By competing in one (1) or more of the tournaments hosted by the NC Bass Challenge, each angler agrees to abide by and adhere to the below Rules and Regulations. Safety and Good Sportsmanship – It is the goal of Eastern NC Bass Challenge to conduct a safe tournament experience for all participants and other vessels on the water.

1. Tournament participants must abide by all lawful rules of boating and water safety while participating in an Eastern NC Bass Challenge.
2. Blatant and/or careless failure to follow safety rules including horseplay and intentionally putting others at risk will result in disqualification.
3. All participants are expected to conduct themselves and control his/her boat in a manner that promotes safety and reflects favorably on the sport of bass fishing and the Eastern NC Bass Challenge Tournament Trail.
4. To report a violation to the Tournament Director and/or other authorities, provide as much information as possible including photo/videography.

Vessel Qualifications

1. Vessels must be 12 feet or longer.
2. Personal Floatation Devices (PFD) are required for each team member.
3. Kill switches are required.
4. Fuel may be carried only in permanently installed fuel tanks. Angler/Teams may arrange to obtain additional fuel, if necessary, during the tournament.  If team boat runs out of fuel during the tournament, someone may bring fuel to the boat.
5. Vessels must have a live well of some kind to keep fish alive throughout the day.
6. Boaters are required to have an appropriate amount of boat insurance and furnish proof of insurance upon request. We suggest a minimum of $100,000 in coverage.

Angler Responsibilities

1. Ignorance of the law is not excuse. Know and follow the rules of hauling a boat/trailer while on the road.  Know and follow the rules of the water.
2. Know and follow the rules of the NC Bass Challenge tournament rules. If you have questions, please ask.
3. Ensure your vessel is properly insured.
4. Ensure your vessel has aboard all required safety equipment including PFD and kill switches.
5. Ensure that fish are checked during the tournament day to keep them safe and alive.
6. Check in prior to departure for the day even if team does not weigh-in.
7. Always speak highly of the sport of bass fishing and the Eastern NC Bass Challenge Tournament Trail.
8. Have fun!

Tournament Structure

1. Tournaments shall be team-based fishing tournament with 1 to 2 team members per boat.
2. Regular tournaments are “OPEN” tournaments. Anyone can fish at the discretion of the Tournament Director.
3. Anglers may be subjected to a polygraph test at the discretion of the Tournament Director. Failure to comply with a polygraph test will result in a disqualification.
4. All entry frees must be paid prior to blast-off the morning of the tournament.
5. Pre-payment is accepted for any tournament.
6. Blast-off position is determined by order of registration and payment of entry fee.

Team Definition and Requirements

1. A team will consist of one (1) or two (2) anglers.
2. Anglers must establish his/her partner by the third tournament of the season. If an angler has not established his/her partner within this time frame, the angler will be required to fish alone in the Team Points Championship.
3. A team may have two (2) substitutes per year.
4. If an angler is fishing alone, he/she is not allowed any substitutes.

Tournament Times

1. Regular Season – Safelight to 3:00pm
2. Championship Tournament – Safelight to 3:00pm
3. Tournament Director reserves the right to alter tournament times due to weather, size of tournament or any other reason deemed necessary. Anglers will be notified of changes.
4. Anglers will obtain a minimum of 8 hours of fishing time unless unforseen circumstances occur such as weather delays, fog delays, etc.

Cost and Fees

1. Entry fee payments must be made prior to the tournament date. An angler or team may not back pay for a tournament that has already taken place.  By paying an entry fee and not fishing the tournament, it will be scored as if the team weighed in 0 fish in that specific tournament.
2. Membership fee is $40 per year, per angler. Women, children age 17 or younger, and adults 60 years of age or older will receive a $25 discount off the price of membership fees.
3. $10 of each membership fee will be sent to B.A.S.S. This fee is required for the tournament trail to be affiliated with B.A.S.S.
4. Regular season tournaments will have a required $100 entry fee.
5. The Championship Tournament will have a required $135 entry fee.
6. A $5 fee will be added to each tournament entry fee (excluding the Championship). This fee will go towards our Championship fund to increase the 1st place payouts at the Championship tournament.

Payment Options

1. Pre-payment can be made via PayPal or credit card transactions through ncbasschallenge.com.
2. Pre-payment can be made via check or cash through an in-person arrangement with the Tournament Director.
3. In-person payments may be made with cash, Venmo, PayPal, or Cash App.

Fish Limit and Requirements

1. Only artificial lures may be used. Live bait usage will result in disqualification.
2. All fish must be caught in a legal sporting manner.
3. There is a five (5) fish limit per boat. You are expected to cull immediately after catching your 6th fish.
4. All fish must be 14 inches on a golden rule unless state laws differ. The tournament director will announce fish size limits before blast off. The tournament director reserves the right to change the fish size limits based on the legal limits on the body of water.
5. There will be a .25 lb. penalty for each dead fish weighed in.
6. There will be a 1 lb. penalty for attempting to weigh in a fish that is shorter than the required length. Courtesy measurements are allowed but an angler must make the request. If an angler fails to request a measurement for a short fish then the 1 pound penalty will be enforced.

Blast-off and Weigh-in

1. Morning Blast-off will be held at the designated landing for each specific tournament. Ensure your team has checked in at the registration desk, paid all fees, and had live-well checked.
2. Afternoon Weigh-in will be held at the designated landing for each specific tournament. Ensure your team checks in with designated person before or at the specified weigh-in time.  Check in before departure even if you do not weigh-in.
3. Five (5) minutes late for weigh-in will result in disqualification.

Payout and Prize Structure

1. Payout schedule for all tournaments, including the Championship, will be based on the number of boats – one (1) place for every six (6) boats for standard/regular season tournaments and one (1) place for every ten (10) boats for the Championship.
2. The Tournament director holds the right to modify the payout structure.
3. Tie breaking procedures will be as follows: Total Weight > Total Fish > Big Fish > Split Pot
4. All tournaments on the Eastern NC Bass Challenge Schedule will be counted toward teams point standings. There will be no drops when calculating total points standing.
5. Accumulating Points will be based on a team’s tournament finish. First Place will be 250 points, Second Place will be awarded 249 points, etc.  If a team is unable to participate in a specific tournament, the team may pay the entry fee for that tournament and receive last place points towards their point standings.
6. Teams Points Champions Prizes and Awards – First Place Team receives a cash prize and 2 plaques, Blast off position number one (1) for the Championship Tournament. All other winners receive a cash prize. The tournament director reserves the right to modify these paybacks and rewards.
7. In the event of a tie, prizes and awards will be evenly distributed. There are not tie-breaking procedures for the Team Points Championship.
8. Big Fish Weight – It is the angler and/or team’s responsibility to ask for a big fish to be weighed in and considered for a big fish prize and as a tie-breaker if a tie-breaking procedure is required.

1. An angler must have competed in 4 regular season events to be eligible for our End of Year Championship tournament.
2. An angler may compete in 3 tournaments and pay for a 4th to become eligible for the End of Year Championship tournament.
3. Competing in a NC Bassmaster High School and Junior Series tournament that is hosted and operated by the Eastern NC Bass Challenge will count towards your qualification for the End of Year Championship.

1. To better reward teams finishing near the top of the field for our Championship tournament, payouts will be limited to the top 10 finishing teams regardless of the number of teams participating in the event.

Communications and Updates

1. The Eastern NC Bass Challenge Tournament Trail will provide updates on its website at http://www.NCBassChallenge.com/ . This is the primary source to go to for communications and updates.
2. The Eastern NC Bass Challenge Tournament Trail will provide tournament updates and winner information on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NCBassChallenge/ .
3. The tournament director can be contact anytime during a tournament and other times on telephone (252) 661-5454.