2010 Pirates Cove Billfish Tournament Rules
- Registration All teams should make every effort to pre-register for the tournament. Final registration will be held on Monday, August 9, 2010, from 3:30PM to 9:00PM in the Pavilion at Pirates Cove Marina. The Captains meeting will be at 7:30PM. All boats must be registered with the Tournament Committee and all entry fees paid to qualify for prizes and trophies. All boats must enter Level One. Boats running late due to weather or breakdown can register up until 8AM on Tuesday, August 10th. Any substitute boat must be registered with the Tournament Director prior to fishing and will be permissible only if the original boat becomes disabled.
- Fishing Days There will be three out of four fishing days, August 10th – 13th. Fishing hours are from 8:30AM to 3:00PM daily. No lines, dredges or teasers are allowed in the water prior to 8:30AM or after 3:00PM. Any billfish hooked and reported to the Committee Boat prior to 3:00PM may be played until caught or released.
- Lay Day A registered member of the fishing team or boat’s crew must turn in a Lay Day form declaring their lay day by 8:30AM that day at the Pirates Cove Marinas Booking Desk in the Ships Store.
- Official Clock Official tournament time will be continuous GPS time. Time starts at 8:30AM the first day of the tournament. In case of a tie, time of catch/release will be used to determine the winner. The Rules Committee may consult the Committee Boat Log to reach a decision based on fractions of a minute or sequence of catch. All decisions are final.
- Tackle All IGFA rules apply unless otherwise noted. Any member of the crew may set the hook, but the rod must be passed immediately to a registered angler. The registered angler must then fight the fish unassisted. The rod may only be passed once. Unconventional non-trolling techniques are strictly prohibited. Line strength will be as stated by manufactures label. No backing into schools, casting, use of casting tackle, use of live bait or live bait teasers or dredges. Federal law mandates that all anglers participating in a tournament which bestows points, prizes, or awards for Atlantic Billfish (blue & white marlin, sailfish or spearfish) must deploy only non-offset circle hooks when using natural bait and/or natural/artificial lure combinations. Anglers in these tournaments may use J-hooks only in artificial lures. Any and all Federal and State laws must be adhered too including all licensing requirements.
- Boundaries All fish must be hooked within tournament boundaries which are: North 41350; South 40000; East 26700; fish can then be played outside the boundaries until caught or released.
- Observers The Tournament, at their sole discretion, may assign an observer to any boat on any fishing day. Each boat is responsible for the comfort and safety of each observer assigned during his/her time aboard.
- Committee Boat If no boat volunteers, the tournament will randomly select a committee boat for each day of the event. A random drawing of all registered boats will take place at the Captains Meeting. All registered boats agree to be responsible for these duties if selected. Each selected boat agrees to assist our on-water scorer to officially log all catches for each day. The tournament reserves the right to pick more than one committee boat.
- Releases In order to qualify a billfish as a release the following condition must be met: the leader is touched by a team member, angler or mate. If a gaff breaks the plane of the cockpit covering boards, the team has committed to capture and the fish will not count as a release.
- Point System All billfish, with the exception of Blue Marlin weighing 400 pounds or more with a length measuring 110 inches or more, measured from the top of the lower jaw to the fork of the tail, must be released to obtain points. Points assigned for released fish are: 70 for Blue Marlin, 70 for White Marlin, 70 for Sailfish and 70 for Spearfish. Captured Blue Marlin weighing 400 pounds to 599.9 pounds will receive ½ points per pound. Captured Blue Marlin weighing 600 pounds to 999.9 pounds will receive 1 points per pound. Captured Blue Marlin weighing 1000 pounds or more will receive 1 ½ points per pound. No points or credit will be given to any Blue Marlin landed that weighs less than 400 pounds. In the event that a captured Blue Marlin does not meet one of the two minimum size requirements a 200 point penalty will be applied to the boats scores for the day/week. No fish may be transferred unless the original boat breaks down. Scorecard must be transferred with the fish.
- Scoring The scoring table will close each day at 8:00 PM. Scorecards must be turned in daily by 8:00PM in order to receive points for that day. Scorecards will be received after 8:00PM on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday only if a boat is fighting a fish or becomes disabled. The scorecard must show date, tags, junior or lady angler, time of catch/release and signature of anglers, Captain and observer (if applicable). For scores to count on Friday, August 13th, the boat must pass through the Bonner Bridge by 7:00PM and scorecards must be turned by 7:30PM.
- Reporting Catch All billfish caught or released must be reported to a committee boat (to be announced at the Captains meeting) on VHF radio channel 74 or Side Band Radio 4149.0. The committee boat will respond with time of catch/release.
- Weighing Fish Any fish weighed must be entered on the scorecard by the Tournament Weighmaster. If anyone wants to have a fish reweighed, it must be done while the fish is still hanging. All fish that have been mutilated will be disqualified. Mutilation shall be defined as damage which would impair the fighting ability of the fish. The decision of the Weighmaster will be final. Weigh station will close for the meatfish mid week at 8:00PM and at 7:30PM on Friday, August 13th with no exceptions.
- Meatfish 1st, 2nd and 3rd place Wahoo, Yellowfin Tuna, and Dolphin winners will be determined by weight. If two or more entries are of the same weight, then the fish with the largest total measurements (length and girth) shall be deemed the winner. If the weight and total measurement are the same than the fish with the earliest weigh-in time will be determined the winner. Big Eye Tuna are not eligible for weighing.
- Polygraph Testing Registered participants agree to submit to a polygraph examination if requested to do so by the Pirates Cove Rules Committee. Failure to comply will result in disqualification of the participant and, at the discretion of the Pirates Cove Rules Committee, the participants’ entire team. Disqualified Participants/Teams or Participant/Teams that fail the polygraph examination forfeit any and all entry money, prizes or prize money, and are refused entry to future Pirates Cove Big Game Tournament events. The decision of the Rules Committee is final. BY VIRTUE OF SIGNING THE ENTRY FORM, PARTICIPANTS AGREE TO THE FINAL DECISION OF THE POLYGRAPH TEST.
- Protests Must be submitted in writing and accompanied by a $500.00 non-refundable check to the Tournament Director by 9:00AM on the day following the catch of the disputed fish and by 7:30PM on Friday, August 13th. The rules committee, at their discretion, may use a polygraph examination to assist in reaching a decision. By virtue of signing the entry form all participants agree to the final decision rendered by the Rules Committee.
- Cancellation Policy One boat fishing one day constitutes a tournament. If the tournament is cancelled due to weather and/or other unforeseen conditions, refunds will be paid less tournament expenses. The decision to cancel the tournament will be made by the Tournament Director.
- Prize Money Checks will be made payable to the entrant or authorized agent of the winning boat as designated on the entry form. No checks will be issued without proof of a valid Social Security number or Taxpayer ID listed on the entry form.
- Category Registration All boats must enter category One. All other categories are optional. Registration forms and Category One fees must be postmarked by August 1, 2010 or will be subjected to a 5% late entry penalty.
- Anglers There is no limit to the number of eligible anglers per boat. All anglers must be registered with the Tournament Director prior to each eligible day’s fishing. Any fish caught by a non-registered angler will be disqualified. No person that has been a Captain or mate (for hire on a sportfish boat) or paid angler in the last 3 years can qualify as an angler.
- Offsite Marina Locations Boats participating in the tournament are allowed to fish out of any marina they choose; however, all reporting and weighing of fish will only take place at Pirates Cove Marina. No overland transporting of billfish allowed.
- Prize Money Payout Prize money will be made payable to the person or entity so indicated on the registration form of the winning boat(s). All tournament winners must provide a completed W-9 form that includes a Social Security number and/or Taxpayer ID number of the recipient. No prize money will be disbursed until these conditions are met. All prize amounts of all winners will be sent to winners within 30 days of the completion of the tournament.
- Forum Selection/Indemnification All participants, owners of vessel’s, and pro hoc owners of vessel’s, consent and agree that the federal and state courts for Dare County, North Carolina, shall serve as the sole venue for all litigation and disputes, including, but not limited to, Grander LLC, Pirates Cove Big Game Tournament Series Inc. (also known as the “tournament”) rulings, property damage, personal injury, and contract disputes arising out of a person or vessel’s participation in the tournament. In no event shall any participant or vessel aggrieved by any ruling of the tournament, the tournament rules committee, or any other official of the tournament, recover from Pirates Cove Big Game Tournament Series Inc., Grander LLC, its officers, directors, sponsors, owners, employees, or volunteers in any forum a sum exceeding his registration fee. If a participant does not secure the signature of the vessel’s owner and/or pro hoc owner for this agreement, the participant(s) agrees to indemnify the Pirates Cove Big Game Tournament Series Inc. and/or Grander LLC against all claims brought by the owner and/or pro hoc owners of the vessel(s). Any participant whose action causes Pirates Cove Big Game Tournament Series Inc. and/or Grander LLC, its officers, directors, sponsors, owners, employees, or volunteers, to incur legal expenses, shall indemnify, hold harmless and reimburse said persons or entities from such costs. The rules and release shall also be binding on my heirs, executors, administrator or assigns.
- BY SIGNING THE ENTRY FORM AND PAYING THE ENTRY FEE, MY TEAM AND I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE READ THE RULES AND RELEASE AND ARE BOUND BY THE SAME.
15% of the fees will be retained by tournament except for Level One and Level Five. (See prize schedule for Level One and Level Five)