Team Trail Rules

2022 Ohio BASS Nation Bassmaster Team Championship Trail OFFICIAL RULES

Effective January 1, 2022

The following rules shall apply to the Ohio BASS Nation Bassmaster Team Championship Trail, Here after the Ohio BASS Nation is referred to as the OBN. Interpretation and enforcement of these rules shall be left exclusively to the Tournament Director or his/her designee at a tournament. In the event of a rule violation, the Tournament Director or a rules committee may impose such sanctions as deemed appropriate by them, including without limitation, disqualification, forfeiture of prizes, and prohibition from participation in subsequent tournaments. Subject to the appeal process set forth in paragraph 19 below, the decision of the Tournament Director, his/her designee, or the rules committee, shall be final in all matters.

Penalties for rules violations may include the following:

a) reduction of competition hours as determined by the Tournament Director
b) loss of one or more fish in question. All such fish must be marked verified by either your partner or boat captain. If not verified the entire catch may be disqualified.
c) loss of catch for the day of the violation
d) disqualification from the tournament in question
e) disqualification from future OBN \ B.A.S.S. events, which may be from a specific number of events, a specific period of time, or may be a lifetime disqualification.
f) any different or additional penalties determined by the Tournament Director.

PARTICIPANTS AND ELIGIBILITY:

(i) Participation in this tournament is by invitation only. This tournament is open only to B.A.S.S. Team members, recognized by a sanctioned the OBN. Teams must consist of two people. Team members are not interchangeable. Teams qualifying for the Bassmaster Team Championship must consist of the same two anglers that began the season as a team, exceptions in case of an emergency may be granted with permission from the OBN Tournament director. Teams must compete as a Team for at least one event. A team member can compete individually with permission from tournament director for up to 3 events. However, full time Bassmaster Elite Series or FLW Tour pros or any candidate for competition who, in the judgment of the Tournament Director, is disabled in such a manner as to endanger the safety and well-being of his/her partner or themselves shall not be eligible.

(ii) During the official practice and competition days of any B.A.S.S tournament, no competitor may operate a boat unless that competitor has documented proof of a minimum of $300,000 per occurrence boat owners liability insurance covering the boat being used in the tournament. Proof of insurance must be with the boat being used and must cover all passengers in that boat. Random checks will be conducted and any competitor who does not have proof of in-force insurance with $300,000 coverage may be disqualified. Each policy must show an effective start and expiration date. Tournament officials have sole authority to determine if insurance policies meet B.A.S.S., LLC requirements.

(iii) A properly completed and signed official entry form or online entry, from each team member, must be received by the B.A.S.S. tournament department on or before the application deadline date. The Tournament Director reserves the right to discontinue acceptance of applications prior to deadline and also the right to extend the acceptance date. As a participant in an OBN \ B.A.S.S. Team sanctioned tournaments and/or the Bassmaster Team Championship, you agree, if you qualify and are invited to be a competitor in the Bassmaster Team Championship and/or the Bassmaster Classic conducted by B.A.S.S., to use during the Bassmaster Team Championship or Bassmaster Classic, any and all official products and equipment so specified and provided by B.A.S.S.

ANGLER CODE OF CONDUCT

Anglers participating in any OBN \ B.A.S.S. sanctioned event shall observe this code of conduct and the applicable rules for the specific event in which they are participating. Anglers shall, at all times, conduct themselves in a manner becoming of professional anglers that will not reflect unfavorably on The OBN or B.A.S.S. and the OBN, its members, officers or representatives, tournaments or sponsors.

To this end, anglers, parents, family members and friends of anglers shall use their best efforts to demonstrate professionalism and integrity in support of the sport of professional fishing. Any angler, parent, family member or friend of anglers who violate any of the provisions of the Angler Code of Conduct may subject the anglers to forfeiture of tournament winnings, suspension from competing in individual OBN \ B.A.S.S. sanctioned events, permanent ban from competition, or any combination thereof deemed appropriate by B.A.S.S. MEDIA COMMENTS, PUBLIC ATTACKS. The favorable public reputation of the OBN and B.A.S.S. as a sanctioning organization in the sport of fishing, the integrity of its officials, and the reputation of its media properties are valuable assets and tangible benefits for B.A.S.S. Accordingly, it is an obligation of competitors to refrain from comments to the news media that unreasonably attack or disparage the integrity of tournaments, tournament officials, sponsors, fellow members, fellow anglers or the B.A.S.S. organization. Competitors, parents, family members and /or friends of competitors are encouraged to express themselves and have the right to question the rules officials. Responsible expressions of legitimate disagreement with B.A.S.S. policies are encouraged as opposed to attacks upon the integrity of the rules or officials. However, public comments that an angler, parent, family member and/or friend, knows, or should reasonably know, will harm the reputation of B.A.S.S., B.A.S.S. officials or sponsors shall be considered conduct unbecoming a professional and may result in disciplinary action.

PRACTICE AND COMPETITION:

(i) Special off limits and practice periods for an OBN / Bassmaster Team Championship Trail event may be announced by the Trail tournament director

(ii) There will be two (2) official practice days immediately prior to the first day of competition. The competitor must know and observe these dates. During official practice and competition a competitor can only have the assistance or advice of another competitor for the purposes of locating or catching bass on tournament waters. Competitors may only fish with other competitors during official practice or OBN members fishing the OBN trail should the events fall on the same weekend. Flying over tournament waters, other than a ticketed commercial airline, is prohibited during official practice and competition unless approved by the tournament director. The use of drones for the purposes of locating or catching fish or to gain a competitive advantage is prohibited in both official practice and competition. During the official practice competitors are not allowed to live well or keep any bass unless they have permission from tournament officials.

No practicing at night

(iii) Testing of engines after the weigh-in is only allowed with permission from the Tournament Director. NO EXCEPTIONS. During the official practice and during the tournament, a competitor may not “SKIN DIVE” or “SCUBA DIVE” in the tournament waters.

(iv) No competitor may buy or barter a fishing location from anyone for use during any competition day. Once daily cuts are determined by tournament officials, competitors not making the cut are no longer considered in the tournament. Competitors making cut may not receive information under rule 3

(v) During the official competition days of the tournament a competitor may not make cell calls for the purpose of locating or catching fish on tournament waters. Cell phones may be used for emergency situations. Competitors are allowed to call lock masters for locking purposes only. Competitors are allowed to use smart phones for global maps, weather, power generation, tidal charts, notes, etc., however using smart phones during competition to log into daily tournament blogs is not permitted.

(vi) A designated tournament official must be granted access to the competitor’s boat at any time during the official practice or competition days. Failure to grant such access may result in immediate disqualification.

(vii) Each competitor/team agrees to report to the Tournament Director immediately any violation or infraction of any Tournament Rules. Failure to report violations or suggestions to another competitor/team that they violate these Rules or false verification of weigh-in forms will be cause for disqualification. OFFICIAL PROTESTS MUST BE FILED IN WRITING AND ALL PARTIES OF INTEREST WILL BE PROVIDED A COPY.

By his/her signature on the official tournament entry form or competing in the event, each competitor/team agrees to submit to a truth verification test and abide by its conclusion.

The B.A.S.S. Tournament Director, rules committee or such person designated by the Tournament Director shall have the discretion to determine the need for a truth verification test. The B.A.S.S. Tournament Director or his/her designee shall be responsible for selecting an independent expert to administer and interpret the results and establishing, in consultation with the expert administrator, the scope of the questions which may be asked during the test. The B.A.S.S. Tournament Director or his/her designee shall have sole responsibility selecting the location, date, and time of the test, with respect to all concerned parties schedule and travel cost. The competitor/team shall make themselves available at the location selected by the Tournament Director and shall cooperate in all respects with such test. Anglers taking a truth verification test may be responsible for any and all costs incurred. Random truth verifications tests may be administered on site during the course of a B.A.S.S. Team Trail Championship.

REGISTRATION:

Each competitor/team must register in person with the official OBN Tournament staff at the time and place designated in the schedule of events Any competitor/team, who has not contacted a OBN Tournament officail15 minutes after the closing of the posted on-site registration period, may be disqualified from participating in the tournament. It shall be each competitor’s/team’s responsibility to either check the schedule of events for registration time and location or obtain times from an OBN Tournament official. Online registration must be complete by the Tuesday morning at 8am one week prior to the start of the event. Any entries received after the 8am deadline, a receipt must be given to T.D. prior to start of the event Saturday morning. Mail in entries must be postmarked TWO WEEKS prior to the event date. All refund requests must be done through the tournament director no later than 3 days prior to the event. There will be a 20 dollar processing fee charged for all refunds. Ramp Registration is also acceptable.

a) Online, Mail in, and Cash (at ramp) payments are the only accepted methods of tournament entry. Any bad check fees will be the responsibility of the angler and not the OBN.
b) Phone in registrations will NOT be accepted.
c) Payment with Cash at the Ramp is acceptable.
d) By using OBN online registration you agree to the rules and the indemnifications listed in the rules without signing any official document. Mail in and ramp entries must incorporate the official entry form with a signature.

SAFETY:

(i) Safe boat conduct must be observed at all times by competitors. During the official practice and competition, each competitor must wear a Coast Guard-approved chest-type life preserver anytime the combustion engine is in operation. This preserver must be strapped, snapped or zippered securely, and maintained in that condition until the combustion engine is out of gear or shut off. Inflatable life vest indicators should be checked daily. Violation of this rule may be reason for disqualification. Inflatable PFD’s are allowed as long as U.S. Coast Guard regulations are met. The Coast Guard requires that inflatable PFD’s must be worn at all times unless there is an equal number of non-inflatable Coast Guard approved PFD’’s on board. It is suggested, the boater have a safety check with his/her partner prior to launch to familiarize the location of all safety equipment.

(ii) When boating in low visibility situations i.e. fog, heavy rain, during both practice and competition, competitors must operate their boats at a safe speed and in a safe manner as determined by tournament officials.

(iii) Radar units permanently mounted in the boat, subject to approval by B.A.S.S., may be approved for competition.

(iv) Tournament officials have the right to delay, shorten or cancel the start of an official tournament day because of bad weather or other factors that would endanger the safety of the competitors. Tournament waters may also be restricted at any time because of bad weather. Weather delays on full field days, of multi day events, resulting in half of the tournament day being lost (first flight take off and check in) shall result in cancellation. Full fields may be carried over to cut days.

(v)The OBN reserves the right to impose boat speed limits on any or all tournaments. Whether or not to impose a speed limit, the area covered by the speed limit and/or the actual speed limit imposed shall be left exclusively to the discretion of the Tournament Director.

(vi) IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, COMPETITORS SHOULD CALL 911 FIRST AND ONCE SAFE THEN NOTIFY TOURNAMENT OFFICIALS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

(vii) COMPETITORS ARE ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE BOAT AND SEEK SAFE SHELTER IN BAD WEATHER WHERE DANGER MAY BE IMMINENT.

SPORTSMANSHIP:

Competitors in OBN tournaments are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation. Any infraction of these fundamental sporting principles may be deemed cause for disqualification.

(i) Use of alcohol, tobacco or drugs (other than those purchased over the counter or prescribed by a licensed physician) by any competitor during the official practice or during the tournament will not be tolerated and shall be cause for automatic disqualification from this and all future OBN tournaments. No alcoholic beverages, or other non-prescription stimulants or depressants shall be allowed in the boats during the official practice or competition days, or when in the weigh-in area.

(ii) Maximum courtesy must be practiced at all times, especially with regard to boating and angling in the vicinity of non-competitors who may be on tournament waters. Any act of a competitor, which reflects unfavorably upon efforts to promote fisheries conservation, clean waters, and courtesy shall be reason for disqualification.

(iii) All competitors are bound by the prevailing statutes and regulations of the various states within which they fish. Competitors are responsible for research of fishing and boating regulations.

(iv) Chemical-substance addiction or abuse, conviction of a felony or other crimes involving moral turpitude, or other conduct reflecting unfavorably upon efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship, fair competition and compliance with tournament rules shall be grounds for rejecting any application for participation and/or for disqualification after circumstances are reviewed by the Tournament Director. Any disqualification, suspension from, or other disciplinary action regarding any tournament or fishing organization, shall be grounds for rejecting any application for participation in a OBN Tournament and/or for disqualification from a OBN tournament after circumstances are reviewed by the Tournament Committee.

TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT:

During practice and competition no more than one artificial or biodegradable artificial lure may be attached to a line at one time. One lure is defined as a single man made device designed to attract and/or catch one fish at a time. Adding trailer hooks, plastic trailers, blades, etc., to a single lure is acceptable. If multiple fish are caught on a single man made lure, on a single cast, all fish are considered legal and may be added to the daily catch subject to scoring rules (C16). No “live bait,” “dead bait,” or “prepared bait” will be permitted during official practice and competition, with the exception of pork strips or rinds. Any umbrella-type rigging, harness, or other device designed to hold more than one lure at a time – with or without hooks – is not allowed. Such rigging, harness, or device cannot be added to a single lure as described above. Traditional twin arm spinnerbaits or buzzbaits are allowed. Trailer hooks and plastic trailers must be on the main hook of the bait; only spinner blades can be affixed to the arms. The head on the main stem may be hinged. On these spinnerbaits or buzzbaits, no more than two wires, with a maximum length of 6 inches, may extend off the main arm or body of the lure. The “head and hook” portion of the lure must trail behind the blade or blades. OBN officials have the sole authority to determine whether a lure is considered a single lure as defined above. Only ONE casting, spin casting or spinning rod (10-foot maximum length from butt of handle to rod tip) and reel may be used at any one time. NO fly rods permitted. A hung or snagged lure that is not in or on the water is not considered in use and may be set aside while another is in use. Other rigs as specified above may be in the boat ready for use; however, only ONE is permitted is use at any given time. If a competitor breaks his line while setting the hook or retrieving a fish, he is allowed to make an attempt with the rod being used or with his hands to secure the visible line and land the fish for it to be counted as legal. He may NOT hook the line with another lure, rod and reel, or other device. Anyone guilty of snatching or snagging visible fish will have their catch disqualified. When visually fishing for bedding bass, to be counted as a legal fish, all bass must be hooked inside the mouth and must be verified by your partner before being unhooked. With the mouth closed naturally, you must not be able to see where the hook point enters the fish to be considered hooked inside the mouth. Competitors are allowed to share baits and tackle at all times with one another, including Competitors who have been cut from competition.

HORSEPOWER REGULATIONS:

Maximum horsepower for all outboard motorboats used in official tournament practice and in tournament competition will be 250 HP. Horsepower cannot exceed the limitations set by the U.S. Coast Guard. When required, each boat must have a U.S. Coast Guard horsepower-rating must NOT exceed the rating specified on this plate nor the horsepower maximum set by B.A.S.S. Each competitor agrees to submit, by their signature on the official entry form, the plate attached to the boat by the manufacturer. The horsepower of the outboard engine boat and outboard motor used in the tournament, to an inspection by factory-trained personnel, if there is reason to suspect the horsepower is in excess of the rating. Normal maintenance of engines is allowed. Changing or altering standard factory parts of a competitor’s engine to increase the horsepower over the factory horsepower rating, is forbidden and will result in disqualification. Falsifying information on entry forms, or altering the horsepower-rating numbers on the engine, is also cause for immediate disqualification from OBN tournaments. Posted speed limits and those imposed by the OBN must be observed and all boats must be operated in a safe manner. Violations of speed limits shall result in loss of competition hours and not limited to disqualification

BOAT AND MOTOR:

These restrictions apply during official practice and competition. For the safety of all competitors, all boats must be equipped with an approved type of operable ignition kill switch and lanyard. Only one manufactured lanyard may be used and it must be attached to the driver’s body any time the combustion engine is operating and in gear. Any time the combustion engine is operating and in gear, there must be a driver in the driver’s seat in full control of the boat. Fishing boats that are 16 feet or more in length may be used. Any raised platforms or decks cannot be higher than the gunnels of the boat. Standing on the outboard or seats while fishing, is not allowed. An electric trolling motor may be used for slow maneuvering. However, trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited. The strolling or long line technique is only allowed with the trolling motor. No exceptions. All bladder tanks, and any other type of auxiliary gas tanks that are not installed by the boat manufacturer, are prohibited. Additional gas tanks that are factory options, installed by a manufacturer’s authorized dealer, are permitted. Boats that do not have factory-installed gas tanks are restricted to a maximum of 18 gallons of gasoline, in tanks that meet U.S. Coast Guard regulations. Gas tanks must be properly secured or strapped in a boat. No portable gas tanks, or containers capable of holding gasoline, can be placed anywhere on the tournament waters or shoreline for use by any tournament competitor. No “barges” or similar craft will be permitted. No boat equipped with “stick steering” shall be permitted to be used by any competitor. “Stick steering” shall be as defined by the Tournament Director. Jet drive engines are not allowed during both official practice and competition.

BASIC BOAT EQUIPMENT:

During official practice and competition, every boat must have all required Coast Guard safety equipment and a functional bilge pump. During official competition, every boat must have live-well space, properly aerated, to adequately maintain alive, a limit catch of Bass. OBN recommends live wells be maintained at full level and aerators/re-circulators on manual. Tournament officials shall have the sole responsibility for determining whether aeration and capacity is proper and adequate.

BOAT IDENTIFICATION:

Prior to each day’s start, each boat must be given an inspection check by a tournament official. Each day, each boat may be given a number, which must remain with the boat. This number must be displayed upon the request of tournament officials, and at each check-in.

PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS:

Tournament waters shall be established by the Tournament Director for each tournament. Each competitor/team must obtain this information from the OBN. Tournament Director. Any water within these boundaries posted “Off-Limits” or “No Fishing” by state or federal agencies as well as the Live-Bass release area established by the Tournament Director will be OFF-LIMITS and will be announced at the Tournament Briefing. Only that water open to ALL public fishing will be considered tournament waters. All angling must be done from the boat. Competitors wishing to change fish habitat by placing any object in the tournament waters may do so if such action does not violate state or federal regulations. Prior to the tournament registration, any questionable areas must be brought to the attention of tournament officials to be considered tournament waters and may be announced in the briefing for all to hear unless determined otherwise by tournament officials. Tournament officials reserve the right to restrict or enhance tournament waters based on conversations with local authorities.

COMPETITORS MUST REMAIN IN BOAT:

During the competition days, competitors must not depart the boat to land fish or to make the boat more accessible to fishing waters. Boats must remain in tournament waters during tournament days. Competitors must leave from and return to official checkpoints by boat. Both competitors must remain in boat at all times except in case of dire emergency or with permission from the Tournament Director. Exceptions spelled out in rules 5, 13 and 16. In such an emergency, or with permission from the Tournament Director, competitors may be removed from their boat to either a boat operated by other competitors or a rescue boat designated by the Tournament Director. Partners must remain together at all times, in sight of each other and each other’s catch under the conditions cited above, in order for their catch of that day to be scored in the tournament. In the event of a needed restroom break a refueling situation at a marina gas pump, contestants are allowed to leave the boat, at which time all fishing must cease until partners are back together in the boat. If a competitor violates any of the above conditions, (to contact a tournament official by phone or other means or to report an emergency or breakdown), both competitors must cease fishing at this point, and their catch must be verified by a tournament official in order to be counted in the tournament. If, after the emergency situation is resolved by tournament officials, and enough time is left for the competitors to resume fishing, a RESTART will be allowed, the competitors will continue and their catch will be counted. This applies only to dire emergency situations as determined by the Tournament Director or his/her designee. Towing boats on trailers during tournament hours is prohibited, except by the direction of tournament officials. Competitors are allowed to leave the boat to retrieve a lure. All fishing by that competitor must cease until back in the boat before making another cast.

OFFICIAL CHECKPOINTS:

There shall be only one official check point for check-out in the morning, and one official check-in point in the afternoon, which points shall be designated at the tournament briefing. Failure to go through boat check and check-out in the morning or failure to check-in at the check-in point in the afternoon may result in disqualification. At the time of check-out, all competitors and their boats shall be in full conformity with all rules set forth by the Tournament Director. At check-in, all boats shall identify themselves by means of the numbers described in Rule 11 and proceed immediately to the designated weigh-in area. Partners must stay together, through the weigh-in process.

SCORING:

Tournament standings, contingency awards and final winners shall be determined by the pound and ounce weight of each team’s catch during the competition days of the tournament. Only Largemouth, Smallmouth, Spotted, Redeye or Shoal bass will be weighed. The limit shall be 5 of the above species and varieties per day, unless otherwise specified by tournament officials. (example – hot weather/fish care concerns) At no time shall a team have in their possession more than the tournament limit. If a team determines they have over the limit they must immediately reduce their catch to the tournament limit with a live bass of their choice from their catch. In the event tournament officials or the competitor observe more than the allowable limit is in boat or at weigh-in, tournament officials will cull beginning with the largest fish until the competitors reduced to the legal limit. In this case, competitors must attempt to notify tournament officials and if unsuccessful must notify officials at check in. Once a competitor checks in they must present all legal bass to tournament officials at the verification table. If competitors at the verification table have more than the tournament limit, the T.D. will reduce with live bass to the tournament limit and each returned bass will result in a 4 oz penalty to be deducted from their daily score. If a competitor has his/her fish verified, weighed and upon returning to the boat discovers additional fish over the tournament limit that were not presented to officials; he/she then must notify tournament officials within one hour of final flight check in to receive a 4 oz. penalty for each bass discovered. The official length for bass shall be determined by the Tournament Director and announced at the Tournament Briefing. The official length for bass shall be determined by the Tournament Director and announced at the Tournament Briefing. In most cases it will be the longest state limit covering the tournament waters. Only bass as described above which measure the official length or more on the longest straight line, shall be weighed. Bass presented for weigh-in, which fail to measure the official length, shall result in a penalty of 1 pound for each such bass, which penalty shall be deducted from the total score of the team. Any bass that appears to have been mangled, mashed, mauled or otherwise altered will be weighed and credited only at the discretion of tournament officials. After teams check in at the official checkpoint they MUST present all LEGAL fish in their possession to a tournament official to be counted, measured and weighed. Once a team’s catch is measured, counted and verified by a tournament official, that team may not return to the boat until their catch has been weighed and recorded. Bass must not be stringered at any time during the tournament. Culling tags or clips are allowed. Specially designed bags which increase survival rate will be furnished by the Tournament Director and must be used for the weigh-in.

CATCH AND RELEASE:

CULLING OF DEAD BASS IS PROHIBITED. For each legal dead bass presented to weigh-in officials, the team shall be penalized 4 oz. The Tournament Director or his designees shall have sole authority for accessing penalty points. In addition, the Tournament Director, or his/her designees, may reduce tournament hours or tournament limits for fish care purposes. It is suggested in warm weather tournaments anglers keep extra ice for fish care. Teams are allowed to purchase ice on the water; however they are not allowed to receive ice from non competitors. For fish care concerns, the verification table will open one hour prior to check in time of the first flight. SMALL DIP NETS FOR CULLING PURPOSES ARE ENCOURAGED. It is recommended teams keep all bass in live wells during the culling process. Placing bass on the boat carpet during culling is not advised. Non penetrable culling clips are recommended. Proper fizzing technique is suggested when needed. For instructions on acceptable fizzing practices please contact tournament officials.

LATE PENALTY:

Teams who are not at the official check-in point, as described in Rule 14, at the appointed time, shall be penalized at the rate of 1 pound per minute late to be deducted from the total weight of their catch that day, including any weight to be counted toward a “big bass award”. Any team more than 15 minutes late shall lose all credit for that day’s catch. There shall be no excuse for tardiness and in no case shall a team be allowed to make up “lost time.” After proper recognition at the check-in point, teams will be allowed ample time to proceed to the weigh-in site; however, all fishing must cease upon check-in. After the tournament begins, fishing the tournament waters is prohibited except during the tournament hours. Exact starting and check-in times will be announced at the tournament briefing. It is each team’s responsibility to confirm check-in times each day.

TOURNAMENT POINTS:

The OBN \ Bassmatser Team Trail will consist of 4 tournaments, of three will be used to determine in what place a team will finish. Points will be awarded as follows 1st 200, 2nd 199 3rd 198 and so on down the field to the last team to weigh a fish. The remaining teams will be awarded 100 points. Any team disqualified for a tournament will receive 0 points. There is NO drop event.

TIES:

At all OBN \ Bassmaster Team Championship Trail tournament, in case of a tie the OBN will resolve by the following four (4) tie breakers in the following order: (1) the heaviest single day catch during competition (2) if the tie is not broken, the next tiebreaker will be the second heaviest single day catch during competition. (3) if the tie is not broken, the next tiebreaker will be the largest number of legal fish weighed during competition; (4) if the tie is not broken, the next tiebreaker will be largest number of legal live fish weighed during competition. If the tie is not broken by applying the foregoing procedures, the tie will remain a tie, and monetary prizes will be awarded in an equal amount between the tied teams. In the instance where merchandise is involved, prizes will be awarded as determined by tournament officials. Should there be a tie for the team state champion there will be a sudden-death fish-off between the tied teams, under the direction and special rules established by tournament officials. In case of a tie at the end of the classic fish off portion of the tournament, there will be a sudden-death fish-off between the tied competitors.

RULES VIOLATIONS AND APPEALS COMMITTEE:

An appeals committee will be established by the Ohio B.A.S.S. Nation, which shall be comprised of one member of the board who is not the Tournament Director, and two anglers who are not competitors in the event in question. If two anglers can’t be identified then two other board members who are not the T.D. or President will be selected. Appeals for penalties assessed under PENALTIES (b), (c), (d), (e) & (f) must be presented in writing 48 hours from the time and date of ruling to the Tournament Director. Appeals hearings shall take place within seven (7) business days from the date of receipt of the written appeal and all parties must make themselves available at prescribed time of hearing. If competitors admit to a rules violation, they may not file an appeal of either the finding that they have violated the rules or the penalty imposed for the violation. Decisions of the appeals committee shall be final. Competitors are allowed to compete under appeal however penalties assessed under PENALTIES (e) and (f) will remain until final ruling by Appeals Committee. Appeals of non-competition rulings must be presented in writing to the Tournament Director within 48 hours from the time and date of ruling for review

PATCHES AND/OR SIGNAGE:

Anglers are encouraged to wear their own clothing which may bear patches, logos and other signage promoting the angler’s sponsors. Ohio B.A.S.S. Nation may, however, restrict the use of patches, logos, signage, etc. that promote or advertise products which are, in Ohio B.A.S.S. Nation’s sole judgment, in competition with the products or services of official Ohio B.A.S.S. Nation sponsors, or which are, in Ohio B.A.S.S. Nation’s sole judgment, in poor taste. Ohio B.A.S.S. Nation will provide as much advance notice as possible to the competitors in such instances.