Sep 17

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RULES AND PROCEDURES 2024

by The Crew

September 17, 2023

2025 Rules + Format

Sec 1. Ownership Directives and Notices

Participants agree by the paying of an entry fee and their participation in any Elite Fishing Series tournament that they have read, understood and will abide by all rules and tournament procedures as posted here or delivered electronically, in print, emailed, text or verbally in person to the group or individually all requirements and remedies following.

  1. Elite ownership and officials reserve the right to determine field, open or deny entry and/or remove any participant(s) for any reason at any time deemed necessary by Elite ownership and tour officials.  Elite ownership and tour officials exclusively interpret all rules, formats, procedures and directives listed or delivered in person or by any electronic means. Participant(s) who for any reason refuse the taking of a polygraph or other truth detection test will not be eligible for any awards received or expected from the Elite Fishing Series, tour name or the parent Headturners3, LLC. Participant(s) that have previously refused to take or have failed a polygraph test with any organization will not be eligible to compete and will be removed immediately at the time of discovery by Elite ownership and its official(s) forfeiting any awarded or promoted payments and/or prizes.

  2. Participants must be in good physical health and be free from any conditions diagnosed or not related to blackouts, seizures, fainting or other medical conditions that could knowingly place themselves, fellow competitors and/or the general public in danger on the water or roadways traveling to or from an Elite tournament. Alcoholic beverages cannot be possessed, transported or consumed by a tournament participant during tournament hours including tournament weigh ins.

  3. Participants must follow all federal, state and local regulations, laws including all tournament rules. Participants must have a liability policy of at least $300,000.00 for any vessel used in an Elite tournament and ensure they meet all boat and boater registrations required by state, federal and local law enforcement for the state where tournament takes place.  Participants must have a current fishing license for the state in which they are fishing unless state fishing license reciprocation occurs.

  4. All outstanding balances current or past due will be deducted prior to tournament winnings or awards being issued.

Sec 2. Polygraph Protest and Professionalism
  1. A written protest must be submitted in writing with 15 minutes of the scales closing for the day in which the accused violation took place. Should a polygraph test be needed to settle a protest, any fees incurred to settle the protest must be paid by the angler losing the protest prior to returning to competition including but not limited to testing, travel, hotel and any other fees associated with providing the polygraph test.
  2. Elite Solo Tour and its parent company Headturners3, LLC. act as a broker when hiring the polygraph administrator and have no influence on procedures, type of test, wording of questions, the amount of time a test may take or the results of the test. All findings are determined by the testing agent/agency and not by anyone affiliated with Headturners3, LLC., The Elite Fishing Series and/or any tour operated by Headturners3, LLC officials.
  3. All polygraph test results are final and not contestable by any participant or their affiliate or representative. If a participant fails a polygraph the participant forfeits all payments, prizes and awards won or anticipated for that season and cannot participate again for the remainder of the season in which the test was administered.

  4. Protest can only be filed by the person(s) experiencing or witnessing first hand the actions under which the protest is being filed. Dock talk, text messages, phone recordings and other he said she said type protest may not be heard and could potentially place the accuser in jeopardy of sanctions by the tour for violating the good sportsmanship rule. 

  5. Participants on the Elite Solo Tour will frequently be in the public eye and are considered role models by young people; therefore, it is imperative that tournament competitors demonstrate good sportsmanship in fishing. Participants must always conduct themselves in a professional manner with integrity, honor and respect toward fellow competitors, tournament staff, ownership and the general public. Participants must avoid actions that reflect unfavorably on themselves, fellow competitors, members, officers and/or community or product sponsors and affiliates.

  6. Participants nor anyone acting on their behalf may interfere with another participant’s ability to compete in a fair and sporting manner. I.E. hole sitting, blocking waterways, etc. Participants agree by their paying of an entry fee and participation to be filmed, photographed, quoted and share their likeness with any and all Headturners3, LLC., Elite Fishing Series and/or any tour operated by Headturners3, LLC  Elite Solo Tour for live, digital sites and networks as well as any and all TV production purposes that may be posted, hosted and or aired in any form in perpetuity.

Sec 3. Weather Mechanical Breakdowns and Remedies

  1. Should any day(s) of an Elite Fishing Series event be cancelled due to forecasted dangerous winds, weather or the eminent threat of extreme lightening and other dangerous conditions: Day 1 canceled, all participants fish day 2 with cut line established after that single day. Day 2 canceled, cut line from day 1’s completed round will set the field for day 3. Days 1 and 2 canceled, all participants fish championship to determine places of finish. If championship Saturday rained out the 1 day shootout will be tried again on Sunday if it still cannot be safely held the 1 day shootout will be rescheduled. Participants may leave their boat to seek safe shelter in dangerous weather but must continue to follow all tournament rules and procedures. 

  2. Participants experiencing mechanical failure may be towed in by any one from any where at any time but can only board the boat of another participant fishing the same event, except in case of an emergency where threat to life or limb exist. Participants having to board another participant’s boat for any reason will signal the end to both participant’s fishing, if both participants have fish they must keep them separate and clearly marked by tie wrap on tail or other means. In case of mechanical failure a certified mechanic may temporarily ride along with a participant for the purpose of diagnosing a mechanical issue. No discussions of fish movements, lures, techniques, etc. can take place.

Sec 4. Boats and Equipment

  1. Boats 18′ or longer with a single outboard engine normal in appearance to bay, skiff and cat type boats allowed. No tower, mid tower, airboats or tiller/stick driven boats allowed. 

  2. Standing console riser box boats allowed, riser boxes exceeding 20″ in height are not allowed.

  3. Casting platforms up to 5′ tall including platform ladders are allowed. Note: in solo tour opens minor variances to this height restriction may be allowed determined on a case by case basis. 

  4. Standard step ladders are not allowed. Ladders with landing platform as shown in illustration are.

  5. Operating the outboard engine with anyone standing or sitting on a casting platform is strictly prohibited.

  6. Note: in 2025 Open Wild Card events certain exceptions to boat type and platform height may be allowed to anglers fishing event as open competitors with no points available for championship or angler of the year.
Sec 5. How the New- Top Ten Trail works. 2025
  1. The Frogg Toggs Elite Solo Tour and the Yamaha Elite Fishing League combine to make 1 Elite Solo Angler super series known as the Top Ten Trail.
  2. 2 divisions East and West with 10 participants competing in each separately in waters in or near their region.
  3. The top 5 from each division qualify for the 2025 championship. The top 2 from each division using their best 3 out of 4 finishes (1 drop) not including the championship will make the Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship. Click here for championship, bassmaster redfish cup qualifications, paybacks and more document.
  4. Triple T events use 2 days (except in weather shortened events) of qualifying in the frogg toggs Elite Solo Tour’s standard format tournament with state size and creel limits are observed. After 2 days of competition the top 4 weights move on to fish day 3 where their weights zero/start over.
  5. The Final Four will compete on day 3 in the Yamaha Elite Fishing League format where anglers catch, weigh, film and release (with tour cameramen and officials on the boat) as many redfish (up to 12 pounds) as they can during 2 four hour fishing periods. The EFL Championship Round fish do not have to be measured or inspected for tail damage due to the fact that they are not possessed but released immediately after weighing.
  6. On the water penalties are immediately imposed based on violation with time of no fishing period. I.E. breaking off a fish 2:00 minutes no fishing, etc. watch an episode here to see how it works.
  7. Participants cannot return to tournament waters after a day of competition until official launch the following morning. Exceptions for on water housing and/or equipment repairs/testing may be allowed and will be handled on a case by case basis.
  8. All angling must be conducted from inside the boat, no wading. Participants cannot leave the boat to access any waters, cast to, catch or land a fish but may leave the boat to leave an area. Elite participants can only use artificial lures during tournament competition, no chumming with any product and may use 1 rod with 1 lure at a time.

SOLO TOUR QUALIFYING ROUND SPECIFIC FORMAT.

  1. A lure must be fully retrieved prior to a participant putting another rod and lure in play. All fish must be caught in a sporting manner. No snagging of fish, netting of fish or scooping of distressed surface fish is allowed.
  2. All fish brought in for a live weigh in that measures within 1″ of the legal size limit must have a tail that is normal in appearance as determined by Elite officials. I.E. LA with 27″ size limit fish under 26″ will not have their tail scrutinized or pincher applied for measuring.
  3. A .75 pound penalty will be assessed for each dead fish, including big fish. No culling of dead fish permitted. Dead fish may be kept separate from live fish but only with water and/or an ice substitute, frozen water bottles, Arctic Ice, etc. No icing of dead fish.

  4. Participants may not attempt to intentionally manipulate the weight or length of any fish. Each fish will only be measured on one side with the fish’s head to the left and tail to the right of the fish bumper. Pincher (used only on fish within 1″ of legal or stated tournament size limit) slid to 1/2″ from legal size limit for state in which tournament is taking place. 
  5. Participants can not fish waters they know are not open to the general public for boating and fishing. Even if an boundaries fall within an area not open to public boating, anglers asked to leave must do so immediately and cannot return again or until it is proven to be unrestricted open waters. angler believes he is in public water they must leave immediately, This rule applies to waters that a competitor, family or friend of someone on or not on the tour may own or lease and/or grant permission for the competitor to be on.. one in all in. It is the sole responsibility of a tournament participant to research, call, contact and otherwise discover waters that are or are not open to the general public.

ELITE FISHING LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND FORMAT.

  1. COMING SOON.
Sec 6. Points for National Championship and Angler of the Year
  1. 1st place at all events will be awarded 200 points then -1 point less per place following. -2 points from last place weighing a fish for 0 fish. 
  2. The Elite National Championship is open to all participants having qualified in the top 1/2 of their division using their best 3 of 4 possible divisional events. 
  3. Elite World Champion wins a 22′ Tidewater Baymax, Yamaha 200 HP and McClain tandem axle trailer.*
  4. Angler of the Year points to be determined by an angler using points from their best 4 events of the season including tour stops, wild card opens and the national championship, all lesser event points will be dropped. Angler of the Year being a paid member in good standing wins $5,000.00 off entry fees the following season.

*Boat / Motor / Trailer package awards and the qualifying for the 2025 Bassmaster Redfish Cup are solely guaranteed by tour partners and partnerships returning in the same levels as in previous seasons on the frogg toggs Elite Solo tournament and television series.

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