Rules
2024 Indiana B.A.S.S. Nation Youth
TEAM TRAIL RULES
Official 2024 Indiana BASS Nation Youth Rules:
Interpretation and enforcement of these rules shall be left to the discretion of the Tournament Director/Tournament Committee. The final enforcement of these rules is at the discretion of the IBN Youth Board. All decisions shall be final in all matters. In the event of a rule violation, the IBN Youth Board may impose such sanctions as deemed appropriate, including, without limitation, disqualification, forfeiture of prizes, entry fee and prohibition from participation in subsequent tournaments.
2. Participants and Eligibility
Participation in this tournament series is by invitation only. This tournament is open only to current members of official Bassmaster High School Clubs, recognized by said High School or an official Community Club.
You must be a student currently enrolled in high school, in good academic standing, and a member of your institution’s fishing team or an official community club on file with B.A.S.S. Only one club from each institution is allowed.
Certain schools allow 8th grade students to compete. If your institution allows 8th grade students to compete a letter must be submitted with a faculty member’s signature stating this permission. 7th grade students are not allowed to compete in Bassmaster High School tournaments.
8th graders are allowed to compete in the High School Trail. They may not dual enroll (Compete in High School Trail and as a Junior competitor).
The Junior Bassmasters Events are open to 2nd-8th grade students (minimum age 7).
Competitors will be considered an “incoming student” into the next grade once they have completed their final exams in their current grade. They will then be able to participate in events once the aforementioned criteria have been met and they are in the admissible grade bracket to compete. Graduating seniors will be extended a grace period and allowed to compete in the summer months once their senior year has been completed. They will not be allowed to fish in any events that are qualifying for the next calendar school year.
This is a team event. Teams will consist of (1) one adult boat captain and (2) two youth anglers.
See rule #16 regarding teams and points.
Boat captains must be at least 18 years of age and out of high school.
No competitor or boat captain may operate a boat unless that competitor or boat captain has documented proof of a minimum of $300,000 per occurrence boat owner’s liability insurance covering the boat being used in the tournament. The documented proof must show effective date and expiration date and must be available to any tournament official upon request. Random checks may be conducted and any competitor who does not have proof of insurance with $300,000 coverage may be disqualified.
If a potential boat captain / coach is a local guide (has a IN Wildlife Guide License), is an angler fishing the Bassmaster Elite Series, or is an angler fishing the FLW Tour (Unless the individual is an immediate family member), then they will be ineligible for the tournament. B.A.S.S. reserves the right to deny any Coach.
Every participant must have the signed “2024 IBN Youth Waiver and Release” on file with IBN Youth prior to the start of the tournament. This document is signed and submitted once per season.
3. Pre-tournament Practice:
There will be no off-limits period. However, anglers and boat captains must be off tournament waters no later than sunset the day prior to the tournament.
4. Consent
Parental / Legal Guardian consent is required on the Waiver and Release form for each youth angler. A Waiver & Release form must be completed before each angler can compete.
This Waiver & Release is only required once per season, per series.
5. Safety:
Safe boat conduct must be observed at all times by competitors.
During the official practice and competition, each competitor and boat captain must wear a Coast Guard-approved chest-type life preserver any time the combustion engine is operating, as well as observe and abide by any and all state (s) life preserver regulations that apply to his/her age, while in tournament waters. This preserver must be strapped, snapped or zippered securely, and maintained in that condition at all times.
Inflatable life vests may only be worn if you are 16 years of age or older AND weigh more than 80 pounds. Inflatable life vest indicators should be checked daily. Violation of this rule may be reason for disqualification.
In addition to these rules, each morning of the tournament you must perform safety checks that include but are not limited to: Kill Switch, Running Lights, and Livewells. All these items must be in operational order and contestants are not allowed to compete in a vessel that does not have these listed above in operating order.
In the event of inclement weather, the tournament may be postponed, weather permitting. If a tournament is cancelled, a make-up date will be announced as soon as possible to give anglers as much time as possible to attend.
Competitors are allowed to leave the boat and seek shelter in bad weather.
In the event of equipment failure or emergency, the tournament director must be notified as soon as it is safe to do so.
In the event of emergency, first dial 911 and then notify IBN Youth Director Eric Bland @ 317-946-1434.
6. Boat Captains
The intent of this series is for the youth anglers to have a means of local competition events and to be exposed to the ever-changing conditions and techniques that surround tournament bass fishing. These events will allow boat captains the opportunity to educate young anglers about the many variables associated with the competition, such as lure selections, patterns, methods, fish care, and camaraderie among their competitors.
The boat captain may operate the trolling motor if needed, but should use these events as a method for preparing youth to do so on their own as the youth will be required to do so during state or national level championships.
The boat captain must allow the youth anglers to net their own fish except under the following conditions:
Any team not yet in high school (8th Grade & Under) may request the assistance of the boat captain for netting a fish.
The boat captain must allow the youth anglers to make their own casts and retrieve their own lures.
The boat captain may assist with lure selection, but every opportunity to allow the youth anglers to make their own decisions about these selections should be granted as the youth may be required to do so during state or national level competitions.
The boat captain may assist with removing or retrieving a snagged lure.
The boat captain may assist with the removal of fish from the hooks.
The boat captain is requested to assist with the culling of fish to help ensure proper fish care and handling.
If the boat captain is assisting with the retrieval of a snagged lure, the removal of a fish from the hooks, or the culling of fish, then only one of the anglers can continue fishing until these processes are complete, just as if one of the youth anglers were completing any of these processes on their own.
7. Entry Fees
$30 per team per event
Coaches will be able to pay entry fees online, send payment via mail, or pay in person.
Payment for pre-registered events is EXPECTED at or by the first trail event. Teams/clubs that fail to comply may not be allowed to compete in future events.
Entry fees are non-refundable.
Ramp fees are not included in tournament registration fees.
8. Morning Registration/Check-In
Registration/Check-In will start 90 minutes prior to the event starting time.
Teams must check-in the morning of the event, even if a team has pre-registered.
Each morning of the event, tournament officials will perform safety checks that include, but are not limited to: Kill Switch, Running Lights and Livewells
All these items must be in operational order and contestants are not allowed to compete in a vessel that does not have these listed above in operating order.
9. Starting positions, Flights, Start Times
Events will start (Blast Off) at safe light. Approximate starting times will be posted and announced the week prior to each event
Starting positions (Boat Numbers) will be assigned using a random list generator after the registration deadline has passed. (7 days prior to the event)
Boats will be organized into Flights based on the number of teams participating.
The Tournament Director will announce the sequence of boat numbers one boat at a time and allow a safe distance between each boat. Boats that are not ready when their number is called may be required to cycle to the end of the flight or end of the entire field.
10. Afternoon Check-In / Return Times
Event check-in/weigh-in times will be posted and announced the week prior to each event.
There will be 1 official check-in station where teams will return their boat number. Returning the boat number will act as the official check-in time for teams.
Teams will lose (1) One pound for every minute you are late for afternoon check-in. After (15) Fifteen minutes teams will be disqualified.
You must check-in with a tournament official before leaving, even if you are not weighing a fish. This is to ensure that everyone has returned safely and is off the water.
11. Scoring
(5) Five fish limit per boat.
ONLY Largemouth, Smallmouth, and Spotted bass will be weighed.
All fish must be 14” minimum length. During an event in which the state law requires a different length limit or slot limit these limits will be announced and provided to each team during morning registration.
Any dead fish will receive a 0.25 lb (4 oz) penalty. No culling of dead fish. Dead fish cannot be weighed for big bass.
Any short fish brought to the official scales will NOT be weighed and teams will receive a (1) One pound penalty deducted from the remaining weight. Teams will be allowed to check their own fish prior to handing their weigh bag to tournament officials.
Final positions will be determined by total weight of catch after all penalties.
All other team ties, the following tie breakers will be used in the following order:
The heaviest single day catch during competition.
If the tie is not broken, the next tiebreaker will be the second heaviest single day catch during competition.
If the tie is not broken, the next tiebreaker will be the largest number of legal live fish weighed during competition.
If the tie is not broken, the next tiebreaker will be largest number of legal fish weighed during competition.
If the tie is not broken, the next tie breaker will be the biggest bass weighed.
If the tie is not broken by applying the foregoing procedures, the tie will remain a tie, and prizes will be awarded in an equal amount between the tied teams or as determined by tournament officials.
Lunker ties will be split by heaviest total catch of the tied teams.
12. Boat Requirements (For Safety Concerns & Fish Care)
Can be either fiberglass or aluminum construction.
Minimum Length is 16’.
Must contain a livewell system adequate for maintaining the health of all bass within possession.
All boats must contain all required Coast Guard safety equipment including an engine shut-off device (Kill Switch).
Life jackets and shut-off device must be used anytime the combustion engine is running.
Jet drive engines and tunnel hull boats engines are not allowed during competition.
13. Tackle and method of catch
All bass must be caught in a legal and sporting manner.
Only artificial lures are accepted.
Contestants can use only one rod and reel at a time.
Trolling with the combustion engine as a method of fishing is prohibited.
When sight fishing, all fish must be hooked inside the mouth to be counted as a legal fish.
Cull tags which penetrate are not permitted during IBN Youth events.
14. Approved Fishing Locations / Respect Of Other Competitors
Contestants may fish anywhere on tournament waters accessible by boat, except areas designated as “off-limits” or “no fishing” by state or federal officials and/or the tournament director.
Trailering to another body of water is not permitted.
You may not fish within 50 yards of another competitor without permission from such competitor. Note: Once you grant permission for one boat to enter your 50 yard “no fish zone”, you open that area up to any and all competitors. You cannot select who can and cannot fish within your 50 yard “no fish zone”.
15. Break-downs
In the event of a break-down a team may only receive assistance from another competing team if you choose to transport you and your fish to weigh-in by use of the other team’s boat. One team member and boat captain may stay behind to secure the disabled boat.
Teams may receive a tow from anyone in order to arrive back at the launch/weigh-in area.
16. Season Points Competition
At the conclusion of the season, the high school team that has acquired the most points using 3 of the 4 regular events plus the state championship results will be crowned the Anglers of the Year.
Each team will acquire points at each event, based on finishing positions.
1st place is valued at 200 points. 2nd place 199 points, 3rd place 198 points, proceeding at 1 point increments thereafter.
All teams not weighing a fish will receive 25 points less than the last place team that weighed fish.
Teams will be permitted a substitution or one member will be allowed to fish solo up to one (1) time during the course of the sanction trail events and retain their points toward angler of the year. In the event of an angler fishing solo, tournament officials may require an additional observer in the boat and/or that the boat be clearly marked in a way that identifies it as a boat in the competition.
New for 2024 we will enforce this rule and require all boats to have at least 3 people during tournament hours.
New for 2024, the Juniors will also award an Anglers of the Year award, following the same guidelines as the high school rules. Except the 1st place points will start at 100 and proceed at 1 point increments thereafter.
17. State Championship Eligibility:
Teams must qualify to fish in the 2024 State Championships.
For Juniors, any team that fishes at least one regular season event is eligible to fish in the IBN Junior State Championship. The field cannot exceed 25 boats. In the event teams need to be cut, the top 5 teams from each event will qualify for the state championship. The rest of the 25 boat maximum field will be filled using standings which will be each team’s best 3 of 4 events.
For High School, the field is capped at 50 boats. The Top 5 teams from each event will qualify for the state championship. The rest of the field will be filled using the AOY standings which use each team’s best 3 of 4 events. Only teams that have separated themselves from the “show up” points are eligible for the high school state championship.
18. Bassmaster National Championship Eligibility:
JUNIORS
Top 2 teams from each state’s Junior Championship
New in 2024, the Indiana Junior Anglers of the Year will also earn a berth to the national championship
HIGH SCHOOL
Top 2 teams from each state’s High School Championship
Sanctioned high school team trails also earn berths based on memberships. We use the Anglers of the Year standings to award these berths.
Top 25 teams at each Bassmaster High School Open
Top 10 teams at each Bassmaster Junior Open
19. Tournament Rules Committee / Rules Interpretation
All decisions determined by the Tournament Rules Committee are final in all cases.
Any violation of the above rules will be grounds for disqualification from this and any future events.
20. Protests
Each competitor agrees to report to the Tournament Director immediately any violation or infraction of any Tournament Rules. Failure to report violations or suggestions to another competitor that they violate these Rules or false verification of weigh-in forms will be cause for disqualification. OFFICIAL PROTESTS MUST BE FILED IN WRITING AND ALL PARTIES OF INTEREST WILL BE PROVIDED A COPY.
Protests from anyone other than official competitors will not be accepted.