Rules

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2026 DCBT Team Series Tournament Rules

Updated December 30, 2025

Entry Fees:

• One-Day – $165 plus $15 Big Bass ($180 total)
• Two-Day Classic Championship – $170 plus $30 Big Bass ($200 Total)Big Bass paid daily
• Registration: The following rules apply to all DCBT Team Series tournaments Deer Creek Bass Trail operate during the 2026 season. These rules may be changed by Deer Creek Bass Trail (DCBT) at any time and will include notification to its members and will be published on the DCBT social media outlet(s).  Interpretation and enforcement of these rules will be left exclusively to the Tournament Director. 

1 Rules Violations:

      In the event of a rule violation, DCBT may impose such sanctions as deemed appropriate, including, without limitation, as listed below in 1.1. The decision of DCBT shall be final in all matters. Each team agrees to report any violation or infraction of any Tournament Rules to the Director. Failure to report violations, self-report violations, false reporting, or suggestions to another team of an unreported violation of these rules will be cause for disqualification. All Rules violations must be reported to the Tournament Director immediately no matter whether it is a self-reporting violation or another contestant’s violation. All others must be submitted on-site in writing within 15 minutes after the announcement, “The scales are closed.”

1.1 Penalties may include the following:

a) Loss of one or more fish in question. 
b) Loss of catch for the day
c) Disqualification from the tournament in question
d) Disqualification from future events.
e) Any different or additional penalties determined by the Tournament Director, including but not limited to monetary forfeiture, probation, and/or loss of Team of Year points.

2 Eligibility and Participation

2.1 DCBT Team Series Events are exclusive to current members in good standing with DCBT.  Each team consists of two members per boat: one angler (18 years old or older) and second angler (12 years of age or older).

Anglers aged 12 to 17 must have permission from a parent or legal guardian to participate. If the angler fishes with their parent/guardian, the standard liability release must be signed. (Parental Consent Form)

If the angler fishes with an angler who is not their parent/guardian, the parent or legal guardian must also complete and sign a separate liability release authorizing that adult to serve as the anglers Captain for DCBT events.

Proof of age and all required documentation must be provided to tournament officials and is the responsibility of the competitors.

2.2 Tournament officials affiliated with the DCBT reserve the right to reject any tournament entries at their discretion without the obligation to provide a specific justification. 

2.3 Team Composition:

• Each team consists of minimum and maximum two anglers. No fishing alone.
• At the first event of the season, each team must identify the two anglers that make said team. An alternate partner can be designated with the tournament director before the start of any event of the regular season.

2.4 Substitution/Alternate:

      The use of the alternate must be submitted to the tournament director prior to the event. Tournament officials affiliated with DCBT reserve the right to accept or deny any partner change. If no alternate partner was designated the angler may not fish alone at any part of any tournament. Alternates are not allowed during Classic events, except for prior approval from DCBT. A substitute may be approved in an emergency type situation, medical or other, when all other options have been explored.

2.5 Teams are required to have documented proof of a minimum of $100,000 boating liability insurance covering the boat being used. A copy of proof of insurance must be with the boat being used and must cover the team using that boat. Random checks will be conducted at tournament registration and/or tournament weigh-in. Any team not in compliance will be disqualified. 

3 Registration:

3.1 Event Entry Fee: $180 Per One-Day Event, this includes $15 Big Bass per regular season event. The positions of takeoff will be determined by order of registration.

Classic: $200 Per Two-Day Classic event, this includes (2) $15 Big Bass awards, awarded each day of Classic

3.2 Onsite Registration: Contestants wishing to register onsite the morning of the event must do so during the official registration period specified by the local tournament director. The positions of takeoff will be determined by order of registration.

3.3 Online Registration: Online registration is available through DCBT Facebook page. This entry is linked via PayPal and has a small additional charge associated. Online entry should be completed a minimum of 12 hours prior to start of tournament when at all possible. These entries will be logged in order of receipt. The positions of takeoff will be determined by order of registration.

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4 Media, Social Media content:

     The favorable public reputation of DCBT as a sanctioning organization in the sport of fishing, its officials’ integrity, and the reputation of its media properties are valuable assets and tangible benefits for DCBT. Accordingly, it is an obligation of each team member to refrain from comments to the news media that unreasonably attack or disparage the integrity of tournaments, tournament officials, sponsors, fellow members, fellow anglers, or the DCBT organization. Team members are encouraged to express themselves and have the right to question rules officials. Responsible expressions of legitimate disagreement with DCBT policies are encouraged as opposed to attacks upon the integrity of the rules or officials. However, public comments that an angler knows, or should reasonably know, will harm the reputation of DCBT, DCBT officials, or sponsors shall be considered unbecoming a professional and will result in disciplinary action.

5 Off-Limit Areas:

5.1 Off-Limits Areas: Off-limits areas are what is posted by local, state, or federal authorities. Additional off-limits areas may be imposed by the tournament director.

5.2 Regular Season Off-Limits Time: There is no official practice period for regular season events.

5.2 Classic Off-Limits Time: Starting at sunset on the Sunday prior to Classic Week, no anglers shall be on tournament waters (defined as a 150-mile navigable run by water from launch ramp) without prior approval from DCBT Tournament Director.

6 Assistance:

6.1 Beginning Monday, the week of the event, continuing through the start of the event and through Competition Day(s), team members may not use any type of Drone, “SKIN DIVE” OR “SCUBA DIVE” in the tournament waters.

6.2 Contestants are not allowed to practice after sunset on the day prior to the event.

7 Communications:

7.1 Communication: During official competition days, a team may not use a C.B. radio, a VHF marine-band radio, a cellular phone, texting, or any other type of communication device for the purpose of locating or catching fish. Teams are permitted to communicate by radio or telephone only in the event of an emergency.

7.2 Smart Devices: During official competition days, Teams are allowed to use smart devices to check weather conditions, dam power generation, tidal changes, etc. Smart devices may not be used for locating fish through social media, blogs, photos, or videos.

7.3 Officials: A designated tournament official must be granted access to the team’s boat and cell phone at any time during the competition.

8 Hole Sitting:

    During Tournament hours, the practice of “hole-sitting” is strictly prohibited in all events. Teams may not follow competitors or non-competitors’ boats for the purpose of assisting in locating fish. Contestants/Teams may not block or obstruct fishing locations in any manner.

9 Truth Verification:

      All events are subject to truth verification examination, and all anglers must be willing to submit to truth verification testing. By his/her signature on the official DCBT Team Series entry form, each team member agrees to submit to a truth verification examination method as determined by DCBT and abides by its conclusion. If a team member refuses to take or fails to pass the examination, he/she will be disqualified from the event in question, and other disciplinary action taken as deemed appropriate.

10 On-Site Check-In:

10.1   Each Team must check in (in person) at the designated place during official onsite registration hours, the morning of the event. 

10.2   One member from each team must attend the pre-tournament Safety and Rules meeting. The Safety and Rules meeting may be conducted on the water approximately 30 minutes prior to safe light the morning of the event

10.3 Launch positions will be determined by order of registration.

11 Safety:

      Safety is paramount, and anglers must recognize that fishing from an open boat is inherently dangerous; and as a result, Deer Creek Bas Trail seeks to limit those hazards with reasonable safety rules.

11.1 Age Restrictions: Only competitors aged 15 and older may operate the boat’s combustion engine during official tournament hours.

11.2 Safe Boating: Team Members must always observe safe boating conduct and speed limits. During competition, all team members must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved chest-type life preserver, which must always be worn and must have a kill switch attached while the combustion engine is in gear. This life preserver must also be strapped, snapped, or zippered securely and maintained in that condition until the combustion engine is no longer in gear. Violation of this rule shall be a reason for disqualification. “Fanny Pack” preservers are not allowed. In the event a boat is being towed, all anglers in the towed boat must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved chest-type life preserver.

11.3 Tournament Hours: Standard fishing hours will be 9 hours per day. Tournament officials may delay, shorten, restrict tournament waters, or cancel the start of an official tournament day because of bad weather or other factors that would endanger the safety of the competitors. 

11.4 Speed Limits: DCBT reserves the right to impose boat speed limits during any or all tournaments. The decision to impose a speed limit, the area and or time covered by the speed limit, and/or the actual speed limit shall be left exclusively to the tournament director’s discretion. 

11.5 Visibility Rule: If at any point during competition hours, if visibility is reduced to less than 100 yards, an immediate maximum speed limit of 10 mph, is in place and enforced. This speed restriction remains in place until visibility improves beyond the 100 yards.  

11.6 Emergency: In the event of an emergency, Teams should call 911 immediately and then notify tournament officials. Competitors may leave the boat and seek safe shelter in bad weather when danger may be imminent, at which time all fishing must cease. 

12 Sportsman’s/Code of Conduct:

12.1 Anglers participating in DCBT sanctioned events shall observe this code of conduct and the applicable rules for the specific event in which an angler is participating. Anglers shall always conduct themselves in a manner becoming DCBT anglers, and their actions will not reflect unfavorably on the sport of bass fishing, DCBT, its members, officers or representatives, tournaments, or sponsors. To this end, anglers shall use their best efforts to demonstrate professionalism and integrity in support of the sport of bass fishing. Any angler violating any of the Angler Code of Conduct provisions will be subject to fines, forfeiture of tournament winnings, probation, suspension from competing in DCBT -sanctioned events, permanently banned from competition, or any combination deemed appropriate by DCBT. All Competitors are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety, and conservation. 

12.2 Harassment of competitors or non-competitors of any kind during any Practice or Event will not be tolerated and will result in immediate sanctions or rejection of entry.  Any competitor banned or refused entry from another organization may not be permitted to enter any DCBT events and such refusal will be in force until the organization lifts the restriction.

12.3 Any competitor’s use, possession, or consumption of illegal drugs or alcohol during tournament hours, or pre- and post-tournament activities will cause automatic disqualification from this and all future tournaments. (Exception; medication prescribed to the angler by a licensed physician). The consumption of alcohol during tournament hours is prohibited. Tournament hours are defined as check-out in the morning through the completion of weighing fish in the afternoon. 

12.4 Chemical substance addiction or abuse, crimes involving moral turpitude, the conviction of a felony not specifically exempted by DCBT, or other conduct reflecting unfavorably upon efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship, fair competition, and compliance with tournament rules shall be grounds for rejecting any application for participation and/or for disqualification. Any disqualification, suspension from, or disciplinary action imposed by any fishing organization may be grounds for rejecting applications for participation in a tournament and/or disqualification from a tournament after circumstances are reviewed by the Tournament Director.

12.5 Maximum courtesy must always be practiced, especially when boating and angling near competitors and non-competitors. Any act of a competitor which reflects unfavorably upon efforts to promote water safety, fisheries conservation, clean waters, and courtesy may be a reason for disqualification. 

13 State Requirements

      All competitors are bound by the prevailing statutes and regulations of the state(s) within which the tournament is being held, which includes a valid fishing license. Both anglers are required to have valid fishing licenses for all tournament waters established by the director. 

14 Tackle and Equipment:

     The use of a landing net is allowed. Only artificial lures may be used. No “live bait” or “prepared bait” will be permitted, except for pork strips or rinds. Only one casting, spin casting, or spinning rod (8-foot maximum length from butt of handle to rod tip) and reel may be used by an angler at any one time. All bass must be caught alive and in a conventional sporting manner. When visually fishing for bedding bass, bass must be hooked inside the mouth.

15 Horsepower Regulations:

   Maximum horsepower may not exceed the US Coast Guard rating plate
for that boat.

16 Boat, Motor and Equipment:

16.1 Maximum horsepower for all outboards used in tournament competition will not to exceed the horsepower capacity set forth on the “Maximum Capacities” placard described below. Each boat must have a clearly legible “Maximum Capacities” (or comparably titled) placard that includes a maximum horsepower rating affixed to the boat by the manufacturer. The horsepower of the outboard engine must not exceed the maximum horsepower capacity specified on this placard maximum. Falsifying information on entry forms or altering the horsepower numbers on the motor or rating placard will be cause for disqualification from the tournament and may result in ineligibility to compete in future DCBT tournaments.

16.2 No air or jet boats are permitted during Official Practice or Competition Days. No “barges” or similar craft or “stick steering boats are permitted.

16.3 Fishing boats less than 16 feet in length may not be used. Determination of acceptable fishing boats will be left exclusively to the Tournament director.

16.4 Fuel may be carried only in factory-installed (built-in) fuel tanks. Optional remote engine tanks must be factory or factory authorized dealer installed and be strapped or otherwise secured. Any additional fuel used during the tournament day must be purchased from a retail facility open to the public and pumped through a hose with a nozzle. The use of generators, other than solar or wind-powered generators, is prohibited in contestant boats during tournament hours on all competition days.

16.5 All boats must have an operational and approved ignition kill switch and a single lanyard. The lanyard must be attached to the driver’s body any time the combustion engine is in gear, and the driver must be in the driver’s seat in full control of the boat.

16.6 All boats must have a properly aerated live well capable of sustaining a limit of fish. 5 fish maximum per team Determination of acceptable and properly aerated live well will be left exclusively to the Tournament director.

16.7 Any raised platforms or decks cannot be higher than the gunnels of the boat. Fishing while standing on the outboard motor or boat seats is not allowed.

16.8 An electric trolling motor may be used for slow maneuvering; however, trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited.

17. Boat Inspection:

      A tournament official may inspect and check a boat before each day’s start. It is the team’s responsibility to ensure they are checked out and approved prior to start of an event.

18. Permitted fishing locations:

18.1 The Tournament Director will establish tournament waters and off-limits areas for each tournament. Specifically, any water within tournament waters posted “Off-Limits” or “No Fishing” by state or federal agencies will be OFF-LIMITS.

18.2 Only water open to all public fishing and accessible by water will be considered tournament waters.

18.3 All angling must be done from the boat.

18.4 A “50-yard rule” is always in effect during competition.  Contestants may not fish within 50 yards of a competitor’s boat which was first anchored (an anchored boat is a boat held in a stable position by a line attached to a weight, shallow water anchor or similar device, with the trolling motor in the up position), or within 25 yards of a non-anchored competitor’s boat unless agreed upon by the other tournament angler/team. All such boats are required to advise any other competitor when such boat believes the competitor is close to being within these distances.

19 Team members must remain in boat:

19.1 Teams must leave, and return, to the official checkpoints by boat unless approval from Tournament Director is given.

19.2 Teams cannot leave their boat to land fish or make the boat more accessible to fishing waters.

19.3 Boats must remain in tournament waters during tournament hours.

19.4 Trailering boats during tournament hours is prohibited, unless otherwise directed by staff.

20. Official Checkpoint:

20.1 There will be only one “official point” for check-out in the morning and check-in in the afternoon, and it will be designated at the tournament briefing. Each boat will be given a chip or other identifying object, that indicates that team’s boat number. Said chip, or object, MUST be returned and placed on check in board by the official return time of said team. Late returns are subject to full disqualification from that tournament. Repeated offenses could lead to further discipline, up to and including refusal of entry from future events.  

20.2 All boats must fully conform to all rules set forth by Deer Creek Bass Trail, including respect of the American Flag, National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance, prayer or any other pre- tournament request from DCBT.

20.3 All Teams must check-in upon return.  At check-in, all boats shall identify themselves by the Boat Number provided, and all fishing must cease.  Any teams checking in early whether they intend to weigh fish, must contact the tournament director. Failure to check-in with the tournament director will result in penalties that would be applied to future events.

21. Scoring:  

21.1 Tournament standings shall be determined by the pounds-and-hundredths weight of each team’s catch during the tournament competition days.

21.2 Only Largemouth, Smallmouth, or Spotted bass will be weighed.

21.3 The creel limit shall be five (5) bass of the above species and varieties per day unless otherwise established by the tournament director. The official length for bass shall be established by State regulations or by the Tournament Director.

21.4 Culling must be performed immediately upon catching a sixth fish. In the event tournament officials observe more than the allowable limit in the boat or at the weigh-in, tournament officials will cull, beginning with the largest fish. Only bass measuring the official length or more on the longest straight line will be weighed. Short fish will accrue a penalty of 1 pound and will not be weighed. Any bass that appears to have been mangled, mashed, mauled, or otherwise altered will be weighed only at the discretion of tournament officials.

21.5 Once a team’s catch is verified by submitting fish to tournament officials, no additional fish may be added to the catch. Placing bass on a stringer is prohibited.

21.6 Teams may present any single fish to be weighed for Big Bass award.  Teams may ask for one “Re-weigh” of a fish and/or a total catch. The second weight will be the official weight of record.

21.7 All tournament fish caught must be handled with care and returned to the water alive, healthy, and in good condition. Anglers are required to make every reasonable effort to ensure the safe and healthy release of all tournament fish. 

21.8 In the event of a mechanical failure (boat is inoperable), anglers may have their catch counted by one of the following methods ONLY:

Method 1: The Boat is towed to the weigh-in site by another boat.

Method 2: Angler(s) secures boat to an object (pier/bank) and the angler (s) board another boat only for a ride directly to weigh in. Said boats must have a working live-well adequate to support their fish as well as having clearly marked all fish for proper identification, and no additional fishing is allowed until assistance is completed.

Using either method, the angler(s) must notify tournament staff of the breakdown for instructions.

21.9Teams must not allow any bass caught by them to be counted on the score of another team or competitor.

21.10 Mechanical failures do not extend established weigh-in times.

22 Catch and Release:

22.1 Culling dead fish is illegal

22.2 A penalty of 1 pound per dead fish will be assessed and deducted from the day’s total weight. The Tournament Director will have sole authority for assessing dead fish penalties. Culling dead fish is prohibited.

23 Late Penalty:

      Teams not at the checkpoint, and have not placed their chip, or other object, on the board at the designated time will are subject to disqualification.  The exact starting and check-in times will be announced at the Tournament Briefing.

24. Points system and qualifications:

24.1 Points will be awarded based on the place of finish and cannot be combined or transferred. Any angler disqualified from an event will not receive points for that event.

24.2 One-day Events – These events are worth 100 points to the first-place Team. Points will be awarded in 1-point decreasing increments. Contestants who are not weighing fish will receive 25 show points.   

24.3 Classic Requirements – Contestants must fish a minimum of four events to qualify to compete in a two-day Classic as well as place in the top 50 in Team of Year Points standings.

24.4 Team of the Year – Ranking is based on total points accrued in the six (6) one-day events.

24.5 Team of the Year Points – TOY will be invited to compete in the Classic event, free of entry, as well as determine take off order for Classic. All teams are assigned boat numbers based on their final Team of Year standings.  The Team of Year will decide on whether boat#1 leads field out on Day 1 or Day 2. 

    Example: If they choose to lead day 1, launch will be 1 through 50.  Day 2 would then be 50 through 1.   

If they choose day 2 lead out, the day 1 launch will be boat 50 through.  Day 2 being Boat 1 through 50

24.6   Classic Qualification – The top 50 Teams by points will be invited to the DCBT Classic. Teams invited should confirm their intent to attend within 5 days of last regular season event. After the 5th day, the top 50 points holders that have fished four one-day events will be offered in order of finish in TOY standings.  

24.7 Tiebreakers:

Points are awarded as a tie with each team receiving the highest points and skipping down to next position for next angler. Monies will be added together and split evenly.

25 Patches/Signage

      DCBT encourages the use of patches, logos, and other signage to promote the angler’s sponsors. DCBT may, however, restrict the use of patches, logos, signage, etc., that promote or advertise products that are in competition with the products or services of official tour sponsors, or which are, in DCBT’s sole judgment, in poor taste.

27 Awards

      All team members may be required to execute a Fed Tax Form W9 before receiving any awards, including cash/check and prizes.

28 Contingencies: 

       Sponsors have the sole discretion to substitute and eliminate prizes.  There are sponsor-based programs developed to reward competitors based on a predefined set of criteria.  Participation in Contingency programs is at the anglers’ discretion.  

29 Taxes

      Where and when state laws require, income tax may be automatically deducted before any awards are presented. Anglers are responsible for all applicable taxes for both cash and merchandise awards.

30 Waiver and Release

      As a condition of participation in each tournament, both team members must execute a waiver (Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk) and a name and likeness release.