RULES AND REGULATIONS

Section 1: Safety

1. Participants understand and acknowledge the sport of fishing involves risk including but not limited to serious injury, property damage, and death.

2. No alcohol or other impairing substances may be used during competition hours. Or prior if the alcohol or substance will still be affecting the participant during competition hours.

3. All participants must follow and comply with federal, state, and local laws and regulations of boat safety. All participants must have proper safety equipment including but not limited to proper sized and styled life jackets and kill switches. Kill switches and life jackets must be in use when operating any outboard motor.

4. In the event of severe weather the event team will notify all participants via text message on changes, delays, or cancellations during the event. 

Section 2: Registration and Eligibility

1. By paying an entry fee you agree that you have reviewed the rules and will follow them during participation in these events.

2. Entry fees are non-refundable. 

3. Refunds will only be given where a tournament cannot commence due to force majeure. (Extreme weather, pandemic, war, etc)

4. Each boat may only contain participants of the event. Maximum number of (4) participants per event.

5. Any angler who has been disqualified from any previous fishing tournaments will be ineligible.

6. Any angler who has been a professional fishing guide in the last (5) years on the lake where the events take place will be ineligible.

7. Any professional angler will be ineligible for participation. Professional status means any angler who has competed in (2) or more fishing tournaments that have entry fees greater than $1,500 per event.

8. Any angler who has participated in the Bassmasters Elite, Bassmaster Classic, Bassmaster  Open, Major League Fishing within the last (5) years or any angler who has career winnings greater than $200,000 are ineligible.

9. If professional status is unknown please contact us for review at info@midwestbestbass.com

10. Anyone below the age of 18 will be allowed to compete with a parent or guardian waiver.

Section 3: Fishing regulations and methods

1. All participants must be licensed to fish in the state of each event.

2. All fish can only be caught with artificial bait via casting only. No trolling is allowed.

3. Foul hooked fish will not be allowed to be weighed in and must be immediately released.

4. No microchip tracking devices are allowed.

5. Off limit hours start at 3PM on the Thursday prior to the event.

6. Anglers may not leave their vessel to land fish

7. Fishing off limit areas include 500ft from weigh in location and any other location or any areas that are legally not allowed to fish.

8. Fishing is not allowed within 150 FT of another tournament participant

9. Anglers may only fish with one line/rod.

10. Umbrella rigs are not legal (see MN rules for definition).

11. Angler may possess (1) bass at a time in their livewell, maximum of (2) per boat. 

12. Culling of fish is allowed per DNR regulations

13. Remove plugs from boat. No water may be transported in your boat while on
    highways.

14. Remove all plant material from boat and trailer prior to leaving access area.

15. All fish weighed-in must be released in the main basin of the lake rather
    than in any connected harbors of the lake.

Section 4: Weigh Ins

1. Hourly weigh-ins take place from 8AM to 9AM, 9AM to 10AM, 10AM to 11AM, 11AM to 12PM, 12PM to 1PM, 1PM to 2PM, 2PM to 3PM.

2. Each participant can only weigh in (1) fish per hourly weigh in

3. Each participant can weigh in (6) fish per day

4. Each participant is responsible for providing their own weigh bag. Each participant is responsible for supplying adequate water for their weigh bag.

5. Participants must follow specific size regulations if applicable to the lake.

6. At the end of each day all participants must release all bass.

7. Any artificial weights added to the fish or modifications to fish will result in immediate disqualification and banishment from any future Midwest Best Bass events.

8. All fish are subject to search at weigh ins.

Section 5: Polygraphs and Protests

1. Participants agree to submit to a polygraph examination if required.

2. Refusing a polygraph test will result in disqualification

3. Participants agree polygraph test results will be disclosed to the public if needed.

4. Protests of any weigh in need to be made to the event organizers within (30) minutes of a weigh in. If this does not occur the protest will be dismissed.

5. Protests of any rule violations need to be reported by the end of each event day.

Section 6: Payouts

1. Payouts are strictly based on total participants per event

2. Listed payouts and prizes are based on 450 participants per event

3. If lower than 450 participants hourly payouts and prizes will be adjusted accordingly and posted so all participants are aware of changes

4. Midwest Best Bass Tour will provide an open book accounting report following each event that shows all entrance fees that were collected were properly distributed to winning anglers through hourly payouts and grand prizes.

Section 7: Miscellaneous

1. These rules are subject to change up until the day of each tournament

2. All participants must verify they are in our text system for up to date tournament information.