OFFICIAL 2027

Mr. BASS OF ARKANSAS

TOURNAMENT TRAIL RULES

 

1. TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR AUTHORITY: Decisions of the Tournament Director(s) are final and are not subject to appeal. Interpretation of these rules will be left exclusively to the Tournament Director(s) in their sole and absolute discretion. Each competitor agrees to report any rule violation to the Tournament Director immediately upon discovery of the violation. The violation of a tournament rule may result in weight loss, the loss of weight up to a specific time during the tournament day, total loss of weight for that particular day, the ineligibility to participate in future Mr. Bass of Arkansas tournament trail events, or any other penalty deemed appropriate by the Tournament Director in their sole discretion. Protests must be made in writing within 10 minutes of the official closing of the scales at each tournament.

•         Advisory Committee: The Tournament Director will select up to four (4) active members to serve on an advisory committee. The committee will serve as representatives of the competitors and may be consulted when questions, disagreements, or concerns arise regarding Mr. Bass of Arkansas tournament trail rules. The Tournament Director may also consult the committee for input on decisions that may affect Mr. Bass of Arkansas members. The committee serves in an advisory capacity only, and all final decisions remain with the Tournament Director.

 

2. TOURNAMENT FORMAT: The Mr. Bass of Arkansas tournament trail is an individual (solo) tournament series. Each competitor fishes independently, and all tournament rules, scoring, points, and penalties apply to each competitor individually. 

 

3. PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY: Participation is open to current members of Mr. Bass of Arkansas who are qualified to fish in the 2027 Mr. Bass of Arkansas tournament trail. Competitors must be at least 18 years of age to participate. The Mr. Bass of Arkansas tournament trail is open to ALL anglers, including professional anglers. All competitors must have a valid fishing license applicable to the tournament waters.

 

•       Membership Deadline: Membership dues for the 2027 Mr. Bass of Arkansas tournament trail must be received no later than 12:00 p.m. (noon) on the Thursday preceding the first regular-season tournament. Competitors who have not paid their membership dues by this deadline will be ineligible for membership and may not participate in any Mr. Bass of Arkansas tournament trail event for the entire 2027 season.

 

4. COMPETITORS: The 2027 Mr. Bass of Arkansas tournament trail is an individual competitor event. Only registered competitors may be on the boat during tournament days. If a competitor enters tournament waters during the official off-limits period, the competitor shall be ineligible for that event.

•         Registration Times: Registration for each Mr. Bass of Arkansas tournament is due by 12:00 p.m. (noon) on the Thursday before the event. Competitors are required to check in with tournament officials prior to take-off the morning of the event. All competitors will be randomly assigned flight/boat numbers.

 

5. INFORMATION: During the official off-limits period and tournament competition, competitors may not solicit, receive, or gather information from non-competitors regarding the location or catching of fish on tournament waters. This includes information obtained in person, by phone, text message, cellular device, marine radio, walkie-talkie, electronic communication, or any other means.

Competitors may use publicly available information, such as internet reports, published fishing reports, maps, and other information available to the general public. Any non-public fishing information must be obtained prior to the beginning of the official off-limits period.

During competition days, competitors may not participate in or benefit from the practice of “hole sitting,” nor may another person hold or reserve a fishing location for a competitor.

During tournament hours, the use of communication devices to exchange fishing information is strictly prohibited.

 

6. TOURNAMENT WATERS:

•         Off-Limits: Tournament waters are off-limits to all competitors beginning at 12:00 a.m. Monday and continuing until 11:59 p.m. Thursday of tournament week. During the off-limits period, competitors may not be on designated tournament waters for any reason. Exceptions or modifications to the off-limits period may apply to the Mr. Bass of Arkansas Championship Tournament and will be announced prior to the Championship. 
•         Practice Days: Practice days will be 4:00 am – 6:00 pm on Friday before the tournament on Saturday.

 

7. SAFETY: Safe boating must always be observed. Each competitor is required to wear a fastened (fully zipped and/or all clips fastened), U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device anytime the combustion engine is in operation from boat check until weigh-in. All boats must be equipped with an emergency ignition shut-off device, which must be securely attached to the driver’s body any time the combustion engine is in operation. The driver must be seated in the driver’s seat anytime the combustion engine is engaged in gear. Tournament days may be shortened or canceled due to unsafe weather or any conditions that would endanger the safety of the competitors at the Tournament Director’s sole and absolute discretion. Competitors are allowed to leave the boat and seek shelter in severe weather, at which time no fishing may occur.  In the event of an emergency situation, competitors should call 911 first and then notify the Tournament Director at 501-681-6130.

 

8. PERMITTED FISHING METHODS: Only artificial lures may be used. Only one fishing rod per competitor may be used at any one time. Additional rods may be in the boat and ready for use; however, each cast and retrieve must be completed before another cast is attempted or rod is used. Trolling with the combustion engine as a method of fishing is prohibited. Switching or sharing fish with other competitors or individuals is a violation of these rules and will result in immediate disqualification. All bass must be caught alive, in a conventional, sporting manner. When sight fishing for bass, all fish must be hooked inside the mouth to be counted as a legal fish. All angling must be conducted from the boat. At no time may a competitor leave the boat to land a fish, make the boat more accessible to fishing waters, or locate bass.

 

9. SPORTSMANSHIP AND CONDUCT: All competitors are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation. Any individual who displays poor sportsmanship, violates these rules, violates any federal, state, or local law, or brings unfavorable publicity to the sport of bass fishing may be subject to disqualification. Examples of conduct not complying with those standards include, but are not limited to, the following:

•         Consumption and/or possession of alcoholic beverages or any mind-altering substance during tournament hours extending through the weigh-in procedure;
•         Actions or words which reflect unfavorably upon efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship, and fair competition;
•         Disqualification from Mr. Bass of Arkansas or any other fishing organization, whether resulting from an explained or unexplained rule violation, may be considered by the Tournament Director when determining a competitor’s eligibility to participate in a Mr. Bass of Arkansas event. If a prior disqualification raises questions regarding a competitor’s honesty, integrity, character, or qualifications for entry, the decision to accept or deny that competitor’s entry shall be at the sole and absolute discretion of the Tournament Director.

Upon review of the circumstances by Mr. Bass of Arkansas and the Tournament Director, the Tournament Director shall have the right to refuse any application, or to deny a confirmed application, by returning the entry fee of a previously accepted application or disqualifying a competitor. Mr. Bass of Arkansas reserves the right to place an official observer in a competitor’s boat at any time during competition hours.

 

10. BOAT AND HORSEPOWER REGULATION: Boats must contain a properly functioning and adequately aerated livewell capable of maintaining a tournament limit of bass alive and in good condition.

Mr. Bass of Arkansas does not impose a separate maximum horsepower limit. However, an outboard motor may not exceed the maximum horsepower capacity established for the boat by the manufacturer and/or as indicated on the boat’s U.S. Coast Guard capacity plate. Falsifying information on an entry form or altering, removing, or otherwise misrepresenting horsepower or capacity information for the purpose of concealing a violation will result in disqualification.

No competitor may use a platform, raised deck, or ladder that extends above the gunwale of the boat. Standing on fishing seats or the outboard motor while fishing is prohibited.

All boats must be propeller-driven and equipped with wheel steering. Adaptive steering devices or modifications required to accommodate a competitor with a disability may be permitted, provided the equipment is safe, complies with applicable laws and regulations, and is approved by the Tournament Director prior to competition. All other steering systems are prohibited. Airboats, jet-drive boats, and surface-drive boats are prohibited during competition. 

 

11. PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS: All fishing must be done from a previously inspected boat. No tube or wade fishing allowed. Boats may not be trailered to and from the weigh-in during the tournament unless under direction of the Tournament Director. No fishing is allowed within 50 yards of another competitor’s boat that is anchored (including by a shallow-water anchor) or tied up with its trolling motor out of the water. No fishing is allowed within 25 yards of a non-anchored competitor’s boat, unless the other competitor agrees to allow fishing within that distance. The act of moving fish from one lake or area of a lake to another lake or area of the lake at any time is prohibited. Off-limits areas will include any current state or federal off-limits areas and may include additional areas established and announced in advance of each Mr. Bass of Arkansas tournament trail event. Competitors may not fish inside the established off-limits area. Violation of the rule will result in immediate disqualification. Competitors’ boats must remain in the tournament waters during the event.

 

12. TRAILERING IS NOT ALLOWED: All boats must leave the official checkpoint by boat in the order designated at registration. Competitors may launch their boat at a ramp other than the designated take-off location, but all competitors must come through the official checkpoint location before leaving to fish. Competitors using alternative boat ramps may only use their graphs for navigation mapping on the way to the designated take-off location. In the event of severe weather, alternate take-off instructions may be given at the registration site at the sole discretion of the Tournament Director.

 

13. OFFICIAL CHECKPOINTS: There will be only one official checkpoint for boat inspection in the morning and one official checkpoint for check-in in the afternoon. Failure to go through the official boat check-out in the morning or failure to officially check in at the afternoon checkpoint will result in disqualification from the event.

During morning check-out, all competitors are required to idle a minimum of 25 yards before putting the boat on plane.

The official afternoon check-in time will be announced prior to each event through the Mr Bass of Arkansas website, social media, and other available communication channels. It is the sole responsibility of each competitor to know the announced check-in time and to arrive at the official check-in point by that time, or by any alternate check-in time announced by the Tournament Director.

Competitors who arrive after the announced check-in time will be assessed a one-pound-per-minute penalty from their total weight, including any weight counted toward a Big Bass award. Any competitor more than 15 minutes late will forfeit that day’s catch.

 

14. SCORING: Scoring will be determined by the weight of each competitor’s catch in pounds and hundredths of a pound. Only largemouth, spotted, or smallmouth bass (collectively, “bass”) are accepted species. The limit will be five (5) bass per competitor to be weighed in. The minimum official length limit for each event will be posted the week leading up to the tournament. Any bass presented for weigh-in that fails to meet the prescribed minimum length will result in the loss of that fish and a one (1) pound penalty assessed against the weight of the remaining fish. No regurgitated forage or other foreign matter may be placed in bass. Any artificially weighed, preserved, or altered bass will be disqualified and that competitor will be subject to prosecution under federal and state laws. The Pro-Rule Measuring Board is the official measuring board of Mr. Bass of Arkansas tournament trail. Bass will be measured with the mouth closed, tail compressed and swiped to achieve overall greatest length. Tournament standing will be determined by total weight.

•         For Points: Points will be awarded as follows: Points will begin at 200 for 1st place, 199 for 2nd place and so on. All competitors that do not weigh a bass will receive 10 points less than the last competitor that weighed fish in that event. Points will only be awarded to competitors that fish an event.
•         Livewell Limit: A competitor may possess no more than five (5) bass at any time during tournament competition. Upon catching an additional bass while already possessing five (5), the competitor must immediately cull and release one bass before making another cast.
•         Ties: A tie for 1st or 2nd place will be broken by Big Bass. All other ties will be resolved by combining and equally dividing the prize money for the tied position and the next applicable position among the tied competitors. 

 

15. LIVE FISH: Every effort must be made to keep bass alive through the use of a properly aerated live well. The use of Sure-Life livewell additives, which promote the healthy return of bass to their natural habitat, is recommended. A one-half (1/2) pound penalty will be deducted for each dead bass presented for weigh-in. Any competitor that weighs in a dead fish for the Big Bass award will receive a one-half (1/2) pound penalty from the total Big Bass weight. Culling of dead bass is prohibited.

•         Conservation: Properly operating livewells are mandatory on each boat and must provide adequate aeration to maintain fish in good condition, as every effort will be made to release every fish alive following the tournament.

 

16. CLOSING OF THE SCALES: Weigh-in lines will close 20 minutes after the last flight is due in. Due to certain weigh-in location requirements this time may be lengthened or shortened at the Tournament Director’s sole discretion. Any change to the official scale closing time will be announced by the Tournament Director during registration, boat check-out, or prior to the closing of the scales.

 

17. MR. BASS OF ARKANSAS TOURNAMENT TRAIL CHAMPIONSHIP: In order to be eligible for the Championship Tournament, competitors must have fished at least four (4) of the six (6) regular season tournaments. Off-limits periods, practice provisions, and other tournament-specific rules for the Championship Tournament may differ from regular-season events and will be announced prior to the Championship. 

 

18. ANGLER OF THE YEAR: The competitor that receives the highest cumulative points total for the entire season (excluding championship) will be named Angler of the Year (AOY). In the event of a tie in points total, the competitor with the highest cumulative weight for the entire season will be the winner. In the event that a competitor is disqualified from any Mr. Bass of Arkansas tournament trail event prior to that year’s Championship, they agree to forfeit any and all prize(s) they receive.

 

19. POLYGRAPH: All competitors are subject to a polygraph test. Failure to submit to a polygraph test will result in immediate season-long disqualification. Any competitor who has failed a polygraph test in conjunction with any bass tournament may be disqualified and ineligible to compete.

 

20. PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO: All photos and/or video taken at Mr. Bass of Arkansas events are the property of Mr. Bass of Arkansas and may be used for promotional purposes. Competitors are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner during weigh-in and when interacting with the media, including accommodating reasonable media requests and answering questions to the best of their ability. All video/camera equipment placed in a competitor’s boat shall not be tampered with or removed without permission from the Tournament Director. Any tampering, powering off, or removing equipment will result in disqualification.