2012 General Tournament Rules & Procedures

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32nd Annual Greater Jacksonville
Kingfish Tournament & Festival

General Tournament Captain's Meeting: Wednesday, July 18th
6:30 PM - Liars' Tent

General Tournament - Thursday & Friday, July 19th -20th

Awards Ceremony - Saturday, July 21st at 6:00 PM - Liars' Tent

Registration Fee: $300 thru January 31st $350 thru June 30th

$400 thereafter.

Registration closes at 7:30 PM on Wednesday, July 18th OR when 600 boats are registered, whichever comes first.

2012 GENERAL TOURNAMENT RULES 

Registration

1.   Registration fees are non-refundable.

2.   Payment of the entry fee constitutes a representation by each Captain that the Captain has read and understands the Tournament Rules and that the Captain and crew will abide by such Rules and the decisions of the Tournament's Committees and Tournament personnel.

3.  The Tournament reserves the right to deny participation to any Captain or crewmember that violated Tournament rules in any previous tournament.

4.  Tournament Number and Official Pennant must be displayed on the boat in a prominent place.

Captain's Meetings

5.   All Captains or their authorized representative must attend one of the Captain's Meetings.  Captains are responsible for being informed of all Tournament Rules.

6.  The Tournament Rules Committee may amend the Tournament Rules at any time prior to the start of fishing.

Prizes

7.  All advertised cash prizes are based upon a minimum of 300 paid entries to the General Tournament and the Tournament reserves the right to adjust the prize structure if there are less than 300 paid entries. Only one General Tournament prize will be awarded per registered Captain. Additionally the Tournament awards prizes for Junior Angler Tournament, winnings under the Tournaments within the Tournament and other special awards and prizes. 

Boating Safety

8. Every boat must meet all Federal, State and Local safety regulations for its size.

9. All boats must be equipped with an operating Marine VHF-FM radio of at least 25 watts.  Handheld VHF radios are not permitted as the primary radio. All Captains are responsible for monitoring the official Tournament radio channel for Tournament announcements.

10.  The use of marine radios during the Tournament must comply with the FCC and USCG regulations. The use of profane or derogatory remarks may result in disqualification.

11.  Violation of any statute or marine regulation or directive by a Captain or crew may be grounds for disqualification in the sole discretion of the Tournament Rules Committee. 

Check Out and Check In

12.  All boats must leave from an official check out location as designated by the Rules Committee and announced at the Captains Meetings. All vessels must check out with a designated Committee Check-Out Boat or Check-Out location. 

13.  All boats weighing fish MUST ENTER and check in with the North Side Committee Boat through the St. Johns River inlet, and be west of the North Side Committee Boat by 5:30 p.m.

14. All boats not weighing fish MUST check in with the Committee Boat by phone or VHF radio by 7:00 p.m.  Boats checking in after 6:30 p.m. must do so by phone or VHF radio. 

Fishing

15.  No boat may make a landfall or receive or pass anything to or from land or enter any inlet after Check Out before the boat has checked in.  In the event any boats come together, regardless of the reason, or anything is passed between boats for any reason after the official start of that day's fishing and before each boat has weighed in, then such boats shall be disqualified for that day of fishing.  Exceptions may be granted by the Rules Committee for emergencies.
16.  Hours of fishing are from 6:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. each day, unless terminated by the Tournament's Rules Committee.

17.  No boat registered in the Tournament is allowed to fish or take bait in the Atlantic Ocean as of 7:30 p.m. on the day prior to the scheduled start of the General Tournament.

18.  One day of fishing constitutes a complete Tournament for all purposes. Four hours of fishing on any one day constitutes a day of fishing.

19.  All fish must be taken on rod and reel.  Special exceptions may be granted by the Rules Committee, in advance of the Tournament, on requests made for a physically challenged angler.

20.  The maximum number of fishing lines in the water at any time is six.

Weighing-In Fish

21.  Only one Kingfish (Scomberomorus Cavalla), one Cobia (Rachycentron Canadum), one Dolphin (Coryphaena Hippurus) and one Wahoo ( Acanthocybium Solandri) will be eligible for the official weigh-in each day.        

22.  All fish must be brought to the weigh-in station by the boat on which they were caught.

23.  Boats weighing fish must reach the weigh-in unassisted.

24.  All fish submitted for weigh-in must be of legal size, fresh, edible condition and caught the same Tournament day.

25.  No mutilated fish will be weighed.  "Mutilation" is defined as any damage, which impairs the fish's fighting ability, and the Weigh Master will make all decisions regarding mutilation.

26.  All fish weighed become property of the Tournament.

27.  Fish to be weighed must be put on the dock and carried to the scales by a member of the boat's crew.  Shoes are required by all participants coming to the scales and a personal floatation device is required if a Jr. Angler leaves a boat. 

28.  All information printed on the weigh-in slip, including but not limited to the official weight, as accepted by the person who brings the fish to the scale, is binding on the Captain.

29.  In the event of a tie in fish weights, the winner shall be determined by the earliest check in time as recorded by the St. Johns River Committee Check In boat.

Boat Classification

30.  Division II is a division of boats whose Length Overall (LOA) does not exceed 23’11”.  Division I consists of all other boats.

Protest
31.  Any protest must be submitted to the Weigh Master in writing within thirty minutes after the closing of the weigh-in station on the day the disqualifying event occurs.  Only a Captain registered in the Tournament may file a protest.  Each protest must be accompanied by a one hundred dollar ($100.00) deposit.  In the event the protest is upheld, the deposit will be refunded.  If the protest is not upheld, the deposit will be forfeited.  The decisions of the Rules Committee are binding regarding any protest. 
Polygraph

32.  All Captains and crew agree to submit to a polygraph at the request of the Tournament.  Failure to submit to such an examination will result in disqualification of the Boat at the sole discretion of the Rules Committee.

Miscellaneous

33.  Any matter not specifically covered by these rules may be decided by and at the sole discretion of the Tournament's Rules Committee and the decisions of the Rules Committee shall be binding.  The Tournament reserves the right to delay, cancel or reschedule the Tournament if weather conditions are unfavorable or unsafe in the sole judgment of the Tournament’s Rules Committee.  In the event that the Tournament shall be delayed or rescheduled due to any cause beyond the control of Jacksonville Marine Charities, Inc. d/b/a The Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament, no entry fee shall be refunded to the entrants and entrants shall have no claim against Jacksonville Marine Charities, Inc., for return of any portion of the entry fee.

34.  Anglers who are Southern Kingfish Association members are responsible for compliance with the Rules of their Association and the SKA is solely responsible for enforcement the rules which may differ from these Tournament Rules.

35. Anglers entered into the University Kingfish Cup Challenge who record the largest Kingfish will have a scholarship in their name presented to their favorite school and receive a plaque to be displayed in the Kingfish Tournament lobby and the right to have your schools flag flown during the 2013 tournament. To qualify for the University Cup Challenge the crew must consist of at least one alumni, student or parent of an alumni or student of that university.

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