TOURNAMENT RULES
1) Deadline for Entries: Friday, November 19, 2010
2) Entry Fees:
$75.00 per person until November 12
$100.00 per person after November 12
$15.00 per youth, under the age of 16
3) Categories: There will be only one category of fishing: Sound. Fishing is allowed from boat, shore, pier, or bridge.
Ocean Surf and Pier Division: Trophies will be awarded for the top three fish caught by an entrant fishing in the ocean category from the surf or a pier. In addition the fisherman landing the largest fish from the ocean surf or pier will be awarded a surf fishing rod and reel combination. Entrants must designate this division on the entry form.
4) Boundaries: Sound fishing is allowed north of a line drawn from Red Buoy #2 in the Roanoke Sound near Duck Island and extending to the west side of the Croatan Sound passing 500 yards south of Roanoke Marshes Light buoy; fishing is restricted to the Pamlico, Croatan, Roanoke, Currituck and Albemarle Sounds north of the line described, and any river or stream flowing into any such Sound. No fishing is allowed in Wanchese Harbor. There will be one day of fishing.
5) Weather: Each entrant is responsible for determining if he or she will fish in view of the current weather conditions. The tournament will not be cancelled except for extreme weather conditions. Cancellation in the event of extreme weather is at the sole discretion of the Tournament Committee. 10% of entrants must fish in the category registered before that category is considered in the tournament and eligible for awards. Ocean category entrants may switch to the Sound category by notifying Tournament Headquarters at the phone number or VHF channel provided at the rules meeting between 5:30a.m. and 7:00 a.m. on the tournament day. In the event no fishing can take place on tournament day, due to the weather, the following day shall be the alternate fishing day.
6) In the unlikely event the tournament gets canceled, no tournament entry fee will be refunded. Entry fees will be donated to Manteo Rotary for use as scholarship money for Dare County youth. All fees entered into the Tournament within a Tournament will be refunded within (60) days of the cancellation date in the event of cancellation due to weather.
7) Fishing hours will be 6:00a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
8) Official Weigh Station: Roanoke Island Festival Park will be the Official Weigh Station. Fish must be properly tagged with the tag supplied to each entrant and must be checked in at the Official Weigh Station by 4:00 p.m. on the day of fishing. The Official Weigh Station will open at 1:00 p.m. Any fish not checked in by 4:00 p.m. will not be weighed. The Official Weigh Master’s watch controls as to all times herein.
9) All entrants will receive a fish tag at registration. This tag must be securely attached to the fish when checked in pursuant to Rule 8. Neither the Tournament Committee nor the Manteo Rotary club is responsible for any fish which becomes unattached from its tag. No fish will be weighed which is not properly tagged.
10) Each entrant may weigh one (1) fish. Fish must be weighed by the Manteo Rotary Official Scales at the Roanoke Island Festival Park.
11) Any entrant delivering a fish to the Official Weigh Station in a boat must proceed in a safe common sense fashion toward the designated off-loading area and must vacate that area immediately after off-loading fish.
12) Overland transportation of fish will be permitted.
13) Fish must not be mutilated in any way except for gaff punctures.
14) To be eligible for awards, fish must be hooked and caught by the entrant. No other person must touch the rod, reel or line. Another person may touch the leader or net the fish for the purpose of assisting in landing the fish.
15) On registration day, the size and number of fish permitted by law to be caught will be announced, however entrants are responsible for being familiar with all applicable fisheries laws and neither Manteo Rotary Club nor any member thereof is responsible for inaccurate information given. All registrants are responsible for obtaining fishing licenses and for complying with all State and Federal Laws and Fishing Regulations.
16) Any protest must be in writing and accompanied by $100 cash deposit delivered to the Chairman of the Tournament Committee before 5:00 p.m. on the day of the tournament.
17) All entrants, by submitting registration forms and entry fees, consent to the administration of a polygraph examination prior to the awarding of any prize, if so requested by the Tournament Committee.
18) All weighed fish are subject to the scrutiny and inspection by the Tournament Committee, Official Weighmaster and North Carolina Marine Fisheries Officials. All fish weighed become the property of the Rockfish Tournament. Attempts to alter the weight of a fish disqualifies the entrant for all categories of the tournament.
19) All fish must be caught by rod and reel, (down riggers and planers are permissible).
20) An Anglers meeting will be held on November 19th at 7:00 p.m. at Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo. Each entrant should attend or be represented at the meeting. Each entrant is bound by all information distributed at the Anglers meeting whether published in tournament literature or not.
21) In the event two or more fish are of the exact weight, the fish checked in first at the Official Weigh Station shall be declared the winner for any applicable prize or division.
22) For safety purposes, all boats used in fishing this tournament must adhere to USCG regulations for their size and category.
23) Any violation of tournament rules constitutes grounds for disqualification from all categories of the tournament.
24) Any tournament official or tournament sponsor entering the tournament in compliance with tournament rules is eligible for any and all prizes.
25) The Tournament Rules Committee shall resolve all issues, questions, protests or disputes and said decision SHALL BE FINAL.
26) All tournament entrants consent and authorize the Tournament Committee and their advertising/public relations agencies to use and reproduce names, voices and/or photographs, whether taken or recorded and circulate the same for any and all purposes of publicity and advertising of all kinds and descriptions in any and all media formats.
27) The Tournament Rules Committee reserves the right to refuse entry to anyone.
28) Prize Money: The published prize money is based on 400 adult entrants. If the number of entrants does not reach 400 the prize money will be reduced proportionately and divided evenly between categories. If only the sound category is fished, entry fees from the ocean category will be added to the sound category. No cash prizes will be awarded in the youth division.
SOUND |
1st place |
$5,000.00 |
2nd place |
$1,000.00 |
3rd place |
$500.00 |
4th place |
$250.00 |
29) Trophies will be awarded in both the Sound and Ocean categories for the top four (4) places. A separate trophy will be awarded to the Top Adult Lady Angler. Trophies will be awarded in the Youth Division, the Sound category, and for the top four (4) places. No cash prizes will be awarded in the youth division. Trophies and prizes will be awarded in the kayak division and the surf and pier division as set out in rule number 3. Further trophies, cash award and prizes maybe awarded in the discretion of the tournament committee.
30) Tournament within a Tournament: Based on 100 entries in each category. Level 1 (Sound or Ocean) $50 to enter, heaviest fish takes all ($4,500 for each category). Level 2 (Sound or Ocean) $100 to enter, heaviest fish takes all ($9,000 for each category). If the Ocean Category is canceled, the money for entry will be refunded. Should an entrant switch to the Sound Category, his entry fee in the Tournament within the Tournament switches to the appropriate level within the Sound Category.
31) It is expressly understood that all those participating in the Tournament do so at their own risk. By registering as an Angler in the Tournament, the entrant holds harmless the Tournament committee, its sponsors and donors and all persons connected directly or indirectly with the operation of the Tournament from any liability of any kind or nature, including but not limited to libel, slander, loss, damage, negligence, harm, injury, or death suffered by a participant, entrant, sportsfisherman, their companions, boat captains, crew members, family vessels, and equipment which may occur during the Tournament.
