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Shebandowan Smallmouth Showdown

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Rules

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The name "Shebandowan Smallmouth Showdown" shall be referred to as S.S.S. throughout the rules.

    *Read This!*

    Since there is no longer a formal rules meeting for the SSS Tournament, the SSS Organizing Committee cannot stress this enough:  KNOW THE RULES!!!

    Learn them, and live them.  

    There will be no time in the morning before takeoff for questions or rule clarification.  So, all Teams should:

    1. Learn the rules
    2. Check the SSS website often for rule amendments (especially the week before the event)
    3. E-mail any questions or rule clarifications to sssinfo@thunderbayfishing.com

    On your registration form you will see that your signature is for waiver indemnification as well as acknowledgement that you have read and understand the rules and will abide by them.

  1. TOURNAMENT FORMAT
    1. S.S.S. format is a two person team, fishing for two days, total weight, live release tournament.
    2. The Tournament Director has the right to delay or shorten the Tournament, subject to weather and/or safety considerations.
    3. All Competitors and Officials will conduct themselves in a true sportsmanlike, courteous, safe and ethical manner. As Competitors, each person represents not only their Team and Sponsors, but also the S.S.S. and other Teams.
    4. The Shebandowan Smallmouth Showdown, its promoters, employees, sponsors, organizers, hosts, Directors, Officers and affiliated organizations assisting in the operation of any aspect of the Tournament, their agencies and/or agents and assigns are not responsible for any death, injury, damage, liability, fire, theft or loss that may result prior to, during or after the Tournament howsoever caused.
    5. All references to money are in Canadian Dollars.
  2. PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY
    1. Competitors must be a minimum of eighteen (18) years of age as of June 12, 2012 unless they have the permission of their parents or guardians.
    2. All participants will require a WAIVER OF CLAIM, RELEASE AND INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT AND PHOTO AND VIDEO RELEASE signed by them or by their parents or guardians if applicable.
    3. All anglers must possess a valid Ontario Sport Fishing License except those exempt by the Fisheries Act.
    4. S.S.S. reserves the right to refuse entry to any Individual or Team for any reason that the Tournament Committee may deem appropriate.
    5. There will be a limited field of 70 paid teams for the Tournament.
    6.  If, after competition has been started, a team captain or partner is unable to continue for medical, family or other justified reasons, the remaining team member will be given the option of continuing as a single angler.  In the event that the remaining team member elects not to continue in the tournament, the team’s entry fee will not be refunded.
  3. ENTRY
    1. Fees
      1. The entry fee for the tournament is $250.00 per team.
      2. Teams must submit a completed entry form with a payment of $250.00
      3. Payment must be in the form of a cheque or money order, no cash.
    2. Dates
      1. Registration Opens: November 15th, 2011
      2. First positioning draw is held: January 9th, 2012
      3. Subsequent positioning draws will be held as the Tournament Director and Committee see fit.
      4. Entry fees must be paid in full when entry form is submitted.
      5. In the event of proper notice of cancellation in writing, received fifteen (15) days prior to the first day of the tournament, the entry fee, shall be returned to the Team Captain.  After 15 days, the Team Entries are finalized, and any cancellation will result in a scratch.
    3. Positioning
      1. Starting Position for the tournament is be based on a random draw of entries, not by first-come, first-serve.
      2. If two individual Captains enter the tournament separately, and then later decide to amalgamate and become one Team, the newly created single Team will receive the LOWER of the two spots initially held by each Captain.  There will also be a $25 surcharge for issuing a refund of one of the entry fees.
  4. PRE-TOURNAMENT PRACTICE
    1. Unlimited pre-tournament practice is allowed.
    2. Moving fish from one location to another during pre-tournament practice is prohibited, unless specifically requested by the Tournament Director for special purposes. Violations could result in tournament disqualification.
    3. All Competitors must cease pre-tournament practice by 4:00p.m. on the day, immediately prior to the event.
  5. BOAT NUMBERS
    1. Boat numbers will be available to registered teams in competitor's kits.
  6. LIVE RELEASE OF FISH
    1. Fixed or portable aerated live-wells capable of supporting life are mandatory and every effort must be made to keep Bass alive.
    2. Under no circumstances can a fish be purposely altered.
    3. Any fish mauled, mashed, frozen, stringered, injected with water or other fluids, containing foreign matter to add weight or showing white gills or soft flesh, will result in disqualification of the Team.
    4. Under no circumstances are dead fish to be released. See sections 9.h. and 9.i.
  7. PENALTY FOR LATE CHECK-IN
    1. Contestants who are late crossing the finish line at the end of each day for whatever reason, including breakdown, will be disqualified for the day.
  8. PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS
    1. The Tournament waters are all of Shebandowan Lake. This includes: Upper, Middle and Lower portions of Shebandowan Lake.
    2. During the "take off time" at the beginning of the tournament, between 8:00am-8:30am, the Shelter Bay East entrance "No Wake Zone" is off limits.
    3. The Tournament Operations Director has the right to alter or restrict tournament waters with prompt notice to all registered Teams.
  9. SCORING
    1. Only Smallmouth Bass legally caught on a tournament day by angling qualify for weigh-in. Violation of this rule is tournament disqualification.
    2. A daily limit of five (5) Bass per Team will be weighed. A team may possess the daily Ministry of Natural resources Limit while angling only. While under main engine only five (5) bass may be retained in the live- well(s). The penalty for failure to comply is disqualification of the days weight.
    3. The official minimum length is twelve (12) inches measured from the tip of the nose with mouth closed to the end of the tail with the tail compressed (pinched). A commercially purchased bump (measuring) board, will be used by the Tournament Weigh Master/ and or assistant, and will be used for all tournament minimum-length measurements.
    4. Bass presented for weigh-in which fail to meet the official minimum length will not be weighed, and therefore the short-fish’s weight disqualified from the day’s total catch weight.
    5. Each Team’s fish must be presented to the Weigh Master or his/her Assistants in the official containers supplied by the Tournament Organizers.
    6. All weights, upon verbal acceptance by the Team Captain, and then publicly called by the Weigh Master, are immediately official and are not thereafter contestable.
    7. One Team Member must sign the official weigh-in form recording the weight of the catch.
    8. Dead bass presented for weigh-in will be weighed. Four (4) ounces will be deducted from the total daily weight for each dead or non-releasable fish that is weighed. Tournament Anglers are responsible for their dead fish. Failure to do so will result in immediate disqualification.
    9. Species caught other than Bass must be returned to tournament waters with the exception of damaged fish as per provincial fishing regulations. All legal fish of any species caught and damaged must be turned over to the Tournament Committee before weigh-in, and may not be kept by competitors. No fish, other than five Bass will be kept in the boat while reporting for weigh-in.
    10. No bass shall be weighed in before noon (12:00 p.m.) of each tournament day.
  10. BOATS AND MOTORS
    1. All boats must be a minimum of fourteen (14) feet in length.
    2. No barges, houseboats, or similar cumbersome craft will be allowed.
    3. All boats, motors and their equipment must meet Canadian Coast Guard standards.
    4. The Tournament Director reserves the right to disallow the use of any boat, motor and/or equipment deemed unsafe, inappropriate or unsuitable.
    5. All boats equipped with an emergency kill switch mechanism must have the kill switch tether securely attached to the operator whenever the boat is on plane.
    6. Boat Numbers must be affixed to right OR left cowls of the main combustion engine so that they are clearly and plainly visible.
  11. DAILY LAUNCHING AND MORNING EQUIPMENT INSPECTIONS
    1. Boats are to be launched from the MNR Launch.
    2. Teams are required to have their equipment ready and on the water thirty (30) minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. Late arrivals will be penalized and forfeit their take off spot, placing them as the last to take off.
    3. Boat inspections will take place in the morning commencing one and one half hours prior to departure time.
    4. Boats will be inspected for, but not limited to: Boat Numbers properly affixed; operation of live well; kill switch operation; no live, dead, frozen, or freeze-dried bait, no underwater cameras and required safety equipment.
    5. Teams must have all tackle boxes, hatches and live wells open for easy inspection prior to the arrival of the Tournament Officials.
    6. Upon completion of the daily morning inspection, each Competitor must sign the inspection and declaration form prior to departure from the dock. Signatures on entry forms must also be completed at this time where none existed before. A coloured sticker will be afixed to the team number tag by an inspection official to indicated that the boat has completed inspection.
    7. Failure to report for daily boat inspection will result in disqualification of that day’s catch.
  12. SPORTSMANSHIP AND COURTESY
    1. It is strictly prohibited for any Competitor to give, offer, accept or suggest the exchange of any weighable fish to, from or with any other Competitor.
    2. Use of cellular phones and CB’s are prohibited. Marine VHF radios may be used to monitor the designated Channel for safety reasons only.
  13. SAFETY
    1. All Competitors must practice safe boating at all times during practice and tournament fishing.
    2. Every competitor must wear a fully secured Coast Guard approved life jacket or floatation device while traveling from one location to another at other then trolling or drifting speed, and where so equipped tethered kill switches must be attached to the drivers body.
    3. No alcoholic beverages or illicit drugs may be possessed or consumed by the Competitors during tournament fishing hours up to and including the weighing of their catch.
    4. In the event of a thunderstorm, lightning, or severe weather, Teams may pull onto the nearest shoreline until it is safe to continue fishing. Competitor(s) may not leave their boats during the tournament except at the Official Weigh-In Station at the MNR Launch.
    5. Every Team, whether weighing fish or not, must, at the end of the day, report to the Official Tournament Check-In Station.
  14. MECHANICAL BREAKDOWN OR EMERGENCIES
    1. In the case of an emergency or mechanical breakdown, Cellular phones, CB’s, and VHF Marine radios may be used for safety reasons and in the case of breakdown. Spotter boats will be patrolling the lake during tournament hours, and should be flagged to report any breakdowns.
    2. Committee patrol boats are prohibited from towing any Competitors boat during tournament fishing hours.
    3. In the event of mechanical breakdown the fish from the disabled boat may be transferred to another competitor’s boat provided they are accompanied by a member of the disabled team and they are kept in a separate live well.
  15. ON THE WATER
    1. Competitors are personally responsible for knowing all Tournament Rules, as well as the current Ontario Sport Fishing Regulations and Canadian Coast Guard regulations. Penalty: Teams found to have violated federal or provincial fishing and boating regulations during the tournament may be disqualified when this information is confirmed by tournament officials. This judgment could also apply to eligibility to participate in future tournaments.
    2. Competitors are not allowed to toss or pass any item(s) to another boat or to receive any item(s) from another boat.
    3. All Teams and their equipment are subject to inspection at any time during the Tournament. Committee patrol boats may come alongside, following proper identification, and if necessary, board to check for adherence to all Tournament Rules. No other boat may come in contact with a Competitor’s boat at any time.
    4. No fishing information may be given to or exchanged with Competitors during the Tournament fishing hours by Tournament or Non-Tournament anglers.
    5. Competitors are expected to co-operate as much as possible with official video and still photography personnel.
    6. There are three "No Wake Zones".
        • The Wolseley Point and Munro Point openings to SHELTER BAY..
        • The waterway North of TEAPOT ISLAND.
        • The entirety of AMBUSH NARROWS.
        • Shelter Bay
        • Teapot Island
        • Ambush Narrows

        1. Shelter Bay East entrance: The entrance to Shelter Bay at Munro Point (red circle) will be CLOSED to all WESTBOUND traffic from 8:00am – 8:30am. Those wishing to fish Shelter Bay during the initial restricted half-hour must access it from the backside at Wolseley Point (yellow circle). After the 8:30am time restriction has passed, Shelter Bay may be accessed at no-wake speeds from either the Wolseley Point or Munro Point openings. Similarly, the Wolseley Point entrance to Shelter Bay will be closed to all EASTBOUND boat traffic from 3:30pm – 4:00pm. Spotter boats will be posted to ensure these restrictions are adhered to.

          Shelter Bay
    7. TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT
      1. Only artificial lures, manufactured baits, pork rind, and commercially available liquid attractants may be used by competitors. Landing nets may be used.
      2. No live bait, frozen or freeze-dried bait of any kind may be used or possessed by any Competitor at any time during the Tournament.
      3. The use, in live wells, of commercially available fish care chemicals is permitted.
      4. The use of underwater cameras is not allowed during the tournament. If such equipment is found in a competitors boat during boat checks or during tournament fishing hours the offending team will be immediately disqualified.
    8. RULE(S) VIOLATIONS, PROTESTS AND APPEALS
      1. Where a team is charged with a rule infraction by an authorized Tournament Official which could result in disqualification of the daily catch or tournament disqualification, the team has the right to appeal the decision to the Tournament Protest and Appeals Committee. Appeals must be submitted to Tournament Officials at the angler services tent 15 minutes after weigh-in, on the day of notice of the rules infraction.
      2. An infraction witnessed by a competitor can be reported to the Tournament Protest and Appeal Committee at the Angler Services Tent. In the event that an infraction is reported or a protest is lodged, a three person Protest Committee, appointed prior to the Tournament, shall convene.
      3. Each Team Captain has the right to file a Protest when they have first hand knowledge that a rule or rules may have been broken or violated by another Team. A Protest must be filed within Fifteen (15) Minutes of weigh-in at the Angler Services Tent to be considered.
      4. A $200.00 fee must accompany all protests.
      5. Witness(es) may be called to appear before the Protest Committee to provide evidence relating to the alleged rule infraction. At the discretion of the Committee, a polygraph test may be administered to any Competitor directly or indirectly involved or affected by the protest under consideration.
      6. The Protest and Appeals Committee will interpret the rules according to their spirit and intent. The decision of the Protest Committee is final and not subject to review of any kind.
      7. If the Protest is found to be valid, the protest fee will be returned forthwith and the team protested against must pay the protest fee, plus any polygraph costs, and any penalties imposed if applicable.
      8. If the Protest is determined to be invalid, the protest fee will not be returned and the protesting Team must pay any and all investigation expenses including, if applicable, polygraph costs.
      9. General Penalties: Teams may be disqualified from the tournament for frequent or major infractions of the rules and will not receive a refund of their entry fee . Examples of major infractions include unsafe boating practices, gross angling ethics violations and violations that clearly give the competitor an unfair or illegal advantage over other competitors, such as; movement of fish, use of live bait, fishing out of bounds, caged fish, violation of provincial and federal fishing and boating regulations, exchanging fish between teams and unauthorized use of under water cameras.
    9. TIE BREAKERS
      1. A tie for the Grand-Aggregate prize will be determined by the team which has the largest single day catch of the tournament.
      2. Ties for all other positions, including daily prizes, will be settled by combining the prize money for the positions in question and dividing it equally amongst all effected Teams.
      3. In the event for a tie for the big fish, the monies will be split between the winning teams..
    10. CHANGES AND AMENDMENTS
      1. S.S.S. retains the right to change or amend any or all of these preceding rules at their sole discretion without prior notification or consultation with the Competitors.
    11. COURTESY
      1. Please report to an official when you are finished competing for the day.
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