FISHERS OF MEN

2024 Abu Garcia CPR Series Rules

 

1.       PARTICIPANTS AND ELIGIBILITY

Open to all individuals, male and female, except;

Any angler who has competed in an “Elite Level” professional tournament or series during the 12 months prior to the Fishers of Men event they wish to enter. An Elite Level tournament series is defined as a tournament series in which all competitors must earn their way in by doing well in a lower level event or series. Any and all professional level tournaments that are available for entry to anyone who can pay an entry do not disqualify the competitors from Fishing in Fishers of Men Tournaments

* Fishers of Men reserves the right to reject any entries which we feel are not in the best interest of the tournament. *

Fishers of Men division directors are eligible to compete in all CPR events

 

Membership fees are as follows:

Individual Membership            $40 per person + $2.50 processing fee

Family Membership                 $60 per family + $2.50 processing fee

 

Membership Benefits: Membership packet and eligibility to compete in any Fishers of Men Berkley Team Series Tournament, Abu Garcia CPR Tournament, Shakespeare Legacy Series, or any Spiderwire Weeknight Series Tournament.  Memberships are to be completed online or submitted to the division director prior to fishing your first tournament.

 

2.       ENTRIES AND TOURNAMENT FIELD

CPR Series entry fees shall be $100. Entry fees for CPR tournaments should be mailed to the division director or paid online by the priority entry deadline of midnight, the Friday 8 days before the competition day.

CPR Tournaments will have a maximum field of 21 anglers and a minimum field of 5 anglers.

These 21 slots are available using the following priority entry system:

1.  Fishers of Men CPR Division Directors are eligible to compete in the Division in which they are the Director and are given 1st priority for entry.

2.  The anglers who fished in the most recently completed season in the associated Team Series division will be given priority for the remaining 20 slots. That priority will be given in order of the season points standings from the recently completed season in that Team Series division.

3.  Any remaining slots will be available to any current Fishers of Men member, on a “first-come, first-served” basis.

All entries must be received by the director by midnight, the Friday 8 days before the competition day, to be considered a priority entry. After that deadline, the director may continue to fill any remaining slots on a “first-come, first-served” basis until the tournament location is revealed.

Once the tournament location is announced, no entries will be accepted and no refunds will be issued.

In the event that there are more than 21 entries, the director will strictly adhere to the above priority system to determine which entries will be accepted. Any additional entries will be refunded in full (not including PayPal fees) immediately after the 21 angler field is filled.

In the event that there are less than 5 entries, all anglers will receive a full refund of their entry.

There will be a fee charged on all checks returned for insufficient funds.

 

3.       MARSHALS

Each competitor is required to bring a marshal to the competition in all divisional events.  Marshals will be assigned to competitors through a random drawing, and will not be permitted to be paired with the competitor they came with.  Anyone who is at least 16 years old, and is physically capable of performing the required duties, may serve as a marshal.

There will be a separate competition for marshals. This competition is totally optional.  Marshals, who opt in, will pay a $10 cash entry at the pre-tournament meeting to compete against other marshals in a “big fish’ competition. Details and rules for the marshal competition will be given at the pretournament meeting.  Fishers of Men membership is not required for marshals, whether competing in the marshal’s competition or not.

 

4.       TOURNAMENT LOCATION

If the director is not competing in the event, he/she will select the body of water, ramp and any boundaries and notify all participants via text by 12:00 noon on Friday, the day before the event. Once this announcement has been made, the tournament water becomes off limits and competitors may not willfully receive any information concerning the tournament waters.

If the director is competing in the event, he/she must give the FOM National Office 3 options to randomly choose from. The FOM National Office will text the selection to the director who will then in turn notify all of the of the participants via text, by 12:00, noon on Friday, the day before the competition.

 

5.       PRE-TOURNAMENT MEETING

Each tournament will have a pre-tournament meeting scheduled 30 minutes prior to the tournament blast-off to assign boat marshals, verify scales, announce boundaries and halftime requirements, and any other pertinent information.  It is the responsibility of all competitors to arrive at the designated ramp with a qualified marshal, a set of official scales, and an approved smart phone or other device 30 minutes before the scheduled blastoff.  There will be a five minute penalty for each minute late for the pre-tournament meeting. The penalty will be imposed on the angler at the beginning of the fishing day. Failure to arrive at the designated landing before blast-off or to have a qualified marshal accompanying will result in disqualification with loss of entry fee.

 

6.       PRIZE PAYOUT

In tournaments consisting of 5-9 competitors, 1 place will be paid out.

In tournaments consisting of 10-14 competitors, 2 places will be paid out.

In tournaments consisting of 15-19 competitors, 3 places will be paid out.

In tournaments consisting of 20-21 competitors, 4 places will be paid out.

 

7.       OFF LIMITS

In Fishers of Men CPR Series Tournaments, the tournament waters will be off limits from the announcement at 12:00, noon on Friday until the start of competition. During the off limits and competition, competitors may not willfully receive any information concerning tournament waters.                                         

 

8.       TOURNAMENT HOURS

Tournament hours will be set by the division director but will be divided into two 4 hour halves. Anglers will be required to rendezvous at a designated location at halftime. Anglers will be allowed 15 minute run time, from the end of fishing time at the end of the first half, to arrive at the rendezvous location.

Anglers who arrive late for halftime will be penalized by reducing their total weight at a rate of 1lb. per minute and will be held at the beginning of the second half for five minutes for each minute late.

We reserve the right to adjust hours if necessary.

 

9.       LAUNCH SEQUENCE

First half starting positions will be assigned in the same manner as the priority entry system. Second half starting positions will be assigned by halftime standings.

 

10.     SAFETY

Safe boating conduct must be observed at all times. Each competitor and marshal is required to wear Coast Guard approved personal floatation devices, securely fastened at all times while the boat is being propelled by the combustion engine. Furthermore, a kill switch must be fastened to the driver any time the combustion engine is propelling the boat. Failure to do so is grounds for a five minute penalty for each infraction.

Running lights must be operational and turned on at the blast off of each tournament.

Any boat equipped with a motor that exceeds the horse power rating of the boat according to the manufacturer is prohibited from being used in a Fishers of Men Tournament.

All auxiliary gas tanks and bladder tanks that are not installed by the boat manufacturer are prohibited. Additional gas tanks that are factory options and installed by a manufacturer’s authorized dealer are legal. Boats that do not have factory installed gas tanks are restricted to a maximum of 18 gallons of gasoline in tanks that meet U.S. Coast Guard regulations. Gas tanks must be properly secured or strapped in the boat. During the tournament, no portable gas tanks or containers capable of holding gasoline can be placed anywhere on the waters or shoreline for use by any tournament competitor.

 

11.     SPORTSMANSHIP

Each contestant is expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, and conservation. No angler may fish within 50 yards of any other boat which is anchored with the trolling motor up. Furthermore, no angler may fish within 25 yards of any other boat without the other boater’s permission. Permission may not be granted to any angler at the exclusion of any other angler. No hole sitting by a non-competitor or by another competitor, to aid a tournament participant will not be allowed. Violators will be disqualified.

 

12.     TACKLE AND FISHING METHODS    

Only artificial baits may be used. No live or cut bait is permitted (pork baits are permitted). All bass must be caught alive in a legal and sporting manner. No snagging. Any fish caught while “sight fishing” must be verified by the Marshall as having been hooked inside the fish’s mouth, before the hook is removed.

Each competitor may use only one rod at a time. More than one line in the water at a time is not permitted. Trolling with the combustion motor is not permitted.

No competitor may fully lose contact with the boat to land or catch fish. However, it is legal for the angler to leave the boat to retrieve a fairly caught fish as long as he maintains physical contact with the boat.

The use of landing nets is permitted.

Marshals are not permitted to assist competitors in locating, catching, or landing fish.

 

13.       STATE AND FEDERAL GAME REGULATIONS

All participants are expected to abide by all state and federal laws and game regulations. Any competitor who intentionally violates a law or regulation in an attempt to gain an unfair advantage will have their catch disqualified. In the case of multiple governing authorities, the strictest law is applicable. Any participant who consumes, or is under the influence of alcoholic beverages, stimulants or depressants during any Fishers of Men function, including the pre-tournament meeting may be disqualified from the tournament. (Prescribed medications taken per doctor’s instructions are excluded)

 

14.     SCORING

Only largemouth, smallmouth, spotted bass may be weighed. To count as a scorable bass a fish must weigh a minimum of 1 lb. There are no length restrictions. Depending on the body(s) of water fished, a higher minimum weight of 2 lbs. may be appropriate. The director can call for a vote to increase the minimum scoreable fish weight to 2 lb. The 2 lb. minimum must be agreed upon by the majority of the anglers at the pre-tournament meeting. The vote may be conducted by a “show of hands”. If any competitor asks for a “secret ballot” vote, the vote must be conducted by secret ballot.

                                                                                                                  

15.     EMERGENCIES

Competitors shall remain with their marshal in the boat at all times during the tournament, except in the event of sickness or brief excursions for "nature calling", severe storm or other such hazard. It is permitted for a competitor to leave the boat for marina services. During competition, competitors and marshals may leave the boat to dislodge it, but only to return the boat in the direction it came from. Leaving the boat, on a competition day, to advance it is not permitted. (In falling water conditions, a team may leave the boat to advance it only to return from water they accessed without leaving the boat.) If for any reason it becomes necessary to leave the tournament waters early, the angler shall bear full responsibility for notifying the tournament director.

 

16.     FISH WEIGHING PROCEDURES

All fish caught may be weighed at the request of the angler but only those fish weighing 1lb. (or 2lb. in the cases where the minimum has been increased) or more will count as scorable bass. The weight is not official until marshal and angler verbally agree on weight. The marshal is not allowed to touch the fish.  All fish must be released into the water immediately after being weighed. Once the competitor and Marshal agree on the weight, the marshal will record the fish’s weight on the official scoring method and his score sheet.

 

17.     PROTEST AND POLYGRAPH TEST

Any protest must be filed by a group text that includes the tournament director, at the time of the infraction, and the National Office must be notified by the director immediately.  In any case where a written protest is filed, a competitor is disqualified, or an entry is refused by the director, it is required that the director must contact the National Office before making a final ruling. Fishers of Men National reserves the right to give a polygraph or other truth verification test to any participant at any time. This test does not have to be administered on site and may be set up by the tournament director at his discretion. All participants agree to abide by the results of any polygraph or other truth verification test administered. In the event of a protest and an off-site polygraph or other truth verification test the tournament director will have the option of mailing all the checks to the anglers in the money pending the outcome of the test.

 

18.     CPR CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFICATION

In tournaments consisting of 5-9 competitors, only the top angler will qualify for the CPR Championship.

In tournaments consisting of 10-14 competitors, the top 2 anglers will qualify for the CPR Championship.

In tournaments consisting of 15-19 competitors, the top 3 anglers will qualify for the CPR Championship.

In tournaments consisting of 20-21 competitors, the top 4 anglers will qualify for the CPR Championship.

Fishers of Men Berkley Team Series directors will be automatically qualified to compete in the CPR Championship.

The Fishers of Men National Office reserves the right to adjust these qualification requirements, if necessary, to ensure a reasonable sized championship.

 

19.     LIABILITY INSURANCE

All members must carry a minimum of $100,000 of liability insurance on any boat they use during any Fishers of Men Tournament. Failure to do so, or reporting of false information will result in disqualification of catch. Participants must include the company name and either the policy number or the name of the agent binding the coverage on the entry form for each tournament.

 

20.     VIOLATION OF RULES AND DISQUALIFICATION

The violation of a tournament rule by an angler may result in loss of fishing time, loss of a specific amount of weight, the loss of weight up to a particular time in the tournament day (eligible for a restart), loss of weight for the entire day, disqualification for the entire tournament or, in an extreme circumstance, ineligibility to participate in future FOM events.  If an angler is disqualified from a tournament and the director feels that their violation was a willful attempt to gain an unfair advantage or to intentionally cheat, then the director has the right to refuse entry from that angler in the future and may inform all other Fishers of Men directors of the situation.

 

21.  PROFANITY

The use of profanity will not be permitted during CPR tournaments. Upon the first infraction, the angler will receive a warning from the marshal. If there is a second infraction, a one minute penalty will be imposed. For a third infraction, the penalty will be five minutes. All additional infractions will result in an additional five minute penalty per incident.

 

22.     CPR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

The CPR National Championship will be a three day tournament. The entry fee will be $100.00.

Entry instructions will be posted in the tournament details on Fishers of Men’s website at www.fomntt.com.

On day one half of the competitors will fish while the other half will serve as marshals. On day two the competitors will reverse. Assignments and pairings will be determined by a random drawing.

The top 20% from day one and the top 20% from day two will qualify to compete on the final day.

*Percentage of competitors making the cut may be adjusted by the tournament staff to ensure a quality event.

 

On the final day, some or all of the anglers who have not made the cut will serve as marshals.

 

23.     RULES ENFORCEMENT

It is the responsibility of the marshals and the tournament director to enforce all of these rules as they are written. Infractions of any rule may result in a penalty or disqualification. In any issue not specifically covered in these rules the director must contact the National Office before making a ruling.