2008 TEXAS REDFISH SERIES RULES AND REGULATIONS

Rules: All rules stated below will remain in effect for the 2008 TEXAS REDFISH Series. All decisions made by the tournament director and/or tournament officials will be final in all matters. The tournament director and/or the tournament officials can make a change when the safety of a contestant is in question or by a unanimous decision by the tournament committee. Any changes to the rules will be posted on the website www.redfishseries.com and communicated to the tournament members in the pre-tournament meeting before the tournaments. Read the following rules prior to signing of entry form.

1) Applicable Laws: Federal, State and Local laws are to be obeyed by contestants at all times. Violation of any federal, state and/or local laws will result in the disqualification of the individual and the team the individual belongs to from the TEXAS REDFISH SERIES.

2) Tournament Eligibility: In order to participate in the TEXAS REDFISH SERIES, both team members must be members in good standing of the TEXAS REDFISH SERIES.  Contestants under 18 years old must fish with their legal guardian as their teammate. The TEXAS REDFISH SERIES reserves the right to refuse membership and participation in any event to an individual and/or team at the discretion of the tournament committee.

3) Alcoholic Beverages and Illegal Drugs: Consumption of any alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs during tournament hours is prohibited and will result in disqualification. Alcoholic beverages and illegal drugs may not be possessed in a team’s boat.

4) Sportsmanship: TEXAS REDFISH SERIES participants are expected to follow the highest standards of sportsmanship, courtesy and ethics. Un-sportsmanlike and unethical conduct will result in disqualification (at the tournament committee’s discretion). Please refer to the Texas Boating Safety Rules.

5) Permitted Tournament Fishing Waters: Contestants may fish in any inshore public water accessible by boat. Boats must stay inshore and are not permitted in offshore waters. No fishing is allowed within 300 yards of tournament site.

·         Participants are not allowed to fish within 150 feet (50 yards) of another anchored boat.

·         Wade-fisherman must remain within 300 yards of their boat.

·         If a fishing area is in question, the boat anchored first has the right to the area. An anchored boat has the first right to the area within 150 feet of the anchored boat. An anchored boat is a boat held in a stable position by a line attached to an anchor, a weight, push pole, power pole, etc. with the trolling motor in the up position.

·         If the boat does not have a trolling motor the definition of anchored still applies. 

6) Wade Fishing is Allowed: Participants must leave from and return to the official checkpoint by boat. Wade fishing is permitted in the TEXAS REDFISH SERIES. Teams who wish to wade-fish must remain within 300 yards of the participant’s boat. Participants may not leave the boat to net a fish hooked while in the boat. Wade-fishermen must net their own fish. Teams may not have one participant fishing out of the boat with another teammate wade fishing (fishing is defined in this instance as casting and retrieving). Both team members must be in the boat before the combustion engine is started.

7) Checkpoints: Each tournament will have only one checkpoint. The same checkpoint will be used in the morning and in the afternoon. Each boat must go through the checkpoint in the morning in the pre-selected order. The checkout point and times will be communicated to the teams at the pre-tournament meeting. All tournament boats must be inspected by a tournament official at the official tournament site before they are released to fish. Flight numbers will be drawn by each team at the mandatory registration the day before each tournament begins. Once a flight number is drawn, it may not be changed, traded or sold to another team. It is the contestants' responsibility to know their flight number, official time and check-in time. Failure to go through the checkpoint will result in disqualification. Every boat must go through the checkpoint before weighing-in regardless if the team has fish to weigh in. Once a boat has checked in, fishing must cease. Check-in times will be between 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM.  Contestants who are not at the official check-in area at the appointed time will be penalized at the rate of one-half pound per minute which will be deducted from the total weight including any weight to be counted toward a big fish award. Any contestant more than fifteen (15) minutes late will be disqualified. Teams who are not able to check in due to equipment failure or other unforeseen circumstances are responsible for contacting the tournament director before the official check-in is over. 

8) Polygraphs: By signature on the official tournament entry form, each contestant agrees to submit to a polygraph test and abide by its conclusion. Polygraph tests will be issued at the discretion of the tournament director/committee if any rules or regulations are in question. The results of the polygraph are final and cannot be reviewed by a court of law.

9) Insurance and Liability: A minimum of $100,000 liability insurance is required of all contestants fishing and/or using his or her boat in any TEXAS REDFISH SERIES event. It is the responsibility of the boat owner to carry liability insurance covering himself and passengers. A current copy of the team’s insurance policy and a signed DECLARATION, WAIVER, RELEASE, AND HOLD HARMLESS AGREEMENT is due in the TEXAS REDFISH SERIES office before a team may compete in any TEXAS REDFISH SERIES event. All tournament participants are required to sign a waiver absolving all tournament officials, officers, participants, sponsors and co-sponsors from any responsibility for damage or personal injury sustained as a result of their participation in the tournament or its related activities.

10) Pre-Tournament Meeting: Registration for the TEXAS REDFISH SERIES will be held on the Friday evening before the tournament date. Registration will be between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM. A pre-tournament meeting will be held at 7:00 PM on Friday following registration. All contestants are required to attend the Pre-Tournament meeting. Participants may be excused from the Friday night meeting if arrangements are made with the TEXAS REDFISH SERIES office. Participants must have written documentation from the TEXAS REDFISH SERIES office and present it upon registration if the participant is excused from the Friday meeting. If a contestant fails to attend the registration and pre-tournament meeting without written permission from the TEXAS REDFISH SERIES office, a one (1) lb. per fish penalty will be assessed to each of the team’s fish upon weigh-in.

11) Communication during tournament hours: No communication will be allowed between anglers or from outside sources during tournament hours. Purchasing of information and/or hiring of services from local experts or guides will not be permitted within 7 days prior to the competition. No communication is allowed via word of mouth, cell phone, radio, pager or any other electrical device during competition hours. If a team has an emergency, a mechanical problem, or needs immediate assistance, teams may contact local authorities, emergency services, the Coast Guard or the tournament director. Teams must notify the tournament director immediately if these circumstances exist.

12) Entry Fees, Tournament Registration and Identification: All entrants must be a member of the TEXAS REDFISH SERIES. All contestants must have an official TEXAS REDFISH SERIES sticker displayed on their boat and a TEXAS REDFISH SERIES patch on their shirt during tournament hours and weigh-in. The entry fee for each event leading to the championship is $350.00 per two-person team. A $150.00 non-refundable deposit is required to secure a team’s spot in the tournament. Teams must have 100% of the tournaments entry fee paid in full 14 days prior to the event date. A late fee of $35.00 will be assessed to teams who pay less than 14 days prior to the event. All entry fees and deposits are non-refundable.

13) Boat, Motor and Horsepower Regulations: All boats must be a minimum of 15 feet in length and be equipped with a minimum of 25 hp motor. Each boat must have all required U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment. In addition, each boat must have a properly aerated live well. The live well must be properly aerated to adequately maintain alive two redfish. The Tournament Director shall have the sole responsibility for determining whether aeration and capacity is adequate. Live wells will be inspected upon checkout the morning of the tournament. ALL BOATS MUST BE EQUIPPED WITH AN OPERABLE IGNITION KILL SWITCH. The kill switch device must be attached to the driver's body anytime the combustion engine is operating. Anytime the combustion engine is operating and in gear, there must be a driver in the driver's seat in full control of the boat. Any fuel tanks that are not installed by the boat manufacturer are prohibited. Fuel may be carried only in factory installed (built-in) fuel tanks. Any additional fuel used during the tournament day must be purchased from a retail facility open to the public.

14) Safety: Safe boating will be observed at all times. Each contestant is required to wear a fastened, U.S. Coast Guard approved, personal floatation device anytime the combustion engine is on. Tournament days may be shortened or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions. The decision to shorten or to cancel will be left totally to the discretion of the tournament director/committee. A 4-hour period shall constitute a day of fishing. It is the competitor’s responsibility to communicate with the Tournament Director if cancellation of the event is suspected. Cancellations will be communicated via VHF radios on a channel decided at the Pre-Tournament Meeting. If conditions are not safe on the tournament day, the TEXAS REDFISH SERIES reserves the right to hold the tournament the following day (Sunday).  If conditions are not favorable the following day (Sunday), an alternate date will be published on the TEXAS REDFISH SERIES website, www.Redfishseries.com. 

15) Tackle and Equipment: Only artificial lures may be used. No live bait, dead bait or prepared bait will be permitted. Only one rod and reel may be used at any one time per angler.

16) Live Fish: Contestants are responsible for keeping their Redfish alive. Any dead fish brought in to weigh-in will be assessed an eight-ounce penalty. No altered, mutilated or iced fish will be accepted. Redfish will be inspected for alterations in size, length and weight. Any altered fish will result in the disqualification of the team weighing in the altered fish.

17) Scoring: Tournament standings, auxiliary awards and final winners shall be determined by the total weight of two redfish measured in pounds and 100ths of a pound of each team’s catch during the tournament. Only Redfish/Red Drum between 20 inches and 28 inches may be weighed-in.   All redfish must be brought to weigh station in a live weigh-in tournament bag. Fish may not be brought to weigh-in on a stringer or in a basket. Teams may not possess more than two redfish at any time during the tournament.  Ties will be decided by the earliest check-in time.

 18) Points: All teams fishing the TEXAS REDFISH SERIES will receive points (with the exception of disqualified teams). The first place team will receive 200 points, the second place team will receive 199 points, etc. Teams weighing in no fish will receive twenty points less than the last team weighing-in fish. Team points will remain with the team captain in the event of a team "break-up".

 19) Tour Rewards Program:  To qualify, teams must sign-up, and pay deposits for all four 2008 regular season tournaments and the Championship before the first tournament.  Teams who are entered will receive an additional 20% bonus added on to their winnings (excluding the Tournament Within the Tournament).  The Tour Rewards payout will not be paid in the championship.  Any team who is in the Tour Rewards program and places in the top 20 in the Team of the Year points at the end of the regular season will receive free entry into the 2008 Texas Redfish Series Championship (Championship deposit will be refunded) .

20) Protest Procedure: All protests must be submitted in writing, along with a $100 cash deposit. Protests must be submitted to the tournament director no later than 15 minutes following the weigh-in of the last fish. All decisions will be made by the tournament director and committee and are final. If the protest is upheld, the cash deposit will be returned to the person submitting the protest. The protester agrees that by filing a protest, the protester may be subject to a polygraph test.

21) Permission to be filmed for Television: I agree to be filmed, photographed, taped, quoted or otherwise mentioned (without compensation) by the Texas Redfish Series organizers, or by anyone authorized by the Texas Redfish Series organizers. This includes but is not limited to the official photographers, writers, hosts, or sponsors of this event under the conditions authorized by the Texas Redfish Series organizers. I give the Texas Redfish Series organizers, and anyone authorized by the Texas Redfish Series, the right to use (without compensation) my name, picture, likeness, quotes, and biographical information, whether audio or visual, before, during and after the period of my individual or team participation in this event.