Rules for 2008

Full Throttle Outdoors Walleye Series Rules

PARTICIPANTS AND ELIGIBILITY

Full Throttle Walleye Series events are open to all individuals. Those under 18 years of age may participate with written permission from a parent or legal guardian. A membership in the Full Throttle Outdoors is required to fish any tournament. “FTO” reserves the right to deny any memberships which are not in the best interest of the organization. The Membership fee is $35.00 per person per season. A family membership for additional members residing at the same address is $15.00 per additional family per season but will not exceed 50.00. Memberships are to be submitted to the FTO Walleye Series tournament director prior to participating in any tournaments.

ENTRY FEES

Entry fees shall be $200.00 per boat per tournament, which also includes 1st place “big fish” prize money. Entry fees for all tournaments should be mailed to the FTO division director and must be postmarked no later than seven days prior to the tournament.  All entries received after the official entry deadline which will be 8 days before the event will assessed a $25.00 Late Fee! Full Throttle Outdoors will not accept entree fees the morning of the tournament.  Entries paid at the pre-tournament meeting are on a “cash only” basis. Winners are responsible for any and all taxes earned on any moneys or prizes won.  All entry fee’s are non refundable but can be transferred to another FTO event.  

PRIZE PAYOUT

Prize money will be awarded following the weigh in at each tournament.  Tournament payout will be at a rate of 80% of the entry fee’s taken in for that tournament with payout designated to one place for every five boats entered in the tournament. Prize money will also include the big fish of the tournament. During multiple day events the big fish award (whether daily or for the entire tournament) will be pre-determined by the division director and announced to teams prior to the tournament.

Optional Bonus Bucks Side Pot

The "Side Pot" is designed to enhance tournament payout for anglers interested in additional payout. Participation is optional. Featuring 100% payback the entry fee for the side pot is 30.00 per team which will be paid back at a rate of a 50%; 30%; 20% split, to the three highest placing teams participating in it.

TIE BREAKERS

Tie breakers for total weight and for big fish will remain as ties with all prize money being equally distributed between the tying teams. During multiple day events, final cumulative weight ties will be broken by the heaviest single day weight for the tournament. If “heaviest single day weight” also ends with a tie, each team will equally split the prize money for those places in the final standings. 

BOAT INSPECTION

A full interior compartment check prior to “take off” will be conducted at every event. During multiple day events a compartment check will occur each day prior  to “take off.”

TOURNAMENT BOUNDARIES

Eligible tournament waters will be determined by the division director prior to the start of the tournament and will be in compliance with any state and federal laws including any tournament permit specifics. 

OFF LIMITS PERIOD

The off limits period for the tournament will be from 5:00 PM the night  before the tournament until  official launching of your boat the day of the event. No fishing is allowed before the official blast-off that day.  During multiple day events the water is “off limits” from the conclusion of the weigh in each day until “Take off” the following morning. Teams will be allowed to return to the launch site for trailering purposes after the weigh in is complete.

BLAST OFF SEQUENCE

Boats will be allowed to launch boats from whatever landing they choose unless specifically indicated by the tournament director.  Boats will be checked at the official “blast off  / take off site” or on the water and “blast off” in regards to the actually tournament will take place in ascending order based on the number drawn at the pre-tournament meeting.  Rules explained at pre-- tournament meeting.  Anglers are responsible for knowing the rules. 

SAFETY

Safe boating conduct will be observed at all times. Each competitor will be required to wear a Coast Guard approved life vest, securely fastened, at all times while the boat is being propelled by the combustion engine at a speed greater than “safe no wake.” A kill switch must also be fastened to the driver anytime the combustion engine is above “safe no wake speed.” Failure to comply is grounds for disqualification. Running lights must be on and functioning properly at the “Take off” of each tournament. Each competition boat must be equipped with an aeration livewell or similar devise capable of keeping a tournament limit alive and in healthy state throughout the course of the competition day.

SPORTSMANSHIP

Participants in FTO Walleye Series events are expected to follow the highest standard of sportsmanship, courtesy, and conservation. The FTO Walleye Series prohibits contestants from the use of alcohol or drugs at any officially recognized event.   You can get disqualified at all FTO events for unsportsmanlike conduct which includes breaking the rules, cheating, or anything the director / leadership committee deems unsportsmanlike.    Any protests must be signed by the protestor and another tournament contestant and in writing before the last boat is weighed-in.  After that time a $50 deposit is required with protest.  Non refundable if proved innocent of protest.  Refundable if proved guilty. Then director will call a short meeting with key staff to discuss.  Directors decision is final.

TACKLE

Anglers will be required to comply with all state and local regulations regarding the number and type of fishing lines and live bait legally allowed in the tournament. 

SCORING OF FISH

The tournament bag limit shall be determined by the FTO tournament director prior to the event. A 5 fish limit will be the standard unless local regulations or policy indicates differently. Fish will be measured mouth closed using a “Golden Rule” measuring devise with all fish in the bag limit meeting the minimum length requirement pre-determined by state and federal law. A short fish constitutes a disqualification. Multiple day events a short fish would mean disqualification form that day’s competition. In situations where the length limit for the tournament (determined by the tournament director) is greater than the state law, the short fish will not be counted and the team will receive an additional one pound penalty. In the event of a slot limit the “short fish” rule would then become a “long fish” rule and the same penalty would apply for any fish outside of the designated bag limit that is over the slot size.

EMERGENCIES

Competitors shall remain with their partners in the boat at all times during the tournament, except in the event of sickness or brief excursions for "nature calling", severe storm or other such hazard. Competitors may leave the boat to dislodge it, but only to return the boat in the direction it came from. Leaving the boat to advance it is not permitted. (In falling water conditions, a team may leave the boat to advance it only to return from water they accessed without leaving the boat.) If for any reason either or both team members decide to leave the tournament waters early, both members shall bear full responsibility for notifying a tournament official. If one team member leaves the water early, he/she may not return and resume fishing. However, his/her partner may continue fishing for the remainder of the tournament hours. In case of a breakdown, one partner may return with fish by another tournament boat or a Full Throttle Outdoors Staff Boat while the other partner is permitted to stay with the nonfunctioning boat.  In participating in the Full Throttle Event you are releasing and holding harmless Full Throttle Outdoors and it’s sponsors or anyone associated with these events from legal action in any form for any reason including negligence, death, or injusry.

WEIGH-IN

Weigh-in will be on a first come first serve basis. Once fish have been presented to a Tournament Official to be weighed-in all fish become the property of FTO and no additional fish may be brought to the scales. Containers will be limited in order to avoid a crowding at the weigh-in tanks and efficient fish management throughout the weigh in. Teams not weighing any fish are still required to check in with tournament officials in order to account for all teams. Once a team member has checked in or left the boat for the purpose of checking in, neither team member may fish or continue fishing.

Competitors who are not checked in by the check in deadline will be penalized at a rate of 1 pound per minute, up to 15 minutes at which time their catch will be disqualified. The contestants will however retain their participation points for their yearly total. Late penalties will be deducted from "Big Fish" weight as well as total weight.

PARTNERS

All participants must have a declared partner to begin their season and may not be switched after the first tournament. Any immediate family member may serve as a substitute in a tournament and this could include any of the following: Grandparent, Parent, Spouse, Sibling, Child, Grandchild, or any in-law of the same relations. Any youth under 18 years of age may also serve as a legal substitute. That legal substitute may serve as a sub in as many tournaments as needed, however, he/she must become a member of FTO in order to participate. If the substitute and the partner reside at the same residence a 15.00 membership is required. The same is true for members under the age of 18.  No other substitutions will be allowed.

PROTESTS POLYGRAPHS

Any protest must be submitted in writing to the Tournament Director within 15 minutes of the close of the weigh-in. Full Throttle Outdoors reserves the right to give a polygraph test to any participant at any time. This test does not have to be administered on site and may be set up by the Tournament Director at his discretion. All participants agree to abide by the results of any polygraph test administered. In the event of a protest the protesting team or individual must present in written form a detailed account of the complaint and a 75.00 protest fee to the Tournament Director. This must occur prior to the “official closing” of the scale.  The fee will be returned only upon positive verification of the protest and the tournament director has the discretion of mailing any and all checks to any teams pending the outcome. All decisions regarding protests will be made with the “spirit and intent of the rule” taken into “best context” with the director’s decision being final. 

COMMUNICATION

Anglers shall be prohibited from using a cell phone during tournament hours for any reason other than an emergency. Phone calls, pages, text messaging during tournament hours is not allowed. Any cell phone or radio communication between anglers for the purpose of returning to “weigh in” in another competitors boat due to a mechanical failure will first need to be approved by the tournament director.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFICATIONS- POINTS

PRE TORNAMENT MEETING

The team having the highest cumulative point total in each division will be declared the division champions. They will receive the season ending championship pot along with plaques and a free entry in the Full Throttle Walleye Series National Championship. Any ties in the cumulative year end standings will be determined by cumulative weight for that season. The winning team in each divisional tournament will receive 200 points, 2nd place 199 points, 3rd place 198 points and so on. In the event of a tie in a division tournament both teams will receive the points for the place they are tied at, and the subsequent place will remain vacant. (Example: A tie for 2nd place would result in both 2nd place teams receiving 199 points. The next team behind them would be the 4th place team and would receive 197 points.) Teams not weighing any fish will receive 5 points less point than the last place teams with fish. Any team paying an entry fee but not actually showing up to fish will earn 5 points less than the last place team(s).  The top 5 teams will get to fish the Full Throttle Championship from each division for free based on the accumulation of points throughout the season.  Each Pre-tournament meeting is mandatory for each team and worth 50 points.  At least one team member must attend to fish the tournament and both are encourage attending the meeting.  It is the responsibility of the tournament angler to make sure he/ she is aware of the meeting location.  Meetings will be announced on the website www.FTfishing.com before each event. 

INSURANCE POLICY

All members must carry a minimum of $100,000 of liability insurance on any boat they might use during any Full Throttle Outdoors Walleye Series events. Failure to do so or reporting of false information will result in disqualification. Participants must include the company name and either the policy number or the name of the agent binding the coverage on their original membership form. Team members will provide the division director with any new changes within an existing policy throughout the tournament season.  Full Throttle Outdoors and its staff are in no way liable for your safety.   By participating in our events you are agreeing to release yourself and anyone attending from all legal actions if negligence, death, or injury, should occur. 

RULES INTERPRETATION

All decisions regarding any tournament matter, protest or complaint will be made with the “spirit and intent of the rule” taken into “best context” with the director’s decision being final.   The director in all decisions will make interpretation.  These rules will be made consistent for 2008 season unless deemed necessary for change by the tournament director .

 

LIABILITY RELEASE

All tournament contestants agree by participating and singing up as a member and tournament fisherman to release Full Throttle Outdoors and it’s sponsors / staff and any company / organization involved in the event from all lawsuits or actions against Full Throttle Outdoors due to any negligence, death, injury, or damage to equipment they may occur during the Full Throttle Outdoors tournaments and events.