TOURNAMENT RULES

GENERAL RULES

The following rules will remain in effect throughout the entire tournament series. Interpretation and enforcement of these rules shall be exclusively left to the Tournament Officials. All decisions of Tournament Officials are final.

1. All anglers must have a valid Texas fishing license and saltwater stamp and must observe Texas Parks and Wildlife rules and regulations. All participating boats must comply with all state and federal registration, applicable fishing permit requirements and all safety rules or regulations.

2. All fish must be caught by rod and reel. Minimum line test is 30 lb test.

3. There will be the following Tournament Divisions: Tarpon Amateur Division - Kayak Division

4. Tournament teams will be composed of a maximum of four (4) anglers on board, with the exception that there may be up to four adult and two youth anglers. All teams are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, safety, courtesy and conservation.

5. The tournament reserves the right to refuse any entry with or without cause in its sole discretion. Any applicant refused entry will be entitled to a full refund of paid entry fees.

6. Tournament Officials are not be responsible for mailed entries that are not delivered by the postal service. You may send a self addressed, stamped postcard with your entry which will be returned as verification that your entry was received or you may e-mail tarpontomorrowproam@hotmail.com to confirm receipt of your entry.

7. In the event thunderstorm warnings or dangerous weather conditions exist prior to the start of the tournament, the day’s fishing may be delayed or postponed. Tournament Officials will be at tournament headquarters and can be reached at 713-819-1840 in the event of postponement.

8. If inclement weather conditions occur at any time during the tournament it is the entrant’s responsibility to seek safety until safe conditions prevail. If the Tournament Officials declare a rain-out, it will be rescheduled. A rain-out will be called by Wednesday morning at 8:00 a.m. the week of the tournament and will be posted on the tournament website. A make-up weekend will be designated if a rain-out occurs.

9. In the event of an injury or accident, the following list offers telephone numbers and VHF channels monitored by local emergency personnel: VHF Channel 16; Local EMS: 911.

10. All participants are responsible for the operation, maintenance and safety of their vessels, themselves and their fellow team members. All participants are expected to use their own best judgment. No action by the Tournament should be construed as an endorsement or representation concerning whether it is safe to leave port or continue fishing at any given time. The Tournament will not give advice or recommendations to teams concerning weather conditions.

12. All participants must sign the entry form, which includes a waiver, release and indemnity agreement concerning liability. If any team fails to have each member of its team sign this form, it may lead to disqualification and a refusal to award prizes to that team and/or the angler.

SPECIFIC TOURNAMENT RULES 2011

The following rules will remain in effect throughout the entire tournament. Interpretation and enforcement of these rules shall be left exclusively to the Tournament Officials. All decisions of Tournament Officials are final.

1.      All anglers General Tournament Rules apply unless they specifically conflict with these rules.

2.      There are two specific Tarpon Divisions: Amateur Division & Kayak

3.      A boat is inelligible to compete as an amateur team if any of its team members is a professional fishing guide or a person who has accepted wages, compensation or pay for hire for the purposes of taking other individual(s) fishing at any time during the past five years. Wheter a team is permitted to participate in is left to the sole discretion of the Tarpon Tomorrow Texas Tournament Series.

4.   (Reserved for future use).

5.      Registration: Registration and check-in will take place between 6:00 a.m. and 6:45 a.m. on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at Clark's Inn, Port O'Connor, Texas.

6.   Participants Rule: The individual participants on any given day of the tournament on a particular team may change; however the team leader/guide must be on the boat at all times during the tournament and must remain the same. Just see the rule on total number of participants on a boat that can not be exceeded at any one time. All participants must sign an entry form in advance and it MUST be handed it at registration. So, download it and have them sign it before the tournament if they can't be at registration.

7.   (Reserved for future use.)

8.      Fishing Time: 6:30 a.m. (leave dock) Saturday, October 1, 2011 non-stop until 2:00 p.m. (lines-out), Sunday October 2, 2011.

9.      Geographical Restrictions: All fish must be wild and hooked and landed in Texas State Waters in the area bounded by, to the north, the base of the south jetty of Freeport, Texas and running due east until the end of Texas State Waters boundary and to the south, the base of the south jetty in Port Aransas and running due east until the end of the Texas State Waters boundary.

10. Launching Restrictions: Galveston - Boats may launch from any ramp between Freeport and High Island. Port O'Connor - Boats may launch from any ramp within 20 miles of the Inn at Clark's. See #12 below!!!

11. Proof of Catch Dealine: Must be turned in, between 2:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 2, 2011 at Clark's Inn.

12. The requirement that all boats must return on the water has been CHANGED and REMOVED. You may now launch, trailer and relaunch if necessary during the tournament. You also ARE NOT REQUIRED to return on the water from fishing.

13.  (Reserved for Future Use)

14.   Prizes: First and Second Place Trophies to teams that catches, releases and DNS swabs the most tarpon. In case of a tie, first fish release will win. TLD 25 Reel awared to angler who catches the LAST tarpon of the tournament (boat and kayak combined). FIRST PLACE in Kayak only for most fish caught and released - however, kayak counts for overall tournament series trophy.

15.   PROOF OF CATCH REQUIREMENTS- BOAT DIVISION:These Rules MUST be STRICTLY FOLLOWED(a)     Minimum line breaking strength – 30 lbs.(b)     All fish must be wild and caught in Texas territorial waters.(c)     All fish must be caught by rod and reel. (d)     All fish caught using live or dead bait must be caught using circle hooks. J-hooks and treble hooks may be used with lures (which are not tipped with live or dead bait).(e)     No leader may exceed 300 lbs and no leader may exceed 10 feet in length.(f)       A single angler must fight the fish from hook set to release.(g)     The catch documented with a proof of catch item and caught with a digital or instamatic camera to show as proof of catch. Photo MUST have anlger, fish and ID plate in the photo - NO EXCEPTIONS or the fish won't count. Any deviation from these rules, however slight, will disqualify a catch. FISH MUST ALSO BE DNA SWABBED!!! KIT MUST BE TRURNED IN WITH PROOF OF CATCH PHOTO.

15-a. Proof of Catch KAYAK Division: Kayaker must take photo of fish with identification material in the photo. The photo will be the Kayaker’s proof of catch - No DNA sample is required for Kayak divison.

16.   Port O'Connor ONLY!! - LENGTH VERIFICATION: All fish must be 36 inches or larger measured from nose to end of the tail. If the fish is close to 36 inches, you should verify its length on video when landed. Otherwise, obviously larger fish need not have a length verification on camera. It is up to the sole discretion, without challenge, of Tournament Officials after reviewing video tape proof of catch if the fish should have been measured on camera. (So, when in doubt, you are better off measuring smaller fish.)

17.   DNA Sampling Kit: To satisfy the sampling requirement in paragraph 15, above, a special, tournament specific DNA sampling kit will be provided. Each fish must have a unique DNA sample. If a fish is somehow caught twice by a single team, it will only count as one catch and release. If a DNA sample is unable to indicated and prove a unique fish, that catch and release will not be counted – no exceptions.

18.   ENTRY FEES:    $50.00 per team in both Amateur Divisions. $35 for Kayak Division.19.

20.   These rules may be subject to change at the sole discretion of the Tournament Officials at any time prior to fishing beginning on the first day of the tournament.

21.        (reserved)