AiA Rules

1.ELIGIBILITY: All individuals, 18 years of age or older with a paid entry fee and a current paid membership to Anglers in Action Tournament Trail (AiA) is eligible to fish. A parent or legal guardian must accompany anyone under 18 years of age. A team may consist of one (1) anglers per boat or two (2) anglers per boat. AiA reserves the right to reject any entry that is not in the best interest of the tournament.
2. ENTRY/MEMBERSHIP FEE: Entry fee is $120.00 per team including 2 Big Bass. Entries will be accepted by mail or may be paid at the ramp. There will be a yearly membership fee of $20.00 per angler. Memberships expire annually on November 1st. Take off positions are determined by order of paid entry. Paid entry fees may be transferred with AiA approval. No refunds. $10.00 per entry will be used for tournament operational fees.
3. BIG BASS: Two (2) Big Bass places will be paid at each event.
4. PAYBACKS: Anglers In Action will pay one (1) place for every five (5) teams entered with a maximum of twenty-five (25) cash places being paid regardless the number of teams entered. 80% payback.
5. CHECK-IN and PRE-MEETING: One team member must check in the morning of tournament. A pre-meeting will take place on the water approximately five (5) minutes prior to the official start. Idle by live well checks may take place at any time either on or off the water.
6. POINTS: Each team will receive 50 show up points if NO fish are caught. Points will start at 300 for 1st place and descend from there. Each team will select one division to fish. All points earned will be assigned to that division. *For complete point system click here*
7. DIVISION POINT CHAMPIONS: The division points champions will be decided on each of the regularly scheduled tournaments in a division . The Satellite division points champion will be decided on a teams best (6) tournaments. The divisional point’s champions will receive boat #1 position the following season.
8. CLASSIC QUALIFICATION: To be eligible to qualify for the Team Classic, a team must fish at least 5 tournaments in their chosen division. Each individual team member must fish a minimum of 4 events. The top 40% of the overall field of teams meeting eligibility requirements in each division will be invited to the Team Classic. The overall field shall be defined as; all teams that fish one (1) or more qualifying tournaments. Alternates cannot be used at the Team Classic. However with AiA approval another qualified angler would be allowed to pair with and fish with if circumstances warranted. AiA reserves the right to qualify up to five (5) teams per division as wildcards.
9. PARTICIPATION and ALTERNATES: A team may use two (2) alternates per season or fish by themselves. Alternates need not be members until they fish their second event.
10. SCORING: Largemouth, small mouth, and spotted bass will be scored, five (5) fish limit. All lake rules apply. Short fish will result in a one (1) pound penalty plus the loss of the fish. A dead fish will result in a one (1) pound penalty per fish. No more than five (5) fish are allowed in live well (in possession) at any time. Anyone bringing more than five (5) fish to the weigh-in scales will not be allowed to weigh in ANY fish.
11. QUALITY ASSURANCE TESTING: By contestants’ signature on entry form and /or participation in these tournaments, the contestants agree to any quality assurance tests if required by the Tournament Director. They may include all or part of the
following: polygraph test, urinalysis, or blood test. Refusal of an angler to submit will result in immediate disqualification plus subsequent disqualification from future AiA tournaments. Quality assurance tests will be conducted as soon as possible at the conclusion of official tournament hours.
12.SAFETY and SPORTSMANSHIP: Safe boating must be observed at all times. Life jackets and kill switches must be used any time the combustion motor is running. All contestants are required to follow the highest degree of sportsmanship, courtesy, and conservation. At the discretion of the Tournament Director, tournament days may be shortened or cancelled due to unsafe weather or water conditions. No alcohol or controlled substance can be used or allowed in the boat during tournament hours.
13. PROTEST: All protests must be submitted in writing to the tournament director within fifteen (15) minutes of the weigh-in completion. The appointed Tournament Advisory Board will handle all protests. The decision of the Tournament Director shall be final in all matters.
14. LATE PENALTY: One pound per minute, up to ten (10) minutes, then disqualification.
15. TIES: All ties will be broken by 1)big bass, 2) most fish weighed in, 3) by earliest entry.
16. TACKLE and EQUIPMENT: Only artificial lures and pork style baits are allowed. All bass must be caught on a rod and reel. Only one rod and reel in use at any time by any one angler.
17. BOATS and MOTORS: Any boat, 14 feet or longer, meeting B.I.A. and Coast Guard requirements with a functional kill switch and functional bilge pump and properly aerated live well will be accepted. No over-powered boats.
18. LOCATIONS: Anywhere on tournament waters available to the public and accessible by boat, except areas designated as “off limits” or “no fishing” by local, state, or federal officials or within 50 yards of a competitor’s boat that was first anchored (an anchored boat is a boat held in a stable position by a line attached to a weight with the trolling motor in the up position). Any additional off limits will be announced at the pre-meeting. There are no off-limit days.
19. INSURANCE: Boat owners must have at least $100,000 of Boating Liability Insurance. Proof of insurance may be asked for at any time and may be a question on the polygraph test.
20. SPECIAL SITUATIONS: Breakdown: In the event of a boat breakdown, the team may transfer their fish to another contestant’s boat for transport to the weigh-in site, meeting the following conditions; The fish must be placed in a segregated livewell. One member of the breakdown team must accompany those fish at all times to the weigh-in site. The team broken down must stop fishing from the time of transfer. Early Departure: Any team departing prior to weigh in from the tournament lake, must contact the tournament director or appointed staff member. Failure to do so will result in the loss of any points earned at that tournament. Cell Phones: We encourage all contestants to have a cell phone in their boat for emergency use only. Contestants may not depart the boat to land fish or to make the boat more accessible to fishing waters. Contestants must leave and return to official checkpoint by boat. No tournament boat may be loaded on the trailer before weigh-in except with the permission of the Tournament Director.
21. KNOWLEDGE OF THESE RULES IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH CONTESTANT. Failure to read these rules or ignorance of them is no excuse. The Director reserves the right to reject any entry if he feels that it is not in the best interest of AiA. Any announcements made by the Director at the tournament site take precedent over written rules. The decision of the Tournament Director shall be final in all matters.

Click Here for An Entry Form