1. SAFETY: Safe boating conduct must be observed at all times. Each competitor is required to wear a Coast Guard approved life preserver whenever the combustion engine is operating. All boats must be equipped with an ignition kill switch. A lanyard is to be attached to the boat kill switch and operator any time the combustion engine is operating. Violation of this rule shall be reason for disqualification.

2. SPORTSMANSHIP: Tournament competitors are expected to adhere to high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation. Any infraction of these fundamental sporting principles may be deemed cause for disqualification. Consumption of alcoholic beverages or illegal possession or use of a controlled substance during the tournament or tournament functions will be grounds for disqualification from that event and all further Anglers Dream events. Any contestants cited for a violation of state, marine, fishing or conservation laws will be disqualified.

3. TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT: Only artificial lures may be used. (No live or prepared bait will be allowed with the exception of pork strips, rinds, etc. Commercial fish attractants are allowed) Only one casting or spinning rod, 8’ maximum length may be used at any time. Any competitor found to have in his possession equipment or baits not permitted will be disqualified.

4. HORSEPOWER REGULATIONS: Only Boats and Motors that are in compliance with the B.I.A. horsepower rating will be allowed to participate.

5. BASIC BOAT EQUIPMENT: Every boat must have all required Coast Guard safety equipment, in addition to a live well properly aerated to adequately maintain a live five bass team limit.

6. PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS: Fishing on tournament waters is permitted anywhere except those areas designated off limits on the day of the tournament or within 50 yards of another competitor’s boat which was first anchored. All angling must be done from the boat. Contestants may not depart the boat to retrieve a fish. The boat must remain in legal tournament waters on tournament days. Both team members must remain in the boat at all times except in the case of dire emergency.

7. OFFICIAL CHECK POINT: There shall be only one (1) official point for check out in the morning and check in for the afternoon. At the time of check out all boats are expected to be within full compliance of the rules.

8. SCORING: Tournament standing and final winners shall be determined by the pound and fraction of a pound of each teams catch during the day. Only largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass will be weighed. All contestants are bound by the prevailing statutes and regulations of the state in which they are participating. All bass must be caught live and in a conventional sporting manner. Any fish deemed caught foul hooked will not be weighed. At no time shall a contestant have more fish in possession than the designated limit for a team for the event. In the event that a team has more fish in their possession than the described limit, tournament officials shall cull the fish to the tournament limit starting with the largest fish down to the limit described.

9. DEAD FISH PENALTY: A penalty of one-half (1/2) of a pound will be deducted for each dead fish brought in at the time of weigh-in.

10. ELIGIBILITY: Participation is open to anglers of either sex who are members of Anglers Dream. One member of each team must be eighteen (18) years of age or older. Anglers Dream LLC reserves to right to accept or decline any memberships.

11. REGISTRATION: An official Anglers Dream entry form must be filled out and signed by both participants for each event they fish. At least one (1) member of the team must be present for the registration. Failure to register during the prescribed time shall result in loss of starting position and reassigned to the back of field.

12. STARTING POSITIONS: Starting positions will be drawn at the mandatory pre tournament meeting at that event.

13. PAIRINGS: This is a “fish with your buddy” tournament. Two anglers per boat. Angling or non-angling guest are not permitted.

14. SUBSTITUTION: To be considered an established team both members must fish together in at least three events. Each team member may have a substitute once during the season. This substitute must either be a regular member of Anglers Dream or pay the substitute fee of $20 per event. Substitutes and team numbers are to be identified on the entry forms. A member may fish alone.

15. PRE-TOURNAMENT PRACTICE: Practice or Scouting of fish will be allowed with the following exceptions. No fishing or boating will be allowed on the tournament waters on the day of the event from 12:01 A.M. until the start of the event.

16. NO WAKE ZONES: All no wake zones and areas are NO PASS zones unless the boat being passed is fishing, gives permission to pass, is inoperable or multiple boat lanes permit a different route to be taken.

17. SHORT FISH PENALTY: Any fish presented for weigh-in by a contestant that fails to measure the minimum size limit designated for the event shall not be counted in the days totals. In addition, the largest fish of that days catch for that team shall also be culled.

18. LATE PENALTY: Competitors who have not arrived at the appointed time shall be penalized one pound per each minute that they are late. Any team over ten minutes late will lose credit for that days entire catch.

19. TIES: In the event of a tie, big bass will break stringer ties and heavy stringer will break big bass ties.

20. COMPLIANCE: It shall be the sole responsibility of all entrants to comply with the said rules and regulations.

21. RULINGS: The Tournament Director and his designated appointees shall reserve the right for rules interpretations and rulings thereof. Furthermore, the tournament committee reserves the right to change dates or sites of any given tournament. Any protest must be in writing, signed by the protestor, and filed within ten minutes after weigh-in. The decision of the tournament officials in all rulings shall be final. Any and all contestants are subject to a truth verification exam ( polygraph test), at the discretion of the tournament director or official. Failure to take and successfully complete this test is reason for disqualification and forfeit of all prizes from this and all future Anglers Dream events. All members agree to give Anglers Dream LLC permission to take and publish any photos and/or videos during any Anglers Dream events.

DIVISIONAL ANGLERS OF THE YEAR AWARD:
Directors Option

There will be $3 from each entry set in a pool. From that trophies will be purchased for this award and the remainder of the fund will be awarded to the top point finisher. If the directors decide not to have this pool the money will be put back in the on site pay back. In the Nomads division $5 from each Nomad membership will go to the Nomad Anglers of the Year Team award. Teams will be allowed to change to Nomads during the year but that team will not be qualified for the Nomads Anglers of the Year award.

2012 Tournament of Champions

To qualify for this event two entrants must be designated as a team on the entry forms for the qualifying events that they participated in. They also must enter a minimum of five events during the season and must accumulate 160 or more points in their best five events in any one division. Points are accumulated in the following manner. Events with less then ten boats will receive 40 points for first place, 39 for second, on down to 30. For tournaments over 10 teams, first place will be 30 points plus the number of teams participating. If there are 22 teams first place will be 52 points (30 plus 22) second place 51 and so on down. There will be a minimum of 30 awarded to any team that enters an event. Entry fees for the Tournament of Champions will be $160 due by Sept. 14. Entries received after Sept 14 will be assessed a $40 late fee. The 2012 Tournament of Champions will take place on Sept. 21 and Sept. 22 and will be held on Kentucky Lake. The tournament headquarters for the event will be the KenLake Marina. Weigh in will be at the pavilion in the KenLake State Park Tennis Court Area. There will be NO off limits. There will be a mandatory pre tournament meeting on Thursday Sept. 20 at 5:00 pm inside the KenLake State Park Tennis Court facility, dinner will be provided. No entries will be allowed after that time.