2020 Anglers Dream Tournament of Champions Official Rules

​

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. A member of a qualified team whose partner can't attend this event can join together with another qualified member to create an eligible team. A qualified member can fish alone. The 2020 Tournament of Champions will take place on Sept.18 and 19th and will be held on Lake St. Clair,  Harrison Township, Michigan. There will be a mandatory pre-tournament check-in for all contestants participating in the 2020 Tournament of Champions. Any teams that are late or don’t show will be penalized 30 minutes on their first day take-off time. This check-in will take place at the Selfridge Public Boat Launch, 29028 William P. Rosso Hwy. Harrison Twp, Michigan on Thursday, September 17, between 4 pm & 6 pm. Entry fees for this event must be paid no later than Friday, September 11th, 2020 - 11:59 pm. No Entries will be accepted after that time. There will be no refunds after that time. An Official Anglers Dream Tournament of Champions Entry Forms must be filled out in full and signed by all participants. Anglers Dream reserves the right to change the time and/or date of any event due to unsafe of unforeseen circumstances. Entry forms will be available online after August 12th.

1. SAFETY: Safe boating conduct must be observed at all times. Each competitor is required to wear a Coast Guard approved life vest 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. 
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 may be used at any time.
4. BASIC BOAT EQUIPMENT: Every boat must have all required Coast Guard safety equipment, in addition to a live well that is properly aerated to adequately maintain a live five-bass team limit. Only Boats and Motors that are in compliance with the B.I.A. horsepower rating will be allowed to participate. 
5. PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS: Fishing on Lake St. Clair and all adjoining 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. Competitors may not have any location reserved or saved by either another competitor or non-competitor during the event. 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 a dire emergency.
6. OFFICIAL CHECKPOINT: There shall be only one (1) official point for check out and check-in point for the tournament. At the time of check out, all boats are expected to be within full compliance of the rules. 
7. SCORING: Tournament standing and final winners shall be determined by the pound and fraction of a pound of each teams catch during the two days of the event. 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 team have more than 5 fish in their boat during the event. In the event that a team has more fish in their possession than the described limit, tournament officials shall cull the fish starting with the largest fish down to the five fish tournament limit. No dead fish are to be culled during the event.
8. 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. Dead fish will be ineligible for big bass awards.
9. 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. B.A.S.S. Elite Series and FLW touring professionals are not eligible.
10. STARTING POSITIONS: Starting positions will be computer drawn at 10:00 am September 13th and will be posted on the Anglers Dream Web Site (http//www.anglers-dream.com). There will be no refunds of entry fees after that time.
11. SUBSTITUTION: No substitutes allowed during the Tournament of Champions. Two qualified members may fish together and would be considered a qualified team.
12. PAIRINGS: This is a “fish with your buddy” tournament only two anglers per boat. Any other angling or non-angling persons are not permitted. The Anglers Dream Tournament Director Reserves the right to refuse entry of any person.
13. PRE-TOURNAMENT PRACTICE: No fishing or boating will be allowed on the tournament waters from 3:30 pm September 17 until the start of the tournament. There will be no other pre-fishing off limits time for this tournament. No guides will be allowed from midnight September 11th until the conclusion of the tournament. After day one weigh-in, participants will not be allowed on tournament water until after 6:00 am on day two. No fishing will be allowed on day two until after the team's designated take-off time. 
14. 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. 
15. SHORT FISH PENALTY: Any fish presented for weigh-in by a contestant that fails to measure the 14" minimum size limit shall not be counted in the day's totals. In addition, the largest fish of that day's catch for that team shall also be culled. 
16. 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 day’s entire catch. 
17. TIES: In the event of a tie the tying teams will split the prizes.
18. BREAKDOWNS: In the case of a break down a team can get towed back to the ramp by another participating team. Prior to the tow, both the teams involved must contact the tournament director 219-512-6581. Also, both teams must remain in their boats and cease fishing until the tow is completed. The team being towed must cease fishing for the remainder of the day. A team cannot change boats of transfer fish during the day and must return in the same boat that they had checked in that morning. The transferring of fish to another boat is not allowed. Any team transferring fish or allowing fish to be transferred to their boat will be disqualified. In case of a dire emergency call 911 first. TowBoatUS Phone Number (586) 783-7700. Any competitors assisting another competitor with a broke down boat must contact the tournament director prior to assisting the other boat. If there is no phone service this is to be done as soon as possible.  
19. COMPLIANCE: It shall be the sole responsibility of all entrants to comply with the said rules and regulations.
20. RULINGS: The Tournament Director reserves 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 protester, and filed within ten minutes after weigh-in. The decision of the tournament director 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 a 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.