On tournament day, competition hours are 6:30 am until 5:00 pm. Check out hours may change due to safe light.
Boundaries - NORTH DIVISION: All boats must remain within boundaries during fishing hours. The boundary is 100 statute miles from the mouth of Beaufort inlet - N34 41 545/ S76 40 283.
Boundaries - SOUTH DIVISION: All boats must remain within boundaries during fishing hours. The boundary is 100 statute miles from the mouth of Southport Inlet – N33 53 346/ S78 00 323.
Check-Out - NORTH DIVISION: We plan to have a check-out boat with flag opposite side of channel from Morehead City port wall on the eastern side of no wake zone, just inside no wake zone. Entrants must check-out, in order to be eligible for competition that particular day. Check-out will be manned from 6:30am until 8:00am; boats checking out after 8:00am must do so with designated officials at the weigh-in location at The Big Rock Landing. It is the responsibility of the entrant to verify his boat has been checked out in order to be eligible for competition that particular day.
Check-Out - SOUTH DIVISION: Check out will be held near the east end of Southport no wake zone. Entrants must check-out in order to be eligible for competition that particular day. Check out boat will be on location from 6:30am-8:00am; boats checking out after 8:00am must proceed to weigh in offload location to be inspected and checked out. It is the responsibility of the entrant to verify his boat has been checked out in order to be eligible for competition that particular day.
Each boat in tournament competition will receive a check out number at Captains Meeting. Boats will check out in numerical order 1-60. With the exception of the 1st checkout spot (Team of Year) 2-60 will be based on current power rankings leading in to scheduled event.
Tournament officials will monitor VHF 72 during competition hours.
During competition hours: members of a tournament team can only obtain fishing related information from other tournament teams. The objective of this rule is to prevent a tournament team from intentionally networking with a non-tournament angler during competition hours. A tournament team is not in violation of this rule if they inadvertently receive fishing relating information from a non-tournament angler. This rule is designed to prevent a potential unfair advantage of information sharing between tournament anglers and non-tournament anglers.
ASSISTANCE: During competition hours a team may receive or give mechanical assistance. Mechanical assistance if defined as any assistance gained or given to keep a vessel under its own power or to prevent a possible loss of power. With the exception of Fuel/ gasoline.
During competitive hours, with the exception of "mechanical associated assistance," NOTHING shall be passed from/to a boat whether floated, thrown or shot from a cannon. This includes Bait Pens/tanks.
No purchasing of bait or obtaining bait from bait pen after checkout.
Running Aground: Assistance may be given or received to remove a boat that has run aground.
All fish must be taken on a rod and reel during competition hours. No hand lines or electric reels will be allowed. Downriggers will be permitted as fishing line carriers only.
The tournament committee reserves the right to inspect any boat entered in competition, including an on board inspection.
The tournament committee reserves the right to refuse an entry into the tournament.
The tournament committee reserves the right to place a tournament representative on any entrant's boat during competition for the purpose of observation.
A captain and co-captain must be designated for the boat being registered prior to the first Leg event of the season. No changes will be allowed after this deadline. If a boat is fishing both Divisions, the captain and co-captain must be the same in both divisions. All winnings will be made payable to registered captain. The declared captain OR co-captain must be on the boat registered during the tournament day and cannot fish on another registered boat during the tournament day. The one exception to this rule is the captain and co-captain can fish with another team during the championship if their team does not qualify.
Captain or Co-Captain must be present to win any prizes from drawings at the captains meetings and awards.
The tournament committee reserves the full authority to make a rule change when it is in the best interest of the Series.
North Division - The weigh-in station will be located at Big Rock Landing on the Morehead City Waterfront. Scales will be open at 3:00 pm. Those wishing to weigh-in fish between 3:00-4:00 pm should proceed directly to the weigh in location. To be eligible to weigh fish after 4:00 pm you must first check-in at designated check-in. Entrants with fish to weigh must be checked in by 5:00 pm. All times based on GPS time subject to change based on time of year.
South Division - The weigh-in station will be located between American Fish and Frying pan Restaurants Scales will open at 3:00 pm. Those wishing to weigh-in fish between 3:00-4:00 pm should proceed directly to weigh in location. To be eligible to weigh fish after 4:00 pm you must first check-in at designated check-in. Entrants with fish to weigh must be checked in by 5:00 pm. All times based on GPS time and subject to change based on time of year.
It is the sole responsibility of the crew aboard each boat to off-load and present its catch for weighing. A crew member must accompany fish to the weigh station.
All fish must be brought to the tournament headquarters by boats catching same under its own power. Fish must be unloaded at designated docks only. Fish cannot be transported over land.
All king mackerel submitted for weigh-in must be at a minimum 30″ fork length, in fresh, edible condition and caught that tournament day during competition hours. No mutilated fish will be accepted for weigh-in. Mutilation is defined as any damage which may significantly impair the fish's fighting ability.
All protests concerning the determination of tournament prize winners shall be made to the tournament committee and shall be accompanied by $500 cash. All protests shall be made no later than one hour after the last fish has been weighed. In the event that a protest is upheld by the tournament committee, the $500 cash deposit will be returned. In the event that the protest is not upheld, the $500 cash deposit will become the property of the Cape Lookout Shootout. All decisions made by the tournament committee shall be final.
Specific Rule for Protesting Weight of Fish: At the time of weigh in, a team may protest the weight of their fish and such protest shall be accompanied by a $500 protest fee which shall be paid within 1 hour of the protest. In connection with the protest the team SHOULD NOT sign the weigh ticket. Once the weigh ticket is signed the weight is FINAL and no protest will be accepted. If a protest is filed on the weight of the fish, the fish will be segregated and placed in a fish bag under the control of the weigh master until a member of the tournament committee can be present to witness the reweighing of the fish. A member of the team protesting the weight shall stay with the fish until the fish is reweighed. If the weight of the fish changes by 1 pound or greater the protest will be upheld by the tournament committee, the $500 protest fee will be returned, and the official weight of the fish will be changed. If the change is less than 1 pounds the official weight will not be changed and the $500 cash deposit will be forfeited and become the property of the Cape Lookout Shootout. All decisions made by the tournament committee shall be final
In the event that two or more king mackerel are the same weight, the winner shall be determined by the earliest weigh-in time.
The winning fish and all fish entered and or donated become the exclusive property of the tournament.
Any disqualifications will result in forfeit of winnings for that particular tournament and may result in disqualification in remaining tournaments in the series and the forfeit of all entry fees paid for remaining tournaments.
Teams which place in a tournament, if directed by the tournament committee, must submit to and take a polygraph test with a pre-authorized tester at a time designated by the committee prior to the awards. The polygraph test must be taken by either the designated Captain or Co-captain of the team. This decision is at the sole discretion of the tournament committee. Should the test be failed or not taken within said time frame, the tournament committee reserves the right to forfeit all winnings awarded to winner in question. If the polygraph tester determines that the participant is not able to take the test due to intoxication then a test will be performed as soon as possible and the cost of the test is the responsibility of the captain.
Competition days (with the exception of Championship) will be Saturday with an alternate weather day on Sunday. The Tournament committee will decide on the execution of scheduled tournament on Thursday at 10:00 am prior to the scheduled tournament date. The tournament committee reserves the right to postpone the decision until Friday at 10 am if weather conditions warrant a delay in the decision. UNLESS AN EVENT IS CANCELLED COMPLETELY, BE PREPARED TO FISH EITHER THE PROJECTED DAY (Saturday) OR the backup day (Sunday). Notifications of any cancellations will be made immediately. The tournament committee will make decisions based off of NOAA active weather alerts and other relevant weather information. The Alternate Leg Date will be used if a scheduled tournament Leg is cancelled If more than one Leg is cancelled the purse will be rolled into the next Leg.
In the event no tournament can be carried out through the entire Cape Lookout Shootout Series, monies will be refunded less $150.00 per entrant.
Championship: Projected fish day will be Friday with the following alternate days, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Please be prepared to fish any of these days.
Championship Qualifying in both divisions. Should a team qualify in both divisions, the team will be allowed to fish as 2 teams in championship. The captain must declare at the Captains' Meeting if they will fish one or two spots. If fishing two spots, the captain must also declare at the Captains' Meeting which divisional spot the captain will fish and which spot the co-captain will fish. Points will be awarded to each respective division accordingly. That team is eligible for championship prizes according to the final ranking of each spot. Should the team decide to fish one spot in the championship, the points will be applied to both divisions. That team will receive $1000.00 for qualifying in both.
It is the policy of the Cape Lookout Shootout King Mackerel Tournament Series to promote conservation of the species in every way possible. To that end, contestants in Cape Lookout Shootout Tournament are required to abide by State Recreational minimum length and bag limit Regulations. Note that the current recreational bag limit for bluefish is 3 per person.
The responsibility of adhering to all US Coast Guard, NC Wildlife and NC Marine Fisheries regulations and requirements are the responsibility of the Captain and crew. www.ncfisheries.net | www.ncwildlife.org | www.uscgboating.org
