HS-Rules

High School/Youth Tournament Rules

1. RULES: The following rules for all Missouri B.A.S.S. Nation (Mo B.A.S.S.) High School and Youth tournaments will be used. These rules will be interpreted solely by the Tournament Officials, and all decisions will be final.

2. ELIGIBILITY: Teams must be sanctioned as a B.A.S.S. Nation High School team, Community, or Youth team. All anglers must provide proof of current B.A.S.S. membership number. Must be a member of Missouri B.A.S.S. Nation prior to registering & entering the tournament. B.A.S.S. Membership Dues will not be accepted the morning of the tournament. The Youth Division will consist of current students Grades 2-8. The High School Division will consist of students Grades 9-12. 8th grade students will have the option to compete in the High School Division OR remain in the Youth Division. They must pick one or the other, they cannot fish both. Divisions based on Fall 2021 Enrollment. Teams will consist of 2 anglers and 1 boat captain. Anglers must fish with their partner. Once the season has started anglers will not be permitted to switch partners. With Youth Director approval sought prior to the tournament in question, a team will be allowed to fish with a solo angler if their partner is unable to show. Teams will be required to fish with the same boat captain they begin the season with. ONE boat captain substitution will be allowed per tournament season for emergency reasons only. Substitutions must be submitted to and approved by the Youth Director prior to the tournament date. Boat Captains are not allowed to fish during the tournament. In the event one of the anglers requires help with being snagged, all fishing shall cease for that angler. Once the line is free the rod is to be returned immediately to the angler for retrieval.

Boat Captain Eligibility: Boat captains must be of age that puts them out of high school. Tournament Committee reserves the right to refuse any boat captain at any time. Boat Captains must sign the release line on the tournament registration form. Boat Captains must meet all state law requirements and have a valid boater’s safety card if required by age. Boat Captains must carry a minimum of $300,000.00 Liability per occurrence insurance and be able to show proof of insurance upon request. The Boat Captain must carry a fully charged cell phone or other form of communications for emergencies. Boat Captains must be aware of state boating regulations on waters in which they are boating on.

3. ENTRY FEE: $50 per Team. Mail Entry Form with check to: Missouri B.A.S.S. Nation, 2018 Lexington Road, Pleasant Hill, MO 64080 or pay with Venmo to: (MOBASS President) . If using VENMO please note what tournament and bring signed entry form to tournament check in. If paying by check please mail the signed entry form at least 7 days before the event and check must be received before the day of the tournament. Cash only will be accepted at the ramp during tournament check in.

4. HEADQUARTERS & TIMES: See tournament flyer for times and locations. You can also go to Facebook.com Missouri B.A.S.S. Nation High School and Youth group page or MOBASS.com for tournament flyer info.

5. LIVE-WELL/KILL SWITCH CHECK: ALL entries must participate in live-well and kill switch checks.

6. DEPARTURE: Departing boat numbers will be in sequence in which entry fees are received. Boat numbers will be updated weekly on MISSOURI B.A.S.S. NATION HIGH SCHOOL AND YOUTH Facebook group page.

7. TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT: Only artificial baits or lures may be used. Pork style baits are allowed. No trolling or long lining allowed. All bass must be caught on rod and reel during tournament hours. Only one rod and reel in use at any time by any one angler.

8. BOATS AND EQUIPMENT: Any boat 14 feet or longer will be accepted if powered by an engine of 10 horsepower or more. Boats must be equipped with functional, aerated live-well, kill switch and correct navigational lighting. Boats may not be trailered during tournament hours. Boats may not have motors which exceed the horsepower rating or BIA rating plate on boat. All Missouri Water Patrol laws and regulations apply.

9. SAFETY AND SPORTSMANSHIP: Safe boating and fishing practices must be observed. Life jackets must be worn by all when the combustion engine is running. Kill switches with lanyards are required and subject to testing at takeoff. ANYONE not seated in cockpit or not wearing a life jacket while combustion engine is running will be disqualified. NO EXCEPTIONS. Anglers are not permitted to pilot the boat by means of combustion engine at all during tournament hours, doing so will result in immediate disqualification. All Missouri Department of Conservation laws and regulations shall apply.

10. PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS: Anywhere on the tournament lake, except within fifty (50) yards of: a public dock that dispenses boat gas, another contestant’s anchored boat, or the take-off cove.

11. SCORING: Largemouth Bass, Kentucky Bass and Smallmouth Bass will be counted. Total stringer weight will determine place. Any bass under legal lake limit presented for weigh-in will cause one (1) pound to be subtracted from total stringer weight for that day, plus the loss of the short fish. Any bass dead when presented for weigh-in (as determined by Tournament Officials) will cause a 0.25 lb. to be subtracted from total stringer weight for that day. Five (5) fish per boat may be weighed in. Any frozen, iced or mangled fish presented for weigh-in shall result in immediate disqualification. THE GATOR GRIP tournament ruler shall be the official measuring device.

12. POINT SYSTEM: 100 pts being awarded for 1st place and descends from there 1 point per place plus team’s weight of fish will be added to the total as points. 50 points will be awarded to every participating team. To qualify for place points, a team must weigh in at least one legal fish.

13. TRUTH VERIFICATION: Each contestant shall be subject to a truth verification test. Anyone failing to pass the test or anyone refusing to take the test shall be disqualified from the season and not allowed to compete in a Missouri B.A.S.S. Nation event from then on.

14. TIES: Tournaments (Overall Results): all ties will be broken by (1) big bass (2) number of fish weighed in (3) by earliest entry. Tournament (Big Bass): All ties will be broken by (1) total weight, (2) earliest entry. Standings: All ties will be broken by (1) total weight, (2) big bass.

15. CHECK-IN LATE PENALTY: One (1) pound per minute, up to ten (10) minutes, then disqualification. NO EXCECPTIONS. All participants must check in at official timer at end of courtesy dock of take off ramp.

16. TOURNAMENT CANCELLATION: If the tournament is canceled due to reasons of safety on the day of the tournament, the entry fees will be refunded. NO REFUNDS WILL BE MADE FOR ANY OTHER REASON.

17. SPECIAL SITUATIONS: Breakdown: In the event of a boat breakdown, the team may transfer their fish to another contestant’s boat for transport to the weigh-in site, meeting the following conditions; The fish must be placed in a segregated livewell. One member of the breakdown team must accompany those fish at all times to the weigh-in site. The team broken down must stop fishing from the time of transfer. Early Departure: Any team departing prior to weigh in from the tournament lake, must contact the tournament director or appointed staff member. Failure to do so will result in the loss of any points earned at that tournament. Cell Phones: We encourage all contestants to have a cell phone in their boat for emergency use only. Contestants may not depart the boat to land fish or to make the boat more accessible to fishing waters. Contestants must leave and return to official checkpoint by boat. No tournament boat may be loaded on the trailer before weigh-in except with the permission of the Tournament Director.

18. PROTESTS: Any complaint must be submitted in writing to the Youth Director within 15 minutes of the weigh in competition. The tournament officials will handle all protests. The decision of the Youth Director shall be final in all matters.

19. STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: Teams must fish 3 out of 4 tournaments to qualify for the Missouri B.A.S.S. Nation HS/Youth State Championship. The top points earners for both HS and Youth divisions will automatically move on to the B.A.S.S. National Championship. These two teams will have the option to fish the State Championship. In the event they win the State Championship the second place team of the State Championship will earn the other seed in the B.A.S.S. National Championship.