Help Fish For A Brighter Future
Rules
PLEASE MAKE SURE TO CHECK BACK AND READ RULES IN THEIR ENTIRETY PRIOR TO CAPTAIN’S PARTY IN THE EVENT RULES ARE UPDATED!
It is the responsibility for each Captain & team members to understand & abide by the tournament rules listed below:
Wild West General Rules:
These rules will remain in effect during the 2022 Wild West Tournament in Fort Pierce, FL. Interpretation of these rules will be left exclusively to the Tournament Committee. In the event of a rule violation, the Tournament Committee may impose such sanctions as they deem appropriate, including, without limitation, disqualifications, forfeiture of prizes and prohibition from participation in subsequent tournaments. By competing in the Wild West all competitors agree that decisions of the Tournament Committee are final in all matters and are not subject to appeal, and are not reviewable by any court of law. The Tournament Director can make changes to the stated rules at any time. By participating in the Wild West Tournament you and your team agree to the previous statements, to sign a written legal release form, and to obey the rules stated below, or face expulsion without refund or compensation or any kind.
REGISTRATION:
Entry for the Fort Pierce Wild West tournament is $350 plus tax
All calcuttas are optional and include sales tax
Registration and calcuttas must be paid for online or in person at the Captain’s Party no later than midnight on Thursday, May 19, 2022
All applications must be approved by the Tournament Committee in order to fish the Wild West
Angler Armory is a private club and reserves the right to refuse any application for the World Championship. All applications must be approved by the Tournament Committee in order to fish the 2022 World Championship. Payment is refundable in the event your application is denied. Angler Armory Fishing Club maintains the right to accept or deny any team application.
The entry fee and calcuttas are non-refundable unless your application is denied. If your application is denied then you will receive a full refund.
The team member that signs the Wild West application has the ultimate authority over the team including all decisions regarding team composition, boat, sponsors, boat #, etc regardless if they are named team captain or not.
The Captain listed on application is responsible for the safety and conduct of his/her anglers on tournament days.
A Co-Captain must be listed on application. If a Co-Captain change is requested, the new Co-Captain must be an individual listed on the original application.
In the event that the Captain is unable to fish a tournament/s, the Co-Captain is then responsible for the safety and conduct of his/her anglers on tournament day.
Either the Captain or the Co-Captain must be on the boat on tournament day. If both the Captain and Co-Captain are unable to fish, the team will not be allowed to fish & forfeits that tournament.
If there is a change to the original application regarding team members, captain or boat, the tournament must be notified in writing no later than 1 day prior to the tournament. The change/s must be approved by Tournament Committee.
Team Name cannot be changed after the Captain’s Meeting. Name change after application has been submitted but prior to the Captain’s Meeting must be approved by the Tournament Committee.
At the time of check out, only registered crew and approved auxiliary personnel ie: camera crew, observers, vets etc. are allowed on your boat from check out to check in.
In the event an auxiliary person or persons are needed or desired to be on your boat, you are required to get approval from the tournament director at least 1 day prior to checkout and provide the name/s and purpose of the additional people.
A Florida saltwater fishing license is required for each team member except from a boat which has a valid recreational vessel saltwater fishing license or any FL Resident 65 years or older, or anyone excluded by FL law. License not required when fishing with a charter captain. Go to www.myfwc.com to obtain current Florida fishing regulations.
TOURNAMENT COMMUNICATIONS:
Announcements regarding weather & other important tournament information will be communicated to team captains & co-captains via text messages, phone calls, emails and/or posting on the Wild West home page on www.wildwestkingfishtournament.com
Tournament Officials will operate on Channel 68 for check out, check in and any communications that needs to be directed from or to teams while they are participating in each event.
CAPTAIN’S MEETING
The Captain’s Meeting will take place the Thursday, May 19th at Causeway Cove Marina in Fort Pierce, FL
BOAT #’S
Each team will be receive a boat # at the Captain’s Party
Teams must show their boat # to tournament official at check out on tournament day
CHECK OUT
There will be one checkout location at Dockside Inn in Fort Pierce.
Tournament Official must acknowledge your boat # via VHF Radio Channel 68 in order for your team to be officially checked out
There will be a rolling check out starting at safe light (approximately 6:40-6:45am). Teams will show their boat # to a Tournament Official. The Tournament Official must acknowledge your boat # via VHF Radio Channel 68 in order for your team to be officially checked out
A random number of teams may be selected for a boat inspection during check out.
Teams may request a late check out. The team must call the tournament director before 6am on tournament day to request a late check out. Team must show their boat # and be checked out by a tournament official before departing to fish in tournament.
After a team is checked out they may proceed to fishing grounds
Lines in the water at 7:00am
After check out teams may not come into contact with any boat, including bait boats or they will be disqualified
BOUNDARIES:
There are no boundaries for the Fort Pierce Wild West
POINT SYSTEM:
Only one kingfish per tournament can be weighed in for the main tournament.
The heaviest fish weighed in during the tournament wins the 1st Place award for that tournament
Teams may weigh in separate kingfish for the Closest to 22lbs Calcutta if entered.
Hand held rods and reels only
BOATS:
Tournament competition limited to motorized boats only.
All boats must carry a Coast Guard approved flotation device for each person on their vessel plus an approved EPIRB and/or PLB plus an approved fire extinguisher and all other safety devices required by the Coast Guard. Go to http://myfwc.com/boating/safety-education/equipment/ for current Coast Guard regulations.
A team may request to use a back up boat. The change in boat must be submitted in writing at least 1 days prior to the affected tournament & approved by the committee.
If an approved Team Boat experiences mechanical issues on their approved boat they may request to use a back up boat up until the shot gun start. If the team boat breaks down after the shot gun start they will not be allowed to fish that event. If a break down occurs the morning of the tournament but occurs prior to the shot gun start, the team may call the Tournament Director and request a boat change and a late check out.
Fuel bladders are NOT allowed to be used on any boat during the tournament. If a team has a fuel bladder on board during check out they will not be allowed to compete in the event.
WEATHER:
The Tournament Director will announce any alternate fishing dates if weather or another Act of God should affect fishing conditions.
If a tournament has to be postponed due to inclement weather, the alternative fish date will be that Sunday following. If Sunday is unfishable due to weather, then an alternate date will be selected by the Tournament Committee and forwarded to all teams as soon as possible.
Teams will be advised after the 4pm weather advisory on the Friday preceding the tournament if the tournament will be postponed. However, the Tournament Committee reserves the right to cancel a tournament up until check out.
It is up to the discretion of the participating Team Captain to determine if their craft is seaworthy for the existing conditions.
The Team Captain is solely responsible for the safety and conduct of their crew, both on and off the water.
The captain has the choice whether or not to compete in any of the events.
In the event of incliment weather, the tournament will be postponed until that Saturday or Sunday. The tournament committee holds the right to make the final decision on tournament postponement up until Thursday at 5pm. Please plan accordingly
TOURNAMENTS:
Hand held rods & reels only.
The tournament encourages release of all fish not intended to be weighed in at tournament.
BOUNDARIES:
This is an open boundary tournament.
BAIT FISHING
The use of federally managed reef fish as bait is illegal. This includes all rudderfish and snapper species regardless of size. Having a reef fish in your bait well at check out or check in will result in disqualification from tournament.
Bait fishing is only allowed inside the call regs before 7am lines in the water.
CONDUCT:
The Honor System applies throughout the tournament.
No passing of anything between boats during the tournaments. This would result in automatic disqualification from that specific tournament event day.
There will be no feeding and/or stuffing of any kingfish with any bait fish, fish and/or any foreign objects (ie ice, weights, etc). This will result in immediate disqualification from all future Angler Armory events.
Any hooks, wire, rigs (terminal tackle) and/or any other foreign objects must be removed from kingfish eligible for competition.
The tournament committee reserves the right to place a tournament representative on any team’s boat during competition for the purpose of observation.
All fish entered into the tournaments will be inspected for all manners of cheating prior to fish being brought to the scale.
Fish will be sliced open after the fish has been weighed to verify there are no foreign objects or stuffing of fish.
Winning teams may be subjected to a polygraph test after tournament. Polygraph will take the morning after the tournament. Failure to submit to a polygraph test will result in disqualification of the entire team from the tournament, entry fees will not be returned and team will forfeit their winnings.
Refunds of tournament entry fees will not be given for failure of a polygraph test. All decisions of the polygraph examiner will be final.
If a team is found guilty of cheating by the Tournament Director and/or the tournament steering committee, they will automatically be disqualified from all future Angler Armory tournaments, contests and membership.
All decisions made by the weigh master & tournament director are final.
All participants in the World Championship must maintain a high level of professionalism at all times.
Anglers are expected to be role models, and set a positive example to the recreational angling public.
Any team who displays poor sportsmanship, violates these rules, or any Florida Fish & Wild Life Commission, state or local laws, or brings unfavorable publicity to the sport of king fishing is subject to disqualification at the tournament director’s discretion.
Alcohol is not allowed on stage during the weigh in. A secure table will be provided for drinks before team gets to the scales.
CHECK IN/WEIGH IN:
There will be one check in’s for the Wild West: Dockside Inn in Fort Pierce. All fish will be weighed in at Causeway Cove Marina.
DOCKSIDE INN CHECK IN
*Boat checking in must be the vessel listed on tournament documents for that specific tournament day
*Teams may begin checking in fish at 3pm and must be checked in with a tournament official by VHF Radio Channel 68 no later than 5:00:00pm (5:00:01pm is late and team will be disqualified)
*Please note, if checking in at Dockside Inn you can only proceed to fish drop off at Causeway Cove by boat (cannot check in fish at Causeway Cove by car)
*Teams will first roll past the Tournament Official on dock at Dockside Inn and show their boat #. They must also call in to the Tournament Official on VHF radio Channel 68 stating Boat # and Team Name. Tournament official must acknowledge your team # on the radio in order to be officially check in.
*Once checked in with Tournament Official at Dockside Inn, teams will proceed to designated dock at Causeway Cove Marina to unload and weigh fish.
* If there is a back up of boats waiting to unload fish, a tournament official will call teams into the dock via Channel 68
*Team will proceed to inspection area behind the stage where fish will be inspected by Tournament Official.
*Team will then proceed to stage to weigh in fish
*Once fish is weighed in, team must depart dock.
Fish being weighed in the tournament will be inspected for all manners of cheating by a tournament official
No rotten or mutilated fish will be allowed to be weighed in
Each team may weigh in one fish in the main event. If entered, teams may weigh in a separate fish for the Closest to 20.20lb Calcutta
In the event of a tie, the team that checked in first with the Tournament Check In official at Dockside Inn and/or Sailfish Marina wins.
Results are unofficial until determined by tournament director.
All kingfish weighed in at tournament become the property of Angler Armory.
DISPUTES:
Protests must be submitted in writing along with a $500 cash deposit to a tournament official within 10 minutes of the last fish weighed in.
The cash deposit will be returned to the contestant submitting the protest if the protest is upheld.
If there is a dispute of any kind, the decision of the Tournament Director is final.
AWARDS:
Awards for the Wild West will take place the evening of Saturday, August 28th prior to the awards for the World Championship
Checks for the winning teams will be made out to the person on team that filled out the W9 Form
1099’s for all winnings over $599 will also be made out to the person listed on the check that was written for the team’s winnings.
At least one registered team member must be onsite to receive their award.
If a team loses their check, they will be charged a fee of $35 in order for a new check to be written.
The Lady Angler award is given to the highest winning team that has a lady angler on its team. The lady angler does not have to catch the fish but must be a registered angler on the team and must have been on board tournament day when the fish was caught.
Youth Angler award is given to the highest winning team that has a youth angler 15 years old or younger on its team. The youth angler does not have to catch the fish but must be a registered angler on the team and must have been on board tournament day when the fish was caught.