Updated rules, read and understand for future events. Comment if necessary.

Paddle-Fishing.com Tournament Series (PFTS)
Series Rules

1. Participation and Eligibility
Participation is open to anyone 18 years of age or older who is a registered member of Paddle-fishing.com at least 30 days prior to any PFTS event. Minors are eligible to participate with a participating parent or legal guardian. The Paddle-Fishing.com tournament series judging committee retains the right to refuse entry to anyone for any reason. In the event a participant wants to use a tandem kayak/canoe both anglers must be registered members of paddle-fishing.com for the required 30 day period before the event and both anglers must be registered for the event.

2. Safety
Safe boating must be observed at all times. During competition each contestant is required to comply with U.S. Coast Guard regulations including the possession of a PFD and a sounding device. All USCG and FWC regulations are in effect at all times.

3. Check In
Check in will be at the designated time and place (may vary per location) as set forth in the official tournament thread posted on paddle-fishing.com. You must be in line before the official end of check in time for your catch to be considered for prizes. No late check ins will be allowed for any reason. At check in you must indicate whether or not your are submitting your camera for review and fill out a scoring sheet. No cameras will be reviewed without a proper scoring sheet submitted.

4. Sportsmanship
All contestants are required to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, and conservation. Any use of drugs, participation in criminal activities, or other conduct reflecting unfavorably upon our efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship, fair competition, and/or compliance with tournament rules are grounds for immediate disqualification and return of any prizes awarded.

5. Permitted Fishing Methods
All fish must be caught via hook and line. Only artificial lures may be used. No Berkley Gulp products may be used unless directed by the tournament director. All fish must be caught from a kayak. No shore fishing is permitted unless the kayak is tethered to the angler, the tether may be no longer than 15’.

6. No Motors
The use of a boat or motorized water vehicle/vessel to transport your boat while on the water is prohibited. All craft must be self propelled, no engines of any kind are permitted.

7. Fishing Locations
Boundaries that are specific to each event will be posted on the official tournament thread on paddle-fishing.com. You must launch and take out within the posted boundaries. All fishing must be done waters accessible according to the law, USCG and FWC regulations. Any angler observed fishing in an area deemed no entry by law enforcement will be disqualifed from that event.

8. Other
During competition contestants may not obtain or receive assistance including but not limited to following a non-competitor's boat, the placing of markers by a non-competitor, being towed or riding motorized vessels, or receiving electronic, voice, or data communications from non-competitors.

9. Scoring
The event uses catch-photo-release scoring determined by the length of each fish, combined in the case of slam and individually for each class. Each angler will be issued a unique scoring marker/token at the sign in. The first photo on the camera must be of your rigged boat as put in at launch with measuring device and scoring marker visible. Fish must be photographed in or on the boat, clearly showing the length of the fish with the scoring marker visible. More than one photo of a fish may be taken. Length is determined from the forward-most point of the fish to the natural pinched top of the tail. In the event of a tie the entry checked in earliest will be declared the winner. The judging committee will review the photos to verify reported results and determine place winners. The tournament director is responsible for the final call in all matters

10. Digital Photography
Participants may only use digital cameras for recording scoring fish. Entrants must bring the storage chip from their camera to check-in or bring the download cable for their camera so that pictures may be retrieved. Cameras may be shared - in the event of camera sharing both entrants' kayaks at launch must be initially on the roll, and each entrant will use a different unique scoring token as directed at the sign in, both in the launch picture and the fish scoring pictures. In the scoring fish pictures the appropriate entrant's kayak must also be in the picture.

11. Protests
All protests must be made in writing and delivered to the tournament director within 30 minutes of the check in time. The tournament director is the final authority in all protest considerations.

12. Rule Changes
Rules interpretation is exclusively left to the tournament director. The decisions of the tournament director are final in all matters and are not subject to appeal.

13. Prize Structure
The first, second and third place cash awards will be awarded on a 50%, 30%, 20% basis of all entry fees paid. Each angler can only win one prize for each event.

14. Pre-Fishing
No pre-fishing the area set forth in the boundaries will be allowed the Monday through Friday preceding each event.

One change that is different for next year that needs to be noted is this-

9. Scoring
The event uses catch-photo-release scoring determined by the length of each fish, combined in the case of slam and individually for each class. Each angler will be issued a unique scoring marker/token at the sign in. The first photo on the camera must be of your rigged boat as put in at launch with measuring device and scoring marker visible. Fish must be photographed in or on the boat, clearly showing the length of the fish with the scoring marker visible. More than one photo of a fish may be taken. Length is determined from the forward-most point of the fish to the natural pinched top of the tail. In the event of a tie the entry checked in earliest will be declared the winner. The judging committee will review the photos to verify reported results and determine place winners. The tournament director is responsible for the final call in all matters

I can't help but wonder why the changes had to be made.
I am not complaining or questioning the rules,just wondering.
Was there a problem with someone leaving the kayak in the truck and just driving around wade fishing?

I figure the rule about the pictures is to make sure folks clear their memory cards first?


just curious

All of these rules (we never really had any before) and any changes made were the result of certain happenings over the past two years. None very big or that extreme but we thought that some better written rules would stop anything that might happen in the future.

Rules are important

You have to take out any of the grey areas
especially has pfts grows

Good job guys

Especially those darn gray Bluetooth rules. Glad they're gone.

Bluetooths have no place in the kayak fishing world, totally unnecessary equipment. They rank right up there with the 20 lb anchor.

Just to clarify a discussion I had this AM with a fellow PFTS participant......
VHF Radio's and Cell phone communication are allowed between participants?????

You need to focus on the task at hand, stay off the phone.

No problem.

That's your 'personal' opinion Todd, not mine. You don't have to have one just 'cos I do. On the other hand, I shouldn't not be allowed to have one just 'cos you don't.

I'm not cheating. Get over it.

cheating? Did anyone say anything about cheating?

That looks Soooooo comfortable.

Another question, does the "time - date" stamp in your camera, need to be turned on? I don't see it in the rules but I heard yesterday that it did.

No.

No, the purpose of the first pic being your rigged kayak is to give us a starting point for your fish pics. Any pics before - even though we ask that your card have all other pics removed before the event - that don't count.

Good I haven't been able to get that function to work. I really don't want it either.

Sorry . I did not see that in the rules. My camera has see some water in it's day and sometimes it's on, off, and even switches the date per card in or out. I'll try to see if I can fix it per the next event. It can be annoying.

It does not have to be turned on, don't worry about it Dan.

Please clarify "natural pinched top of the tail". I assume this means that that tail fin cannot be manipulated during when the photo is taken.

Exactly. You can pinch the tail just not manipulate it.

I will definitely mark my calendar for this event.