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2009 Michiana Walleye Association, Inc

is sponsoring a Team Tournament Trail with an opportunity to qualify for an invitation to the

2010 Cabela’s National Team Championship Tournament

 RULES AND RULE CHANGES

These rules will remain unchanged unless otherwise notified at the Captains meeting. Interpretation of the rules will be to the discretion of the Tournament Director and the Rules Committee. The rules and the interpretations of them will be final and not open to protest. Safety rules may be changed at any time.

PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY

It is the contestant’s responsibility for knowing and abiding by all MWA, local and state regulations, which pertain to the MWA tournament waters. Contestants must enter as a two-person team, with the same partner each tournament. Points will accumulate only when the team membership remains the same. If a member of the team changes for a future tournament the new partnering will be considered a new team and must register as such, those points can not be combined with previous totals. Any person, up to 17 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. All contestants must posses a valid fishing license for the waters fished.

ENTRY INFORMATION

A $25.00 club membership must be purchased before entering any MWA tournament (each contestant must purchase a membership, unless team partner is a family member “spouse or child ages 10 – 17 yrs old”, family memberships are $40.00). All participant memberships must be up to date and current to participate in any MWA tournament. All single tournament entries must be received prior to the Tuesday before each tournament by 6:00 p.m. NO other entries will be accepted after the cut off time. An early entry fee will be $150.00 which covers all three qualifying tournaments. Early registration will be from February 7th to April 5th. This is only available to teams entering all three (3) qualifiers and qualifies that team for the tournament placement drawing on April 4th for their boat number. The boat number will be used for all three (3) MWA qualifying tournaments (This will also be the order in which boats are released to fish). After April 4th, anglers must register for each of the tournaments individually whether they fish all three (3) or fewer. The entries will be accepted for individual tournaments (providing there are vacancies) on a first come first serve basis. A single tournament entry fee will be $60.00. The maximum number of boats/teams will be 25 per tournament. NO refunds will be given, with the exception of a death in the family. Club membership will not be refunded. Any Tournament Entry Form not completely filled out, will be returned. The Michiana Walleye Association Inc. reserves the right to accept or reject any applications for any MWA event.

CELL PHONES

Any type of transmission of information via any communicative device concerning any aspect of fishing is prohibited during the tournament. Communication between fishermen is prohibited. The use of cell phones will be for emergency use only, all cell phone numbers must be listed on the Tournament Entry Form. A list of the Tournament Committee’s Cell phone #’s will be listed on the boat board you are issued prior to the Captions meeting.





BOATS AND EQUIPMENT

All boats will be inspected prior to the start of that day of fishing. A “boat identification board” will be issued after inspection as well a colored ribbon marker for on the water identification. Teams are responsible for returning the boat boards at the end of the day . This is for safety to show that all boats have returned from fishing. All boats must conform to the appropriate state, and USCG standards. All outboards used in a MWA tournament must not exceed the horsepower rating set by the USCG ruling November 1, 1972. All boats will have an USCG or BMA plate attached by the boat manufacturer and the horsepower rating will not be exceeded by any means. Kill switches must be in working order. Bait and tackle may not be passed between boats after the tournament has started. Tournament staff is not permitted to loan their boats or equipment to any tournament fisherman during the tournament. No binoculars or cameras with telephoto lenses are to be used during tournament hours.

CAPTAINS MEETINGS, FLIGHTS AND LAUNCHING

All Tournament fishing hours will be 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM EST. Each team will be responsible for any ramp / launch fees when applicable. All boats must be inspected, launched and ready for the day by 6:25 AM. The Launch Master will give the launching direction. Any boats not ready to launch or boats that are creating a bottleneck will be sent off line until ready (this means each boat needs to be ready to go when it is their turn comes). There will be mandatory captains meetings (no exceptions) held prior to the tournament at 6:30 A.m. The meeting place will be at the launch site. It is required that one team member must attend and sign in. (Failure to attend will result in losing your 10 ‘show up’ points). Teams returning late from fishing will forfeit their weight for that tournament. “One second after the official tournament end time is late”. A third party observer may be used at any time and for any reason so deemed by the MWA. Boundaries for any tournament are available upon request. There will be no early weigh in. Contestants must leave and return to the official tournament site in their own boat only.

FISH AND FISHING

A dead fish penalty of .25 pounds per fish will be levied for each fish that is deemed non-releasable. All state or Federal fishing regulations and rules will be observed unless the Tournament Director specifies more stringent regulations. A maximum of Five (5) walleye, sauger, or saugeye in any combination, caught on hook and line in a conventional sporting manner, will be accepted for weigh in. Both artificial and live bait can be used. All fish must be kept in aerated live wells or coolers to keep fish alive and as fresh as possible for release. Use of stringers, wire fish baskets, boat bags, etc. is prohibited. Any fished mauled, frozen, stringered, injected with water or other fluids containing foreign matter to add weight or showing white gills, soft flesh, sunken eyes, or gills that won’t bleed, may result in disqualification from the tournament and/or other MWA events. This determination is made at the discretion of the Director and rules committee. Culling of dead fish is prohibited. Bringing undersize fish to the scale will result in that day’s loss of total weight. All contestants are prohibited from fishing tournament waters after 5 PM, on the day prior to the tournament. All boats will be subject to inspection on and off the water by tournament officials, state, local or Federal authorities. There will be no re-weighing of fish, the weight stands that reads on the scales and is at the discretion of the weigh master only “No exceptions”. Only one fish per team may be weighed for big
fish, so make be sure to pick the right one.

CHAMPIONSHIP POINT DETERMINATION

All prizes and points are awarded by team placement determined by their net weight. Each event will be worth a maximum of 25 “placement” points for 1st place with the points decreasing by 1 point for each descending place for teams weighing fish. The top five finishing teams at each event will be awarded “bonus” points for the top 5 spots beginning at 5 “bonus” points for 1st and decreasing to 1 “bonus” point for 5th. Teams not weighing any fish will receive no “placement” or “bonus” points. All teams participating will be awarded 10 “show” points whether or not fish are weighted. Teams have to be present to receive merchandise prizes. In the event of a tie for 1-5th place, the cash prizes for the tied place and the next lowest place will be added together and the two teams will equally share the winnings. Checks must be picked up in person at tournament site. When non-cash prizes are involved, the non-cash prizes for the tied place, and the next lowest place, will be determined by a gentleman’s agreement or by a drawing. A member of the MWA staff will do the drawing. In the event of a tie, at any place, points will be awarded to both teams based on the higher place.

SPORTSMANSHIP

Entrants must conduct themselves in a true sportsman like manner at all times. NO EXCEPTIONS. Courtesy and ethics of the highest standard are the norm, not the exception. Remember that you not only represent yourselves, but all tournament anglers and competitive fishing. Any rude or insulting type of behavior will be subject to disqualification.

SEVERE WEATHER RULE

In the event of severe weather, the tournament hours may be suspended or cut short. A tournament may be cancelled at the discretion of the staff at the event. “If you see lightning, take shelter!”

SAFETY

Safety must be observed at all times. All contestants must wear Coast Guard approved PFDs while the boat is moving above trolling speed. Each contestant is to follow all Coast Guard regulations. All boats are required to have, and in working order, an emergency cut off switch that must be securely attached to the driver whenever the boat is above trolling speed. No Alcoholic beverages or illegal substances may be consumed or in possession by teams during fishing hours.

SPIRIT OF THE RULE

All rules have “loop holes”. It is the intention for the Tournament Director and the committee to provide a sportsman like tournament. All questions or problems are to be referred to the Tournament Director and the Rules Committee. They have sole jurisdiction in determining the application of the rules. The committee will be identified at each tournament site. Any disqualification will result in the loss of all championship points for that event. If disqualified, no refund will be granted.




PROTEST

The tournament committee or any contestant has the right to protest another team or contestant. The protest must be filed with the Tournament Director, in writing, within 1/2 hour following 3:00 PM, on the day of the tournament.


WAIVER AND HOLD HARMLESS

All contestants, in signing an entry form, agree to hold harmless any and all promoters, tournament directors, agents, and organizations assisting the MWA / Michiana Walleye Association Inc. in the tournament operation. Furthermore, all contestants agree to waiver all responsibility for death, injuries, damage, liability, theft, fire or loss of any kind to entrants. I have read, and understand the above rules, and by signing the entry form is in fact signing a waiver form. No unsigned entry will be processed for competition.

These events may result in an invitation to the 2008 Cabela’s National Team Championship Tournament and are designed for this intended purpose. However, neither the MWA nor Cabela’s will guarantee this outcome as these tournaments are considered among other nationwide events all vying for the same result.