PUERTO LOS CABOS BILLFISH CLASSIC
OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT RULES
CASH PRIZESThe tournament utilizes a modified release format and has two non-optional Tournament Cash Prize Divisions and two Optional Daily Jackpot Divisions as described herein. Winners will be awarded their cash prizes based on the percentages as outlined. A single team can claim only one of the "cash prize places" in each of the non-optional Tournament Cash Prize Divisions. All Daily Billfish Jackpot winners will be based solely on the rules of the Billfish Division. In the event of a tie, places involved will divide prizes evenly. Mexico has federal and state taxes much like the U.S. Taxes are required and will be withheld from all cash prizes paid.
TOURNAMENT CASH PRIZE CATEGORIES
Billfish Division; Most Overall Points: 1st place team* 27% of total entry fees; 2nd place team* 13% of total entry fees; 3rd place team 6% of total entry fees. Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Swordfish, Striped Marlin, Spearfish and Sailfish are eligible. The minimum weight for Blue and Black Marlin has been established initially at 300 pounds and a Swordfish at 150 pounds. The minimum marlin and swordfish weight could be adjusted after reviewing fishing conditions and catches a few weeks prior to the tournament. All Sailfish and Striped Marlin are required to be released. Scoring of points by teams will be determined based on the following formula. For a boated marlin over the minimum weight, the team will receive three points per pound for the minimum weight plus five points per pound for each pound over the minimum. Example: a 350-pound Blue or Black Marlin would be worth 900 + 250 = 1,150 points. We have placed a premium for a boated Swordfish over the minimum weight, the team will receive four points per pound for the minimum weight plus seven points per pound for each pound over the minimum. Example: a 250-pound Swordfish would be worth 600 + 700 = 1,300 points. Any Swordfish or billfish brought back to the scales weighing less than the minimum weight will result in a penalty of 150 points plus three points for each pound below minimum weight and the fish will be disqualified. Any fish brought to the weigh station may have its mouth taped close. However, once the weighmaster has raised the fish the team captain will be required to remove whatever is sealing the mouth closed (tape, string, etc.), and clip any external leader material to the outer edge of the mouth. Except for artificial lures, nothing will be pulled from the fish’s mouth; however, whatever falls from the fish due to gravity will remain out when determining the fish’s weight. Without exception, all boated fish must be weighed. Failure to weigh a boated fish will result in tournament disqualification and forfeiture of any previous points, prizes and daily jackpots. A released billfish (Blue, Black, Swordfish, Striped Marlin, Spearfish or Sailfish) is worth 100 points per fish. An official release occurs when the leader or swivel reaches the rod tip or when the leader is grabbed by the mate or a team member. This will be witnessed and verified by the observer if one has been assigned. It is mandatory that the team photograph the release of the fish with a TEAM SUPPLIED DIGITAL CAMERA or the team does not earn the 100 points for the release. NO FILM – NO POINTS. The fish does not have to be tagged to be counted as a released fish but the team must cut the leader as close to the hook as possible and try to revive the fish if needed. Any ties resulting from tournament scoring practices will be decided (broken) based on the earliest time of day the teams involved reached their respective point totals. The team which reached their point total first shall be declared the winner.
Special Note: *The 1st and 2nd place teams will earn a free entry and join up to 10 other teams at the Guaranteed $250,000 winner-take-all, made for television, IGT Grand Championship Event in December of 2008.
Gamefish Division; Heaviest Fish over 30 lbs: 1st place team 6% of total entry fees; 2nd place team 3% of total entry fees. Eligible species include Dorado, Tuna and Wahoo only. Each team may enter the official weight of their catch in this division on a daily basis. The two heaviest catches recorded during the three days of fishing will win. A single team can claim only one of the Tournament’s 1st or 2nd Place Cash Prize Places. All IGT Tournament, Angling and Equipment rules apply to the Gamefish Division.
Optional Daily Billfish and Gamefish Jackpots: All Optional Daily Jackpots are paid on a winner-take-all basis, with 85% of the Daily Jackpots entry fees being paid back to the winners. All Daily Jackpot prizes will roll forward and backward if there are no winners on one or more days by a Daily Billfish Jackpot or Daily Gamefish Jackpot entrant. Example: If on the second day of fishing no qualifying fish are weighed, or released to claim one or more of the Daily Jackpots then the prize or prizes will roll forward to the third day and will be added to that days respective Daily Jackpot prizes. If the Daily Jackpot prizes are claimed on the first and second day of the Tournament but not the third day, the prizes will roll backward to the team which scored the most points on the first or second day. The same roll forward and backward rule applies to the Daily Gamefish Jackpot as well. Once a Daily Jackpot prize has been earned it can not be lost for assessed penalty points for weighing an undersize fish on a different day. However, a team which weighs a qualifying fish and an undersized fish on the same day shall have any penalty points deducted from the weight of their qualifying fish in determining any Optional Daily Jackpot winnings on that day. All Billfish Division rules and scoring apply to the Optional Daily Billfish Jackpots.
MANDATORY Circle hook required for the Puerto Los Cabos Billfish Classic.
Circle hooks are mandatory for the Puerto Los Cabos Billfish Classics. The size of the circle hook is at the discretion of the team and the team’s captain. The circle hook must also be designated by the manufacturer as a non offset hook. Any live or dead bait must be rigged with a circle hook. Only artificial baits and lures are allowed to use “J” hooks. All IGT tackle and equipment rules apply.
SPECIAL BILLFISH RULES
Current Mexican fishing regulations allow one billfish per angler per day. If there were 6 anglers on a boat, Mexican Regulations would allow the taking of six billfish per day. ONLY TWO BOATED BILLFISH PER DAY, PER BOAT, IS PERMITTED IN ANY IGT TOURNAMENT. There is a weigh-in deadline of 6:30 p.m. each day (5:30) p.m. on the last day of fishing). The rod, reel, line, lure, gaff, and leader with hook(s) must be presented to the tournament judges for inspection at the weigh station during time of weigh-in. Failure to do so will result in disqualification of the fish.
NO DUAL START
There will be no dual start for this Tournament. Puerto Los Cabos will have temporary slips available for those Tournament boats that would like one. ALL TEAMS must start from the new Puerto Los Cabos Marina (PLC). ALL TEAMS are required to have their boat inspected at the main fuel dock prior to proceeding to the start line. We will be checking each morning for the number of people on board and the 40 piece limitation on the number of live baits. We will also at this time load your Special Observer if assigned. Cabo Harbor boats can leave the entrance at the Cabo Harbor to proceed to the Puerto Los Cabos main fuel dock as early as 6:00 A.M. Entrance is defined as the plane between the red and green navigation lights. There will be a Tournament Official observing the entrance each day.
LIVE BAIT LIMITATION
The Tournament has established a 40 piece maximum live bait limitation for all teams. The maximum number of live baits a team can leave the start line with is 40 each day. IGT reserves the right to inspect any or all of the team boats prior to the start of each days fishing. Teams are not allowed to replenish their live bait supply at any time during fishing hours. A maximum of 40 live baits is all the team has to work with during tournament hours. Failure to follow this rule will disqualify the team for that fishing day. You can not make additional bait from start fishing to stop fishing each of the three days of fishing. There is no limitation on the number of dead baits a team can leave the starting line with.
GENERAL RULES
A team shall consist of one to four team members with one team member designated as the team captain. No more than six persons are allowed on a tournament boat at any time during tournament fishing hours. Only four anglers may be active at any time. Only one angler change per day is permitted. Angler changes will be recorded by and documented by the team's onboard observer if one has been assigned, or by contacting tournament control by VHF radio. Team captains will be responsible for all correspondence and payments to the Puerto Los Cabos Billfish Classic and distribution of all prize money to their team. A grid map will be provided to all team captains. Tournament Control shall be notified immediately by radio when a fish is hooked-up and then again when it has been released, lost, or boated. The team must indicate their location according to the grid map, name of the angler and the type of fish hooked, (not required on Gamefish). If tournament control has been notified at the time of hook-up, any fish hooked prior to the "stop fishing" time may be played until boated, lost or released but the team still must be back inside the Harbor before each day’s deadline. Tournament Control will conduct a roll call each day at 12 noon. Each team, without exception, must report its position according to the grid map, any fish on-board and/or any fish released when called by Tournament Control. Tournament Control can ask for your GPS location at its sole discretion. Any misrepresentation on the team's signed entry form, signed release or weigh master affidavits, or violation of any tournament rule will be cause for disqualification and forfeiture of any prize money and merchandise won in the tournament. Decisions by the Rules Committee of the Puerto Los Cabos Billfish Classic, on any question of tournament rules or interpretation, shall be final. Tournament boats shall be required to have a VHF radio in good working order for communication purposes. Radio silence must be observed, unless there is an emergency or a hookup, during the last 30 minutes prior to stop fishing. Radio communications between tournament boats will be permitted, but not on the official tournament channel. All boats must fly the official tournament flag during the tournament. Committee boats, chase boats, aircraft, radio frequency scanning technology, tracking, camera boats, official observers and a marine biologist may be utilized by tournament officials to aid in the enforcement of all tournament rules. All tournament boats are subject to inspection by tournament officials at any time. IGT has a mandatory TV camera rule. IGT reserves the right to place an IGT Special TV Event Camera crew on any tournament boat during tournament fishing hours that IGT decides at its sole discretion.
SPECIAL TOURNAMENT RULES
If there are insufficient numbers of qualifying fish, weighed-in or released, to claim the three Billfish Tournament Cash Prizes, the unclaimed cash prizes will be added to the claimed prizes on a pro-rata basis. If there are insufficient numbers of Gamefish weighed to claim the two Tournament Cash Prizes, the unclaimed cash prizes will be added to the claimed prizes on a pro-rata basis. If no qualifying fish are weighed-in or released during the Tournament, or if weather causes a cancellation, the Tournament will be extended to include Sunday the 11th of May. One day of fishing will constitute a Tournament. If after Sunday, there are any unclaimed Billfish first through third place cash prizes or Gamefish First through second place cash prizes they will be added to and carried forward to next year's respective cash prizes. If after Sunday, there are any unclaimed Optional Daily Billfish Jackpot or Optional Daily Gamefish Jackpot Cash Prizes, the respective Optional Daily Jackpot entry fees will be refunded less the 15% tournament share, which shall be considered earned by the Tournament.
DISQUALIFICATION
The following acts or situations will disqualify a team or its catch:
1. Fishing before "start fishing" or after "stop fishing" will disqualify all fish caught that day.
2. Any foreign substances (for example: lead weights, ice, metal objects, etc.) found inside the fish results in disqualification of the fish.
3. Mutilation of the fish by propellers, sharks or other marine species will disqualify the fish.
4. Teams caught communicating in any manner with spotter planes, non-tournament vessels, or commercial boats during tournament fishing hours will be disqualified. Boats are not allowed to come in contact with or hand off anything to another vessel during fishing hours unless given permission from tournament control. (Exceptions are navigational hazards or any other safety issues.)
5. Only team members shall participate. Any fish boated with non-team member assistance will be disqualified.
6. Any other act not in strict compliance with the intent of the rules set forth herein.
7. Failure to weigh any boated billfish will disqualify the team from the tournament and result in forfeiture of any and all prizes and prize money.
8.The use of firearms is strictly prohibited.
9. Un-sportsmanship conduct can lead up to and include disqualification of a team in the current tournament and all future events. Items such as physical or excessive verbal abuse directed towards any tournament official or participant of the tournament and excessive profanity on the radio are covered under this rule.
CAMERAS
Simply Stated: All Tournament entrants are required to provide their own digital camera(s).
Billfish Division and Optional Daily Billfish Jackpots: Each team is required to provide and use their own digital camera. They are responsible for the operation of this camera and are required to have a backup camera. Each team must take a photo of an object which will be announced by the committee boat or tournament control each morning to initialize their camera for that day’s photos. Teams must take a photo to document each released or any boated Blue Marlin or Swordfish. The photo must conclusively show the release AND the species of the fish. It is your discretion to take one or two photos of the release and fish. If two photos are elected to be taken you must notify and be acknowledged by Tournament Control so the camera sequence can be documented on the Official Radio log. If you are sure you have both the release and the billfish in one photo you will then be required to take a photo of an item to mark the end of that fish’s photo sequence. If multiple fish are released there must be a photograph of an object between each released fish, the items to photograph will be announced and documented by tournament control. Teams that have released or boated a fish must submit their camera and appropriate USB cable at the end of each day’s fishing for examination. The camera is to be submitted with the Official Release Affidavit(s) or the Official Weighmaster Affidavit(s) to the appropriate Tournament Official after stop fishing each day. Cameras will be returned to your boat that same day or early evening. Get acquainted with your camera. Most digital cameras experience “shutter-lag” which is a slight delay from when you press the button to when the photo is actually taken.
Optional Daily Gamefish Jackpots: There is no Tournament requirement to photograph catches and releases in the Optional Daily Gamefish Jackpots.
PROCEDURES
It is the team captain's responsibility at the end of the day to make sure that the appropriate tournament affidavits are correct, properly signed by all team members and a copy, if desired, kept for the team's records. It is the team captain’s responsibility to make sure the team’s digital camera(s) and the appropriate affidavits are turned in each day to the appropriate tournament official before the time deadline for that day.
SCHEDULE
Boats may start their inspection and loading of observers as early as 6:30 a.m. Boats may depart the Puerto Los Cabos marina at 7:00 a.m. to arrive at the official starting line outside Puerto Los Cabos marina entrance. The Tournament will start each day with a team roll call at 7:15 A.M. Each day of fishing will begin with a 7:30 A.M. shotgun start. Teams may not leave the established start line prior to the 7:30 A.M. start time. Boats that have been assigned an observer may not leave the marina without the tournament-authorized observer onboard. Violation of this rule will result in the automatic disqualification of the team. Stop-fishing is at 4:30 P.M. on the first two days of the tournament and at 3 P.M. on the last day of fishing. All boats must be inside the Puerto Los Cabos Marina and checked-in by tournament control by 7:00 P.M. on Thursday and Friday and by 5:30 P.M. on Saturday. Violation of this rule will result in the team's disqualification for that day of fishing.
RULE CHANGE & PROTEST POLICY
If there are any amendments or additions to the tournament rules they will be announced at the mandatory captain's briefing. If there is any disagreement, controversy or necessary clarification of any tournament rule or result, the final irrevocable decision will be made by the tournament’s rules committee. The violation of any of the rules may result in the automatic disqualification of both the angler and the team unless otherwise noted. All competitors’ protests, if any, must be submitted in writing, accompanied by $300 in cash, by the team captain on the same day that the situation generating the protest occurred. If the team wins the protest they will be refunded the $300 and if they lose the protest the money will be donated to a local charity. Protest regarding weight of a fish must be made before the fish is removed from the scales. It is expressly understood that these protest rules relate to team protests and do not limit the time the tournament has to enforce tournament rules and regulations.
OBSERVER RULES & POLICIES
On the 2nd and 3rd day of fishing, teams that are in 1st through 5th place in the Billfish Division, 1st and 2nd in the Gamefish Division, or any team claiming prize money on the 1st or 2nd day in the Optional Daily Jackpots will have an official International Gamefish Tournaments Special observer on-board for the day. Last year's 1st through 5th place teams, if entered again this year, will also have an official IGT Special observer on-board for Thursday, the first day of fishing.
MANDATORY & RANDOM BOAT INSPECTIONS
As stated earlier, all tournament boats are subject to inspection at any time by tournament officials. In addition to random inspections each day, each team that finds themselves in 1st through 4th place will automatically be inspected each morning before start fishing.
POLYGRAPH POLICY
At the sole discretion of the Puerto Los Cabos Billfish Classic, all team captains and team members may be required to take a polygraph test administered by the tournament's independent polygraph contractor. All team captains, and their team members, agree to be bound by this provision and to be subject to the determination of the examiner and abide by the results thereof.
ALL IGT RULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
From time to time it becomes necessary to modify and update our Tournament Rules. The rules posted on our website are to be considered a draft version. We will distribute a final Official version to each team Captain prior to each event. IGT also reserves the right to make changes and modifications at any of the Mandatory Captains meetings proceeding the first day of fishing.
