rules

2022 Teardrop Registration Information

This year we will have a 20 boat cap for the club. If you plan to fish I need an email or text confirmation by April 1 st 2022 will be 100% prepay. All prepay monies must be received by May 1st to guarantee your entry. Tournament entry will be closed either when the 20 cap is achieved, or at the commencement of the first tournament. After the first tournament all entry fees will be non-refundable. There will be 6 regular tournaments and a two day Classic. Classic berth will have a 60% cut off from the original field. There will be a 1 week off limits for all tournaments. This means the Sunday prior to the tournament is the last day to prefish. All flyer ads need to be confirmed to me by April 1st. This date is a hard date. We need all information by this date in order to get the fliers and banners completed in time. There will be a $500 ad sales incentive that will guarantee you a berth in the Classic. This can be a combination of your membership fee and paid ads. Contact me with any questions. Nick Vawter Teardrop Tournament Director nickvawter@gmail.com 616-403-6900

THE PREPAY AMOUNT IS $480/6 LAKES. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE YOUR $100/PERSON MEMBERSHIP FEE WHICH IS DUE IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED 2 PAID ADS.

ADS NEED TO BE SUBMITTED BY MAY 1st FOR PRINTING.

REGARDING THE HOST TOURNAMENT ONLY 1 TEARDROP MEMBER WILL BE ALLOWED PER BOAT FISHING THE HOST TOURNAMENT.

MEMBERSHIP FEE: *$100/PERSON/YEAR.
*FEES WAIVED WITH ANY PAID FLYER AD, EXCLUDES COMPED ADS.

CLASSIC DUES:
*$50/BOAT. MUST BE PAID BY ANY AND ALL BOATS FISHING.

TOURNAMENT FEE: $80/EVENT

PAID PLACES:

12 BOATS AND UNDER 1ST = 60% 2ND = 30% 3RD = 10%
13 - 15 BOATS 1ST = 55% 2ND = 25% 3RD = 12% 4TH = 8%

16 BOATS + 1ST = 50% 2ND = 22.5% 3RD = 15% 4TH = 7.5% 5TH = 5%

ALL EVENTS BIG BASS = $10/BOAT 2ND BIG BASS = $5/BOAT

FISHING THE CLASSIC FOR THE JACKPOT:
*IF THERE IS A TIE IN AOY POINTS WHOEVER HAD THE HIGHEST TOTAL ACCUMULATED WEIGHT DURING THE REGULAR SEASON WILL BE THE TIE BREAK WINNER.
*TO FISH IN THE CLASSIC YOU MUST FISH AT LEAST 5 OF THE 6 REGULAR EVENTS, AND PAY THE ENTRY FEE FOR 6 TOTAL TOURNAMENTS. ANY BOAT THAT MISSES A REGULAR EVENT AND PAYS THEIR ENTRY FEE WILL RECEIVE LAST PLACE POINTS.

Tournament Rules

1. All tournaments will begin at 6:30am and will end at 2:30pm. There is a mandatory pre-tournament meeting at 6:00am.
2. All boats used in the tournament are required to carry owner’s liability insurance and a copy of the policy must be turned in with your membership entry form.
3. Membership Dues: $100/person/season. Fees can be waived for an individual if they have secured a paid Sponsor ad. Fees can be waived for a team with 2 paid sponsor ads, or 1 paid Host ad. Excludes Comped Ads.

4. Classic Dues: $50/boat and must be paid prior to the first tournament. In order to have a sub for the classic, the angler substituting must have fished at least one Tear Drop tournament during the current season. There is one exception: the Classic sub may be an immediate family member (husband, wife, son, daughter, father, mother or grandparent. The immediate family member subbing will need to pay the Tear Drop membership fee. Classic take off positions: Day one - Boats will take off in the order of AOY positions. Day two - Boats will take off in reverse order from Day 1.

5. Angler of the Year: If there is a tie in Classic Points at the end of the regular season, whoever had the highest total weight accumulated during the regular season would be the AOY tie break winner. You will receive 10 show up points at each lake. To fish in the Classic you must fish at least 5 of the 6 events and pay for the entry fee for the missed tournament. Any boat that misses a regular event and pays their entry fee will receive last place points.

6. All tournaments are catch and release. Only largemouth and smallmouth bass will be used for weighed amount.

7. Each contestant must report in at the end of each tournament. If you leave during the tournament hours, you must report to the tournament director or at least 1 other boat whom will report in for you.

8. Safe boating must be observed at all times. Flotation devices must be provided for each person in the boat per Coast Guard regulations. Life vests must be worn when propelled by the gas motor. Kill switch cords must be used. No platforms, you must fish from boats original manufactured deck.

9. At the start of every tournament, you must line up by your numbered take off position; you must be well past the starter boat, before leaving an idle speed.

10. While fishing, no boat shall fish closer than 100 feet. The intent here is to be further than casting distance away. If you can cast to the other anglers boat you are too close.

11. Only one fishing rod, casting or spinning may be in the water and used at one time, per angler. No trolling allowed. All boats must have a live well. No stringers or baskets. Every attempt must be made for a live release. No live bait, artificial only.

12. There is a 5 fish limit. You must cull to a 5 fish limit on the water and not at the dock or you will be disqualified. You may not have more than 5 fish in the live well at any given time. All bass must measure at least 14 inches at weigh in. Eight ounces will be deducted from the boats total weight for each short fish. Anglers will have their fish bumped before each weigh in. Fish will be measured with mouths closed.

13. Eight ounces will be deducted from your boats total weight for each dead fish brought in. If your biggest fish is dead, your eight ounces will be deducted from that fish. No more than 2 dead fish per team per tournament. You may not weigh in more than 6 dead fish over the course of the entire tournament series. Classic teams will be allowed 2 dead fish per day.

14. All ties in total weight will be decided by who had the largest fish. Teams are responsible for weighing their largest fish. One fish qualifies as big fish for tournament big bass pots.

15. No drugs or alcoholic beverages are allowed before or during the tournament. A tournament day ends after all fish are weighed in.

16. Any contestant that is late for weigh in will lose 8 oz. per minute, except when assisting a disabled boat. Make sure you have tournament directors cell phone number to notify of any problems that arise. Nick Vawter 616-403-6900.

17. No contestant shall leave the boat at any time expect in case of emergency, illness, or inclement weather.

18. In case of lightening or severe weather, you are expected to take necessary and appropriate shelter immediately.

19. Any partners that dissolve their partnership will split their total points to that point. If newly formed partners want to continue to fish for the jackpot, the new partner will pay the Jackpot fee of $25 and membership fees.

20. Off Limits: For the 6 regular scheduled tournaments the off limits will start Monday preceding the Sunday tournament, last day to fish will be the Sunday 1 week prior to . The Classic lakes off limits will begin the Monday before the Classic starts, or essentially the last day to pre-fish will be the Sunday before.

21. For lakes that are connected to lake Michigan your boat shall not pass the tips of the pier heads (or cross an imaginary line from the tips of the north and south pier heads). On Manistee Lake when going up the river your boat shall not pass the M55 bridge.

22. If you are ticketed on the water, you must inform the tournament director before the weigh in begins. It will be the director’s decision if you will be disqualified or not. The director and four club members will discuss the infraction and vote on the disqualification.

23 Please be aware that the tournament director and weigh masters boats need to be the first boats out of the water at the end of each tournament. Any discrepancies concerning the tournament will be decided by the tournament director and four anglers designated by the director. Any protest must be made before the end of the tournaments weigh in.