American Bass Anglers, Inc., Tournament Rules
2010 National Championship
Kentucky Lake, Paris, TN October 6, 7 and 8.

RULE CHANGES: These rules will remain unchanged throughout the 2010 National Championship. Interpretation of these rules shall be left exclusively to the tournament director. In the event of a rule violation, the tournament director may impose such sanctions, as deemed appropriate, including, without limitation, disqualification, forfeiture of prizes, forfeiture of entry fee and prohibition from participation in subsequent tournaments. The decision of the tournament director shall be final in all matters. Protests for any rule infraction must be made in writing within 30 minutes of the official announcement, “the scales are now closed”.

PARTICIPANTS AND ELIGIBILITY: Participation is open to current members in good standing of American Bass Anglers, Inc., who are 14 years of age or older and possess a valid state fishing license for tournament waters, and who have qualified to participate in the National Championship (Have fished a minimum of four one-day tournaments and one two-day tournament). Proof of age to the satisfaction of tournament officials is the responsibility of the competitor. DURING THE OFFICIAL PRACTICE AND COMPETITION DAYS OF AN American Bass Anglers TOURNAMENT, NO COMPETITOR MAY OPERATE A BOAT UNLESS THAT CONTESTANT HAS DOCUMENTED PROOF OF A MINIMUM OF $100,000 BOATING LIABILITY INSURANCE ON THAT PARTICULAR BOAT WITH VALID EXPIRATION DATE. PROOF OF INSURANCE MUST BE WITH THE BOAT BEING USED AND MUST COVER THE COMPETITOR USING THAT BOAT. RANDOM CHECKS WILL BE CONDUCTED THROUGHOUT THE TOURNAMENT. A properly completed and signed official entry form and the entry fee must be presented prior to the tournament. Tournament officials reserve the right to refund any membership and/or entry fee, if they shall choose for any reason not to accept the application for entrance. Any person entering a tournament that is under 18 years of age must have the signature of his/her parent or legal guardian on the entry form.

POLYGRAPH: By signing the official entry form contestants agree to submit to a polygraph/voice test examination should he/she be accused of any rule violation. Any person convicted of violating tournament rules or failing to successfully pass a polygraph/voice test will not be allowed membership or entry into any American Bass Anglers, Inc., event. The administration and interpretation of the polygraph/voice test shall be solely the responsibility of the American Bass Anglers, Inc., and shall be used (or not used) at their discretion. Without limiting the foregoing, the American Bass Anglers, Inc., shall have sole discretion to select the place, at which such polygraph/voice test shall be administered, the individual who administers such polygraph/voice test, and the scope of the questions, which may be asked during such test. Failure to take and pass the polygraph/voice test examination, if required, will result in immediate disqualification without recourse.

PROFESSIONALS: Individuals that have fished two or more tournaments requiring an individual entry fee of $675 or more in the preceding six months are not eligible to fish.

GUIDES: Individuals who are serving as a licensed guide or is recognized as a guide, that have guided on tournament waters within the last thirty days are not eligible to compete in American Bass Anglers Championship.

PRE-TOURNAMENT PRACTICE: Pre tournament practice will be from safe light until dusk on October 3-5, 2010. There will be a MANDATORY PAIRINGS AND SAFETY MEETING at 5:00pm on Tuesday October 5, 2010. Failure to attend the paring and safety meeting will result in immediate disqualification. No contestant may enter the tournament water for the purpose of catching or locating possible fishing locations after this meeting or after each day's weigh-in. During official practice contestants may only pre-fish alone, with a member of his/her immediate family, another contestant of the tournament, a sponsor of American Bass Anglers or a member of American Bass Anglers staff.

REGISTRATION: Saturday October 2, 2010 from 2PM - 6pm at Paris State Park. Late registration will be accepted until 12 noon on Tuesday October 5, 2010 at the host hotel. Failure to register will result in disqualification and forfeiture of entry fee.

LATE FEE: All entries must be postmarked, completion of on-line entry or called in with a charge card before 12pm midnight, September 18, 2010.

SAFETY: Safe boating conduct will be observed at all times. During the official practice and competition, each competitor is required to wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved chest-type life preserver (PFD). This preserver must be worn any time the combustion engine is in gear. This preserver must be strapped, snapped or zippered securely and maintained in that condition until the combustion engine is no longer in gear. The boat operator must have a safety-stop switch attached to his/her person when the combustion engine is in gear. During practice and tournament hours extreme caution must be exercised by boat operator during bad weather. In addition extreme caution must be exercised and boat operator must be aware that there will be large cruisers and barges operating that displace extremely large volumes of water which create unusually large wakes. Weather and water turbulence can be extremely hazardous and extreme caution should be exercised at all times. Violation of either the PFD or safety-stop switch portion of this rule will result in disqualification.

SPORTSMANSHIP: All contestants are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation. Contestants must adhere to all local, state and federal laws. Any infraction of these fundamental sporting principles may be deemed cause for disqualification. Use of or possession of illegal drugs or drugs (other than those purchased over-the-counter or prescribed by a licensed physician) by any competitor during the official practice or during pre and post tournament activities will not be tolerated and shall be cause for automatic disqualification from this and all future ABA tournaments. The consumption or possession of alcohol during tournament hours is prohibited. Tournament hours are defined as from check-out in the morning through check-in in the afternoon. Chemical substance addiction or abuse, conviction of a felony or other crimes involving immoral turpitude, or other conduct reflecting unfavorable upon efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship, fair competition and compliance with tournament rules shall be grounds for rejecting applications for membership, participation and for disqualification. Any disqualification or suspension from, or other disciplinary action regarding any tournament or fishing organization, shall be grounds for rejecting any application for membership, participation and for disqualification.

TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT: Only artificial lures may be used. No "live bait" or "prepared bait" will be permitted during official practice and competition, with the exception of pork strips, rinds, etc. Only one rod and reel combination may be used at one time. No fly rods or rods over 8 ft. are allowed. Trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited. All bass must be caught live and in a conventional sporting manner. All angling must be done from the boat and anglers must stay on tournament waters during tournament hours. Anglers are not permitted to leave the boat to land a fish or leave the boat to gain access to secluded waters. Boats must remain in tournament waters during tournament day/days. Competitors must leave and return to official checkpoint by boat. Both competitors must remain in boat at all times except in case of dire emergency. In such an emergency, competitors may be removed from their boat to: A BOAT OPERATED BY OTHER COMPETITORS OR A RESCUE BOAT DESIGNATED BY THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR. Partners must remain together at all times, in sight of each other and each other's catch, under the conditions cited above, in order for their catch of that day to be scored in the tournament. Citizen band radios, marine radios and cellular phones are allowed in the boat for emergency use only. Any transmission of information via any communicative device concerning any aspect of fishing is prohibited during tournament hours.

HORSEPOWER REGULATION: MAXIMUM HORSEPOWER FOR ALL OUTBOARD MOTORBOATS USED IN OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT PRACTICE AND IN TOURNAMENT COMPETITION WILL BE 250 HP. Horsepower cannot exceed the limitations set by the U.S. Coast Guard horsepower-rating plate attached to the boat by the manufacturer. The horsepower of the outboard engine must NOT exceed the rating specified on this plate nor the horsepower maximum set by American Bass Anglers. Each competitor agrees to submit, by his/her signature on the official entry form, the boat and outboard motor used in the tournament, to an inspection by factory-trained personnel, if there is any reason to suspect the horsepower is in excess of the rating. Changing or altering standard factory parts of your engine to increase the horsepower over the factory horsepower rating is forbidden, and will result in disqualification. Falsifying information on entry forms or altering the horsepower-rating numbers on the engine also would be cause for immediate disqualification from American Bass Anglers tournaments.

BOAT AND MOTOR: ALL BOATS MUST BE EQUIPPED WITH SOME TYPE OF IGNITION STOP SWITCH. This ignition-kill device must be attached to the driver's body any time the combustion engine is in gear. Also any time the combustion engine is operating and in gear, there must by a driver in the driver's seat in full control of the boat. Fishing boats that are 16 feet or more in length may be used. No barges, cumbersome craft or boats without steering wheel will be permitted. Contestants may not use boats equipped with "stick steering" during official practice or during tournament hours. Each boat must also have a properly aerated or re-circulating livewell to maintain a live limit catch of bass by both contestants.

BOAT OPERATION: Any competitor answering yes to the question: "Will you enter as boater?" will be expected to make that boat available for the tournament. Partners must discuss boat operation prior to send-off. Each partner is entitled to an equal number of hours to fish his/her selected waters. The non-boater is responsible for any damages, which may occur to the boater's boat while he/she is operating the trolling motor. Any contestant who, in the judgment of the tournament director, operates the boat in such a manner as to unfairly handicap his/her partner shall be disqualified. It is the responsibility of the non-boater to reimburse the boater in the amount of ½ of fuel cost to defray daily expenses. All boat operation within 500 yards of the launch facility will be by trolling motor or idle speed only.

PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS: Kentucky Lake and the portion of Lake Barkley north to Highway 68 bridge is designated as the official Tournament Waters for the 2010 National Championship. Locking is not permitted. Fishing is not permitted within 50 yards of a marina gas pump or within 50 yards of another competitor's boat anchored or not. Competitors invoking the 50-yard rule must hold their boat in a steady manner. Any competitor that allows any other competitor to fish within 50 yards of his/her boat has suspended the 50-yard rule and opened the water to all competitors. Off-limits will be: (Area within Paris Landing Marina and the portion of Barkley Lake south of Highway 68 bridge) Additional off-limits areas may be designated and explained at pre-tournament meeting by the tournament director.

OFFICIAL CHECKPOINT: There will be THREE FLIGHTS: designated RED, WHITE and BLUE. There will be only one official point for checkout in the morning and check-in in the afternoon, Located at the Paris Landing Marina. Competitors not at the checkpoint at the designated time will be penalized at the rate of 1 lb. per minute, deducted from his/her total weight for the day. Any competitor more than 15 minutes late for send-off or check-in will be disqualified for the day. Official start and weigh-in times will be announced at the pre-tournament meeting. Our best effort will be given to allow at least 8 hours fishing time.

SCORING: Pounds and hundredths of each competitors (three day total) catch will determine tournament standings and placement. Only largemouth, spotted, red eye or small mouth bass will be weighed. The creel limit shall be five (5) unless the prevailing state limit is less. At no time shall a competitor have in his/her possession more than the tournament limit. Culling must be done immediately. Minimum length will be 15 inches (measured on a flat board). A penalty of 1 lb. will be deducted from the total weight for each short fish and a penalty of .50 pounds will be deducted from the total weight for each dead fish. Penalty weights will be subtracted from the scale weight. A contestant that presents more fish than the tournament limit will be disqualified immediately. Mangled, mashed, mauled or otherwise altered fish will be grounds for immediate disqualification. No regurgitated baitfish will be weighed. Fish will not be put on a stringer at any time. All fish presented at the weigh-in become the property of American Bass Anglers. All live fish will be returned to the lake and the tournament director will dispose of any dead fish.

PAIRING OF COMPETITORS: There will be MANDATORY pairings meeting and safety briefing for all contestants on Tuesday, October 5, 2010, at 5:00PM, at Paris State Park. Pairings for Thursday and Friday will be posted at the weigh-in sight after each days weigh-in. All assignments of partners will be by computer draw and all angling must be accomplished from the boat. Anglers will be divided into flights and FLIGHT LEADER will perform the pairings in accordance with computer printout. Boater must meet his/her partner at a designated place prior to coming to the launch ramp. Tournament director has no responsibility for finding lost partners. Competitors must stay on tournament waters and in sight of each other throughout the tournament day from send-off until weigh-in (Exception: Nature call). Any contestant refusing to take or go with another contestant in his/her boat will be subject to immediate disqualification. Each contestant is to meet his/her partner in ample time to be at take off at designated time. The flight leader may reassign pairings prior to morning ooze-off to accommodate problems and/or emergencies.

TIE: In case of a tie, combining awards and dividing them equally among the tied contestants shall resolve positions. A form of lottery shall determine trophy positions. The tournament director may decide to break first place ties with a fish-off. Duplicate points will be awarded to tied competitors.

TRANSFERS: There will be no transfers of tournament entry fees. Refunds, minus 10%, will be given through September 18, 2010 only.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: Contestants must have qualified through their local district (see 2010 tournament rules) in order to participate in the 2010 National Championship. Minimum requirements for qualification are the successful completion of four one-day tournaments and one two-day tournament. The top 500 national point holders will be invited to compete in the National Championship. If one or more of the top 500 do not accept the invitation, additional point holders will be accepted on a stand-by basis. The championship lake will be off limits beginning at sunset on September 18 until safe light October 3, 2010. Contestants must be paid in full prior to going on the water to practice. During official practice contestants may only pre-fish alone, with a member of his/her immediate family, another contestant of the tournament, a sponsor of American Bass Anglers or a member of American Bass Anglers staff. Contestants may not receive assistance from anyone other than another contestant for the purpose of locating or catching fish after pairings for the first tournament day has been made. The National Championship is worth 2000 points to the winner. Points will be awarded in 5 point decreasing increments depending on place of finish. Competition Team Anglers of the Year will be determined by the best four 1 day district finishes plus best 2 day finish plus points received at the Nationals. The same person is not eligible to win more than one prize/draw boat from American Bass Anglers during the same calendar year. (In the event the winner of the National Championship is also Angler of the Year, he/she will be awarded second place prize money from the National Championship payout matrix. Second place in the National Championship tournament will be awarded the National Champion boat.) Anglers winning the Angler of the Year or National Championship boats will not be eligible for the draw boat. The championship will be a six day event. Sunday thru Tuesday will be official practice and Wednesday thru Friday will be the official tournament days.