[JohnR]

OK - first, clarified rules: 4 Leg & Year Long Tourneys - 2003

4 Leg & Year Long Tourneys - 2003

The Tourney will be broken up into two major categories:

1st: Catch & Release 4 Leg from shore. This part of the tournament, called the "Four Leg", will meet for 4 legs with 2 in late spring/early summer divided between Rhode Island and Massachusettes and with 2 in late summer/early fall, again divided between Rhody and Mass.

For the "Four Leg", The largest overall fish of all of the "meets" will be the Grand Prize winner of the Grand Prize (TBD) but almost definitely a custom rod from one of our sponsors. Members will meet at one location and be drawn partners or grouped to fish the general vicinity. As members will be fishing in groups, the C&R fish must be signed off by a member of this site in good standing (throughout the course of the tournament) with a S-B Year 4 Leg Tourney affidavits after length being measured by overall length (from jaw to tail...) It is not necessary for members to be at each leg of the tournament but your chances obviously increase with the more meets you attend.

2nd: "Year long" tournament which will accept weigh-in slips from authorized Tackle Shops (prefferably from board sponsors but an official Mass/RI/CT/Maine weigh shop will qualify) OR a signed affidavit by a member of the message boards, in good standing of a caught and released fish. The minimum entered fish length is 40 inches from shore.

For the "Year Long", the largest fish will win a prize still to be determined - likely a custom rod. All S-B Year Long Tourney affidavits must be filled out by by members fishing in at least pairs if overall length method is used or singly if official weigh in slip is used.

Rules:
Catch & Release is highly encouraged for the "Year Long" tourney but not required.
Catch & Release is required for the "Four Leg". All fish must be caught from shore. Any fish taken with a guide MUST be a S-B shore guide sponsor: Bill -n- Jules, BM, or Joe Lyons - Surfcasting Rhode Island.

Members must be in "good standing" with Striped-Bass.Com. This means members must be registered and active for one week before tournament leg begins (or one week & 10 posts before participating in year long) and have made a minimum of ten real posts (not simple posts to reach minimum). Good standing also requires member not be barred from the site for offenses listed in message board registration agreement.

Any exceptions must be approved by myself and/or Saltheart.


4 Leg: Winner at the end of all 4 legs will be the angler with the largest fish measured by overall length with a minimum length of 36 inches. All fish in a 4 leg MUST be measured by a fellow S-B member in good standing on a S-B Year 4 Leg Tourney affidavit. To measure length overall , measure from the tip of jaw to tip of pinched tail , just like the current legal way of measuring a keeper. Measurements are to nearest 1/8th of inch. Fish MUST be released alive. If you catch a trophy fish and you want to keep it, you can have a shop measure it and enter the fish into the Year Long Tourney. But all fish entered in the 4 Leg MUST be released alive. Tie breaker: if two fish have the exact same length at the end of the 4 Leg Tourney, winner will be fish caught, measured, and released first. Ideally weight would be the tie breaker but there are no consistent weight methods to determine accurate final weight.

S-B Cuttyhunk trips (already booked) WILL qualify in 4 Leg Tourney following 4 Leg Rules.

Year Long: Winner at the end of the Year Long Tourney will be the angler with the largest fish measured by overall length with a minimum length of 40 inches. All fish in the year Long MUST be measured by a fellow S-B member in good standing or weighed in at an authorized Tackle Shop (prefferably from board sponsors but an official Mass/RI/CT/Maine weigh shop is acceptable) on a S-B Year Year Long Tourney affidavit. To measure length overall , measure from the tip of jaw to tip of pinched tail , just like the current legal way of measuring a keeper. Measurements are to nearest 1/8th of inch. Tie breaker: if two fish have the exact same length at the end of the Year Long, winner will be fish caught first. Ideally weight would be the tie breaker but there are no consistent weight methods to determine accurate final weight.

Boundaries for Tourneys:

Year Long Tourney is all of New England plus Long Island New York and New York City.

4 Leg Tourney Boundaries are ONLY Massachucetts for Mass Legs and Rhode Island for RI Tourneys. If a Leg is held at KingCoveOutfitters - like the 1st leg - Connecticut east of the eastern shore of Connecticut river is included. Only Saltwater portions of ANY river will be included.

Ditch Fish! - For the past several years there has been a side category for the largest fish in either 4 Leg or Year Long for the biggest S-B member fish from the Ditch. There will likely be some changes in this category very soon - details to follow.