SBA Tournament Rules

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RULE CHANGES AND INTERPRETATION: Interpretation of these rules will be left exclusively to the Tournament Director. The decision of the Director will be final in all matters. Infractions of any rule can result in disqualification.
TOURNAMENT DATES: Tournaments will be held on the 4th* Friday of each month beginning in March and ending in August. The Classic will be held the 4th* Friday of September. (*Subject to scheduling conflicts. Refer to current published schedule.)
PARTICIPANTS AND ELIGIBILITY: The annual membership fee is $25.00 per person. Entry fee is $125.00 per team per tournament and optional big fish pot is $10.00 per person. Participation in this tournament is by invitation and is open only to members of SBA who are 50 years of age or older by the date of the Classic in the season they begin fishing. Proof of age must be furnished with entry form. Each angler must sign the registration and release of liability form.

A properly completed and signed Official Entry Form, Membership Fee ($25 per person), $125 Entry Fee, and a minimum deposit of $62.50 per tournament for the remaining five tournaments will be required by the Monday prior to the first tournament. SBA reserves the right to discontinue acceptance of applications prior to the deadline and also has the right to extend the acceptance date. In the event an Angler would like to enter this Tournament Trail after the first Tournament, he/she will be required to pay membership, the full amount of the first tournament they fish, and a 50% entry fee deposit on the remaining tournaments. (Example: Angler begins Trail at the 3rd Tournament – Amount Owed would be: $25 Membership, $125 for the Tournament Entry Fee and $62.50 ($187.50) each for the remaining 3 Tournaments - $337.50 Total.) No new team will be allowed to enter the tournament trail after the 4th tournament. There will be a $25.00 charge on all returned checks.

Participants who sign up at the beginning of the season and do not fish or pay for all six tournaments are not eligible for the Classic. Teams who sign up after the first tournament are not eligible for the classic.
PAYOUT: The number of places paid for each tournament will be one place for every five boats. The Entry Fee will be disbursed as follows: 10% administration; 10% Classic; and 80% Payback. Monies collected and allocated to the Classic will be added to the purse as prize money.
PRE-TOURNAMENT PRACTICE: No Off Limits on the 6 tournaments or the Classic. Each competitor agrees to report to Tournament Officials any infraction of tournament rules. The failure to report violations or suggestions to violate these rules or false verification of weigh-in forms will be cause for disqualification. Each competitor agrees to submit, by his/her signature on the application form, to a polygraph examination should he/she be so asked by an official. The administration and interpretation of the polygraph test shall be solely the responsibility of the Tournament Director.
REGISTRATION: Competitors must read and sign a “Registration and Release of Liability” form. The Registration and Release of Liability form need only be submitted one time with the Initial Deposit for all the tournaments for that season, unless the boat captain has a different partner, or the use of a different boat. (need insurance policy information). Those teams will keep the same boat number all season. Failure to register in person during the prescribed hours shall be cause for disqualification. Classic teams must sign a new "Registration and Release of Liability" form. Tournament Director reserves the right to prohibit any person(s) from fishing SBA.
SAFETY: Safe boating must be observed at all times. Each competitor is required to wear a Coast Guard-approved life preserver. Any time the boat is on plane, the emergency engine shut-off switch (kill switch) must be attached to the driver and all occupant(s) must be wearing a life preserver. At time of check-out running lights must be turned on and during times required by State Regulations. All boats and motors must comply with Boating Institute of American (BIA) and U.S. Coast Guard horsepower ratings. When required, each boat must have a U.S. Coast Guard horsepower rating plate attached to the boat by the manufacturer. At the discretion of the Tournament Director, tournament days may be shortened or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions, etc. If tournament is canceled the entry fee will be refunded or applied to the next Tournament.
SPORTSMANSHIP: Competitors in SBA Tournaments are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation. Hole sitting will not be tolerated, and will be cause for disqualification from this tournament and from all future tournaments conducted by SBA. No alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs will be allowed during the tournament hours, including weigh-in. Violators will be disqualified. Any competitor receiving a citation/ticket on tournament(s) for a fishing violation will be disqualified and the team will lose their weight. Any competitors that have been suspended or disqualified from any tournament or fishing organization is grounds for refusal of an angler's entry.
BOAT AND MOTOR: Boats must be 16’ or more in length and have functional and properly aerated live well space to maintain adequately alive a limit (5) catch of bass. Tournament Officials shall have the sole responsibility for determining whether aeration and capacity is proper and adequate.
PERMITTED FISHING METHODS: All bass must be caught live in a conventional sporting manner. When fishing bedding fish they must be hooked inside the mouth, snatching fish is strictly forbidden. Only artificial lures may be used with the exception of pork trailers. Only one fishing rod (not to exceed 8 feet in length) may be used at a time. Trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited.
PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS: Fishing on tournament waters is permitted anywhere except within 50 yards of a refueling dock of a marine or within 50 yards of another competitor's boat which is anchored with the trolling motor up. No such anchored boat shall permit selected competitors to fish within a 50-yard circle claimed by him/her to the exclusion of any other competitor. No fishing is allowed in areas that are designated as “Off Limits” or “No-Fishing” by local and state officials. Competitors must return to the official check point by boat. Competitors must remain in boat at all times except in case of emergency (an act of nature excepted). Trailering of boats during tournament hours is prohibited except when approved by Tournament Director.
OFFICIAL CHECK POINT: There shall be only one official point for check-out in the AM and check-in in the PM. At the time of check-out all competitors must have their running lights turned on and their boats shall be in full conformity with all rules set forth herein. Once your live wells have been checked and you have checked in with the Tournament Officials, you are allowed to proceed to your first fishing location. However, competitors may not put a line in the water or begin fishing until the official tournament time begins. At least one angler from each boat must be in line for a bag by Official Weigh-In Time. Each boat must be given, prior to each day's start, an inspection check by a Tournament Official. In the event of equipment failure or emergency during the tournament, there are only two methods of returning to the official check-in: (1) By both partners remaining in their boat and being towed in by water; or (2) By one partner entering the boat of another tournament contestant with their fish. Under these two conditions, catches may be counted (normal penalties apply such as dead fish, late penalty, etc.). If a team must violate any part of this rule due to an emergency or any other reason, the catch will not be counted.
SCORING: Tournament standings and final winners shall be determined by the pound and hundredth weight of each competitors catch. Only largemouth, spotted, or smallmouth bass will be weighed. The limit shall be five (5) fish per day. Culling must begin with the sixth fish. At no time shall the competitors have in their possession more than the limits described above. In the event a competitor exceeds the above described limit, the Tournament Official shall cull down to the limit prescribed, taking the largest bass first. Fish will be measured on a flat (golden rule) board with mouth closed and by moving tail side-to-side. There will be a 1-pound penalty assessed for each short fish and the short fish removed from the creel. Bags will be furnished by the Tournament Officials, and those bags must be used for the weigh-in. No exceptions. Dead fish: (1-pound) will be deducted from the total weight for each dead fish weighed in. The (1-pound) rule also applies to the Big Bass Competition. Big Bass Pot: It's the angler(s) responsibly to have any fish weighed for big fish prize. Ties: In case of ties, positions will be resolved by combining the awards and dividing those prizes equally.
LATE PENALTY: Failure to report to the official check-in point on time will result in a 1-pound per minute penalty, after 15 minutes, the entire weight will be lost.
PRE-ENTRY: There is a cut-off for all SBA Tournaments. Entries must be received by Monday prior to the Friday tournament. A $20.00 late fee per person will be charged after that day. All contestants must be paid members of Senior Bass Anglers Tournament Trail. IMPORTANT: To qualify for Classic based on participation, all 100% of entry fees must be paid before each tournament. No catching up! Teams that enter the tournament trail after the first tournament will not be eligible for the Classic.
SUBSTITUTIONS: A team is allowed two substitutions per year. However, no substitutes are allowed for the fish-off. All substitutes must pay a $25.00 Membership Fee.
LIABILITY INSURANCE: All members must carry a minimum of - $100,000 of liability insurance on any boat they might use during the SBA tournament. Failure to do so or reporting of false information will result in disqualification. Competitors must include the company name and either the policy number or the name of the agent binding the coverage on the entry for each tournament.