DICK HILEY
ST. JUDE BASS CLASSIC

Insurance policy

Insurance is required for all participants. All contestants using their boat in the tournament must have a copy of a “paid in full” current boating liability policy. You MUST have a minimum of $300,000 liability to participate in this tournament. Contestants checked at random, and all winners, will be required to provide proof of insurance.  Anyone checked without insurance will be immediately disqualified. 

Tournament rules

Download tournament rules

I. PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY

A. Participation as team entry. At least one (1) partner of each team shall be 21 years of age or older. Those anglers under the age of 18 years must have written consent of parent or guardian.

B. Each contestant must possess a valid state fishing license.

C. The Invitational reserves the right to refuse entry to any team who has been barred from other Tournaments for rules violations or unsportsmanlike conduct. Determination will be made by Tournament Director only.

II. TOURNAMENT FORMAT

A. Entry Fee: The entry fee for the tournament is $350 per team if received by April 2. Beyond April 2, the fee is $400 per team. This is non-refundable. Entries must be in the Tournament Director’s possession no later than Friday, April 27, 2018. Beyond that date applications will be rejected.

B. Friday, May 4 is official practice day. All boats must be on a trailer by 3:00 pm. NO EXCEPTIONS. The tournament days are Saturday and Sunday, May 5 and 6.

C. Weigh-in will take place at the Wabasha Ramp. Boxing of bass or moving of fish from one location to another during pre-tournament practice is prohibited and will result in immediate disqualification. The Tournament officials will have the right to board tournament boats, during practice and on the tournament day, to check livewells, etc.

D. Payback is over 100 percent of entry fees plus cash and prizes.

III. PRE-TOURNAMENT MEETING

The pre-tournament meeting will be held on Friday, May 4, 2018 at Slippery’s Bar & Grill. Check-in will be from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm, with the meeting beginning at 5:00pm. One representative from each team must be present by 5:00 pm. Doors will close at 5:00 pm. The meeting is mandatory for each team. NO EXCEPTIONS. Flight and boat positions to be determined at this meeting.

IV. SAFETY

A. Each competitor must observe safe boating conduct at all times.

B. Each angler is required to wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved chesttype life preserver which is fully secured whenever the main combustion engine is running.

C. All competitors must have an emergency ignition shut-off device securely attached to the driver’s body whenever the combustion engine is in operation.

D. All boats must be a minimum of 14-feet in length. Stick steering is not allowed. No barges or similar cumbersome craft will be permitted. Each boat must have all required U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment. Boats shall contain a properly aerated or re-circulating livewell space to maintain a live limit of bass.

E. Use of and/or possession of alcohol or drugs (other than those prescribed by a licensed physician, or purchased over the counter), during the Tournament is prohibited; this includes the time prior to a teams weigh-in. Violation of this rule may result in disqualification.

F. The Tournament Director retains the right to delay, cancel or restrict Tournament Waters in the case of severe weather.

G. The Tournament Director reserves the right to disallow the use of any boat and/ or motor he deems unsafe, inappropriate, or unsuitable for use in competition. The Tournament Director’s decision in this matter is final and may be made at any time.

H. During practice and during the Tournament, contestants must follow and obey local ordinances governing the river, including speed limit laws and no wake zone. Any contestant issued a ticket by a law enforcement agency will be disqualified.

V. SPORTSMANSHIP

A. All contestants are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation. Any infraction of these fundamental sporting principles may be deemed cause for disqualification.

B. Maximum courtesy must be practiced at all times, especially with regard to boating and angling in the vicinity of non-competitors who may be on Tournament waters. Violators of this rule will be disqualified.

C. The use of mobile communication devices, including, but not limited to, cellular telephones, marine radios, walkie-talkies, CBs, etc., during tournament hours are prohibited except in emergency (severe weathers, etc.) or to communicate with lockmasters.

D. During the tournament days, anglers may not obtain or receive fishing information and/or assistance in the catching of fish from a non-competitor. Competitors may not follow a non-competitor’s boat or allow a non-competitor to anchor and/or hold spots for competitors. Competitors may not engage in the practice of paying noncompetitors to practice fishing for them. Violation of this rule or intent of this rule will result in disqualification.

VI. INSURANCE

All contestants using their boat in the tournament must have a copy of a “paid in full” current boating liability policy with a minimum value of $300,000, (waivers and binders will not be accepted) with them.

VII. PERMITTED FISHING METHODS

All bass must be caught live and in a conventional sporting manner. Only artificial lures may be used with the exception of pork trailers. Only one fishing rod may be used at a time. Trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited.

VIII. PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS

A. Mississippi River, Pools 4 and 5 from lock and dam 3 at Red Wing to the lock and dam 5. The lateral boundaries are the main railroad tracks running north/south on the Minnesota and Wisconsin sides of the river. Contestants may fish anywhere accessible by boat, within the boundaries, except areas designated by federal, state, local officials or Tournament Director.

B. All angling must be conducted from the boat. At no time may a contestant leave the boat to land a fish or to make the boat more accessible to fishing waters. The boat must remain in the tournament waters during the Tournament day. Contestants must leave and return to the official checkpoint by boat, and must remain in contact with the boat at all times except in the case of dire emergency.

IX. OFFICIAL CHECKPOINTS

Teams who fail to arrive at the official check-in location by the time established at the rules meeting will be held for inspection until all other boats have been released.

X. SCORING

Scoring shall be determined by the pounds and ounces of each team’s catch during the Tournament. LARGEMOUTH and SMALLMOUTH BASS will be the only accepted species. The tournament limit shall be Six (6) bass per team. The minimum length of the bass shall be Fourteen (14”) inches. Any team who possesses more than the legal limit or brings more than 6 fish into the Wabasha Municipal Harbor weigh-in area shall be immediately disqualified. Bass presented for weigh-in which fail to measure the prescribed length violate Minnesota and Wisconsin Fish and Game Regulation and will result in disqualification of the days catch. NO CULLING STATE LAW.

XI. LIVE FISH

Every effort must be made to keep the bass alive through the use of a properly aerated or re-circulated livewell. Four (4) ounces shall be deducted from the total weight for each dead bass weighed in. Under no circumstances can a fish be purposely altered.

XIII. LATE PENALTY

Contestants who are not within the municipal harbor mouth at the appointed time shall have their day’s catch disqualified. All fishing shall cease upon check-in.

XIV. TIES

In case of ties on day 2, positions will be determined by: 1st tiebreaker – team fundraising total, 2nd tiebreaker – day 1 weight, 3rd tiebreaker – coin toss. *Or gentlemen’s agreement

XV. RULES AND INTERPRETATIONS

A. Contestants will be responsible for knowing the Invitational rules as well as state and local rules and regulations, which pertain to the Tournament waters.

B. All protests must be lodged with the Tournament Director within 30 minutes of completion of daily weigh-in. Following interviews with concerned parties, a ruling will be made. The Tournament Director will interpret rules according to the spirit and intent of the rule and his decision in all disputes is final.

C. Tournament Director reserves the right to polygraph any contestant. Contestant agrees to submit to a polygraph when signing the Tournament waiver. Winnings will be withheld pending results of the test.

D. In the event rules infractions are brought to the Tournament Director’s attention at any time, and investigation proves a violation occurred, disqualification from the tournament could result. Also, cash prizes and awards must be returned if so requested

Payout

For teams to qualify for the $20K first place payout, teams must raise a minimum of $5,000. The enhanced payout is only for first place, the team that places second (and so on) will return back to the tournament’s original payout structure with the bonus payout being offered to teams that fundraise $1,500+. Each participating team must meet a $500 fundraising minimum to participate in the tournament.