LAKE GASTON
JUNE 24

Adult Tournament Rules

All anglers participating in a Collins Bass For Cash Series Event are expected to abide by these rules and regulations. All decisions by our tournament directors on all matters after gathering the best available and reviewing it thoroughly is final. Failure to comply with these rules can result in disqualification.
These rules were last updated on April 7, 2023
Recent Rule Amendments

March 21, 2023 – Off-limits rule amended

April 7, 2023 – Refunds rule amended to state requests for entry fees to be forwarded to another event must be received by tournament directors by the Wednesday night before the event at midnight.

TOURNAMENT RULES
  1. To ensure the utmost safety and transparency between anglers and tournament directors during competition, all anglers are required to contact either tournament directors immediately (and not wait) with any situation that relates to safety or rules for clear answers.
    1. Please feel free in safety situations to call 911 if appropriate before contacting directors.
    2. Failure to contact tournament directors immediately (or after a 911 call) depending on the situation can incur disqualification for that event and/or the rejection of entering the next event or future events.
    3. We wish to do all we can to provide support and good safety practices during all Bass For Cash Series events.
  2. These tournaments are open to anyone 18 years of age or older. Collins Inc reserves the right to refuse any Entry.
    1. You may fish alone or as a two-man team.
    2. Contestants under 18 may fish with an adult, as a team.
    3. Contestants under 18 years of age must also have the signature of a Parent or Guardian.
  3. Entry Fees (Qualifying Events & Championship Event)
    1. Entry fee will be $125 and includes the tournament big fish payout.
    2. Additional fees may be charged if registration payments are not made by registration deadline dates.
  4. Refunds
    1. All entries are non-refundable, but can be transferred to a future event in the same calendar year only as long as the tournament directors are notified before the start of the event to be skipped. The deadline to notify the tournament directors to move your entry fee is the Wednesday night before the tournament at midnight. 
  5. Morning Registration/Check-In
    1. Registration/Check-In will start 90 minutes prior to the event starting time.
    2. You must check-in each morning, even if you have pre-registered.
    3. You must have your live well checked by a tournament official before starting.
  6. Starting Positions
    1. Starting positions (Boat Numbers) will be assigned on a “first come – first served” basis as each entry form and entry fee is received by the tournament directors at the address listed on the entry form. Simply put, the earlier the entry and entry fee are received, the earlier you will blast off.
  7. Starting Times
    1. The Tournament Directors will start the event at his discretion (Safe Light).
  8. Starting Sequence
    1. The tournament directors will release each boat, in order, based on the assigned boat number.
    2. There will be no delay between flights during the blast-off sequence.
  9. Blast Off Required for regular season events to count toward super tournament qualification (2 of 4 Events to Qualify)
    1. The team must register as normal, blast off when their boat number is called, and can then immediately trailer and leave.
  10. The One Regular Season Purchased Tournament Allowed
    1. The team is not required to attend the event.
    2. The monies paid will be paid out at the event they were paid for during the regular season.
  11. Afternoon Check-In / Return Times
    1. Afternoon Check-In / Return times will be announced before the start of each event.
    2. Scales will be open at 1:45 pm unless otherwise posted.
    3. Note: Some Lakes/Rivers are different around the ramp check-in area. Teams are not officially checked in until they are inside of the no wake zone, the team calls out their boat number, and the team is acknowledged by the BFCS check-in resource.
    4. Lowrance Official Time is the time of record and will be clearly communicated before blast off.
    5. Depending on the number of entries, different “Flight” return times may be designated and announced before the start of each event.
    6. You must check-in with a tournament official before leaving, even if you are not weighing a fish. This is to ensure that everyone has returned safely and is off the water.
  12. Scoring
    1. It is the angler’s responsibility for ALL fish care including but not limited to the following:
      1. Fizzing of fish
      2. Livewell treatment including additives and ice
    2. (5) Five fish limit per boat.
    3. All fish must be 14” minimum length unless state laws require other, stricter length limits. During an event in which the state law requires a different length limit or slot limit these length limits will be announced and provided to each team during morning registration.
    4. Any dead fish will receive a 0.25 lb (4 oz) penalty.
    5. Any short fish attempted to be weighed will receive a (1) One pound penalty plus the loss of that fish for scoring. There will be no “Courtesy Measurements”.
    6. You will lose (1) One pound for every minute you are late for afternoon check-in. After (15) Fifteen minutes you will be disqualified.
    7. Final positions will be determined by total weigh of catch after all penalties.
    8. On 7/1/19, this rule was updated & clarified based on an angler asking for clarification. In the event of a tie, positions are decided by largest bass weighed. If for any reason big bass weight is not available, ties for positions will be split equally.
    9. Lunker ties will be split by heaviest total catch of the tied teams.
  13. Boat Requirements
    1. Can be either fiberglass or aluminum construction.
    2. Minimum Length is 15’.
    3. Must contain a factory installed live-well system.
    4. Must contain a factory installed gas system.
    5. In addition to #4, no gas may be received in any manner unless it is physically pumped from a marina open to all competitors and the public. Also, team members must remain in their tournament boat at all times during gas pumping. Please ask tournament directors any questions regarding this rule as this item has been added to our polygraph questions.
    6. All boats must contain all required Coast Guard safety equipment including an engine shut-off device (Kill Switch).
    7. Life jackets and shut-off device must be used anytime the combustion engine is running.
    8. The horsepower of your outboard engine must not exceed the maximum horsepower capacity specified for that specific boat.
  14. Tackle and method of catch
    1. All bass must be caught in a legal and sporting manner.
    2. Only artificial lures are accepted.
    3. Contestants can use only one rod and reel at a time.
  15. Sportsmanship
    1. The consumption and use of alcoholic beverages, stimulants, or depressants will not be tolerated and will be grounds for exemption in future events.
  16. Approved Fishing Locations / Respect Of Other Competitors
    1. Any areas designated as open for public use is permitted within the body of water being used for each tournament event.
    2. Trailering is not permitted in any event.
    3. You may not fish within 50 yards of another competitor without permission from such competitor. Note: Once you grant permission for one boat to enter your 50 yard “no fish zone”, you open that area up to any and all competitors. You cannot select who can and cannot fish within your 50 yard “no fish zone”.
  17. Break-downs
    1. In the event of a break-down you may only receive assistance from another competitor if you choose to transport you and your fish to weigh-in by use of the other competitor’s boat. Your partner may stay behind to secure your disabled boat.
    2. You may receive a tow from anyone in order to arrive back at the launch/weigh-in area.
  18. Season Points Competition (Collin’s Cup Points Race)
    1. At the conclusion of the regular season, Collin’s Cup Award Money will be provided to the top (2) Two Teams based on the total points accumulated during the regular season.
    2. 1st Place will receive Award Money and a berth the the $1MM US Open
    3. 2nd Place will receive free regular season entries for the following year of the BFCS.
    4. Note: All regular season events are used to determine the final points standings. There will be no “dropping your lowest score” when calculating total points standings.
    5. Each team will acquire points at each event, based on finishing positions.
    6. 1st place is valued at 250 points. 2nd place 249 points, 3rd place 248 points, proceeding at 1 point increments thereafter.
    7. All teams not weighing a fish but attending the event in person will receive 100 points.
    8. All teams that purchase a tournament in person will not acquire any points for the purchased event.
    9. To receive Collin’s Cup Points toward the season long points race, an angler or anglers must declare their team during the first event that they compete in. Once a team is declared they may acquire points and can have one substitute angler during the regular season. One team member may fish alone, representing the team, and acquire points as well.
  19. Super Tournament Qualification 
    1. There will be (4) four qualifying events and (1) one Super Tournament event.
    2. Each angler must fish in (2) two qualifying events to be eligible for Championship competition.
    3. One (1) of the (4) Four Events to qualify may be purchased as a “buy-in option”.
    4. Anglers may fish alone or with their normal qualifying partner (no substitutes) at the Championship event, however all anglers participating in the Super Tournament must have competed/purchased in at least four of the six qualifying events. No exceptions!
    5. The Super Tournament event location will be selected by a random drawing during the last regular season event.
    6. The Reverse Drawing ensure all anglers that all locations are available to be drawn for in front of our anglers so there is no questions.
    7. Only the locations visited during the regular season events will be included in the random drawing.
    8. The Championship event location cannot be at the same location as the previous year.
    9. If there is a problem with the draw’s winning location, we will attempt to resolve the problem as best as possible. If it cannot be resolved, we will revert to the last drawn location and re apply the same process until the location can be secured.
  20. Off-Limits Period 
    1. Tournament waters will be off-limits the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday prior to each event except on a holiday Monday (Example: Memorial Day, Labor Day, etc).
    2. During the official off-limits period, a competing angler may not have another angler fish on tournament waters and obtain any information from that person. Additionally, a competing angler may not hire a guide and/or obtain any information regarding tournament waters from someone not competing in the tournament.
    3. During off limits periods, or the Friday pre-fish before the event, or in some cases the Saturday pre-fish before a Sunday event, no participating anglers can bait any fishing locations or set out any type of fish attractants (live bait or otherwise) of any kind.
    4. Specifically for “ALL” Chowan Events which includes TOP GUN’s, the off limits includes all waters connecting to the Albermarle Sound. Specifically, this includes all waters connecting to the Albermarle Sound to the left of the red off-limits indicator pictured below.
  21. Mobile Communication Devices
    1. Contestants may not use mobile devices to communicate with anyone except the tournament directors or emergency medial services during tournament hours. Teams must gain prior approval from tournament directors to contact any other resources (outside of family or work for non event items). Mobile devices include, but not limited to, cellular phones, tablets, marine radios, CB radios, etc.
  22. Polygraph Test
    1. Polygraph tests may be given at random events and may be given at any time based on the discretion of the Tournament Director.
  23. Protests
    1. Protests must be presented to the tournament directors, in writing, before the weigh-in concludes. All protests must be accompanied by a $50 protest fee. You will be refunded the $50 fee if the Tournament Rules Committee finds your protest to be valid and rules in favor of your protest.
  24. Tournament Rules Committee / Rules Interpretation
    1. All decisions determined by the Tournament Rules Committee are final in all cases.
    2. Any violation of the above rules will be grounds for suspension and/or disqualification from any/all events.
    3. Any angler in any legal mediation between Collin’s Inc, (owner of Collins Bass For Cash Tournament Trail), its products, being sold, or any manufacturer of said products or parts, shall not participate in any tournaments or functions of both Collins Inc and Collin’s Bass For Cash Tournament Trail.
  25. Contingency Based Payout Eligibility
    1. It is the angler’s responsibility to make the tournament directors aware of any contingencies that the angler may be eligible for upon winning or meeting the criteria set forth by the contingency program. Photographic or written verification may be required before any contingency payout is received. If you finish in a position that earns any contingency payouts, please make the tournament directors aware so that he can help you with any photo or written proof requirements for contingency submittals. Any photographic or verification by the tournament directors must be done on-site and immediately following the weigh-in”

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