A.D.S.F.R.  Rules and Regulations

Preamble:

Every sport has its code of ethics.  The sport of fishing is no exception; therefore, all participants shall display honorable, ethical, sportsmanlike conduct in regard to the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo (ADSFR) rules and their own competitive fishing.

1.        A copy of the rules shall be kept aboard each boat and available to each participant.  Each participant shall read and thoroughly familiarize his or herself with these rules.  Any participant who violates any rules of the ADSFR, whether intentional or not, could possibly disqualify his or herself and all other participants aboard his / her boat.  A disqualification shall prevent a participant from collecting prizes for fish registered.

2.        All participants are subject to a polygraph test.  The Master Angler and all first place finishers in the Jackpots (Big Game, King Mackerel and Speckled Trout) are required to take a polygraph test.  Failure to submit or pass a polygraph test will subject the participant to disqualification.

3.        Every participant must be registered prior to fishing.  A participant is deemed to be anyone competing for prizes and shall include everyone aboard a boat except the captains and deckhands of recognized charter boats and children fifteen (15) years of age or under who are not competing for prizes.  Captains, deckhands and children fifteen (15) years of age or under desiring to compete for prizes must purchase a ticket if fishing.  The captain or owner of each participating boat shall see to it that every person aboard his boat is registered.

4.        Any captains permitting a person on his / her boat to violate any rule of the ADSFR may cause all participants aboard his / her boat to be disqualified.

5.        The ADSFR is a Captain’s Choice Tournament.  Captains fish at their own discretion and accept full responsibility for their crew and vessel whether on land or water.

6.        All tickets must be properly completed with the required information at the time of ticket purchase.  Only registered participants are eligible for prizes.  Registration tickets must be presented at the weigh station when entering a fish for prize competition during the hours listed below (Participants may be required to present acceptable personal identification when registering any fish into ADSFR competition, i.e. valid drivers license, employee I.D. cards, etc.  Any registration ticket that appears to have been altered will not be accepted).  TICKETS ARE NOT TRANSFERABLE OR REFUNDABLE.

7.        All fish entered must be caught within the territorial waters of the ADSFR.  The territorial waters of the ADSFR includes all open and public waters enclosed within the following boundaries:                                                    

                                NORTH: In the Gulf Coast including all bays and inlets;                                                                                            

                                EAST:  Longitude 85

SOUTH:  Latitude 28                                                                                                          

WEST:  Longitude 91

8.        Official starting time of the ADSFR is 5:00 a.m. CDT, Friday, July 18, 2008 and closing time is 5:00 p.m. CDT, Sunday, July 20, 2008.  Fish must be entered at the official weigh station at the time prescribed.

Friday, July 18, 2008   10:00 a.m. CDT to 7:00 p.m. CDT

Saturday, July 19, 2008   10:00 a.m. CDT to 7:00 p.m. CDT

Sunday, July 20, 2008    10:00 a.m. CDT to 5:00 p.m. CDT

9.        The official weigh station is the ADSFR Site, Dauphin Island, Alabama.

10.     All ADSFR winners will be determined by the largest fish entered in each category according to weight (except for Tarpon), subject to limitations as outlined in Rule 20.

11.     Tarpon will be judged by an accumulation of points.  One (1) point per pound will be awarded for a Tarpon at the dock fulfilling the 78” minimum requirement (limited to one dock fish per angler), plus any Catch and Release points at 125 points per fish caught and released.  Catch and Release points will be awarded upon confirmation of the catch and release by video recorder clearly showing the angler who caught the fish, the tournament designator and the leader (not to exceed 12 ft) in the anglers hand.

12.     All fish shall be weighed using platform or hanging scales, per the judge’s discretion.  Those fish requiring to be weighed by hanging scales will be lifted and weighed by the head with the exception of Shark.  In case of a tie in any category, the first fish weighed in that remains on the final board will be declared the winner.

13.     An angler will be permitted to hold and win only one place per category at any one time but may place in more than one category simultaneously.

14.     All fish shall be kept in as good a condition as possible, preferably on ice, so the judge can make an accurate judgment as to its freshness.  Any fish deemed to be spoiled or rotten may be disqualified.  Any fish that has been shot, cut, mutilated, bangstruck, frozen or showing signs of unsportsmanlike handling may be disqualified.  In addition, all fish entered may be subject to a Torrymeter test.  Judges decision shall be final.

15.     No fish will be accepted for registration that has been gutted or chemically treated prior to weighing.  The official judge or his representative may at his discretion gut any fish presented.

16.     All fish entered into competition must be caught by the participant registering the fish and it must be caught with a rod and reel or a pole and line.  No participant shall be assisted in any way to land his or her fish except for help in netting or gaffing his / her catch.  No exceptions are made.  Flounder may NOT be gigged.

17.     Daily prizes will be awarded to the top fish in each category entered on Friday, July 18, Saturday, July 19 and Sunday, July 20, 2008, at the ADSFR site on Dauphin Island after the Weigh Station closes each day.

18.     ADSFR ticket holders compete in Inshore and Offshore Divisions.

19.     Jackpot tickets must be purchased in conjunction with an ADSFR ticket.  There is a two fisherman minimum for valid entry.

PRICES

       ADSFR ticket ………………………………………………………………..…………………… $40.00

       Yamaha Motors  Speckled Trout Jackpot …………………………………….….………………. $50.00

       Paradise Marine / Scout Boats, Inc. King Mackerel Jackpot  Open Division …………......…… $375.00

       Paradise Marine / Scout Boats, Inc. King Mackerel Jackpot  Recreational Division …………..  $150.00

       Boaters World Big Game Jackpot ………………………………………………………...……. $250.00

20.     To promote conservation and in some cases comply with State of Alabama or Federal regulations, the ADSFR judge will not accept for entry any fish in the below categories that does not meet minimum length requirements as specified:

FISH CATEGORIES AND MINIMUM LENGTHS (Measurements are overall length except for Amberjack from which it is lower jaw to fork of tail)

21.     The ADSFR reserves the right to amend these lengths and / or remove any fish from competition, without notice, at any time in order to comply with federal and / or state requirements.

22.     All participants must abide by all federal and state regulations.

23.     Additional jackpot rules, see details in brochure.

24.     The Master Angler Award will be determined by the combination of points in the first, second and third place overall standings.  See details in Master Angler Award prize information.

25.     All fish entered, except those entered in the “Most Unusual Fish” and Tarpon categories may be retained by the angler.  The ADSFR reserves the right to hold all board fish for display purposes until official closing time of the day the fish is entered into competition at which time the fish must be claimed or forfeited.  All fish registered are subject to scientific evaluation by conservation personnel on site.  (i.e. removing the ear bone and / or fish skeleton).

26.     All prizes not claimed at the awards ceremony on July 21, 2008 or at the Jaycee office in Mobile Alabama by August 21, 2008 will become property of the ADSFR.

27.     The ADSFR President and Committee reserve the right to reschedule the ADSFR due to weather.  No refund of tickets will be made due to rescheduling.  One day of fishing constitutes a tournament.

28.     No tickets will be sold after the starter’s gun at 5:00 a.m. CDT Friday, July 18, 2008.

29.     Protests of any nature must be submitted in written statement form and personally turned in to the ADSFR President or Rules Committee Chairman no later than 6:00 p.m. Sunday July 20, 2008 at the official weigh station.

30.     Any matter not specifically covered by these rules may be decided by and at the sole discretion of the ADSFR President and Rules Committee.  All decisions shall be final.

31.     Those fish not held by the ADSFR must be reasonably disposed of by the angler.

32.     At the close of each day’s fishing, those anglers who are in line at the weigh station, or identified by an ADSFR official as being docked as the weigh station closes, will be allowed to have their catch weighed and entered.

33.     Ticket outlets are ticket sale representatives of the ADSFR and in no way act as an agent for or on behalf of the ADSFR.

34.     All rules interpretations shall come from the ADSFR President or Rules Committee Chairman.  (Ticket outlets cannot give rule interpretations).

35.     Information and / or rules in the ADSFR website are for informational purposes only.  The ADSFR brochure shall serve as the official rules.

36.     Unsportsmanlike conduct will result in disqualification without refund of tickets.

37.    Disclaimer:  The ADSFR is not responsible for typos within the awards package and rules, and reserves the right to amend or substitute prizes due to events beyond the ADSFR’s control.