2015-2016 tournament rules

1. Open Tournaments - Except for the end of year Classic, all tournaments are open tournaments where WTCC members and non-members may participate.

2. Registration – The Tournament Director must be informed via email or phone by Thursday at 7pm CST before the tournament on Saturday if you will be participating. Non-members will need to register at the designated location BEFORE the tournament. Club members are not required to pre-register at the designated location prior to the tournament.

3. Entry fees - Tournament Entry fees are $50.00 cash per boat for members and $60.00 for non-members. (no checks and must be exact amount). Entry fees will be paid at registration the morning of the tournament. There will also be a live well check for each boat.

4. Payouts - will vary based on the # of boats in the tournament, but will pay 1 in 3 boats that entered. For example, if 12 boats in the tournament, then it will pay 1st through 4th place.

5. Big Fish - $10 of the entry fee automatically goes to the Big Fish pot. Big Fish will be paid 70% for 1st place and 30% for 2nd place.

6. Big Fish Tournament & Payout – Big Fish Tournament will pay 1 in 3 boats like a regular tournament.

7. Boat/team-each boat/team may consist of no more than 2 adults and 1 youth (age 15 years old & younger). For end the of year points, a member may only have a guest fish with them for 2 tournaments and the points still may be counted for the Team of the Year. In the event that 2 members from different teams fish together, then the points will be split 50/50 for each representative team.

8. 7 Crappie - each boat / team may weigh in 7 crappie that meet the following criteria:
a. Minimum Length - Crappie must comply with the minimum length rule of the respective lake where the tournament is held. The weighing of any short fish will result in immediate disqualification.

b. Live – crappie must be alive and approved by the Tournament Director or Official Timekeeper prior to the weigh in. If a fish is verified to be alive, but dies before the weigh in, then the fish will still be allowed to be included in the weigh in. If a dead fish is weighed, it will be removed (and not replaced).

c. 7 crappie – a team can only weigh 7 fish that they caught (i.e. there is no sharing of fish). If a team tries to weigh in more than 7 crappie or weigh in fish that they did not catch on tournament waters during tournament hours, then they will be disqualified.

d. Crappie were caught by registered participants, during tournament hours, and from designated tournament waters (For example, at Pickwick it is ok to fish any part of Pickwick as long as the participating team has the necessary license – must have MS or AL license to fish Bear Creek)

9. Pole limit – only 8 poles can be used per boat

10. Club Membership - Only WTCC members may fish in the end of year Classic. Club Membership dues are $25.00 per year per person or $35.00 per year for a family membership. The family membership covers husband, wife, and kids 21 years old and under.

11. Points - for WTCC Club members, points will be awarded at each tournament as follows:
a. Participation – 15 points
b. Weight – 1 point for every ounce measured to the hundredths
For example, 7 lbs, 7.25 ounces would be 119.25 points

c. Classic multiplier – all points earned at the end of year Classic Tournament will be multiplied by 1.5.
For example, if 119.25 points were earned, then it would be multiplied by 1.5 for a total of 178.88.
If there is a tie in points for the team of the year, the winning team will be the team that finished the highest at the Classic.


12. Classic Qualification -WTCC members who have fished in at least 2 tournaments as a paid member are qualified to fish in the end of the year Classic tournament. If one of the qualifying team members can't participate in the classic, then another qualified member may substitute. The location of the classic will be held on KY Lake with a central location for the weigh in.


13. Classic Entry fee & Awards – Qualifying teams will pay a reduced entry fee of $25 per team (vs $50 regular fee). The Classic will have the largest payout for 1st place of the year and specific details will be determined prior to the tournament. The regular payout matrix will be used to pay places 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc based on the # of boats that qualified for the Classic. In addition to the bigger than normal payout, plaques will be awarded to the winning team.

14. End of Year Awards for WTCC members – the following awards will be given at the end of the year banquet:
a. West TN Crappie Club Champion - based on points accumulated throughout the year
b. Classic Champion – winner of the end of the year Classic.
c. Stringer of Year – based on heaviest stringer during the year
d. Slab of the Year – based on heaviest 1 big fish of the year

15. Start time - will vary due to daylight savings time (check the tournament schedule for exact times). Anglers may be on the water, but may not start fishing prior to the designated start time.

16. Stop time – participants must have all hooks out of the water by 2:30pm CST.

17. Weigh in time – will be at 3:00pm CST. At least 1 adult member must be in the weigh line at 3:00pm CST. The team must have their 7 fish already separated and ready to weigh. There will be an official time keeper who will determine if anyone is late. There will be a 1 lb deduction for every 1 minute a team is late to the weigh in.

18. Fishable water – Each tournament will have a central location for registration for non-members. This same location will be used for everyone to weigh in at 3:00pm CST. Boats can launch anywhere, but fish the following areas:
a. Tournaments at Pickwick (weigh in at Yellow Creek) – can fish from dam to and including Bear Creek
b. Tournaments at KY Lake (weigh in at Springville or Birdsong) – any water on KY Lake that can be accessed via boat
c. Tournaments at KY Lake/Beech River (weigh in at Mouse tail) – any water on KY Lake that can be accessed via boat plus the backwater by the Beech Bend ramp

19. Weights - all weights are considered final when a team has left the weigh in area. There will not be any reweighing of any fish.

20. Changes to dates or locations - Tournament dates or locations are subject to change due to inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances. The tournament officials will make the decision at least 24 hours prior to the tournament.

21. No alcoholic beverages - may be consumed during tournament hours (including the weigh in) by any participate in the tournament.

22. Off limits - If a boat is anchored or tied off with its trolling motor out of the water, no boat can fish within 50 feet of the anchored boat.

23. Tournament Director- will be responsible for weighing all fish, measuring any possible short fish, determining if a fish is live or dead, and will make the final decision on any disputes or rulings.

24. State laws- all TN state laws and TWRA requirements apply (and take precedence over WTCC guidelines in the event of a conflict).