RULES

All Entrants are encouraged to attend the Captain’s meeting on Thursday 08/14/2008. The meeting starts at 6pm at Tournament Headquarters (Spring Point Marina, under the tent) Raffles, food and good fun, see you there.

All entry forms must be in by no later than 8pm at the Captain’s meeting on Thursday, 08/14/2008. Drop boxes will be located at: Agency 1 Real Estate, 152 U.S. Route 1, Scarborough; Saco Bay Tackle, U.S. Route 1, Saco; The Tackle Shop, Portland. You can mail your entry form, however it must be post-marked by 08/02/2008 to Agency 1 Fundraising, P.O. Box 324, Scarborough, Maine 04070. Or hand delivered at the Captain’s meeting on Thursday 08/14/2008 at the registration desk, no later than 8pm. Please Make Checks payable to AGENCY 1 FUNDRAISING.

Fishing hours will begin at Sunrise on Friday, 08/15/2008 and will end at 4pm on Sunday, 08/17/2008. Official Scales will be open from 2pm until 6pm on Friday 08/15/2008 & Saturday 08/16/2008. Scales will be open from 12pm until 4pm on Sunday, August 17th. No fish will be accepted after the 4pm deadline on Sunday 08/17/2008. TUNA SCALE INFO -- CALL THE TOURNAMENT HOTLINE

Each entrant must be registered with the tournament to be eligible for prizes. All fish will be weighed at Spring Point Marina on the Official Scales. An entrant can win more than one major prize, however, only one fish in each category can be weighed per day per entrant.

Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 heaviest fish over all in each category.

Bluefish Prizes are as follows. 1st $1,000, 2nd $500, 3rd $250.
Striper Prizes as follows. 1st $1,000, 2nd $500, 3rd $250.
Cod Prizes as follows. 1st $1,000, 2nd $500, 3rd $250.
Shark Prizes as follows. 1st $1,000, 2nd $500, 3rd, $250
Tuna Prizes as follows. 1st $2,500, 2nd $1,000, 3rd $500

12 & Under Open Class (New for 2008) Prizes will be awarded for 1st - 3rd Place
12 & Under Mackerel Prizes will be awarded for 1st - 10th place.
12 & Under Striper Prizes will be awarded for 1st - 3rd Place
12 & Under Bluefish Prizes will be awarded for 1st - 3rd place

Fish eligible for the tournament:
• Bluefish: with no size limit
• Stripers: must be at least 40 inches in total length. In the Adult Category.
• Cod: must be at least 24 inches to be eligible.
• Sharks: Porbeagles, Threshers and Makos are the only sharks eligible, Blue Sharks are not eligible. All sharks must be a minimum of 5 feet in fork length to be eligible for the tournament. And only 1 shark can be kept daily
• TUNA: (see additional rules)


NOTE: All fish weighed in the Adult Category will be subject to being gutted, if deemed necessary by the Weigh Master.
***Tuna see additional rules


Fish eligible for the 12 & Under Category
Mackerel, Stripers & Bluefish are the only fish eligible, for the 12 & Under Category. Mackerel & Bluefish have no size limit. Stripers can be between 20-26 inches or 40 inches or more. Only one fish in each category can be weight per day. NOTE: New Open Class for Juniors, 12 and under are welcome to register for the adult categories with parental consent

Weather.....The decision to fish is that of the captains and participants, and is strictly at their own risk.

All fish must be caught by Rod & Reel only, from land or boat.

Fishing area consists only of the State of Maine.

All entrants must meet all State of Maine & Federal Fishing Rules and Regulations.

In the event that there is a tie in weight, the first fish weighed in will be declared the winner.

Gaffed Stripers will be disqualified.

All Sharks & Tuna must be bled & gutted before being weighed. (Save your innards as they will be weighed as well and included in the total weight. All Tuna & Sharks must be weighed hanging by the tail, and heads left on.

Fisherman are responsible for taking care of their own fish. Please don’t leave anything at the dock unless you have spoken with a tournament offical.

All Decisions of the MDA & Agency 1 Sport Fishing Open officials are final. Any protest must be presented in writing by 6pm the day of the incident (except Sunday 08/17/2008 by 4pm). And the decisions made by tournament officials are final.

In the event that no fish are weighed in any of the Categories the Prize money will be awarded to The Muscular Dystrophy Association.


TUNA FISHERMAN SEE ADDITIONAL RULES & REGULATIONS

OFFICIAL TUNA RULES & REGULATIONS

• All boats/entrants must be registered with the tournament.

• General Category Rules prevail. However if you have an Angler Catagory permit, you are eligible for the tournament but must meet State of Maine and Federal fishing regulations.

• No planes, no electric harpoons, and all fish must be caught by rod and reel only.

• All Hookups must be reported to Tournament Tent as soon as possible, and then reported again once the fish is boated. The Tournament Committee will monitor VHF channel 71 (the official channel of the Sport Fishing Open @ Spring Point Marina) and a cellular phone number will be given out at the Captains Meeting.

• All fish must be weighed at Spring Point Marina and must be delivered on the tournament registered vessel it was boated upon (NO EXCEPTIONS)

• All fish must be bled and heads left on. If heads are not left on & gutted the fish will not be eligible for the tournament (NO EXCEPTIONS). Guts and gill plates will be weighed separately. Any fish found to have bullet wounds, or any unnatural damage will be disqualified at officials discretion.

• All entrants must be properly licensed to fish in the General Category or Angler Category under the NMFS regulation. Entrants will be responsible for sale & disposal of their own fish.

• All tuna are subject to examination by the Tournament Committee. And all decisions of the Tournament Committee are final.

• Any Blue fin Tuna not measuring 73 inches or greater in fork length will not be eligible for entry in the tournament.

• In the event of a tie in weight, the first fish boated* and reported will win. (*Boated meaning subdued and tied off to the boat). On Sunday all fish must be weighed in by 4pm to be eligible for the tournament.

• With the new general category rule allowing 3 BlueFin Tuna 73 inches or greater in length to be landed daily the tournament will allow all fish to be weighed the same day and be eligible for the tournament, for all three prizes.

• All fish must be weighed hanging by the tail.

• If, at any time during the Tournament, the NMFS declares that the Quota is fulfilled, the Tuna category will be concluded and awards will be given out that at the Awards ceremony on Sunday 08/17/2008. In the event of an early conclusion, direct all questions/concerns to the Tournament Committee.

• In the event of a NMFS, closure before the tournament begins anyone that had entered in the Tuna category can fish for Sharks, Bluefish, Stripers and Ground fish and still be eligible under all other rules & regulations and be eligible for the prize money at the Tuna category level in only 1 of the 4 categories.

$20,000 BONUS PRIZE


The first adult angler entered in one of the five adult categories (Bluefish, Stripers, Cod, Sharks & Tuna) to weigh-in and replace the current
Maine State Record under all rules & rgulations dictated by the Maine State Record Rules & Regulations for that category will win $20,000 in cash.

All tournament rules and regulations prevail as well as all Maine State Record Rules and regulations.
(Ask for Rule Books at the Captains meeting)

For the MDA / Agency 1 Sportfishing Open, A Maine state record saltwater game fish is by definition, The largest fish to be landed by rod and reel only, In order to qualify for a Maine state record, proof of said catch has to be provided in the form of a completed Maine State Saltwater Record Application (MSSRA) and submitted to the Maine Department of Marine Resources, West Boothbay Harbor, Maine 04575. The MSSRA will be reviewed by the Maine State Records Committee (MSRC), meeting annually, and if accepted, the represented fish will become the new Maine state record. This record can be revoked at any time if significant proof can be provided that the angler didn’t catch the fish within the rules and regulations for qualifying a Maine state record saltwater game fish.

In order to qualify for a Maine state saltwater game fish record, the fish has to be caught within Maine state waters or off the coast of Maine and landed within the state of Maine. During tournament hours of Sunrise on Friday August 15th, 2008 until 4pm Sunday August 17th, 2008.



STATE OF MAINE ROD & REEL RECORDS
Mako Shark 680lbs Jim Hinkley, Jr. 8/15/90
Porbeagle Shark 548lbs Wesley Hurst, Jr. 7/22/95
Thresher Shark 425lbs John Shostak 7/14/98
Bluefin Tuna 819lbs Jerry Jamison 8/10/77
Atlantic Cod 80lbs 7oz Neil Downey 9/08/92
Bluefish 19.68lbs Denis Moran 8/08/94
Striped Bass 67lbs Douglas Dodge 9/20/78

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Thursday August 14, 2008

Captains Meeting 6-8pm
Registration
Social Hour (Food & Drinks)
Rules & Regulations
Location: Spring Point Marina Tournament Tent

Friday August 15, 2008

Fishing Starts at Sunrise
Weigh-in 2-6pm
Location: Spring Point Marina Tournament Tent

Saturday August 16, 2008

Weigh-in 2-6pm
Lobster Bake 6-11pm (Dinner served from 6 - 8 p.m.)
Location: Spring Point Marina Tournament Tent

Sunday August 17, 2008

Weigh-in 12-4pm
Fishing ends 4pm
Social Hour 4-5pm (Food, Drinks & Raffles)
Awards Ceremony 5-6pm Location: Spring Point Marina Tournament Tent