November 2007 - 2 Newsletter

“Roo Roo” The Small Boat Champion

The old veteran Peter “Roo Roo” Roett in Cool N’Easy II has emerged as the McEnearney Quality / A&T Marine Small Boat Champion with a tournament to spare. Against all the odds he has shown his younger competitors the way, and has turned in a fine string of performances to take to post overall. The Committee is extremely proud to have Peter win the prize, as he and his crew embody everything they had in mind when the idea emerged about having a prize that rewards someone who is consistently good overall in the small boat category.

The Barracuda series continued in a familiar vein with Captain Mark Roach in Lady Joy once again beating all comers, and Yogi Bear, having been given fair warning by his new berth on Knotty Boy to shake off any blight, turned in a good performance with Captain Alex Cole to keep himself off the chopping block. Second on the day was Peter Roett in Cool N’Easy II who eclipsed the entire fleet in the South with some smart fishing that proved once again that brain is better than brawn.  Former champion Hip-Nautic were soundly beaten into 4^th position, and it is alleged that they are now considering taking up sailing and golf instead. The results are as follows:

2007 Tournament Dates

 Please note that the Kingfish Tournament originally scheduled for Saturday December 15^th has been changed to Sunday December 16^th, and not the earlier tournament on the 1^st as outlined in my last email which remains the same. Apologies for this error. 

Upcoming Kingfish and Offshore Tournament Series

 This is just a reminder of the start of the Kingfish tournament series that starts this Saturday the 17 ^th November, and continues on  1^st and 16^th December. These tournaments will have the weigh-In at the Careenage, and all boats must cross the mouth of the Careenage by 1:00 PM in order to have their catch qualify. Lines in is at 5 AM.  The minimum weight for Kingfish has been set at 10 lbs, and there is a minimum weight for all other species of 5 lbs other than for Blue Marlin where the minimum weight is 350 lbs, White Marlin, Sailfish and Yellowfin Tuna 40 lbs each. Entry fees are $30.00 per person on board.

Included is the prize structure for the upcoming Kingfish and Offshore tournaments. The prize is being negotiated, and this added attraction will enhance interest in the coming tournaments. In addition to the overall prize which is hoped to match or exceed the previous one for the Small Boat Championship, there will once again be Calcutta’s for both the Kingfish and the Offshore Tournaments which will be based on the landing of a single heaviest fish landed so in each case this prize which should be in the thousands of dollars could literally be won by anyone who enters! 

Kingfish Tournament Prize List

 Minimum weight for Kingfish (Wahoo) is 10 lbs.

Nb. Positions in each Kingfish tournament will be based on total poundage of Wahoo caught subject to the minimum weight. The above prizes will be the same for all three Kingfish Tournaments, with the following overall prizes being given for the collective results of all three tournaments:

Most Poundage Kingfish overall:           TBA

Largest Kingfish overall:                        TBA 

CALCUTTA – There will be an optional Calcutta of $100.00 per boat for the boat landing the heaviest Kingfish (Wahoo) overall for the Kingfish tournament series.  It will be winner-take-all, and entry will only be allowed prior to fishing your first tournament of the series. No retroactive entry will be allowed.

There is a tournament entry form on the website. http://barbadosgamefishing.com/tournaments  Please click on the Tournament Entry link to register the boat and crew.  We would like each Captain to ensure that you complete the entry form PRIOR to each tournament so that we have a record of who fished with you and thereby help reconcile your account accordingly. This is especially important for the Calcuttas since entry after the tournament has started is NOT POSSIBLE !

OVERALL OFFSHORE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

The overall Offshore Champion will be the team accumulating the most points in their best two (2) Kingfish and best two (2) Offshore Tournaments, calculated as follows: 

Teams will compete for a big overall prize overall cash prize ($$$) which is being negotiated with some of our loyal sponsors and which will be advised shortly.

The positions in the Offshore Tournaments will be determined by the respective points scored (i.e. 1^st - boat with most points, 2^nd – boat with second most points etc.), while the positions in the Kingfish Tournaments will be based on the aggregate poundage weighed (i.e. 1^st - boat with most pounds, 2^nd – boat with second most pounds etc.)

In the event of a tie, the winner will be the team who is tied on the most points that hooked the largest eligible fish overall during the series.

Members are reminded of the rules 5, 6 and 7 that are especially important to remember when competing for the overall Championship prize.

KINGFISH TOURNAMENT RULES

1)     Only fish caught by hook and line will be permitted, and where a fish actively bites or strikes a bait or lure. Intentionally foul-hooking, free-gaffing, spearing or harpooning a fish will disqualify such a fish.

2)     Wire lines and hand lines are permitted once fished from a boat (i.e. not secured to a buoy or other such remote device) at all stages of the fight.

3)     Boats must have a minimum of two (2) persons on board at all times, and no more than six lines may be used at one time.

4)     All persons actively participating in the tournament must be paid-up members of the Barbados Game Fishing Association, and tournament fees will be advised by the Committee Of Management prior to the start of each tournament or tournament series.

5)     Any fish injured or mutilated for any reason prior to landing or boating will be disqualified. Injuries sustained through gaffing, hook, line or leader, old healed scars, scratches or regeneration deformities will not be considered as disqualifying injuries.  The IGFA “Rules For Fishing In Fresh And Salt Water” are to be observed at all times except as stated herein to the contrary.

6)     Prizes will be awarded on the basis of the team entered and also for individual catches. Teams will bear the name of the primary vessel being entered, and each team will have a Captain who shall be responsible to see that all tournament rules are adhered to.

7)     A team Captain may apply to switch vessels during a series or for an individual tournament, but this will be at the discretion of the Committee, and such request will only be granted based on the relative necessity of such, and where the Committee is satisfied that the change is necessary due to extenuating circumstances and that no competitive advantage is to be gained.

8)     Anglers, other than a team Captain, may switch vessels during a tournament series, but any points gained for team prizes will remain with the team with which they fished when earned. Individual prizes and/or points for overall angler awards will then be accumulated by the angler themselves.

9)     Start and finish times will be set by the Committee of Management and notified to anglers no less that forty-eight (48) hours prior to the start of any tournament.

10) For fish to be eligible the boat must reach the weighing station, or such other point as advised by the Committee prior to the start of the tournament, by the official closing time, and the Weigh Master informed of their arrival. A member of the team’s crew must accompany the catch to the weighing station.

11) All fish must be weighed at the weighing station by the Weigh Master.  It will be the responsibility of the Weigh Master and/or the Committee to interpret all written rules and to make necessary decisions where the situation has not been anticipated by the written rules.

12) All Captains must report to the tournament weighing station not later than 1 hour after the official closing time, whether they have fish for entry or not.  Failure to report to the weighing station may cause a boat to be disqualified from that or other tournaments at the discretion of the Committee. (This rule must be strictly adhered to, the object being to ensure that all boats have safely returned).

13) Boats may not depart their Barbados mooring before 12.00 midnight and anglers may not start fishing before the start time of the tournament.

14) Unacceptable conduct as determined by the Committee of Management ashore or on the ocean during the tournament or ashore in connection therewith will render the guilty party liable to sanction by the Committee and possible expulsion from the tournament in question and others in the future as the Committee sees fit.

15) The Committee of Management reserves the right to adjudicate on all protests and complaints in respect of the tournament, and all protests must be made in writing and received by the Committee no later than the end of the first working day following the conclusion of any particular tournament.

16) The Committee Of Management is not under any obligation to act only where a written protest is received, and reserves the right to enforce the rules whenever and wherever evidence is received of an infraction. In addition, the Committee may investigate as they see fit all areas of competition to ensure that compliance with the rules is being observed.

17) The decision of the Weighmaster shall be final, and only subject to review by the Committee of Management. Any dispute in weight must be notified to the Weighmaster at the time of weighing, and then fish must be advised as being “weighed under protest”, with the protest heard by the Committee at it’s earliest convenience, or at a later date following compliance with rule 14 herein, and without prejudice to the original position taken by the Weighmaster in the first instance.

18)  The Weigh Master must enter the weight, type of all eligible fish, angler’s name and boat on a suitable sheet.

19) The minimum weights for all species shall be advised by the Committee of Management prior to the start of any tournament or series, and where notification is absent the minimum weights for the previous such tournament or series will apply.

20) In the event of any tie the prize shall be divided equally.

Until next time……..tight lines !