2024 Hobie Saltwater Series Championship Event Information and Rules
SCHEDULE:
Sunday, November 3
- Midnight – Official off limits begins, reference off limits/communication sections below.
Tuesday, December 3
- 2:00 PM – Tournament registration closes
Wednesday, December 4
- 6:00 AM – Official practice begins, and anglers may launch from the Catfish Lake Boat Launch.
Friday, December 6
- 4:00pm – Official practice ends, and anglers must be off the water.
- 6:00pm – Captain’s Meeting with dinner
- 7:00pm til’ – Hangout
Saturday, December 7
- 6:00am – Shotgun launch and lines in (fishing begins)
- 1:00 PM – TourneyX leaderboard turned off
- 2:00pm – Fishing ends
- 2:30pm – Fish submission on TourneyX ends
- 3:00pm – Anglers must be checked in back at launch
- 3:30pm – Polygraphs for projected winners
- 4:30pm – Awards with dinner
- 5:00pm til’ – Hangout
REGISTRATION & TOURNAMENT IDENTIFIER:
Registration will be open through the TourneyX Pro app up until 2:00 PM Central Time, December 3, 2024. The 3-digit tournament identifier code will be released in the TourneyX Pro app at 8:00 PM Central Time on December 6, 2024.
The award ceremony will begin promptly at 4:30 PM Central Time. The location of the award ceremony will be announced shortly.
ENTRY FEES and PRIZES:
The entry fee is $150.00 per participant.
The entry fee will cover expenses including TourneyX, PayPal, trophies, plaques, food, payouts etc. All entry fee money minus expenses will be paid back to the anglers, BCKFC will not retain any entry fee money (100% payback). Entry fee includes a $5 Calcutta for mule trout.
We will pay 7 places, with the below projected payouts based on a 70 angler field and estimated expenses:
1st Hobie Lynx with a Lowrance Elite FS 9” and $1,750 with a trophy (Hobie Fishing Worlds Invite)
2nd Lowrance Elite FS 9” and $1,400 with a plaque (Hobie Fishing Worlds Invite)
3rd Lowrance Elite FS 9” and $1,050 with a plaque (Hobie Fishing Worlds Invite)
4th $1,050
5th $700
6th $490
7th $350
Mule Trout
1st $350 with a plaque
ANGLER OF THE YEAR:
Angler of the year will be determined by the top total score of an anglers three best qualifying events and finish in the championship (4 total events, championship uses same AOY point system).
1st Lowrance Elite FS 9”
CATCH, PHOTO, SUBMIT (CPS) FORMAT:
Bayou Coast is running this tournament as a “catch, photo, submit” (CPS) tournament on the TourneyX Pro app. As compared to “CPR” tournaments, there is no requirement for the angler to “release” their fish back into the water. However, anglers are required to follow the strictest interpretation of Louisiana law regarding the keeping of fish as it relates to size and creel limit for all species.
BOUNDARIES: This is a shotgun launch from the Catfish Lake Boat launch. Anglers are allowed to fish any waters they can access by kayak from this launch. Anglers must launch and retrieve their kayak form the Catfish Lake Boat Launch.
PRE-FISHING/OFF-LIMITS: (this includes scouting the area by boat or kayak, regardless of whether you actually fish): There is a fishing ban prior to the tournament starting midnight on November 3, 2024 through 6:00 AM December 4, i.e., all anglers can leave the ramp and start pre-fishing at 06:00 AM on December 4, 2024. The ban is for all waters within a ten (10) mile radius of the Catfish Lake Boat Launch regardless of your launch location. If anyone is caught pre-fishing or in the off-limits area during the banned period, they will be immediately disqualified from fishing in the Championship Tournament. All pre-fishing must be conducted in a kayak as described in kayak/motor section below.
Anglers may not receive info or anything providing a “competitive advantage” from anyone/anything other than from other registered anglers or fully public sources within 21 days of the event (starting midnight of Friday November 15). Quasi-public groups, pay walls, etc. are not considered public sources.
If anglers inadvertently receive info/anything or suspect other anglers have, it must be brought to the attention of the BCKFC board immediately.
START TIME: The official shotgun launch time is 6:00 AM. DO NOT leave prior to the shotgun launch horn/announcement. You may launch and stage in the immediate area of the launch to clear boat ramps but DO NOT venture forth and do not cast before shotgun launch. You may launch later than 6:00 AM. You must be present at 6:00 AM. REMINDER: Be courteous, DO NOT BLOCK LAUNCHES.
TIME: The official launch & lines in time is 6:00 AM. You may launch your kayak prior to 6:00 AM and stage within the immediate area of the launch, but DO NOT travel forth or begin fishing UNTIL 6:00 AM. REMINDER: Be courteous, DO NOT BLOCK LAUNCHES. Anglers can fish until 2:00 PM, at that time anglers must immediately stop fishing. Photo submission will be open until 2:30 PM. Any photos taken after 2:00 PM will be rejected. Anglers must be present by 3:00 PM at the launch ramp to place in the tournament.
OBJECT: The longest stringer of up to 2 slot redfish (16″ to less than 29.75″), 5 Speckled Trout (12″ or over) wins. In other words, you can submit up to a TOTAL of 7 fish, but you CAN also submit less than 7 fish so long as they fall into these categories. A slot redfish tail shall touch the 16″ mark at a minimum length and shall NOT touch the 30″ mark at a maximum length.
MULE TROUT: Every registration includes an automatic entry into the MULE TROUT category. $5.00 from each registration is allotted to MULE TROUT. Winner is determined by length. In the event of a tie, it will go to next largest trout per angler and so on. If a tie remains, the angler who submitted their largest fish first, wins.
APPROVED MEASURING DEVICES:
Ketch Boards – All models, both plastic and metal, are accepted WITH EXCEPTION to the hinged 48” model.
These boards are expected to be clean and all lines/numbers clearly visible to the judges who view submitted pictures.
PHOTO SUBMISSION RULES / INFO:
“TourneyX Pro” is the official app and tournament scoring method for Bayou Coast CPS Tournaments. It is available for Apple iOS and Android operating system smartphones. Make sure to download the PRO version as it is the only one that works. For more information on how to use the TourneyX Pro APP please visit https://tourneyx.com/app/help/ for information on the app, as well as the TourneyX Youtube page for some of their video tutorials.
The following photo submission rules are as follows:
– Photos of fish may be submitted from 6:00 AM until 2:30 PM
– The live leaderboard will remain on until 1:00 PM when it will be turned off, and only turned back on at the conclusion of the awards ceremony.
– The fish must be on a tournament approved measuring device, the body centered between the rails, and alive.
– Caught fish must be photographed before your next cast. This means an angler must bring a caught fish into their kayak and take a picture before they begin fishing again. A fish that the tournament directors suspect is dead due to being out of the water too long may be rejected. Examples of issues that may result in a disqualified fish are faded color, no slime coat, shriveled tail, etc.
– The fish must be facing to the left with the tail to the right and the belly of the fish facing the angler.
– The fish must be submitted at 0.25” incremental measurements
– If the tail is not obviously touching or crossing a measurement line, it will be rounded down to the next lower quarter inch length.
– The nose must be pressed up against the post of the measuring device. Please ensure that shadows do not obscure the nose and post. If the judge cannot see that the nose is clearly up against the post, the angler will face a 0.5” length deduction
– You can submit pictures of as many fish as you like; however, you can only submit one picture of the fish you want judged. In the event that a submitted fish picture is denied, you can request that the judge review another picture(s) of the same fish
– FOR REDFISH, minimum length is 16.00”, the maximum length a redfish can be submitted at is 29.75”. Any redfish touching the 30” line will not be accepted. Anglers are not allowed to physically manipulate a redfish so that it falls below the 30” line. Any attempt or suspicion of attempt at manipulating an over redfish to make it show as under 30” will not be scored.
– FOR SPECKLED TROUT, minimum length is 12.00”, no maximum length. The mouth must be entirely closed with the nose pressed firmly against the post of an angler’s measuring board. If the mouth is open at all, a 0.5” length deduction will be taken.
– There may be no lures or fish retaining tools in the fish’s mouth for the picture or the angler will face a 0.5” length reduction.
– No other tools, devices, materials etc. may be touching or under the fish for any reason
– The mouth, eye, and edge of tail must be visible for the picture to be accepted, with the tail flat on the measuring board. The angler is not allowed to place their hand or fingers under the gill plate of the fish.
– The top lobe of the tail of your fish must be inside the boundaries of your board. Judges will make their best attempt to score the length of the fish in relation to visible numbers and lines which the tail clearly crosses.
– The picture must be taken overhead and not at an extreme angle.
– Pictures will only be accepted if they include original metadata which contains GPS coordinates. Bayou Coast retains all metadata information which may be reviewed by a single designated tournament director in the event of a valid location or time-based protest as spelled out later in the rules.
– The 3-digit tournament identifier code must be visible in the picture (written on a card or the back of your hand is acceptable).
– If the judge deems your picture to be inauthentic or otherwise too problematic to accept, it will be rejected. Appeals may be made to the tournament directors as described below in the protests section. All submissions are subject to final review by the tournament director. If the tournament director overrules the judge on a submission, the angler will have the opportunity to submit another picture of the same fish or a replacement fish before the standings will be finalized.
– Following completion of the tournament and awards ceremony, anglers may make a formal written request that their entry is deleted from TourneyX. Doing so will delete all of the fish pictures, metadata, GPS, and statistics from the angler’s TourneyX account. This means these pictures/metadata/GPS will no longer be accessible to anyone including the angler or tournament directors. This is a permanent irreversible decision. Making this request will not disqualify the angler from qualifying for awards in this tournament.
GENERAL RULES:
PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY: Participation is open to anyone 18 years of age or older. Minors are eligible to participate with a parent or legal guardian signature on the release form. All participants represent that they are physically and mentally competent and fit and able to participate. By entering, all participants agree to assume all risks of personal injury, death, and damage to or loss of property and further agree to indemnify and hold BCFKC, its officers, members, agents, and sponsors harmless from and against any and all claims, liabilities, and causes of action resulting directly or indirectly from participation.
FISHING LICENSE: All anglers are required to have a valid Louisiana salt water fishing license.
KAYAK/WATERCRAFT/MOTOR REGULATIONS:
-Anglers are allowed to use a motor under the guidelines below.
-Vessel that the manufacturer identifies and sells as a kayak, including inflatable kayaks and modular kayaks, stand-up paddle boards (SUP) and canoes. NO Solo Skiff or vessels marketed as skiffs allowed.
-No “homemade” kayaks, sailboats, johnboats, pirogues, coracles, rowboats, dinghies, skiffs, float tubes, inflatable rafts or rigid inflatable boats (e.g., Zodiac), pontoon boats, pontoon-style pond boats, twin-hull watercraft or similar.
-Catamaran style personal fishing vessels complying with all other regulations will be eligible (i.e. Blue Sky, etc.)
-The use of a manual or motorized anchor system is permitted.
-Mother shipping, tethering, holding or any transportation coordination with a non-competitor is strictly prohibited.
-Contestants are allowed to wade fish or fish off the bank but ONLY as long as the angler remains within 100’ of their LAUNCHED kayak. Launched means your kayak is partly in fishable water, not a parking lot puddle.
-Electric Motor Propelled kayaks must meet the following requirements to be approved:
-Electric motor must be attached to the kayak in a safe manner for operation.
-An electric motor used to propel a watercraft may not exceed the lesser of (a.) manufacturer’s labeled Maximum HP/Thrust Capacity, (b.) 3 HP, or (c.) 155 foot-pound thrust.
-Competitors must comply with all boating regulations pertaining to motorized kayak/electric-propulsion watercraft registration, use, and operating restrictions for the designated fishing area.
-No more than one electric motor may be attached to a kayak regardless of combined horsepower/thrust/power rating.
-Motors with dual props operated by a single power source are permissible as long as the unit is manufactured and sold as a single unit.
-Vessel must be 9’ minimum and shorter than 18’.
-Vessel that the manufacturer identifies and sells as a kayak, including inflatable kayaks and modular kayaks, Standup paddleboards (SUP) and Canoes. NO Solo Skiff or vessels marketed at skiffs allowed.
-Other watercraft specifically approved as exceptions in advance of competition by the BCKFC Board
-Catamaran style personal fishing vessels complying with all other regulations will be eligible.
-No “Homemade” Kayaks, Sailboats, Jon boats, pirogues, coracles, rowboats, dinghies, skiffs, float tubes, inflatable rafts, or rigid inflatable boats (e.g., Zodiac), pontoon boats, pontoon-style pond boats, twin-hull watercraft, or similar.
-Mothershipping, tethering/holding, or any transportation coordination with competitors or non-competitors is strictly prohibited.
-By officially entering, contestants agree to submit their kayak to an inspection by BCKFC personnel.
PRIVATE FISHING AREAS: Fishing behind gated areas of the marsh is not allowed.
WATER COURTESY / ENCROACHMENT: Do your best not to disturb someone else’s fishing area, by encroachment, or noise. An angler officially establishes his/her fishing area by having their craft anchored in place. If you come upon an angler in an egress area, as quietly as you can, ask which side he or she would like you to cross at. A good rule of thumb is that if you can both cast to a common point you’re too close. Respect others and use the golden rule.
PROTESTS: All protests must be written and submitted electronically (text/email/direct message from social media) within 30 minutes of the conclusion of “weigh in” to be considered. The tournament director is the final authority on deciding the merits/outcomes of a protest. All anglers are encouraged to report cheating.
CHEATING/FOUL PLAY: All anglers are encouraged to report violations. Cheating and contest fraud in a fishing tournament is a felony crime in the state of Louisiana. Bayou Coast will enforce a zero-tolerance policy with regard to cheating.
POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION: All participants, by signing up, agree to take a polygraph examination if requested. Any participant can be asked to submit to a polygraph examination. No explanation shall be required from the hosts of the tournament as to why a specific individual is asked to submit to a polygraph examination. Refusal to submit to or failure of a polygraph examination will result in disqualification from the tournament, forfeiture of any and all prizes / awards, and potential banishment from all future Bayou Coast events. No refunds for tournament fees will be granted for person(s) refusing to submit to or failing a polygraph examination.
RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND COVENANT NOT TO SUE: A waiver, release of liability, and covenant not to sue are part of the entry form. It is required that all contestants take responsibility for themselves while participating in event activities. Please DO NOT let your competitive nature push you into doing dangerous things. You must agree to the Waiver to participate. The Waiver is in the online registration page linked below. BE SAFE, BE SEEN, AND WEAR YOUR PFD!
DEPTH FINDERS: Depth finders / fish finders are allowed.
COMMUNICATION: No electronic communication with non-registered anglers during tournament hours, unless not fishing related (your spouse/kids, work, etc). No pre-arranged coordination with any non-registered anglers on the water for the purpose of scouting or locating fish during tournament hours.
PFD REQUIREMENT: You must properly wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD while afloat in your watercraft during all Bayou Coast events. PFD’s must be worn outside of the angler’s outermost layer of clothing. Failure to comply with this rule during competition could result in disqualification from the tournament. Disqualification will be determined by the Tournament Director based on investigation of any specific incident. PFD’s may only be briefly removed on the water for the purpose of adding, removing, or adjusting clothing while an angler is stationary and not actively fishing.
RULE CHANGES: Interpretation of rules is exclusively left to the Tournament Directors and Bayou Coast Officers. The decisions of this group are final in all matters and are not subject to appeal. Please do your part in not providing a reason to place them in a position where they must make rulings, decisions, etc. Keep it simple, keep it clean, and when in doubt…do the right thing.
LEGAL TACKLE / BAIT: Only artificial baits are allowed. Scent infused baits such as Gulp, etc… are legal. Scented dips, dyes and sprays such as Bang attractant, Pro-Cure, Dip-n-Glo, etc… are legal. Chum is not allowed. All fish must be caught in a sporting manner using a rod and reel setup. Trolling, and the use of up to 2 setups at a time is allowed. Trot lines, jug lines, traps, etc. are not allowed.
LEGAL FISH: Each participant must catch their own fish. You may not give fish to another participant. You may not net a fish for another participant. In CPS events, anglers (participant or not) may not aid in taking pictures of fish in any way.
DRONE/UAS USAGE: Tournament participants are not allowed to use unmanned aircraft systems (drones) during the tournament day/official practice/off-limits to scout for fish, spy on other anglers, or any other means that may be viewed as benefiting/advancing their fishing.
WEATHER: Tournament days may be shortened or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions. The decision to shorten or to cancel will be left totally to the discretion of the Tournament Director. A 4-hour period shall constitute a day of fishing.
REFUND POLICY: There will be no refunds available. Should the event date change for any reason, an announcement will be made, and a refund grace period allowed for anglers who cannot make the new date.
Subject to Change without prior notice.
