Loading...

Pirate's Cove Billfish

August 15 - August 19, 2016

Tournament Rules

    OWC_Logo_2015_QE_NoBackground King-Of-The-Hill-Logo

  1. 1. Registration – will be held on Monday, August 15 2016 from 4:30 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. at Pirate’s Cove Pavilion. The Captains Meeting will be at 8:00 P.M. A representative from each team should attend the Captains Meeting as each team is responsible for knowing the rules including any clarifications made during the Captain’s Meeting. All boats must be registered and all entry fees paid in order for teams to qualify for prizes and trophies. Each Team must enter Category One plus at least two additional Categories, team choice. The tournament will retain 10 % of the entry fees to cover expenses. Boats running late due to weather or breakdown may register up until 8:00 AM on Tuesday, August 11 with the Tournament Director. Substitute boats are permissible due to breakdown of original boat; any substitute boat must be registered with the Tournament Director prior to fishing.

  2. 2. Fishing Days & Lay Day – There will be three out of four fishing days – August 16, 17, 18 and 19. Fishing hours are from 8:30 A.M. to 3:00 PM. Tuesday, August 16 – Friday, August 19. No lines or teasers in the water prior to Lines In. Any fish hooked prior to Lines Out may be played until captured or released. Each Team must designate one Lay Day and turn in a Lay Day form signed by a team member by 8:00 AM on their designated Lay Day. Forms can be turned in at the Ships Store Booking Desk in the morning or to the Scoring Tent the evening prior.

  3. 3. Official Clock – Time starts the first day of the tournament. Official tournament time will be continuous GPS time.

  4. 4. Tackle & Etiquette – All I.G.F.A. rules apply except where noted. A team member who hooks a fish may choose to either fight the fish themselves or pass the rod to another eligible angler. ANY registered angler, captain or mate may hook a billfish… You may make one pass of the rod in the cockpit or from the bridge to the cockpit. ONE PASS ONLY. The Top Angler Award shall be presented to the angler with the most points who has hooked their own fish.  This is a trolling tournament. Non-trolling techniques are strictly prohibited. No backing into schools, pitching baits, casting, jigging, use of live bait or live bait teasers.

  5. 5. Boundaries – All fish must be hooked within tournament boundaries which is 75 miles from the Oregon Inlet Sea Buoy; fish can then be played outside boundaries until captured or released.

  6. 6. Releases – In order to qualify a billfish as a release one of the following conditions must be met: the leader is touched by a team member or the swivel or connection between the double line and the leader (if double line is used, the connection between the double line and the LEADER qualifies) touches the rod tip or the connection between the leader and the main line/double line passes through the rod tip. If a gaff breaks the plane of the covering boards and leaves the confines of the cockpit then the team has committed to a capture and the fish will not earn release points.

  7. 7. Anglers – There is no limit to the number of eligible anglers per boat, however all anglers must be registered with Tournament Control prior to fishing. Each team is limited to two professional mates and one professional captain. A “professional” has been compensated to work on a sportfish boat within the past 12 months. A Professional may not fight fish for points but may hook and pass the rod. Angler forms will be available from the Tournament Director and at the Ship’s Store Booking Desk.

  8. 8. Reporting Catch – All billfish releases must be reported to Radio Control on VHF Radio channel 78. Radio Control will respond with the time of release. If Radio Control cannot be raised confirmation of the GPS time including fractions of a second should be made with the Official Committee Boat. If the Committee Boat cannot be raised then confirm with another registered tournament boat; boat name should be noted on the scorecard.

  9. 9. Points System – All billfish, with the exception of captured blue marlin, must be released to earn points. Release points are 100 each for White Marlin, Blue Marlin, Sailfish, Swordfish and Spearfish. Captured Blue Marlin between 400 and 699.9 pounds will earn 1 point per pound.  Blue Marlin over 700 pounds will receive 2 points per pound. In order to weigh a blue marlin it must meet one of the size requirements: 110 inches forked length or 400 pounds. There will be no penalty for a 110+ inch blue marlin that does not meet the minimum weight of 400 pounds, however, a blue marlin must weigh 400 pounds or more to receive points. The penalty for landing a fish that does not meet the minimum requirements of 110 inches or 400 pounds will be forfeiture of all points for that day plus 200 additional points. A fish may be transferred only if the original boat becomes disabled, a video of the transfer showing both boats and the scorecard must accompany the fish; Blue Marlin must be transported to the official scale at Pirate’s Cove Marina by boat only.

  10. 10. Scoring – Each boat will receive scorecards at registration; extra scorecards are available from the Tournament Director. All scorecards must include the day/date, species, time of release or capture, angler name and special designation (Lady or Jr). The angler must initial and Captain must sign the scorecard.  If the angler hooks their own fish this must be noted on the scorecard in order for the points to qualify for the Top Angler award. Scorecards must be turned in to the Scoring Tent by 8:00 PM each night except on Friday, August 19 at 7:00 PM. Scorecards can be delivered to the Tournament Director after 8:00 PM on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday if the boat is fighting a fish or becomes disabled.

  11. 11. Blue Marlin Category 4 – If no blue marlin are weighed, scoring will revert back to blue marlin release points for teams entered in this category. In order to qualify as a blue marlin release the species must be confirmed by the PCBT scoring staff – date/time stamped photography and video and/or dated cell phone photos or video must accompany the scorecard. Any fish disqualified from this category due to an inability to confirm that it is a blue marlin will not be disqualified from the Overall Release Points for the tournament. There is not photo verification required for to score for overall release points. Category 4 prize money, based solely on blue marlin release points in the event that there are no blue marlin weighed, will be distributed 70% to the boat with the most blue marlin release points and 30% to the second place boat.

  12. 12. Weighing Fish – Any fish weighed will be entered on a scorecard by the Weighmaster. If anyone wants a fish reweighed it must be done while the fish is still hanging. Any fish that is deemed to be mutilated shall be disqualified; mutilation is defined as any damage that would impair the fighting ability of the fish. The decision of the Weighmaster shall be final. The Tournament Scales will close for meat fish daily at 8:00 PM and for all fish (including Blue Marlin) on Friday, August 19 at 6:30 PM.

  13. 13. Meatfish – A cash prize and trophy will be awarded to the heaviest Dolphin, Wahoo and Tuna (big eye, yellowfin, blackfin, and bluefin all qualify as “Tuna”) determined by weight. If two or more entries have the same weight then the largest combination of length and girth shall determine the winner. In the event that this is also a tie the earlier time of weigh in shall determine the winner.  Meatfish may be transported to the scales over land by car.

  14. 14. Trophy Awards – Trophies will be awarded to the Top Junior, Lady and Overall Anglers. Total points for the Top Overall Angler will be calculated only using points resulting from the Angler hooking their own fish and boating or releasing unassisted (no pass of the rod).Ties will be broken by time/date of catch. Top Junior and Lady Angler billfish points will count whether the rod was ‘passed’ or not.

  15. 15. Polygraph Testing – Members of any winning team for cash awards will be subject to polygraph testing. Any registered participant may be asked to submit to polygraph testing by the Rule Committee. Failure to comply with testing will result in the disqualification of the participant and, at the discretion of the Rules Committee, their entire team. Participants and/or teams that refuse or fail the polygraph testing will forfeit all entry fees and potential prize money. The decision of the Rules Committee is final – by signing the tournament release participants agree to the results of polygraph testing.

  16. 16. Protest – Any protest must be submitted to the Tournament Director in writing by 8:00 PM the day of the incident and by 7:00 PM on Friday. The decision of the Rules Committee and the management of the PCBT shall be final. By paying the entry fees all participants acknowledge having read the rules and fully agree to the decision of the Rules Committee.

  17. 17. Prize Money – Prize money checks will be distributed to the Team Contact. The Tournament Director will be available on Saturday, August 20 to exchange checks and split the team’s purse to their needs as long as they provide a valid W-2 form for each recipient.

  18. 18. Cancellation Policy – If weather and/or other conditions exist that require that the tournament be canceled full refunds will be made via USPS within one month. The decision to cancel will be made by the Tournament Director. 10% of the field of boats fishing at least one day constitutes a tournament.

  19. 18. Calcuttas – Each team must enter Category One. Additionally, each team must entry at least three Categories total – Team’s choice. The Tournament will retain 10% of each Category to cover expenses. Each Team will receive eight (8) tickets for each day’s festivities.

    • $2,500 Team Award
    • Overall Points – Trophy Top Five
    • 50/30/20 split minus 1st release per day $5000
    • $2,000 Team Award
    • Overall Points
    • 50/30/20 split
    • $3,000 Daily
    • Most Points Per Day, 10% Must Fish
    • 25% per day – 70/30 split 1st and 2nd place
    • $2000 Blue Marlin
    • Heaviest Blue Marlin
    • 70/30 or 100 on capture. Purse reverts to most release points overall if none weighed
    • $500 Meatfish
    • Heaviest Dolphin, Tuna, Wahoo
    • 1/3 of purse to single heaviest fish of each species
  20. 20. Hold Harmless Agreement – All participants, vessel owners and pro hoc owners consent and agree that the federal and state courts for Dare County, North Carolina, shall serve as the sole venue for any and all litigation arising out of participation in the Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament. In no way shall any participant distressed by any ruling of the tournament recover from the Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament, Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament, Inc. or its officers, employees, volunteers or sponsors any sum exceeding his/her registration fee. It is expressly understood that all participants enter at their own risk and hereby release, discharge and hold harmless Tournament Control, Inc., the Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament, Inc. and its officers, directors, volunteers, sponsors and employees from liability for loss, damage, negligence, harm, injury, damage or death suffered by any participant, crew member, observer, vessel or equipment which may occur during this tournament. The rules and release shall also be binding on my heirs, executors, administrator or assigns.

  21. 21. By signing the tournament release and paying the entry fees, my team and I acknowledge that we have read the rules and release and are bound by the same.