Federal Government Requires All Billfish Tournaments to use circle hooks when using live or dead bait. This will require all participants in the Barta Boys and Girls Club Billfish Tournament to use circle hooks.
| 1. New North Carolina Recreational Fishing License Required for 2007. The NC Division of Marine Fisheries will require a recreational fishing license for anyone 16 years or older participating in fishing aboard a vessel. This includes a license for the captain, the mate and the anglers. These individual licenses can be purchased on a 10 day, annual or lifetime basis. For more information and acquire a license online go to http://www.ncfisheries.net/recreational/nccrfl.htm or call 252-726-7021. |
| 2. Anglers, boats, or teams must abide by all state and federal regulations. |
| 3. All boats must be registered with the Tournament Committee and entry fee ($500.00) paid to qualify for trophies. Any boat may be substituted during the tournament but must be registered with the Tournament Committee prior to fishing. |
| 4. All boats fishing the tournament must depart from Barden, Beaufort or Bogue Inlets on the second day of fishing. All boats must fish within a 60 nautical mile radius of the Beaufort Inlet on both fishing days of the tournament. |
| 5. Fishing hours are Friday, 8:00am to 2:00pm and Saturday, 8:00am to 2:00pm. Fish hooked prior to or after fishing hours are not eligible. |
| 6. All billfish must be reported to the committee boat when hooked, lost or released. Radio frequency shall be VHF Channel 72. No billfish will be intentionally killed or brought back to the dock under any conditions. Tagging is recommended but not mandatory. |
| 7. Release score sheets must be turned into the Rules/Tournament Committee at the weigh station for the catch to be officially entered into tournament scoring. No release will be counted until a signed score sheet is turned in. |
| 8. Billfish release points are the same for all species 400 points. This includes Blue Marlin, White Marlin, Sailfish, Spearfish and Hatchet Marlin. In the event of a tie, the winner will be determined by the first boat to achieve the winning total. In order for a billfish to be counted as a release, a member of the fishing team or crew member must touch the leader or the leader, swivel or the knot must touch the rod tip. All gamefish must be weighed in at the official Tournament weigh station. Gamefish can be brought to the scales by boat or by car. Gamefish scales will close daily at 6:00pm. |
| 9. Winning gamefish will be determined by weight. In case of a tie, the first fish weighed-in will determine the winner. Gamefish hookups do not need to be called into the committee boat. |
| 10. All gamefish weighed-in will be given back to the boat after the official weight is determined and will not become the property of the tournament. |
| 11. Double line and leader combined may not exceed 40ft; neither of which may exceed 30ft. |
| 12. Dead bait; single hook rigs only. Live bait will be allowed for King Mackerel fishing only. Any other game fish for billfish caught on a live bait will not be counted. |
| 13. No plastic enhancement devices, skirts, birds or chumming allowed. This is a classic clean, dead bait only trolling tournament (with the exception of King Mackerel which allows live bait). |
| 14. Six (6) rods may be trolled and a seventh (7th) rod may be used but it must be a pitch bait. |
| 15. Three teasers may be used; they can be artificial, daisy chains, or dredges (hookless). |
| 16. There is no limit to the number of anglers on board as long as only six rods are being used. Anyone may qualify as an angler including professional mates and captains. |
17. Any protest must be made immediately at the end of the day's fishing in writing to the Tournament Committee.
ALL TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE DECISIONS ARE FINAL. |
| 18. No kites allowed. Release clip downriggers & planers may be used. No apparatus may stay on lines to inhibit fight of the fish. |
| 19. Weighted rigging attached to bait may be used to assist swimming baits. |
| 20. No juicing or coloring baits. |
| 21. No spinning rods allowed. Only conventional rods & reels. Short stand-up rods are allowed. |
| 22. Junior Anglers may be assisted as needed as long as they are committed to fight and DON'T GIVE UP! |
| 23. A rod may be passed from one angler to another angler as long as it is somewhat immediate and that the receiver fights the fish - a rod may not be handed off to more than two anglers. |
