Welcome Anglers
2013 OFFICIAL QFL TOURNAMENT RULES
Print Rules
1. Rule Changes: Decisions of the Tournament Director are final and are not subject
to appeal. Interpretation of these rules will be left exclusively to the Tournament
Director. Protests must be made in writing prior to the official closing of the
scales at each tournament.
2. Participation/Eligibility: All QFL Tournaments are open only to members of Quantum
Fishing League Series. Membership fee is $60 per person and must be paid before
the start of the first event. All entrants must sign a one-time waiver. Any person
entering a QFL Tournament under the age of 18 must also have the signature of their
parent or legal guardian in the provided space on the waiver form. Each team is
permitted a maximum of four (4) members, to be named on the membership form prior
to the first tournament entered. Members can only be on one team. All contestants
are required to have a valid fishing license. Jack-potting events will not be allowed.
Participation at the discretion of the Director.
3. Pre-Tournament Practice: All QFL Tournaments will have no off-limits period prior
to the tournament day that begins at 12:01am.
4. Registration/Pre-Tournament Meeting: Entries may be mailed if postmarked one
week prior to the pre-tournament meeting. Checks will be accepted at the tournament
meeting, however, cash is preferred. If paying late at the ramp the day of the tournament,
payment must be in cash and a late fee of $20 will be assessed. Those teams entering
at the ramp will be placed at the end of the field, but will weigh in with the first
flight. The pre-tournament meeting is non-mandatory; however teams are responsible
for any late announcements made.
5. Fees: One day events are $100 per team
and the Classic two day event is $150 per
team. Cash only entries will be accepted the morning of the tournament and will
be assessed a $20 late fee. A $35 fee will be assessed on all returned checks. Any
contestant with a returned check on file (un-paid) will not be allowed to enter
an event, without first paying for that returned check (and fee) in cash prior to
the current event. Entry fees are non-refundable, but are transferable as a credit
to the next event if acknowledged before take-off positions are established by the
tournament director.
6. Safety: Safe boating must be observed at all times. Each contestant is required
to wear a fastened, U.S. Coast Guard approved, personal flotation device anytime
the boat is on plane. All boats must be equipped with an emergency ignition shut-off
device, which must be securely attached to the driver's body any time the boat
is on plane. Tournament days may be shortened or canceled due to unsafe weather
or any conditions that would endanger the safety of the competitors. The decision
to shorten or cancel tournament days will be determined by the Tournament Director.
7. Permitted Fishing Methods: All bass must be caught alive in a conventional
sporting manner. Only artificial lures may be used with the exception of pork trailers.
Only one fishing rod per angler may be used at any one time. Additional rods may
be in the boat and ready for use; however each cast and retrieve must be completed
before another cast or rod is used. Trolling with the combustion engine as a method
of fishing is prohibited. Sharing fish with other teams or individuals will result
in immediate disqualification for all parties involved. All angling must be conducted
from the boat. At no time may a contestant leave the boat to land a fish or to make
the boat more accessible to fishing waters.
8. Sportsmanship and Conduct: All contestants are required to follow high standards
of sportsmanship, courtesy, conservation and to conduct themselves in a manner that
will be a credit to themselves, to QFL Tournaments, sponsors, the sport of fishing
and QFL Tournament’s efforts to promote that sport. Examples of conduct not complying
with those standards include, but are not limited to, the following: 1) Consumption
and/or possession of alcoholic beverages or any mind-altering substance during tournament
hours, 2) Abuse of, or addiction to, mind altering substances, 3) Any other words,
conduct or actions reflecting unfavorably on QFL Tournaments or the sponsors of
those tournaments or reflecting unfavorably upon efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship,
fair competition and compliance with tournament rules. If conduct does not comply
with the standards set forth, QFL Tournaments, and its director shall have the right
to refuse any application, or to deny a confirmed application, by returning the
entry fee of a previously accepted application, or disqualify a contestant. QFL
Tournaments reserves the right to refuse entry to anyone.
9. Boat Operation: During hours of competition, contestants may not receive assistance
from non-competitors, follow a non-competitor's boat, participate in the practice
of "hole sitting", or the placing of markers by non-competitors. The use
of mobile communication devices such as cellular phones, marine radios, walkie-talkies,
CBs, etc., to communicate fishing information during tournament hours is strictly
prohibited.
10. Boat and Horsepower Regulation: Each boat must have all required U.S. Coast
Guard safety equipment. Boats must contain a properly aerated live well with space
to maintain alive a limit catch of bass. Maximum horsepower for all outboards used
in tournament competition may not exceed the horsepower limitations as displayed
on the manufactures rating plate. By signing the entry form, each contestant agrees
to submit their boat and/or motor to an inspection. Falsifying information on entry
forms or altering the horsepower numbers on the motor or rating plate will be cause
for disqualification from the tournament and may result in future ineligibility
to enter any QFL Tournaments.
11. Permitted Fishing Locations: Contestants may fish anywhere on tournament waters
accessible by boat from the host ramp, except areas designated as "off limits"
or "no fishing" by state or federal officials or within 50 yards of a
competitor's boat , or within 20 yards of a non- anchored competitor's boat
unless otherwise agreed upon by the other tournament angler. The act of moving bass
from one area of the lake to another confined area of the same lake is not permitted.
12. Off-Limit Areas: Will be established and announced at each pre-tournament meeting.
Contestants fishing inside the established off-limits area will be immediately disqualified.
Contestants' boats must remain in the tournament waters during the event.
13. Trailering: This is a trailering club, only if you prepay, then you may put
in at any ramp that is accessible by water from the host ramp. If you do not prepay,
you must check-in the morning of the event and launch from the host ramp only. If
trailering, you are allowed to unload and load only one time for each event.
14. Official Checkpoints: There will be only one official check-in point in the afternoon. It is the sole
responsibility of each contestant to arrive at the designated check-in location
on time, regardless of what they are told. It is the angler's responsibility
to verify their provided flight time. All fishing must cease upon check-in.
15. Scoring: Will be determined by the pounds and hundredths of pounds of each angler's
catch during the tournament. Only Largemouth, Spotted, or Smallmouth Bass are accepted
species. The limit will be five bass per contestant boat. Any team who possesses
more than the tournament limit, (except while in the act of culling) will have their
catch for that day disqualified. Official length limits will be the legal limit
for that lake which the event is being held. Bass presented for weigh-in, which
fail to measure the prescribed length limit, or determined by the tournament director
to be dead will result in loss of the teams big fish and that particular
fish. Each contestant's catch must be presented in an official QFL Series weigh-in bag
and verified by the acceptance of the weigh-slip. The Pro-Rule measuring board is the official measuring board
of QFL Series Tournaments.
16. Live Fish Only: Every effort must be made to keep bass alive through the use
of a properly aerated live well. The use of chemical live well additives which promote
the healthy return of bass to their natural habitat are recommended. NO DEAD FISH
can be presented for weigh-in. A dead fish will be determined by the tournament director which
will be final with no appeal.
17. Late Penalty: Contestants who are not at the official check-in point at the
appointed time will be assessed a one pound per minute penalty from the total weight.
Any contestant more than 10 minutes late will forfeit that day's catch. In the
event of a mechanical breakdown, a contestant may return to the check-in location
with their catch by receiving a ride from another registered contestant or tournament
official only. The contestants must return to the official check-in location by
their assigned check-in time to avoid late penalty.
18. Closing of the Scales: Scales will close 20 minutes after the last flight is
due in. Due to certain weigh-in locations this time may be lengthened or shortened
at the tournament director’s sole decision. Any change to the above stated official
scale closing time will be announced. It is the angler’s responsibility to verify
the official scale closing time and to be in the weigh-in line by that time.
19. Ties: All ties will be decided by the total number of fish caught. All ties
will be resolved by splitting that place and the next place's money. However,
the Tournament Director may elect to break a first place tie with the weight of
big bass from each team tied. Every team has the option to weigh a big bass in their
catch regardless of its size.
20. Payout Definition: All payout checks will be made payable to the registered
team captain. Teams will be responsible for handling the division of monies won
and payment concerning 1099’s.
21. Polygraph: By signature on the entry/waiver form, contestants agree to a test
by a qualified polygraph examiner. Refusal to or failure of a polygraph test will
result in the disqualification and banishment from all future QFL Tournament events.
Those contestants finishing in first, second, big bass, and a random top 10 team
must be present at the conclusion of the weigh-in for the polygraph examination.
Any contestant scheduled for a polygraph test, and not present, will have their
winning held until a test has been administered. Any additional polygraph will be
at the contestants own expense of $250.00.
22. Substitutions: Each team is allowed to
register, as members of their team, up to (2) substitutes per season. The
substitutes must have the Tournament Director’s approval in advance. Should a
substitute be needed for an event the team will be charged a $40.00 substitution
fee that will go directly to the two day championship event payback. If a
substitute is required for the two day championship, that person must have
fished at least (1) current regular season event to be considered eligible.
Print Rules