1) ELIGIBILITY: By invitation only. Anglers must possess valid state fishing licenses for tournament waters.
2) ENTRY FEE: Entry fee is $200.00 per team including Big Bass.
3) PAYBACK: Joe Bass Team Trail will pay one (1) place for every five (5) teams entered with a maximum of twenty-five (25) cash places being paid regardless the number of teams entered. 80% payback.
4) BIG BASS: One overall Big Bass places will be paid.
5) RULES AND SAFETY MEETING: A minimum of one (1) team member is requested attend pre-meeting Friday, October 13, 2023. During this meeting boat numbers and flights will be designated.
6) SCORING: Largemouth, and smallmouth, and spotted bass will be scored, five (5) fish limit. Largemouth and smallmouth15 inch length limit, spots 12 inch length limit. Short fish will result in disqualification A dead fish will result in a one half (.50) pound penalty per fish. No more than five (5) fish are allowed in live well (in possession) at any time. Anyone bringing more than five (5) fish to the weigh-in scales will not be allowed to weigh in ANY fish.
7) PRIZE ELIGIBILITY: You must be in attendance to win.
8) QUALITY ASSURANCE TESTING: By contestants’ signature on entry form and/or participation in these tournaments, the contestants agree to any quality assurance tests if required by the Tournament Director. They may include all or part of the following: polygraph test, urinalysis, or blood test. Refusal of an angler to submit will result in immediate disqualification plus subsequent disqualification from future Joe Bass tournaments. Quality assurance tests will be conducted as soon as possible at the conclusion of official tournament hours.
9) SAFETY and SPORTSMANSHIP: Safe boating must be observed at all times. Life jackets and kill switches must be used any time the combustion motor is running above an idle. All contestants are required to follow the highest degree of sportsmanship, courtesy and conservation. At the discretion of the Tournament Director, tournament days may be shortened or cancelled due to unsafe weather or water conditions. No alcohol or controlled substance can be used or allowed in the boat during tournament hours.
10) PROTEST: All protests must be submitted in writing to the tournament director within five (5) minutes of the weigh-in completion. The appointed Tournament Advisory Board will handle all protests. The decision of the Tournament Director shall be final in all matters.
11) LATE PENALTY: All anglers are due back at announced check-in time. Being late will result in disqualification – NO EXCEPTIONS. Official time will be determined by mobile phone.
12) TIES: All ties will be broken by 1) big bass, 2) most fish weighed in, 3) by earliest entry. There will be no ties.
13) TACKLE and EQUIPMENT: Only artificial lures and pork style baits are allowed. All bass must be caught on a rod and reel. Only one rod and reel in use at any time by any one angler.
14) BOATS and MOTORS: Any boat, 14 feet or longer, meeting B.I.A. and Coast Guard requirements with a functional kill switch and functional bilge pump and properly aerated live well will be accepted. No over-powered boats.
15) LOCATIONS: Anywhere on tournament waters available to the public and accessible by boat, except areas designated as “off limits” or “no fishing” by local, state, or federal officials or within 50 yards of a competitor’s boat that was first anchored (an anchored boat is a boat held in a stable position by a line attached to a weight with the trolling motor in the up position). No guides past Friday – October 13, 2023. Stockton lake will be off limits beginning at sunset Friday Oct 13, 2023 except for competition.
16) INSURANCE: Boat owners must have at least $100,000 of Boating Liability Insurance. Proof of insurance may be asked for at any time and may be a question on the polygraph test.
17) SPECIAL SITUATIONS: Breakdown: In the event of a boat breakdown, the team may transfer their fish to another contestant’s boat or rescue boat designated by the Tournament Director for transport to the weigh-in site, meeting the following conditions; The fish must be placed in a segregated livewell. One member of the breakdown team must accompany those fish at all times to the weigh-in site. The team broken down must stop fishing from the time of transfer. Early Departure: Any team departing prior to weigh in from the tournament lake, must contact the tournament director or appointed staff member. Cell Phones: We encourage all contestants to have a cell phone in their boat for emergency use only. Joe Bass emergency phone number 417-818-3898. Contestants may not depart the boat to land fish or to make the boat more accessible to fishing waters. Contestants must leave and return to official checkpoint by boat. No tournament boat may be loaded on the trailer before weigh-in except with the permission of the Tournament Director.
18) LIKENESS/PHOTO RELEASE: In consideration for permission to participate in the tournament, I hereby grant to Joe Bass Team Trail LLC, its assignees and/or licenses (collectively “Sponsors”), the unconditional right to use my name, voice, photographic likeness, biographical information, fishing tips and/or instructions in any medium whatsoever, including but not limited to video/audio productions, merchandising, promotions, articles, and/or press releases, in connection with Joe Bass Team Trail LLC, without restriction as to changes or alterations from time to time. I understand that I will not be entitled to receive any royalties or other compensation in connection with such use.
19) COVENANT NOT TO SUE AND WAIVER OF SUBROGATION: I further agree that I will never sue Joe Bass Team Trail LLC or staff, for damages on account of any injury, death or damage I suffer or cause whether known now or which may develop in the future. In the event Joe Bass Team Trail LLC or staff, are sued because of my actions, I expressly agree to indemnify and hold Joe Bass Team Trail LLC and staff, harmless from any liability whatsoever, including court costs and attorney’s fee, arising with respect to such actions. I understand that in waiving my rights to sue Joe Bass Team Trail LLC or staff, I am also waiving the rights of recovery from Joe Bass Team Trail LLC or staff, of my insurance carrier for any claims they may pay on my behalf.
20) KNOWLEDGE OF THESE RULES IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH CONTESTANT. Failure to read these rules or ignorance of them is no excuse. Any announcements made by the Tournament Director at the tournament site take precedent over written rules. The decision of the Tournament Director shall be final in all matters.
21) I SIGNIFY by my signature on entry form and/or participation in these tournaments that I have read all tournament rules and liability release and agree to abide by all rules, regulations, releases and tournament official’s decisions.
Required by B.A.S.S. LLC as follows;
(i) “I hereby waive my rights of privacy or publicity with regard to the programs of the tournament in which I appear and consent to B.A.S.S., LLC’s (and its parent, affiliated and subsidiary companies, and those acting under their permission or upon their authority), copyrighting, distributing, televising, publishing and using in any way the audio and visual portions of any television videotape, film and photographs pictures of me or of interviews, scenes or other sequences in which I may be included, and any reproduction thereof, anywhere at any time through any medium or media for advertising, promotion, trade, television programming or other lawful purpose whatsoever; and I shall not be entitled to receive any royalties or other compensation in connection with such use.”
(ii) “I acknowledge and agree that B.A.S.S., LLC (and its parent, affiliated and subsidiary companies, and those acting under their permission or upon their authority) shall have the right to use my personal information to contact me with communications and other advertisements, and may provide such information to any sponsor of B.A.S.S., LLC or its parent, affiliated and subsidiary companies, which sponsor may contact me with communications and other advertisements.”
How to Qualify for the Bassmasters Team Championship through Joe Bass Team Trail.
Joe Bass Team Trail will qualify teams to the Bassmaster Team Championship chosen from the Joe Bass Team Invitational finishers. If a team cannot attend the B.A.S.S. Team Championship teams/anglers will be selected until all positions are filled.