1. PARTICIPANTS AND ELIGIBILITY
Participation in each tournament is open to all members in good standing in National Bass West. Non-members may join National Bass West by enclosing $35 membership fee with the entry, $20 for each additional family member. At least one team member must be 18 years or older.

2. INSURANCE & LIABILITY
It is the sole responsibility of the boat owner to carry and have proof of adequate public liability insurance covering them and passengers. All contestants are required to sign a waiver absolving the tournament sponsors, co-sponsors and their employees from any responsibility for any damage or personal injury sustained as a result of their participation in the tournament or related activities. Contestants are required to have in their possession and provide proof of insurance on demand by the tournament director. All participants agree to hold harmless National Bass West. officers, directors and agents.

3. SAFETY
Boating safety must be observed at all times during practice and competition. A U.S.Coast Guard approved life preserver must be on and fastened anytime the combustible engine is operative and the kill switch lanyard must be attached to the driver during competition day. It is suggested that this be practiced during any practice day, but will be enforced only on competition day. A violation during a competition will result in a disqualification.

4. SPORTSMANSHIP
All teams are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety, and conservation. Any team who displays poor sportsmanship, violates these rules, or any Department of Fish and Game, state or local laws, or brings unfavorable publicity to the sport of bass fishing will be disqualified. National Bass West reserves the right to cancel membership at anytime. National Bass West  reserves the right to refuse service to anyone.

5. BOATS AND MOTORS
There is no horsepower limit; however, no engine may exceed the BIA horsepower rating for the boat on which it is used. All boats must meet US Coast Guard and state regulations. All boats must have an emergency kill switch. All boats must have lights required by the Coast Guard. Lights must be in and turned on before the sun comes up prior to a day tournament or after sunset during a night tournament.

6. TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT
All fish must be caught in a legal sporting manner. Intentional snagging of fish will not be allowed. Trolling with the aid of combustion or electric motors is not permitted. Only artificial lures may be used. No live bait or prepared bait is permitted with the exception of pork rinds. Liquid fish attractants are allowed. Only one (1) rod per angler may be used at any one time. Other rods may be in the boat and ready for use, however, every cast and retrieve must be completed before another cast is made. Rods may not exceed more than eight feet in length. The official measuring board for National Bass West  is the Golden Rule (flat board). The use of electronic fish tracking equipment including underwater cameras is allowed in official practice days only and not in competition.

7. PROTEST
All protests must be submitted verbally and then in writing no later than 15 minutes after the tournament officials close the scales. This means once the tournament is over, it’s over. You must have at least one witness to confirm the violation other than your non-boater. The Tournament Director will hear protests and the decisions of the Tournament Director will be final.

8. POLYGRAPH
All contestants, winners and non-winners are subject to a polygraph test. Failure to submit to a polygraph test will result in immediate disqualification. Any contestant who has failed a polygraph test in connection with any bass tournament for cheating or whose results are found to be inconclusive will not be eligible to compete in National Bass West tournaments.

9. OFFICIAL BOATS
Official boats will be on the lake for boat inspection and observation during tournament hours. Each team is required to cooperate with all requests.

10. SCORING
Each team may weigh-in five (5) fish per day with a minimum of 13 inches in length (or per DFG permit or lake rules). Fish will be measured on a Golden Rule (flat board) with the mouth closed. A penalty of .20 per dead fish will be deducted from the total weight. Any team bringing more than five (5) fish to the scales will be disqualified. Tournament standings will be determined by the total weight for the competition days of the tournament. Only largemouth, spotted, red eye or smallmouth bass will be scored. Any team weighing in a fish shorter than the legal tournament length will be assessed a one (1) lb. penalty plus the loss of the short fish. Each team is required to leave from and return to a specified checkpoint. Any team returning to the checkpoint late will be penalized at the rate of one-half (1/2) pound per minute up to 15 minutes. After 15 minutes no weight will be allowed. Once you hand your fish to the weigh master, they will be weighed and the contestant(s) are done for the day. You must mark your big fish before you get to the scales (preferably with culling balls). Contestant(s) cannot handle the fish again once they have been handed to the weigh master.

11. CULLING FISH
It is the responsibility of each team to keep no more than a maximum of a legal limit for the particular lake you are fishing in a live well. If more than the legal limit is present in the live well during the event you will be subject to disqualification. You cannot cull a dead fish. You cannot cull in the host marina. Culling after you have checked in with the check-in boat will result in a disqualification.

12. PERMITTED FISHING WATERS
No fishing is allowed within 100 feet of the launch ramp of the host marina. All fishing must be done from a previously inspected boat no tube or wade fishing is allowed. Boats may not be trailered to and from weigh-in during tournament hours unless under the direction of the tournament director. No fishing is allowed within 25 yards of a non-anchored tournament boat without that boat’s permission. No fishing is allowed within 50 yards of another anchored or tied tournament boat with the trolling motor out of the water without the anchored boat’s permission. Both team partners must fish from the same boat. Only contestants may be in the boat during the tournament hours. Having a non-contestant sit in a hole for you (save your spot) will not be tolerated. Contestants cannot leave a boat to land a fish. Navigable waters are the only waters to be fished during the tournament. Contestants must be able to drive the boat into the fishing area without getting out of the boat. The practice of restricting the natural movement of fish by any means such as, but not limited to, the use of nets, tanks, or dams will not be tolerated and will result in disqualification. Restricting the access to waters normally accessible by all anglers, by any means such as, but not limited to the falling of trees or the construction of obstructions will not be allowed and will result in disqualification.

13. GUIDES
Guides are allowed to fish in any and all tournaments provided a tournament contestant does not hire them to fish. Guides are not to be hired by contestants to scout or pre-fish one week prior to any tournament.

14. REGISTRATION
Contestants that register by mail only must be in by 12 p.m. Friday prior to the tournament. For all other registrations, this will be taken at the launch site at 3:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. or up until the last boat has left. Fishing hours and checkpoints will be disclosed at the registration/start. It is each team’s responsibility to obtain this information from the tournament director. Starting position will be determined on a number draw. For tournament registration please contact region director for current information.

15. PRACTICE FISHING
There are NO “OFF LIMITS” effective October 2, 2007.  You can fish the lake when ever the lake is open prior to the tournament. You may pre-fish at anytime up until midnight the day prior to the tournament. During the tournament, a competitor 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. These devices may be used for emergency purposes only. During the competition day(s) a contestant must not have the assistance or advice from anyone to locate bass except from another contestant in this tournament. Failure to report violations or suggestions to violate these rules will be cause for disqualification. During a two day event the lake is off limits except during tournament hours.

16. CONSERVATION
Conservation and safety is the primary concern of National Bass West. Adequate live wells are mandatory on each boat and must provide adequate aeration to maintain fish in good condition.

17. WEIGH-IN
At the weigh-ins, once the contestants has passed his sack of fish to the weighmaster, the contestant cannot touch the fish again. Any angler may request a one-time immediate "re-weigh" of their fish before leaving the scale area with their sack of fish. Once a sack of fish has left the scale area, the angler loses his right to request a re-weigh and any request of that nature will be denied.

18. CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING
Qualifying will be based on a points format. First place in each event will receive 200 points, 2nd place=199 points, etc. Twenty participation points will be awarded to all entrants. Teams must fish a minimum of 4 tournaments to qualify for the National Bass West Team Championship. National Bass West has six (6) qualifying tournaments in each region to quailify for the north or south TOC. If you qualify you are elgible fish both, north and south. Qualification is 40% of average of the six tournaments in region. Bonus are for those who fish 3 plus the last tournament, a total of four. Bonus is deterimed by how you finish in the last event 15% of overall average.No points may be transferred from one team to another. Each member is allowed to fish three (3) events alone and represent the team providing the team fishes at least three (3) events together. A contestant may fish the first event alone without a designated partner and accumulate points when fishing alone providing the other team member does not participate in that event.  OR you can qualify AUTOMATICALLY through the TRAVELERS REGION.  Fish 3 events in 2 regions (for a total of 6) or 2 events in 3 regions (for a total of 6)

For the PRO TEAM events, you must fish at least 3 out of the 4 events and finish in the top 50% of the year to date standings.  You can also qualify for the PRO TEAM TOC by fishing 3 events including the last event (April 24, 25, 2010).   We will pick the top 5 teams that fished at least 3 events who did not qualify through the top 50% of the standings.

20. TRAVELERS REGION
To qualify for the “Travelers Region” you must fish 3 events in 2 different regions or 2 tournaments in 3 different regions with the same partner and declare that you are a “Traveling Team.” (A total of 6 tournaments).  There are no points.  You automatically qualify after you have fished the 6 tournaments as described.  (this was edited on March 6, 2007 to clarify the travelers).  You can fish as many events with National Bass West but you must fish at least 3 in two regions for a total of 6 or 2 in three regions for a total of 6.

21. TIE BREAKERS
If two teams have the same weight at the end of the tournament, the big fish will break the tie. Big fish must be marked prior to handing it to the weigh master. No one other than the weigh master or tournament official may handle the fish after the bag is handed to the weigh master.

22. TOURNAMENT PROTECTION
Any act or inflammatory statement by any contestant that, in the opinion of the Tournament Authority, is detrimental to the bass tournament, damaging to organized bass fishing, to National Bass West Allstar, or any of its staff, sponsors, or to permitting agencies or their officers (such as park rangers, fisheries biologists, or other officials), during the practice rounds or tournament, may result in the temporary or permanent suspension from all future National Bass West events. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH CONTESTANT to know these rules. A rules violation compromises the entire tournament field, not just your partner for the day.

23. SIGHT FISHING
This rule concerns "sight fishing or bedding bass" and is in effect at any time that either of these conditions exist, and is designed to eliminate the illegal snagging of bass. A sight or bedding fish is defined as one that can be seen and is watched as it approaches the lure. Fish being caught under these conditions must be caught by hook and line and by the fish ingesting the lure. Any bass that is caught that is either a "sight" or "bed" fish must be caught "hook in mouth with the hook point entering from inside the mouth". This catch must be verified as a legal catch by the angler's in-boat partner. Any "sight" or "bed" fish caught by snagging or with the hook starting outside the mouth shall be deemed an illegally caught fish and must be released. This same fish may be caught again by legal method - with the hook starting from inside the mouth. Any angler catching fish under these conditions without verifying the hook location with the other in boat partner may be disqualified from the tournament.

24. NIGHT TOURNAMENTS
For the purpose of these rules the time of sunset will be set by the director. Glow sticks must be worn above the waist starting at sunset. Life vest and kill switch must be worn at all times while the big motor is running. Speed limit will be determined by the lake or the tournament director prior to the tournament and announced at the meeting. Additional rules for the night tournaments will be announced at the meeting prior to the tournament.