RULES | Crossroadswalleye

A. CLUB FUNDAMENTAL FOUNDATION & PROCEDURES

All CWT rules, procedures, dates, fees, and any other club related matters shall be voted on by club members upon the inception of the CWT.
Rules and Procedures can be changed by way of vote if no less than three club members request a formal vote.
Once a rule or procedure is voted official, it cannot be changed for a minimum of three years unless deemed detrimental to the integrity, finances, or any other justifiable reason which requires a signed vote by a majority of CWT officers.
Officers reserve the right to enact minor rule, financial, and procedural changes without a majority member vote. Minor rule, financial, and procedural changes will require a majority of officer votes to make active.
For the reason of officer voting, the CWT will never have an even number of officers.
Officers retain their position yearly unless a challenger is nominated by a minimum of three active members.
Membership cost will be determined by the club Treasurer with consideration to sponsorship donations, general club funds, and other monetary reasoning. To increase or decrease membership fees, the Treasurer will need a majority of officer votes.
Tournament lakes and tournament dates will be voted on yearly by club members.
Major rule changes, championship event, benefit events, and major procedural changes will be voted on yearly or as needed by new year active club members only.
Members will need to register for the club by January 1st to retain active status, have access to Members Only Facebook page, retain member benefits, and vote on major rule changes, championship event, benefit events, and procedural changes.
Tournament lakes and tournament dates will be voted online and by paper ballot. Paper ballot will be made available at year end championship event, annual club meeting, or by email. Lakes and dates vote will conclude no later than December 31st of current year.
Unless for an unforeseeable reason, the CWT will always have an annual meeting for voting, discussion, and general matters.
Any active CWT member can ask for a treasury report at any time. If requested, this report will be backed by financial statements and factual based evidence.
Officer CWT and TWF memberships are paid for by the general club funds. If an officer is found to not be performing his duty, that officer’s position will be revoked and they will be billed for the amount of both memberships. A revoked officer will not be able to compete in any CWT event until memberships are paid in full. An officer that resigns their duties will also be required to repay their membership costs to the club.

B. SAFETY & TOURNAMENT INTEGRITY:

Safe boating conduct must always be observed by tournament competitors. Participants must abide by all local navigation laws.
Where you choose to fish is completely at your own risk. If you choose to fish in an area that officers consider dangerous or inaccessible, you may not have access to help should you have an emergency or equipment malfunction. Should you be in such an area and need assistance, you can call an officer, but officers and the CWT will not be liable in any way if we consider the area unsafe or unreachable for our personal craft.
The use of alcohol or drugs (other than those purchased over the counter or prescribed by a licensed physician) by any competitor during a tournament will not be tolerated and shall be cause for disqualification.
All participants are required and agree to wear a Coast Guard approved type III or greater chest type personal floatation device and attach their kill switch to their person anytime the boat is on plane during tournament hours.
Club officers have the right to delay or cancel the start of an official tournament due to bad weather or other factors that would endanger the safety of the competitors.
Participants may not leave their boats during tournament hours except in the case of an emergency, to include using the restroom if a club officer is notified first. If an angler is leaving the water, the other angler must stay with the boat (if applicable). Any member leaving the water may not carry or possess any materials to or from the watercraft during this time (bags, coolers, etc.) this could be viewed as potentially transporting fish, which will result in disqualification.
It is the responsibility of the boat captain to ensure the safety of the vessel, safety equipment, and the safety of its passengers.
All members must comply with CWT rules, federal laws, state laws, and local laws while participating in any club sanctioned event.
If any of the safety items mentioned above are violated each person may be subject to disqualification.
In the case of an accident or other unforeseen event, it’s at the discretion of the Safety Director or office in charge to make the decision on if the event will continue.
Anyone caught cheating in any CWT event will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and will earn a lifetime ban from any future CWT event.

C. ANGLER RULES AND PROCEDURES:

Participants must possess an Indiana DNR fishing license.
All state rules regarding fishing will always be followed.
Only fish caught on hook and line will be officially scored and weighed.
Only two people are to be in a participant boat during CWT tournaments. Both parties must be CWT & TWF members and registered for the event. The only time you can have a non-member or more than two parties is if media asks to board your craft for their coverage.
If media is present during a CWT event, you must consent to allow them to video record or photograph you, your craft, and anything they can see in plain sight from their craft. If asked to board your boat, and you have a reasonable space for them to work, you must allow them to board your vessel for coverage.
Any participant who receives a citation during an event shall be disqualified.
Pre-fishing is allowed prior to any event. Anglers are required to be off the water at official sunset the day before the tournament.
Each team will possess no more than 6 fish at any time during the tournament. Non- species fish like perch, crappie, bluegill, etc. are allowed. Officers have the right to randomly inspect your livewell prior to tournament weigh in after the official end time, and hold the right to disqualify an angler if more than six weighable fish are in the participants possession.
The only fish that will go towards your tournament weight is walleye, sauger, and saugeye.
Culling is permitted, anglers will release only living fish if culling takes place.
Each team may weigh up to 5 fish.
Dead fish penalty shall be 8 ounces per dead fish not to exceed 24 ounces. If a participant weighs over three dead fish, that team will be disqualified from the event.
All fish shall meet minimum legal length for that body of water. Any undersized fish presented for scoring shall be confiscated and a 2-pound penalty will be given to that team.
An official measuring board will be named and made available to club members to purchase through the CWT or through a reputable retail outlet. This measuring board will be the deciding factor on if your fish meet the required minimum length. Fish need to meet minimum length on CWT official board to be scored.
You may fish any legally and ethically accessible area that you can reach by water after launching at the event designated boat ramp. Please consider all local and state laws when accessing questionable areas. Refer Section 2 – Note B for more details.
The use of electronic devices such as cellphones, radios, etc. to solicit information are - prohibited from being used during tournament hours, except for emergencies.
Electronic equipment used for mapping, trolling data, boat control, personal fishing apps, and cameras will be allowed.

D. TOURNAMENT PROCEDURES

Registration for each event will be made available in advance to each event.
To participate in any points event both anglers must have current CWT & TWF membership.
A boat captain must be declared prior to start of any CWT event.
Tournament registration will begin at least one hour before official launch time and close 15 minutes before official launch time.
Any boat not in line for take-off at official launch time will be required to launch once all other participants have launched.
Boat captains will draw random numbers when registering for each event. This placard should be held up prior to official launch time. Members should line themselves up with other members in the order they will launch.
Boat captain or co-angler will be required to attend the captain’s meeting before take-off.
Every boat competing in the tournament will undergo a livewell check to ensure livewells are completely empty along with a safety inspection to ensure a kill switch is present. Once the livewell check and safety inspections have been completed, an event color coded ribbon will be attached to your trolling motor, and you can then launch your watercraft. You cannot launch your watercraft into the body of water prior to completing a successful livewell check. It's your responsibility to make sure your livewell has been checked by a club officer. Find an officer if you were missed. Launching without a livewell check ribbon may disqualify you from the event.
Tournament anglers must be present in the plain view of officers at the designated weigh in area at the official tournament close time. (8 hours post sunrise or pre-determined tournament closed time) Plain view is defined as being within the immediate 50-yard area of the official launch site. Any angler in violation of this rule is subject to a penalty. Penalties will be given in 1-minute increments. Each minute late will be counted as a 4-ounce penalty, once 15 minutes has passed the participant/s’ will be disqualified from the event. (Example, If Joey is 4 minutes late, he will be assessed a 16-ounce penalty “1 pound”) (Example, If Chad is 16 minutes late, he will be disqualified)
One club officer or approved volunteer will be at ramp to confirm boats are within plain view of return area at the end of the event. The officer or approved volunteer’s say is final in the event that a team incurs late penalty.
In the case of a watercraft malfunction, it's up to the boat captain to call an officer to let them know you that you will not be back within plain view by official tournament close time. It must be someone on malfunctioning boat that calls in to officers. We'll send someone to get you if needed. We'll make a malfunction exception one time. Officer cell phone numbers are listed on the Contact page of the website. It’s up to you to have the officer phone number, they will be made abundantly available.
Do Not Launch (DNL) Refund Option - If you do not launch due to emergency or equipment failure, you can request a DNL refund. You can do this one time per season. If your craft leaves the trailer, DNL Refund Option is Null and Void.
Scales will open 30-45 minutes after the “Return to Launch Time” depending on ramp location. Return to launch time will be determined at the captain’s meeting. NO FISH will be weighed before this specific time. If you bring fish early, they will not be weighed until the official scale open time.
You must present your boat number placard when you bring your fish to the scales. Fish will not be weighed unless you have your boat number placard. If you lose your placard, please let an officer know when you bring your fish to the scales. You will receive a bill for $25 to replace the lost placard.
Scales will close 60 minutes after scale opening time, or once all teams have checked in, whichever is the lesser of the two. It’s up to you to make sure your fish are weighed before close of scales; we will issue a last call when nearing the end of weigh-ins.
In the case that two or more anglers have the same weight, the tiebreaker will be determined by biggest fish weighed. If only one fish is weighed, or the biggest fish is the same weight, a second tiebreaker will be determined by most fish weighed. In the event that the teams tying have same number of fish, same big fish weight, etc, the third tiebreaker will be boat number drawn at registration, with lowest numbered boat winning the tie breaker.
If disqualified for breaking rules / state laws you will not be given a refund of your entry fee.
A Premier Pot cash side bet will be offered as optional to tournament participants. The Premier Pot team with the highest scoring weight will take the entire pot. No points are awarded for winning the Premier Pot. Premier Pot must have a minimum of 3 participating teams to be active. Premier Pot buy in is $50.

E. FISH RELEASE

All scored live fish shall be released at conclusion of event.
Any fish that does not swim off under its own power shall be recaptured for consumption.
Club member volunteers that assisted officers during weigh in or launch will be given the opportunity to take fish that aren’t able to swim off under their own power for consumption. In the event they do not wish to take these fish, any participant may make a claim for fish that aren’t able to swim off under their own power for consumption
Angler’s sixth fish may be kept for consumption.

F. REGULAR SEASON TOURNAMENT POINTS

Regular season events are worth 200 points.
There is a 2-point reduction per each place following. Therefore, second place will receive 198, third place 196, forth 194, and so on.
If a team weighs no fish, they will earn last place points. For example, if there are 20 boats, 10 boats weigh fish and 10 boats blank, the 10 boats that blank will earn 20th place points.
- To receive last place points the team will need to complete the event. If the team needs to leave the event for an unforeseen emergent circumstance, no less than 3 officers will make the decision on if the team will earn last place points.
Your teams lowest scoring regular season event shall be thrown out from the captain's total for Team of the Year points.
Each lake will be fished only once during the regular season with exception to the championship.
The largest fish scored by participants at each event will be awarded the big fish purse and one point will be added to that teams TOY points total.
Teams that compete in every regular season event will earn 10 bonus points at the end of the season. These points will be added to their TOY points total.

G. CHAMPIONSHIP & CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT POINTS

Championship weekend is worth 500 total points.
Championship will be scored as a two-day total weight. The participant with the highest two day combined total weight will be awarded first place. In the event of a two-day total weight tie, the tie breaker will be awarded to the participant with the highest single day total weight. A third tie breaker will be instituted if needed based on the highest big fish weighed over the course of both days.
Championship points will be awarded in 3-point reduction increments. (Example, 1st place 500 points, 2nd place 497 points, 3rd place 494 points, 4th place 491 points, etc.)
Championship points are NOT eligible to be thrown out for your overall season totals.
Big fish purse and points will be awarded both days of the championship weekend. The largest fish scored each day will be awarded the big fish purse for that day and will be given two points to add toward their tournament total.
Participants must compete in two regular season CWT event to receive an invitation to the championship weekend. A competitor may compete in one CWT event and pay an additional $100 fee to participate in championship weekend, $50 of the fee will go to the championship pot, $50 will go to the club account.
Team captain can request for an alternate championship partner if done so before the second regular season event. At the time of the request, the alternate must join the club at a minimum as a Conservation Member. To use the alternate in the Championship, the stand-in will be required to join the CWT and TWF fully, and a $100 fee will be issued to the team.

H. TEAM OF THE YEAR TIEBREAKERS

In case of teams tying at conclusion of season, the points thrown out of regular season will be added to the total points of the teams tying to be the first tiebreaker.
The second tiebreaker will be determined by the number of highest finishes throughout the regular season between the 2 teams entered in the tiebreaker.

I. DECLARING A CAPTAIN

Every team shall announce a boat captain before every event. Though the events are a team effort, only the captain will receive awarded points.
If a team is separated, the captain shall retain any points awarded that season.
If a captain can no longer participate during the season, but the co-angler plans to continue, to transfer any points, both parties must present a request 7 days prior to the next regular season event. A minimum of 3 officers must review and approve the transfer. Any transfers presented less than 14 days prior to the championship will not be reviewed.
Participants may only transfer points from captain to co-angler one time during the season.

J. NATIONAL TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP DECLARATION

All participants in the CWT are automatically enrolled in both club points and NTC bid points yearly standings.
Anglers whom have won an NTC bid at years end are required to confirm that they will be going to the NTC as of January 1 of current year, or one month after CWT receives their official bids from the TWF. This will allow adequate time for the next placing team to prepare for the trip if you decide to pass the bid. Confirming a bid and then canceling will forfeit your chance to participate in the next years NTC bid competition. Cancellation for extenuating circumstances will be considered by officers to decide if they’re eligible for following years NTC bid competition.
If a team captain declines an offered NTC bid, that bid can be accepted by the captain’s official yearly partner. The partner must have fished a minimum of two events with the captain to be considered as the official yearly partner.

K. EVENT CANCELLATION & NO FISH CLAUSE

In the case that no fish are to be scored by any team, a full refund to the entire field will be given. The event will try to be rescheduled for a different time. A reschedule is not guaranteed if scheduling conflicts occur.
Teams who participated in the no fish event will receive last place points unless the event is rescheduled.
In the case that not enough teams score weights to place in all the finishing payout positions, but at least one team has claimed a fish, the unpaid monies will be banked with the CWT and added to the overall purse of the championship.
- Example being if 4 teams are scheduled to receive a payout, but only 2 teams weigh fish, the teams weighing fish and finishing in 1st and 2nd will receive the scheduled percentage payout as usual. The additional payout for 3rd and 4th will be banked and those monies will be added to the championship purse.
In the event that a tournament needs to be cancelled due to weather, flooding, or other instances, Prairie Creek Reservoir is the full time CWT contingency lake.
Officers reserve the right to decide if they will reschedule the event, or move it to the full-time contingency lake. A minimum of 3 officer votes will be required to reschedule.

L. SPORTSMANSHIP

Participants are expected to conduct themselves in a professional, courteous, safe, ethical, and sportsmanlike manner while participating in any club sanctioned event.
Any unfavorable conduct, speech or action by a participant in our efforts to promote the club, sportsmanship, and conservation could be grounds for disqualification or rejection of entry at officer’s discretion.
Club members are held to the same standard when using social media outlets related with the club, its affiliates, sponsors, and its members. As stewards of the CWT we must conduct ourselves in a professional and respectful manner when utilizing social media platforms including private messages. Posts, comments, harassing messages viewed as negative towards the CWT for the means of defamation to the club, its members, affiliates, or sponsors will not be tolerated. This includes functions, events, tournaments, and social media outlets. Violation to this policy will result in your being banned from the club and its functions. We encourage constructive criticism, both negative and positive feedback about the club and club events but ask that you be respectful of the club and its members when doing so. Please contact an officer should you have a complaint and it will be handled accordingly.

M. DISPUTES, CHANGES, & CONFLICTS

CWT officers reserve the right to make changes to the procedures and rules necessary to preserve club functionality. CWT officers reserve the right to make these changes to operate the club efficiently and effectively. In the case of any disputes, changes that may arise due to unforeseen circumstances, or conflicts in rules or procedures, decisions will be governed by no less than 3 CWT officers. All decisions are final. If rules and/or procedures are changed it is the officer’s responsibility to notify club members within a timely manner.
On water disputes or conflicts should be handled by the CWT Field Marshal. Please call the Field Marshall if needed. The Field Marshal’s phone number will be made readily available.
Destroying the property of a competitor is absolutely prohibited. This includes non-consenting cutting of lines, throwing weights, purposeful endangering maneuvers with watercraft, etc. If a competitor’s personal property is destroyed on purpose you will be disqualified from the event, possibly banned from the club, and legal action may be taken. If a situation is escalating please contact the Field Marshall.
If a club member is found to have broken the rules, the retribution is determined by the severity of the infraction. Harshness of the punishment will be determined by no less than 3 club officers. Possible outcomes for breaking the rules could result in a verbal or written warning, disqualification from the event including forfeiture of entry fee, a monetary fine, expulsion from the club and its functions, and lastly if necessary legal action may be taken.

N. PARTICIPANT RELEASE OF LIABILITY – READ BEFORE SIGNING

All CWT participants, volunteers, or anyone involved with the CWT or a CWT function will be required to sign a release of liability waiver.
In consideration for permission to voluntarily participate in any events, programs, or related activities conducted by The Walleye Federation, the Crossroads Walleye Trail, or its affiliates, either jointly or separately, I acknowledge, appreciate, and agree that: The risk of injury, disability, death, loss or damage to my person or property from the activities involved in this program is significant, including the potential for permanent paralysis and death, and while particular rules, equipment, and personal discipline may reduce this risk, the risk of serious injury does exist; and, I have been by TWF and CWT, and have had the opportunity to seek legal counsel with respect to the legal effect of this document; and, I KNOWINGLY AND FREELY ASSUME ALL RISKS referred to above, BOTH KNOWN AND UNKNOWN, EVEN IF ARISING FROM NEGLIGENCE OF THE WALLEYE FEDERATION and/or THE CROSSROADS WALLEYE TRAIL OR ITS APPOINTED OFFICERS, OTHER PARTICIPANTS, SPONSORS, AND, VOLUNTEERS. I ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR RISKS ARISING FROM MY PARTICIPATION; AND, I willingly agree to comply with the terms and conditions for participation. I agree to submit, my signature on this document.