Lavon Working Man's Bass Series
2024 Rules & Participation
CHECK HOME PAGE FOR CANCELLATIONS AND IMPORTANT UPDATES
Rules below were published 4/2/24
PARTICIPANTS / ELIGIBILITY
LIVE FISH / WEIGH IN
OFF LIMITS PERIODS
OFF LIMITS AREAS
ETIQUETTE / SAFETY
CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFICATION/AOY
PERMITTED FISHING METHODS
PROTESTS
POLYGRAPH
MEDIA DISCLAIMER
DISCLAIMER
In consideration of being allowed to participate in any way in the Lavon Working Man's Bass Series, its related events and activities, you understand, acknowledge, appreciate, and agree that:
*Any violation of the rules stated here with in, will result in immediate disqualification and potential ban from participation of any Lavon Working Man's Bass Series tournaments in addition to possible prosecution by the state of Texas.
* By participating in these events, the competitors assume all risks associated with each event and hereby release, discharge, and hold harmless the host, sponsors, and tournament officials from all claims, injury, and/or damage that may incur during the Lavon Working Man's Bass Series tournaments.
- Participation is open to all anglers with a valid fishing license
- Each team will consist of 1 to 2 anglers per boat
- Each Angler must qualify to fish Championship by winning one season event or fishing at least 5 season events
- Entry fee is $40 per boat
- $10 Big Bass of night pot. Paid out nightly.
- $20 optional side pot. Winner take all. Paid out nightly.
- $10 -7.77lb/7lb 12oz.+ bass pot optional side pot
- If no one catches a live fish (7.77lb/7lb 12oz.) or greater the pot will roll over to the following week
- Must have entered into the (7.77lb/7lb 12oz.) pot the week prior to qualify
- Teams may back pay for the previous week
- Any pot that is not won at the end of the season will roll into the Championship payouts
- (7.77lb/7lb 12oz.) fish must be weighed in alive
- 100% boat entry payout every night
- 1 - 5 Boats - 1st 100% (of pot)
- 6 - 9 Boats - 1st 75% 2nd 25% (of pot)
- 10 - 19 Boats - 1st 70% 2nd 20% 3rd 10% (of pot)
- 20+ Boats - 1st 65% 2nd 20% 3rd 10% 4th 5% (of pot)
- Tournament begins at 6:00PM
- Registration begins at 5:00PM
- Each team must have their registration chip in bucket by 9:15PM to weigh in. Teams that do not have chip in bucket at 9:15 will have zero lbs. on their scorecard
- Each boat must register/pay in person at the weigh in location (Collin Park)
- All boats will be required to have fully functional livewells
- All boats are subject to a livewell check
- Boats leave staging area at 6PM.
- If there are more than 10 boats entered, boats will leave in staging area in groups of 5 based on chip number pulled out of hat during check in.
- Groups of 5 may leave staging area to fish starting at 6:00PM. Separated by 10 seconds per group.
- Boats will stage at courtesy dock inside Collin Park Tires and idle out one by one. Boats CANNOT cut through tires and bank near ramp when staging for take off.
LIVE FISH / WEIGH IN
- A limit of fish shall consist of 5 bass (Bass shall be defined as any of the species known as largemouth bass)
- At some point during the season the 5 bass limit will be reduced to a 3 bass limit because of heat and fish health.
- Please ask registration at the beginning of each tournament if you are unsure what the nights limit is. Teams that come to the scales with more than 3 fish during a 3 fish limit night will be disqualified.
- At some point during the season the 5 bass limit will be reduced to a 3 bass limit because of heat and fish health.
- All fish must be a minimum of 14”
- Any team bringing any undersized fish with be disqualified
- Check it stick or Pro rule boards
- No team may have more than a limit of 5 bass in their livewell at any one time except in the short time frame of culling a single fish.
- During a designated 3 fish night (see rule above), no team may have more than a limit of 3 bass in their livewell at any one time except in the short time frame of culling a single fish.
- Culling of a dead fish is not allowed
- Dead fish will incur a 1lb penalty per fish.
- Two dead fish may not be weighed in and team will be disqualified for bringing more than one dead fish to the scale.
OFF LIMITS PERIODS
- Lavon Lake is completely off limits Thursday at 12:01am until evenings event.
- This includes all boating activities. Fishing or not.
OFF LIMITS AREAS
- Contestants may fish anywhere on tournament waters accessible by boat and available to the public, except areas designated as “off limits” or “no fishing” by state, local, or federal officials
- The “off limits” areas include but are not limited to:
- The area from the dam to the buoys around the intake at Lavon Lake as marked by the Corp of Engineers
ETIQUETTE / SAFETY
- All boat operators must comply with the laws of Texas. For a complete list of Texas PWC Operation Laws please visit: http://tpwd.texas/
- Life Jackets/PFD’s must be worn anytime the combustion motor is in gear
- No fishing within 33.33 yards of a competitor’s boat unless otherwise agreed upon by the other tournament angler
- Every boat must have all required safety equipment as defined by the State of Texas which includes fully functional nav and anchor lights and must be used per state laws
- In the case of inclement weather, it will be the competitor’s decision to seek shelter or continue fishing
- All anglers must use extreme safety, caution, and courtesy at take off in addition to high standards of sportsmanship and conservation at all times during these events. Any infraction of these fundamental sporting principles and all rules above may be deemed cause for disqualification
CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFICATION/AOY
- Anglers who win one regular season event or fish 5 total events in 2024 will qualify for the championship
- Boats will receive boat number in championship based on AOY standings
- Anglers who win Championship in year prior qualify for Championship. However if the team does not fish 5 events in current season they must pay an additional $100 upon entry
- Anglers who qualify that want to have a partner for championship that does not qualify must pay an additional $100 upon team entry
- AOY points cannot be accumulated if angler is not present.
- AOY Angler's team entry into the Championship is waived.
PERMITTED FISHING METHODS
- All anglers must abide by all state and local laws at all times
- Only artificial lures may be used
- All fish must be caught in a legal, live, conventional manner using rod and reel
- Each competitor may only have one rod in use at a time
- Trolling with combustion motor is prohibited
- All angling must be performed from the boat. You may only leave the boat in case of an emergency
- No “hole sitting” allowed, which means you cannot have another angler/boat holding a fishing spot for you
PROTESTS
- Decisions of the Tournament Director are final and are not subject to appeal. Interpretation of these rules will be left exclusively to the Tournament Director in his sole and absolute discretion.
- Each competitor agrees to report any rule violation to the Tournament Director immediately upon discovery of the violation. The violation of a tournament rule may result in weight loss, total loss of weight for that event, the ineligibility to participate in future events, or any other penalty deemed appropriate by the Tournament Director in his sole discretion.
- Protests must be made in writing within 10 minutes of the official closing of the scales at each tournament
POLYGRAPH
- By participating, all contestants are subject to a polygraph exam with a licensed Polygraph Examiner selected by the Lavon Working Man's Bass Series tournament
- Contestants must submit to the polygraph exam within 72 hours of tournament event at the Polygraph Examiners specified location near Wylie, Texas
- Refusal to submit to a polygraph, disqualifies the contestant and team from being eligible to receive any prize money, bonuses, or points for the event. The tournament director reserves the right to waive any violation of these rules disclosed to him before the polygraph exam, at his sole and absolute discretion.
MEDIA DISCLAIMER
- The Working Man's Bass Series has the irrevocable right and permission to use photographs and/or video recordings of tournament anglers on lavonbassfishing.com, fishing forums, facebook.com and other websites, as well as in publications, promotional flyers, or for any other similar purpose without compensation.
- Photographs and/or video recordings of anglers may be placed on the Internet. Anglers may be identified by name and/or title in printed, Internet or broadcast information that might accompany the photographs and/or video recordings. All anglers waive the right to approve the final product. All such portraits, pictures, photographs, video and audio recordings, and any reproductions thereof, and all plates, negatives, recording tape and digital files are and shall remain the property of the Lavon Working Man's Bass Series.
- Tournament anglers hereby release, acquit and forever discharge the Working Man's Bass Series from any and all claims, demands, rights, promises, damages and liabilities arising out of or in connection with the use or distribution of said photographs and/or video recordings, including but not limited to any claims for invasion of privacy, appropriation of likeness or defamation.
DISCLAIMER
In consideration of being allowed to participate in any way in the Lavon Working Man's Bass Series, its related events and activities, you understand, acknowledge, appreciate, and agree that:
- YOU KNOWINGLY AND FREELY ASSUME ALL SUCH RISKS, both known and unknown, EVEN IF ARISING FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASEES or others, and assume full responsibility for my participation; and,
- The risk of injury from the activities involved in this program is significant, including the potential for permanent paralysis and death, and while particular skills, equipment, and personal discipline may reduce this risk, the risk of serious injury does exist; and,
- You willingly agree to comply with the stated and customary terms and conditions for participation. If, however, I observe any unusual significant hazard during my presence or participation, I will remove myself from participation and bring such to the attention of the Company immediately; and,
- You, for yourself and on behalf of your heirs, assigns, personal representatives and next of kin, HEREBY RELEASE, INDEMNIFY, AND HOLD HARMLESS THE Lavon Working Man's Bass Series, their officers, officials, agents and/or employees, other participants, sponsoring agencies, sponsors, advertisers, and, if applicable, owners and lessors of premises used for the activity ("Releasees"), WITH RESPECT TO ANY AND ALL INJURY, DISABILITY, DEATH, or loss or damage to person or property associated with my presence or participation, WHETHER ARISING FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASEES OR OTHERWISE, to the fullest extent permitted by law.
*Any violation of the rules stated here with in, will result in immediate disqualification and potential ban from participation of any Lavon Working Man's Bass Series tournaments in addition to possible prosecution by the state of Texas.
* By participating in these events, the competitors assume all risks associated with each event and hereby release, discharge, and hold harmless the host, sponsors, and tournament officials from all claims, injury, and/or damage that may incur during the Lavon Working Man's Bass Series tournaments.
