2023 ARKLA Team Tournament Trail Rules
Official 2023 ARKLA TEAM TOURNAMENT TRAIL Rules
Decisions of the tournament director are final and are not subject to appeal. Interpretation of these rules will be left exclusively to the tournament director in his/her sole and absolute discretion. Each competitor agrees to report any rule violation to the tournament director immediately upon discovery of the violation. The violation of the tournament rules may result in loss of weight, the loss of weight up to a specific time during the tournament day, total loss of weight of the particular day, the ineligibility to participate in future ARKLA Team Tournament Trail events or any other penalty deemed appropriate by the tournament director in his/her sole and absolute discretion. Protests must be made in writing within 15 minutes of the official closing of scales at each tournament, and any written protests must be provided to the tournament director in writing within said time period. If a protest is not made in writing within the required 15-minute time period, the contestant waives his/her right to submit a written protest.
Online Registration
Paying A Deposit
Teams may register with a $625.00 refundable deposit. After December 15, 2022 your deposit becomes non-refundable. The remaining balance must be paid by January 15, 2023. There will be $25.00 processing fee for all refunds.
Waiting List Policy
Maximum capacity for each tournament is 100 boats. Teams that register after the 100-boat capacity has been reached will be put on a waiting list. You will be notified immediately via email if you have been added to the waiting list.
Participation And Eligibility
All ARKLA Team Tournament Trail Tournaments Are Team Events
Assistance
During the off limits period hours of competition, contestants may not purchase, barter or solicit fishing information from any person or participate in the practice of “hole-sitting.” The use of mobile communication devices such as cellular phones, marine radios, walkie-talkies, CBs, etc. to communicate fishing information during tournament hours is strictly prohibited. In the event of an emergency situation, competitors should first dial 911 and then notify the tournament director. NO FISHING INFORMATION may be purchased, bartered, solicited, or otherwise received from any person who entered official tournament waters during the established off-limits periods for all ARKLA Team Tournament Trail qualifying events.
Safety
Permitted Fishing Methods
OFF-Limits
Off-Limits Period of tournament waters for fishing, scouting, locating any bass, including shoreline spotting will begin at sundown on the Sunday night before a tournament until two hours prior to starting time of tournament (Monday-Friday). NO FISHING INFORMATION may be purchased, bartered, solicited, or otherwise received from any person who entered official tournament waters during the established off-limits periods for all ARKLA Team Tournament Trail qualifying events.
OFF-Limits Areas
Off-limits areas are such areas established and announced for each and every ARKLA Team Tournament Trail event. Contestants may not fish inside the established “off-limits” area. Violation of the rule will result in immediate disqualification. Contestants’ boats must remain in the tournament waters during the event.
Boat And Horsepower Regulation
Each boat must have all the required U. S. Coast Guard safety equipment. Boats must contain properly aerated live well space to maintain alive the limit of catch of bass. Maximum horsepower for all outboards used in tournament competition may not exceed the horsepower limitation set by the U. S. Coast Guard in such vessel. Falsifying information on entry forms, or altering the horsepower numbers on the motor, or rating the plate to conceal such limitations will be cause for disqualification from the tournament. No contestant shall have a platform, raised deck, or ladder that is higher than the gunnel of the boat. Standing on the fishing seats or outboard motor is not allowed in ARKLA Team Tournament Trail events. No air or jet boats are permitted during Competition Days. No tiller handle motors are allowed. Livewells must be factory installed and cannot be OEM. No surface drive engines. No center consoles with surface drive engines.
Sportsmanship And Conduct
Trailering Is Not Allowed
Official Checkpoints
There will be only two official checkpoints for boat inspection in the morning and one official check-in point in the afternoon. Failure to go through the checkout in the morning or failure to officially check in at the check-in-point will result in disqualification from such event. During morning checkout, all teams are required to idle a minimum of 100 yards before putting the boat on plane. It is the sole responsibility of each contestant to arrive at the designated check-in location on time. Regardless of what you are told or understand, it is the angler’s responsibility to verify his/her provided flight card time. All fishing must cease upon check-in, or upon such other time as may be designated by the tournament director. Your assigned boat number will be given to you the morning of the tournament. Boat numbers are randomly drawn the night before each tournament.
Scoring
Scoring will be determined by the pounds and hundredths of a pound of each angler’s catch during the tournament. ONLY Largemouth, Spotted, and Smallmouth Bass are accepted species. The limit will be five (5) per team. Any contestant who possesses more than the tournament limit at any time will have his/her catch for the day disqualified. The minimum official length limit for all species for the 2021 ARKLA Team Tournament Trail Qualifying Team event will be provided at each event. Bass presented for weigh-in that fail to measure the prescribed length limit will result in loss of that fish and a half–pound penalty to the weight of the total remaining fish. Each contestant’s catch must be presented in an official weigh-in bag. The Pro-Rule measuring board is the official measuring board of ARKLA Team Tournament Trail. Bass will be measured with mouth closed, tail compressed and swiped to achieve overall greatest length.
Live Fish
You may weigh one dead fish as a part of your five-fish total; and a half-pound (.5) penalty will be assessed to your total weight for the day. Culling a dead fish is prohibited and will result in disqualification. All dead fish must be brought to weigh in for sanitary disposal.
Late Penalty
Closing Of The Scales
Scales will close 30 minutes after the last flight is due in. Due to certain weigh-in locations, this time may be lengthened or shortened at the tournament director’s sole and absolute discretion. Any change to the above stated official scale closing time will be announced during registration, during boat checkout, or during weigh-in. It is the angler’s responsibility to verify the official scale closing time and to be in the weigh-in line by such time.
Ties
Championship Qualifiers
The Championship will be made up of 75% of the entire field. ALL teams must enter all five (5) qualifying events to qualify for the 2023 ARKLA Team Tournament Trail Championship. In the event a team cannot participate in the championship event, the next team in the points standing will be invited.
Points
Points will be awarded as follows: Points will begin at 200 for 1st Place, 199 for 2nd Place, 198 for 3rd Place, and so on. All teams that do not weigh a bass will receive 10 points less than the last place team that weighed fish in that event. Points will be awarded only to teams that fish an event, if a team does not show up for that event, that team will not receive points.
Angler Team Of The Year (AOY)
AOY will be awarded and receive FREE 2024 entry fees. In the event that an AOY team is disqualified from the ARKLA Team Tournament Trail prior to that years championship, they agree to forfeit any and all prizes they receive.
Incorporation Of 2023 ALTTT Overview
The “2023 ARK LA TEAM TOURNAMENT TRAIL RULES” stated above are strictly enforced and they are rules that every angler must comply to.
Membership
Championship
Championship details to follow. There will be a $250 entry fee per team for the Championship.