​For a printable PDF version of these rules, click here!

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1. These rules shall apply to all entrants of the J C Outdoors Team/Individual tournaments.  It is the contestant’s responsibility to read, understand and obey all rules of the tournament.  Violation of any of these rules can result in disqualification from the current event and, at tournament director’s decision, all future J C Outdoors tournaments.

2. All State, Federal, and Local laws must be obeyed.

3. All entrants are subject to take a polygraph test.  Failure to take and/or pass the polygraph test is grounds for disqualification.  Any person who has failed a polygraph test in connection with any bass tournament will not be eligible to compete.  Any angler or anglers who have been disqualified from any fishing organization for rule violations that would leave in question the angler’s moral character, integrity or honesty are ineligible to compete in any J C Outdoors Bass Trails Events.

4. Any protest must be received in writing with TX numbers and signed within 15 minutes of final check-in deadline to be considered.  Tournament director’s decisions will be final in all matters.

5. All contestants are required to follow high standards of sportsmanship and courtesy at all J C Outdoors events.  Alcohol and narcotics will not be allowed in the possession of contestants, whether on their person or in their boat, at any J C Outdoors event unless prescription medicine as prescribed for tournament entrant.

6. A U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD must be on and fastened anytime the combustion engine is in gear.  All boats must meet U.S. Coast Guard standards.  Outboard motors must not exceed boat manufacturer’s ratings.  Jet drive and air boats are not allowed.  All boats must have an emergency kill switch, and driver must be attached to kill switch anytime the combustion engine is in gear.

7. Off-limits period of the lake for fishing, locating bass, and shoreline spotting will begin at sundown on the Friday and/or Saturday evening before the tournament.  Contestants do not have to launch at host marina.  All J C Outdoor events are trailering events.

8. Official tournament hours and checkpoints will be given at registration and are the responsibility of each contestant.

9. Failure to go through boat check in the morning or failure to check in at the official check-in point in the afternoon will result in disqualification.  All fishing must cease upon posted stop fishing time.  For Texoma events, no morning boat check is required.

10. Upon entering this tournament, contestants release J C Outdoors officials, host marina, and sponsors from liability of accidents, losses, or thefts.

11. Registration may be by mail (if postmarked on or before Monday prior to event) or by credit-debit card at registration the morning of the tournament (5% convenience fee applies) beginning at 1-½ hours prior to start time.  Contact tournament director for additional times and/or locations.  Lake Fork events register at The Minnow Bucket Marina.  Tyler events register at Lake Tyler Marina.  Texoma events register by text.

12. Championship Qualification is determined by teams/individuals that have fished at least 4 tournaments in a series.  All events in a series are point qualifiers for AOY in each series.  Each team will be allowed two substitute anglers per series to represent the team and still maintain AOY Points.  The substitute(s) must become a 2023 member of J C Outdoors.  Team members may accumulate points when fishing alone.  To qualify for Angler of the Year the team must be registered for all points qualifiers in a series.  Points will be awarded as follows: 1st - 100, 2nd - 99, 3rd – 98, etc.  Lake Fork Solo, Lake Fork Teams (Spring and Fall), Tyler Teams, and Texoma Teams will all have double points awarded at each season opener and final event.  All blanks will receive 10 points less than the last team weighing fish.  Total points from all events in a series will determine anglers of the year for that series.  Spring Teams, Fall Teams and Solo Anglers of the year receive free main pot entry and big bass in next year’s events in the same division they qualified; side-pot is not included.  Ties for AOY race will be settled by the team having the biggest accumulated weight for the series.

13. All teams/individuals weighing fish must be checked in by their designated times per event.  Lake Fork anglers have until 4:00PM to be in line with fish.  Lake Tyler Anglers have until 3:45PM to be in line with fish.  Lake Texoma Anglers have until 4:30PM to be in line with fish.  Each Lake Fork Team/Individual or Lake Tyler Team will be issued a poker chip or wristband with their team number and must present that number upon approaching the scales.  There will be a .50 lb penalty for each dead fish weighed (dead fish may not be culled).  Scales will be open at 3:00pm each tournament day.  We recommend the use of live-well additives made by Sure-Life to increase the odds of healthy fish being returned to the lakes.  There will be a 2lb penalty for fish not meeting the predetermined size requirements that is brought to the scale, plus the loss of same fish (Lake Fork Bass - all species - cannot touch the 16-inch mark and must touch the 24-inch mark to be legal.  Lake Tyler and Lake Texoma Bass - all species – 14” minimum length to be weighed).  No iced or frozen fish will be weighed.

14. Team Tournament allows no more than 2 persons per boat.  All persons in boat must be registered contestants.  Individual Tournament allows no more than one person per boat, except Jr. Anglers 16 years of age and under. (Individual trail junior anglers will compete on their own with a one fish weigh-in for prizes)

15. No fishing within 25 yards of another contestant’s boat without mutual consent.

16. All fishing must be done with artificial lures only.  Pork is permitted.  Contestants may use only one rod and reel at a time.  No trolling with combustion engine is allowed.  All fish must be caught in a legal and sporting manner during tournament hours from tournament waters.  Contestants may not leave the boat to land a bass.  Underwater cameras or tracking devices may not be used during tournament hours.  Hole sitting by or for contestants is not allowed.  The act of moving bass (known as loading a hole, brush pile or dock) from one area of the lake to another area of the same lake at any time, during practice days or competition days, will not be allowed.

17. Boats must have a live well and operating aeration system.  Teams may keep no more than 5 bass in the boat/live well at any time during the tournament hours.  This does not include fish temporarily on board for culling purposes.  Solo Series Anglers may keep no more than 5 bass in the boat/live well at any time during tournament hours unless they have a Jr. Angler on board.  Jr. Angler will be allowed to retain 1 bass, thus making their total bass kept at 6 bass, only if the Jr. Angler has boated a keeper bass.  Once again this does not apply to fish temporarily on board for culling purposes.  Anglers who have retained more than 5 bass for a period over 5 minutes at any time during the day, or who bring more than 5 bass to the weigh-in, will forfeit the day’s weight.

18. Scoring will be determined by the total weight of not more than 5 bass per team meeting designated size requirements.  All lakes, except Lake Fork, will have a 14” minimum length limit for all species of bass (largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass).  Fish will be measured on a Pro Rule measuring board with tail pinched/swished for maximum length.  Each team may have only 1 BB entry; angler-weighing fish will need to declare which fish is to be weighed.  Combining two cash awards and splitting the total between tied anglers will settle ties for cash prizes.  Points will be awarded equally as well.

19. Trailering is allowed.  All fishing must be from a previously inspected boat.

20. Eligibility: J C Outdoors tournaments are open to all anglers except professional anglers and Lake Fork fishing guides who cannot compete in Lake Fork Scheduled Events.  Guide restrictions do not apply to Lake Tyler and Lake Texoma Tournaments.  A professional angler is defined as someone who has competed in more than one tournament in the last 6 months prior to the event to be entered with an entry fee greater than $2500.  Fishing guides who have guided or have intent to guide on tournament waters at any time or for any compensation in 2023 will not be eligible to compete in 2023 Lake Fork Teams, Solo Series or Fall Teams Events.

21. Membership Fee is $40 per person for all anglers 17 years of age or older and is valid for all Lake Fork, Tyler and Texoma Spring Team and Solo Series events in 2023.  The membership fee may be paid by mail, credit card online, during tournament registration, or any other time prior to competing.  All Active-Duty Military and Disabled Veterans who fish with us will receive a free 2023 J C Outdoors Membership upon showing their military ID card.

22. During hours of competition, contestants cannot receive fishing information from guides, non-competitors, or use cell phones/communication devices to share/receive fishing info anytime during tournament hours.  Cell phones or other communication devices can be used for non-fishing related conversations with family and/or emergency reasons in case of boat trouble and/or accidents.

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Texoma Tournament Only: Fishing hours will run from first safe light (times will be posted on the website) and run until 3:30pm.  All registered contestants must remain within 100yds of the Public Lake Texoma boat ramp of their choice until posted start time.  Anglers who have their boats moored in a private boat slip must travel to a public boat ramp and leave with the other anglers at the designated start time or remain in their private slip for an additional 15 minutes after official start time for that day.  At 3:30 pm all fishing ceases, and you will have until 4:30pm to be in the weigh-in line with fish at Alberta Creek Resort.  At 4:30pm the weigh-in line closes.

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Tournament Director: Mark Howard     214-773-5451          mhowardc@aol.com