FLORIDA CATFISH CLASSIC 2008

Friday, August 29th and Saturday, August 30th, 2008

RULES & REGULATIONS

 

REGISTRATION will begin AT 9 a.m. Friday, August 29th at Gaskin Park Landing and continue until midnight on Friday, August 29th. Advance registration is advisable.  Advance registration is REQUIRED if you wish to have boats inspected at any authorized landing other than Gaskin Park Landing.   To register in advance, mail the attached registration form with your entry fee of $50.00.  Your entry must be postmarked by Aug. 25, 2008, or $55.00 if paid on or AFTER Aug. 29th, 2008 ($20.00 for kids under 14 entering the Kid’s Classic) to Florida Catfish Classic, PO Box 966, Wewahitchka, FL 32465. You may also turn your  application & registration fee into Rudy Sumner in Bristol, Fl by 8/29/08.

TOURNAMENT HOURS will be from 4 p.m. Central Time, Friday, August 29^th and until 12 noon, Central Time on Saturday, August 30th, 2008.  OFFICIAL STARTING TIME will be at 4 p.m. Central Time, Friday, August 29th, however, participants are allowed to register until midnight, Friday, August 29th.

TOURNAMENT RULES MEETING will be held thirty minutes prior to official start.

DECISIONS of the judges and tournament officials shall be final in all matters.

SAFE BOATING conduct is required of all contestants at all times.  Caution and safety MUST be observed at all times.  Each contestant MUST have a Coast Guard approved life jacket in addition to other required Coast Guard equipment in the boat. 

All children under the age of  16 MUST wear a life jacket at all times.

SPORTSMANSHIP: All contestants are expected to practice good sportsmanship, safety, courtesy, and conservation.  Contestants may be disqualified due to an infraction of these rules and/or principles.  Drunkenness on the part of any contestant shall be ample cause for immediate disqualification. 

ALL STATE AND FEDERAL LAW SHALL BE OBEYED AT ALL TIMES.

BOAT CHECK:  Anyone who pre-registers before August 29, 2008 can have their boat checked at the landing that they are launching at.  Hickory Landing, Bristol Landing, Estiffanulga Landing, Gaskin Park Landing.  IF YOU ARE NOT PRE-REGISTED YOU MUST HAVE YOUR BOAT INSPECTED AT GASKIN PARK LANDING.

CHECK POINT:  The official check point is Gaskin Park Landing, Wewahitchka. 

NEW – FOUR LANDING START:  All boats must be inspected  prior to launching.  Launch and start tournament at the following landings:  Gaskin Park Landing, Bristol Landing, Estiffanulga Landing, and Owl Creek-Hickory Landing.

OFF LIMITS: No contestant may fish prior to the official start, except for bait.  Boats are not allowed to go through the locks at the Lake Seminole Dam. 

BOAT IDENTIFICATION: Each boat will be given an official identification number that must remain in the boat during the tournament.

LANDING FISH:   All fish must be caught and landed from a registered boat.  No trotlines, no bush hooks, no cast nets, and no shocking.  River Patrol will be out!!  Fishing from a pontoon boat is allowed and fishermen may leave and return to the pontoon via a smaller boat.  All occupants of the registered boat must be registered fishermen.

TACKLE: Only conventional fishing tackle may be used.

ELECTRONIC GEAR: Depth finders, graphs, GPS, LCR, and PH meters are permitted.

ELIGIBLE FISH:  Only Channel Cat (which includes all freshwater catfish) and Flathead Catfish are eligible.

SIZE AND BAG LIMIT:  All fish must be at least 14 inches long to be weighed.

WEIGH-IN: All fish must be alive to be weighed.  The Florida Catfish Classic reserves the rights to use photos or video taken in   conjunction with the tournament.

WEIGH-IN: Preliminary weigh-ins will be held anytime between 4 p.m. Friday August 29th to 2 a.m. Saturday, August 30th and then from 6 a.m. until 12 p.m. Saturday, August 30^th.

TIES: Ties will be decided by tournament officials (ties will be further discussed at the meeting prior to tournament).

LIE DETECTOR TESTS will be administered to the first place winner of the Flathead Catfish category; and to one other entry at the discretion of the tournament officials.  All entrants into the tournament are subject to a lie detector test at the discretion of the tournament officials.

PRIZES: All prizes are guaranteed.  $50,000 cash will be awarded to the contestant that breaks the State of Florida Flathead Catfish record, pending all special rules and conditions provided by the tournament insurance company have been followed and provided that winner passes a polygraph test.  A copy of special rules and conditions can be requested from the Employees Club of the City of Wewahitchka at (850) 639-2605 or may be picked up at the registration desk at the tournament.  Should the state record be broken more than once during the tournament, the grand prize will be awarded to the contestant that holds the record at the end of the tournament. 

MONITORING:  The Employees Club of the City of Wewahitchka and officials of the Florida Catfish Classic reserves the right to monitor applicants and participants.  The Employees Club of the City of Wewahitchka and officials of the Florida Catfish Classic also reserves sole and exclusive right to exclude any person or persons, regardless of reason, from participation in the tournament.

DOOR PRIZES:  Each fisherman will receive a ticket for a door prize drawing.  Also, each fisherman will receive a ticket for every 14-inch catfish weighed in, and a separate door prize drawing will be held for these tickets. 

YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN!!!