H & W Marine, TBF/SAF, and MLF expect strict adherence to the following
rules by all contestants. In the event of an emergency, please call 911 first and
then notify the tournament director.
2025 - H & W Marine High School & Jr. Fishing League
Event Rules:
1. INTERPRETATION & ENFORCEMENT • These rules will remain
unchanged during the 2025 High School Fishing season. Interpretation and
enforcement of these rules will be left exclusively to the tournament director.
Decisions of the tournament director are final in all matters and are not subject
to appeal. Each contestant, coach and boat captain agrees to report any
suspected rule violation to the tournament director immediately upon discovery.
Failure to report a violation may be cause for disqualification. The violation of a
tournament rule may result in, but is not limited to, disqualification from the
event, weight loss (in whole or in part, for part of a day or for one or more days,
for a heaviest bag, single fish or largest fish, or any combination thereof) or
ineligibility to participate in future tournaments. Protests and/or alleged rule
violations are to be documented in writing by a witness or boat captain within
30 minutes of the check-in time of the final flight of each tournament day.
Tournament officials, in their sole discretion, reserve the right to consider rule
violations reported or discovered at any time for any reason, by any persons,
before or after a tournament has ended and assess penalties for any past or
future event including denying entry to compete.
2. PARTICIPATION & ELIGIBILITY • Participation for High School
Division is open to all 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade high school students and may
consist of one (1) Junior angler per team (note: teams will only be eligible for
TBF High School Nationals/Worlds if team consists of two high school anglers
or one in 8th grade and other in high school, no team with a 7th grade or lower
will be eligible). Junior teams may fish in High School Division, but they will
not be eligible for TBF National Championship. Junior Division teams may
consist of any combination of 5th - 8th Grade students. Each team will consist
of two contestants and one coach. Pursuant to federal law guidelines under the
Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017, there MUST be three people to a boat at
all times. No exceptions. No angler may register or plan to fish alone. In the
case of a verifiable, unplanned emergency, where one partner is unable to attendand no time is left to find another partner, only then may a tournament official,
at their sole discretion, allow an observer in the boat in place of a fishing
partner. The observer may not fish. If this benefit is approved, however, it can
only be used once per season, including any championships and regardless of
reason. Contestants must be Student Angler Federation members. There is no
entry fee to participate for SAF members. Contestants must have in their
possession a valid fishing license for the waters they fish if required by law and
a current student identification card from the school they represent or other
proof of grade level. Random checks will be conducted at each tournament.
Failure to provide proof of a valid fishing license within a reasonable amount of
time when requested will result in disqualification for that day and any
preceding days in which the license was required for the tournament.
Contestants are required to follow all applicable federal, state and local
regulations and laws. Any violation of such regulations and laws may result in
disqualification There is no limit to the number of teams accepted into a
tournament from each school or club. Accepted teams will be confirmed and
notified via e-mail to their school’s head representative, prior to each
tournament. Tournament officials reserve the right to reject any application to
compete for any reason whatsoever.
3. PURCHASING OF INFORMATION • The purchasing of, or bartering for,
or soliciting for information about locating or catching fish on tournament
waters, including but not limited to GPS waypoints (other than through
commercially available sources) is not allowed within 10 days of the start of any
tournament. The hiring of fishing guide services’ is not permitted by contestants,
coaches, boat captains, or anyone working on a team’s behalf within 30 days of
the start of any tournament. Information may be shared amongst those who are
registered for said tournament. Violation of this rule may result in
disqualification. A team may not pay a boat captain for their services. A team
may reimburse a boat captain for actual fuel and travel expenses related to the
tournament. However, a team or anyone acting on a team’s behalf may NOT pay
or “hire” a Boat Captain for their time or knowledge. (Penalty for this violation
of this rule will be loss of all points and receive Zero 0 points for that
tournament).
4. OFF-LIMITS, PRACTICE & COMPETITION • There is no practice
period or off-limits period prior to the start of onsite registration. There are,
however, specific rules defined below that govern practice within 10 days ofeach tournament. Contestants, coaches and boat captains may be on tournament
waters until official sunset the day prior to the tournament. Contestants, coaches
and boat captains may not enter tournament waters to locate bass or potential
fishing waters or sightsee after the official sunset the day prior to the
tournament, except during tournament hours. Testing equipment on tournament
waters after the official sunset the day prior to the tournament, is permitted only
with prior approval from the tournament director. Within 10 days of the
tournament no contestant, coach or boat captain may practice with, hire, barter
for, or engage in services with, for the purposes of locating or catching bass on
the tournament waters, any person who has been a bass guide for hire on the
tournament waters within the last 30 days unless such person is the parent or
documented permanent legal guardian of a contestant on a team in the event.
Written proof of permanent legal guardianship to the satisfaction of tournament
officials may be required. Within 10 days of the tournament contestants may
only practice with another registered participant of the league, that is confirmed
in the tournament, their coach, their boat captain or an immediate family
member (mother, father, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, or grandparent) who also
meets the above criteria concerning guides, or a captain that doesn't meet the
above criteria that is pre-approved by the E-Board. Nobody else, except a media
representative or official approved by the tournament director, is allowed in the
boat. Within 10 days of the tournament and extending through competition,
contestants, coaches and boat captains may not solicit and/or receive
information about locating or catching fish on tournament waters from anyone
except contestants, coaches and boat captains confirmed in the tournament and
through publicly available sources. Quasi-public websites, blogs and/or social
media pages, including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and
Periscope, set up for the specific purpose of sharing information with
individuals or a small group of individuals are not publicly available sources.
Within 10 days of the tournament and extending through competition,
contestants, coaches and boat captains may not follow a noncontestant’s boat or
participate in the placing of markers, brush or other physical fish attractors by
non-contestants or the practice of “hole sitting” by anyone. Also, within the 10
day off limits period if the boat captain has another tournament on the same
body of water as the league's event, you must notify someone on the E-board for
documentation (it will be allowed just needs to be noted). During competition
days, contestants, coaches and boat captains may not place brush or other
physical fish attractors, including chum of any kind, in tournament waters.
Flights over tournament waters, including drones, for the express purpose oflocating fish or fishing locations are not permitted on competition days. (Penalty
for this violation of this rule will be loss of all points and receive Zero 0 points
for that tournament).
5. BOAT ASSIGNMENTS • Takeoff order (boat number) is determined by
tournament officials. Most events, including all opens, are random draw. Some
events may be based on date and time of entry. Onsite entries may receive the
last available boat numbers. Each team must be accompanied on the water by a
coach or boat captain who will supply a boat but is not permitted to fish. All
tournaments will be a controlled take of unless there is a weather-related safety
issue. If there is a weather-related safety issue the tournament may become a
trailering event, with teams not being allowed to leave their chosen launch site
until official safe light.
6. SAFETY • Safe boating must be observed at all times. Each contestant,
coach and boat captain on the water is required to wear a fastened U.S. Coast
Guard-approved chest-type personal flotation device anytime the combustion
engine is running from boat check until weigh-in each day of the tournament.
All boats must be equipped with an emergency ignition-shutoff device that must
be securely attached to the driver’s body whenever the combustion engine is
running. All persons in a tournament boat shall remain seated in a manufacturer-
recommended on-plane seating location with a driver behind the steering wheel
or at the tiller in full control of the boat whenever it is on plane or the
combustion engine is running and in gear. Sitting on pedestal seats while the
combustion engine is in operation and in gear is not permitted. Contestants are
not permitted to drive the boat when the combustion engine is running. Safe
boat conduct must be observed at all times by contestants, coaches and boat
captains. At the discretion of the tournament director, tournament days may be
shortened, postponed or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions.
Contestants, coaches and boat captains may leave their boat and seek shelter in
bad weather or when danger is imminent. Violation of this rule may result in
disqualification. If the event is a two-day event, a team may only be disqualified
for one of the days and not both depending on the rule that was broken. (Penalty
for this violation of this rule will be loss of days catch and receive 20 points less
than last place to weigh a fish for that tournament).
7. SPORTSMANSHIP • All contestants, coaches and boat captains are required
to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy and conservation and toconduct themselves in a manner that will be a credit to themselves, H&W
Marine, TBF, SAF, MLF, tournaments sponsors, the school the team is
representing, the sport of fishing, and our combined efforts to promote the sport.
Conduct not complying with these standards includes, but is not limited to, the
following:
• Violation of, or failure to comply with, any of the rules for the2024 H&W
Marine High School League Fishing season.
• Consumption and/or possession of alcoholic beverages or cannabis products or
any kind of mind- altering substance during registration, the pretournament
meeting or during tournament hours extending through the weigh-in procedure.
• Abuse of, or addiction to, mind-altering substances.
• Suspension/disqualification, probation or ban from any tournament or fishing
organization. • Boat operation in an unsafe or unsportsmanlike manner.
• Violation of a posted no-wake area.
• Publicly criticizing or questioning the integrity of H& W Marine High School
Fishing League, TBF/SAF or MLF or their officials, including but not limited to
any rules, policies and procedures.
• Dissemination of disparaging content or content that one should reasonably
know would harm the reputation of H& W Marine High School Fishing League,
TBF/SAF and/or MLF companies, officials and sponsors.
• Any other words, conduct or actions reflecting unfavorably upon efforts to
promote safety, sportsmanship, fair competition and compliance with
tournament rules, or which fail to comply with the standards set forth in the first
sentence of paragraph 8.
In case of any conduct not complying with the standards outlined above,
tournament officials have the right to refuse an application to compete, to deny a
confirmed application to compete, to disqualify a contestant or impose any
penalty outlined herein. (Penalty for this violation of this rule will be loss of
days catch and receive 20 points less than last place to weigh a fish for that
tournament).
8. BOAT OPERATION • Coaches will supply and drive boats for their teams
or arrange boat captains to supply and drive boats for their teams. To qualify asa coach or boat captain, the person or persons accompanying a team must be at
least 19 years old and reside in the same state as the students comprising the
team or be an immediate family member (mother, father, brother, sister, aunt/
uncle or grandparent) that is at least 19 years old regardless of residence. For
students living near state boarders, coaches or boat captains may reside in a
neighboring state so long as they reside within 60 miles of one of the students
comprising the team. In the event of boat or engine failure, after a team is onsite
for a tournament, the tournament director may at his sole discretion, arrange for
a volunteer boat captain to assist a team. Bass guides who operate or have
operated for hire at any time during the previous 30 days from the tournament
date on the designated tournament waters are not permitted as coaches or boat
captains unless they are the parent or documented permanent legal guardian of
one of the contestants on a team in the event. A guide is defined as anyone who
is paid for his or her time and knowledge to take someone fishing. Written proof
of permanent legal guardianship to the satisfaction of the tournament director
may be required. The use of a guide as defined above will result in
disqualification. Contestants may operate the trolling motor. Coaches and boat
captains may provide assistance, including information about locating and
catching fish, but are not permitted to fish on competition days. Coaches may
net fish, aid in culling of fish/fish care, tie on lures (teaching kids how), and
assist with back-lashes by removing the reel from the rod and while sitting in
the driver or passenger seat of the boat. Contestants, coaches and boat captains
may not use mobile communication devices of any kind, including but not
limited to, phones, tablets, radios, etc., to communicate with anyone who is
NOT a registered contestant in the tournament, about locating or catching fish
on tournament waters during tournament hours. Mobile communication devices
may be used during tournament hours to communicate with lockmasters about
locking, or to communicate with designated tournament officials. Contestants,
coaches and boat captains may use smart phones and/or tablets during
tournament hours for GPS, mapping, weather, power generation, barge traffic
updates, tidal charts, personal fishing notes and related data. If a special
circumstance arises that inhibits a contestant’s ability to compete, the
tournament director may allow the contestant to withdraw from competition and
maintain the weight caught to that point. (Penalty for this violation of this rule
will be loss of days catch and receive 20 points less than last place to weigh a
fish for that tournament).
9. BOAT & HORSEPOWER REGULATION • All boats must be propeller-driven and a minimum of 16 feet in length. No barges or similarly cumbersome
craft will be permitted. Pontoon and tri-toon boats that meet all other
requirements under this rule are permitted. Each boat must have all required
U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment. Boats must contain a properly aerated
livewell space to maintain alive a limit catch of bass. Maximum horsepower for
all outboards used in tournament competition shall not exceed the horsepower
capacity set forth on the “Maximum Capacities” placard described below. Each
boat must have a clearly legible “Maximum Capacities” (or comparably titled)
placard that includes a maximum horsepower rating affixed to the boat by the
manufacturer. The horsepower of the outboard engine must not exceed the
maximum horsepower capacity specified on this placard. By signing the entry
form, contestants, coaches and boat captains agree to submit their boat and/or
motor to an inspection by tournament officials. Falsifying information on entry
forms or altering the horsepower numbers on the motor or rating placard will be
cause for disqualification from the tournament and may result in ineligibility to
compete in future High School Fishing tournaments. Fishing platforms must be
factory- installed equipment or commercially available aftermarket equipment
that is permanently installed in the boat. No portable platforms may be used in
tournament competition. Fuel may be carried only in factory- installed (built-in)
fuel tanks or auxiliary fuel tanks that are securely strapped or otherwise fastened
to the boat. Any additional fuel used during the tournament day must be
purchased from a retail facility open to the public and pumped through a hose
with a nozzle. The use of generators, other than solar or wind- powered
generators, is prohibited in contestant boats during tournament hours. (Penalty
for this violation of this rule will be loss of days catch and receive 20 points less
than last place to weigh a fish for that tournament).
10. PERMITTED FISHING METHODS • Fishing is defined as having a lure
attached to a line and a rod and reel with the rod in hand. All bass must be
caught alive in a conventional sporting manner. All lures must adhere to state
regulations. Only artificial lures may be used, with the exception of pork trailers
and biodegradable soft baits. Only ONE fishing rod may be used at a time.
Trolling as a method of fishing is strictly prohibited. Trolling is defined as
operating any combustion engine to extend a cast or lengthen a retrieve or using
any mechanical propulsion device to move the boat as the sole means of
imparting action to the lure. All bass caught while visibly-fishing for bass must
be hooked inside the mouth and immediately shown to your coach or boat
captain for verification. (Penalty for this violation of this rule will be loss of allpoints and receive Zero 0 points for that tournament).
11. PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS & BOUNDARIES • Teams may
fish anywhere on tournament waters within the boundaries defined by the
tournament director that are available to the public and accessible by boat
except areas designated as “off-limits,” “no boats,” “keep out,” “restricted,” “no
trespassing” or “no fishing” (or similar language or markings intended to restrict
public access) by tournament officials, commercial property owners and/or
local, state or federal officials, or within 50 yards of a contestant’s boat that was
first anchored. An anchored boat is a boat held in a stable position by a line
attached to a weight or by a Power-Pole, Talon or similar shallow water anchor
with the trolling motor in the up position. All fishing must be conducted from
the boat. At no time may a contestant leave the boat to land a fish or to make the
boat more accessible to fishing waters. The cutting of trees, bushes and/or logs
after the start of the tournament, and/or the removal of official commercial,
local, state or federal barricades at any time to make an area more accessible by
boat or gain access for fishing is strictly prohibited and may result in
disqualification from the tournament. The use of cables, ropes, chains or any
type of block and tackle system to maneuver a boat into fishing waters is strictly
prohibited and will result in disqualification from the tournament. Teams must
leave and return to the check-in by boat. The boat must remain in the
tournament waters during the tournament day. In the event of equipment failure
or emergency, the tournament director must be notified as soon as it is safe to do
so. There are then three permitted methods of returning to the check-in: (1) by
both contestants remaining in their boat and being towed by water, (2) with
permission from the tournament director, by one or both contestant(s) entering
the boat of another team or (3) both contestants entering a rescue (non-
tournament affiliated) boat so designated by the tournament director. Under
these three conditions the team’s catch may be counted without a penalty
(except for late penalties, dead-fish penalties or other penalties pertaining to
other tournament rules) provided each team’s fish are adequately marked or
separated so as to provide clear distinction of each catch to the tournament
director. Teams that elect to return to the check-in by any other means than cited
above will forfeit their day’s catch to that point in time of the tournament day.
Abandoning a boat and leaving it adrift without proper tie-off or anchoring after
a mechanical failure may result in disqualification of that day’s weight. Any
team returning to the check-in point will be eligible to restart and resume
competition under the supervision of the tournament director or his designatedtournament official. It is the sole responsibility of teams to locate the
tournament director to request a restart. Teams must remain together at all times
and within sight of their coach or boat captain until check-in. The momentary
condition of being out of sight of each other for restroom breaks is permitted.
(Penalty for this violation of this rule will be loss of days catch and receive 20
points less than last place to weigh a fish for that tournament).
12. CHECKPOINTS • There will be only one checkpoint for boat check in the
morning and one check-in point in the afternoon. Failure to go through boat
check and checkout in the morning or failure to check in at the check-in point
will result in a zero for that day’s weight and team will receive last place points.
All fishing must cease upon check-in.
13. LATE PENALTY • Teams that are not at the designated afternoon
checkpoint at the appointed time will be penalized 1 pound per minute,
deducted from the total weight. Teams more than 15 minutes late will lose credit
for that day’s weight, and receive last place points.
14. LIVE FISH • Every effort must be made to keep bass alive through the use
of a properly aerated live- well. Eight ounces (1/2 pound) will be deducted from
the total weight for each dead bass presented for weigh-in.
15. SCORING • Scoring is determined by the pounds and ounces of each
team’s catch during each tournament. Only largemouth, spotted, or redeye bass
are accepted species. No regurgitated forage or other foreign matter may be
placed in a bass. The daily limit will be five bass per team unless conditions
dictate a reduced limit or the state or lake limit is less than five, in which case
those limits will prevail. After possessing the daily limit, teams must cull
immediately upon their next catch. Teams possessing more than the daily limit
must notify the tournament director immediately upon discovery of the
infraction and reduce their catch to the daily limit by releasing live bass. Teams
possessing more than the daily limit will be penalized 2 pounds for each bass
over the limit. The minimum length limit for bass will be 12 inches unless the
state or lake limit is more than 12 inches or tournament officials set a longer
limit for a specific tournament, in which case, the state or lake limit or longer
limit set by tournament officials for the tournament will prevail. Bass presented
for weigh-in that fail to measure the prescribed length limit will be penalized atthe rate of 1 pound for each short bass presented. After competitors check in at
the official checkpoint, they must present all fish in possession that meet the
tournament size limit to tournament officials to be counted, measured and
weighed. Once a team’s catch has been presented to tournament officials, that
day’s catch is final. No one may return to a boat to retrieve a bass mistakenly
left behind. After being weighed, each team’s catch must be turned over to
tournament officials unless otherwise instructed. Each team’s catch must be
presented in an official weigh-in bag. The winning team is determined by the
day’s heaviest catch.
16. TIES • Total number of fish for the tournament will break ties followed by
the total number of live fish, and then big fish. If a tie remains, points and prizes
will be split equally.
17. LOGO DISPLAY & MEDIA COVERAGE • Contestants, coaches and
boat captains may wear their own apparel. Tournament officials reserve the
right, in their sole discretion, to prohibit any contestant, coach or boat captain’s
apparel that is determined to be offensive.
18. TRUTH VERIFICATION TEST • Each contestant and coach agrees to
submit, by signature on the tournament entry form, to a polygraph or voice
stress analysis examination and to abide by its conclusion. Failure to pass an
examination will result in disqualification from the tournament. Truth
verification tests will be used at the sole discretion of tournament officials, and
the determination of the meaning of the results will be made solely by
tournament officials. (Penalty for this violation of this rule will be loss of days
catch and 0 points for that tournament and possible future ineligibility to fish in
this league).
19. INSURANCE • Liability insurance with coverage in reasonable amounts is
required on all boats used in High School Fishing tournaments. Proof of
insurance must be with the boat being used and must cover all passengers in the
boat. Random checks will be conducted. Failure to provide proof of insurance
when requested by the tournament director may result in disqualification.
20. CAPTIONS • The captions at the beginning of each paragraph are intended
to facilitate convenience in referring to the various rules. The captions are not
part of the substance of the paragraph and should not be used in construction of
any paragraph or of this overall set of rules.