| 1. |
|
Registration is by boat rather than by angler. The Tournament Directors reserve the right to decline the entry of any boat or crew. |
| 2. |
|
All boats must sail from and return to Cape May Inlet, except that boats with no fish to be weighed may return to home port after their last day of fishing. |
| 3. |
|
There are three (3) available fishing days for the tournament. Fishing days for boats entered will be any two (2) of the available three (3) days, captains’ choice; no weather committee. The crew members of each individual boat will be solely responsible for the decision as to which days to fish. The Mid-Atlantic Tuna Tournament assumes no liability or responsibility for any damage or loss. |
| 4. |
|
Each boat must pick one NON-FISHING DAY by submitting the official Lay Day Form prior to 10:00 AM on the day selected. Said form must be physically delivered by a member of the boat's crew to the dockmaster in the ships store at either Canyon Club Marina or South Jersey Marina. The boat must be dockside when the lay day is declared. Any boat not submitting the proper form by the 10:00 AM deadline will be automatically assumed to be fishing on that day. Boats may not fish on lay days unless all of their available fish days have been used. Boats with mechanical problems or other emergencies may use lay days to arrive late to the tournament so long as it is with the advance permission of the Tournament Directors and they conform with all other rules. |
| 5. |
|
Boundaries for the tournament will be 125 nautical miles from the Cape May Sea Buoy. |
| 6. |
|
Boats are not permitted to clear the Cape May Sea Buoy prior to 4:30 AM. |
| 7. |
|
No lines or bait of any kind may be put into the water until starting time is announced by a Committee Boat. Starting time is 7:30 AM. |
| 8. |
|
Participants shall comply with I.G.F.A. equipment and angling rules with the following exceptions: A) No harpoons, dart gaffs or greensticks; B) Spreader bars are permitted. C) The Tournament Directors retain sole authority for interpreting and implementing the I.G.F.A.’s rules. |
| 9. |
|
There is no limit on the number of lines or teasers. |
| 10. |
|
All tuna boated over 75 lbs. should be reported to a Committee Boat at the time of the catch. |
| 11. |
|
Fishing ends each day at 3:30 PM. Any fish hooked prior to the deadline may be played until boated or released, provided that said fish is reported hooked (to a Committee Boat) before the deadline. |
| 12. |
|
All eligible fish must be available for weigh-in at South Jersey Marina by 8:00 PM aboard the boat on which they were caught. Fractional weights will be rounded to the nearest pound. Weigh-in begins at 5:00 PM. |
| 13. |
|
No more than 3 fish will be weighed from any one boat on any fishing day. Participants will be given tags which must be securely attached to each fish prior to being weighed and must include boat name and number. |
| 14. |
|
In the event of a tie in the cash prize categories, the prize money will be equally divided among those tying. |
| 15. |
|
Only one day need be fished for the tournament to be considered official and prizes to be awarded. |
| 16. |
|
In the event of boat disability, contestants may transfer to another boat not entered in the tournament and may fish in the name of the original, with the prior approval of the Tournament Directors. |
| 17. |
|
Anglers may not switch to another boat nor can anyone from another boat come aboard to assist in fighting or boating a fish. |
| 18. |
|
In order to be eligible for awards, prizes & calcuttas, fish must be caught legally by state & federal regulations under an angling, general or charter/headboat category permit. |
| 19. |
|
All fish eligible for cash prizes may be subject to examination by the Tournament Directors, consulting biologists and/or Torrymeter, should there be any question as to the “freshness” of the catch. It shall be the responsibility of the participant to keep all eligible catches in suitable and proper condition until weigh-in. In the event of any disputes arising from such examination, the decision of the Tournament Directors shall be final. Polygraph examination may be required of winning crews. |
| 20. |
|
Allegations of violations of any of the above rules may be submitted only by an official tournament registrant and must be submitted in writing on the day of the alleged infraction. In the event of such an allegation, the tournament directors will have the sole and exclusive responsibility to investigate the alleged incident and to rule as to whether any violation materially aided the angler, crew, or vessel, or otherwise affected the outcome of the tournament. Any subsequent penalty will be solely at the discretion of the tournament directors and shall be final. In all cases, registrant and their crews agree to be bound by the ruling of the tournament directors. |
