Rules as of 11/1/07
These Rules & Regulations are subject to change.
Final rules will be distributed at the event.
General Information
1. The format of the WBS Grand Championships is an all-release billfish tournament: sailfish are worth 100 points and any species of
marlin is worth 400 points.
2. All WBS Anglers in the 2007 Grand Championships are responsible for all costs involved with travel to and from the event,
accommodations during the event, boat expenses, Costa Rican fishing licenses and/or anything else that may be needed during fishing
that the boat or charter company may not be providing.
3. Should there be any issues with Tournament Control, each boat should use GPS time for the following: observer/photographer pick-up, lines in, hourly angler rotation, billfish release times (marlin hook up and release times), lines out and scorecard turn in. It is the angler’s responsibility to ensure this occurs should contact with Tournament Control be lost at any time during the tournament.
4. Times: 6:30-7:00AM: Observer/photographer pick up; 7AM: Boats may depart Herradura Bay (no boats may depart the bay prior to 7AM). Lines In: 8AM (no lines or teasers in the water prior to 8AM). Lines Out: 4PM (any hookups must be reported to Tournament Control prior to the call for lines out—fish that are reported as hooked up prior to the call for lines out may continue to be fought until lost, released or the time limitation of 45 minutes has expired).
5. At the time of release, all Captains must report the boat name, angler name and species via VHF radio to Tournament Control. The boat will be given a Confirmation Number to be recorded on the angler’s Official Scorecard.
6. In the event of a marlin hook up, the Captain should also report that information (boat name, angler name and marlin hook up) to Tournament Control.
7. Official Release Cards must be signed by the Captain, Mate and both Anglers. Submitting an incorrect Release Card is considered grounds for disqualification from the Grand Championships as well as the World Billfish Series. Release Cards must be turned in by 7PM to a designated Tournament Coordinator at the designated location. In the event of a mechanical breakdown by a competing boat, their Release Card may be delivered by another boat with prior approval by the Tournament Committee.
8. In the event of a tie, the angler who reaches their point total first based on the time of release will be deemed the winner of the tie.
9. The Tournament Committee reserves the right to change the starting and finishing times and/or days of the tournament based on weather conditions. If any portion of the event is deemed fishable, that time will constitute a tournament.
10. Any protest and supporting evidence must be presented in writing by a competing angler to the Rules Committee by no later than 7:30PM of the same day as the alleged protest. Each protest must be accompanied by a $500 cash deposit. Said evidence will be ruled upon by the Committee prior to the next day’s events or prior to the scheduled awards presentation. If the protest is upheld, the deposit will be returned to the protesting angler.
11. The Rules Committee will make all decisions on any discrepancies that arise during the tournament. The decision of the Rules Committee is final.
12. All rules are subject to revision at the Angler’s Meeting. All participating anglers must attend the Angler’s Meeting.
13. Anglers must remain competitively engaged at all times during the Lines In period of the tournament or may risk disqualification from the event.
14. Anglers are expected to act with honesty, sportsmanship and integrity at all times during the WBS Grand Championships.
World Tour Qualifier Rules
1. IGFA Rules and Regulations will apply with changes or additions provided herein.
2. Each competing boat will have two qualified anglers per boat. Anglers will rotate sides of the boat on the hour to ensure that no one has an unfair advantage.
3. All anglers must deploy their own lines in the water and must hook and fight their fish unassisted as per IGFA rules. Deckhands or mates are not allowed to put any line in the water with the exception of teasers.
4. Should a mate or deckhand be requested to clear a line from the spread, that rod is immediately taken out of play as soon as the mate touches the rod. Any fish hooked after the mate has touched the rod will not count.
5. Anglers are required to use monofilament line with a breaking strength rated by the manufacturer at 50-pound test or less. There are no bonus points for using lighter line.
6. The leader length is limited to 15 feet; the combined length of the double line and leader shall not exceed 20 feet. Anglers are encouraged to use wind-on leaders with a high-visibility splice.
7. Each angler will be allowed a maximum of two lines in the water at any time.
Scenario 1: Angler has two lines in the water but would like to pitch to a fish on the teaser: one line must be removed from the water first. This line may be removed by a mate but is taken out of play as soon as it is touched by the mate—any fish hooked are not allowed to be scored.
Scenario 2: Angler has one line in the water with two rods ready in the boat, one rigged for sailfish and one rigged for marlin. Either back-up rod may be put in the water on their side of the boat at any time.
8. Each angler will be allowed to use a maximum of two teasers per side of the boat. Teasers must be of the surface-swimming variety— teasers consisting of single or multiple lures, daisy chains or bowling pin styles are acceptable for tournament use. Dredge-style teasers are not allowed. The use of downriggers is not allowed.
9. Non-offset circle hooks are required for use with all natural baits and natural bait/lure combinations. Circle hooks are not required for use with artificial lures.
10. Anglers may not attempt to steal strikes from other anglers; captains and crews may not favor one angler over another.
11. An official release occurs when the splice, knot or swivel connecting the leader to the line touches the rod tip or the deckhand touches the leader with his or her hand. All fish should be released with care—every attempt should be made to cut the leader as close as possible to the hook prior to release.
12. From the time of hook-up, no billfish may be fought for more than 45 minutes, at which point the reel’s drag should be tightened to full and the line broken as close to the fish as possible. Any species positively identified as non-billfish should be either boated or broken off as quickly as possible.
13. Once an angler is hooked up, any of that angler’s remaining lines in the water must be cleared within one minute of the hook up. The other angler fishing from the same boat must remove his or her lines from the water after one minute of the initial hook-up. If a mate is directed to clear a line, that rod is taken out of play as soon as it is touched by the mate—any fish hooked on it will not count.
14. In the event two anglers on the same boat hook up at approximately the same time, control of the boat will be at the direction of the first angler hooked up and will remain so until that fish is lost or released, at which time the second angler will have control.
15. If one angler has more than one fish raised on their side of the boat, they are allowed to hook and fight additional fish by picking up and replacing the rods in the rod holders (maximum of two lines in the water per angler rule still applies). An angler is not allowed to hold one rod and gain line by turning the reel on another rod—the rod must be picked up, wound and replaced before picking up another rod. The drags may be manipulated with the rod in the rod holder but the angler may not turn the handle to regain line.
World Championship Rules
1. IGFA Rules and Regulations will apply with changes or additions provided herein.
2. World Tour Qualifier Rules will apply with changes or additions provided herein.
3. World Tour Championship anglers will fish with one qualified angler per boat.
4. Anglers are allowed a maximum of three lines in the water at any time. The number of lines in the water, up to three, is at the sole discretion of the angler.
5. There is no time limit for fighting any species of billfish.
6. Anglers will be allowed to determine at what point lines are to be cleared in the hook up process. When a rod is to be cleared by a mate, that rod is taken out of play once touched by the mate—any fish hooked on it will not be counted.
7. If the angler has more than one fish raised in the spread, they are allowed to hook and fight additional fish by picking up and replacing the rods in the rod holders (maximum of three lines in the water per angler rule still applies). An angler is not allowed to hold one rod and gain line by turning the reel on another rod—the rod must be picked up, wound and replaced before picking up another rod. The drags may be manipulated with the rod in the rod holder but the angler may not turn the handle to regain line.
8. The angler with the highest point total will be declared the WBS World Champion of Billfishing. In the event of a tie, the angler who reaches their point total first based on the time of release will be deemed the winner of the tie.
It is the sole responsibility of the participating WBS Anglers to know and abide by the tournament’s rules. By entering the WBS Grand Championships, they acknowledge such and accept all decisions made by the Rules Committee as final.
By entering the WBS Grand Championships, all anglers, crews and guests (herein referred to as “Participants”) agree to, and understand the following: That billfishing has numerous obvious and non-obvious inherent risks that are always present in such an activity despite all safety precautions. Related injuries can be severe requiring more hospital days and resulting in more lasting residual effects than injuries in other activities. All Participants acknowledge such risks and hereby freely assume same. Participants agree that in consideration of the WBS Grand Championships Tournament (herein referred to as the “Tournament”) allowing your participation in this activity under the terms set forth herein and in the Tournament rules the Participants on behalf of themselves, and on behalf of their heirs, administrators, personal representatives or assigns, do agree to hold harmless, release and discharge the Tournament and WBS, Inc., their owners, agents, employees, officers, directors, representatives, assigns, members, owners of premises, affiliated organizations, insurers and others acting on their behalf (herein referred to as “Associates”) of and from all claims, demands, causes of action, and legal liability, whether the same be known or unknown, anticipated or unanticipated, due to the Tournament’s and/or its Associates ordinary negligence and Participants do further agree that except in the event of the Tournament’s gross and willful negligence, Participants shall bring no claims, demands, actions and causes of action and/or litigation against the Tournament and its Associates, as stated above in this clause, for any economic and/or non-economic losses due to bodily injury, death or property damage sustained by Participants in relation to operation of the Tournament.
Thank You and Good Fishing!
