THE CAJUN CANYONS BILLFISH CLASSIC ™
2010 Tournament Rules

Rules are Subject to Change. The final instructions/rules will be given at the Captains’ Meeting, Wednesday, June 2, at Cypress Cove Marina

1. Dates and Times:   Back to Index
Tournament fishing days are Friday, June 4 and Saturday, June 5, 2010. Tournament fishing times are from 12:01am, Friday, June 4, until 4:00 PM, Saturday, June 5, 2010. All participating boats with eligible fish to be weighed or BSC’s (see section 11) must be inside the entrance to Cypress Cove Marina and checked in with Tournament Headquarters via radio prior to 7:00 PM, Saturday, June 5. Please refer to “Weigh-In” section for weigh station times. Tag/Release certificates (Billfish Score Cards) and video images must be turned in prior to Weigh Station closing.

2. Registration:   Back to Index
Registration will be held at the Tournament Headquarters, located at Cypress Cove Marina, Wednesday, June 2, 2010 from 2:00 PM until 7:00 PM. All anglers must be registered to be eligible for tournament awards or prizes. Wristbands will be issued and MUST be worn at all times for admission to events and be visible in your digital images for Tag or Release Points.

3. Departures/Boundaries:   Back to Index
Boats may depart from any Gulf of Mexico port at 4:00 PM, Thursday, June 3, but MUST video their departure (if not departing from Cypress Cove Marina) with a time and date stamp video camera. Boats departing from Venice must pass in front of the entrance to Cypress Cove Marina and check out via radio. There are no tournament boundaries; ALL eligible fish, along with Billfish Score Cards and digital images must be brought to Cypress Cove Marina; just be in on time, and please use safe judgment with regards to fuel capacity and range. If departing from other than Venice, La, boats must telephone tournament headquarters on Thursday, June 3 to obtain “tournament identifier” for video images.

4. Tackle:   Back to Index
The official I.G.F.A. saltwater rules are the applicable rules for the Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic™. For a complete listing of the I.G.F.A. saltwater equipment and angling rules, please go to http://www.igfa.org/BookRule2004.pdf.

5. Official Times:   Back to Index
The official tournament time will be announced at the Captains Meeting, 7:30 PM, Wednesday, June 2. The official tournament clock will be posted at the weigh station.

6. Entry Fees: Back to Index
The base entry fee is $1,250.00 prior to April 1, 2010; after April 1, the base entry fee will be $1,500.00. The base entry fee covers: 1 Boat with 1 Captain, 1 Mate, and 4 Anglers. Additional anglers may be registered at $250.00 each, prior to April 1; after April 1, the additional angler registration fee will be $300.00. All entry fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. Cash or certified funds ONLY will be accepted at tournament headquarters. Payment of the base entry fee and signing of the entry form constitutes that each participant has read and wholly understands the tournament rules and release of liability. Additionally, the participants further agree to abide by the tournament rules and the decisions of the Tournament Committee. The decisions of the Tournament Committee are FINAL, inclusive of the Weigh Master and Tournament Rules Committee.

7. Sportsmanship:   Back to Index
The Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic™ is located in historic Venice, Louisiana, also known to many as the “Sportsman’s Paradise.” All participants hereby agree to abide by our basic tournament philosophy: “Treat fellow sportsmen and fishermen the way you would like them to treat you in return.” Poor sportsmanship may be grounds for tournament disqualification at the discretion of the Tournament Committee.

8. Permits/Licenses:   Back to Index
All anglers desiring to weigh in an eligible fish are required to possess and display a current Louisiana Saltwater Fishing License (1-888-765-2602,or http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/licenses/fishing/recreational/) Additionally, a current NMFS permit must be presented prior to the weighing in of any Billfish or Tuna (www.nmfspermits.com, 1-888-872-8862). All tournament participants are to comply with all Federal, state of Louisiana, and Plaquemines Parish laws regarding boating, fishing licenses, size and bag limits, along with any other laws that may apply. NOTE: As of January 1, 2008, the National Marine Fisheries/Federal Government requires the use of non-offset circle hooks in billfish tournaments when using natural baits (either dead or live) or natural baits in combination with lures or skirts.

9. Polygraph Testing:   Back to Index
All registered participants may be subject to polygraph testing, prior to the issuing of any tournament winnings or prizes. The Tournament Committee may consider the results of any such polygraph test prior to the determination of any tournament prize money or award winner.

10. Captains' Meeting:   Back to Index
The Captains’ Meeting is scheduled for 7:30 PM, Wednesday, June 2; ALL boats must be registered by that time. Attendance is not mandatory; if your team chooses not to have a representative attend the Captains' Meeting, both you and your team agree to be bound by any/all final instructions/rules set forth at the Captains' Meeting, Wednesday, June 2, 2010.

11. Billfish Score Cards:   Back to Index
Billfish Score Cards will be distributed at the Captains’ Meeting. The BSC is the registered Team’s log for every Billfish that is hooked and either lost, tagged, released, or boated. Teams must present completed and signed BSC’s (signed by all Team members), along with Video Images, no later than 7:00 PM, Saturday, June 5 at the tournament weigh-station in order to either weigh-in an eligible Blue Marlin or qualify for Tag/Release Points. BSC’s will be compared to the Tournament Committee Boats radio log.

12. Weigh-In:   Back to Index
Tournament scales will be located at Cypress Cove Marina. The weigh station hours will be from 12:00 Noon until 8:00 PM, Friday, June 4 and 12:00 Noon until 7:00 PM on Saturday, June 5. All fish must be brought to the weigh-station by the boat from which it was caught. Only registered tournament anglers are allowed to weigh in an eligible fish (see Rule #11). Eligible fish must be presented at the weigh-station by the angler that caught the fish, via his/her Teams registered boat. Eligible fish must not leave the registered boat from which it was originally caught, except for the weigh-in at Cypress Cove Marina. The angler must remain with his/her fish throughout the complete weigh in procedure and sign the certified weight-slip to verify the weight and time prior to the fish becoming an Official Fish, eligible for prizes and/or awards. All fish must be in a good and edible condition as solely determined by the tournament weigh master. Weigh-in times will be recorded to the minute.

13. Eligible Fish:   Back to Index
The following species are eligible as described below:

13. Eligible Fish continued:   Back to Index
No mutilated, cut, frozen, or questionable fish, as determined by the Tournament weigh master and Tournament Committee, will be weighed. The decision of the Tournament Weigh master and Tournament Committee is FINAL. Any angler or team in possession of illegal fish will result in entire Team disqualification.

14. Reporting of Billfish:   Back to Index
All billfish hookups must be reported to a Tournament Committee Boat or tournament headquarters via VHF, SSB, or telephone. Committee Boats, frequencies and telephone numbers will be announced at the Captains’ Meeting, 7:30 PM, Wednesday, June 2. Upon hooking a billfish, you must report to a Tournament Committee Boat to receive a confirmation number. Upon the releasing, tagging, or boating (101” minimum lower jaw to fork length for Blue Marlin; please do not boat Sailfish, Spearfish, Swordfish, or White Marlin) of any eligible Blue Marlin, the entire Team must complete their BSC and report the following information:

1. Name of Boat
2. Name of Angler
3. Species of Billfish
4. Whether or not Tagged, Released or Boated
5. Lower Jaw to Fork Length (LJFL), if boated

14. Reporting of Billfish continued:   Back to Index
The Tournament Committee Boat will issue a confirmation number and time for your released or boated billfish. Please make certain that the Committee Boat has confirmed your data, including time of release or boating of billfish. The Tournament Committee Boat time shall be the Official time for all boated, tagged, or released billfish. If a Tournament Committee Boat cannot be contacted, then a verifiable report must be given to another Tournament boat; boat name must be noted on the Billfish Score Card (BSC’s will be provided at the Captains' Meeting and online at www.comefishla.com). This is the same procedure for each billfish. Any billfish that is hooked up, reported, and acknowledged by a Tournament Committee Boat prior to 4:00 PM Saturday, June 5 may be fought to completion (lost, release, tag, or boated), however, the boat must still be inside the entrance to Cypress Cove Marina and checked in with Tournament Headquarters prior to 7:00 PM. Tag/Release points are based on Tag/Release time and will be recorded to the full minute by the Tournament Committee Boat; please confirm your times and confirmation numbers.

15. Tag and/or Release:   Back to Index
The Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic™ does not require that a tag be inserted in a Billfish for the release to qualify for release points. We do encourage tagging of all billfish to further continue the research efforts of The Billfish Foundation (www.billfish.org) . A billfish is considered officially released when the leader connection is wound to the tip of the rod, or the mate or other crew member touches the leader, along with the video images that are required (see Rule #16).

16. Video Images:   Back to Index
To obtain tag and/or release points, in addition to the communications with the Committee Boat and the corresponding confirmation number, the Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic™ requires completed Billfish Score Cards (BSC’s-see Sect. #11) and video images with both date and time stamps must be provided. The video image must contain the following:

1. The angler fighting the fish showing the tournament issued wristband or identifier.
2. Clear identification of the species of Billfish.
3. Mate with leader in hand and tournament wristband or identifier, wiring and releasing the fish.
4. Wiring and release of fish with the fish swimming away, followed by an immediate and complete pan of the cockpit showing no other lines in the water.
5. The camera must NOT stop recording during the wiring, release and complete pan of the cockpit.
6. If the mate has the leader in hand and the hook pulls or the leader breaks, the fish still qualifies if all other rules are satisfied, but if the fish is only identifiable as a billfish, the fish will score the minimum points==100 points. Please DO NOT STOP YOUR VIDEO.

17. Protests:   Back to Index
A tournament participant must register any protest with the Tournament Committee within thirty minutes of the weigh in closing time (7:00 PM) on Saturday, June 5. The protest must be written and accompanied by $500.00 cash, along with any evidence/materials for the protest and must be presented to the Tournament Rules Committee prior to 7:30 PM, Saturday, June 5, 2010. The Tournament Rules Committee will make every effort possible to determine the validity of the protest within two hours (9:30 PM). The decision of the Tournament Rules Committee is FINAL.

18. Prizes from Base Entry Fee:   Back to Index
The Base entry Fee for the Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic™ covers all events, trophies, and captain’s bags/give aways. The Base Entry Fee is exactly that, an Entry Fee that allows the registered team to participate in this event. There are no payouts from the Base Entry Fee.

19. Tie Breakers:   Back to Index
Ties between the weights of two or more fish are broken by the time the fish were weighed in, as recorded by the Tournament Official Weigh Master. A tie on total release points will be broken by the Team that reaches the highest total number of release points first.

20. Optional Entry Categories:   Back to Index
The Optional Entry Levels are exactly that, Optional, and are not required or included in the base entry fee of $1,250.00 (if paid prior to April 1, 2010). The entry into the Optional Entry Levels is not required to be eligible for base entry fee trophies. Boats/anglers must be registered in the Optional Entry Categories to be eligible for the Optional Entry Levels Awards. There are 5 separate levels of Optional Entry Categories for Blue Marlin, Tuna, Wahoo, and Dolphin. All boats may enter as many Optional Entry Categories as they desire, prior to 1:00 PM, Thursday, June 3, 2010. Cash or Certified Funds are required to enter Optional Entry Categories on-site at the Tournament Headquarters.

20.a. Optional Entry Payouts:   Back to Index

21.Optional Entry Refunds:   Back to Index
If there are no winners in a specific category Optional Entry Jackpot, the Jackpot for that specific category will be refunded (less 10% Administration Fee) by comefishLa.com, Inc. to the Team Leader listed on the Entry form within ten (10) days following the Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic™.

22. All Payouts:   Back to Index
All checks for tournament winnings will be made payable to the “Make Check Payable To” entity indicated on the Entry Form. A Social Security # or Federal Tax Identification # must be provided. ComefishLa.com, Inc. will issue a Federal Tax Form 1099 and be signed by the Payee for all monetary awards to the entity for whom the check is made payable. Winning payout checks will be mailed within seven (7) days following the Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic™.

23. Cancellation:   Back to Index
The Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic™ is scheduled for two days of fishing, starting at 12:01 AM, Friday, June 4, continuing until 4:00 PM, Saturday, June 5, 2010. In the case of inclement weather, the tournament will be completed on the first day to be declared fishable by the Tournament Committee. If weather and/or conditions beyond the control of the Tournament Committee require that the tournament be cancelled, refunds will be made, less tournament expenses.

24. Use of photographs, audio & video recordings:   Back to Index
All participants hereby grant the Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic™ and comefishLa.com, Inc. their full and unlimited consent for the use of any photograph, video and or audio recording, taken or recorded in relation to the Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic™, in which they, or their voice and or likeness may appear. CCBC and comefishLa.com, Inc. may use said photographs, video or audio recordings for any purpose it deems, including, but not limited to, advertising and marketing, promotion, resale, or the like without compensation or any restrictions.

25. Liability Release:   Back to Index
Participants agree to the maximum extent permitted by law that they are entering and participating at their own risk. By entering and/or registering for the Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic™ (hereinafter referred to as “CCBC”) all participants, including, but not limited to all registered anglers, Captains, mates and guests (hereinafter referred to as “Participants”), agree, to the maximum extent permitted by law, to hold the CCBC, comefishLa.com, Inc., Cypress Cove Marina, together with all persons or entities involved with/associated with the CCBC, along with their respective employees, officers, directors, volunteers, agents, committee members, partners, sponsors, advisors, and subcontractors (hereinafter referred to as “the CCBC group”) harmless from any and all claims, demands, or liability of any kind whatsoever relating to the CCBC, including but not limited to any claims for any act or omission, excluding, however, any claims for any intentional or gross fault by any member of the CCBC group, and for any claims for physical injury caused by any member of the CCBC group.