2022 ARKLA Team Tournament Trail Rules

To protect the integrity of the ARKLA Team Tournament Trail and our anglers, all winners shall be subject to a polygraph exam before the prizes are distributed at each event. Contestants must pass the polygraph exam at the tournament site to receive prize money, awards, and points for the event. The refusal of any winner to voluntarily submit to a polygraph exam before the prizes are distributed at each event automatically disqualifies any winner from being eligible to receive any prize money, awards, points for the event, and any other offered prize and/or award. All decisions regarding compliance with ARKLA Team Tournament Trail's rules and the interpretation of these rules shall be made by the tournament director at his/her sole and absolute discretion and the tournament director reserves the right to make additional reasonable rules for the conduct of its tournaments if circumstances require. The tournament director reserves the right to waive any violation of these rules disclosed to him/her before the polygraph exam, at his/her sole and absolute discretion. The ARKLA Team Tournament Trail Director and the Tournament Director shall have the sole and absolute right to refuse any application or deny a confirmed application by returning the entry fee of a previously accepted application or disqualifying a contestant.

Official 2022 ALTTT 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  ALTTT 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

All teams must register online. Entry fees are $1000 per team. All teams must register for all 4 (four) tournaments. No entries will be taken for individual tournaments. Online registrations and changes to your registration will be accepted through January 1, 2022.
 
Hardship under pandemic or national emergency situations. If a team member requests a hardship exception under this rule, he/she must provide documentation stating the reason(s) for the hardship application, such as prevention of travel, etc.; and Teams may request consideration of a hardship. If a team makes a hardship request, a signed and dated hardship request must be submitted in writing to the ALTTT Tournament Director no later than 30 days prior to the date that all changes are due.

Paying A Deposit

Teams may register with a $500.00 refundable deposit due by December 15, 2021. After December 15, 2021 your deposit becomes non-refundable. The remaining balance must be paid by January 1, 2022. 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

Any angler entering an ALTTT event who is under 18 years of age must have the signature of a parent or legal guardian in the provided space on the official entry form.
 
Collegiate Teams: Collegiate teams consist of two anglers who are currently enrolled in a two or four-year college and are in good standing with their school fishing club.
 
Each contestant who voluntarily participates in any ALTTT event voluntarily agrees to abide by ALTTT’s Rules, and all applicable state and federal laws. Any violation of the said Rules and/or laws will subject the contestant to disqualification and/or other disciplinary action at the sole and absolute discretion of the tournament director.
 
Each contestant who voluntarily participates in any  ALTTT event voluntarily agrees to submit and subject himself/herself to a polygraph exam.

All ALTTT Tournaments Are Team Events

All ALTTT events are team events, although a contestant may fish alone as a single-person team. If a contestant chooses to fish as a single-person team, the  ALTTT reserves the right to place an observer in the boat at any given event, and further reserves the right to issue a polygraph at any given event. Any contestant who refuses to voluntarily submit to a polygraph exam will be disqualified from said event at the sole and absolute discretion of the tournament director.
 
A team may assign one alternate partner at the beginning of the year who may fish two regular-season events and allow the team to retain all points earned. ALL alternate partners MUST be assigned by January 1, 2022.
 
Alternate partner must pay membership fee in order to participate in any ALTTT tournament.
 
Under the circumstances that a team has a team member unable to fish a tournament, said team member will fish alone and will be subject to a polygraph at the sole and absolute discretion of the tournament director.
 
Only registered contestants/alternate partner or an approved observer may be in the boat during official tournament days.

Assistance

During 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.

Safety

Safe boating must be observed at all times. Each contestant is required to wear a fastened (fully zipped and/or all clips fastened) U.S. Coast Guard approved personal flotation device anytime the combustion engine is in operation from boat check to weigh in. All boats must be equipped with an emergency ignition shut-off device, which must be securely attached to the driver’s body any time the combustion engine is in operation. The driver must be seated in the driver’s seat anytime the combustion engine is engaged in gear. In the event of inclement weather, the tournament will be held the next day, weather permitting. Competitors are allowed to leave the boat and seek shelter in bad weather, at which time no fishing may occur.
 
In the event of equipment failure or emergency the tournament director must be notified as soon as it is safe to do so. There are then two permitted methods of returning to check-in: (1) by both anglers remaining in their boat and being towed by water, or (2) with permission from the tournament director, by one or both anglers entering the boat of another tournament contestant. Under these two conditions both contestants’ catches may be counted without a penalty (except for late penalties, dead-fish penalties or other penalties pertaining to other tournament rules) provided each team’s fish are adequately marked so as to provide clear distinction to the tournament director. Contestants who elect to return to check-in by any means other than those cited will forfeit their day’s catch to that point in time of the tournament day. Abandoning a boat and leaving it adrift without proper tie-off or anchoring after a mechanical failure may result in disqualification of that day’s weight. Whether or not contestants may be disqualified for improperly “abandoning” a boat is in the sole and absolute discretion of the tournament director.

Permitted Fishing Methods

Only artificial lures may be used. Only one fishing rod per angler may be used at any one time. Additional rods may be in the boat and ready for use; however, each cast and retrieve must be completed before another cast is attempted or rod is used. Trolling with the combustion engine as a method of fishing is prohibited. Switching or sharing fish with other teams or individuals is a violation of these rules and will result in immediate disqualification. All bass must be caught alive, in a conventional, sporting manner. When sight fishing for bass, all fish must be hooked inside the mouth to be counted as a legal fish. All angling must be conducted from the boat. At no time shall a contestant leave the boat to land a fish, or to make the boat more accessible to fishing waters. No Alabama rigs, or any other umbrella rigs will be allowed in ALTTT tournaments. All contestants must comply with all applicable state and federal laws, and any contestants’ failure to comply with all applicable state and federal laws are subject to disqualification and/or other disciplinary action that is at the sole and absolute discretion of the tournament director.

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).

OFF-Limits Areas

Off-limits areas are such areas established and announced for each and every ALTTT 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 ALTTT 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

All contestants are required to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation. All contestants must comply with all applicable state and federal laws, and any contestants’ failure to comply with all applicable state and federal laws are subject to disqualification and/or other disciplinary action that is at the sole and absolute discretion of the tournament director. Examples of conduct not complying with those standards include, but are not limited to, the following:
 
a. Consumption and/or possession of alcoholic beverages or mind-altering substances during tournament hours extending through the weigh-in procedure.
 
b. Any previous conviction, arrest, or investigation for a felony, or crime involving moral turpitude, or a crime related to, arising out of, or involving any fishing tournament or event. Exception will be considered with full, prior written disclosure to the tournament director under oath and by affidavit of all facts and circumstances surrounding such conviction, arrest, or investigation so long as those facts and circumstances do not result in the continuing questionability of the contestant’s honesty, integrity, character or qualifications to enter the event.
 
c. Actions or words that reflect unfavorably upon efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship, and fair competition. The  ALTTT will not allow bullying by any ALTTT competitor during tournament hours. This includes ALL social media. ANY act of bullying will result in disqualification from the event and any future ALTTT events. ANY DOCUMENTED VIOLATION OF THE SPORTSMANSHIP RULE WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION OF ALL ALTTT EVENTS.
 
d. Chemical or substance abuse.
 
e. Disqualification from any  ALTTT or other fishing organization’s tournament that resulted from unexplained rule violations that result in a contestant’s honesty, integrity, character, and qualifications for entry into an ALTTT event being questionable is in the tournament director’s sole and absolute
discretion.

Trailering Is Not Allowed

All boats must leave the official checkpoint in the order designated at registration. Contestants may launch their boat at a ramp other than the designated take-off location, but all contestants must come through the official checkpoint location before leaving to fish. In the event of severe weather, alternate takeoff instructions will be given at the registration site at the sole and absolute discretion of the tournament director.
 

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  ALTTT 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 ALTTT. 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

Contestants who are not at the official check-in point at the appointed time will be assessed a one-pound-per-minute penalty from their total weight, including any weight to be counted toward a big bass award. Any contestant more than 15 minutes late will forfeit that day’s catch. In the event of a mechanical breakdown, a contestant may return to the check-in location with their catch by receiving a
ride from another registered contestant or tournament official only. The contestants must return to the official check-in location by the methods set forth above by their assigned check-in time to avoid a
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

A tie for 1st place in all 2022 ALTTT events will be broken by a one-hour fish off. All other ties will result in splitting that place and the next place’s money.
 
Ties in the teams that qualify for the ALTTT Championship will be broken by adding each team’s total weight for the season, and the highest weight will determine a qualifier.
 
Ties in the teams for the ALTTT Overall Anglers of the Year will be broken by adding each team’s total weight for the season, and the highest weight will determine a qualifier.

Championship Qualifiers

The Championship will be made up of 50% of the entire field. ALL teams must enter all four (4) qualifying events to qualify for the 2022 ALTTT 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 2023 entry fees. In the event that an AOY team is disqualified from the ALTTT prior to that years championship, they agree to forfeit any and all prizes they receive.

Incorporation Of 2022 ALTTT Overview

The “2022 ARK LA TEAM TOURNAMENT TRAIL RULES” stated above are strictly enforced and they are rules that every angler must comply to.

Membership

Each team member will be required to purchase a $40 yearly ALTTT membership which will include a tournament hat and t-shirt.

Championship

The Championship lake will be announced July 1st and you will be notified what lake the Championship will take place on. The Championship lake will be OFF LIMITS the week prior to the event with NO PRACTICE. There will be a $250 entry fee per team for the Championship.

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