turpitude or other conduct reflecting unfavorably upon the efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship and compliance with tournament rules shall be grounds for rejecting any application for participation and for disqualification. Any act deemed by the Tournament Director that gives a team or angler an unfair advantage not specifically covered under this set of rules shall be grounds for disqualification. Any violation by an angler deemed intentional or preconceived by the Tournament Director to gain an unfair advantage, would be grounds for permanent disqualification from future events.
  • PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY: Participation in the Skimmer Skiff Owners Group Tournament is by invitation and open only to owners and partners who own Skimmer Skiff Boats (Older IPB14 Boats are accepted). Any person under the age of 18 must have written consent from a parent or legal guardian to participate if no accompanied by an adult. Skimmer Skiff reserves the right to refuse entry and participation in any or all events to any individual or team at the discretion of the Tournament Director. (UPDATE: OPEN TO ALL BOAT BRANDS AND MANUFACTURES)
  • SAFETY: Safe boating will be observed at all times. Each contestant is required to wear a fastened, U.S. Coast Guard approved, personal flotation device anytime the combustion engine is in operation. Tournament days may be shortened or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions. The decision to shorten or to cancel will be left totally to the discretion of the Tournament Director. A 4-hour period shall constitute a day of fishing.
  • ALCOHOL AND DRUGS: The consuming or transporting of any alcoholic beverages or drugs (other than prescription or OTC drugs) during official tournament hours, on any tournament angler’s boat is prohibited, and angler or anglers will be disqualified from this and possibly all future tournaments.
  • BOAT AND MOTOR: Each boat must have all required U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment. In addition, it must have a functional bilge pump. For the safety of all contestants, ALL BOATS MUST BE EQUIPPED WITH SOME TYPE OF OPERABLE IGNITION SHUT-OFF DEVICE. This ignition SHUT-OFF device must be attached to the driver’s body anytime the combustion engine is operating. Anytime the combustion engine is operating and in gear, there must be a driver in the driver’s seat in full control of the boat. A small electric trolling motor may be used for slow maneuvering.
  • PERMITTED FISHING METHODS: All Redfish must be caught alive in a conventional sporting manner. Only artificial lures may be used during competition. Commercially sold pork trailers or scents may be added and used. Only one fishing rod may be used at a time per angler. A cast must be fully retrieved before an angler may pick up another rod. Trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited. Foul hooked fish shall not be weighed during competition. A foul hooked fish is defined as a fish that does not have at least one hook in its mouth, and it must be released. Competitors may not catch fish or weigh in fish that have been caged or confined in an area prior to the tournament.
  • PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS: Competitors may fish anywhere on tournament waters accessible to the public by boat, except areas designated as “off limits” or “no fishing” by private ownership or local, state and federal officials. Competitors may not fish within 50 yards of a competitor’s boat, which was in a location first, and anchored. (An anchored boat is a boat held in a stable position by a line attached to a weight, push pole, Power Pole, etc. with the trolling motor in the up position). If the boat does not have a trolling motor the definition of anchored still applies. Fishing within 100 yards of a boat that is chumming with live or dead bait is NOT Teams may not fish within 100 yards of an area known to be chummed during tournament hours. If during competition a non-competitor approaches within 100 yards and begins to chum, then you must leave the area immediately.
  • INFORMATION: Tournament competitors may share information with each other up to and after competition hours. However, no communication between teams whatsoever is allowed via cell phone, VHF radio, pager or any electronic device during competition, except for medical emergency as allowed under rule, or boat breakdown. Teams are prohibited from discussing any fishing related information with anyone via electronic means during the tournament hours. Use of social media, websites, or other electronic devices to obtain and use information as a means to catch fish is prohibited.
  • COMPETITORS MUST REMAIN IN THE BOAT: All angling must be conducted from the boat. At no time may a contestant leave the boat to land a fish or to make the boat more accessible to fishing water. Contestants must leave and return to the official checkpoint by boat. No tournament boat may be loaded on the trailer before the weigh-in except with the permission of the Tournament Director. In the event of equipment failure, anglers must call a designated number to report their need for assistance while calling for towing assistance. There will be only two permitted methods of returning to the official check-in: (1) by both partners remaining in their boat and being towed by water (a commercial licensed tow company may be utilized, or another team may tow a fellow competitor,) (2) by one or both competitors entering the boat of another tournament contestant (fishing by all competitors involved in the rescue must cease at this time). Competitors are responsible for colored tie wrap or suitable material for marking and distinguishing their catch. Under these two conditions, the contestant’s catches may be counted without a penalty (except for late penalties, dead fish penalties or other penalties pertaining to other tournament rules). Competitors who elect to return to the official check-in by any other means than cited above will forfeit their day’s catch to that point in time of the tournament day. Any competitor returning to the check-in point will be eligible to restart and resume competition only under the supervision of the Tournament Director or his designated tournament official. It is the sole responsibility of contestants to locate the Tournament Director or official to request a restart. Failure to render assistance, when requested in an emergency is cause for immediate disqualification. Teams rendering assistance must communicate to the tournament official, the boat number(s) of the assisting boat and the assisted boat at time commencing aid.
  • OFFICIAL CHECKPOINTS: There will be only one official checkpoint for boat check in the morning and one official check-in point in the afternoon. Failure to go through boat check and checkout in the morning will result in disqualification (RIVER BREEZE PARK, OAK HILL). All fishing must cease upon check-in. Teams that experience equipment failures may have them repaired and check out late for an event. However, it is the team’s responsibility to find and notify the tournament director or tournament official in order to check out. All running lights must be in place and working at time of launch.
  • LATE PENALTY: Competitors who are not at the official check-in area at the appointed time will be penalized at one (1) inch per minute deducted from the total weight including any weight to be counted toward a big fish award. Any competitors more than fifteen (15) minutes late will not receive credit for the day’s catch.
  • TEAMS: All tournaments are team events. Competitors may not fish as individuals. A team consists of two (2) anglers, one of which must be designated as the captain.
  • SCORING: Winners shall be determined by the total length measured in inches of the two largest fish on an approved measuring device (example) Only Redfish/Red Drum will be scored for the main category. Each catch must be logged photographed and uploaded to the free Anglr Labs App. Winners will be scored on the top two in slot fish 18”-27”. The prevailing rules as set forth by the Skimmer Skiff along with federal, state and local statutes and regulations bind all competitors. Tournament official length for Redfish will be according to the STATE LAWS in the state in which that event is being held. All Redfish will be measured with a pinched tail with mouth closed. Any fish that appears to have been penned, mangled, mashed, mauled or otherwise altered will not be scored at the discretion of the tournament director. Redfish must NOT be placed on a stringer at any time during the tournament.
  • BOAT AND TEAM IDENTIFICATION: Prior to tournament start, a number will be given to each boat. This number MUST remain with the boat during tournament competition.
  • TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT: Only artificial lures may be used. No “live bait” or “prepared bait” will be permitted, with the exception of pork strips, or commercially sold scents, etc. Only ONE casting, spin casting, spinning rod and reel or fly rod (10-foot maximum length from butt of Handle to rod tip) may be used at any one time per angler. Be prepared to show your current fishing license, at registration, from the state in which the tournament is being held.
  • COMMUNICATIONS: A VHF radio is recommended for all tournament vessels. The VHF may be mounted or portable. The use of mobile communication devices such as cellular telephones, marine radios, walkie-talkies, CBs, pagers or any electronic device to obtain and use fishing information from anyone during tournament hours is strictly prohibited. Communication among anglers is allowed on the water only by non-electronic methods. Medical emergency calls may be made and then a tournament official should be contacted.
  • Harvesting of fish: All fish must be returned to the water after being measured and photographed, no anglers entered in the tournament may keep possess or harvest fish during competition hours.
  • TIES: The team with the most logged catches logged shall receive precedence. In the event a tie should occur for any special honors or awards, the tie will be broken by the total caught and logged via the ANGLR app during tournament hours.
  • INSURANCE: liability insurance is required of all competitors utilizing their boats.

For more info contact:

Tournament Director Tony Levesque 

P. 407-430-3087