2024 OFFICIAL RULES
Pro/Am Division

Effective January 1, 2024, the following rules shall apply to all NewJen Bass Pro/Am tournaments. Rules for special tournaments may differ from those contained herein. Interpretation and enforcement of these rules shall be left exclusively to the Tournament Director or his/her designee at a tournament.

 

1. MEMBERSHIP:

The 2024 NewJen Bass Membership fee is required for all NewJen Bass events, unless otherwise noted on the event registration, and covers your ability to enter all 2024 Pro/Ams, and Team Series. Entry of these events without an active/paid membership is grounds for disqualification, without refund. NewJen Bass reserves the right to refuse and/or revoke memberships without cause, reason and/or explanation and without recourse at our own discretion. Membership does not guarantee the ability to enter a tournament. NewJen Bass 2024 Memberships are valid for the 2024 calendar year.

 

2. PROFESSIONAL PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY:

Pro (or “Pro”) entries are open only to current members of NewJen Bass who are 18 years of age or older. Pro must provide tournament eligible boat.

 

3. AMATEUR PARTICIPATION, ELIGIBILITY AND MINORS:

Am (or “Am”) entries are open only to current members of NewJen Bass. Participants who are under the age of 18, but no younger than 16, may register as the Am angler only with signed approval from his/her legal guardian AND submit proof of age (birth certificate or US Passport). The legal guardian must be present at the tournament to check in minor and sign any required documents, as necessary.

 

4. SHARED WEIGHT FORMAT:

Each boat will weigh in a five (5) fish limit, regardless of which participant caught the fish. Any big fish being weighed for prize consideration must be marked as caught by the Pro or the Am. Both the Pro and the Am are allowed to weigh in their own caught big fish, if clearly marked.

 

5. PRIORITY ENTRY/DEADLINES/REFUNDS:

ENTRY

• NewJen Bass reserves the right to cap the field.

• The only way to guarantee your participation is to register with a sign-up partner. If you do not have a registered/paid sign up partner, it is imperative that you sign up as soon as possible so that we can try to assist in getting a partner confirmed for you. There is no guarantee and it will be done as first come, first served basis. Being a Pro/Boater does not guarantee your participation in any event.

• Priority/Guaranteed entry for Ams can be obtained by registering with a Pro, otherwise, Ams will be prioritized by date of paid entry.

• An angler may qualify for a refund if they procure their own replacement/paid entrant 30+ days prior to the start of the event. Administrative fees will not be refunded under any circumstance.

• NewJen Bass reserves the right to fill in any Pro or Am differential with NewJen Bass members or exempt sponsors. NewJen Bass may reserve sponsor exemption entries in any tournament.

• Registration and payment must be completed via newjenbass.com/register. In the event that a participant is unable to complete the online registration, they can complete it by phone by contacting Jennifer at 559.646.5361 during business hours. All of the same data will be collected by phone and all of the same fees will be required.

DEADLINES:

• The standard entry deadline will be 7 days prior to the start of event, at midnight.

• Late entry will include a $100 late fee and will be available until the start of official practice.

• After that, entries will only be accepted to fill in a Pro/Am differential, per tournament director discretion.

• A mandatory meeting will be held prior to the start of the event at host hotel, live stream, or otherwise designated location.

• In extenuating circumstances where a Pro or Am must withdraw after official practice has begun, it is at the discretion of the Tournament Director to allow a replacement to participate.

REFUNDS:

• There will be NO REFUNDS to any participant withdrawing for ANY reason after official practice has begun. At this point, anglers have been confirmed, award amounts have been released, and full disclosure will be adhered to. Although the Tournament Director will always do everything possible to keep all entrants on the water, it is important to understand that a withdrawal is completely out of NewJen Bass control. There will also be no refunds to any Pro or Am who has a partner withdrawal after the official pairings are released.

 

6. PRE-TOURNAMENT MEETING:

A mandatory meeting will be held prior to the start of the tournament at a host hotel, via live stream, or otherwise designated location. Attendance at the NewJen Bass registration and pre-tournament meeting is mandatory. However, NewJen Bass realizes that extenuating circumstances may arise that prevent participants from being able to attend. If you are unable to attend, it must be approved in advance, in writing, by NewJen Bass; otherwise failure to appear will be grounds for disqualification. Participants who are unable to attend the pre-tournament meeting are fully responsible to know and adhere to all the announcements made during the pre-tournament meeting. It is the participant’s responsibility to coordinate with tournament officials to sign any required waivers or documents prior to competing in the event. Failure to have completed paperwork on record for the event is grounds for disqualification.

 

Notification of your first day partner and their contact information shall be distributed during the last day of official practice. If for any reason you are unable to connect with your partner, you must notify Jennifer at 559-646-5361 by 8:00pm.

 

It shall be the responsibility of each partner to appear at a mutually agreed upon location with enough time remaining to check out at the official checkpoint and start on time. Tournament officials shall have no responsibility for finding missing partners. The Tournament Director, at his/her sole discretion, may reassign partners prior to the morning take off. It is suggested that a minimum of 30 minutes is required for preparation to depart to the blast off point.

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7. OFFICIAL OFF LIMITS:

Off limits period for all NewJen Bass Pro/Am regular season tournaments will start the Monday preceding the event, this includes: two (2) consecutive days of off limits (Monday & Tuesday) prior to the three (3) day (Wednesday-Friday) official practice period, with the tournament days on Saturday and Sunday.  The Tournament of Champions has its own separate Off Limits restrictions, unless otherwise notified by NewJen Bass. The participant must know and observe these dates. During the off-limits period, the official practice period, and the tournament, a participant may not have the assistance or advice of anyone for the purposes of locating or catching bass, nor enter the tournament waters with anyone who has been on the tournament waters during the off-limits period including, but not limited to, a professional guide, state or federal wildlife agency employee, or any other person deemed an “expert“ by the Tournament Director, unless they are a participant in the NewJen Bass Pro/Am tournament. In addition, flying over tournament waters, the use of drones and/or binoculars (or any non-prescription sight enhancing devices) during the off-limits period, official practice and competition is also not allowed.

 

8. INFORMATION SHARING:

Regardless of when a participant enters an event, they must have adhered to the off limits and “no information sharing” rules. Other than using publicly available information (e.g., newspaper and internet reports) participants cannot solicit, receive, or gather any information via phone, electronic devices, or any other means about locating or catching fish on tournament waters. All information must be accessed prior to official off limits periods. There shall be no exceptions. During practice and competition participants cannot solicit, receive, or gather any information from anyone other than another participant in the tournament. Ams shall not share any information gained from any of their previous day(s) Pro participant with any other Pro participant, to include information obtained during the official practice period. Sharing of baits, tackle, and fishing information by confirmed Pro participants are allowed with any other confirmed participant in a NewJen Bass event. NewJen Bass encourages Pro participants to assist Ams. Participants are expected to compete every day for which they are qualified; failure to do so may result in ineligibility to compete in future NewJen Bass tournaments. In the event of unsolicited information being offered in any fashion constants must cease and /or discontinue such information by informing the person you are a NewJen Bass event participant and cannot break an information sharing rule. If there are any questions about potential infractions, you must notify the tournament director immediately for directive.

 

9. OFFICIAL PRACTICE:

• There will be 3 official practice days prior to the start of the tournament.

• Participants will be allowed on the water 30 minutes prior to the published sunrise.

• Participants launching from ramps other than the host marina must be off the water by 5:00pm or will be penalized. Participants who launched from the host marina may experience some overcrowding and in that case, you must be within the 5mph buoys by 5:00pm without any lines in water as you wait to load your boat. The host marina will be off-limits for fishing during both practice and the tournament.

• During official practice days, NewJen Bass participants may only fish with another NewJen Bass confirmed participant, their significant other or an immediate family member. Riders or media will only be allowed with written pre-authorization from a NewJen Bass Tournament Director.

 

10. PAIRINGS:

• The only way to guarantee your participation is to register with a sign-up partner. If you do not have a registered/paid sign up partner, it is imperative that you sign up as soon as possible so that we can try to assist in getting a partner confirmed for you. There is no guarantee and it will be done as first come, first served basis. Being a Pro/Boater does not guarantee your participation in any event.

• NewJen Bass reserves the right to fill in any Pro or Am differential with NewJen Bass members or exempt sponsors.

• Pro and Am anglers will be numbered in order based on their paid entry date and time.

• For Day 1, The Tournament Director will use random.org to select the first Pro angler out and then official boat numbers will be assigned consecutively based off of the first boat out being “Boat #1”. The same will happen for the Am list for Day 1. Then each team will be paired by boat number.

• For Day 2, the Pros will maintain their boat number and the Ams will be assigned a new boat number based on shifting down the list by one position, prior to the inversion. The Day 2 blast off order will be based on the inversion (opposite of Day 1).

• Notification of your first day partner and their contact information shall be distributed around the same time as the pre-tournament meeting. If for any reason you are unable to connect with your partner, you must notify Jennifer at 559-646-5361 by 8:00pm. Due to the nature of mechanical failures, emergencies, and other outside variables, official Day 2 pairings will not be released until the completion of Tournament Day 1.

 

11. FISHABLE WATERS:

Fishing within 50 yards of an operating gas pump/dock or within 25 yards of a competitor’s boat, which is first anchored, is prohibited (trolling motors must be in up position, anchor rope visible, or shallow water anchoring system deployed to be considered anchored). A safe and courteous distance (25 yards) should be maintained when trolling motors are in use. Boats may fish anywhere except areas designated as “off limits” or “no fishing” by Local, State or Federal officials or as posted on the Tournament Information page or announced by Tournament Director. Tournament waters shall be established by the Tournament Director for each tournament. Any water within these boundaries posted “Off-Limits” or “No Fishing” by state or federal agencies will be OFF-LIMITS and will be announced at the Pre-Tournament Meeting. AFTER THE TOURNAMENT BEGINS, FISHING THE TOURNAMENT WATERS IS PROHIBITED EXCEPT DURING TOURNAMENT HOURS. Only water open to all public fishing will be considered tournament waters. The official host marina is off limits within the 5mph buoys.

Participants may not cut, dig, or remove obstructions requiring the use of any tools once the off-limits period begins all the way through the conclusion of the event to access any water. Participants may not have non-participants cut, dig, or removed obstructions once the off-limits period begins all the way through the conclusions of the event to access any water. Participants may not have the assistance of another boat, person, or apparatus (push poles are allowed) to access any water. Participant’s boats must access fishable water under its own power and only with the assistance of the Pro and Ams assigned to that boat. All angling must be done from the boat. Prior to the tournament registration, any questionable areas must be brought to the attention of tournament officials to be considered tournament waters and may be announced in the Pre-Tournament Meeting for all to hear. Participants must fish in an area that is accessible by NewJen Bass staff, media, and camera personnel as deemed by the tournament director. As a general rule, NewJen Bass views this as a 20-foot fiberglass bass boat with the motor trimmed down under its own power. If participants have any questions, they must approach the tournament director. Tournament officials reserve the right to re- strict or enhance tournament waters based on conversations with local authorities.

 

12. WAIVER AND RELEASE:

By completing the membership form, event entry, and/or payment for the event, the participant agrees to their release of liability and a name and likeness release. Being that Newt and Jennifer Price are the only tournament directors, in the event that either are seriously injured or there is loss of life, all set aside funds toward the TOC, awards, trophies, etc. may be completely forfeited and the remainder of the season may be canceled.

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13. OTHER EQUIPMENT/RESTRICTIONS:

a) Any other special rule as deemed by the tournament director and announced prior to blastoff.
b) NewJen Bass is allowing nets.
c) No floggers, underwater cameras, or similar devices will be allowed in practice or during the events days.
d) No spotlights or similar devices will be allowed in practice or during the events days to located fishing locations or fish.

e) Binoculars are not allowed in the boat at any time. In addition, flying over tournament waters, the use of drones and/or binoculars (or any non-prescription sight enhancing devices) during the off-limits period, official practice and competition, is also not allowed.
f) Participants must have a valid fishing license for all tournament waters.
g) No participant may buy or barter a fishing location from anyone for use during any competition day.
h) Participants renting boat slips may launch boats and proceed immediately to slip location.
i) Testing of engines during off-limits period is not permitted on tournament waters.
j) Testing of engines after the weigh-in is only allowed with permission from the Tournament Director.
k) Scouting, pre-fishing or other “practice” related activities prior to or after weigh-in is not allowed once the tournament has begun.
l) During the official practice and during the tournament, a participant may not enter or dive in tournament waters also known as skin or scuba diving.
m) During the official competition days of the tournament, a participant may not use a CB radio, a VHF marine band radio, a cellular phone, or any other type of communication device for the purpose of locating or catching fish. Participants are permitted to transmit by radio or telephone only in the event of an emergency. If so equipped, participants may listen to the marine-band weather information.
n) Participants are allowed to call lock-masters for locking purposes only.
o) In all cases where communications are initiated by a participant, the Tournament Director must be called prior. A voicemail or text message may constitute such communication.
p) A designated tournament official must be granted access to the participant’s boat at any time during the official practice or competition days. Failure to grant such access may result in immediate disqualification.
q) Nothing can be placed into the water to attract baitfish, any type forage. This includes but not limited to: structure, dog food, fish habitat, bait balls or any substance that would enhance or hold fish in a particular area once the off-limits period begins and all the way through the conclusion of the event.

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14. FISHING HOURS:

Fishing hours and flight times will be sent to each participant via email and/or announced at the tournament pre-tournament meeting.

 

15. LIABILITY INSURANCE:

During the official practice and competition days of any NewJen Bass tournament, no participant may operate a boat unless that participant has documented proof of a minimum of $300,000 boat owner’s liability insurance covering the boat being used in the tournament. Proof of insurance must be with the boat being used and must cover all passengers in that boat. Random checks may be conducted.  Any participant who does not have proof of valid insurance with $300,000 coverage will not be allowed to compete and disqualified, without refund.

 

16. SAFETY:

Safe boat conduct must always be observed by participants. During competition each boat passenger must wear a Coast Guard-approved chest-type life preserver anytime the combustion engine is operating. This preserver must be strapped, snapped or zippered securely and maintained in that condition until the combustion engine is shut off. Inflatable life vest indicators should be checked daily. Violation of this rule shall be reason for disqualification. Pros are encouraged to carry two Coast Guard approved chest type life preservers per boat. It is suggested the Pro participant have a safety check with the Am each day prior to the launch to familiarize the location of all safety equipment. Tournament officials have the right to delay, shorten or cancel the start of an official tournament day because of bad weather or other factors that would endanger the safety of the participants. Tournament waters may also be restricted at any time because of bad weather. Weather delays on competition days resulting in half of the tournament day being lost (first flight take-off and check-in) may result in cancellation. NewJen Bass reserves the right to impose boat speed limits during any or all tournaments. Whether or not to impose a speed limit, the area covered by the speed limit and/or the actual speed limit imposed shall be left exclusively to the discretion of the Tournament Director. IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, PARTICIPANTS SHOULD CALL 911 FIRST AND ONCE SAFE, NOTIFY TOURNAMENT OFFICIALS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. PARTICIPANTS ARE ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE BOAT AND SEEK SAFE SHELTER IN BAD WEATHER WHERE DANGER MAY BE IMMINENT.

 

17. ANGLER CODE OF CONDUCT AND SPORTSMANSHIP:

Participants competing in any NewJen Bass event shall abide by this code of conduct and the applicable rules for the event in which they are participating. Participants shall, always, conduct themselves in a manner becoming of a professional that will not reflect unfavorably on NewJen Bass, its members, sponsors, events or representatives. The favorable public reputation of NewJen Bass as an organization in the sport of fishing, the integrity of its officials, and the reputation of its media properties are valuable assets and tangible benefits for NewJen Bass. It is an obligation of participants to refrain from public comments that unreasonably attacks or disparages the integrity of tournaments, tournament officials, sponsors, fellow members, fellow participants or the NewJen Bass organization. Public comments that an angler knows, or should reasonably know, will harm the reputation of NewJen Bass, NewJen Bass officials or sponsors shall be considered unacceptable conduct. Participants will refrain from arguing, yelling, demeaning, using profanity, or challenging any tournament official. Anglers will be notified of any known rules infractions at the moment they are discovered or as soon as they are ruled upon by the tournament director. Participants shall demonstrate professionalism and integrity in support of the sport of professional fishing. Any angler who violates any portion of the Angler Code of Conduct may be subject to sanctions including but not limited to permanent disqualification. In the event that an angler exhibits explicitly poor conduct, NewJen Bass will ask the reporting angler to submit a formal, written complaint along with supporting evidence of their poorly displayed behavior (video, audio, picture, screen shots, etc.). NewJen Bass will then conduct a formal investigation; which may result in disciplinary action, including, but not limited to, permanent removal from all NewJen Bass events. NewJen Bass reserves the right to refuse service to any potential participant and enforce its tournament rules at its sole discretion.

 

18. ALCOHOL OR DRUGS:

Use of alcohol, drugs, or any prescription medication that may cause impairment by any participant during the official practice or during the tournament will not be tolerated and shall be cause for disciplinary action. No alcoholic beverages, other stimulants or depressants, prescription or otherwise, shall be allowed in the boats during the official practice or competition days or when in the weigh-in area. Any participant(s) deemed under the influence by the tournament director may be disqualified. Chemical substance addiction or abuse, conviction of a felony or crimes involving moral turpitude or other conduct reflecting unfavorably upon efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship, fair competition and compliance with tournament rules shall be grounds for rejecting any application for participation and/or for disqualification after circumstances are reviewed by the Tournament Director. Any candidate for competition who, in the judgment of the Tournament Director, is impaired in such a manner as to endanger the safety or well-being of their partner, themselves, or others will be removed from the event immediately and may not be eligible to fish in future events.

19. TOBACCO PRODUCTS:

The use of any tobacco products or smoking prior/during blastoff, from check-in through weigh-in, or while cameras are present, is prohibited.

 

20. COURTESY:

Common courtesy must always be practiced, especially regarding boating and angling near non-participants who may be on tournament waters. Any act of a participant which reflects unfavorably upon efforts to promote fisheries conservation, clean waters and courtesy shall be grounds for disqualification. All participants are bound by the prevailing statutes and regulations of the various states within which they fish. Participants are responsible for research of fishing and boating regulations.

 

21. TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT:

Only artificial lures and biodegradable artificial lures may be used. No “live bait” or “prepared bait” will be permitted during official practice and competition, except for pork strips or rinds. Only ONE (1) casting, spin casting or spinning rod and reel may be used at any one time. Rods may not exceed nine (9) feet in length. Other rigs as specified above may be in boat ready for use; however, only ONE is permitted in use at any given time. All bass must be caught live and in a conventional sporting manner on each day of competition. Ams may carry up to eight (8) fishing rods.

 

22. PERMITTED FISHING METHODS:

Fishing is defined as having a lure attached to a line and a rod and reel with the rod in hand. All lures must adhere to state regulations. Alabama rigs and similar umbrella type rigs are limited to a maximum of five wires, five lures and three hooks (single or treble) unless state regulations are more restrictive, in which case state regulations prevail.

 

23. POSSESSION OF FISH:

Receiving, accepting or taking of fishing from another person during tournament hours is strictly prohibited. Stringers, ropes, caging, barrels or use of any other type of device to hold fish with the intent of catching or utilizing them to count for your or anyone else’s daily catch is prohibited. Adding weight in any way to alter the natural state of any fish caught is prohibited. Moving or “stocking” fish from one location to another is prohibited.

 

24. VISIBLE FISH:

Anyone guilty of snatching or snagging visible fish will have their catch disqualified. When visually fishing a bed or for bedding bass, to be counted as a legal fish, all bass must be hooked inside the mouth and must be verified by your partner before being unhooked.

 

25. BOAT AND MOTOR:

For the safety of all participants during official practice and competition, all boats must be a minimum of sixteen (16) feet in length, no less than 40 HP, propeller driven, and equipped with an approved operable ignition kill switch and lanyard. No jet-propelled boats. No “barges” or similar craft will be permitted. No boat equipped with “stick steering” shall be permitted. “Stick steering” shall be as defined by the Tournament Director.

 

26. HORSEPOWER REGULATIONS:

Maximum horsepower for all outboard motor boats used in official tournament practice and in tournament competition will not exceed the limitations set by the U.S. Coast Guard or 300 Horsepower. Each boat must have a U.S. Coast Guard horsepower rating plate attached to the boat by the manufacturer. Changing or altering standard factory parts of a participant’s engine to increase the horsepower over the factory horsepower rating is forbidden and will result in disqualification.

 

27. MANUFACTURER’S LANYARD:

Manufacturer’s lanyard (“kill switch”) must be attached to the driver’s body any time the combustion engine is operating. Any time the combustion engine is operating and in gear there must be a driver in the driver’s seat in full control of the boat.

 

28. RAISED PLATFORMS:

No raised platforms, decks, or other non-factory installed standing platform may be used in the boat. Standing on the outboard engine or seats while fishing is not allowed. An electric trolling motor may be used for slow maneuvering. However, trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited.

 

29. BLADDER TANKS AND AUXILIARY GAS:

All bladder tanks and auxiliary gas and any other type of AUXILIARY gas tanks that are not installed by the boat manufacturer are prohibited. Additional gas tanks that are factory options and installed by a manufacturer’s authorized dealer are permitted. Boats that do not have factory installed gas tanks are restricted to a maximum of 18 gallons of gasoline in tanks that meet U.S. Coast Guard regulations. Gas tanks must be properly secured or strapped in a boat. No portable gas tanks or containers capable of holding gasoline can be placed anywhere on the tournament waters or shoreline for use by any tournament participant. Gas must be purchased from a retail gas station.

 

30. BASIC BOAT EQUIPMENT:

During official practice and competition, every boat must have all required Coast Guard safety equipment as well as a functional bilge pump. During official competition every boat must have live-well space, properly aerated, to adequately maintain a limit catch of bass.  NewJen Bass recommends live wells be maintained at full level and aerators/recirculators on manual. Tournament officials shall have the sole responsibility for determining whether aeration and capacity is proper and adequate. Upon request, Pros must make a back seat available for Am each competition day. Pros are required to make one dry storage compartment available to the Am. Pros are required to provide the Am ample space to ice for food and drink.

 

31. BOAT INSPECTION:

Prior to each day’s start, every boat and live-well MUST be given an inspection check by a tournament official. Pros will be assigned a boat number according to his/her take off position on day 1 (See #10 PAIRINGS). This number will remain with the Pro angler throughout the event. The takeoff order will be reversed on day 2. Boat numbers will be collected at each check-in.

 

32. BOAT OPERATION AND EXPENSE:

During competition, a Pro is allowed to invite the Am onto the front deck of the boat.  However, an Am is NOT allowed to ASK the Pro if they can move to the front of the boat. At NO POINT can an Am operate the trolling motor. If tournament officials determine a Pro has operated the boat in such a manner as to unfairly handicap his/her Am, they shall be disqualified. If tournament officials determine an Am has engaged in conduct in such a manner as to unfairly handicap his/her pro, they shall be disqualified. At no time may a Pro participant request that the Am participant not fish. Ams are expected to share/contribute to the daily boat operating expenses with the Pro participant.

 

33. AM BOAT OPERATION:

Ams are not permitted to operate the trolling motor at any time. Ams are ONLY allowed to drive boats in an emergency or with permission from tournament officials, with exception of loading and unloading boats from trailers.

 

34. AM GPS/VIDEOGRAPHY/PHONE:

Ams are not allowed to carry GPS systems. Ams must obtain permission from the Pro to videotape or utilize still photography.  In the event permission is granted by the Pro, the Am may not share ANY of the video/photos obtained until after the tournament is over and the full standings have been officially released. Ams may not use cell phones during competition unless in an emergency situation. Ams will articulate to the Pro and then call the Tournament Director in such emergency.

 

35. OFFICIAL CHECKPOINTS:

There shall be only one official check point for check-out in the morning, and one official check-in point in the afternoon which will be designated at the Pre-Tournament Meeting. Failure to go through boat check and check-out in the morning or failure to check-in at the check-in point in the afternoon may result in disqualification. At the time of check-out, all participants and their boats shall be in full conformity with all rules set forth by the Tournament Director. At check-in, all boats shall identify themselves by means of the numbers described in and proceed immediately to the designated weigh-in area. Operational navigation lights must be illuminated from takeoff to the first stop of each day. Participants who do not display operational navigation lights will be moved to the end of the blast off line. Their check in time will remain the same.

 

36. SCORING:

Tournament standings and final winners shall be determined by the total weight of each participant’s catch during the competition days of the tournament. Only Largemouth, Smallmouth, and Spotted bass will be weighed. The limit shall be five (5) of the above species and varieties per day. As soon as a team pair has caught one more fish than their tournament limit, they must cull a fish immediately to reduce their catch to the tournament limit.

 

37. BASS OFFICIAL LENGTH:

The official length for bass shall be 13” mouth closed unless dictated otherwise by local regulations. All bass will be measured on a flat board with the mouth closed. Only bass as described above which measure the official length or more on the longest straight line with the tail pinched or swishes shall be weighed. Bass presented for weigh-in which fail to measure the official length shall result in loss of that bass and a penalty of one (1) pound for each such bass presented. Penalty shall be deducted from the total score of the participant. Any bass that appears to have been mangled, mashed, mauled or otherwise altered may be weighed and credited only at the discretion of tournament officials.

 

38. BIG FISH:

Each participant will automatically be entered into the big fish option.

 

39. PARTICIPANTS MUST REMAIN IN BOAT:

During the competition days; participants must not depart the boat to land fish or to make the boat more accessible to fishing waters. Boats must remain in tournament waters during tournament days. Participants must leave from and return to official checkpoints by boat. Participants must remain in the boat at all times except in case of dire emergency. There are then two permitted methods of returning to the check-in: (1) by both paired anglers remaining in their boat and being towed by water, or (2) by one or both paired anglers entering the boat of another tournament participant. Boats must be properly secured and stationary. Participants must notify the tournament director as soon as possible. Under these two conditions both participant’s catches may be counted without a penalty (except for late penalties, dead fish penalties or other penalties pertaining to other tournament rules) provided that the Ams’s fish are adequately marked so as to provide clear distinction of the pro’s catch and the Am’s catch to the tournament director.

 

40. RESTROOM BREAK:

In the event of a needed restroom break partners are allowed to leave the boat upon which all fishing must cease until partners are back together in the boat.

 

41. REPORT AN EMERGENCY OR BREAKDOWN:

Contact a tournament official by phone or other means or to report an emergency or breakdown, participants must cease fishing at this point and their catch must be verified by a tournament official in order to be counted in the tournament. If after the emergency situation is resolved by tournament officials and enough time is left for the participant to resume fishing, a RESTART may be allowed, and the participant will continue, and their catch will be counted. This applies only to emergency situations as determined by the Tournament Director or his designee.

 

42. TOWING BOATS:

Towing boats on trailers during tournament hours is prohibited, except by the direction of tournament officials. When partners check out at the beginning of the day, they must stay together and within sight of each other and their catch throughout the day except in case of emergency or bathroom break.

 

 

43. CATCH AND RELEASE, CULLING OF DEAD BASS IS PROHIBITED:

No dead bass will be eligible for Big Fish awards or prizes. For each legal dead bass presented to weigh-in officials, the participant shall be penalized as follows: 1 Dead fish is a .25 lbs. penalty, 2 Dead fish is .75 lbs. penalty, 3 Dead fish is 1.5 lbs. penalty, 4 Dead fish 2.5 lbs. penalty, and 5 Dead fish will have a weight of 0 lbs. for the daily total. Dead fish determinations will be made by NewJen Bass weighmaster. Participants will not argue, yell, demean, use profanity, or be disrespectful in any way toward this ruling. The Tournament Director or his/her designees shall have sole authority for assessing penalty points and outcome.

 

44. CULLING TAGS:

Culling tags or clips are allowed.

 

45. RULE OF TIME:

Keeping the official time is kept by the Tournament Director at all times once official practice has begun. For the rule of time keeping until the official clock reads the following minute, participants are not considered late for that minute in question, i.e., 3:00:59 is not considered late. 3:01 is considered one minute late, etc.

 

46. LATE PENALTY:

Participants who are not at the official check-in point, as described at the appointed time shall be penalized at the rate of one pound per minute late to be deducted from 1) Any “big fish award” and 2) The total weight of his/her catch for that day. Any participant more than 15 minutes late shall lose all credit for that day’s catch to include point’s credit. There shall be no excuse for tardiness and in no case shall a participant be allowed to make up “lost time.” After proper recognition at the check-in point, participants will be allowed ample time to proceed to the weigh-in site; however, all fishing must cease upon check-in. Exact starting and check-in times will be announced at the Pre-Tournament Meeting. It is the angler’s responsibility to confirm check-in times each day on the daily pairings.

 

47. MUST PRESENT ALL LEGAL FISH:

After participants check in at the official checkpoint, they must present all legal fish in their possession to a tournament official to be counted, measured and weighed. Participants may not cull or discard any fish in their possession once they have checked in at the check-in point. Once a participant’s catch is measured, counted and verified by a tournament official, that participant may not return to the boat until their catch has been weighed and recorded.

 

48. PRIZES:

Trophies, plaques, and other tangible items will be awarded immediately after the tournament and participants must be present to win. Monies will be electronically awarded on the business day following the tournament OR on the business day following a PASSED polygraph exam, if required. Participants must be present and be able to hear their names called at the official weigh-in to be eligible for contingency prizes.

 

Regular season Pro/Am events pay out 90%+ to the Pro division and 80%+ to the Am division.  Payouts will be based on a 1 in 6 structure for 2024.  Only paid entrants are counted in the payout scale.

 

49. TAXES/LICENSE/AWARDS:

Participants are responsible for all applicable taxes, execution of all tax forms and rules on both cash and merchandise awards; which may include license, registration, etc. Various states require withholding tax on merchandise be paid upon the awarding of certificates and participants awarded merchandise certificates in these various states are responsible for remitting this tax to NewJen Bass. Failure to meet those obligations may result in reduction of Angler of Year Points, fines and/or disqualification from all future NewJen Bass Events, ramifications from the IRS, and forfeiture of prizes.

 

50. 200 POINT SYSTEM:

One Point System per Place – Points for each event will be based on a 200-point scale. All participants will receive 50 “participation” points.

Example:
Winner receives 200 points + 50 participation = 250 points
2nd place receives 199 points + 50 participation = 249 points
3rd place receives 198 points + 50 participation= 248 points, etc., Balance of field, one point each until end of field or points run out

50 participation points will be awarded to each participant.
AOY will be determined by the Pro and Am participant/s with the most points in each division; no throw outs.
Ties – Refer below. Standings will reflect ties starting at place closest to first.
End of year point tiebreakers shall be total weights from full field days for season.

 

51. TIES:

In case of ties for the Pro and Ams divisions the tiebreaker will be determined by the (1) largest single day’s weight, (2) if the tie is not broken, largest number of legal fish weighed during competition, (3) if the tie is not broken, the next tiebreaker will be the largest number of legal live fish weighed during competition, (4) if the tie is not broken, the next tiebreaker will be the AOY standings. If the tie is not broken by applying the foregoing procedures, the tie will remain a tie. Monetary prizes for each participant will be awarded in equal amounts. Angler of the Year points will be awarded for the place of the tied position and each participant will be awarded equal points.

Big Fish: In the case where two participants are tied with the weight of a big fish. NewJen Bass will combine the payout for those places and divide them equally by the tied participants. I.E. If 3rd is to be paid out $500 and 4th is to be paid out $700 and they are tied $500+$700=$1,200/2=$600 to be paid out equally.

Plaques/trophies will be awarded based on which participant weighed the bigger fish. If that does not determine the awards, it will be determined by heads/tails coin toss.

CHAMPIONSHIP PRO TIE: In the event that the tie is for first place, the Tournament Director will conduct a sudden death fish off. The parameters of the sudden death fish off with be determined at the director’s discretion. All NewJen Bass rules apply during the sudden death fish off.

CHAMPIONSHIP AM TIE: will be determined by the above criteria.

 

52. CHAMPIONSHIP INVITATIONAL QUALIFICATION:

The top 100 Pros and Ams based on the Angler of the Year (AOY) point standings will receive an invitation to the 2024 Pro/Am Championship as long as they have participated in at least 3 regular season Pro/AM events in 2024. Any Pro that participates in all four regular season Pro/AM events and also wins the TOC will receive a $2,500 bonus. NewJen Bass reserves the right to work down the AOY list to ensure a full field at the Championship. NewJen Bass reserves the right to invite sponsor exemptions for the Championship.

 

53. MEDIA:

All official participants of an event are required to cooperate with the media personnel that cover the event. Participants do not have the option of not being filmed or interviewed during the official event days. NewJen Bass personnel must be granted access and be able to board any participants boat at will. Any act deemed by NewJen Bass officials to have the intention of preventing media coverage will result in disqualification from the event. Participants must fish in an area that is accessible by NewJen Bass staff, media, and camera personnel as deemed by the tournament director. As a general rule, NewJen Bass views this as a 20-foot fiberglass bass boat with the motor trimmed down under its own power. If participants have any questions, they must approach the tournament director. Anytime cameras are present or when participants are specifically being filmed, they are required to wear a tournament jersey. In the cases where participants do not have a tournament jersey of their own, NewJen Bass will provide a NewJen Bass jersey to the participant. Anglers who do not have a jersey or refuse to wear a NewJen Bass provided jersey must wear at the minimum a collared polo shirt. Final approval of attire will be determined by the Tournament Director.

 

54. LOGOS AND/OR SIGNAGE:

Participants are encouraged to wear his/her own clothing which may bear patches, logos and other signage promoting the angler’s sponsors. NewJen Bass may, however, restrict the use of patches, logos, signage, etc. which are, in NewJen Bass’ sole judgment, in poor taste. NewJen Bass will provide as much advance notice as possible to the participants in such instances. Participants are also encouraged to wear NewJen Bass’ logo on their tournament jerseys. The NewJen Bass logo can be requested by emailing GetHooked@NewJenBass.com.

 

55. TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR SANCTIONS:

The Tournament Director may impose sanctions or rulings deemed appropriate by them; which may include the following, without limitation.

a) Reduction of competition hours
b) Loss of weight on any given tournament day
c) Disqualification of angler
d) Forfeiture of prizes without refund of entry or membership fee/s
e) Disqualification from future NewJen Bass events; which may be a specific number of events or a lifetime disqualification.
f) Any additional penalties as deemed appropriate by the Tournament Director.

 

56. TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR DECISIONS:

The decision of the Tournament Director shall be final in all matters. In all cases the Tournament Director and NewJen Bass have the sole discretion to adjudicate any given issue or dispute. The decision of the Tournament Director shall be final in all matters. NewJen Bass participants are required to police themselves each competition day. If participants have a concern regarding his/her catch, they should not present their catch. They must consult with tournament director immediately.

 

57. VIOLATION OR INFRACTION:

Each participant agrees to immediately report to the tournament director any violation or infraction of tournament rules.

 

58. PROTEST AND REPORTING PROCEDURE:

Protests must be brought to the Tournament Director’ attention via verbal notification and followed by a written protest to be submitted to the Tournament Director within thirty (30) minutes of the last flight check-in to the Tournament Director/s. The protestor also agrees that if there is a question with regards to verifying the protest, they may be subject to a polygraph exam as well as agree to testify in a court of law, if necessary.

 

59. DISQUALIFICATION/SUSPENSION:

Any disqualification/suspension from or other disciplinary action regarding any tournament or fishing organization shall be grounds for rejecting any application for participation in a NewJen Bass tournament and/or disqualification from a NewJen Bass tournament after circumstances are reviewed by the Tournament Director. A written statement may be accepted by the tournament director from any participant in question.

 

60. POLYGRAPH:

Each NewJen Bass participant agrees to submit to a polygraph examination and abide by its conclusion should he/she be accused of any rule violation. The NewJen Bass Tournament Director shall have the discretion to determine the need for a polygraph examination. Any Pro who fishes alone will be required to pass a polygraph examination prior to receiving any award monies. The NewJen Bass Tournament Director or his/her designee shall be responsible for selecting an independent expert to administer and interpret the results and establishing, in consultation with the expert administrator, the scope of the questions which may be asked during the polygraph examination. The NewJen Bass Tournament Director or his/her designee shall attempt to have the location of such polygraph examination as close in proximity to the angler’s permanent address or such other mutually convenient location as possible. The participant shall make himself/herself available at the location selected by the Tournament Director and shall cooperate in all respects with such examination. In the event of polygraph examination, participants may have tournament prizes withheld until such testing has been concluded.