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Ultimate Bass Team Tour, LLC

Tournament Rules

1) RULES. These rules apply to all contestants participating in Ultimate Bass Team Tour, LLC tournaments, here after known as UBTT, LLC. It is the responsibility of each contestant to know and follow these rules. Ignorance of the rules is not a defense for violation of them. Interpretation of these rules will be left exclusively to the tournament director. Decisions of the tournament director are final in all matters.

2) PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY. Membership for UBTT, LLC is open to everyone, at least one member of each team must be 18 years of age or older. A contestant under the age of 18 years must have written consent of parent or guardian to participate in any UBTT, LLC event. UBTT, LLC reserves the right to refuse membership and participation to anyone. All participants will be required to provide correct address and social security number.

3) SPORTSMANSHIP. All contestants are required to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy and conservation and to conduct themselves in a manner that will be a credit to themselves, the tournament directors, organizers, tournament sponsors, and the sport of bass fishing. Any contestant, who displays poor sportsmanship, violates these rules or violates the state fishing laws or lake rules may be disqualified.

4) OFF LIMITS. To be decided by each separate division director.

5) PARTNERS. A member may fish the first two events alone without a designated partner. Partners may be switched through the 2nd event fished, but must designate a partner prior to the 3rd event. Members may fish with an alternate partner, but by no means may compete in more than two events with an alternate partner. Alternate partners must be approved by the TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR prior to the event. Alternate anglers must be a current member of UBTT, LLC.

6) EQUIPMENT. Each boat must contain all required U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment and must meet all Coast Guard regulations. Boat owners must carry proper liability insurance. All boats must contain a properly aerated livewell to maintain a live limit of fish. All boats must be equipped with an emergency ignition shut-off device (kill switch), which must be securely attached to the driver’s body whenever the combustion engine is in operation. All boats 16’ or over in length must have a float cushion on board. Any vessel deemed “unsuitable” by the Tournament Director will not be allowed to participate in the event.

7) SAFETY. Safe boating must be observed at all times. During competition, each contestant is required to wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket or floatation device anytime the combustion engine is in operation. Anyone found operating a boat in an unsafe manner in the opinion of the Tournament Director may be disqualified. The kill switch must be attached to the driver anytime the combustion engine is in operation.

8) ASSISTANCE. Each contestant shall provide their own on-the-water assistance if needed. It is not the responsibility of the Tournament Director or any tournament sponsor to provide assistance in on-the-water repairs or rescues at any time. It is the responsibility of the contestants to notify the tournament director regarding any reasons for not returning to the check in location on time.

9) PERMITTED FISHING METHODS AND TACKLE. All fish must be caught live in a conventional and sporting manner. Only artificial lures may be used with the exception of pork rind. The intentional snagging of fish is strictly prohibited. Landing nets are permitted and only one rod and reel may be used at a time. Rods may not exceed 8’ in length.

10) PERMITTED FISHING WATERS. Contestants may fish anywhere accessible by boat, except areas designated as “off limits” or “no fishing” by the Tournament Director, local, state or federal officials, or within 50 yards of any marina gas pump. All angling must be conducted from the boat. At no time may a contestant leave the boat to land a fish or to make the boat more accessible to fishing waters.

11) ENCROACHMENT. A “25 yard rule” is in effect at all times during competition. No contestant’s boat may move within 25 yards of another contestant’s boat at any time for the purpose of fishing without the consent of all contestants involved. A boat moving from one area to another may infringe upon this zone as long as the parties that are moving do not fish and do not intentionally disrupt the area. Anglers should give all others enough room to make a reasonable cast to fish an area. No contestant’s boat may “tie up” or “protect” an area for the purpose of blocking access to an area to other anglers. Boats may be tied or secured to trees, rocks, etc., so long as both contestants remain within the boat, an anchored or tied boat must have the trolling motor out of the water in the stored position.

12) EQUIPMENT FAILURE OR EMERGENCY. In the event of equipment failure or emergency a contestant’s boat may be towed to the check-in point. If it is necessary to transfer fish to another boat, it must be another contestant’s boat. At least one member of the team must accompany the fish to the weigh-in site.

13) FISHING HOURS AND LATE PENALTY. Official fishing hours will be announced at tournament sign-up prior to the event. All contestants must check in at the weigh-in site. Contestants who are not at the official check-in area at the appointed time will be disqualified. Culling of fish in the host marina is prohibited.

14) LIVE FISH. Contestants shall make every effort to keep all fish alive through the use of a properly aerated livewell. A penalty of 0.2 pounds will be deducted from the total weight for each dead fish presented for weigh-in. The Tournament Director or a designee will make all judgments of fish mortality. Culling of dead fish is prohibited and may result in disqualification.

15) SCORING. Scoring will be determined by the total weight of each teams catch. The limit shall be five (5) fish per two-angler team, five fish for an angler fishing alone. The official minimum length for bass shall be twelve (12) inches in length unless state or lake size limit is different. Bass will be measured laying flat down, mouth open / tail fanned, on a FLAT board. Bass presented for weigh-in, which fail to measure the prescribed minimum length limit, shall be removed from the catch and a penalty of one (1) pound will be deducted from the remaining weight. At no time shall a team possess more than the tournament limit of fish in a live well at the designated weigh in site, any team returning to the weigh in site with more than the tournament limit of fish will be disqualified. Any team returning to the official check in site LATE will be disqualified.

16) POINT SYSTEM. Points for each event will be awarded, plus the total bag weight of each teams catch starting with100 points for 1st place, 99 points 2nd and descending down by 1 point per place. EXAMPLE: Team Smith and Johnson finish in 1st place with a total weight of 14.39 lbs. They would receive 100 points for 1st place plus (+) 14.39 lbs. bag weight. (100 + 14.39 = 114.39 points.) 2nd place, 99 +13.29 = 112.29 points. This system will be followed on down for each team that weighs fish. Any team that did not weigh fish will receive ½ of the last place team points. EXAMPLE: If the last place team that weighs in fish finishes in 23rd place and weighs in 2.33 lbs. they would receive 78 points + 2.33 lbs. for a total of 80.33 points. Each team that did not weigh fish would be awarded ½ of 78 points (39points), this system is designed to award a team points even if they did not weigh in fish.

17) CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING. Any team that fishes at least six (6) UBTT tournaments in any division or a combination of divisions will automatically qualify for a championship berth; also a team that cannot attend a regular scheduled division tournament but wants to qualify for the championship may do so by paying (buying in) the required entry fee in advance. This rule is in effect to help a team that has scheduling conflicts or for other reasons cannot attend a tournament and can only be used two (2) times per year. Points will be awarded for a buy in, (in accordance with rule #16). A team must fish at least four (4) other events using the six (6) tournament minimum qualifying method to receive a championship berth. A team wishing to buy in to any UBTT tournament must notify a tournament director or the UBTT office in advance. Corporations and individual TOC qualifying. A Corporation or a representative thereof and a individual may qualify to compete in the UBTT Tournament of Champions by way of sponsorship. Sponsorship minimum amount is $1600.00. Notification and payment must be made no later than 10 days prior to the TOC and must be approved by a UBTT official.

18) TOUR DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING. This is a separate division designed to give teams a means of qualifying for a championship berth by participation in more than one division. Teams must compete in at least 6 tournaments in the TOUR DIVISION to qualify for a championship berth. Points will be based on place finish only. (bag/fish weight will not be added to points) 1st place 100 pts. 2nd place 99 pts. 3rd place 98 pts. This point system will be followed on down for each participating team. Teams may fish as many tournaments as they choose, but must fish in at least two (2) different divisions and will only be able to count points for their best six (6) finishes. EXAMPLE: Team Jones and Smith fish 4 events in one (1) Division and two (2) events in any other UBTT Division would qualify for a championship berth via the Tour Division.

19) ANGLER OF THE YEAR TOUR DIVISION. To qualify for Angler of The Year in the TOUR DIVISION teams may fish as many tournaments as they choose. A teams best six (6) finishes will be counted towards the Tour Division AOY. EXAMPLE: A team competes in 8 tournaments, only their best 6 finishes count towards AOY. A team must fish in at least three (3) different divisions to qualify as the AOY team in the Tour Division. A team will only be able to count points for three (3) tournaments in any one Division. This means a team must compete in at least 2 other divisions and will be able to count points for their best 6 finishes. (teams cannot use the buy in method to qualify for AOY in the Tour Division) A division must average at least ten (10) competing teams throughout the tournament year/season to qualify an Angler of The Year Team.

20) ANGLER OF THE YEAR DIVISION LEVEL. At the end of each divisions tournament season the team with the most accumulated points will be awarded the Angler of The Year Title. This also includes the team with the most points in the Tour Division (Provided they have fished at least three different divisions). The Angler of the Year team from each Division and the Angler of the Year from the Tour Division will then compete against all other Angler of The Year teams at the UBTT Championship. The highest finishing AOY team at the UBTT Championship will be awarded ENTRY FEE VOUCHERS and two (2) paid memberships for the following tournament year. The Angler of The Year Team from each division will receive special awards and prizes recognizing them as AOY team in their respective division. A division must average at least ten (10) competing teams throughout the tournament year/season to qualify an Angler of The Year Team.

21) CHAMPIONSHIP PRE FISH. There are no off limits prior to the TOC, however OFFICIAL pre-fish for any UBTT championship will begin on the Monday prior to the TOC date. No one other than your qualifying team member, immediate family member or another angler from a qualifying team are allowed to pre fish together during official TOC practice/off limits period.

22) PROTESTS. All protests must be in writing and submitted to the tournament director at the weigh.

23) TIES. In the event of a tie for the total weight of a team’s catch, the team registering the larger “big bass” weight will win the tie. If neither team weighs a “big bass”, a coin toss will break the tie.

24) OFFICIAL BOATS. Tournament Officials may be on the water during tournament hours and approach, photograph or observe any contestant’s boat. Each contestant is requested to cooperate with all reasonable requests.

25) WAIVER AND RELEASE. Each contestant must be a current member of Ultimate Bass Team Tour, LLC, to participate in any team tournament. Each contestant must sign a waiver and release form prior to the first event of each season.

26) PRE-TOURNAMENT PRACTICE. There will be no official practice period or off-limits period prior to the pre-tournament registration and meeting. No contestant may be on tournament waters for the purpose of locating bass or potential fishing waters after the prescribed tournament registration except during tournament hours.

27) REGISTRATION AND PRE-TOURNAMENT SIGN-UP. Each contestant may register in person at the designated registration site during the official registration hours or by contacting the tournament director by phone or text for other methods of registration.

28) BOATS AND MOTORS. All boats must meet state and U.S. Coast Guard regulations, no engine may be in excess of BIA horsepower rating. All boats must have an emergency kill switch. All boats must have an aerated live well.

29) NO ALCOHOL AND DRUGS. No alcoholic beverages or narcotic drugs are allowed during tournament hours. No alcoholic beverages or narcotic drugs are allowed in any tournament boat during competition hours.

30) CITATIONS. Any contestant cited for a violation of State or Federal boating and fishing rules and regulations will be subject to disqualification.

31) BOAT INSPECTION. Boat inspection instructions will be given at the sign-up site. Failure to obtain a sign-off at boat inspection may result in disqualification.

32) These rules are standard for all UBTT tournaments. Some lakes and divisions may have additional rules and regulations.

33) ATTENTION ANGLERS. Special regulations for all Utah waters, including Lake Powell and Sand Hollow Reservoir, all participants' must complete the online training provided by the 100th Meridian Initiative for Preventing the Spread of Aquatic Nuisance species as provided at http://www.100thmeridian.org/certificate.asp and (the certificate) must be in possession of each participant through the duration of the contest.

34) All Participants’ boats must be readily identifiable at such at a distance of 100 yards.

RULES CONTACT THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR All photos posted to the Ultimate Bass Team Tour website are sole property of Ultimate Bass Team Tour, LLC and shall not be altered or modified in any shape, form, or fashion.

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