Rules
2012 Tournament Rules
• Entrants may register in either the BOAT, SHORE or YOUTH division when signing up for the tournament. For the duration of the tournament, an entrant can only weigh in fish for the division in which he/she is registered, unless an additional fee has been paid to register the angler for both the BOAT and SHORE divisions. However all rules (eg. 1 fish per week) still apply.
• Entrants must declare either a club affiliation or no affiliation at registration or before the start of the Tournament (May 1, 2012).
• Adult Division is open to adults using any type of non-electric rod and reel including fly rods. Junior Division is open to persons who have not reached their 17th birthday on the opening day of the Tournament. Junior entrants are eligible for Junior prizes only.
• The Tournament opens at 12:01am May 1, 2012. All fish must be weighed in by 6:00 pm September 16, 2012. A competitor must be registered in the Tournament 1 day before commencing to fish. Entry Fees may be paid by credit card, cash or personal check. (A $25 service charge for returned checks must be paid in cash along with the Entry Fee. Failure to do so will disqualify the entrant and require forfeiture of any prizes.)
• From the moment a fish strikes or takes bait or lure, the angler must hook, fight and land or boat the fish without the aid of any other person except that another person may grasp the leader in order to gaff or net the fish. Participants must comply with all state and federal laws governing the catch of eligible species.
• The fishing method known as yo-yoing, including any method that uses weights inserted into a bait and not attached to the angler’s line, is not permitted in the Striper Cup.
• Anglers are allowed to enter and weigh only one (1) fish per week. If an angler weighs more than one fish, all fish entered that week will be disqualified. Fish must be at least 36 inches in length and weighed at a registered weigh station sanctioned by the tournament. At the time of weigh-in, the fisherman must present proper identification and provide the Weigh-Master with full and certified information relating to the catch. By signing the weigh-in slip, the fisherman attests to all information given.
• Any inorganic item(s) including, but not limited to, fishing tackle, wire, rocks, and rope found to be attached to a fish or inside a fish’s mouth when a fish is caught shall be removed by the angler prior to weigh-in. Weigh stations and Tournament officials reserve the right to cut open and inspect fish at their discretion. If any inorganic material is not visible to the angler and is discovered when the fish is opened, this material shall be examined by the Tournament Committee and, if deemed to be inside the fish prior to it being caught by the angler weighing it in, the weight of such inorganic item(s) shall be deducted from the official weight of the fish. If, however, the Tournament Committee deems that the inorganic material was intentionally introduced to the fish after that fish was caught and prior to the weighing of that fish, additional action may be taken including, but not limited to, the disqualification of the fish and angler.
• Weekly awards will be given to the largest fish each week. Weeks follow a Monday to Sunday format. In the event of a tie in weekly or monthly awards, the first fish of record (first fish weighed in) will receive the prize.
• An individual can win only one monthly prize and only three weekly prizes. In the event that a participant wins a second month, the prizes and chance at the drawing will go to the second place angler for that month. In the event that an angler wins a fourth weekly prize, the prizes will go to the second place angler for that week.
• For Team competition, only the two largest fish from an individual angler may count toward a club’s total points. Fish caught by anglers registered in the shore division will be multiplied by a factor of 1.18.
• For the angler of the year competition, in the case of a tie in accumulated weight, the largest fish weighed in will determine the winner. If there is still a tie, the contestant’s 2nd largest fish will be used as a determinant. The process will continue in that manner until a winner is determined.
• All registered adult participants in attendance at StriperFest 2012 will be eligible to enter the drawing for the Hydra Sports boat.
• Any prize won by a minor will be awarded to minor’s parent or legal guardian named at the time of entry. Prize recipients are responsible for payment of all applicable state and federal taxes on awards. Weekly prizes not collected at StriperFest will be subject to shipping and handling charges. Prizes not claimed by December 31, 2011 will be forfeited.
• On The Water reserves the right to use a contestant’s image and likeness for all promotional purposes. By submitting an image, you grant On The Water a nonexclusive right, in perpetuity, to publish the images for On The Water’s purposes in any format, including in publications and on the website.
• CATCH and RELEASE -Monthly winners and Angler of the Year are determined by length measurement. Fish should be measured from the tip of the snout or jaw (mouth closed) to the farthest extremity of the tail. For pounder pins, please estimate weight with a handheld scale or by measuring for length and girth and converted to pounds using the formula Girth x Girth x Length/800. Please submit a photo of each released fish that allows for a reasonable approximation of the fish’s size. Fish caught and released by registered participants can be entered for pounder pins and catch-and-release class prizes only. Catch-and-release fish are not eligible for boat, shore or youth division prizes or trophies, or team points. Catch-and-release fish do not count against your one-fish-per-week limit and can be submitted for fish caught outside of a participant’s registered division. You may submit up to a total of ten (10) submissions over the course of the tournament. Striper Cup participants are eligible to participate in the Catch and Release Photo Contest.
• The On The Water Tournament Committee retains sole discretion to determine the winners, to award prizes, and to resolve disagreements or disputes between and among participants in accordance with the rules of the Tournament. The Committee may disqualify from the tournament and/or from any or all future Striper Cup Tournaments, any person or persons who falsify information, violate the tournament rules, act in an unsportsmanlike manner, or falsely testify for or against any person. Any party aggrieved by a decision of the On The Water Tournament Committee must present a written grievance, signed by the party, to the On The Water Tournament Committee within 48 hours of the decision being challenged. The Committee will investigate all grievances and may conduct a hearing to resolve the grievance. It may call witnesses, question the party involved in the incident giving rise to the grievance and, if necessary, have any and all persons involved or with knowledge of the incident submit to a polygraph test. The Committee’s decision to uphold, deny or make any ruling regarding a grievance shall be definitive and final. In no event shall any participant aggrieved by the Committee’s decision on a grievance have the right to assert a claim against or otherwise challenge the decision of the Committee or any member of the Committee in a court of law or other forum. On The Water reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal value.
Download a Catch and Release form
CATCH and RELEASE PHOTO CONTEST
Striper Cup participants are eligible to participate in the Catch and Release Photo Contest.
SUBMITTING PHOTOS
Individual photos should be submitted by email to stripercup@onthewater.com with the subject “Catch and Release Contest.” Please include in the email the angler’s name and address, the photographer’s name and contact information (if applicable), and the length and estimated weight of the fish as recorded on the official Catch And Release Striper Cup form. The fish in the photo must have been caught by a registered participant in the Striper Cup, and an eligible, signed Catch and Release form must be submitted by mail to accompany every photo entry. If the angler is not also the photographer, we assume that by entering the photograph that the photographer has granted permission for the photograph to be entered in the contest.
PRIZES
One (1) grand prize winner will receive an original, hand-carved, hand-painted striped bass by Strong Woodcarving
ELIGIBILITY and JUDGING
Entries may originate in any format, so long as they are submitted electronically. Five eligible photos will be selected from the entries by a panel of On The Water staff members familiar with photography and responsible for selecting images for On The Water magazine. Images will be judged on composition, overall impact and size of the fish. Minor digital enhancement is permitted, but images that have been significantly modified or appear unnatural will be disqualified. The Grand Prize Striper Cup Catch and Release Photo Contest winner will be selected through a public voting process hosted at OnTheWater.com beginning September 17, 2012. Winner will be announced at the StriperFest on September 29, 2012.
DEADLINE
Entries must be received via email before 5 p.m. on the first of the month to be considered for the month prior. Deadline for submitting entries is 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time on September 16, 2012. Finalists will be announced on or before September 29, 2012. Public voting for the Grand Prize Winner will be held for a period to begin no earlier than September 17, 2012 and to end no later than September 22, 2012. The Grand Prize Winner will be announced on or before September 29, 2011. On The Water reserves the right to adjust any deadline(s) as the result of causes beyond its immediate control.
YOUR RIGHTS
You will retain all rights to any photograph you submit – including ownership if applicable. If your image is selected as a finalist or winner of the competition, you grant On The Water a nonexclusive right, in perpetuity, to: publish the images for On The Water’s purposes in any format, including in publications and on the website; use, in connection with the Photo Contest, your name, city, state and country of residence in promotions and other publications. As conditions of this permission, On The Water shall credit all photographs with the caption “Photographer’s Name” when the full name is available.
• On The Water reserves the right to use a contestant’s image and likeness for all promotional purposes.
The On The Water Tournament Committee retains sole discretion to determine the winners, to award prizes, and to resolve disagreements or disputes between and among participants in accordance with the rules of the Tournament. The Committee may disqualify from the tournament and/or from any or all future Striper Cup Tournaments, any person or persons who falsify information, violate the tournament rules, act in an unsportsmanlike manner, or falsely testify for or against any person. Any party aggrieved by a decision of the On The Water Tournament Committee must present a written grievance, signed by the party, to the On The Water Tournament Committee within 48 hours of the decision being challenged. The Committee will investigate all grievances and may conduct a hearing to resolve the grievance. It may call witnesses, question the party involved in the incident giving rise to the grievance and, if necessary, have any and all persons involved or with knowledge of the incident submit to a polygraph test. The Committee’s decision to uphold, deny or make any ruling regarding a grievance shall be definitive and final. In no event shall any participant aggrieved by the Committee’s decision on a grievance have the right to assert a claim against or otherwise challenge the decision of the Committee or any member of the Committee in a court of law or other forum. On The Water reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal value.
