Rules are available for download and print.
Registration May 25, 2024
Tournament Teams must register at the Batesville Civic Center
290 Civic Center Dr. Batesville, MS 38606
Revised June 5, 2023
If you plan to register at the Civic Center, all paperwork must be filled out prior to registration. You can find a printable registration form at stjubebassclassics.com or at registration. Everyone will be required to fill out the Expense Survey for the City of Batesville, MS. to be eligible for the boat giveaway. The Expense Survey will be turned in prior to receiving any prize tickets if any. Checks will not be accepted on registration day. Must be cash or credit card.
Everyone will be required to fill out and sign the Liability Waiver to be eligible to fish this event.
Both boat numbers and flight numbers will be determined at Registration.
There will also be a second chance drawing for boat numbers for cash donation of $20.00 at registration. If you don’t like your boat number, you can take a chance for a better number.
Tournament T-Shirts and hats will be sold during registration to the tournament fisherman. All shirts and hats will be sold for $10.00 each or $15.00 for both. Shirts and Hats will be available for purchase during tournament day for anyone.
Participants will have a chance to Donate Money for a guaranteed VIP Parking Spot and Early Entry into Engineers Point tournament morning prior to 3:30 AM. This will be done at registration. There will be a $200 minimum donation requirement.
Registration will be from 1:00 PM until 3:00 PM.
No registrations will be accepted at the Civic Center after 3:00 PM.
Both team members will need to attend registration to receive Boat Giveaway draw tickets. One draw ticket per person.
We will not except any credit cards or checks for Big Bass Pot CASH ONLY.
No minors under the age of 18 years of age will be allowed to enter without a registered adult in the boat.
There will be no more than 2 registered fishermen in the boat during tournament hours. Unless the team/teams are an active High School Fishing Team with proof of being an active High School Team. It will be required to have an adult Boat Captain onboard during tournament hours. Boat Captains will not be allowed to fish or assist the High School Fishing Team in anyway. The Boat Captain will be the only person allowed to operate the boat while outboard is in operation during tournament hours.
Engineers Point entrance will be closed until 3:30 AM tournament morning. Only Tournament Officials, Sponsors, Vendors, VIP’s, Support Personnel and volunteers will be allowed in prior to 3:30 AM. Engineers Point will be closed to the public all day May 28th. No Boats will be allowed to use the Engineer Point ramp to launch for recreational purposes, St. Jude Tournaments participants only.
This tournament will be limited to 300 boats.
There will be a Big Bass Pot of $20.00 dollars CASH ONLY at registration. The payout will be set at 80% to the winner and 20% to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
100% percent of the proceeds from this event will go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Parking:
All tournament participants will be required to check in and park at Engineers Point Lower Ramp as requested by the Army Corp of Engineers. The upper Ramp will still be reserved for VIP parking. No exceptions. If the Lower Ramp fills up and you have been through check in, you may park at Pioneer Point.
No officials of The Children For Life Corporation may participate in this event.
Rule Enforcement:
Participants will be required to read and follow all tournament rules.
Rule violations decisions ’will be made at the tournament director’s discretion, and may result in tournament weight reductions, zeroing of weight, tournament disqualification, and/or other reasonable enforcement actions to include unsportsmanlike conduct of any kind.
Dishonest infractions will result in prosecution if necessary.
Blast Off:
• Blast off will be at first safe light. Approximately 5:30 AM
• Blast Off rules will be STRICKLY Enforced so come early.
• Teams may launch from any lake boat ramp with the exception of Pioneer Point which will be used as overflow parking when Engineer Point is completely full.. We ask everyone to be extremely careful when running the lake to staging area.
• All boats must be staged inside the Sardis Lake Marina Harbor by 5:00 AM
• No boats arriving after 5:00 AM will be allowed in the harbor and must proceed to the late staging area. No Exceptions.
The St. Jude Boats will be staged at the harbor entrance to direct late boats to late arrival staging area.
• Late arrivals will be staged outside of the harbor at the end of the Sardis Lake Marina fuel dock, away from the fuel pumps and launch area.
• There will be a tournament official at the late arrival staging area to record your boat numbers.
• The tournament director must have your boat number prior to entering the late staging area.
• Late arrivals will remain in the late staging area until blast off has been completed.
• Late arrivals will then proceed to stage inside the harbor for final safety and live well check, then launched by perspective boat number.
All boats have to be stage within the Sardis Lake Marina Harbour until your flight number is called. The blast off will not start until everyone is staged properly. No boats will be allowed to stage within 40 yards of the fuel dock. All staging areas will be dead idle only.
Upon blast off all boats will be required to idle past the end of the fuel dock in single file by boat number with livewells open for boat number verification, final safety check, emergency kill switch attached, life jackets being worn and live well check. If your boat number is not verified by the tournament official at the fuel dock you will not be allowed to weigh in. No Exceptions. Livewell checks will be performed at Engineers Point, Beech Point and at blast off to insure all participants go through the livewell check.
• Boaters will not be allowed to get on plane until they are well clear of the St. Jude officials boat with flashing light.
• Any special request, special needs and parking for blast off will have to be sent to the Tournament Director prior to tournament day. Any late request will be subject to availability.
Contact Victor Lucus @ (901) 606-3851 or send email to stjudebassclassics@gmail.com
Off Limits:
• No fishing within 200 feet of any fuel dock.
• No fishing within 100 feet of any boat ramp.
• No fishing within 25 yards of another fishing boat that is anchored.
• Anchored means trolling motor in the up stowed position with anchor or Hydraulic Anchor deployed.
• Any disregard to the above rules needs to be reported to the Tournament Director immediately.
• Tournament directors will be on the lake during the tournament.
Check In:
All flights will need to be checked in at their assigned check in times.
. Check In times cannot be changed.
All participants wil remain 50-feet away from check in pontoon boat.
• All teams will have to check in on time to verify their official check in time at the official check in pontoon boat with the flashing light. The pontoon boat will be staged on the west bank from Engineers Point boat ramp. If you do not check in at the pontoon boat, you will not be allowed to weigh in fish. Participants weighing in fish will need to turn their Boat Number Paddles in at the check in tent at weigh in (no boat number paddle no weigh in).
. Participants entering the No-Fish Pot will need to declare their no fish intentions and turn their Boat Number Paddle in when you check in at the pontoon boat. Participants check in times has to be verified to be eligible for the $500.00 No-Fish Pot drawing. All late arrivals will not be eligible for the drawing.
. You will be required to release your fish before checking in at the pontoon if you are declaring No Fish.
• Teams will be penalized one pound for every minute late up to 5 minutes after their required check in time. After the five-minute requirement the team will forfeit their entry.
All participants will be required to provide their own weigh bags for weigh in.
Flight Check In Times:
1st Flight @ 2:30 PM 4th Flight @ 3:15 PM
2nd Flight @ 2:45 PM 5th Flight @ 3:30 PM
3rd Flight @ 3:00 PM
Fishing Methods:
• Trolling of any kind will be prohibited during tournament hours
• The use of more than one rod at a time per angler is prohibited.
• The use of any lure/bait other than artificial lures is prohibited.
• Teams may use artificial pork trailers.
• No Hole Sitting will be allowed for non-tournament or tournament participants.
Fishing Location:
• Teams are not allowed to leave the boat for any reason during tournament hours, the only exception will be for emergency reasons only.
• Casting within a 75 foot radius to another tournament fisherman with trolling motor deployed will be prohibited unless given permission by the fisherman.
• Boats must remain in the tournament waters during tournament hours.
• Teams must leave and return back to the official check in point.
• In the case of a boat being disabled one team member will be allowed to enter another tournament teams boat with their fish to come in for weigh in. You must notify the tournament directors prior to changing boats.
• Check in times will not change.
• In case of break down call (901) 482-4168. In case of emergency call 911.
• At the sole discretions of the tournament director’s this event can be postponed or canceled for any reason due to inclement weather or unsafe conditions.
• Safe and courteous boating must be observed at all times, any unsafe act or lack of good sportsmanship will lead to immediate disqualification.
• All boats must meet and follow all United States Coast Guard, State and Corp of Engineers boating regulations and laws.
• Boats may not exceed outboard manufacturers horsepower requirement limit.
• Boats are required to have operating live wells for fish preservation.
• All boats must be equipped with an operational emergency kill switch and must be attached to the driver while outboard is in operation.
• Team members must have in possession and wear the appropriate life jacket securely attached while the outboard is in operation.
• Any use or presence of drugs or alcohol during tournament hour will result in disqualification.
• Tournament winners will be determined by the total weight of 5 fish or less with the minimum length of 12” and must comply with the current State Fish and Game laws.
• The Golden Rule Board will be the official measuring board.
• Contestant may not have in their possession more than 5 fish in the boat at any time, upon catching the 6th fish you must cull one immediately.
• Only Largemouth and Spotted bass will be weighed.
• All short fish weighed in will be thrown out along with the biggest fish.
• Any fish that looks to be mangled, mashed, or altered in anyway will not be weighed.
• Any dead fish weighed in will be penalized ¼ pound per fish up to two fish.
• Any dead fish that goes over the limit of 2 will have a penalty of (1) pound per fish.
• All fish that are weighed in become the property of the St. Jude Open Bass Classic to be released.
• A random selection of all contestants will be required to submit and pass the polygraph test to receive any prizes and or awards.
• Any refusal of this request will result in disqualification.
Protests:
• Any team that wishes to protest any violations of the tournament rules must do so in person to the, Tournament Directors: Victor Lucus (901) 606-3851 Steve Hearn
• Protest must be reported within 30 minutes after their scheduled weigh in time.
• The decision of the Tournament Directors will be final.
Awards:
• Plaques will be presented to the top 3 winning teams.
• There will be a total of 25 places paid.
Changing Partners:
• Changing partners will be allowed but changes must be done at registration.
• Please contact the following people for any changes:
Victor Lucus 901-606-3851
Cash Awards:
1st $5000.00 8th $600 No Bass Pot (FREE)
2nd $2500.00 9th $500.00 1st $500.00
3rd $1500.00 10th $400.00 2nd $250.00
4th $1000.00
5th $900.00
6th $800.00
7th $700.00
Total Payout: $14,650.00
*Based on 125 Team participation.
*CHILDREN FOR LIFE CORPORATION PAYOUT CHECKS WILL BE VOIDED AFTER 30 DAYS OF ISSUE DATE IF NOT CASHED.
Grand Prize Drawing: 2023 War Eagle Bass Boat
All paid participants are eligible for the Grand Prize Drawing. Must be present to win.
Big Bass Pot:
• Will be paid by CASH only at registration on Saturday, May 27, 2023. We will no longer except entry checks with Big Bass Pot included with the entry fee. Payout will be determined by number of boats entered in the Big Bass Pot.
Contact Information:
Victor Lucus: Tournament Director (901) 606-3851
Steve Cook: Children for Life Corporation President (901) 482-4168, stjudebassclassic@gmail.com
Lane Cook: Director of Operations (901) 482-7025 stevelanecook@aol.com
Candy Groves: Events Secretary (662) 210-9092 groves.candy@gmail.com
Terry Groves: Volunteers Director (662) 210-9091 tjgroves.tjg@gmail.com
Steve Hearn: Tournament Director/Weigh Master (731) 460-8888 Website: stjudebassclassics.com
PLEASE TAKE A CHILD FISHING; THEY ARE WHAT IT’s ALL ABOUT!