** PLEASE NOTE WE HAVE MADE A RULE CHANGE THAT ALLOWS ANGLERS TO TRAILER YOUR BOAT. YOU CAN CHECK IN AT SUNDOWNERS AT 5 AM & RETURN TO SUNDOWNERS
BY 5 PM BY CAR OR BOAT.**

CATCH AND RELEASE
The Herman Lucerne Backcountry Fishing Competiton is strictly a catch and release fishing tournament.

LOCATION
Fishing shall be limited to within the boundaries of Everglades National Park. Fishing in the Flamingo Marina is prohibited. The Flamingo Marina shall be defined as the area from the marina to the end of the first minimum wake area on either side of the marina.

ELIGIBLE SPECIES
TARPON, SNOOK, REDFISH, SEATROUT, SNAPPER, BONEFISH and BLACK DRUM.

GENERAL
There will be five overall grand champions; team guided, team non-guided, junior, male and female and six division champions; fly guided, fly non-guided, artificial guided, artificial non-guided, general guided, and general non-guided.

The overall grand champion team or individual shall be the team or individual that accumulates the most total inches of eligible fish. Only the largest fish entered in each of the eligible fish categories shall be used in calculating the total inches. Each fish entered must meet minimum size requirements in accordance with Florida State laws. The length of an eligible fish shall be calculated to the closest l/2 inch, rounded down to the closest inch or l/2 inch. The maximum inches allowed for a tarpon and a snook shall be 36 inches.

To be eligible for overall grand champion, a team or individual must have caught at least four of the seven eligible species.

A guided team or individual shall mean any team or individual who is fishing on a boat with a licensed captain.

For the artificial divisions and bonus points artificial means an angler may only use an artificial lure which must be cast by the angler on a spinning or plug rod and retrieved by the angler’s manual manipulation of the tackle. Trolling by boat is not permitted. Artificial lures may not be sweetened by the addition of any natural bait. Chumming is prohibited.

In the event of a tie, the team that catches the last eligible fish first shall be the winner.

A junior angler is a registered angler who has not reached his or her sixteenth birthday as of September 12 of the tournament year.

The largest eligible fish awards shall be awarded to the anglers who catch the largest eligible fish in each of eight eligible fish divisions. There shall be no maximum lengths for this award.

The top guide award shall be awarded to the licensed captian whose anglers catch the most species of eligible fish in accordance wit the same rules of the overall grand champion. The top guide cannot be registered as an angler.

BONUS
Any team or individual that catches all seven species shall be awarded a bonus of 10 additional inches to the team’s or individual’s total.

BONUS FOR FLY AND ARTIFICIAL DIVISIONS
For the largest fish entered by a team or individual in an eligible fish category, there shall be a bonus awarded for fish caught on fly or artificial. The total inches of a fish caught on fly shall be the total inches of the fish multiplied by 1.5 and for fish caught on artificial the multiplier shall be 1.25. For the largest fish prize no multiplier will apply.

FISHING HOURS
- Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008: 6:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
- Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008: 6:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.

All anglers must sign in each day prior to departure.

Each team must return its camera memory card and catch card to the tournament scorers located at the Sundowner's on Sat., Sept. 13th and Sun., Sept. 14th between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

All measuring devices must be returned with the catch card on Sept. 14th in order  to enter the day’s catches.

TEAM
A team may consist of one to three registered anglers. No one other than a registered angler shall be allowed in a boat, other than a licensed captain or competition committee member or designee. A professional shall be defined as: 1) a licensed captain who has accepted compensation as a captain at any time during the two years preceding the start of this competition; or, 2) an individual who receives a substantial amount of his/her annual income from tournament fishing. The rules committee’s decision as to whether or not an individual is a professional shall be final. Every angler must have a current Florida fishing license, unless exempt by Florida law, or fish on a vessel whose captain has a current boat fishing license. The members of a team may not separate during tournament fishing hours, i.e. all team members must fish on the same boat. Any boat with a professional aboard shall be entered into the guided division(s).

LINE TEST
The maximum line test/tippet allowed shall be 12-lb. test. Line test shall be determined by the line manufactures stated line test.

LEADER
The leader, including double line, shall not exceed the length of the angler’s rod. For anglers fishing with a fly rod, the leader and tippet length shall comply with IGFA rules.

HOOKS
Anglers fishing with bait or fishing with a fly rod must only use single hooks.

RODS
Each angler may only use or work one fishing rod at a time.

IGFA RULES
An angler must hook, fight and bring the fish to the boat unaided by any other person. Gaffing shall not be allowed, except tarpon may be lip gaffed.

All IGFA rules shall apply except leader length and gaffing as specifically stated herein. It is the responsibility of each angler to know, understand and abide by the IGFA and these rules.

PHOTOGRAPHS
Anglers must provide a digital camera with memory card. Each fish entered on a scorecard must be photographed with the camera at the time the fish is caught. The photograph must clearly show the head of the fish against the end of the measuring device and clearly show the entire fish and the total length of the fish, without obstruction of hands or fingers. Tails may be pinched according to Florida state regulations. For fish larger than the measuring device, the photograph must clearly show the total length of the fish on the tournament tape measure. All photos must include the official tournament marker provided.

PROTESTS
A registered angler may protest any other registered angler’s catch by filing a written protest to the tournament committee by 5:00 P.M. of the day of the protested catch. The judge’s committee will settle any protest and their decision will be final.

COMPLIANCE
Each team shall be responsible for accurately and completely filling out and signing the team’s scorecard each day and timely returning the scorecard and tournament camera to the tournament committee boat.

Failure to comply with any rule or regulation of the tournament, or law, rule or regulation of Everglades National Park, may cause the disqualification of an angler or the angler’s catch.

POLYGRAPHS
In consideration of the tournament’s acceptance of an angler entry, each registered angler specifically agrees and consents to voluntarily submit to a polygraph examination or examinations, to be conducted by a polygraph examiner selected by the tournament committee, at any time until all prizewinners and awards are determined and announced. The method and conduct of all polygraph examinations, and the interpretation of the results thereof, shall be in the sole judgment of the polygraph examiner appointed by the tournament committee and whose opinion shall be final. If any registered angler refuses to submit to a polygraph examination, or if any registered angler or occupant gives a response which, in the sole opinion of the polygraph examiner is not accurate or untruthful, then all registered anglers on the boat shall be immediately disqualified without further notice. Any registered angler so disqualified shall not be entitled to any prize, award, or entry fee refund.

WEATHER
All anglers will fish at their own discretion and at their own risk. If bad weather causes the cancellation of one of the two days of fishing, the tournament will become a one-day tournament. The judges’ committee shall be responsible for making the decision.

INDEMNITY
All anglers will fish at their own risk. All anglers agree to indemnify and hold harmless all members of the tournament committee, Directors, Sponsors and their agents and employees from any and all liability, loss or damage they may suffer arising out of this fishing tournament.

CAPTAINS/ANGLERS MEETING
All captains/anglers or their representatives shall attend a kickoff dinner on Friday, Sept. 12, 2008. Each team shall pick up its team package, which shall include two scorecards, measuring devices, boat number and a day marker.

CELL PHONES/RADIO CONTACT
The use of cellular phones or radio communication with non-registered anglers, for fishing information, during tournament fishing hours is strictly prohibited.

MISCELLANEOUS
The tournament committee reserves the right to refuse the registration of any angler.

* Tournament results will be posted at the awards dinner by 7 p.m. Any challenges to the calculations should be made within on hour of posted. No challenges will be considered afterwards.