OFFICIAL SET OF RULES

 All United States Federal Bluefin Tuna regulations apply to this tournament. Tag and Release is the preferred method except for tunas that are in contention for winning this tournament.

1. Weather. This is a Captains choice tournament. Advisories of the weather conditions will be broadcast and are for the protection of the anglers. Decisions to fish or not to fish will be at the discretion of the captain. FISH AT YOUR OWN RISK.

2. Minimum Length per federal bluefin regulations: 27 inches CFL (recreational and charter/head boat), 73 inches CFL (general category). You must release fish that are not Minimum lengths for each category. Please check updated regulations on the NMFS website.

3. Species eligible: Bluefin tunas only.

4. Test: 3000 pound mono is the maximum test of manufacturers stated line. Proof of purchase may be required for inspection by the tournament committee.

5. Boundaries: Latitude 41 ^o - 45'N, Longitude 66^o - 75'W by Latitude 41^o - 10'N, Longitude 66^o - 66'W. Loran 43960-13900 by 43720-13900. All waters east of these coordinates are fare game.

6. All boats must meet U.S. Coast Guard Requirements and are the sol responsibility of the boat owner.

7. This is a rod and reel tournament. No airplanes or other fishing gear will be permitted for this tournament. Non-electrified harpoons, flying gaffs and straight gaffs are permitted.

8. This is a boat trolling tournament, no chucking, live baiting, kites or any other means of catching a tuna besides pulling of lures, rigs, or trolling of dead baits. There is to be no bump trolling of any kind, the boat must be in gear and a forward motion at the time of the hook up.

9. Fishing Hours: Boats may leave the docks before sunrise. Lines in will be one half hour prior to sunrise and lines out are 4:30 PM on both days. In the case of a hook up prior to the lines out time line of 4:30pm on Saturday and Saturday, only the boat that is hooked up must radio to the committee boat that they are hooked up and will be fighting the fish past the lines out time of 4:30pm. If and when the fish is landed please again radio or relay to the committee boat that you have landed or not landed the fish so that proper measures can be made for the weigh master to be at the weigh in station and to inform salty officials that you and your crew are safe.

10. The weigh in station will open at 4:00 PM and will close at 7:30 PM sharp. All boats that are in line prior to 7:30 PM will have their catch weighed-in even if it is after 7:30 PM. Please radio the weigh master on channel 68 VHF when you are near the NB buoy located at the end of the jetties. This will ensure that the weigh master is present when you arrive.

11. There will be no terminator or terminator line. The closing of the weigh-in station at 7:30 PM signifies the end of the day’s fishing.

12. All tunas over tournament minimum lengths must be brought to the weigh-in station in Nantucket. Tunas cannot be off loaded from a boat until a member of the tournament staff verifies the tuna that will be weighed in and will hand the boat a slip of paper with the name of the boat and the weight of the tuna.

13. There will be no transfer of fish from one boat to another. The boat that caught the fish must bring the fish to the weigh in station.

14. Scoring system: 1 point per pound of eligible tuna weighed in. Each boat will be allowed to weigh in one tuna per day. The daily winner will be determined by the weight of the tuna weighed in by a boat. The heaviest eligible tuna caught by a boat during the two days of fishing will determine the overall winner.

15. The decision of the weigh master is final and cannot be appealed.

16. The following situation will disqualify a catch. “Mutilation to the fish, prior to landing or boating the catch, caused by sharks, other fish, mammals or propellers that remove or penetrate the flesh.” (Injuries caused by leader or line, scratches, old healed scars or regeneration of deformities are not considered to be disqualifying injuries)” (IGFA rule)

17. Protests. All protests must be in writing and handed to the Tournament Director prior to the 7:30 PM closing of the weigh-in station. All protests must be accompanied by $ 100 in cash (to be returned if the protest is upheld). In case more than one boat signs the protest, each boat will provide $ 100 (to be returned if the protest is upheld). All team members will agree with the final decision of the Tournament Director.

18. The rules that govern this tournament are the rules. Any changes made to these rules will be distributed at least one week prior to the start of the tournament. Once the tournament starts there will be no changes to the rules and the tournament will be fished under the agreed upon rules.

19. IGFA angling rules will apply if you are angling for an IGFA record. All crew members and anglers are expected to be familiar with IGFA rules. The angler must hook, fight and bring the fish to gaff unaided by any other person. No one other than the angler may touch the rod. A copy of the current IGFA rules will be provided to every boat.

20. A Final set of rules will be included in the Captains boat bag handed out with re-registration on Friday September 10, 2010.

 21. Channel 78 will be the official VHF channel for the tournament. All fish must be called in or relayed to another boat with the CFL of the tuna that has been landed. The current un-official leading length will be broadcast to ensure that none contending tunas will not be landed. We ask the help of captains with relaying of fish to the committee boat or to the tournament directors.

22. As per NMFS rules and regulations, there is to be no switching of fish, once a fish is boated that fish belongs to the captain and boat in which the permit is issued. All fish that are in contention must be radioed or relayed to the committee boat. This will ensure that your fish is logged and that there is no monkey business of a smaller fish being released for a larger fish. THIS IS PER THE RULES OF NMFS.

Download Official Set of Rules