Rules of Competition
V7.1 June 04, 2008

1. Eligibility
a. Tournament is open only to boats owned by active PJSA members who are have their current membership fully paid at the start of the tournament.
b. Boat owners must complete a tournament application and pay the entry fee to participate in this tournament.
c. There may be no substitution of boats except in the event of a boat suffering a mechanical problem that may not be repaired within one week. In the event of a boat breakdown, boat owners may request permission from the PJSA board to use a substitute boat. With the exception of an entered boat suffering a major breakdown, a PJSA member fishing aboard a non-members boat is not eligible to enter fish into this contest.
d. Entry fees cover the boat and all recreational crew that may fish on board the boat during the tournament period (PJSA defines recreational as non-charter fishermen. Expense sharing is not considered to be a charter).

2. Categories and Eligible Species
a. There will be three categories to the PJSA Offshore Tournament: tuna, marlin and swordfish, and sharks. All boats participating in this tournament are automatically entered into all three categories, and are allowed to take up to one prize in each category.
b. Category I – Tuna:
i. Tuna (bluefin, yellowfin, bigeye, and longfin only)
ii. Category I entries will consist of a "stringer of three" top fish weighed in by each participating boat.
c. Category II – Marlin/Swordfish
i. White marlin
ii. Blue marlin
iii. Swordfish
iv. Category II entries will consist of a cumulative point total for all qualified fish released (marlin or swordfish) or weighed in (legal swordfish only).
d. Category III - Shark
i. Mako shark
ii. Thresher shark
iii. Great white shark
iv. "Other" sharks (to include tigers, blue sharks, browns, duskies, but excludes dogfish or sand sharks)
e. All entries not released must be in compliance with applicable federal and state size and bag limit regulations.

3. Tournament Dates and fishing times
a. Tournament runs from the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend through midnight on the Sunday prior to the September PJSA meeting (usually held the third Wednesday of September).
b. Boats may make any number of individual trips offshore, and may stay offshore for any number of days during each trip.
c. Boats are under no obligation to fish on any given day during this period, and the decision to fish is the responsibility of the captain of each boat.
d. In the event that PJSA has not received at least two entries in either of the categories as of the close of the scheduled dates, the Tournament Committee will have the option of extending the tournament for a fixed period of time for one or both categories. Extensions may be granted for any or all categories, but only for categories with fewer than two entries. Extension will be made at the discretion of the Tournament Committee.

4. Fishing Limitations
a. Boats may depart and return at any time during the fishing tournament.
b. Boats may fish anywhere in the zone defined as the waters off New Jersey and South to 37 degrees 45 minutes, to 120 nautical miles offshore.

5. Eligible Fishing Tackle and techniques
a. Tackle selections are limited to rod and reel. Tackle may be of any size or line class.
b. Terminal tackle may have not have more than two hooks connected to each line.
c. Contestants may troll, chunk, jig or use live bait.

6. Scoring
a. Category I - Tuna
i. Scoring will be based on the combined weight of the three largest individual fish weighed in by a boat.
ii. A boat catching a larger fish after an earlier entry can withdraw one or more of the earlier entries and replace them with the larger fish. PJSA will make available a list of the current status of tournament contestants on its Web site or via email.
iii. Each boat is eligible to capture a single place in each of the Categories.
iv. Should two boats weigh in tuna of the exact same weight, the tournament shall be declared a tie, and the trophy will be shared between them.

b. Category II – Marlin and Swordfish
i. Scoring will be based on the cumulative point total of all eligible Category II fish released or weighed in by a single boat.
ii. Fish will be scored as follows:
1. Blue marlin: Flat 400 points per released fish
2. White marlin: Flat 100 points per released fish
3. Swordfish: 100 points for released fish; 1 point per pound for captured fish, with a 100-pound minimum. No points issued for captured fish below 100 pounds.
iii. A release is defined as one of the following:
1. when a swivel reeled to the rod tip
2. when the leader is touched by a the captain or mate
3. Wind-ons must be touched by captain or mate
iv. Boats may continue to submit entries through the tournament period. PJSA will make available a list of the current status of tournament contestants on its Web site or via email.
c. Should two boats accumulate an exact identical number of points in this category, the tournament shall be declared a tie, and the trophy will be shared between them.

d. Category III – Mako, Thresher and Great Whites
i. Scoring will be based on the cumulative point total of all eligible Category II fish released or weighed in by a single boat.
ii. Fish will be scored as follows:
1. Mako, Thresher and Great White sharks: 100 points for each released fish; 1 point per pound for captured makos and thresher only (all whites must be released), with a 100 pound minimum. No points issued for captured fish below 100 pounds.
2. All other shark releases are worth 10 points per release
a. Tigers, browns, blue sharks, duskies, etc. (no dog fish or sand sharks allowed)
iii. A release is defined as one of the following:
1. when a swivel reeled to the rod tip
2. when the leader is touched by a the captain or mate
3. Wind-ons must be touched by captain or mate
iv. Boats may continue to submit entries through the tournament period. PJSA will make available a list of the current status of tournament contestants on its Web site or via email.
v. Should two boats accumulate an exact identical number of points in this category, the tournament shall be declared a tie, and the trophy will be shared between them.


7. Verification of Fish
a. Weigh In
i. All weigh-ins must take place on land.
ii. All fish captured must be weighed in. PSJA members should make their best effort to use a scale that is accurate, however, use of a "certified" scale is not a mandatory requirement.
iii. A photo of the fish should be submitted with the entry form. Ideally, the photo should include the PJSA Tournament logo in some form.
iv. Photographs remain the property of their owners, but photographer agrees to allow unlimited use rights to PJSA for use in its Web site, advertisements and collateral materials.
b. Released Fish
i. Contestants will make their best effort to provide photographic proof of each fish entered.
ii. Photographs remain the property of their owners, but photographer agrees to allow unlimited use rights to PJSA for use in its Web site, advertisements and collateral materials.

8. Awards
a. For all categories, there will be awards for first, second and third-place finishes.
b. Worst showing award: There will be special recognition for the boat and crew finishing in last place.
c. Note: There will be no cash awards presented by PJSA.

9. Entry Fees
a. Entry fee for this tournament is $75 per boat. This fee covers the boat and all crew members that may fish aboard it during the tournament period.
b. Entry fee includes five PJSA tournament T-shirts for the captain and crew.
c. Additional T-shirts may be purchased for $10/shirt
d. Entry fees also will cover prizes in the following categories:
i. Most total points and/or pounds
ii. Second-place finish in points and/or pounds
iii. Third-place finish in points and/or pounds
iv. Special prizes recognizing unusual fish, unique efforts to catch fish, etc. These prizes will be announced at the awards ceremony in August.
v. A prize for the worst finish for all boats entered in the tournament.
vi. There will be no cash prizes in this event.

10. Captain's Meeting
a. A captain's meeting will be held prior or shortly after the start of the tournament. Location to be determined. If a boat's captain is unable to attend, he or she may designate a crew member to represent the boat at the meeting.

11. Awards Ceremony
The awards ceremony will be held at the regular PJSA meeting on the third Wednesday in September.