Warriot Shootout Bottom Brawl

Reeling Freedom Warrior Shootout Bottom Brawl

By Participating in the RF Bottom Brawl Captains and Teams Hereby agree to all the rules as stated below.

Divisions

1. Main event – Combined Weight American Red Snapper, Mangrove Snapper, and Lane Snapper $400 per team

a. Payouts will be 75% of total entries – For example, 40 entries of $200 equals $8000, 1st prize would be 50% of $6000 or $3000, 2nd 30% of $6000 or $1800, 3rd 20% of $6000 or $1200

2. Red Grouper Calcutta (75% payout to largest weight) $75

a. 100% of entries will be split up 50/30/20% to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. Largest Red Grouper by weight

3. Hogfish Calcutta (75% payout to largest weight) $75

a. 100% of entries will be split up 50/30/20% to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. Largest Hogfish by weight

4. Veterans Calcutta Largest Combine Weight of Slam $50

a. 100% of entries will be split up 50/30/20% to 1st, 2nd, and 3rdplaces. Must have an Active duty, Veteran, or 1st Responder on your vessel the day of the tournament.

5. High Roller Slam - $200

*** All credit card payments will be assessed a 3.5% processing fee ***

Tournament Communications.

1. Announcements regarding weather and other tournament information will be communicated at Captains meeting and/or posted on the Reeling Freedom Facebook event page, and emails to Captains that are registered. Also will be posted at www.reelingfreedom.org

2. Tournament Officials will operate on Channel 68 for any offshore communications that need to be directed to and from team while they are participating in the event.

Participation

1. All teams must fill out an application form, pay entry free, and sign liability waivers to participate in the RF Bottom Brawl.

2. Captains meeting is not Mandatory but will take place June 22nd at 7pm at Hooters 5336 Treadway Dr, Port Richey, FL 34668 and online (Live stream)

3. All teams must be entered in Main Snapper Slam division to enter in all subsequent Calcutta’s associated with this tournament.

4. A Florida saltwater fishing license is required for each team member except from a boat which has a valid recreational vessel saltwater fishing license or any FL Resident 65 years or older, or anyone excluded by FL law. License not required when fishing with a charter captain. Go to www.myfwc.com to obtain current Florida fishing regulations.

Checkouts

1. There is no checkout for this tournament

2. Lines in the water at 7am, captains’ choice

Boundaries

1. Boundaries for this tournament will be approximately 80Miles (84’ 11.5W) west of Anclote Anchorage North Entrance Light #2 (28’ 15.053N 082’ 52.903W)

Weather

1. Alternate fishing date will be provided if weather or another Act of God should affect fishing conditions. Teams will be advised after Friday’s (Jun23rd) 4pm weather advisory if the tournament will be postponed. Generally, the make-up date will be that Sunday so please plan accordingly

2. It is the discretion of the Team Captain to determine if their craft is seaworthy for the existing conditions.

3. Refunds will be issued if event is canceled because of bad weather on June 24 or the alternate date of June 25rd

Tournament

1. Fishing Begins at 7am, June 24th

2. Bait fishing is allowed during the tournament; however, any team is not allowed to land boat, contact another team, and must fish on same vessel for the duration of the tournament.

3. All fish must be caught with handheld rods and reels only. Deep Drop electric reels are NOT allowed to land fish.

4. Reeling Freedom encourages the safe release and venting of all fish not intended to be weighed in at the tournament. Please use venting tools for fish that are released.

5. All fish weighed in becomes the property of Reeling Freedom LLC and proceeds from the sale of all fish weighed in will be donated to helping RF put our veterans on the water throughout the year.

Weigh in

1. Fish will be weighed at the dock at Hooters on Cotee River in Port Richey

2. Scales will open at 4pm

3. Teams must be checked-in by radio (channel 68) at marker #14 of the Cotee River channel entrance. (at the no wake zone) Red Marker #14 @ 28° 16.764 N 82° 44.658 W NLT 5pm or you will be disqualified. A check-in boat will be stationed near marker #14 to check in all teams. NO SPEEDING IN NO WAKE ZONE!!

4. Fish may be brought to scales by boat or car. BE SURE TO CHECK IN BY VISUAL CONFIRMATION WITH TOURNAMENT OFFICIALS BEFORE 5PM

5. Tournament officials reserve the right to inspect any boat entered into the tournament before or after check-in

6. Fish entered in the tournament will be checked in and inspected for all manners of cheating by tournament officials

7. Fish must be weighed in by a registered team member that fished on the team the day of the tournament.

8. No rotten or mutilated fish will be allowed to be weighed in.

9. IN THE EVENT OF A TIE the team that checked in first by time will be granted the higher finishing spot for the tournament.

10. All fish must be of legal size to harvest the fish. (16“ ARS, 12” Mangrove, 8” Lane, 20” Red Grouper, Hogfish 14”)

11. All results are unofficial until determined by tournament director.

Conduct

1. The Honor System applies throughout the tournament

2. No passing of anything between boats during tournament hours. This will result in automatic disqualification from the WARRIOR SHOOTOUT BOTTOM BRAWL

3. One angler must hook, fight & bring fish up to point of landing.

4. There will be no feeding and/or stuffing of any Fish with any bait fish, fish and/or any foreign objects (ie ice, weights, etc). This will result in immediate disqualification.

5. Hooks, wire, rigs (terminal tackle) and/or any other foreign objects must be removed from any fish to be eligible for competition.

6. All fish entered for the tournament will be inspected for cheating prior to fish being brought to the scale.

7. Fish will be sliced open after the fish has been weighed to verify there are no foreign objects or stuffing of fish.

8. Team members may be subjected to a polygraph test after the tournament. Failure to submit to a polygraph test will result in disqualification of the entire team for the remainder of the tournament series. Refunds of tournament entry fees will not be given for failure of a polygraph test. All decisions of the polygraph examiner will be final.

9. If a team is found guilty of cheating by the Tournament Director, they will automatically be disqualified from the tournament without refund of their entry fee, membership dues or Calcutta fees.

10. All decisions made by the tournament director are final.

11. All participants in RF Warrior Shootout Bottom Brawl must always maintain a high level of professionalism.

12. Anglers are expected to be role models and set a positive example to the recreational angling public.

13. Alcohol is not allowed on stage during the weigh in. If a team member refuses to place their alcoholic beverage on the designated table and brings their alcohol onstage with them, the team will automatically be disqualified.

Disputes

1. Protests must be submitted in writing along with a $500 cash deposit to a tournament official within 10 minutes of the last fish weighed in.

2. The cash deposit will be returned to the contestant submitting the protest if the protest is upheld.

3. If there is a dispute of any kind, the decision of the Tournament Director is final.

Tournament Discretion

1. The tournament director reseraves the right to implement his discretion at any time during the tournament as it may apply to the rules or any other circumstance that should arise during the tournament.

Checks for the winning teams will be made out to the person listed as Captain on the registration form unless otherwise noted at the Captain’s Party. W9’s for all winnings over $599 will also be made out to the person listed on the check that was written for the team’s winnings. Lady Angler and Youth Angler awards for Kingfish Division only At least one person from each winning team must be present to receive check. If no one from team is at event for Awards Ceremony, they forfeit their winnings. If a team loses their check, they will be charged a fee of $35 in order for a new check to be written.