Tournament Rules
RULES
POTOMAC TEAMS BASS TOURNAMENTS
January , 2022
A. GENERAL
1. No drinking of alcoholic beverages or use of illegal drugs is permitted before or during tournament hours.
2. All fish must be legally caught on rod and reel casting of artificial lures. No live bait or trolling is permitted
Violation of applicable state or federal statutes or regulations by team members is grounds for
Disqualification, or other penalty judged to be Appropriate by the tournament director(s).
3. All boats must be equipped with a working live-well system.
4. One pound per boat will be deducted from total weight for each minute late at check in.
Any boat 15 minutes late loses all credit.
The official time and time for end of tournament will be announced at the start of the tournament.
5. Live-well checks will be conducted as the boats pass by the end of the dock just prior to blast off.
6. Boat number will be provided at registration.
7. Fish maybe transferred from one boat to another in the event of a break down. Only one contestant must return
With their fish without removal from tournament waters.
Disagreements over fish will result in disqualification of both boats.
8. Departure will be in boat number order.
9. All rulings on tournament and safety matters will be final and at the discretion of the tournament directors.
10. Payment of registration fees at the tournament will be in cash only.
11. Contestants are responsible for paying their own park admission and ramp fees.
12. Contestants voluntarily agree to take polygraph tests with respect to a tournament if requested to do so, or to
Forfeit any prospective winnings.
13. Bolling – AFB Marina (inside of gas pumps) and Leesylvania rocks inside and outside and the dock area are off limits. All areas posted as restricted areas are designated off limits,
or any areas that is considered off limits if the Team is cited or served in writing (ticketed or warning) by enforcement officials
during tournament hours because of fishing in an area illegally will be disqualified for that tournament.
Other restrictions or off limits may be announced at the briefing prior to each tournament
14. An anchored boat has the right to deny other contestants fishing rights within 50 yards, provided it’s trolling
Motor is out of the water, (Blue Plains not included)
15. It is considered to be un-sportsman like to pull in front of another contestant’s boat fishing in a given direction, Move into a limited area being fished constantly by another team. Any person who consistently or repeatedly demonstrates bad manners by customary tournament standards or so violates tournament rules will not be Allowed to register for tournaments at the judgment of the director(s).
16. Contestants authorize publication of tournament results and pictures taken during tournament or at weigh-in.
17. Violation of tournament rules is grounds for team disqualification or other penalty as judged appropriate by Tournament director(s).
18. Fish weighed in must be caught during tournament hours by the contestants presenting them, without the aid of other parties, either physically or by use of communications, electronic or otherwise.
19. The tournament, including the acceptance and disqualification of contestants, the award of prizes and all other matters arising hereunder shall be administered by the tournament directors, whose determinations shall be Final and binding on all contestants. Directors shall exercise their discretion in good faith but make no Warranty, or other assurance that their decisions will be free from error or defect, the full responsibility of Which shall be borne by the contestants in a sportsmanlike manner.
20.Contestants are responsible for any and all taxes on winnings.
21.One or both members of a team must have fished in (5) five or more tournaments to fish the September Two day tournament
22.REGISTRATION WILL END TEN (10) MINUTES PRIOR TO BLAST OFF!
B. WEIGH IN PROCEDURES.
All boats must check –in at the official check-in site, the end of the dock prior to weighing fish.
1. ALL FISH WILL BE WEIGHED IN USING POTOMAC TEAMS BAGS ONLY.
2. ANY TEAM BRING FISH TO BE WEIGH IN NOT IN A POTOMAC TEAMS BAG WILL BE ASSESSED A 5LB. PENALTY
3. Places resulting from the tournament will be based on net pounds per boat.
4. There is a fifteen-inch (15) minimum size requirement for fish weighed in tournaments held from March 1 to
June 15 and a thirteen-inch (13) minimum during the rest of the year.
A maximum of (5) FIVE fish may be weighed in per team .
Fish are measured with mouth closed; tail may be fanned or squeezed on a flat board.
TEAMS CANNOT CULL A DEAD FISH!
5. DEAD FISH- an eight (8) -ounce penalty will be assessed for each dead fish weighted in. All live fish must be
Released. The largest bass must be alive to count for the big fish pot.
6. SHORT FISH-The lost of the largest fish and/or a penalty of two (2) pounds which ever is greater for each fish
weighed in under the legal length will be deducted from the total weight of the remaining legal fish.
A flat board will be used to measure all fish. You can only fan or squeezed tail to measure.
7. Largemouth and Small mouth bass only will be weighted in.
8. In case of ties, the prizes will be equally divided.
9. No culling, sorting or handling of fish after boat is off plane in area of marina for weighs in, other than to put fish in bags and present for weighing.
C. SAFETY, BOAT AND MOTOR
1. It is the contestants’ responsibility that boats meet horsepower and other Coast Guard requirements for there
Class and particular boat.
2. A Coast Guard approved flotation device must be worn when the combustion engine is running and boat is underway.
3. Entrants must sign a registration and weigh in form assuming all risk for any injuries or losses sustained in
Pursuit of tournament activities and that they are aware of the rules as printed and/or announced and will abide
By them without recourse. Contestants must completely execute the form and sign it for the season, the first
Time they fish an event during a given year.
4. Coast Guard Boating and water safety course is required to operate a motorized boat on the Potomac river.
5. Tournament boats will not be allowed which are powered by less than a 25 hp motor. No maximum
Horsepower limit is imposed. Any boat, which appears to be unsafe, will not be allowed.
6. It is highly recommended that each boat have two-way electronic communications equipment for use in case of emergency.
7. A Wash. DC. Fishing license is required to fish in Washington, DC Waters above the Wilson Bridge
8. While operating a boat all rules and regulations ie no wake,speed limit ect. must be followed.
D. INSURANCE
1. Boat owners are required to present proof of current insurance showing watercraft liability coverage not less
than $100,000 liability insurance if requested by tournament officials.
NOTE: PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THESE RULES ARE OBSOLETE.