Rules

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These rules apply to all contestants entering tournaments. Violations of any of these rules will result in an appropriate penalty or disqualification. It is each team’s responsibility to know and completely understand the rules set forth for these tournaments. All teams agree to report any rule violation to the tournament director immediately. The tournament director reserves the right, and at his sole discretion, to determine any and all penalties assessed. All contestants will be subject to a polygraph test. Failure to pass, or refusal to take a polygraph test could result in an immediate disqualification and banishment from all future Team Trail Outdoors LLC events. Protests must be in writing no more than 5 minutes after the weigh-in scales have closed. All decisions will be made at the discretion of Team Trail Outdoors tournament director and are final and not subject to an appeal.

Participation and eligibility

Participation in Team Trail Outdoors tournaments is open to anyone with a paid membership. At least one member from each team must be 18 years of age or older. Team Trail Outdoors LLC reserves the right to refuse entry to anyone.

Boat requirements

All entered boats must have all safety items required by the United States Coast Guard, a permanently mounted aeration system and no extended or raised fishing decks above the gunnel. All outboards shall not exceed the maximum horsepower rating of the United States Coast Guard.

State Laws

All state, local and federal laws must be obeyed.

Teams

• Teams: All teams shall consist of no more than two anglers, although a contestant may enter this tournament as a one- man team. Only registered teams are allowed in the boats during official tournament hours.
• Substitutions: All registered teams are allowed 1 substitution per calendar season. All substituted partners must pay the annual membership fees. All substituted partners will be eligible only if they meet the no-info and off – limits rule criteria.
• Exiting boats during official hours: With the exception of an emergency situation, both team members must remain in the boat during official tournament hours. If for any reason a team member has to get out of the boat, tournament director must be notified and all fishing must stop until both members are back in the boat. In the event of a snagged lure, teams may not get out of the boat to retrieve the lure. Both team-mates must remain in the boat to land a fish

Registrations

Entry Fees: Each tournament is $1,000 entry fee plus an optional side pot of $700.

Membership & Deposits: Registration can only be made online. Absolutely no phone calls will be taken for memberships and tournament deposits. Membership fees of $100 per person and deposit of $250 per event for all 4 events plus credit card fees will be required at pre-registration. Balances will be due prior to each event.

• Optional Side Pot: Participation is $700 and is optional per team per event. This entry must be paid at the time of each event when paying the balance for that event. Teams may not sign-up for the optional side pot after the balances have been paid. The side pot pays 1 place in 4 entries based on the number of teams participating.
• Balances: The initial 100 registered teams will be notified approximately 5 weeks prior to the start of each event via text message and email. The remaining balance as well as the optional side pot entry, for the upcoming event will be due no more than 7 days of the text/email. A one-time courtesy reminder will go out on the seventh day reminding everyone that balances are due immediately. Any team that fails to pay the remaining balance for the tournament during the seven-day grace period, will be scratched on the 8th day without notification and will forfeit the deposit. Teams on the waiting list will be invited by phone to fill any open spot until the 100-team field is full. Dates for the tournaments, deadlines for balances, and notifications are as follows:

• Waiting list: Once 100 teams are registered online, the next teams to register will automatically be placed on the waiting list and will be required to pay the deposits as listed above. Deposits for those on the waiting list are refundable if not used. If a registered team is scratched from the field, teams on the waiting list will be called in the order they signed up and invited to participate in the upcoming tournament until the 100-team capacity is met.
• Scratched Teams: Any team that pays a deposit for all three events and is scratched from one event because of non-payment of the balance for that particular event, will still have priority entry into all remaining events.
• Refunds: Membership fees and deposits are refundable at the end of the season for the waiting list only. Membership fees are nonrefundable to teams who participate in 1 or more events. Deposits are only refundable to those on the waiting list and only for those events they did not participate in. All membership fees, deposits, and tournament balances are not transferrable.

Practice

• Off limits: Off limits begins at midnight 10 days prior to the start of the official 2-day practice period. All registered teams will be notified via text/email of these dates and times for each tournament. During the official off-limits period, no team shall be on tournament waters for any reason. No team may walk the shoreline, access any structure that is open to the water, or use any kind of aviation fly-overs, including the use of drones.
• Official Practice: Official practice is Thursday and Friday prior to each event. Exact times for each day will be posted in the tournament details on that page. Times may be slightly different for each event so please be sure to check for each event.
• No-Info rule: Other than using publicly available information (e.g. newspaper reports and internet reports) No fishing information may be purchased, bartered, solicited, or received from any person who entered official tournament waters during the established off-limits period.

Safety

All teams must have a United States Coast Guard approved life vest on and buckled anytime the outboard is in gear. Waist belts are not acceptable for use while moving to another location. The driver of each vessel must have an emergency kill switch connected to his life vest anytime the outboard is in gear. Team Trail Outdoors LLC Staff reserves the right to make any changes for safety precautions. No alcohol or illegal drugs are allowed during tournament hours.

Sportsmanship

All teams entering tournaments are always expected to show true sportsmanship and common courtesy. No fishing is allowed within 25 yards of another entered team without mutual consent. No team, at any time, shall block an entry to a fishing area that is considered a public waterway.

Fishing times

All events will be a numbered take-off. Weigh-ins will be staggered flights and those flight times will be determined by each team’s boat draw. All teams are required to check-in with TTO staff by the time given with their respective flight numbers. For teams who check-in after their respective flight times, a one-pound penalty per minute (up to 15 minutes) will be deducted from their net weight of the day’s catch. Any team that is more than 15 minutes late, will not be able to weigh their catch for that day.

• Boat Numbers: All teams will draw boat numbers at Team Check- in on the Friday before each event. Dates and times for team check-ins will be sent out via text/email prior to the event.
• Take-Off: Teams will take off 1-100 on day one and 100-1 on day 2
• Trailering: In the event of unsafe conditions for a controlled start, Team Trail Outdoors, LLC reserves the rights to make the decision to trailer. If this decision is deemed necessary, all teams must use only the public ramps that are announced by Team Trail Outdoors.

Off Limits areas

All areas marked by state, federal, and local authorities, as well as any areas marked by Team Trail Outdoors LLC Staff are not allowed to be fished (no exceptions). All bridges (marked or unmarked) are considered no wake zones. No fishing within 100 feet of any operating gas pump.

Fishing methods

Only one rod and reel may be used at one time by each team member. All fish must be caught alive and on artificial bait with the exception of pork trailers. Both team members must remain in the boat to land a fish.
• Assistance: During hours of competition, teams may not receive information from non-competitors or participate in the practice of hole sitting. The use of any mobile communication device to communicate fishing information during tournament hours is strictly prohibited.
• Sight Fishing: As described in the Boat requirement section, no extended or raised fishing decks above the gunnel are allowed. Snagging a bedding fish is strictly prohibited.
• Casting: A legal cast consist of one team member, one rod and reel, and casting no further than he can personally cast without the additional use of the trolling motor or combustible engine. Trolling, strolling and long lining is strictly prohibited.
• Umbrella Rigs: Umbrella rigs are not allowed in these tournaments

Length requirements and scoring

All live fish become the property of Team Trail Outdoors, LLC and will be released back into tournament waters following each day’s weigh in. Any dead fish weighed will remain the property of the Angler and it is his responsibility to dispose of properly and in accordance to the Texas Game and Fishing Laws and/or any local regulations.

• Species: Only Largemouth, Smallmouth and Kentucky Spotted Bass will be allowed to weigh-in.
• Lengths: Team Trail Outdoors will utilize length requirements set forth by each lake governing officials at each event and will be announced before all tournaments. The official measuring board will be the PRO RULE.
• Bag Limits: No more than 5 legal bass are allowed in the live well at any time during tournament hours. No culling of a dead fish. A dead fish cannot be weighed in for big bass competition.
• Penalties: A 1-pound penalty and loss of fish will be assessed for any and all fish that do not meet the minimum size requirements. A .50-pound penalty will be assessed for any and all dead fish being weighed-in. For teams who check-in after their respective flight times, a one-pound penalty per minute (up to 15 minutes) will be deducted from their net weight of the day’s catch. Any team that is more than 15 minutes late, will not be able to weigh their catch for that day.
• Scoring: All fish will be weighed in pounds and 1/100ths ounces.
• Winners: Winners will be determined by adding both days net weights. All ties will be settled by combining two places and splitting equally. Big Bass will pay out each competition day.

Anglers of the Year Bonus Incentive

Team Trail Outdoors will pay an annual bonus totaling $25,000 to the top 10 teams overall at the end of the year. Qualifications for this bonus are based on the following 2 criteria:

1. They must participate in all 4 events and be in the overall top 10 in points at the end of the year. Points will be given as follows: the winner of each event will receive 200 points, 2nd place gets 199 points and so on down to the last team weighing a fish. Any team who fails to weigh in a fish at any tournament will receive 30 points less than the last weighing team.

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2. They must also participate in the optional side pot of all 4 events.