Woods, Wheels, & Water Outdoors

1st Annual Bass Tournament

Official Rules & Regulations 

*RULES CHANGE UNDER PERMITTED FISHING AREA & HOURS

Please read all official tournament rules and regulations prior to signing entry form and/or participating in the tournament(s). The following items will be checked when contestants weigh in, during boat checks. Violation of any rules regarding the following items will be cause for immediate disqualification: Fishing License - Boat Registration - Kill Switch - Horsepower Rating - Alcoholic Beverages

The tournament will be held regardless of weather. Should conditions threaten safety, please use caution. 

DECISIONS:
1. All decisions of the Tournament Director are FINAL.
2. All Protests must be registered in writing with the Tournament Director within 15 minutes of the designated weigh in.

ELIGIBILITY:
1. All State & Federal penal code laws shall apply at all times.
2. All State, Coast Guard, Federal Parks & Wildlife regulations shall apply at all times.
3. This tournament is designed primarily for amateurs, therefore, anyone who has provided guide service for pay within the past 90 days of this official tournament lake, will not be eligible to compete in this tournament.
4. Contestants must have a valid fishing license for tournament lake on their person during tournament hours unless exempt. License must be presented at time of weigh-in.
5. Each person in boat must be a paid contestant of official tournament and abide by all tournament rules and regulations.
6. Non-contestants are not allowed in paid contestants' boat at anytime during official tournament hours.
7. Any contestant found to be in violation of any tournament rules and regulations will be subject to disqualification from this tournament and all future tournaments.
8. All bass caught by contestants fishing together will be disqualified if any of the said contestants are found to be in violation of any tournament rules and regulations.
9. Any person who has been disqualified from any prior tournament may be subject to being refused entry into tournament.
10.Tournament officials have the right to refuse ANY ENTRY.
11. Participants under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or adult with written parental permission.

REGISTRATION AND ENTRY FEE:
1. Entry form with complete entry fee must be received before fishing.
2. NO REFUND OR SUBSTITUTION OF ENTRY FEES FOR ANY REASON.

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES:
1. No alcoholic beverages are to be consumed by tournament contestant nor are alcoholic beverages allowed in contestants' boat during official tournament hours, unless tournament contestant is finished fishing/has had their boat inspection and polygraph for that tournament day.

SAFETY (THE FOLLOWING IS MANDATORY):
1. All boats must be equipped with some type of emergency ignition cut-off device (kill switch) on any remote steered outboard while main engine is in use. Ignition cut-off device (kill switch) must be attached to boat operator at all times while main engine is in use. Kill switch must operate properly. When the kill switch is activated; the outboard main engine must stop running immediately. However, kill switches are not required with hand operated engines unless equipped with one when manufactured.
2. Boat operator must show proof of valid registration.
3. US Coast Guard approved life jackets are required for each person in boat. Life jackets must be worn and fastened while main engine is in use.
4. No boat shall have a motor of higher horsepower than the approved Coast Guard maximum.

PERMITTED FISHING AREAS & HOURS:
1. *All bass caught during tournament hours may only be weighed in during official tournament weigh in hours  on that day.
2.No fishing is allowed during official "off Limits" which begins at 8pm prior to  tournament day and ends at 6am on tournament day. 
3.  Official start-stop times will be determined by  beginning of tournament.
4. No fishing within 50 yards of a marina gas pump.

TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT:
1. All bass must be caught on artificial bait by casting. No trolling with big motor. Contestant may use only one rod at any one time. Other rods may be in the boat for substitute purposes.
2. No electronic tracking devices (implanted microchips) may be used to locate fish for tournament purposes. (Depth finders and graph charts are the only exception).

WEIGH-IN, SPORTSMANSHIP AND CONSERVATION:
1. Sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation are expected from every participant.
2. All bass weighed in will become the property of the Tournament and will be released back into the lake  alive if possible.
3. All contestants shall be required to bring their boat and respective partner(s) with them to the weigh-in site when weighing in bass.
4. No bass on ice. Bass must be alive to be weighed in.
5. All bass brought to weigh in station must be in weigh in bag with water.
6.:Big bass will be determined in the final overall standings. Your biggest bass is registered into the final overall standings.
7. Bass must be weighed in by the contestant who originally caught the bass and it must be in said contestant’s physical possession in the weigh-in line.
8. Any artificially weighed or preserved bass will be disqualified and that contestant will be subject to prosecution under federal laws.
9. Any questionable entry will be subject to inspection by a marine biologist or similarly qualified expert from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fishers and Parks.
10. Minimum length of bass to be weighed in is 15 inches on Ross Barnett Reservoir.   Official measuring board is the CHECK-IT-STICK
11. Only Largemouth, Small mouth, and Kentucky Spotted Bass (Black Bass) will be weighed in.
12. No contestant may have more than five bass in possession at any time during official Tournament hours. 
13. This is a mandatory catch and release program during Official Tournament hours. When tournament is officially over all bass must be released back into tournament waters.
14. Contestants are to be attentive to litter and should make every effort to maintain their trash in their boat and dispose of it properly.
BOAT INSPECTION:
All contestants, by entering this Tournament, hereby agree to allow their boats to be boarded and inspected by Tournament officials at any time during said Tournament, and checked for items to include, but not limited to, their boat registration, Coast Guard horsepower rating plate, and boat contents to include live well, rod boxes, closed storage compartments, tackle boxes, life jackets, PFD's and safety equipment. Refer to checklist above.
* The above mentioned rules are for your own safety *

For additional information or rule verification please contact Woods, Wheels & Water Outdoors, Inc.

Office: 1-601-847-2225  ~ Chris Cell:  1-972-365-7292

Lisa Cell:  1-601-695-4693

Email Us: cpatton@mswwwo.org

Wavier Form

 Participant Agreement, Release & Acknowledgement of Risk

 WWWO, Inc.  April 11th, 2009  Bass Tournament

This participant agreement waiver and release covers all 2009 Woods, Wheels and Water Outdoors, Inc. tournaments.  All contestants must sign this waiver prior to participating in WWWO Bass Tournaments. 

By completing this Official Entry Form, paying the required entry fee and signng this contract I have read, understand and accept all the rules related to the tourament(s) and waive and release all other contestants, WWWO Inc. of Braxton, Ms. and all tournament officials from any and all claims of personal injuries and accidents as well as, any damaged, lost or stolen property incurred in connection with the tournament(s).  I understand that boat and iability insurance are my responsibility.  I hereby grant permission to WWWO, Inc. the right to publisize, video tape, photograph and or broadcast my name, character, likeness or voice and the fact that I was a participant and /or winner and all other matters incidental thereto.  I acree that I am not entitled to receive any royalities or other compensation in connection with such use.  Should I place for any prize in the tournament(s) I agree to submit to a polygraph examination.  Any participant not willing to submit to a polygraph examination, understands that they will be disqualified and will abide by such results.  If I place for any prize I understand that I am responsible for paying all local, state and federal taxes, license and registration as a result of my participation in  WWWO, Inc. Bass Tournament(s).  Any suit brought by me against WWWO, Inc. as a result of my participatioin in this tournament will be brought  by arbutration in state or county court, Rankin County, Mississippi where the principal office of WWWO, Inc. is located.  Should it become nessary for WWWO, Inc. or someone on it's behalf to incur attorney's fees and costs to enforce this agreement or any portion thereof, I agree to pay the reasonalbe attorney's fees thereby expended or for which liability is incurred.  I agree that any contestant entered on this form, if absent from signing this release, understands all statements, rules and regulations stated above and has given me express permission to sign on his behalf.  Contestant ratifies and approves entry in the above WWWO, Inc. Bass Tournament(s) made on his/her behalf by another and agrees thereby to be bound by all the rules of the tournament(s) bt signature and/or participation in the tournament(s).  My signature on reverse side reflects that I have read this entire document, understand it completely, understand it affects my legal rights, and agree to be bound by it's terms.  References to "I", "my", "myself" and other first person references shall include any child or ward to whom I sign, FOR PARENT/GUARDIAN OR MINORITY AGE (UNDER AGE 18 AT TIME OF REGISTRATION).  This is to certify that I, as parent/guardian with legal responsibility for this participant do consent and agree to indemnify and hold harmless the releases from any and all liabilities incident to my minor child's involvement or participation in these programs as provided above, EVEN IF ARISING FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASEES, to the fullest extent permitted by law.

AFTER READING COMPLETE

OFFICAL ENTRY FORM ON THE OTHER SIDE.