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2010 FLORIDA FLATSFISHING ASSOCIATION RULES

1. Florida Flatsfishing Association

Series rules are included herein with special notations. It is each team's responsibility to read all items before entering the circuit. FLFA tournament rules will apply in all FLFA run tournaments and points standings. FLFA directors reserve the right for any additions, deletions and changes in rules to maintain the quality and competitiveness for the promotion of the sport of fishing by the Florida Flatsfishing Association.

2. Rule changes

These rules will remain the governing rules during the year 2010. Interpretation of these rules will be left exclusively to the association directors. Rulings by the series board director are final in all matters and are not subject to a re-appeal.

3. FLFA Season

March 1, 2010 until October 31, 2010.

4. Membership

Pay your membership fee in advance, up to the close of the registration for the first tournament and you will fish the first tournament for free! And that's why it's called the "Free for All" tournament!

The 2010 FLFA Circuit Series is a team angler event. A team may consists of-

Option #1- Two (2) adult anglers.

Option #2- Two (2) adult anglers and one (1) junior angler.

The FLFA non-refundable team membership is $100.00 for options #1 & #2.

Option #3- One (1) adult angler and one (1) junior angler.

Option #4- One (1) adult angler and two (2) junior anglers.

The FLFA non-refundable team membership is $50.00 for options #3 & #4.

There must be a minimum of two (2) anglers (adult/adult or adult/junior) that participate on the tournament boat in all FLFA run tournaments. Each team member can be substituted one time during the 3 FLFA-run regular season tournaments. The FLFA-run tournaments are #1, #2 & #4.

One adult angler must be listed as the team captain and will be signified by the first name listed of the team on the rankings page. All points will remain with the team captain throughout the 2010 FLFA season.

A team captain may not switch teams and participate with another listed team captain.

All sanctioned tournaments are "open" as far as who you want to fish with. In all sanctioned tournaments the points stay with the team captain if they fish. If the team captain does not fish and the secondary team member fishes with a listed junior angler and/or substitute, the points will stay with the team (captain)...

A "junior angler" does count as a second person on the tournament vessel, so option #2 is a good option if a "second adult" on a team is not going to make the required tournaments and the substitute cannot make a specific event...

Gold Membership-

The FLFA non-refundable gold team membership is $200.00 for options #1 & #2.

The FLFA non-refundable gold team membership is $100.00 for options #3 & #4.

Gold membership enables your team to not have to attend the registration meetings before a tournament.
The captain of a gold team simply mails their check and registration no later than 1-week prior to an individual tournament.

5. Tournament Entry Fees

Individual tournament entry fees for any of the listed FLFA tournaments during the 2010 season are not included in your team membership fee, except in the "Free for All" tournament, only if you have your member fee paid by the close of that tournament registration.

6. Participation

Participation in any FLFA series tournament is open to members of the FLFA and non-member anglers alike. No angler can register as a member of the FLFA if they have been disqualified/suspended from any other tournament/circuit. Only exception is if you have "self-disqualified" yourself from an event.

ONLY REGISTERED TOURNAMENT ANGLERS ARE ALLOWED ON A TOURNAMENT VESSEL DURING TOURNAMENT HOURS.

All contestants must be covered under a valid fishing license and are required to follow all applicable federal, state and local regulations and laws. Violations of such regulations and laws may result in disqualification from the tournament and/or circuit.

All teams participating must have their entry fee for the tournament they are participating in paid in full by 8:00pm, the night of the designated tournament registration. All gold team members must have their fee paid no later than 1-week prior to the registration meeting. If failing to do so, they must attend the meeting to register.

7. Sportsmanship

All contestants are required to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy and conservation and to conduct themselves in a manner that will be a credit to themselves, to the FLFA, FLFA sponsors, the sport of fishing and the FLFA efforts to promote the sport. Examples of conduct not complying with those standards include, but are not limited to the following:

• Violation of, or failure to comply with, any of the official rules.

• Over-consumption of alcoholic beverages during tournament fishing hours. The state law of 0.08% B.A.C. will be considered by all anglers.

• Abuse of, or addiction to, mind-altering substances or alcoholic beverages.

• Suspension/disqualification from any tournament or fishing organization.

• Any other words, conduct or actions reflecting unfavorably upon efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship, fair competition and compliance with any tournament rules, or which fail to comply with the standards set forth in the first paragraph of rule #7.

In case of any conduct not complying with these standards, the FLFA shall have the right to refuse any application, or to deny a confirmed application, by refusing the entry fee for a tournament, or to suspend an angler from competing in the circuit for a minimum period of 1 tournament, up to a life suspension.

Any disqualified/suspended angler from individual tournaments and/or the FLFA may be reported as disqualified/suspended angler/team to other area fishing tournaments and any other circuit/organization involved in the promotion of the sport of fishing as being “disqualified from a tournament/association for violation of tournament/association rules.”

8. Safety

Safe boating must be observed at all times. Each contestant is required to have a U.S. Coast Guard approved, personal flotation device for each angler.

ANY TYPE OF APPROVED PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICE WILL BE WORN ANYTIME THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE IS IN OPERATION.

IGNITION CUT OFF DEVICE MUST BE OPERATIONAL AND USED ANYTIME THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE IS IN USE.

• All boats must be equipped with an emergency ignition shut-off device that must be securely attached to the driver's body whenever the combustion engine is in operation.

• If anglers decide to wade fish from their tournament vessel, the combustion engine must not be running when ANY angler exits the vessel and until all anglers have re-entered the vessel.

• All team anglers must remain within “sight & sound” of one another.

• At the discretion of the tournament director tournament days may be shortened, postponed or cancelled due to unsafe weather or water conditions.

• The tournament will not take place with a N.W.S. "storm, gale, hurricane warning and/or watch" in effect for the immediate area.

It is the owner's responsibility to make sure that their vessel is in safe operating shape. More than two (2) major issues of breakdowns and/or unsafe events from the same vessel that put anglers in an unsafe environment will be cause for suspension from the circuit until the corrections have taken place.

9. Boat and horsepower regulation

• Each boat must have all required U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment with a serviceable VHF radio and/or cell phone being mandatory for all tournament boats.

• Boats should contain a properly aerated livewell space, minimum 18 gallons, to maintain alive a limit catch of fish of each team, along with the vessel being in safe seaworthy shape for the team.

• Maximum horsepower for all single outboard vessels used in tournament competition will be 350 horsepower per vessel, but not to exceed the maximum horsepower capacity set forth on the "Maximum Capacities" placard on the vessel.

• By signing the entry form, each boat owner agrees to submit their boat and/or motor to an inspection at any time requested, by certified personnel assigned by the FLFA.

• All FLFA team vessels must display the FLFA logo sticker that was issued to you upon your membership registration on each side of the console of your tournament vessel for all FLFA tournaments.

Falsifying information on entry forms or altering the horsepower numbers on the motor or rating plate and refusal of vessel inspection will be cause for disqualification from the tournament and/or series, which may result in ineligibility to compete in future FLFA events.

10. Registration and captain's meeting

In all tournaments, it is mandatory that one adult team member per vessel must register in person at the designated site during the official registration hours, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. Persons registering more than 1-hour late from registration cutoff will not be permitted entry in the tournament.

Gold team members do not have to attend the registration meeting if-

They have mailed in their check and registration no later than 1-week prior to the registration meeting, their check has cleared, and they have a valid e-mail address on file with the FLFA.

It is the responsibility of the team captain or his/her designee to check their e-mail that Friday night after 9pm for the final individual tournament rules.

11. Permitted fishing methods

• All fish must be caught alive in a conventional and sporting manner.

• Live and artificial baits are allowed in FLFA tournaments, except the "Artificial Only" tournament.

Foul hooked fish cannot be weighed in. The term “foul hooked” is defined as- any fish that does not have at least one hook that penetrated through “from the inside of the mouth” when the fish was caught.

The practice of trading fish from one vessel to another is strictly prohibited and is grounds for disqualification from the Florida Flatsfishing Association, Inc. No angler/team may transfer their catch from their vessel into another vessel for the advantage of arriving at the weigh-in in a shorter time period compared to what they would have traveled in their fishing vessel. The only exception to this rule is “an unsafe major equipment failure (engine breakdown, steering failure, etc…) or emergency.”

The practice of altering any fish by length or weight with the intention of gaining advantage over another competing team is strictly prohibited and is grounds for disqualification from the Florida Flatsfishing Association, Inc.

The practice of “penning or staking” fish is strictly prohibited and is grounds for disqualification “for life” from the Florida Flatsfishing Association, Inc.

The term “penned” is defined as- “any Snook, Trout, Redfish, Jack Crevalle and/or Ladyfish caught and placed into any means of confinement and left unattended by any angler, that is retrieved at a later time and/or date by the same or different angler.”

The term “staking” is defined as- “any Snook, Trout, Redfish, Jack Crevalle and'or Ladyfish caught and secured by means of a hook and/or line/rope tied to a wood/metal/plastic stake or weighted object and left unattended by any angler, that is retrieved at a later time and/or date by the same or different angler.”

12. Permitted fishing locations

North Boundary – Merritt Island Causeway (CR 520)

South Boundary – Southernmost point of land on Sewalls Point.

West Boundary – NONE.

East Boundary - Sebastian Inlet A1A Bridge, and eastern end of no wake zone in Fort Pierce Inlet.

Teams may fish in designated tournament waters available to the public, except areas designated as “off limits,” “no boats,” “no motors” or “no fishing” by local, state or federal officials or to be within 100 feet of any other vessel on tournament day. If the said boat is drifting, you are not permitted to be within 100 feet of that vessel while drifting the same path of said vessel. If “invited” within the 100 foot radius by the first vessel in the area, you shall not come closer than 25 feet of said vessel. The 100 foot rule is not in effect if fishing in permitted inlet areas or in marked channels.

13. Official points of morning check-out

There will be four (4) official morning checkout locations for the three (3) FLFA-run tournaments unless otherwise designated. Failure to checkout at the designated areas will result in team disqualification.

The 4 morning checkout locations from 5:00am to 7:00am are-
- Jorgensons boat ramp in Micco
- Sebastian Yacht Club boat ramp in Sebastian
- MacWilliams boat ramp in Vero Beach
- Stan Blum boat ramp in Ft. Pierce

• All boats will check-out from one of the four (4) check-out locations, either from the water or from a trailer within the prescribed time frame of check-out.

• Alternate check-out locations may be assigned at each individual tournament.

• All team anglers must be present for the check-out.

• You can trailer your vessel to your closest check-out location with all team members that will be participating, then trailer the team boat to an alternate location to fish within FLFA boundaries.

14. Official point of afternoon check-in

There will be only one official afternoon check-in location unless otherwise designated. Failure to check-in at the designated area by the time listed will result in team disqualification.

• All fishing must cease upon final check-in.

• All fish for weigh-in must be delivered by your tournament vessel to the weigh-in.

• No walk-ups will be accepted.

• You can check-in by re-trailering your vessel from your fishing location to a ramp in close proximity to the afternoon check-in, re-float your boat, and head directly to the weigh-in site.

• No fishing once you re-float your vessel for afternoon weigh-in!

Cutting in line during check-in will result in disqualification. Official weigh-in times are disclosed at time of registration.

15. Weigh-in

The time listed for each individual tournament on when the scales are "open" for anglers is a "guaranteed to be ready" time. If scales are available prior to the listed time for the individual tournament, your fish can be weighed prior to the "guaranteed time" listed in the individual tournament rules. This is being done as it always has been, for the conservation of our aquatic resources.

Any team returning to the check-in point will be eligible to restart after weighing in fish to resume competition, if there is fishing time left prior to the weigh-in cutoff time, and upon the authorization of the tournament director or a designated tournament official. Once you weigh in an individual species, that species is closed for your team, but you can resume fishing for any remaining eligible species.

Fish presented for weigh-in that fail to measure the prescribed listed length limits over or under by 1/2 inch will be penalized 1-pound (1-point) for each non-legal fish presented. The penalty will be deducted from the largest legal fish weighed in from the tournament and/or a prior tournament listed on the rankings page on the FLFA website.

Teams who are not at the official check-in area by the appointed end time as described in the official tournament rules issued at registration will not be permitted to weigh-in their fish.

16. Ties

For all events, the first fish weighed in wins the tie.

17. Dead Fish Penalty

One-half pound (0.50 lb.) will be deducted from the weight of each fish that is unable to swim off healthy “under its own power” after a time limit of 10-minutes in an aeration tank with no change to the health of the fish. Junior angler species are exempt from this ruling.

18. Individual Tournament Scoring

Scoring will be determined by the measurement of pounds and ounces, measured in increments of .01 or .05, of each teams catch during qualifying tournaments.

• Teams possessing more than the tournament limit at one time during a weigh-in procedure will have their total catch disqualified.

• Each team's catch must be presented in an official weigh-in bag supplied by the tournament or in your own approved weigh-in bag.

• NO BUCKETS WILL BE PERMITTED TO WEIGH IN YOUR CATCH.

State law dictates slot lengths, with exception to the FLFA Trout ruling.

Teams are permitted to weigh in (caught by any member of a team)-

One (1) Snook, slot of 28" to 32". One (1) Trout, 20" and over. One (1) Redfish, slot of 18" to 27".

Junior anglers only are also permitted to weigh in (can only be caught by a junior angler)-

One (1) Jack Crevalle, no slot. One (1) Ladyfish, no slot.

19. Earning FLFA Series Points

A single fish per category, per team, per tournament, is how you earn your "points".

Category Points

Your team weighs in a live Snook at 10.20 lbs., live Trout at 7.50 lbs., and a dead Redfish at 7.00 pounds.

Your "Snook Points" are 10.20 points. "Trout Points" are 7.50 points. "Redfish Points" are 6.50 points.

Slam Points

Win a Slam award in any FLFA Sanctioned event and receive one additional bonus point to be used only for your season's final total. Slam Points will only reflect on the 2010 Rankings Page.

The FLFA Target Weight Bonus

This is a “no additional points” bonus. The team that gets “closest to or matches” a target weight that has been pre-determined prior to the start of the tournament for either a Snook, Trout and Redfish will win $100.00. The target weight will be revealed after the weigh-in has been completed.

The target weight for Snook will always be between 6.00 and 8.00 pounds.

The target weight for Trout will always be between 3.00 and 5.00 pounds.

The target weight for Redfish will always be between 3.00 and 5.00 pounds.

20. FLFA Season Finale Championship 1-day "Winner Take All" Slam Fish-off

The FLFA will be hosting a free season finale slam fish-off at the end of the season during awards ceremony weekend in October 2010.

Qualification:

• Must be a team in the 2010 Florida Flatsfishing Association in good standing.

• The team must have finished in the top-20 for the 2010 season,

• The team must have participated in all three (3) FLFA-run regular season (#1, #2 & #4) tournaments.

Weigh-in:

• Qualifying teams are allowed to weigh in one Snook, Trout & Redfish on the day of the fish-off.

• The winners of the fish-off are decided by each of their heaviest combined total weight of one Snook, Trout & Redfish from the 1-day, to make the teams heaviest slam weight.

Payouts:

• The 1st place winner of the fish-off will win $2,500.00 ($1,500.00 cash, $1,000.00 gift card & trophy)

• The 2nd place winner of the fish-off will win the 2nd place trophy & prizes.

• The 3rd place winner of the fish-off will win the 3rd place trophy & prizes.

If no slam is weighed in on the day of the fish-off, the winner will be the heaviest aggregate of two (2) fish and will only win the $1,000.00 gift card and trophy, while the 2nd and 3rd places will still win the trophies and prizes.

21. End of season totals

The FLFA will use your teams "best 5 tournament showings" from tournaments #1, #2, #3, #4, #7 & #8 of each species to compile your end of season category totals.

22. Guaranteed End of Season Payouts

Adult Angler Snook, Trout & Redfish categories-

1st Place each category- $1,000.00. ($500.00 cash, $200.00 fish mount trophy & $300.00 product certificate)

2nd Place each category- $500.00. ($250.00 cash, $150.00 fish mount trophy & $100.00 product certificate)

3rd Place each category- $250.00. ($125.00 cash and $150.00 fish mount trophy)

Junior Angler Jack Crevalle & Ladyfish categories-

1st Place each category- 2010 season first place trophy.

2nd Place each category- 2010 season second place trophy.

3rd Place each category- 2010 season third place trophy.

23. The FLFA "Team Of The Year" Award

The team of the year is determined by adding ALL of their points earned during the 2010 FLFA Series.

"FLFA's Top Team of the Year" has won - $1,000.00 and trophy.

"EDB Architects/Reel Life Charters Top Junior Angler of the Year" has won - trophy.

24. Insurance

Liability insurance, with coverage in minimal amounts, is required on all tournament vessels.

You must include a copy of your insurance statement including coverage limits with your membership application. Florida Hiway and Marine Insurance/Progressive Insurance is the official carrier of the Florida Flatsfishing Association, Inc.

25. Polygraph

Each contestant agrees to submit, by signature on the official tournament entry form, to a polygraph examination to be administered at a date/location determined by the tournament director following the close of competition in each tournament and to abide by its conclusion. Failure to pass the examination or a refusal will result in disqualification. Solely the FLFA will make determination of the meaning of the results. In team events, at minimum one member of the winning team may be given a polygraph examination.

26. Violations of rules

Violations of any rules by any participating angler/team will be dealt with immediately by the FLFA when-

An individual angler is able to capture the violation of another angler by a photograph and/or videotape.

An FLFA director, board member and/or individual tournament official from a sanctioned tournament witnesses the violation of an angler.

FLFA directors reserve the right to disqualify any angler or team from a single tournament “on the spot”, with any other rulings of the violation(s) handled with a special board session, no later that seven (7) days, weekends and holidays excluded, after the violation was committed. The angler of the violation will receive a certified letter notifying them of any internal actions, or any civil or criminal actions, depending on the type of rule violation(s) that will be taken on the angler found in violation.

27. Video/Photo Protests

If an individual angler is able to capture a violation of another angler and/or team by a photograph and/or videotape, this type of protest is not subject to the rules of a verbal protest. The video/photo protest will be investigated that day, and after all parties involved have been interviewed, a ruling by the FLFA will be released. No winnings to the protested angler/team will be released until the investigation is complete.

28. Verbal Protests

If any angler/team would like to file a protest, a verbal protest must be conveyed to an FLFA official within 30-minutes of the last team weighed in at any of the circuit tournaments. No protest will be accepted after the 30-minute cutoff. Once a verbal protest has been filed, the protested angler/team, if they have “placed” in the individual tournament, will have their check held for 1-hour.

• Steps for the protester after the verbal protest has been filed-

• Specifically write out your protest within 30-minutes of your verbal protest and deliver it to an FLFA official at the tournament location.

• If the written protest has not been received within the 30-minute time period, the team that has been protested will receive their check from any winnings that they may have won.

• If the written protest has been received within the 30-minute time period-

• Within 24-hours of the verbal protest, you must hand-deliver a cashiers check or money order in the amount of $300.00 payable to the Florida Flatsfishing Association, Inc. to an FLFA official.

• If the cashiers check or money order has not been received within the 24-hour time period, the team that has been protested will receive their check from any winnings that they may have won from the individual tournament and the protest will be dropped.

• If the cashiers check or money order has been received within the 24-hour time period-

• The team angler that has been protested will be scheduled for a polygraph examination by the Florida Flatsfishing Association, Inc. That examination will be scheduled within a 2-week period of the original protest and will be scheduled with an available polygraph examiner that is close to a team member's place of residence.

• Refusal to attend a polygraph examination by a protested individual is-

• Grounds for disqualification of the team from receiving any tournament winnings that have been won by the team in the individual tournament.

• Grounds for disqualification of the team from other tournaments, to be determined by a special hearing session by the board members of the Florida Flatsfishing Association, Inc. as described in Rule #26.

• Attending the polygraph examination-

• Once polygraph examination has been completed, the examiners office will deliver by U.S. Mail the results of the polygraph examination to the Florida Flatsfishing Association, Inc.

• The results will give a grade of PASS, FAIL, or UNABLE TO DETERMINE.

• Upon the individual passing the polygraph examination-

• The FLFA will make payment for the polygraph examination by utilizing the $300.00 protest fee received by the protester.

• Any monies left over from the $300.00 protest fee will be distributed to the protested.

• The protest will be dropped with no further incident.

• The examiners results of the polygraph will only be made available for viewing to the protester and protested.

• Upon the individual failing the polygraph examination-

• The FLFA will make payment for the polygraph examination from the account of the Florida Flatsfishing Association.

• Any tournament winnings that were held from the protested team will not be distributed to the team in question.

• The protester will receive a full refund of their $300.00 protest fee.

• The examiners results of the polygraph will only be made available for viewing to the protested.

• Upon the polygraph examiner filing a “unable to determine” ruling-

• The FLFA will make payment for the polygraph examination from the account of the Florida Flatsfishing Association.

• Any tournament winnings that were held from the protested team will be distributed to the team in question.

• The protester will receive a full refund of their $300.00 protest fee.

• The protest will be dropped with no further incident.

• The examiners results of the polygraph will only be made available for viewing to the protester and protested.

• Upon the conclusion of the protest proceedings-

• The protester and their team will continue to follow standards set forth by the Florida Flatsfishing Association, Inc. in Rule #7 entitled “Sportsmanship”

• The protested and their team will continue to follow standards set forth by the Florida Flatsfishing Association, Inc. in Rule #7 entitled “Sportsmanship” if permitted to continue participation in the Florida Flatsfishing Association, Inc.

• Any angler/team that is heard by an FLFA official speaking of another angler/team that could be conveyed as a verbal protest will be considered filing a verbal protest with the FLFA. Once 2 verbal protests by an angler/team have been recognized by FLFA officials during the season and the protester(s) did not complete the required “Step #3” in filing a verbal protest, they are subject to “Rule #7 Sportsmanship” and can be investigated for a possible disqualification/suspension from the FLFA.

We want your series experience to be as enjoyable as possible, so if you have any questions about these rules please feel free to email Jeff Brauer or call 772.633.8800