Get5Bass.com
2009 Summer Series
Official Rules
1. PREFACE-RULES: These rules will remain unchanged during the Get5Bass 2009 Summer Series. Interpretation and
enforcement of the following rules and regulations will be left exclusively to the Tournament Directors (Terrance
Narveson and Frank Leone). Decisions of the Tournament Director and Tournament Officials shall be final in all
matters. PROTESTS MUST BE MADE IN WRITING WITHIN ONE Week of the tournament in question. Rules are in
effect from April 9th, 2009 through October, 2009.
2. ELIGIBILITY: In order to fish the Get5Bass Summer Series, anglers must be members of Get5Bass and abide by
rules of the contest as written.
3. SPORTSMANSHIP: Conservation, care and courtesy must be observed at all times by all contestants. No alcoholic
beverages may be allowed in the boat or used by the competitors during official tournament hours and the weigh-in. No
stimulants, depressants or other drugs (other than those purchased over the counter or prescribed by a physician)
shall be used by any competitor during tournament hours, and the weigh-in.
4. CONSERVATION: All bass to be weighed in must be presented to the director in a weigh-in bag filled with enough
water to sustain the health of the fish through the weigh-in. No team/individual shall possess more than 5 legal bass at
any time (Legal culling is permitted). Possession of more than 5 legal bass will be grounds for expulsion from the
Tournament in question.
5. ETHICS: Contestants/Teams may not “seed” or direct others to “seed” brushpiles, bays, weed edges, bridges,
rockpiles, rip-rap etc. “Seeding” will be defined as the releasing of legal bass in specific areas of the lake with the intent
of catching those fish again during the tournament competition hours. Contestants/Teams may not “bait” or direct
others to “bait” brushpiles, bays, weed edges, bridges, rockpiles, rip-rap etc. Baiting will be defined as “The application
of light, food, dog food, fish food, corn, baitfish, crayfish, frogs, toads, insects, etc. to a specific area of the lake in
order to attract baitfish or legal bass to that area. Normal culling practices are allowed (releasing of smaller fish to
increase weight of bag). Legally fishing in areas known to be tournament release sites is permitted (Except in the State
Park Cove on Lake Dardanelle as defined in rule #7) “Seeding” and “Baiting” will be grounds for expulsion from all
Get5bass Summer Series events.
6. TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT: Only artificial lures may be used. All fish must be caught in a legal sporting manner. No
"live bait" or "prepared bait" will be permitted, with the exception of pork strips, rinds, etc. Only ONE casting, spin-
casting or spinning rod and reel may be used at any one time. All other types prohibited. Other rigs as specified above
may be in boat ready for use; however, only ONE is permitted in use at any given time. Each cast must be completed
before another rod and reel may be used. All bass must be caught live and in a conventional sporting manner. Gaffs
may not be used nor be permitted in the boat at any time. Landing nets may be used. Contestants may not use
electronic "bugging" devices, or chemicals during official competition days on the tournament waters.
7. PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS: Fishing on the tournament waters is permitted anywhere navigable by boat from
the Launch ramp except: within any area designated by state or federal agencies as a "no fishing" area, in the State
Park cove (Lake Dardanelle - Straight line from tip of state park jetty to upstream side of fishing pier), in the State Park
Marina (Lake Dardanelle - Straight line from rock to rock in entrance), and in the ANO outlet (Lake Dardanelle) where
posted. Anglers may not cast to or hold there boats in any area off limits.
8. SPECIAL SITUATIONS: Contestants must not depart the boat to land fish. Contestants must leave and return to the
official checkpoint by boat. Neither competitor may depart the boat except in the case of emergency or toilet break.
9. Cell phones/Marine Radios: A competitor may not use a CB radio, A VHF band marine radio, a cellular phone, or
any other communication device for the purpose of locating or catching fish during the normal tournament hours.
10. SCORING/POSSESSION: Largemouth bass, Spotted (Kentucky) bass and Smallmouth bass will be counted. Five
fish per Boat (only 4 of which may be smallmouth) may be weighed in each day. The official length limit for bass will
depends upon species and lake. Minimum lengths for each lake will be discussed prior to launch. Bass shall be
measured on a flat board with mouth closed and tail pinched. Bass presented for weigh-in which fail to measure the
official length will not be counted and will cause a 1.00 penalty for each such bass presented to be deducted from the
contestant's score. At no time during tournament hours shall a contestant possess more than a 5-fish limit.
11. PENALTY POINTS: For each legal dead bass presented to weigh-in officials, the competitor shall be penalized 0.50
pounds to be deducted from his daily score. The Tournament Director and his designated appointees shall have sole
authority for accessing penalty points
12. LATE PENALTY: Competitors who are not in the official checkpoint area at the appointed time shall be penalized at
the rate of 1 pound per minute to be deducted from the total weight of his catch that day, including any weight to be
counted toward a "Big Bass" award for each 1 minute he/she is late. Any competitor more than 15 minutes late shall
lose all credit for that day's catch.
13. Points Get5Bass Summer Series "Anglers of Year Award": Points will be awarded to each team fishing a Get5Bass
Summer Series event if they weigh a bass. The winning team from each qualifying tournment will receive points based
on the number of boats in the event. For example, if 25 boats fish the winning team will receive 25 points, the second
place team will receive 24 points, etc. A team will be defined as two anglers fishing an event. All Teams are allowed
three substitutions during the 11 qualifying events. The top 10 teams at the end of the 11 event season will receive
free entry into the Get5Bass Summer Series Championship.
14. POLYGRAPH: All contestants in the Get5bass Summer Series are subject to a polygraph test. Failure to submit to
a polygraph test will result in immediate disqualification from all Get5Bass Summer Series events. Any contestant who
fails a polygraph or whose results are found to be inconclusive will be disqualified from the Get5bass Summer Series.
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 Get5Bass Summer Series Events.
15. Live Vests: All Anglers must wear a U.S. Coast Guard Approved flotation device while the boats gasoline motor is
running.