(a) All state, parks and wildlife regulations shall apply at all times.
(b) Contestants must have a valid LA fishing license on their person unless exempt. It will be checked at PSE test.

(c) Each person in the boat must be a paid contestant of this tournament and abide by all tournament rules and regulations.

(d) Non-contestants are not allowed in paid contestants' boats at any time during official tournament hours.
(e) All bass caught by contestants fishing together will be disqualified if any of the contestants are found to be in violation of any tournament rules and regulations.

(f) Any contestant found to be in violation of any tournament rules and regulations will be disqualified from this tournament and may be disqualified from all future tournaments.

(g) Tournament officials have the right to refuse ANY entry.
(h) Participants under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or adult with written parental permission at registration.

REGISTRATION AND ENTRY FEE

(a) Entry fee must be paid before fishing.
(b) No refund or substitution of entry fee for any reason.
(c) The McDonalds Challenge is a mini-tournament within the main tournament. It is open to all two-day registrants whether an individual or an organization. The cost of entering the Challenge is an additional $20 added to the two-day rate. The largest Bass caught by a Challenge entrant will be awarded a cash prize. This may or may not be the largest Bass caught in the main tournament.

(d) ENTRY FEE WILL BE $85 PER DAY FISHED, $150 FOR TWO DAYS, OR $170 FOR MCDONALD'S CHALLENGE IF POST MARKED BY MAY 9TH 2009. ENTRIES POSTMARKED OR RECEIVED AFTER SATURDAY, MAY 9TH WILL BE $95 PER DAY FISHED, $170 FOR TWO DAYS, OR $190 FOR McDONALD'S CHALLENGE. REGISTER AT ANY AUTHORIZED REGISTRATION SITE, THE RONALD McDONALD HOUSE OR ONLINE.

(e) Registration will be held at the Ike Hamilton Expo Center on Thursday, May 15th (10am to 7pm), Friday, May 16th (9am to 7pm), and Saturday & Sunday, May 16th & 17th prior to the start time for that day. Beginning Thusday May 15th, registration will only be accepted at the Ike Hamilton Expo Center.

SAFETY (THE FOLLOWING IS MANDATORY)

(a) All boats must be equipped with some type of emergency ignition cut-off device (kill switch) on any remote steered outboard while the engine is in use. Ignition cut-off device (kill switch) must operate properly; which means when the kill switch is activated the outboard main engine must stop running immediately. The ignition cut-off device (kill switch) must be attached to boat operator at all times while the outboard main engine is in use. Kill switches not required on hand operated engines, unless factory equipped.

(b) Boat operator must show proof of valid registration.
(c) U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets are required for each person on board. Life jackets must be worn and fastened while main engine is in use.

(d) No boat shall be overpowered, i.e. have a motor of higher horsepower than approved Coast Guard Maximum.
(e) The tournament will be held regardless or weather. (Should conditions threaten safety, please use caution.)
(f) The above mentioned rules are for your own safety.
(g) No alcohol or illegal drugs allowed during tournament hours.

PERMITTED FISHING AREAS AND HOURS

(a) Fish must be caught, from a boat, on the Ouachita River and any tributary accessible by boat on Saturday or Sunday between one half hour before official sunrise and 3pm. Official weigh-in time both Saturday and Sunday begins at 7am and ends at 3pm. All fish must be weighed in on the same day caught.

(b) You may fish from mile marker 1 south on the Ouachita River to Lake DeGray dam on any water accessible by the boat in which you are fishing during the tournament from the Ouachita River between those two points. YOU MAY NOT FISH WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FELSENTHAL NATIONAL WILDLIFE RESERVE.

(c) You may launch into any water accessible by boat from the Ouachita River within the designated fishing boundaries.

(d) No fishing is allowed within 50 yards of a marina gas pump, or another boat which is tied or anchored with trolling motor out of water unless permission is granted by the contestant in the other boat.

(e) AT NO TIME MAY YOU LEAVE YOUR BOAT TO ASSIST IN ACCESSING WATER OR TO RETRIEVE A FISH. ALL FISH MUST BE CAUGHT FROM A BOAT.

(f) Only one boat can be used during the tournament (you cannot pull a boat behind another then switch).
(g) Official clock and official start/stop times will be determined by tournament's official radio station KJLO/104.1 FM.

TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT

(a) All bass must be caught on artificial bait utilizing a rod and reel. No trolling with big motor. Only one rod may be used at any one time by contestant. Other rods may be in the boat for substitute purposes.

(b) Bass may be caught from legal motorized boat or other non-motorized water craft.
(c) No electronic tracking devices (implanted microchips) may be used to locate fish for tournament purposes (depth-finders and graph charts are the only exceptions).

WEIGH-IN SPORTSMANSHIP AND CONSERVATION

(a) Sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation are expected from every participant.
(b) All bass weighed in will become the property of the tournament and will be released back into the river live if possible.

(c) Fish may be transported to the weigh-in site by any method possible. However, fish must be alive, as determined by the tournament weigh master, to be weighed.

(d) For conservation reasons, all bass brought to official weigh-in station must be in a weigh-in bag with water.
(e) No contestant may win more than one place per official tournament hour. More than one bass per weigh-in bag is prohibited unless one is for the dink division. Bass entered in the Big Bass of The Hour contest do not carry forward from hour to hour.

(f) Bass must be weighed in by the contestant who originally caught the bass and it must be in said contestant's actual physical possession in the weigh-in line when said contestant declares ready to weigh. The last official weigh-in will end both Saturday and Sunday at 3pm. You must be in weigh-in line before 3pm.

(g) Any artificially-weighted or preserved bass will be disqualified and that contestant will be subject to prosecution under federal law.

(h) Any questionable entry will be subject to inspection by a marine biologist or similarly qualified expert from the Department of Wildlife & Fisheries or tournament director.

(i) Minimal length of bass to be weighed is 12 inches. Official measuring board is the Bingham Check-It-Stick (Flat Board).

(j) This is a BIG BASS tournament (one bass). Only largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky spotted bass (black bass) will be weighed in.

(k) NO CONTESTANT MAY HAVE MORE THAN TWO BASS IN POSSESSION AT ANY TIME DURING OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT HOURS. THIS IS A MANDATORY CATCH AND RELEASE PROGRAM DURING OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT HOURS. ALL BASS WILL BE RELEASED BACK INTO TOURNAMENT WATER WHEN TOURNAMENT IS OFFICIALLY OVER EACH DAY.

(i) In case of ties, order in which fish are weighed will determine standing(s).

PSE

(a) PSE test will be given to each hourly winner plus one other hourly runner-up.
(b) Each contestant, by signing the entry form agrees to submit to a "PSE" test.
(c) After weighing a fish that placed in the current hour top ten, fisherman must stay under PSE tent until the hour is up or fish is bumped out of top ten.

(d) Any contestant determined by the "PSE" examination or other tournament officials to be intoxicated or on any type of illegal drugs at the time said contestant is required to take the "PSE" examination, or in violation of tournament rules, will be disqualified for this and all future tournaments.

(e) Any contestant found to be in possession of any illegal substance will be subject to disqualification and prosecution.

EXACT WEIGHT FISH

The First Exact "6.00" lb. Bass weighed in at the tournament will receive a Toyota Tacoma Crew Cab Truck

BOAT INSPECTION

(a) All contestants, by entering this tournament, hereby agree that their boat may be boarded and inspected by tournament officials at any time during the tournament, to include but not limited to, their boat, registration, Coast Guard horsepower rating plate and boat contents to include rod boxes, closed storage departments, tackle box, life jackets, PFDs and safety equipment.