TKAA 2023 - Fishing Tournament General Rules

1. PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY:

A.  Participation is open to anyone 18 Years of age or older. Minors are eligible to register and participate with a parent or guardian who also participates in the event or grants permission. The obligation to know these rules falls upon the parent.

B.  A completed online entry and entry fee

C.  Watercraft defined in Section 9 of these rules.

D.  No measuring device needed

E.  Phone or digital camera for recording scoring fish (See section 12 for requirements)

F.  A valid Fishing License

G.  A minimum of 6 participants required for event.  If less than 6 sign up and participants all agree, event may proceed.

H.  No refunds unless event cancelled.

I.  No explosives allowed!
2.PRIZES: 

Cash prizes awarded for the winner of the tournament.  This is a Catch Em' All Event consisting of a bunch of different saltwater species.  The other category is used for anything not covered (only used once).  You can only submit only one fish per group.  See section 11 for scoring criteria.
A.  Award amount will be subjective to participation.  1st Place= $10 per entry received, 2nd Place=$5 per entry received, 3rd Place=$3 per entry received (3rd place is only paid out if 20 or more paid participants).  In the unlikely event no fish are caught or logged, the money will be donated towards charity.

B. Winners will be based on the most species caught.  In case of tie, the earliest time for the last fish entered will win.
3. SAFETY:

Safe boating will always be observed. DURING COMPETITION, EACH CONTESTANT IS REQUIRED TO FOLLOW U.S. COAST GUARD AND VIRGINIA REGULATIONS INCLUDING POSSESSION OF COAST GUARD APPROVED PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICE (PFD).  PFD MUST BE WORN WHILE ABOARD YOUR WATERCRAFT. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN A DQ.
4. STARTING TIME:

Launching can begin at 0600 (6am for the rest of you all).  All entrants wishing to enter fish must submit their pictures to tournament by 3:00 PM (1500 for the rest of us). 
5. LATE REGISTRATION:

None.  You can register all the way up to the end time, you will still need an identifier.
6. COMMUNICATIONS:

The use of mobile communication is allowed. 
7. SPORTSMANSHIP: 

All contestants are required to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, and conservation. Intoxication will be cause for immediate disqualification.  Participation in any criminal activities, or other conduct reflecting unfavorably upon efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship, fair competition and compliance with tournament rules and the law are grounds for disqualification and/or rejection of any applicant from participation. This will also entail the return of any prizes awarded. The TKAA Tournament Committee will seek legal remedy if necessary. This is a charity event.  If you got to cheat to win, you might want to re-think life choices.
8. PERMITTED FISHING METHODS: 

A. All fish must be caught on rod, reel, line and hook. No traps, snares, set lines or other methods of fishing other than rod, reel and line are permissible, even if legal under state game laws.

B. No measuring boards needed.  Discretion is the judge’s option.

C. Each competitor must have a mobile phone (or digital camera) with camera able to submit digital photographs.

D. Nets and grippers (e.g., Fish Grip, Boga-Grip) may be used for landing fish.   They can be left in the mouth when taking pictures too.  We do not suggest fingers in toothy critters mouths.  We are not responsible for lost digits.  Don't use a stringer, that is just wrong.

E. Live and artificial baits allowed.

F. Competitors are allowed to share baits and tackle.

G.  During the hours of competition, contestants may not obtain or receive assistance, including but not limited to following a non-competitor's boat, the placing of markers by any non-competitor, towed by or riding on motorized vessels or electronic, voice or data communication from a non-competitor.

H.  Contestants may not leave the boat to stand or to wade while fishing.
9. Watercraft & Propulsion

A. Only fish caught (and landed) from kayaks, canoes, paddleboards or other acceptable watercraft are eligible for scoring. Acceptable watercraft is defined as any watercraft defined by the manufacturer as a kayak, canoe, or paddleboard and sold as such. Watercraft specifically approved as exceptions in advance and for this event are:

Blue Sky Boatworks 360 Angler

Biyak

Bote Aero/Classic/Verg/Rover

Greentop Enterprise Creek Boats

Solo Skiff

Hero 130 (and equivalent copies of same molding)

Beavertail Stealth
B.  A maximum of 6hp internal combustion engine or electrical propulsion is permitted.

C. Trolling is permitted.

D. The use of motherships (i.e., transport or assistance from a powerboat in moving locations) is NOT permitted. Assistance from powerboats is permitted only in emergencies, as when pulling a kayak from a danger zone or restricted area. Fishing may resume following emergency assistance only if no appreciable relocation occurred.

E.  TANDEMS/SHARING. It is permissible for more than 1 entrant to share the same watercraft. However, each paddler must pay and compete as a single angler. They must also have their own phone and the fish are scored separately. Fish may NEVER be shared among entrants.
10. PROHIBITED: 

There is absolutely NO FERRYING (i.e. using another vehicle or boat, motorized or not to transport your kayak to a fishing location while on the water.)
11. PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS:

Fishing is permitted anywhere if you can get there from Wallace's Marina and return back before 3pm.  You cannot pull the kayak out and go someplace else, then return and put back in the water and claim you launched and recovered from there.  Come on, this is for HEROES ON THE WATER and charity.  Lets not over think this event.  Have some fun!  
12. DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY: 

A.  Participants must use their own Smart Phone or digital camera for recording scoring fish.

B.  All photos shall be uploaded into the Iangler Tournament program or application on the same day they are caught and no later than 6 hours from time of capture.

C.  No photos accepted after the end of the tournament.

D.  No other means of entering photos accepted.  
13. PHOTO STANDARDS: 

Digital photographs of fish submitted to judges for scoring must meet these criteria:

A. Legible. Photo must be clear enough to see identifier.  No identifier, no fishy counts.
B. The identifier as specified on Iangler will be displayed. An image of the unique identifier on a smart phone or other electronic devices is not acceptable.

C. Competitor’s watercraft clearly visible

E. Fish, as depicted below:

i. Facing whatever direction you want.  Just no sharing catch.  If you catch it, claim it.  If someone else catches it, they claim it.  Don't be a cheater and share fish.  Photos judged to have been taken deliberately at an angle in order to hide markings so you or someone else can use the same fish shall be disqualified at the Tournament Director’s discretion.

ii. To confirm that the fish is alive, the fish’s eye must be uncovered in the photo. Photos of fish that appear to be dead, mutilated, frozen or similarly damaged will be disqualified without scoring. Photos of fish that appear to have been mangled, mashed, mauled or otherwise altered in ways that increase their length will be disqualified or approved for scoring at the discretion of the Tournament Director.

iii. Securing the fish with any portion of a hand under the fish’s gill flap is prohibited.

iv. All photos become property of the TKAA.
14. SCORING: 

A.  The tournament is a catch, photo, and release format.

B. Fish is determined by the picture.  If a fish is submitted and rejected, it cannot be resubmitted.  The judge’s decision is final and not subject to debate.  Any attempt to discredit judges or TKAA via social media or any other methods will result in immediate DQ and no refunds permitted.

C. In the event of an exact tie in aggregate score, ties will be broken according to the time that the competitors’ last fish photo was officially checked in by the Judges. Should the last fish photo submission times be identical, and then both Competitors’ next fish time will be used, and so on and so forth until a winner is determined.

D.  Grading criteria:  the following standards in approving or disqualifying photos, and in accepting or adjusting lengths.
ItemCriteria	    Penalty

Photo	   Blurry photos will be scored frowned upon	n/a

Photo	   Photo that is too blurry to judge at all	DQ

Photo	   Photo appears to be second-generation (photo of a photo)	 DQ

Photo         Photo submitted before or after event date and time limits	 DQ

Photo         Duplicate or additional pictures submitted  DQ

Photo	  GPS photo tag or other evidence indicates photo was uploaded out of tournament “permitted waters” zone	 DQ

Photo	  Multiple digital photos unintentionally submitted of the same fish	 PHOTO DQ

Photo	  Multiple digital photos intentionally submitted of the same fish; fraud	 Ban

Identifier	  Tournament Identifier missing, counterfeit, or incorrect for the event or competitor	 DQ

Watercraft	  Competitor’s watercraft not visible in photo	 DQ

Body	   Any portion of a hand or fingers under the fish’s operculum (hard gill flap)	 DQ

Fish	          Any other fish than the species or varieties approved for the Competition (really?)	 DQ

Fish	          Fish appears to have been snagged, snatched, or hooked in the body rather than mouth	 DQ

Fish	          Fish appears to be dead, mutilated, frozen, mangled, or otherwise damaged so that it may not to have been taken according to the rules, or eye is covered so the condition of the fish cannot be ascertained.	 DQ

Fish	          Fish appears to have been mashed, mauled, (Really)?	 DQ
15. RELEASE OF LIABILITY:

A waiver and release of liability statement is part of the entry form. It is required of each contestant that they take responsibility for themselves while participating in any tournament activities.
16. RULE CHANGES:

Rule interpretation will be left exclusively to the TKAA Tournament Committee; all decisions are final in all matters and are not subject to appeal.
17. PROTEST:

All protests must be submitted in writing, 30-minutes before the end time of tournament.  All protests will be reviewed by members of the TKAA Tournament Officer.  All decisions will be final and are not subject to appeal.