Tuna Fest 2018 Castafari Tournament Series

2019 Octunafest Rules

2019 Tournament Rules

  1. Boats will be able to weigh one fish per tournament fish day.
  2. Boats cannot leave the dock to fish until midnight on Monday September 30th. Boats can leave from any port.
  3. Boats will be able to start a fish day at sea throughout the event.(Tues - Sat)
  4. All tournament vessels will be allowed to fish 2 tournament fish days. Tournament boats will be allowed to fish any and all days, but only 2 days can be declared to count as tournament fish days for each vessel. A fish day is 12:00 am to 11:59.59 pm. Boats are NOT required to return to port after a designated or non designated fish day(s).
  5. Vessels will be required to declare 3 non tournament fish days for the event, along with a vessel cell phone number and appointed contact. All tournament fish day declarations will have to be declared upon registration on Sunday, September 29th in person. Each captains packet will contain a Fish Day Declaration Sheet. The fish day declaration hand in deadline will be at 6:00 pm on Sunday September 29th. Failure to hand in a fish day declaration sheet will result in disqualification.
  6. All declarations cannot be changed UNLESS the change is verified and approved in text by Octunafest tournament director. All changes must be finalized and approved by 6pm on the day prior to fishing. Changes must be submitted via text on vessel's registered phone number. Change instructions will be reviewed at tournament captains meeting.
  7. Boats will be allowed to fish on their designated non tournament fish days, but will NOT be allowed to count any catches that involve having lines in on a declared non fish day. This means if a boat hooks up or boats a fish at any time during a non declared fish day, the catch will NOT be a tournament catch. This will be enforced in the tournament polygraph test.
  8. Boats will NOT be allowed to weigh tournament fish or declare release footage on the days they have declared to be non fish days. All vessels declaring weighed fish and/or release footage must be checked in and verified by tournament staff on their declared fish days only.
  9. Boats weighing fish must return by water to either Hyannis Marina or Brewers Marina and be inside breakwater and checked in with Tournament weigh station staff on VHF channel 72 by 5:00 pm (Tuesday - Friday) and by 4 pm on Saturday.
  10. Boats returning to Hyannis Marina with a fish must hail Hyannis Marina on channel 72 to check in, and all boats weighing fish must be be verified and confirmed by designated times in order to be eligible to weigh in a fish. Boats returning to Plymouth Harbor to weigh fish must hail tournament weigh station staff on channel 72, and also be verified and confirmed by designated times in order to be eligible to weigh in a fish.
  11. Boats weighing fish in Plymouth are to proceed to the fuel dock when instructed after checking in. Boats weighing fish in Hyannis Marina are to proceed to the travel lift area when instructed after checking in.
  12. Vessels bringing in fish to either weigh station location must receive verification of arrival by weigh station staff, and wait until called on before tying up to weigh station. Vessels are asked to monitor channel 72 during this process for either weigh station location.
  13. There are 2 separate divisions in this tournament. These rules apply for both divisions. See PRIZES page for more info.
  14. All releases must be video documented with a tournament catch flag which will be handed out at registration. All releases must contain uninterrupted video footage documenting the time of leadering the fish to seeing the fish swimming away. All release video will need to incorporate a GPS time stamp as ties will be determined by time of catch.
  15. Green sticks will only be permitted using rod and reel. Fishing lines cannot be retrieved by winch.
  16. All fish must adhere to state and federal regulations to qualify for this tournament.
  17. Other than a midnight start on September 30th, there will be no lines in or lines out times enforced. All vessels with fish must adhere to tournament weigh in rules and times.
  18. There will be no range limitations for vessels due to the time constraints of the tournament. Vessels without a fish onboard to weigh will be allowed to stay out on the water and not return to port in between fish days.
  19. Tournament channel will be VHF 72.
  20. This is a rod and reel, hook and line tournament. The use of hand lines, rope, nets, and any other means of fish capture other than rod and reel are strictly prohibited.
  21. There will be no weather committee. Boats will fish at their own risk.
  22. Fish must be hooked, fought and landed or released from the same boat.
  23. There will be no leader length restrictions.
  24. In case of a tie, the winner will be determined by who caught the weight or number of fish first. So please document your time of catch.
  25. The official clock of the tournament will be kept on continuous GPS time.
  26. Boats are to respect fellow competitors, at all times. Reasonable distance should be kept from all boats fighting fish. If requested by a boat fighting a fish, other boats shall keep clear until the fight has concluded.
  27. Tackle/vessel inspection may be required at the time of weigh-in.
  28. There is no committee boat.
  29. All boats entering or leaving the harbor should adhere to the “NO WAKE” speed limit.
  30. The Battle Of The Bay tournament assumes no responsibility for the conduct or safety of any boats or entrants. All participants enter the tournament at their own risk. All participants must sign Indemnification Agreement upon registering.
  31. All participants and their crews, friends, and family shall be respectful of the tournament hosts, i.e. Hyannis Marina and Brewers Marina, Trader Eds, as well as their staff and residents.
  32. All tournament boats must weigh fish in at the official weight stations only.
  33. Any and all protests must be filed in writing and handed off in person to weigh master by 5:00 pm on Saturday October 5th. There will be a $200 dollar fee for all protests which will go to the ONE MISSION FOUNDATION.
  34. After the weigh master releases the fish, its disposal must be done outside the harbor.
  35. If anyone wants to have a fish re-weighed, it must be done while the fish is still hanging. After the fish has been removed from the weigh station, the weight stands.
  36. No mutilated fish shall be eligible for competition. Mutilation shall be defined as damage which would impair the fighting ability of the fish before it is captured. All weighed commercial fish 73 inches or greater can be gutted through either gill plate, and stomach cavity can be filled with ice. Ice will be removed by weigh station staff.
  37. The weigh master reserves the right to retain any fish that is deemed questionable. Weighed fish will be inspected by qualified aquatic biologist. If retention is refused, the fish is automatically disqualified.
  38. The Weigh Master and the committee reserve the right to cut open any fish for inspection of any suspected weight altering. Insertion of weights, ice, water, etc. is not permitted.
  39. All weighed fish must be whole and in the round. Gutted fish WILL be accepted by way of removing gill plate and cleaning stomach cavity. Gutted fish will be inspected by weigh staff.
  40. Anglers and crew aboard winning boats will be subjected to a lie detector test.
  41. All released fish entries must be documented with a digital VIDEO camera. All catches must be documented from the time of leadering to 5 full seconds after the time of release AND/OR a killed fish on the deck showing the clipping of the tail fin. This will be reviewed at captains meeting.
  42. Each vessel will be presented with a tournament flag upon registration. All captured video footage with tournament fish must contain tournament flag in the video clip.
  43. All video release footage must also contain a GPS time stamp after the fish is released. In the case of a tie, the winner will be determined by time(who caught the winning points first) So make sure to video document your vessel's GPS digital time stamp of all catches...even if you are weighing the fish!
  44. There will be no line class or rod placement restrictions in this tournament.
  45. Cockpit harpoons will be allowed in this tournament.
  46. Anglers will be allowed to fight fish from the rod holder.
  47. Spreader Bars will be allowed in this tournament, but must only contain one hook.
  48. J hooks are allowed.

All entrants must sign and/or check the respective "I agree" boxes on the online tournament REGISTRATION form in regards to the POLYGRAPH and INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT before being eligible to register for the event. Any breach of any of the above Tournament Rules will result in Disqualification. Decisions of the Tournament Committee are final.