2022 CFF Tournament Trail Rules

Dropshot · Jan 5, 2022

2022 CFF TOURNAMENT TRAIL RULES <div style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 1pt 4pt"> 2022 CFF TOURNAMENT TRAIL Primary Changes (12) Twelve tournaments (6) Day tournaments (6) Night tournaments (7) Seven tournament participation required for Classic qualification (2) Two tournaments drop, replacing the previous 0 drop Night tournaments will blast off at 7pm and weigh in at 2am. </div> 1) ADMINISTRATIVE FEE a) A one-time fee of $10 will be charged to ALL participants before they fish their first tournament of the year. No one is excluded from paying this fee before fishing. 2) TOURNAMENT ENTRY FEE AND PAYOUTS a) The entry fee for each tournament is $40. b) $5 from each entry is used towards the "Big Fish" reward. c) The maximum first-place payout will be $300 for regular-season tournaments. Payouts for other places are dependent on the number of overall participants. d) Big Fish Payout –There will be a big fish payout for each of the largest Largemouth Bass, Kentucky (Spotted) Bass, and Smallmouth Bass. If only 1 or 2 of the 3 species are weighed in, the big fish pot will be adjusted to reflect. 3) ANGLER ELIGIBILITY TO PARTICIPATE a) 200 CFF Posts PER BOAT are required to fish the CFF Tournament Trail b) Eligible Member – An eligible member is designated as any active CFF member who has accumulated a minimum of 200 posts in any category at the time of sign-up. An active member contributes to the forum regularly. c) Eligible Team - Any team consisting of a minimum of 200 posts in any combination between the two participating anglers. i) Exception - "one-pass Rule" - Each team participating in any 2021 CFF Tournament Trail Event shall have a total of 200 CFF posts and a minimum of one (1) CFF member who is active on the forum, in any combination between the two anglers. This can consist of one member with 200 posts and a guest with 0 posts. Additionally, any CFF member lacking 200 posts ("NON-Qualified member" will be allowed to participate by using one free pass. This means that a member with less than 200 posts may fish one tournament with another non-qualified member or guest. Both non-qualified members and the guest will have used their free passes. The "non-qualified members" will be encouraged to enjoy the fun and fellowship and contribute back to CFF by posting. Likewise, the guest will be encouraged to join and contribute. Any new members (non-qualified) should print their user profile and present it with their driver's license at sign-in to verify their qualifications. In addition, anglers wishing to participate should verify there post counts can be viewed. ii) NOTE: THE ONE-PASS RULE WILL BE WAIVED AFTER THE 2ND TOURNAMENT. NO MORE NON-QUALIFIED PASSES WILL BE ALLOWED AFTER THAT POINT. NO EXCEPTIONS! d) Fishermen under the age of 18 must fish with an adult and have a waiver form signed by a legal guardian to participate. e) NOTE: The CFF Tournament Committee reserves the right to refuse entry to any angler/team. 4) TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION a) All sign-ups will take place under the CFF Tournament Trail Forum. Sign-up will be posted the weekend before the scheduled tournament. A sign-up deadline will be posted and typically will be 7pm on Wednesday evening, the week of a tournament. Anyone who does not sign up online before the sign-up deadline will not be allowed to participate in the tournament. NO EXCEPTIONS! b) It will be the responsibility of the CFF Tournament Committee to post any ramp changes no later than 7pm EDT on Wednesday before the scheduled tournament. In cases of ramp changes, it will be determined by a majority vote of the CFF Tournament Committee. Unfortunately, these changes must sometimes be made to ensure safety or avoid overcrowding with ramps and conflicts with other events. 5) TOURNAMENT RULES a) All day tournaments will start at safe-light and weigh in at 2:15pm EDT unless otherwise stated on the sign-up thread. Boats are to be inside the buoy or designated area no later than 2pm. b) All night tournaments will start at 7pm EDT and weigh in at 2:15am EDT. Boats are to be inside the buoy or designated area no later than 2am. c) Check-in for tournaments will close 15 minutes before the scheduled blast-off. Late check-in will not be allowed. This is non-negotiable. d) Official Tournament Deadline and blast-off order will be pre-determined before blast-off. Blast-off will be organized, and numbers will be distributed at registration. e) Additionally, weigh-in instructions will be given at sign-in before departure. Any team wishing to weigh fish must return to the designated dock/ramp before the deadline. A two-minute grace period may be invoked for some ramps for safety reasons. CFF Tournament Committee members will be present to assist in this process. f) No passing of another boat ahead of you in the blast-off order will be allowed inside of Chester Frost Park or other designated areas for safety reasons during blast-off. Moving forward, this will be enforced, and you will be disqualified. g) Waiver Form - A waiver form must be signed before participating each year. This form specifies additional information and guidelines. You are subject to disqualification if you fish and do not sign a waiver form. h) No live bait, trolling, or locking through will be allowed at any CFF Tournament Trail tournaments. i) Once the entry fee is paid, there will be no fishing until the commencement of the tournament (blast-off) j) The use of the Tennessee Rig will follow state guidelines as determined by TWRA and the state guidelines of any state in which tournaments are taking place. k) The technique recognized as "Long-Lining" is prohibited on the CFF Tournament Trail. l) The CFF Tournament Committee member who performs the blast-off process (thus being the last boat out) will be rewarded as the first boat out at the next tournament. Tournament Committee members are not reimbursed and perform their duties, not for pay or recognition, but because they are willing to donate their time to make the CFF Trail a success. m) Live well checks may be performed before blast-off before each tournament. Instructions will be given before blast-off to check the procedure. Any boat not subject to a live well check may be ruled ineligible for weigh-in. 6) TOURNAMENT WEIGH-IN a) Weigh-in will start promptly at 15 minutes after the conclusion of the tournament. If the committee is ready to start weigh-in earlier, they will notify participants. b) Culling - Culling of fish is not allowed after the tournament's 2am/2pm conclusion. Anyone culling after this timeline, in the parking lot, at the dock, or waiting to load, will be subject to disqualification at the discretion of the tournament committee. c) All fish must be presented for weigh-in in a water-filled bag or container. Fish not presented in a water-filled bag or container will not be weighed in. The tournament committee reserves the right to measure any fish presented for weigh-in. Anglers should strive to not stand in line with their fish. Please observe exemplary conservation. d) Weigh-In Interference – The tournament committee asks that all anglers be mindful of the process for weighing-in and registration. This process is not always an easy one. Therefore, all participants not on the tournament committee should remain away from the scale area except for the team weighing-in. We also ask all anglers to be courteous and respectful at the registration table. Anglers who do not adhere to this request will be subject to disqualification with no refund of entry fees. e) It is the right of the tournament committee to randomly measure any fish that may not fit the minimum length. Any fish not meeting the minimum size will be disqualified. Likewise, two fish that fail to meet the minimum length will disqualify the participant. f) Dead Fish – A 16-ounce penalty will be issued for weighing in a dead fish. Only one (1) dead fish will be allowed per boat. If a boat possesses more than (1) dead fish, they will only be allowed to weigh their LIVE fish. Dead fish are ineligible for participation in the big fish award. Dead fish can be disqualified at the tournament committee's discretion based on the condition of the fish. 7) POST-TOURNAMENT EXPECTATIONS a) Fishing Report – In exchange for participation in the CFF Tournament Trail, each boat is expected to provide a fishing report under the CFF Fishing Reports. Boats that participate and place are required to post a fishing report or risk participation in future tournaments. Fishing reports are the life-blood of the forum, and there is no excuse for not posting a fishing report. b) Please be sure all fish are appropriately released, and that fish care is of the highest priority. 8) POINTS a) Points will be earned by points equivalent to each boat's overall finish, as determined by each team's total weight. We will utilize a points system starting at 100 points and decreasing a single point for every declining place finished through the last boat weighing in fish. b) A one-point bonus will be added to the team(s) weighing in the largest of three bass species. In addition, a single point will be given for the overall largest largemouth bass, spotted bass, and/or largest smallmouth bass. c) The 10 best of 12 tournament point totals will define your points for the Championship. Two drops are allowed. d) A year-end point's champion(s) (Angler of the Year) will be crowned at the Classic. In addition to bragging rights, the Angler of the Year winner(s) will have all entry fees waived for the 2023 CFF Tournament Trail except the Classic. The winner(s) must participate in the Classic to receive his/her recognition and award. In addition, if two anglers split the Angler of the Year and do not fish as a team, they will receive half-entry fees for the following year. e) Boats that completed the tournament but failed to weigh in a fish received 20 points in the past. This has now been modified: i) If the boat checks in after the tournament, participants will receive 10 points lower than the team weighing in the least total weight. ii) If the boat fails to check in after the tournament, participants will receive 20 points. 9) AGE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 2021 CFF TOURNAMENT TRAIL a) Anglers of all ages are welcome to participate in the 2021 CFF Tournament Trail. However, at least one participating team member must be a minimum of 18 years of age on the date of the tournament to be fished. In addition, any boat operator under 18 years of age will need to present the following before entry is permitted: i) TWRA-issued wallet Boating Safety Education Card (Tennessee residents) or proof of completing a NASBLA course (non-Tennessee residents) before entry will be allowed. ii) Proof of insurance on watercraft. iii) CFF Waiver form signed by their parent or legal guardian to fish. 10) 2022 CFF CLASSIC a) The 2022 CFF Classic will be a two-day tournament. b) Days will be alternated, with one day being held on Chickamauga Lake and another day on Nickajack Lake. Ramps will be determined and posted later in the season. This is subject to change based on scheduling, etc. c) The year-end Classic will have double entry fees ($80), which will result in a pay scale that doubles the regular scale. d) An angler must fish a minimum of 7 out of the 12 regular season events to qualify. CFF Alias' cannot be shared in CFF Classic qualifying. e) Both anglers have to qualify to fish the Classic f) The Classic will have a five-fish limit per day. g) The tournament days will end at 3pm on the two days of the Classic. h) There will be a Classic Champion and an AOY recognized after the Classic. 11) BASS SPECIES a) 12" Spotted bass b) 15" Largemouth c) 18" Smallmouth d) Any fish in question will be voted on at the weigh-in by CFF Tournament Committee members. The majority decision of the CFF Committee members will be final. 12) SAFETY a) Safety is the primary goal of the tournament trail. b) Participants are encouraged to abide by all state and federal regulations and take all necessary precautions to ensure their safety. At the tournament committee's discretion, any event may be postponed, shortened, or cancelled due to unsafe conditions, including weather. It remains the participants' decision to whether conditions are safe and suitable. c) The tournament blast-off will be performed by a member of the CFF Tournament Committee. Blast-off may be by single boat or flight based on several factors, including the number of participants, weather, visibility, ramp, etc. ANY angler/boat found violating the blast-off routing may be subject to disqualification. d) No passing of another boat ahead of you in the blast-off order will be allowed inside of Chester Frost Park or other designated areas for safety reasons during blast-off. 13) DISTANCE a) The 50-yard rule when competing in a CFF tournament is an excellent rule of judgment. Unless waived over, stay outside a judgment distance of 50 yards and exhibit proper sportsmanship. Please exercise safety, good sportsmanship, and most of all, have fun fishing! 14) PROTESTS a) Any protest shall be submitted to any tournament committee member within 5 minutes after the "last call" at the weigh-in. b) In case of a protest, statements will be taken from parties in dispute and a FINAL RULING handed down by the tournament committee promptly. 15) SOCIAL DISTANCING a) Please exercise caution as county parks will have observers watching safe social distancing. 16) FUN a) The most important rule of CFF is to have fun. Enjoy fellowship with fellow anglers who enjoy the same passion as you do!

2022 CFF Tournament Trail Rules

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