You’ve got to know the game to play the game.
Our fishing tournaments are governed by The Texas High School Bass Association.
The rules seem pretty straightforward but I’m reviewing them one more time, just to be sure. I don’t want to get us disqualified for doing something totally avoidable.
Talking to one of the other Dad’s, on tournament day there can be up to 250 boats participating! Better to understand the rules now than trying to figure them out the day of the tournament.
Here are a few key highlights:
1. No Purchasing Information
Prior to any tournament there is a 5 day “no information” ban.
This means we may not “solicit, purchase, barter or intentionally receive information about locating or catching fish” from anyone other than another competitor in the tournament, including GPS way points.
And we can’t practice with a friend during that 5 days, or hire a guide within 30 days of the event. So no going to my buddy’s place on Sam Rayburn and having him run me around to his best spots!
This rule will be presented as a question on polygraph.
(Yes, winners undergo a polygraph test. It is common in the fishing world apparently.)
What this means for us:
I was looking at a lake breakdown video on YouTube yesterday. The guy was selling waypoint packages for upload into your chart plotter. I guess that’s off the table?
2. Tournament Day Requirements
So how the heck do I figure out where to go on a new body of water?
These all seem obvious, but a few bullet points just to be sure:
- No cell phones (except by the Captain, for emergencies or non-tournament related comms)
- No drones
- No following a non-competitors boat, or “hole sitting”
- No info sharing from non-competitors
- The boat must carry all USCG required safety equipment, subject to inspection
- Maximum speed of 60mph
We can launch the boat early but can’t leave the ramp area until 5am.
What this means for us:
The biggest consideration here is the speed limit.
Most competitors will likely have a bass boat that is capable of running 60mph (and faster!) We will not.
For reasons I’ll get into later, we are buying a bay boat. It will likely run in the mid-40s which means:
- We’ll be slower getting to the spots
- We’ll be slower getting back to weigh in
We won’t be able to go as far or get back as quickly. There are strict cutoff times so this is a real consideration.
We will need to careful plan how we approach the lake on tournament day.
3. Permitted Fishing Methods
This section is really short. It basically just says that:
- We need to use fishing rods
- With a lure in the water
- And can only fish one rod at a time
Trolling is not allowed, and we can only use artificial lures (no live bait), but may use pork trailers.
It also has a note that Alabama, A-Rigs, or Umbrella Rigs may be used.
What this means for us:
Alabama Rig? I looked it up and it is a multi-hooked contraption that mimics a school of baitfish.
It was invented in 2009 by angler Andy Poss who went on to win 19 out of 21 local tournaments with it. Its use exploded and “if you weren’t throwing it, you were not going to win the tournament”, according to pro-angler Alex Davis, who was around during its inception.
It was eventually deemed too good, and banned from use in professional tournaments.
If this is legal for use with THSBA then it seems to me like we should be using it!
4. Fish
The goal is to have five fish at weigh in, and the highest combined total wins.
If you catch five you keep fishing, and try to catch bigger fish to replace your smallest fish – known as a “cull”. There are size minimums for fish length that must be met, and penalties for presenting short fish during weigh in.
Every effort must be made to keep the fish alive. Your boat must have a working live well where they are stored, and dead fish receive a penalty at weigh in.
What this means for us:
Keeping fish alive through proper handling and live well management is important.
Having exactly zero experience with this means I’ve got some research to do.
I plan to start with this resource from BASS.
5. Tournament Structure
THSBA is divided into 9 divisions (we are in the Houston division)
We will have the opportunity to fish a minimum of five tournaments, up to a maximum of eight during the season.
- Five open tournaments
- Regional Championship
- State Championship
- Angler of the Year Championship
To make it to Regionals the team must be in the top 45% of points after the open tournaments.
The top 30% of anglers in the Regional Championship go on to State.
And the top 10 teams from each division (90 teams total!) qualify for the Angler of the Year Championship.
What this means for us:
Being our first year we only have one goal:
Make it to all five open tournaments.
It will be amazing to make it further, but it would be a bonus.
We are here to learn.
The Value of Rules
There are more rules, like the Captain can fish for a side pot but can’t contribute to the teams creel, but I won’t go into them here.
Tournament fishing is an integrity sport. Cheating absolutely happens; from stocking fish in a submerged box, and even using scuba divers to hook fish!
My day job is also an integrity business, and we talk about this all the time. You are only as good as your word, and doing something that calls your integrity into question ONCE will call it into question forever.
This is why we have rules.
Rules level the playing field and theoretically ensure that we all have the same opportunity to succeed, based on the preparation and skills that we bring to the table.
Understanding the rules lets us maximize our effectiveness within their boundaries. This gives us a head start to success.
You can view the entire ruleset here.
Any tips or stories about the ruleset from the experienced tournament anglers?