DICK HILEY
ST. JUDE BASS CLASSIC

Insurance policy

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 are checked at random and all winners will be required to provide proof of insurance. Anyone without insurance will be immediately disqualified.

Tournament rules

Download tournament rules

I. RULE CHANGES

The following changes have been made to the 2016 tournament rules.

III. B. Friday, May 1 is official practice day. All boats must be on a trailer
by 3 p.m. NO EXCEPTIONS. The tournament days are Saturday and
Sunday, May 2 and 3.

IV. The pre-tournament meeting will be held on Friday, May 1, 2016 at a
location to be determined. Check-in will be from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.,
with the meeting beginning at 5 p.m. One representative from each
team must be present by 5 p.m. Doors will close at 5 p.m. The
meeting is mandatory for each team. NO EXCEPTIONS. Flight and boat
positions to be determined at this meeting.

VII. 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 throughout
the tournament. Contestants checked at random, and all
winners, will be required to provide proof of insurance. Any-one
checked without insurance will be immediately disqualified.

II. PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY

A. Participation as team entry. At least one 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.

III. TOURNAMENT FORMAT

A. Entry Fee: The entry fee for the tournament is $350 per team if
received by April 1. Beyond April 1, 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, 2016. Beyond that
date applications will be rejected.

B. Friday, May 1 is official practice day. All boats must be on a
trailer by 3 p.m. NO EXCEPTIONS. The tournament days are
Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3.

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.

IV. PRE-TOURNAMENT MEETING

The pre-tournament meeting will be held on Friday, May 1, 2016 at
a location to be determined. Check-in will be from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.,
with the meeting beginning at 5 p.m. One representative from each
team must be present by 5 p.m. Doors will close at 5 p.m. The
meeting is mandatory for each team. NO EXCEPTIONS. Flight and boat
positions to be determined at this meeting.

V. 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.

VI. 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 noncompetitor.
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 non-competitors
to practice fishing for them. Violation of this rule or intent of this
rule will result in disqualification.

VII. 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 throughout the tournament. Contestants checked at random, and all
winners will be required to provide proof of insurance. Anyone checked
without insurance will be immediately disqualified.

VIII. 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.

IX. 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.

X. 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.

XI. 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
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.

XII. LIVE FISH

Every effort must be made to keep the bass alive through the use of a
properly aerated or re-circulated livewell. Four 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, positions will be determined by: 1st tiebreaker – number
of fish alive, 2nd tiebreaker – total number of fish, 3rd tiebreaker – big
fish, and last tiebreaker – coin toss.

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.

• $5,000 guaranteed first place
• 150% payout to any team fundraising $1,500 and over
• Payout to 20% of field
• Additonal prizes will be awarded for Big Bass and Comeback Award winners

Sample payout based on 80 boats: