Central Texas Catfish

Rules & Regulations
Membership

Membership is sold as a family membership to all persons living in the same household as Husband/ Wife, Father/ Mother, and all children 16 years of age and under.
Membership cost will be $25.00 annually.
Membership is subject to approval by Central Texas Catfish President, Vice President and Directors.
Membership fees must accompany Membership Application.
Membership is purchased with the understanding that all Tournament Rules must be obeyed and must be a member to fish tournaments.
Entry Fees

All entry fees to tournaments must be paid prior to the start of the tournament. Cash only will be accepted at the tournament site, no checks will be accepted unless prior arrangements have been made with the President or Vice President. No team will be allowed to fish with out first paying the entry fee, with the exception of the Tournament Directors.
Tournament entry fees for all teams will be $60.00.
The big fish jackpot payout will be 100% at each tournament.
80% payback on entry fees over the year plus prizes.
Three places will be paid for the first 15 teams; 16 to 25 teams 4 place will be paid; 26 plus, 5 places will be paid. No more than 5 place will have cash prizes on any one tournament.
Alcoholic Beverages

No alcoholic beverages may be in the possession of any team during tournament hours and weight in.
Protest

All protest brought to the Tournament Director must be in writing with-in (15) minutes of the conclusion of the weigh-in. The Tournament Director's rulings will be final.
Guides

A Guide is defined as a person who promotes him/herself for the purpose of monetary gain while taking clients fishing, whether from a vessel or from the shores of a lake, river or other body of water. A person who promotes him/herself as a Catfish Guide is prohibited from fishing any Central Texas Catfish tournament on a body of water in which he/she has acted as a guide. Guide's may fish any tournament on any other said body of water that they do not guide on..
Weigh-In Procedures

A member of each team must be in the weigh in line by the dead line, teams not in the line by that time will not be allowed to weigh their fish. The number of fish and species will be placed on the weigh-in form and they will continue to the scales where their fish will be weighed. The weight will placed on the form. No changes will be made after the form is signed.
Rules and Regulations

Central Texas Catfish tournament Officials, Officers, or Board of Directors shall reserve the right to bar or refuse tournament entry or association membership to any person or team.
All State and Local Fishing laws and Boating Regulations for the state we are fishing in must be followed, you are responsible to know these such rules prior to tournament.
NO TROT LINES, JUG LINES, LIMB LINES, YO- YO's or DROP LINES. All fish must be caught on a rod and reel. Anyone caught with the above will be DISQUALIFIED and any and all prizes will be forfeited. All lines will be attached to a reel in such a manner as to bring it completely to the boat without the aid of any device or by hand.
Only 10 (ten) rods per team while fishing unless other wise restricted by law.
Hook Limits; only 2 hooks per line will be allowed. All hooks must be attached to the main line of the reel being used.
Any live bait, dead bait or artificial bait may be used.
Fishing from the bank will be allowed. Fishing from the bank team members must stay within 25' (feet) of each other.
All boats must have a current registration.
Once the tournament has STARTED it will end at the Scheduled time. If inclement weather occurs before the Start of the tournament, a vote will be taken by the members present as to fish or not. Safety is a MUST and will come first. No tournament will be canceled without a vote of the members.
Each team must decide a captain for the team and mark the team captains name on the registration form at the first tournament fished. A substitute may be used for either partner at a tournament if a member is unable to attend. If the team decides to split up, the points will go with the captain.
A team consists of no more than two persons. Members of a team must fish together from the same boat.
Only 5 fish per team will be weighed- in.
Only Blue, Channel and Flathead Catfish will be weighed- in. No fish may be tied off to a tree or any other object and left. Once a team places a fish either on a string or in a live well it must remain in their immediate procession unless it is being released. In the event of a tie, the team with the biggest fish will win. If a tie still exists the team with the most fish will be declared the winner.
Chumming is allowed on the day of the tournament only.
Pre-Fishing: All pre fishing must be done by sunset the day prior to the tournament.
All tournaments are catch and release. To preserve our resources, all fish brought the scales will be come the property of Central Texas Catfish and will be released back into the body of water from which they came.
Central Texas Catfish and its tournament officials and sponsors are not responsible for any accidents, injuries or lost equipment.
No use of a fishing guide will be allowed 5 (five) days prior to any tournament.
By signing the entry form all contestants give Central Texas Catfish and all sponsors permission to take and use any and all photographs, still and motion. All pictures, negatives and filming done by Central Texas Catfish or any sponsors are the sole property of them and contestants have no claims written or oral to them.
A team may be joined by another person only if that person is LEGALLY handicapped or under the age of 16. All other rules must be followed and a third person may not help catch or land a fish if the other 2 members of the team are already in the process of catching or landing a fish.
Tournament Hours

The start time will be given prior to the tournament. No fishing will be allowed after stop time the day of the tournament. You must be in the weigh-in line within one hour of stop time or you will be disqualified.
Polygraph Test

Polygraph tests may be performed at random. Any team failing a Polygraph Test will be disqualified. If a team fails one (1) Polygraph tests in any one (1) year, they will be banned from fishing any and all Central Texas Catfish tournaments for one (1) year.
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Gene Painter
Central Texas Catfish President
Centraltexascatfish.com