1.     General Conduct

a.     Use of IGFA rules for fly-fishing (see: http://www.igfa.org or the tournament website for a copy of the IGFA rules):

i.      All fish counted for score must be caught using IGFA-compliant fly-fishing tackle. In particular, leader tippet material or pre-made leaders must comply with IGFA tippet classes (10kg /22lb class or less), and leader construction must meet IGFA requirements for materials and dimensions.

ii.     All fish counted for score must be caught using IGFA-approved fly-fishing techniques

iii.    Other tackle types and techniques may be used to locate fish or bring fish within fly-casting range, as long as they comply with applicable state and federal fishing regulations. Any fish caught using non-fly-fishing tackle or using techniques that do not comply with IGFA fly-fishing rules will not be counted for score.

b.     Only contestants are allowed to fly-fish on vessels participating in the tournament. Other people on board are allowed to assist in rigging tackle, setting out and clearing trolling lines, chumming or teasing fish, bringing the fish aboard, measuring, photographing, tagging and releasing fish, and may operate the boat. They are also allowed to fish for themselves with conventional or spinning tackle. However, they may not fly-fish, and they may not cast or retrieve the fly for contestants, nor handle a contestant’s rod, reel, line or leader while fighting a fish.

c.     All competing vessels must conform to California and USCG safety regulations.

d.     All contestants must follow applicable Californian and Mexican fishing and boating regulations.

e.     Any participant who is cited for a fishing regulation violation or a boating regulation violation will be disqualified.

f.      Unsportsmanlike conduct, as determined by the Tournament Director, will be grounds for disqualification.

2.     Tournament Proceedings

a.     We must receive your registration form and entry fee by 11:59pm Friday July 31, 2009.

b.     This is a team event. All contestants on a boat are considered to be on one team.

i.      Each team member must register separately. When registering, the team member must identify which boat or team they are a part of.

ii.     All contestants are required to sign and return a liability release and waiver to the Tournament Director by the end of the Contestants Meeting (see 2.d). This form is included on the entry form, or downloadable from the tournament website.

iii.    1st, 2^nd and 3^rd place prizes will be awarded to teams; the team members are responsible for determining how the prizes will be divided.

iv.    Teams may use a captain or guide.

c.     All teams must send a representative to the Contestants Meeting. The Meeting will be held in the DeAnza Room of The Dana on Mission Bay, 1710 W. Mission Bay Dr., San Diego, CA  92109 (619) 222-6440, at 7:00p PDT on Friday, August 7, 2009. The purpose of this meeting is to collect outstanding liability waivers, review the rules, answer any questions, distribute tags and tally cards (see 2.i), and take care of any last-minute logistics. If we have not received signed liability waivers for all team members by the end of the meeting, that team will not be allowed to compete.

d.     Boats may leave for their fishing areas any time after the Contestants Meeting. However, they may not start fishing until “Lines In” time, which is 6:00am PDT August 8, 2009.

e.     Fishing is only allowed in legal fishing areas outside of harbors. “Outside of harbors” means anything outside the harbor entrance line as shown on NOAA navigation charts for the harbor in question.

f.      All teams must have a representative check-in at the Tournament Control Center by 4:00pm PDT August 8, 2009. Teams will lose 10% of their points for every 5 minutes or portion thereof that they are late. The Tournament Control Center will be located at the Dana Landing Market Fuel Dock, which is next to the Dana Landing Launch ramp in Mission Bay.

g.     Each team may keep and submit for score THREE FISH CAUGHT ON FLY TACKLE PER TEAM MEMBER from any of the following categories, as long as they comply with applicable fishing regulations:

i.      “Tuna” – any of the following species will be classified as Tuna: Albacore Tuna, Bigeye Tuna, Bluefin Tuna, Skipjack Tuna, or Yellowfin Tuna

ii.     Yellowtail – (note that California size limit will apply if the fish are caught in California waters)

iii.    Dorado – Also called Mahi-mahi or dolphinfish (note that Mexican bag limits will apply if the fish are caught in Mexican waters).

h.     Fish caught on fly tackle may not be kept unless they are being submitted for score. Fly-caught fish that will not be submitted for score may not be kept, and must be released as quickly as possible, preferably without removing them from the water.

i.      Once a team decides to keep a fish for score, the following process must be observed in order to receive credit:

i.      Each team will receive a tally card and a permanent marking pen. Also, they will be given 3 randomly-numbered tagging bands for every team member. All of these items will be distributed at the Contestants Meeting.

ii.     As soon as possible after landing the fish, one of the tagging bands will be attached around a gill raker of the fish. Only fish with an intact tagging band properly attached will be considered for score. NOTE: these bands cannot be removed without destroying the band.

iii.    The team must then record the catch on the tally card using the permanent marker. For each fish, the following information will be recorded: team member who caught the fish, the category of the fish, the number of the tagging band, and the time of day the fish was landed.

iv.    The team must also take a digital picture of the fish showing the end of the tagging band. See the section below for photo requirements.

v.     When a team has used up its tagging bands, it cannot submit any more fish for score.

j.      Fly-caught fish injured or mutilated by seals, sharks or other animals after being hooked will not be accepted for score. However, they may be kept, and do not count against the team limit.

k.     Teams may keep fish caught on non-fly tackle during the course of the tournament without penalty.

l.      Digital photography requirements:

i.      All photographs must be submitted to the Tournament Scorekeepers at check-in on one of the following media: Compact Flash; micro-, mini- or regular SDHC or SD; xD-Picture Card™; Sony Memory Stick®; or a USB Flash drive compatible with Microsoft Windows®. All photo files must be JPEG, GIF, or TIF format.

ii.     All photo storage media should be empty at the start of the tournament. We do not accept responsibility for any photos on the media taken prior to the start of the tournament. However, we do encourage you to take additional photos of fish caught, team members holding fish, etc.

iii.    All photos become the property of Tsunami Fishing Systems.

iv.    All media will be returned to the team at the conclusion of the tournament.

m.    Check-in: A team will be considered “checked-in” when their photo media and tally card have been returned to the Tournament Scorekeeper at the weigh-in dock. The Tournament Scorekeeper will provide the team with a slip indicating their official check-in time. Returning vessels should drop off the required materials, and then clear the dock to make room for other teams to check in.

n.     Weigh-in:

i.      After check-in, vessels will be called to the weigh-in dock by radio to weigh their fish. If the vessel is berthed away from the weigh-in dock, the team may transport their fish to the weigh-in dock by vehicle after berthing their boat.

ii.     The Tournament Scorekeeper may inspect team vessels and/or tackle prior to, or during weigh-in.

iii.    The team’s fish will be weighed, and their tagging bands inspected. If a tagging band appears to have been altered or moved from another fish, the fish will be disqualified. Tournament Scorekeepers may choose, at their sole discretion, to conduct further review of a fish based on comparisons to the tally card and digital photograph.

o.     Each team’s score will be calculated as follows:

i.      Each fish accepted for score will receive one point for each ounce.

ii.     Teams will be credited with one “Slam” each time they submit one fish from each of the three categories for score (i.e. one tuna, one dorado, and one yellowtail). Each slam will double the points of the fish in the slam.

iii.    The total points for the team will be divided by the number of team members. The team’s score will be the quotient, rounded DOWN to the nearest point.

iv.    The total number of slams will be divided by the number of team members. This is the “Slam Average”

p.     In the event of ties, the following criteria will be used to determine a winner, in this order: highest Slam Average, then earliest check-in time.

3.     Involuntary Team Withdrawal, Event Cancellation, Protests and Dispute Resolution

a.     Teams forced to withdraw from the tournament due to circumstance beyond their control may apply to the Tournament Director for a partial refund of their entry fee. At the sole discretion of the Tournament Director, a 50% refund may be issued.

b.     The Tournament Director may cancel the tournament due to safety concerns. In the event of cancellation, 50% of the entry fees will be refunded. The balance will be kept to pay non-recoverable operating costs.

c.     Any protests must be lodged with the Tournament Director no later than 4:30pm. The Tournament Director will investigate and rule on the protest. His decision is final.

d.     Any disputes arising between Tsunami Fishing Systems and an entrant not resolved in these rules will be submitted to mediation under the American Arbitration Association rules for mediation.  The parties agree to bear their own costs of mediation.  If the dispute is not settled at Mediation, the parties may file suit in the civil trial courts of San Diego, California.  This agreement will be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California excepting its choice of law principals.