Lone Star Series

RULES

LONE STAR SERIES Tournament rules are included herein with special notations. It is each participant’s responsibility to read all items before entering. Lone Star Series rules will apply in all events unless superseded by federal, state or local laws. Lone Star Series reserves the right to refuse any membership or tournament entry fees or entry forms for any reason. LSS officials and directors decisions will be final in all matters.
MEMBERSHIP The nonrefundable membership fee is $30 per person per year. Only paid members may participate in Lone Star Series tournaments. Anyone fishing with a non-current membership will be disqualified. No points or credit for tournament will be awarded for non-current members.
ELIGIBILITY & CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFICATION Participation is open only to current members of the Lone Star Series. Any person age 17 or under must be a team partner with a parent or a person age 18 or older. Persons under 18 must have the signature of his/her parent or legal guardian on the tournament entry form. A Lone Star Series member may fish alone but is required to pay full tournament entry fees and must notify LSS officials one week prior to tournament entry of their intent to fish alone. LSS officials reserve the right to assign an observer for any team or individual at its sole discretion. All members that qualify for the championship must fish with their partner at the championship unless they’ve notified LSS officials of their intent to fish alone. For an alternate to fish the Championship, they must have fished at least two tournaments with any team during the regular schedule. Only registered Contestants may be in the boat during official tournament hours. If either partner enters tournament waters during the official five day off-limits period such partner shall be ineligible for the event and may not enter or register for the event; however, the eligible partner may enter the event. However, all previous points acquired will be forfeited and the eligible partner’s points will start from zero.

Teams can qualify for the Championship in one of two ways: (1) Teams may qualify by finishing in the top 50% of the final weight rankings in their respective division or (2) a Team must fish a minimum of two (2) tournaments to qualify for the Championship.

Black Bass Guides are not eligible to fish a tournament if they have guided on the tournament lake within the prior 30 days. Any angler that pays $2500.00 or more on any one (1) entry fee within the preceding 12 months is not eligible to fish in the Lone Star Series.
PARTNER SUBSTITUTION There will be no partner substitution. A new combination of partners creates a new team and the points from the prior team are not carried forward.
DIVISIONAL POINTS CHAMPIONS/ANGLERS OF THE YEAR Lone Star Series will calculate the points to determine the divisional points champion and cash will be awarded at the championship. 2012 AOY is $2,000 to the winning team.
TOURNAMENT ENTRY FEES Entry fee is $150.00 per team. 90% will be the base tournament payback less polygraph fees for each event. There will be a $10 optional big bass pot at each event paid back at 100%. First place for series events will be $3,000 guaranteed minimum.

The year end championship entry fee will be $250.00 per team and there will be an optional $20.00 per team big bass pot for the championship. The top three (3) points teams will have their championship entry fee waived. The championship grand prize is guaranteed for first place.
PRE-REGISTRATION & SIGN UP Registration for all LSS tournament events will be held beginning at 5:00 am the morning of the event. Each team must register in person at the designated site during official registration. A completed and signed entry form must be received from every team before the start of each competition day. Contestants will randomly draw flight numbers during registration hours only and we will launch in numbered order unless there are weather or related issues that necessitate trailering. Trailering decisions related to safety will be made by the TD and all decisions are final.

Registration for Championship will be held the week prior to Championship. Championship takeoff for Saturday will be determined by AOY points from LSS series events. Launch order will be reversed on Sunday. Pre-registration for championship will be required for those teams who intend to fish during official championship practice days.
SCORING SYSTEM Each team’s weight will be measured in pounds and hundredths of ounces. The highest weight will be 1st Place and receive points equal to how many teams fished the given event. Each descending weight will receive (1) point less than the previous weight. All teams that do not weigh fish will receive (10) points less than the last team that weighs fish. If a team is disqualified for any reason they will receive (0) points for that tournament, BUT WILL RECEIVE CREDIT FOR FISHING THE TOURNAMENT.
FISH LIMITS, CONSERVATION & PENALTY All contestants must use care in handling and keeping fish alive for release after weigh-in. All fish will be brought to the weigh master in plastic bags with enough water to keep the fish covered until weigh-in. A tournament limit will be (5) fish measured on a PRO RULE with mouth closed and tail compressed (pinched) in accordance with state law. No culling of dead fish. No culling at ramp or in host marina. No retaining bass in live well and not weighing those fish, this is the same as culling at the ramp. Dead fish penalty will be .50 pounds per dead fish. If a team brings a short to weigh-in the team will be disqualified. Teams may ask the tournament director for a courtesy check, if desired prior to presenting fish for weigh-in. Teams must not have more than (5) fish in the live well at any time unless actively culling.

ALL TEAMS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE WEIGH BAGS FOR TRANSPORTING FISH TO WEIGH-IN. IN ORDER TO ASSIST WITH LARGER FISH CARE, ANY TEAM OR ANGLER CATCHING A BASS OF 10LBS OR MORE CAN IMMEDIATELY BRING THE RESPECTIVE FISH TO THE WEIGH IN SCALES SO THAT IT MAY BE WEIGHED, RECORDED AND RELEASED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. It will be counted as one of your potential 5 fish.
LIFE JACKETS & KILL SWITCH Life Jackets or Vest will be worn by both team members any time the outboard motor is in gear and running above IDLE. Kill switch will be connected to boat operator any time the outboard motor is in gear and running above IDLE.
TACKLE & EQUIPMENT All fishing must be done from boat deck. Only artificial lures may be used, except for pork products. No wading or trolling is allowed. All fish must be caught from the boat. All traditional rods & reels are allowed including fly rods and flipping poles. Only one rod and reel may be used at any given time by each angler. No rod may be left unattended with line or lure in water for purposes of trying to catch a fish.
PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS, INFORMATION AND OFF LIMITS Anglers may not leave their boat except in a dire emergency. You must fish water that is available to all competitors. No fishing within 50 yards of any boat anchored, with trolling motor up. No fishing in areas designated off limits by governmental agencies. No fishing within 50 yards of Launch Site.

The lake is off limits to contestants on the Monday through Friday prior to the tournament. No Contestant may be on designated tournament waters for any reason during the official off-limits period. No fishing information may be received or solicited from any person who entered official tournament waters during the established off-limits period for all LSS events. This will be a polygraph question.

Championship off limits will begin Tuesday May 29th prior to the championship with official practice days being Thursday June 7th and Friday June 8th preceding the championship tournament. Teams who intend to practice for the championship must pre-pay their championship entry fees prior to any official practice. Teams may pay via mail, paypal or credit card. Mail entry must be received prior to practice date.
TEAM CHECK-IN Any team checking in after its announced check-in time will be assessed a one pound penalty for each minute late, up to 15 minutes at which time the team will be disqualified.
TOURNAMENT HOURS Safe light until 3:00pm, this may be adjusted by tournament director. Each team will be assigned a boat number at sign-up the morning of each tournament and check in times will be given at that time. At check-in, all teams must check in with official in order to record their check in time.
EMERGENCY OR BREAK DOWN One or both anglers must identify their fish with some sort of marker or separation system before entering the rescue boat with fish, to return to launch site. (No fishing from rescue boat, both teams may be subjected to a polygraph test).
BOAT & HORSEPOWER REGULATIONS Each boat must have all required U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment. All boats must contain a properly aerated live well space to maintain a live limit catch of bass. All boats must have an operating kill switch that must be attached to the operator at all times when the outboard motor is running and in gear. Violation of any of the above rules may be cause for disqualification. If running lights are not working you may be held at take off. LSS officials or directors reserve the right to refuse entry to any boats that does not meet tournament standards. No jet boats, airboats, air cooled engines, canoes, or pontoon boats are permitted.
SPORTSMANSHIP Each team is expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, safety, courtesy, and conservation. Any team found in violation of these rules or any federal, state, or local laws may be disqualified. The use, possession or consumption of any alcoholic beverages or illegal/banned substances during tournament hours, which conclude upon the completion of payout, will not be tolerated and shall be cause for disqualification from current and future Lone Star Series events.
POLYGRAPH TEST & PROTEST Polygraph tests may be administered on a random basis and must be passed. Each contestant, by signing the entry form, agrees to submit to a polygraph, if applicable. All contestants who have placed during an event, their respective partners and boats, must remain at the official tournament site until all winners are declared official. If not present, contestants will automatically be disqualified. Any contestant determined by the polygraph examination or other tournament officials to be intoxicated or on any type of illegal drugs at the time said contestant is required to take the polygraph examination or in violation of Tournament rules, will be disqualified from this and all future LSS events. Any contestant found to be in possession of any illegal substance will be subject to disqualification and prosecution.

Lone Star Series members may submit a protest to the tournament director. For the protest to be considered valid, it must be in writing and must be received within ten (10) minutes of the final weigh in. The burden of proof of a rules violation will be the responsibility of the angler filing the formal protest. Any angler making an accusation against another contestant without submitting a written protest may be subject to disqualification from current and future LSS events. Upon review of the circumstances by the tournament director a decision will be made by LSS regarding the rules violation, if any. The decision of the tournament director and LSS will be final.
CELLULAR PHONES AND RADIOS Cellular phones and radios are encouraged for safety reasons but their use is prohibited during tournament hours for the purposes of finding or locating fish.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY Upon entering this tournament, contestants release LSS, their officials, and their sponsors from liability related to accidents, losses, or thefts.
SANCTIONED CONTIGENCY/BONUS PROGRAMS The Lone Star Series is officially sanctioned with Bass Pro Shops Tournament Rewards, PAA Pay Day, BassCat Quest, Triton Gold and Skeeter Real Money contingency bonus programs respectively. It is each contestants sole responsibility to comply with all rules and guidelines set forth by the respective contingency partner(s). It is also the contestants sole responsibility to notify LSS officials of his/her participation in such program at event pre-registration. LSS accepts no liability for a contestants failure to follow the respective program guidelines and in no way accepts responsibility for contingency program payment or non-payment.