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ABC Bassfest Buddy Tournament Date: June 8th 2023 Eligibility: One or both partners must be an ABC member and be at least 18 years old. It would be fun if one of the partners is a prospective new member. Cost: $250 per team Cash Prizes: Top 3 teams plus Big Fish Prize! Site: Lake Wanahoo (approximately 2 miles north of Wahoo) County Rd 17 & Highway 77 - We will launch at the ramp on the west side of the lake. Special Note: Valid fishing license and state park permit are required to enter Lake Wanahoo Recreation Area. Absolutely NO alcohol or parking on the shoulders of the road are permitted. Times: Check-in; breakfast, and boat launch – 5:00-5:30 AM Tournament Hours – 5:45-Noon Lunch, refreshments and awards – Begin at 12:00 PM located at the ABC campground. Competition Format: Each boat consists of a 2-person team. Each boat is permitted to score their 8 largest bass. The weigh-in will be conducted as a photo/scorecard process where teams measure and photograph their catch, record the length and immediately release the fish. The lengths will be converted to pounds. Each team will use their cell phone to photograph their fish on the official ruler provided to each team by ABC. Payouts and prizes will be awarded based on the converted weight of the total catch of the largest 8 fish. Pre-tournament Practice: Practice is allowed on Lake Wanahoo until midnight on June 3rd. The lake will be off-limits to all contestants until the tournament begins on June 3rd. Launch Order: Launch order will be determined by random draw after the final entry deadline. Teams will find out their boat and flight number when they check-in the morning of the tournament. This information will not be available prior to the tournament. Equipment Required: Participants will be provided the official measuring ruler at check-in to use in the tournament. Each team must bring their own cell phone, life vests, net fishing tackle and equipment. No live bait is permitted. Tackle and Equipment: All fish must be caught in a conventional manner. Intentionally snagging fish or trolling is not permitted. Landing nets are permitted. No bass can be put in the live well or cooler. Only one rod, 8 feet and under, may be used at a time per angler and only artificial lures are permitted. No live bait. Boats and Motors: All boats must be at least 14 feet long. Motors may not exceed the horsepower rating on the BIA plate for those boats meeting BIA or manufacturer’s plate affixed to the boat. Lake Wanahoo is a 5 mph, NO WAKE lake. Safety: Safe boating conduct must be observed at all times and all boats must comply with the safety gear required by USCG regulations. USCG approved life vests must be worn whenever the engine is running. Tournament times may be shortened or canceled due to unsafe weather conditions as determined by the tournament director. Alcohol/Drugs: Participants will refrain from the use of alcohol or drugs during the course of the tournament event. No alcohol is permitted at Wanahoo State Recreation Area. Sportsmanship: Participants are expected to follow the highest standards of courtesy, safety, angling etiquette and strict adherence to game and fish laws. Please show added courtesy to those fishermen and boaters that are not participating in the tournament. No fishing is allowed within 50 yards of another competitor’s boat which was first anchored, secured by a ‘power-pole’ or tied, with its trolling motor stowed out of the water, without the permission of the anchored boat. Competitors may not exit their boat to access other waters. No ‘hole-setting’ or holding of a fishing spot is permitted and may result in disqualification. Teams arriving late to weigh-in will be disqualified. In case of an emergency, a team member may ride back to the weigh-in site in another boat. Score: Each team will select their largest 8 bass to be scored on the official score sheet. All scored fish must measure a minimum of 12 inches (mouth closed). Each team needs to work together to measure, photograph, record and release each fish. The procedures to follow are: One angler holds the fish on the official measuring board with the belly of the fish facing the angler and making sure that the nose (mouth closed) of the fish is against the bump plate on the left side of the ruler and the tail is extended to the maximum length on the right side of the measuring ruler. Both anglers agree on the length of the bass to the nearest ¼ inch. If the tail fin crosses the ¼ inch mark, the official length can be rounded up to the next ¼ inch. If the tail just touches or is shorter, it would not be rounded up. The minimum scoring length is 12 inches. An 11 ¾ inch bass cannot be rounded up to 12 inches. While the fish is being held on the measuring ruler, the other angler takes a photo of the fish, showing both the head and the tail of the fish with a clear view of the closed mouth and the end of the ruler. The fish is immediately released by the angler holding the fish. The other angler records the fish on the official score sheet. In the event that 2 fish are caught at the same time, one fish must be measured, photographed, recorded and released before processing the second fish. No fish can be put in the live well or cooler or on a stringer. It is okay to leave the second fish in the net in the water until you finish processing the first fish. The lengths of bass will be converted to weights by a standard formula and tallied on the score sheet prior to turning it in. Make certain that your score is completely tallied for the 8 largest bass and that the total weight is accurately recorded. Incomplete score sheets will be penalized 1 pound off of the total weight for the score sheet. Teams presenting fish for weight, which are subsequently determined to be “short” shall be penalized the weight of the short fish, plus the big fish on the score sheet. Each team needs to make sure that each bass is measured accurately. Catch, Photo and Release Format: All fish will be measured, photographed and remember to add your team number when texting the picture to Ulysses’s phone at (402) 499-5170. You can use a cellphone to record your fish. Make certain that the photos clearly show that the mouth of the fish is completely closed and the nose of the fish is touching the bump plate of the ruler and that the tail of the fish is extended to its maximum length of the right end of the ruler. Remember to put your initials on the official score sheet at weigh-in. Ties: In the event of a tie for one of the top three positions, big fish will be the deciding factor in breaking the tie. If total weight and big fish are the same for two or more teams, the average weight per fish per team will break the tie. Protests/Disqualifications: The tournament director must be notified of all protests within 15 minutes of the weigh-in at the lake and must be in written format. A “protest committee” consisting of three, randomly selected participants drawn by the tournament director will address the protests and make the final decision. For Further Information On Tournament Registration: Contact Ulysses Johnson at ABC (Associated Builders & Contractors), Cell Phone: 402-499-5170 or email ulyssesj@abcnesad.org Deadline for Registration and Payment: The payment and registration must be received at the time of registration. We are limited to 30 boats, so teams might wish to register early as it will be first come first served. If teams register after the 30-boat field is filled, they will be put on a waiting list and notified by June 1st. Any cancellation received on or after June 1st will not receive a refund.