Bodrum International Fishing Tournament

Rules of Bodrum International Fishing Tournament 2009

This tournament is taking place in Bodrum for the first time and will be based on sportive etiquette and environmentalism and within IGFA (International Game Fishing Association) Sea Rules and the rules of the Bodrum Tournament.

Only fishing with a fishing line and/or rod/reel/spinning wheel is permitted.

Trolling method and deep and currency methods of fishing are allowed only with the following of the IGFA rules.

Now, because it is a first tournament there will be no record classification, so fishing line categories will not be taken under consideration..

For Nylon or Dacron main size fishing lines maximum 80pounds(40 kg) and for Nylon maximum 1.00 mm diameter are allowed, everything bigger is not allowed to be used and will be punished

Any other thicker or wire equipment being not longer than 4 m can be used only as a supportive equipment.

Except using “natural “ baits it is forbidden to use any FA E(Fish Attracting Equipment) and is going to be a reason for punishment.

Apart standard reel/reed hand systems any electronic, mechanical, electrical, hydraulic system that can help to catch the fish is forbidden and a reason for punishment.

Net, parakete, cage, basket, , harpoon, arrow, dynamite, or other not regular or not legal methods also are forbidden and a reason for punishment.

However it is allowed to use a hook or a scoop to take the caught fish to the boat.

It is forbidden to use and is a reason for punishment to have before or after the fishing buoy, plastic can or foam blocks on the sea.

Fishing is possible within the borders that are announced, beforehand.

Fishing is not allowed closer than 100 m to the fishing farms available in the area. It is so for boats who are fishing deep and currency trolling.

Late arrival will be punished only by the disqualification for the day it happened.

Attention : The length of the period of taking the fish out of the sea will be according to the detailed time schedule that will be prepared and handed over to the teams before the tournament starts. If there is a fish on the rod and the allowed time of the fishing is close to the finish, with an approval the judges the time can be lengthen to 1 hour within which the fish has to be taken to the boat and weighted afterwards. This “late game” occurrence has to be informed to the jury boat at least 15 minutes before the fishing time finishes by radio or mobile phone.

One of the jury boats will watch this “late game” occurrence.

If a fish after being given to jury as a legal game will be proven to by the jury being caught against the rules of the Tournament or the IGFA, than the boat, the team and the equipment will be disqualified the whole tournament.

In the period of cruising/fishing it is forbidden to consume heavy alcoholic drinks and will be punished. One or two beers can be tolerated but not strong alcohol. If such an occurrence determined and proved the whole team will be disqualified.

Boat’s duty and responsibilities

Equipment – all the boats have to be equipped with the legal and necessary safety equipment. On each boat there should be a marine VHF in working condition because in certain time they will have to give report to the tournament control center. Additionally there has to be a mobile telephone. Channel 19 or 68 and a mobile number will be used for communication every 1 hour starting at 7 a.m.

Weather conditions decisions – Will be taken by the Organization Committee and informed at the beginning of the day before start. After that each boat’s captain take the responsibility about fishing or not fishing on that day.

People on the boat – Until 7.50m including captain and cabin boy maximum 3 persons

Until 11m including captain and cabin boy maximum 4 persons.

For the Bodrum type wooden ketch and gullets there is no limitation for people on board. These boats can attend the tournament with their guests on board.

The distance between the boats – if it is obvious that a boat is trying to get a fish to the boat and it has hanged a big red flag it is forbidden for any other boat to get closer than 500m to the boat, with the exception for the jury boat.

Approaching of the boats to each other – Except of the controllers’ boats it is forbidden for all other boats in the period of fishing to approach each other, get to the shore, beach, and island.

After the first AND/OR second day of fishing – it is forbidden to spend overnight on the boat in the other bay except of the indicated bay. To control that there will be a “weighting list” control in the morning of every tournament day!!

Documents– all the documents like fishing license, boat’s documents, boat’s and people insurance are under responsibility of the captain or the boat owner and have to be valid and present before and during the tournament period.

Fishing gear limitation – during the fishing period for offshore boats not more than 7.

For each boat not more than 4 artificial , live or dead fish are allowed to be dragged.

Harbor corridor transit behavior – Maximum attention has to the paid during the entering and leaving the harbor corridor maximum attention has to be paid. Maximum 4 preferably 3 sea miles transit speed is a must and if not obeyed will be punished.

The duties and responsibilities of the fisherman.

Attention : All the fish of the “Tuna fish” family have to be “blood drained” and stored in a good shape otherwise it is not going to be weighed and scores will not be given to them!

For any reason, like catching the fish, fighting with it, taking into the boat, if the rod or reel will change the hands , although it is not forbidden will be punished by 50 % of cutting the points. After a fish has been caught by the rod, the fisherman staying or sitting (with or without belt) has to weary the fish by himself without anybody’s help, until the fish come to the end of the fishing rod, than 1 person a team of maximum 4 fisherman can help him.

The participants of the tournament , without any special announcement , have to let free if it was caught by mistake all kind of rare sea creatures , such as dolphins, turtles, seagulls – in a hesitation regarding a type of a fish the jury boat has to be inquired!

Small swordfish, small spearfish and all kind of sharks have to be freed with caution without hurting the fish!

The species below are allowed to be caught :

Species	Min.weight/or above	Point(*)
Bluefin tuna	10 kg	5
Albacore tuna	8 kg	4
Swordfish	12 kg	6
Spearfish	10 kg	6
Dorado	5 kg	4
Naked Fish	5 kg	4
Large Bonito	5 kg	4
All other types of fish (**)	2 kg	4

(*) Points are per 1 kg.

(**)According to the previous experiences the “other” species of fish mostly caught are:

Lagos, Grouper, Bonito, Large Bonito, Podgyfish, Lizardfish, Lichefish, Naked Fish, Yellow Trailfish, Dorado (MahiMahi) and others.

- To the scales can be put only on (1) fish per specie, per day and per participant.

- The fish has to be clearly stated before scales (specie/participant/rod type/boat).

- The Scale Judge has a right for the last word during weighting The accepting of the fish is depended on the Scales Judge initiative.

-The boat captains are responsible to inform the number of people on the boat and to sign the scale receipt after weighting.

- All the sharks are not to be weighed and, with the cautious taking off the hook, have to be freed!

- Organization Committee has an authority for the “Catch and Free” practice.

- Not obeying one or more of the above written rules will be ended by disqualification: if fishermen of a boat will disobey the rules without a right for a complain, they will be disqualified the tournament participation without a right for complain, and this is a condition which is accepted by all the captains at the time of the final enrollment!!

- The caught fish will be under command of tournament organizers. Fish will be given to the Kempinski Hotel Bay Barbaros Bodrum.

- The distribution of all the prizes is under the initiative of Organization Committee.

Cancellation – The Tournament dates and number of the days of fishing can be changed due to the weather conditions or some other not foreseen reasons.:

The Tournament Committee with their own initiative according to the weather condition can decrease the number of days of the Tournament to 1 day or totally cancel it. For this tournament there will be no good weather condition compensation days. If because of the bad weather the tournament will not take place the enrollment fee will be given back after reducing the price of gala dinner and advertizing expenses. The entertainment and dinner on Sunday will take place independently the event of the tournament.