2021 Rules & Regulations

GENERAL:

1. The tournament year shall consist of at least 5 regular tournaments.

2. Each boat shall have a minimum of two (2) people on board, including the Captain. All Captains and crewmembers fishing regular monthly tournaments must be paid club Members. NO FREE RIDERS. New members must be enrolled and paid for before leaving the dock on tournament day. “Children under 12 will pay a one-time $10 fee as a rider only”.

3. Any boat wishing to take a day-member as crew must pay $10 per day-member, per tournament day. Day-members must remain on the vessel at the scale. Should a day member choose to become a bona fide paid club member they will still be required to pay a $50 membership fee.

4. Registration - Boat Captains may register at any of the following locations by 4:00 p.m. on the Friday before the scheduled tournament. (DO NOT MAIL) Tournament fee is $50.00.

   1. S. TOKUNAGA STORE, 619 Manono Street, Hilo, HI 96720- Phone: 935-6965

   2. J. HARA STORE, 17-343 Volcano Road, Kurtistown, HI 96760-Phone: 966-5462

   3. Refunds _ Entry fees and jackpots will be credited to the next tournament in the event that the boat does not leave the breakwater or in the event the tournament is cancelled prior to the 10:30 a.m. midpoint causing postponement. The entry fee will be refunded if it’s the last tournament. All boats must submit new entry forms for the next tournament after a postponement, even though their money is being held by the tournament committee.

5. All boats must be launched from and return to the Wailoa River Basin.

6. All boats entered must contact Suisan Base or Tournament Control by VHF radio or Tournament Control by telephone (640-0695) by 7:00 a.m. of the tournament day if they are not going to fish. Failure to do so will result in the forfeiture of the boat’s tournament entry fee and jackpot. Contact should also be made if leaving late. A warning will be issued to the boat’s Captain for the first offense. A second offense may result in further action taken, up to and including suspension and/or termination of membership.

7. Tournament weigh-in station is at Suisan.

8. All boats will be subject to a complete check at the Wailoa Boat Ramp or other designated area. Inspection will include boat compliance to Coast Guard regulation, radio, and fish boxes and compartments. Boxes may be checked by “rodding”. No bait is allowed on board. All boats will be given a tape or flag to attach in a visible position on their boat for the duration of each tournament, so that each boat participating in the tournament is easily identifiable.

9. All boats must check in with, and be acknowledged by, Tournament Control, VHF, Channel 68, after boat inspection and prior to leaving and upon returning in the breakwater.

10. All boats must have a VHF radio that is acceptable to Tournament Control. Boats with defective radios shall be suspended until repairs are acceptable. Tournament Control has the authority to call back any boat entered in the tournament. All boats must check out with Tournament Control when returning. Make sure that your radio transmission is acknowledged. Cellular telephones should be used for emergency only. VHF radios are required by the Coast Guard. The US Coast Guard does not monitor CB radios, making a VHF radio the main means of communication with them in case of emergency. Tournament Control will monitor VHF on Channel 68. FCC Rules and Regulations should be observed at all times.

    1. If radio trouble persists past two consecutive tournaments the President may ask for an inspection to ensure safety. Determination from inspection could result in disqualification and or suspension.

11. All Captains are required to maintain a GPS track during the tournament and to keep that track available for 24 hours after the tournament. This is for safety reasons. It is also to demonstrate that a tournament boat has not fished on a “project” or private fad, and to allow fair and factual resolution of any possible protests.

12. All boats must be in full compliance with Coast Guard regulations.

13. Tournament Control will not arrange the sale of any fish.

14. The Registered Captain shall be the name that appears on the original registration form. A Captain shall be registered on one (1) boat only.

15. The Tournament Committee has the authority to proceed, postpone, or cancel any scheduled tournament. In some circumstances the call may need to be made after the start of a tournament.

FISHING TIME:

1. Start time for all tournaments shall be 5:30 a.m. No tournament boat shall leave the breakwater before the start time.

2. Stop Fishing shall be 3:30 p.m. for all tournaments. A five (5) minute radio silence shall precede Stop Fishing time. Any Captain hooked up before the 3:30 p.m. Stop Fishing time may continue to fight the fish. For fish landed and (or) reported to control before the 3:30 Stop Fishing time to count, the boat must be in the breakwater by 4 p.m. (Tournament Control’s clock). In the event that a Captain decides to continue to fight the fish after the 4:00 p.m. in the breakwater deadline, it shall be without club sanction, and no fish from that boat will be weighed or counted. There will be no extended fighting time. The only exception to the 4:00 p.m. in the breakwater deadline will be for a boat assisting another boat, not the boat that needs assistance. In all cases, Tournament Control must be notified.

3. The “Big Island Windward Waters” (Hawaii Coastal Marine forecast by Zone) NOAA Marine Forecast at 6:00 p.m. on the day prior to the tournament will determine if the tournament is to be postponed due to “Small Craft Advisory”. If “Caution is Advised”, the cancellation will be up to the Tournament Chairman and Board of Directors. If Small Craft Advisories are posted anytime after 6:00 p.m. on the day prior to the tournament or anytime after midnight, there will be an automatic tournament postponement or cancellation. This includes advisories posted anytime after the tournament has begun and boats have left the breakwater.

4. Should any Small Craft Advisory be posted during the course of the tournament, an announcement of tournament shut down and cancellation/postponement will be made and a five (5) minute radio silence will be observed. After the radio silence, a roundup of all remaining boats will be conducted by Tournament Control. Each boat will give their location and status. No fish hooked up after notice of cancellation and radio silence shall be counted. Any boat that is hooked up at time of notice of cancellation can choose to break off the fish immediately by locking the drag or cutting the line or check out of the tournament and continue fighting the fish or release the fish. Should a Captain choose to continue fighting the fish it is at their own risk. In all cases a boat must return to the breakwater within two hours for any fish landed and reported to Tournament Control before the shutdown to be counted.

5. Should any boat choose to continue fishing, it will be without club sanction and no fish on board will be counted.Should Small Craft Advisories be posted after the 5:30 a.m. start time, but before the 10:30a.m. midpoint, then that tournament will be shut down (cancelled) and considered postponed. Any fish landed and called in before that time will be carried over to the next tournament. Should any tournament have to be cancelled after the 10:30 a.m. midpoint, then the results of that tournament will stand and fish landed before the time of the shutdown will be counted if the boat is in the breakwater within the allotted time.

6. Under any cancellation after a tournament has started, all vessels must make their way to the bay and weigh-in as safely and quickly as possible. Tournament Control and the Board of Directors will monitor the weather report during the course of all tournaments. Trollers may also verify the weather report on VHF, online at Hawaii Coastal Marine Forecast by zone (click on map for Big Island windward waters) or by calling the NOAA Marine Forecast at 935- 0055 or 935-9883.

ROUND UP:

1. There will be three (3) round ups on tournament days. Tournament Control will call each boat. When your boat is called, give the following information:

   • Location you are fishing in.

   • Number of species of all flag fish boated for the day.

2. In the event that Tournament Control cannot contact a boat for round up, it shall be the Captain’s responsibility to contact Tournament Control within thirty (30) minutes of the round up time.

3. If a boat is unable to make contact with anyone at the 10:00 a.m. round up, the boat must make contact or be in the breakwater by 12:00 p.m. and make contact with Suisan Base or all catch for the day will be disqualified.

4. If a boat is unable to make contact at the 2:00 p.m. round up, the boat must be in the breakwater by 3:30 p.m. and make contact with Suisan Base or all catch for the day will be disqualified.

5. If a boat cannot be contacted for the final round up of the day, the Captain must contact Suisan Base by 4:00 p.m. or all catch of the day will be disqualified.

6. The Tournament Chairman and Weighmaster will enforce round up rules.

ROUND UP TIMES:

1. Round up times will be conducted at 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.

HOOK-UPS:

1. All fish must be “hooked-up” with the boat under its own power and in forward motion.

2. All “hook-ups” and area fishing in must be called in immediately to Tournament Control. (Use Grid Map for location you are in).

3. Opala needs to be called in prior to entering the break wall and or stop fishing

4. When a fish is boated, Tournament Control must be notified of species, estimated weight of catch and area caught. However, if a fish is boated in an area where radio contact cannot be made to Tournament Control, a delay in reporting the catch will be allowed. However, as soon as radio contact can be re-established, either directly or by relay, catch must be reported or catch will be disqualified. The Captain shall notify Tournament Control if a fish is lost.

5. Fish need not be fought from a gimbal. Fish may be fought from the rod-holder. The angler may grab and pull the area of line between the reel and the guide closest to the reel to compensate for the loss of pumping action created if using a gimbal or fighting chair.

6. No bait twill be allowed on board any boat at check in. Boats may catch bait once the tournament has started, and that bait may be used as live, whole or cut bait during that tournament as long as the boat is in a forward motion when the bait is being fished.

WEIGH-IN:

1. Weigh-in starts at approximately 12:30 p.m. Suisan Control shall notify boats when to pull up to the scales. All qualifying fish caught must be weighed on the tournament scales on the day of the catch.

2. In case of a tie, the first one to be officially weighed will be listed on the scoreboard as First Place. The second fish of the same weight will be deemed Second Place.

3. Any protest must be filed verbally and in writing by the Captain of the boat entered in the tournament to the President and/or Tournament Chairman on the day of the tournament, prior to any awards. The Protest Committee (Officers of the club and the board members, with a minimum of three (3) members) will make a ruling within 24 hours. Awards will be made after the ruling.

4. For each tournament only two of each of the four flag fish will be counted toward that tournament’s awards and toward year end awards. A third fish may be weighed if, and only if the captain tells the weighmaster that that fish is to be considered for Year End Smallest Fish. The third fish will not count toward Year End Total Weight for that flag fish category. If a captain designates a second fish to be considered for Year End Smallest Fish, that fish will count toward Year End Total Weight.

AWARDS:

1. Awards for each tournament shall be limited as follows:

   • Overall Largest Flag Fish: First Place

   • Largest Fish each Flag Fish category: Marlin, Ahi, Ono, Mahimahi;

     • The largest fish awards will be given to the largest qualifying fish of each category.

     • Year End Awards: No boat will win first and second in the largest fish awards for each flag fish category.

   • Total Weight Opala

     • Opala is defined as inorganic material collected from the ocean.

   • Grand Champion: Highest total combined weight of up to 2 fish in each of the 4 Flag Fish category. In the event that no one qualifies with 4 flag fish, the award will be given to the registered Captain with the highest combined weight of up to 2 fish in each of any three (3) flag fish categories. In the event that no one qualifies with 3 of the 4 flag fish, the award will be given to the registered Captain with highest combined weight of up to 2 fish in each of the two (2) flag fish categories.

     • To Qualify for Grand Champion qualifying fish in at least 2 of the 4 flag fish categories must be landed.

     • If no boat lands 2 or more Flag Fish categories the Grand Champion prize will not be awarded.

     • In the event that Grand Champion is not awarded, the monies set aside for the Grand Champion will be split equally among all winning categories.

     • The side Jackpot is optional and is split between the largest Flag Fish and largest Ono.

2. Awards for the tournament year end shall be limited as follows:

   • Fisherman of the Year: First Place, Second Place;

   • Largest Flag Fish, Each Category: First Place, Second Place

     • No boat will win first and second in the largest fish awards for each flag fish category. See 1.b.,ii

   • Gross Weight , Each Category: First Place, Second Place (only two fish of each Flag Fish category per tournament)

   • Smallest Flag Fish of the Season Note: The captain must formally request that the weigh-in crew count the designated fish toward the Smallest Fish Award. The weigh-in crew will be willing to weigh a third fish (one only) toward this award so that 2 fish can be weighed in each tournament for gross weight per flag fish category.

3. In the event of a tie in any of the award categories, the first boat to weigh in earns First Place.

4. To qualify for the “Fisherman of the Year” award, the registered Captain must enter two (2) tournaments. The award will be made to the registered Captain with the highest combined weight of his largest fish in each of the four (4) flag fish categories, In the event that no one qualifies with 4 flag fish, the award will be given to the registered Captain with the highest combined weight of his largest fish in each of any three (3) flag fish categories. In the event that no one qualifies with 3 of the 4 flag fish, the award will be given to the registered Captain with highest combined weight of his largest fish in each of the two (2) flag fish categories.

5. Flag fish categories are MARLIN, AHI, MAHIMAHI, and ONO. Marlin, Ahi, Mahimahi, and Ono must meet minimum weight to qualify. Minimum weight shall be: Marlin-100 pounds (Striped Marlin and Spearfish 25 pounds), Ahi-25 pounds, Mahimahi-10 pounds, and Ono-10 pounds.

6. The Awards Committee and the Board of Directors shall determine the type, value, and quantity of all prizes and awards.

TACKLE AND METHODS:

1. All tackle, including leader, rod, reel, hooks, lures, and other equipment, such as gaffs and methods, shall comply with tournament rules.

2. Exceptions to IGFA rules:

   • Leaders and lures may be reused or re-rigged.

   • There is no maximum breaking strength limit on main lines.

   • Fish may be fought from the rod holder, at the discretion of the Captain, with safety in mind.

   • Kagi (killer gaff) may be used.

   • Electric reels may be used.

   • Double and treble hooks may be used.

3. Prohibited Methods

   • Green Stick

   • Drop Stone (Palu Ahi)

   • Shooting of Fish

   • Fishing on “projects” or private fads.

     • Note: Fishing on state fads is allowed. Fishing on drifting objects is allowed. Fishing deliberately and intentionally on a private fad is an unfair advantage and is prohibited. If a PFAD is found accidentally, the Captain must immediately turn away and leave the area. If a protest is filed, the captain of the boat against which the protest is filed may be asked to share the boat’s GPS track with the Tournament Committee, and they will make the decision on the protest.

REASONS FOR DISQUALIFICATIONS:

(FISH CAUGHT WILL NOT COUNT)

1. Mutilated fish - by shark, boat’s propeller, etc.

2. Disregarding Tournament Control.

3. Uninspected vessel.

4. Caught fish or Opala is not reported to Tournament Control in a timely manner.

5. Non-member on board except as permitted by special tournament rules.

6. Abusive or unsportsmanlike behavior.

7. Fishing on a “project”, a private fad or a private buoy. Note: fish will be disqualified and this may include suspension or termination of membership.

8. Unable to contact boat during 10:00 a.m. roundup and said boat is not in the breakwater by 12:00p.m.

9. Unable to contact boat by 2:00 p.m. roundup and said boat is not in the breakwater by 3:30p.m.

10. Unable to contact boat during the last roundup and said boat is not in the breakwater within 30 minutes.