The Best of the Best Tournament Series Team bass fishing tournaments in MO Missouri

The Best of the Best

Team Bass Tournaments for the
Weekend Angler

Team Buddy Bass Tournament

2007 Schedule

2007 Results

2007 Point Standings

Rules and Entry Form

Entry Fee - $150 per boat including Big Bass

Membership Fee - $20 per person yearly

1) RULES: The following rules for the 2007 season will be interpreted solely by the tournament director. The Director reserves the right to reject any entry if he feels that it is not in the best interest of the Best of the Best tournament series. Entry forms must be completely filled out and signed by BOTH contestants. Any announcements made by the Tournament Director at the tournament site take precedent over written rules.

2) ELIGIBILITY: Individuals, 18 years of age or older with a paid and approved entry form, fee and a current paid membership to The Best of the Best Tournament Series are eligible to fish. A parent or legal guardian must accompany any one under 18 years of age without parents consent. A team must consist of one (1) angler per boat or two (2) anglers per boat.

3) ENTRY/MEMBERSHIP FEE: Entry fee is $150.00 per team, $10 of your entry will be used for big bass and paid back 100%. 20% of the balance of your entry will be used for operation of the Catch & Release boat, insurance and polygraph fees and other related operating expenses. Entry fees will be accepted at Center City Marine 1527 W College Springfield, MO up to the end of regular business hours the Friday prior to a Saturday event. Entries may also be mailed to Center City Marine 1527 W College Springfield, MO 65806. Mailed entries must be received at Center City Marine, Springfield MO the Friday prior to the Saturday event without incurring any late fees. There will be a yearly membership fee of $20.00 per angler. Memberships expires annually on December 31st. You can reserve your boat number for any event or for the entire season by pre-paying your entire entry fee for the event or entire season. Paid entry fees may be transferred with The Best of the Best Tournament Series approval. There will be NO REFUNDS.

4) MEMBERSHIP: All anglers must be a member - NO EXCEPTIONS

5) BIG BASS: One Big Bass place will be paid at each event.

6) LATE FEE: Entries will be accepted at the ramp until 15 minutes prior to take off. There will be a late fee of $20.00 for entries paid at the ramp. Entry fees that are mailed will be subject to a late fee if they are not received at Center City Marine 1527 W College Springfield, MO 65806 the Friday prior to the Saturday event.

7) PAYBACKS: Best of the Best tournament series will pay one place for every six (6) teams with a paid entry into the tournament with a maximum of 25 places being paid regardless the number of teams entered. After big bass is deducted, 80% of each paid entry will be paid back at each qualifying tournament.

8) CHECK-IN & PRE-MEETING: One team member must check in the morning of tournament. A meeting will take place on the water approximately ten (10) minutes prior to the official start. Idle by live well checks may take place at any time either on or off the water. Any extreme violations will be grounds for disqualification from this and future events.

9) POINTS: Each team will automatically receive 10 show up points. In addition to show up points, first place will receive 100 points, second place 99 points, third place 98, and so on. Teams will also receive points for their total weight. Position ties will be awarded equal points. Total points for the Classic will be based on the best four (4) tournaments.

10) CLASSIC QUALIFICATION: To be eligible to qualify for the classic, every team must fish at least four (4) tournaments. To fish as a 2 person team those anglers must have fished 4 tournaments together as a team.
Classic take off position will be by points standings. Overall team points will be based on their best four (4) tournaments. Position ties will be awarded equal points.

11) SPORTSMANSHIP & ALCOHOL: The professional bass fisherman and the tournament they are associated with are under extreme scrutiny from the general public, conservation groups, local fishermen, and state and federal agencies. Conservation, care and courtesy must be observed at all times by all contestants. Disruptive behavior or using the name of The Best of the Best Tournament Series or any of their Sponsors, to cause them harm, will be grounds for DISQUALIFICATION! Any competitor not practicing the highest standards of care, courtesy, and conservation may be subject to disqualification. No alcohol stimulants, depressants or other drugs (other than those purchased over the counter or prescribed by a physician) can be used during tournament hours at weigh in, at any pre tournament meetings or at the tournament site. YOU WILL BE DISQUALIFIED NO EXCEPTION! Any competitor not practicing the highest standards of care, courtesy, and conservation may be subject to disqualification. Any competitor violating the other sections of the rule will be disqualified. Any competitor violating any other sections of this rule will be disqualified.

12) COMMUNICATION DEVICES: The use of mobile communication devices such as cell phones, marine radios, walkie talkies, C.B.'s, etc. to communicate fishing locations or fishing information during tournament hours is strictly prohibited.

13) SCORING: Largemouth, small mouth, and spotted bass will be scored, five (5) fish limit. All lake rules apply. Any frozen or iced fish presented for weigh in will result in immediate disqualification. Short fish will result in a one (1) pound penalty plus the loss of the fish. The use of ice in a live well as a cooling agent in hot water is permitted. The dead fish penalty will be one (1) pound penalty per fish. At no time during tournament hours shall a contestant possess more than a 5-fish limit. Anyone bringing more than five (5) fish to the weigh-in scales will be disqualified for that tournament. Once fish are turned over to the weigh-in officials, contestants cannot touch ANY fish again except to choose the big fish of the stringer for weighing.

14) CULLING: Culling inside the host marina buoys shall be reason for immediate disqualification.

15) POLYGRAPH: All contestants, by signing the official entry form, consent to receive a voice-stress, or polygraph test. Tests will be given at random events and at the tournament director's discretion. Anyone who fails the test will be immediately disqualified.

16)SAFETY: Safe fishing and safe boating practice are expected during tournament hours. Life jackets and the outboard kill switch must be used any time the boats big motor is running at above an idle. No alcohol or controlled substance can be used during, nor allowed in the boat during tournament hours.

17) PROTEST: All protests must be submitted in writing to the tournament director within fifteen (15) minutes of the weigh-in completion. The appointed Tournament Advisory Board will handle all protests. The decision of the Tournament Director shall be final in all matters.

18) LATE PENALTY: One pound per minute, up to ten (10) minutes, then disqualification.

19) TIES: All ties will be broken by 1) big bass, 2) most fish weighed in, 3) by earliest take off number.

20) TACKLE and EQUIPMENT: Only artificial lures and pork style baits are allowed. Only one rod and reel in use at any time. Each cast must be completed before another rod and reel may be used. All bass must be caught live and in a conventional sporting manner. Contestants may not use electronic "bugging" devices, or chemicals during tournament days or 30 days prior to official competition days on the tournament waters. Snagging or snatching bass on spawning beds is prohibited.

21) BOAT & MOTOR: Maximum horsepower for all outboard motors used during competition days is 250 H.P. Each boat must have all the required U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment. All boats must be equipped with an ignition "kill switch" device which must be attached to the driver anytime the combustion engine is on and running during competition days. Each boat is required to have an operational bilge pump and a properly aerated livewell adequate to maintain alive a limit catch of bass by both fishermen. No boat may exceed the horsepower limitations set by the U.S. Coast Guard in their ruling of November 1, 1972. Each boat must display a maximum horsepower rating plate attached to the boat by the manufacturer. Changing, altering or falsifying information on rating plates, motor cowling or rating numbers on motor is strictly prohibited. All bladder tanks and any other type of auxiliary gas tanks that are not installed by the boat manufacturers are prohibited. By his signature on the entry form, each boater agrees to submit the boat and motor used in the tournament to a complete inspection by the tournament committee, factory trained personnel, and/or U. S. Coast Guard personnel. Trailering of boats during tournament hours is prohibited unless approved by Tournament Officials. Electric trolling motors may be used for maneuvering but, trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited. Houseboats, barges, or other cumbersome crafts will not be allowed. Boats with a stick steering present greater than normal safety hazards and may not be used in TBOBTS Tournaments. The boater may bring his own boat, rent a boat at the tournament site, or borrow a boat provided any boat being used meets the rules and requirements specified for the tournament. (Refusal to submit to an inspection or violation on any of the rules in this section will be cause for disqualification.)

22) LOCATIONS: Fishing on the tournament waters is permitted anywhere except: within 50 yards of another competitor's boat which was first anchored or secured in a fixed position (with the trolling motor out of the water), unless that competitor specifically allows any and all tournament boats the right to fish within 50-yard radius claimed by him; within any area designated by state or federal agencies as a "no fishing" area; within the buoyed areas of the take-off cove. Other specific off limits shall be addressed at the pre-tournament meeting.

23) INSURANCE: Boat owners must have at least $100,000 of Boating Liability Insurance. PROOF OF INSURANCE WILL BE REQUIRED at the start of the tournament season

24) SPECIAL SITUATIONS: Breakdown: In the event of a boat breakdown, the team may transfer their fish to another contestant's boat for transport to the weigh-in site, with the following conditions; The fish must be placed in a segregated livewell. One member of the breakdown team must accompany those fish at all times to the weigh-in site. The team broken down must stop fishing from the time of transfer. Early Departure: Any team departing prior to weigh in from the tournament lake must contact the tournament director or appointed staff member cell phones: Best of the Best tournament series encourages all contestants to have a cell phone in their boat for emergency use only. Contestants may not depart the boat to land a fish or to make the boat more accessible to fishing waters.

25) BONUS MONEY: All Bonus prize money is in addition to any regular tournament winnings and is subject to eligibility requirements. Eligibility requirements will be posted at Center City Marine 1527 W College Springfield, MO and on the official The Best of the Best Tournament Series website located at www.tbobts.com. Bonus money will be paid upon completion of all requirements.

26) KNOWLEDGE OF THESE RULES IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH CONTESTANT. Failure to read these rules or ignorance of them is no excuse. Interpretation and enforcement of the following rules and regulations will be left exclusively to the Tournament Director. Decisions of the Tournament Director and Tournament Officials shall be final in all matters..