2009 Tournament of Champions Rules
rule changes for 2009 in red

TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS: To qualify for the 2009 Tournament of Champions a team must accumulate 160 or more points in five or less events in one division. Points are accumulated as follows. The winner of any qualifying event with over 20 participating teams will receive 55 points, second place 54, third place 53, fourth place 52, on down to 30 points. The winner of a qualifying event with 19 teams or less will receive 50 points, second place 49, third place 48 and so forth down to 30 points. All teams participating in any size qualifying event will receive a minimum of 30 points. Entry fees for teams qualifying for the 2009 Tournament of Champions will be $150. Entries are due postmarked no later then Sept. 18. Late entries will be charged $170. The pre tournament meeting will be held Friday September 25 at the Elizabeth Park Marina. No entries will be accepted after the start of the pre tournament meeting at 5:00 PM September 25. Pre paid entrants not able to attend the pre tournament meeting must phone in advance. Phone numbers 815-302-2200 or 219-512-6581.
SAFETY: Safe boating conduct must be observed at all times. Each competitor is required to wear a Coast Guard approved life preserver whenever the combustion engine is operating. All boats must be equipped with an ignition kill switch. This switch is to be attached to the operator any time the combustion engine is operating.
SPORTSMANSHIP: Tournament competitors are expected to adhere to high standards of sportsmanship, safety and conservation. Consumption of alcoholic beverages or illegal possession or use of a controlled substance during the tournament will be grounds for disqualification from this event and all further Anglers Dream events. Any contestants cited during tournament hours for a violation of state, marine, fishing or conservation laws will be disqualified, pending due process.
TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT: Only artificial lures may be used. (No live or prepared bait will be allowed with the exception of pork strips, rinds, etc). Only one casting or spinning rod, 8’ maximum length may be used at a time. Any competitor found to have in his possession equipment or baits not permitted will be disqualified.
HORSEPOWER REGULATIONS: Only boats and motors that are in compliance with the B.I.A. Horsepower rating will be allowed to participate.
BASIC BOAT EQUIPMENT: Every boat must have all required Coast Guard safety equipment, in addition to a live-well properly aerated to adequately maintain a live five bass team limit.
OFFICIAL CHECK POINTS: There shall be only one official point for check out in the morning and check in for the afternoon.
PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS: Fishing on tournament waters is permitted anywhere except those areas designated off limits on the day of the tournament or within 50 yards of another competitor’s boat which was first anchored. All angling must be done from the boat. Contestants may not depart the boat to retrieve a fish. The boat must remain in legal tournament waters on tournament days. Trailering of the boat during tournament hours is prohibited. Both team members must remain in the boat at all times except in case of dire emergency.
SCORING: Tournament standing and final winners shall be determined by the pound and fraction of a pound of each teams catch during the day. Only largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass will be weighed. All contestants are bound by the statutes and regulation of the State of Michigan. If contestants elect to enter or fish in the State of Ohio or the Province Ontario they are also required to follow the statues and regulation of these areas. All bass must be caught live and in a conventional sporting manner. Any fish deemed caught foul hooked will not be weighed. At no time shall a team have more than five fish in possession. In the event that a team does have more than five fish in their possession, tournament officials shall cull the fish, starting with the largest fish, down to the five fish limit. All bass weighed will become the property of the tournament officials and will be released.
DEAD FISH PENALTY: a penalty of one-half (.50) pound will be deducted for each dead fish brought in at the time of weigh-in.
SHORT FISH PENALTY: Any fish presented for weigh-in by a contestant that fails to measure a minimum of 14” shall not be counted in the days totals. In addition, the largest fish of that days catch for that team shall be culled.
LATE PENALTY: Competitors who have not arrived at the appointed time shall be penalized at the rate of one pound per minute late. Any weight penalties shall be deducted from the largest fish of the day’s catch. Any competitor more than ten minutes late shall lose credit for that days catch.
TIES: In the event of a tie, the prize for the places tied for will be added together then split amoung the tying teams.
PAIRINGS: This is a fish with you buddy tournament. Angling guest are not permitted. There will be no substitutes or guides allowed either during the tournament or during practice the Friday before the event. If only one member of a qualified team can show that member can fish alone. No splitting of teams.
ELIGIBILITY: Only two anglers that qualified as a team together for the 2008 season are eligible. One member of the team must be eighteen (18) years of age or older.
REGISTRATION: At least one (1) member of the team must be present for the registration. Failure to register during the prescribed time shall result in a loss of starting position.
STARTING POSITIONS: Boats positions will be drawn during the pre tournament meeting and picnic at Elizabeth Park Marina at on Friday September 25 at 5:00 PM. There will be two flights with the second flight taking off and coming in 30 minutes after the start of the first flight. Boats will take off in the order assigned the first day from the lowest to the highest. The second day of the event flights will be flipped, (first going second, second going first) and the order of drawing will be in reversed in each flight.
PRE-TOURNAMENT PRACTICE: The Detroit River and all adjoing water is off limit to all competitors from 12:01 AM Monday, September 21, until Sunrise (7:23 AM Eastern Time) Friday, September 25, which is a designated pre-fish day. There will be no exceptions to this rule. Teams pre-fishing that Friday are to be off the water by 4:00 PM. and not be permitted on the water until the start of the tournament the next morning.
NO WAKE ZONES: All no wake zones are no pass zones unless the boat being passed is fishing, gives permission to pass, is inoperable or multiple boat lanes permit a different route to be taken.
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION: Use of Cell Phones or Radio’s during tournament hours to contact anyone but a tournament official is prohibited.
COMPLIANCE: It shall be the sole responsibility of all entrants to comply with the said rules and regulations.
RULINGS: The tournament Director and his designated appointees shall reserve the right for the rules interpretations and ruling thereof. Protest must be in writing, signed by the protestor, and filed within ten minutes after the completion of the weigh-in. The decision of the tournament officials in all rulings shall be final. Any and all contestants are subject to truth verification, polygraph exam at the discretion of the director or tournament officials. Failure to take and successfully complete this exam is reason for disqualification and forfeit of all prizes from this and all future Anglers Dream events.