Event Location: Lake Charles, La. | Event Date: May 07-08, 2010
Mandatory captain's meeting Thursday @ 6:00 pm prior to first day of competition.
Location of meeting T.B.A.
2 day tournament - Competition takes place on Friday and Saturday @ Calcasieu Point Landing
2 anglers per team - 2 fish per day limit (within state slot limit)
1,000.00 entry fee (using pre pay discounts) - 30.00 annual membership fee
20,000.00 first place with full field 60 teams signing up
Dockside Marine Skeeter Incentive Bonus for Central Division. This event, with 60 or more anglers (30 teams) will award up to an additional $2,000.00 for qualifying anglers in the Skeeter Real Money program having met all Skeeter requirements.
Any winning/qualifying team fishing from any year model Skeeter/Yamaha rig wins $500.00. 2009 Skeeter/Yamaha rig wins $1,000.00 and a 2010 Skeeter/Yamaha rig wins an additional $2,000.00.
For more info see overview rules button in menu or call 321 217 3515
The HT Cup 2010. Interpretation of these rules will be left exclusively to Tournament Director and HT Series officials. Decisions of the Tournament Director and or HT officials are final in all matters and are not subject to appeal. All contestants are required to follow all applicable Federal, State and Local regulations and laws. Any violation of such rules or Series rules and regulations may result in a fine, daily weight penalty, disqualification from the tournament day, the entire tournament or from all Series events.
Eligibility. HT Series reserve the right to deny entry into any Cup event to any person or any team for any reason whatsoever. Anglers failing or failing to take a requested polygraph from any tournament or tournament trail or being banned from competition by another tournament or trail may be ineligible to compete in Headturners events and/or series. Any team being asked to take a polygraph test will be required to submit both team members for polygraph. Should either team member fail or fail to take requested polygraph, that team will be disqualified and forfeit all awards, prizes and points from event.
Format. 2 day team events and all teams must be made up of 2 anglers. Teams may have 1 alternate and must name that alternate prior to the starting of the season. Anglers can weigh 2 redfish per day for a maximum of 4 red fish per event. Total weight, minus any penalties at tournaments' end will determine place.
Field Size. A maximum field of 60 boats allowed per event with the exception that a field may be increased above 60 entrants when a team or teams that have paid in full for an event in one division elect to enter an event in a different division. Example: Team A has paid in full for an event in the East Division and wishes to fish an event in the West Division. In this case the maximum field size for that event will be increased to 61. If there are 4 teams that wish to do the same, the maximum field size will be increased to 64 and etc. There is no limit to the field size that may occur in this manner.
Tournament Entry Fees. Entry fee is $1,200.00 per team, per event; with a $150.00 discount for pre-paying 14 days prior to first day of competition. An additional team discount of $50.00 per event will be allowed to teams pre-paying all 4 tournaments in a particular division prior to February 1, 2010 for a total entry fee of $1,000.00 per event. HTCup events will be open to the first 60 teams in each division reserving their spot by paying a $500.00 non refundable deposit. Deposits for entire series of HTCup events can not be used for partial payment of one event. Each angler and alternate entered in a HTCup event must pay membership fee of $30.00.
Jackpotting. Once a minimum of 40 teams have registered and paid in full for an event in either division, no additional entries will be accepted in the 10 days prior to the calendar date of the first day of the event. However, until, and unless, the minimum number of teams (40) is reached, entries will be accepted up to and through the actual on-site registration for the event.
Off limits/practice. No off limits to practice days in this series. Captain's meeting at 5:00 - 7:00 pm on the day preceeding the first day of competition at each event.
Filming/promotion. Anglers will be filmed at some events to be shown on TV Fishing Series shows both on TV and the internet. Anglers are encouraged to wear and display their sponsor's logos regardless of what sponsors they may be. There will be no prominence given to a particular sponsor or their angler over another regardless of what the tour's sponsors may be.
Boat launch. Anglers will launch according to random draw, executed at captain's meeting. Day 2 field will launch according to finish on day 1.
Tournament Hours/Weigh In. Contestants will fish from safe light as determined by HT Series official and have until 3:00 pm to check in each day of competition. Weigh in begins between 2:30 and 3:00 pm, depending on field size. All anglers must be checked in by 3:00:00 pm , no additional time will be awarded, regardless of reason. Anglers can begin checking in at 2:00 pm. Anglers cannot return to tournament waters after day 1 of a 2 day tournament unless cleared with tournament official(s).
Amount and Places Paid. Pay backs are based on number of boats. All events pay back 1 in 5 (every 6th boat that signs up creates another pay spot). Pay backs adjusted upward or downward depending on participation based on sample shown.
Sample regular season and team of year payback based on 60 teams, championship based on 90.
1 $ 20,000.00 Champ 1 $ 40,000.00 Team of Year $ 10,000.00
2 $ 10,000.00 2 $ 20,000.00 2nd place 5,000.00
3 $ 5,000.00 3 $ 10,000.00 3rd place 2,500.00
4 $ 4,000.00 4 $ 5,000.00 4th place 1,500.00
5 $ 3,000.00 5 $ 2,500.00 5th place 1,000.00
6 $ 2,500.00 6 $ 2,000.00
7 $ 2,000.00 7 $ 1,500.00
8 $ 1,500.00 8 $ 1,300.00 *Shallowsport Team of Year
9 $ 1,300.00 9 $ 1,100.00 $5,000.00 bonus
10 $ 1,200.00 10 $ 1,000.00 $1,000.00 highest finish
11 $ 1,100.00 11-20 $ 500.00
12 $ 1,000.00
Scoring. Tournament Standings shall be determined by the aggregate weight measured in pounds and 100ths of a pound. Only redfish will be weighed, the limit shall be two (2) red fish per boat, per day. All redfish in Series must measure according to state slot limits and can not exceed a 27" maximum length in events taking place in Florida and Louisiana or 28" in Texas. Presenting fish outside of the state allowed limit of the location being fished will not be counted and will incur an additional .50 deduction from total weight. Each fish will be placed in HT's angled plexiglass chute that uses the fish's own weight to hold the nose of the fish against the measuring board. Furthermore, the plexiglass chute is angled toward the official so that the belly of the fish rest against the plexiglass chute's side. At this point the fish is measured left to right, the nose of the fish to the officials left and the tail toward the officials right. The belly of the fish will always be placed toward the person measuring the fish. The tail will be pinched with HT's new "perfect pincher" that will slide down the tail and pinch each fish exactly the same amount. After being perfectly pinched the pincher will be slid against the side of the plexiglass for hands off verification of fish's length. Any part of the tail that passes over the established line will cause that fish to be disqualified.
Points. Anglers competing toward the championship and team of the year will be awarded 200 points for finishing in first place and -1 point for each position after. Anglers failing to weigh in a fish will receive -5 points from the last team that weighed. All events, including championship, count toward team of the year awards.
Classic. The top 30 teams in points in each division and after all regular season events will advance to the championship. Until sufficient sponsors can be added to make the Classic a no entry event, those anglers qualifing will pay the normal event entry fee (1,000.00) to fish.
Permitted Fishing Locations. Contestants may fish anywhere on tournament waters accessible by boat, except areas designated as "off limits" or "no fishing" by local, state, federal officials or HT personnel. Fishing private waters is prohibited. No fishing within 50 yards of a competitor's boat which is anchored. (an anchored boat is a boat held in a stable position by a line attached to a weight, push pole, power pole, etc. with the trolling motor in the up position). If the boat does not have a trolling motor the definition of "anchored" still applies to anchored boats. Scattering or dispersing live or dead bait in the water for the purpose to attract fish, chumming is prohibited. A boater or non boater may not chum with live or dead bait or solicit someone to chum with live or dead bait within ten (10) days prior to the start of competition in or within 500 yards of areas planned to fish during competition. No boater or non boater may fish within 100 yards of areas that they know or should have known has been chummed during the day of competition or within that 10 day period.
Bait and Tackle. Only artificial lures may be used with the exceptions of liquid bait attractants or pork strips. No live or dead bait. Only one rod at a time may be used per contestant. A cast must be fully retrieved before another rod is picked up. Fly fishing and conventional tackle are allowed. All redfish must be caught alive in a conventional sporting manner. Trolling, with the main engine, auxiliary/smaller engine or electric/trolling motor as a method of fishing is prohibited.
Live Fish. Every effort must be made to keep redfish alive. An .50 pound penalty will be deducted from the contestants' total weight for each dead redfish presented for weigh-in. No mutilated or iced fish shall be accepted. No angler may manipulate the weight or length of any redfish with the intent of gaining an advantage over other tournament competitors during the tournament or any time six months prior to the event. Culling of dead redfish is prohibited. HT reserves the right to refuse any red fish deemed to have been altered or in such condition as to question the validity of the catch. All boats used in the tournament must have recirculating or aerated live wells that are at least 2.4 cubic feet or 18 gallons in capacity.
Alcoholic Beverages and Drugs. Any angler or contestant consuming or carrying alcoholic beverages or drugs (other than prescription) on board a contestant's boat during tournament hours (which begins when boat checks start and ends at conclusion of weigh in) will be disqualified. Anglers cannot consume any alcohol prior to polygraph testing.
Boats, Motors, Accessories. All boats used in competition will be subject to HT Series officials acceptance in regards to size, h.p., livewell, coastguard and other ratings determined by HT Series officials to be acceptable or not. No airboats are allowed in competition. All boats used in competition must have a live well space, properly aerated to adequately maintain a maximum, possible, live limit of fish for the event. All boats powered by 40 h.p or more must be equipped with some type of operable ignition kill switch. This ignition kill device must be attached to the driver's body anytime the combustion engine is operating at a high enough rpm to raise the bow of the boat. Fuel may be carried only in factory installed (built-in) fuel tanks or coast guard approved tanks used by tiller type outboard engines. Any additional fuel used during the tournament day must be purchased from a retail facility open to the public (no portable gas cans). No portable device(s) such as ladders, step ladders, coolers, etc. may be used to gain height above the gunnels of the boat. However, factory installed or fabricated devices specifically designed for that purpose and are able to be fastened to the boat via turnbuckle or locking straps will be allowed. Bungy cord/rope attachments are not allowed.
Insurance. Current liability insurance is required for each contestant utilizing his or her boat in the Series and is the anglers responsibility to carry and keep enforced.
Contestants Must Remain in Boat. All angling must be conducted from the boat. At no time may a contestant intentionally leave the boat to land a fish or make the boat more accessible to fishing waters. Failure to render assistance when requested in an emergency situation may be cause for immediate disqualification. Anglers receiving assistance must communicate to the tournament official, the boat number(s) of the assisting boat and the assisted boat at time commencing aid. Competitors are allowed to leave the boat and seek safe shelter in bad weather where danger may be imminent but must continue to follow all tournament rules during this period.
Extreme Weather. In the case of severe weather such as hurricanes, tropical storms, etc. a tournament may be rescheduled for later in the season at the same location, if possible. The start of either or both days of an event's competition may be delayed and/or length of tournament hours shortened at tour official's discretion. If dangerous weather (winds 30-35 mph, lightening, etc.) or the reasonable expectation of dangerous weather deems conditions unsafe for the anglers, the tour may make adjustments to the event's times of launch and weigh in. In the event that day 1 of competition has to be canceled, anglers will fish day 2 and use day 2's weight as the official weight of the tournament. In the event day 2 of competition has to be canceled, anglers will use the weight from day 1 to determine place.
Sportsmanship. All contestants are required to practice courtesy, safety and follow local and state game laws. All competitors are bound by the prevailing statues and regulations of the various states within which they fish clarifying that Competitors are responsible for research of fishing and boating regulations. Anyone displaying poor sportsmanship or violating game laws will be subject to disqualification. Intentionally operating a boat in such a manner as to coral, rodeo or round up schools of fish prior to casting or busting schools of fish and/or other such practices will be considered harassing and is prohibited in HT events. No wireless, radio or other controlled devices allowed for same or similar purposes.
No Information. No communication or signaling is permitted between an angler and anyone either in or not in an event. No discussion pertaining to fishing is allowed via cell phone, VHF radio, pager or any electronic device during competition.
Safety. Safe boating will be observed at all times. Each contestant is required to wear a fastened, vest-type or suspender-style U.S. Coast Guard approved, personal flotation device anytime the combustion engine is operating and in gear at enough rpm's to raise the bow of the boat.
Polygraphs. Each contestant agrees to submit, by his/her signature on the official tournament release/angler code of conduct, to a polygraph examination and abide by its conclusion. No alcohol can be consumed by any angler (prior to testing) required to take test. Both anglers making up a team will be polygraphed and any angler not taking a required polygraph will cause the team they are part of to be disqualified.
Protests. All protests must be submitted in writing (No Exceptions), along with a $100 deposit per protests to administer a polygraph exam, within 15 minutes of Official tournament scales closing. The decision of the tournament director and tournament officials will be final. The protester also agrees to submit to a polygraph exam. If the protest is upheld, the $100 deposit will be refunded. Any infraction discovered after the event is over may be acted upon by HT Series officials.
Angler Code of Conduct. Anglers participating in any HT Cup Redfish Series event shall observe this code of conduct and the applicable rules for the specific event in which they are participating. Anglers shall, at all times, conduct themselves in a professional manner that will not reflect unfavorably on HT Outdoors, its members, officers or representatives, tournaments or sponsors. Anglers shall use their best efforts to demonstrate professionalism, ethical behavior, sportsmanship and integrity in support of the sport of professional fishing. Any angler who violates any of the provisions of the Angler Code of Conduct may be subject to forfeiture of tournament winnings, suspension from competing in individual HT Series events, permanent ban from competition, or any combination thereof deemed appropriate by HT officials.
Media Coverage. Contestants entered in the Series must make their boat and fishing areas available to Series cameramen and camera boats during the entirety of all tournaments, should such filming take place.
Media Comments and Public Attacks. The favorable public reputation of HT Cup Redfish Series as a sanctioning organization in the sport of fishing, the integrity of its officials, and the reputation of its media properties are valuable assets and tangible benefits for HT Cup Redfish Series. Accordingly, it is an obligation of competitors to refrain from comments to the news media that unreasonably attack or disparage the integrity of tournaments, tournament officials, sponsors, fellow members, fellow anglers or the Headturners Tournament organization (HT). Responsible expressions of legitimate disagreement with HT Cup Redfish policies are encouraged, as opposed to attacks upon the integrity of the rules or officials. However, public comments that an angler knows, or should reasonable know, will harm the reputation of HT Redfish Series, HT3 Outdoors, it's officials or sponsors, shall be considered conduct unbecoming a professional and will result in disciplinary action.
These rules may be amended or updated as needed to ensure the integrity and quality of competition.
