2011 General Tournament Rules & Procedures

Registration

1. Registration fees are non-refundable.

2. Payment of the entry fee constitutes a representation by each Captain that the Captain has read and understands the Tournament Rules and that the Captain and crew will abide by such Rules and the decisions of the Tournament's Committees and Tournament personnel.

3. The Tournament reserves the right to deny participation to any Captain or crewmember that violated Tournament rules in any previous tournament.

4. Tournament Number and Official Pennant must be displayed on the boat in a prominent place.

Captain's Meetings

5. All Captains or their authorized representative must attend one of the Captain's Meetings. Captains are responsible for being informed of all Tournament Rules.

6. The Tournament Rules Committee may amend the Tournament Rules at any time prior to the start of fishing.

Prizes

7. All advertised cash prizes are based upon a minimum of 400 paid entries to the General Tournament and the Tournament reserves the right to adjust the prize structure if there are less than 400 paid entries. Only one General Tournament prize will be awarded per registered Captain. Additionally, the Tournament awards prizes for the Class of 23, Junior Angler Tournament, winnings under the Tournaments within the Tournament and other special awards and prizes.

Boating Safety

8. Every boat must meet all Federal, State and Local safety regulations for its size.

9. All boats must be equipped with an operating Marine VHF-FM radio of at least 25 watts. Handheld VHF radios are not permitted as the primary radio. All Captains are responsible for monitoring the official Tournament radio channel for Tournament announcements.

10. The use of marine radios during the Tournament must comply with the FCC and USCG regulations. The use of profane or derogatory remarks may result in disqualification.

11. Violation of any statute or marine regulation or directive by a Captain or crew may be grounds for disqualification in the sole discretion of the Tournament Rules Committee.

Check Out and Check In

12. All boats must leave from an official check out location as designated by the Rules Committee and announced at the Captains Meetings. All vessels must check out with a designated Committee Check-Out Boat or Check-Out location.

13. All boats must check in by 7:00 p.m. All boats weighing fish must enter and check in with the Committee Boat in the St. Johns River and be west of the North Side Committee Boat by 5:30 p.m.. Boats not weighing fish may check in with the Committee Boat or by phone or by VHF radio. Boats checking in after 6:30 p.m. must do so by phone or VHF radio.

Fishing

14. Hours of fishing are from 6:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. each day, unless terminated by the Tournament's Rules Committee.

15. No boat registered in the Tournament is allowed to fish or take bait in the Atlantic Ocean as of 7:30 p.m. on the day prior to the scheduled start of the General Tournament.

16. One day of fishing constitutes a complete Tournament for all purposes. Four hours of fishing on any one day constitutes a day of fishing.

17. All fish must be taken on rod and reel. Special exceptions may be granted by the Rules Committee, in advance of the Tournament, on requests made for a physically challenged angler.

18. The maximum number of fishing lines in the water at any time is six.

19. In the event any boats come together, regardless of the reason, or anything is passed between boats for any reason after the official start of that day's fishing and before each boat has weighed in, then such boats shall be disqualified for that day of fishing. Exceptions may be granted by the Chairman of Tournament Communications for emergencies, but only to boats granting assistance and not to boats receiving assistance in such cases.

20. No boat may make a landfall or receive or pass anything to or from land or enter any inlet after Check Out before the boat has weighed in.

Weighing-In Fish

21..  Only one Kingfish (Scomberomorus Cavalla), one Cobia (Rachycentron Canadum), one Dolphin (Coryphaena Hippurus) and one Wahoo ( Acanthocybium Solandri) will be eligible for the official weigh-in each day.

22. All boats weighing fish must enter and check in through the St. Johns River inlet.

23. All fish must be brought to the weigh-in station by the boat on which they were caught.

24. Boats weighing fish must reach the weigh-in unassisted.

25. All fish submitted for weigh-in must be of legal size, fresh, edible condition and caught the same Tournament day.

26. No mutilated fish will be weighed. "Mutilation" is defined as any damage, which impairs the fish's fighting ability, and the Weigh Master will make all decisions regarding mutilation.

27. All fish weighed become property of the Tournament.

28. Fish to be weighed must be put on the dock and carried to the scales by a member of the boat's crew. Shoes are required by all participants coming to the scales and a personal floatation device is required if a Jr. Angler leaves a boat.

29. All information printed on the weigh-in slip, including but not limited to the official weight, as accepted by the person who brings the fish to the scale, is binding on the Captain.

30. In the event of a tie in fish weights, the winner shall be determined by the earliest check in time as recorded by the St. Johns River Committee Check In boat.

Boat Classification

31.  The CLASS OF 23 is a division of boats whose manufacturer classifies the boat as a 23 foot vessel or smaller, so long as the manufacturer's published waterline length of the boat does not exceed 23'11'.  All other boats will be in the GENERAL CLASS.

Protest

32. Any protest must be submitted to the Weigh Master in writing within thirty minutes after the closing of the weigh-in station on the day the disqualifying event occurs. Only a Captain registered in the Tournament may file a protest. Each protest must be accompanied by a one hundred dollar ($100.00) deposit. In the event the protest is upheld, the deposit will be refunded. If the protest is not upheld, the deposit will be forfeited. The decisions of the Rules Committee are binding regarding any protest.

Polygraph

33. All Captains and crew agree to submit to a polygraph at the request of the Tournament. Failure to submit to such an examination will result in disqualification of the Boat at the sole discretion of the Rules Committee.

Miscellaneous

34. Any matter not specifically covered by these rules may be decided by and at the sole discretion of the Tournament's Rules Committee and the decisions of the Rules Committee shall be binding. The Tournament reserves the right to delay, cancel or reschedule the Tournament if weather conditions are unfavorable or unsafe in the sole judgment of the Tournament's Rules Committee. In the event that the Tournament shall be delayed or rescheduled due to any cause beyond the control of Jacksonville Marine Charities, Inc. d/b/a The Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament, no entry fee shall be refunded to the entrants and entrants shall have no claim against Jacksonville Marine Charities, Inc., for return of any portion of the entry fee

35. Anglers who are Southern Kingfish Association members are responsible for compliance with the Rules of their Association and the SKA is solely responsible for enforcement the rules which may differ from these Tournament Rules.

2011 GENERAL TOURNAMENT
OPERATING PROCEDURES

REGISTRATION: This is a Boat Registration Tournament. Boat substitutions will be allowed so long as the substitution is communicated via phone to, and authorized by, the Tournament Office or the Chairman of Tournament Communications prior to Check Out.

Boating Safety: All Captains are responsible for monitoring VHF-FM CH 78 (KINGFISH BASE) for any EMERGENCY notices or changes to Tournament procedures. No Wake Zones may be modified by special announcement by the U.S. Coast Guard or other Law Enforcement agencies. Should conditions necessitate the closing of the Weigh Station; the Chairman of Tournament Communications will advise all boats over VHF-FM CH 78.

CONSERVATION: The Tournament urges all boats to release those fish that are not to be entered in the Tournament. The release of fish should be in keeping with the best conservation methods to ensure continued life.

BAITFISH: Baitfish may be taken by any means west of the Committee Boat locations at any time.

GENERAL CHECK OUT AND CHECK IN: All boats may leave from one of three inlets: the St. Johns River inlet, the St. Marys inlet, or the St. Augustine inlet. The Check Out/Check In procedure is a mandatory safety measure and is in keeping with the Tournament's Marine Permit issued by the U.S. Coast Guard. It is the duty of each boat Captain to assure that the Committee Boat has registered the boat's checkout.

Boats not weighing fish must check in with the Committee Boat or by phone or by radio. In the interest of safety, all boats must check in by 7:00 PM. Boats not checked in will be reported to the U.S. Coast Guard for Search and Rescue operations.

Check Out/Check In @ St. Johns River

The Tournament Check Out will be located on the North and South side of the St. Johns River . Check Out will begin at 6:30 AM. All participating boats must be West of the Committee Boats prior to the start of Check Out. Boats with GREEN NUMBERS will check out with the Committee Boat on the south side of the St. Johns River . Boats with RED NUMBERS will check out with the Committee Boat on the North side of the St. Johns River . All boats must proceed in an orderly fashion, single file, past the Committee Boat close enough to have their official Tournament Number recorded and acknowledged. After Check Out, all boats will maintain a no wake speed until they have cleared the end of the St. Johns River jetty. The Committee Check-In Boat will be on station on the North side of the St. Johns River until 6:30 PM for visual check-ins. Boats checking in after 6:30 PM must do so via phone or VHF radio.

Check Out/Check In @ St. Augustine & St Marys

The Tournament Committee Check Out/Check-In areas are located on a dock at Porpoise Point on the North side of the inlet, in St Augustine and the North End of Boat Ramp  (about 100 yards south of lighted buoys 4 & 5), in St Marys River . Check out will begin at 6:30 AM and all boats must proceed in an orderly fashion, single file, past the Tournament Checkout Banners close enough to have their official Tournament Number recorded and acknowledged by loud hailer. After Check Out, all boats should ensure that they operate at a safe speed and ensure their wake will not endanger any other vessels in the vicinity. Additional information regarding the St Marys and St Augustine inlets will be provided at the Captains meetings.

WEIGHING-IN FISH: ALL BOATS WITH FISH TO WEIGH-IN MUST ENTER AND CHECK IN THROUGH THE ST. JOHNS RIVER INLET . Fish on boats, which check in through any other inlet, are not qualified for the Tournament. The weigh-in dock opens at 3:00 PM. All boats wishing to weigh-in must be West of the St. Johns River Committee Check-In Boat and checked in no later than 5:30 PM that day. A Committee Boat with a sign on the stern saying "End of the Weigh-In Line" will depart from the Committee Check In Boat's area in the St. Johns River at 5:30 PM following the last boat qualified to weigh fish on that Tournament day. Boats not weighing fish may check in over the landline phone number that will be announced at the Captain's Meeting. At the weigh-in station at Sisters Creek Park , all boats are to proceed in a single file in an orderly fashion as directed by Tournament personnel.