1. RULE CHANGES: These rules will remain unchanged during the tournament season. Interpretation of these rules will be left exclusively to the tournament rules staff. The decisions of the tournament rules staff are final in all matters and not subject to appeal. Protest must be made in writing within 30 minutes of the official check-in time in each tournament.
   
2. PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY: Each contestant must have a valid Social Security Number and Valid Tennessee Fishing License . Any minor competing must have his/her parent or legal guardian sign a minority age release form. Any minor competing must be with an adult, the adult must operate the combustion engine during tournament hours.
   
3. ENTRY LIMITATIONS: Contestants may fish alone or with a partner. A COMPLETED Entry Form and Entry Fee must be received by or postmarked no later than that Tuesday prior to each tournament. All late entries must be accompanied by a $10 non-refundable service charge. Late entries will be taken up to 30 minutes prior to designated tournament start time. The burden of notification lie solely with the contestant.
   
4. OFF LIMITS: Each Friday at 8:00PM prior to each tournament date.
   
5. SCORING: Only Largemouth, Smallmouth, and Kentucky "Spotted" Bass will be weighed. The official length will be 14" Largemouth and Kentucky and one Smallmouth over 18". Bass presented for weigh-in which fail to measure the prescribed length will be penalized loss of fish and 1 pound. Fish that appear to be mangled, mashed, or altered will be weighed only at the discretion of the tournament officials. Fish will be measured with mouth closed. Official measuring device will be the "Weedmaster" brand Blue Board that measures up to 18 inch fish.
   
6. LIMIT REGULATIONS: The official limit for the Kiss My BASS Invitational Tournament Trail is 5 fish per boat. Consisting of 5 Largemouth or 5 Kentucky Bass. Or a mixture of 5 Largemouth and/or Kentucky Bass. Or a mixture of 4 Largemouth and/or Kentucky and ONE Smallmouth Bass. No Culling at the weigh-in site, penalty for having more than five fish in your live well or in your possession at the weigh-in area will be loss of fish starting with the largest fish continuing until the limit of 5 fish is met. Short or with-in Slot fish will be penalized by loss of that fish plus one pound per non-regulation fish.
   
7. DEAD FISH: 8 ounces will be deducted from total weight for each dead fish presented for weigh-in, this also applies to Big Bass awards consideration.
   
8. SPORTSMANSHIP: All contestants are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety, and conservation. Intoxication shall be cause for automatic disqualification. Anglers receiving 3 sportsmanship protest shall be permanently disqualified. Firearms in a contestant’s boat or on his/her person during tournament hours is grounds for immediate disqualification.
   
9. SAFETY: Safe boating must be observed at all times. Each contestant is required to wear a chest type life preserver anytime the combustion engine is operating. Motors that exceed BIA or Boat MFG. Ratings are not condoned by the Kiss My Bass Trail or its sponsors. Tournament officials reserve the right to refuse any rig which is extremely over powered or deemed dangerous for use.
   
10. BOAT AND MOTOR: All boats must be equipped with emergency ignition kill switch device securely attached to the drivers body whenever the combustion engine is in operation. Each boat must be 14’ or more in length. Each boat must have all required Coast Guard safety equipment and a working live well with adequate aeration system. Any or all of these items may be checked on any or all boats prior to each tournament start time.
    
11. PERMITTED FISHING: Contestants may fish anywhere on Norris Lake accessible by boat, except areas designated as off limits or no fishing by local, state, federal officials, or tournament officials, or within 50 yards of any marina gas pump or within 50 yards of any other competitors boat which was first anchored and the trolling motor in the up position. All angling must be done from the boat. Contestants must leave and return to the official check point by the boat of origin. In the event of motor failure, you and/or your partner may return to weigh-in with another tournament contestant or official. At no time may you enter a non-contestant boat unless of an emergency which must be reported to the tournament director immediately upon return to weigh-in. At no time may a non-contestant hole sit for a tournament contestant. Failure to comply is grounds for immediate disqualification.
    
12. FISH POSSESSION: Your fish must remain in your possession from catch to weigh-in.
    
13. TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT: Only artificial lures with the exception of pork trailers may be used. Only one lure per angler may be presented and in the water at one time. All Bass must be caught live and in a conventional sporting manner. Trolling or assisting bait presentation with combustion engine or trolling motor is illegal. No fishing rods over 8’.
    
14. OFFICIAL CHECK POINTS: There will be one official check point or boat check-in in the morning and one official check point or check-in in the afternoon. Failure to go through boat check and check out in the morning or failure to check in at the check-in point will result in disqualification. Early or emergency check-in must be reported to the tournament officials. Contestants failure to comply will forfeit Classic qualifying points for that tournament.
    
15. TIES: In case of a tie, awards for that position and following position shall be combined and divided equally between tied contestants. Should a tie occur for first place in any tournament including the Classic, the tournament director may decide to break the tie with a fish off after discussions with the contestants and the Tournament staff.
    
16. LATE PENALTY: Contestants not at their Official Check-in area at or before their appointed time will be penalized at a rate of one pound per minute to be deducted from the total weight, Including any BIG BASS Award. Any contestant over 15 minutes late will lose all credit for that days catch.
    
17. CLASSIC QUALIFING: There will be five (5) qualifying tournaments for the Classic.. Any contestant that has fished either alone or with a partner and fishes four (4) of the five qualifying tournaments will qualify for the Classic. The Winner or Winners of each tournament automatically qualify for the Classic.
    
18. OBSERVERS: Any contestant or team that finishes in the Top Five in a tournament will be responsible to supply an observer and a life jacket for that observer to the next Tournament they fish. If a team places in the Top Five, and select to fish separately in the next tournament both contestants must supply an observer in the next tournament they compete in. Observers will be drawn by the Tournament Director prior to the start time of that tournament. Any contestant placed in the Top Ten after day one of the Classic will supply an observer for day two of the Classic. In some instances the Tournament Officials may select observers for the contestants from the tournament staff.
    
19. INSURANCE: Liability insurance is required in a minimum amount of $100,000 per accident of all contestants utilizing their boats while fishing in any Kiss MY Bass Tournament.
    
20. EASE OFF NUMBERING: Boat Numbers used for the purpose of ease-off and check-in will be issued by order of registration. Any contestant or team that pays all Entry Fees for the entire trail can request a specific Ease Off Number and if not already taken will reserve that number for all tournaments, these will be reserved by order of registration. A contestant from each boat must check-in at the tournament headquarters each tournament date "morning before boat check" to obtain their number.
    
21. POLYGRAPH EXAMS: The Tournament Staff reserves the right to request any contestant to take a Polygraph exam. This would be requested to resolve written protest, clarification of possible rule violations, or other reasons thought appropriate by the tournament staff. Awards may be held back until the Polygraph Exam is complete. Any contestant that denies the Tournament Staff to administer the Exam will be Disqualified from all Kiss My Bass Tournaments and forfeit all Awards held back prior to the requested exam. Anyone that does not submit to a requested exam and his partner if he/she fished with a partner will not qualify for the Classic tournament. All results of Polygraph Exams will be final.