2025 SeaArk Boat Owner’s Invitational Crappie Tournament

1. REGISTRATION: $365 The deadline for registration is March 10th. Any registration after this date will be charged a $50 late fee. NO REFUNDS will be given for any reason after March 24th, 2024.

2. PARTICIPANTS & ELIGIBILITY: This is a team event. A Team may consist of up to (3) people. However, kids under (16) don’t count toward the team limit but still need to follow all tournament rules. The (8) rod rule will still apply. To be eligible to fish, the captain’s name MUST be on the registration.

3. OFFICIAL BOAT: This is a SeaArk Boat Owner’s tournament. You must fish from a SeaArk boat, the verified boat owner must be on the boat during the tournament and present at weigh-in. A copy of the boat registration MUST be presented at the Captain’s Dinner, or you will not be able to fish.

4. SPORTSMANSHIP: All contestants are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety, and conservation. Any contestant who displays poor sportsmanship, violates these rules or any state or local laws, or brings unfavorable publicity to the sport of crappie fishing will be disqualified.

5. SAFETY: Boating safety must be observed at all times. All boats must be in compliance with Louisiana State Law including a working kill switch and USCG approved chest type life preservers. LIFE PRESERVERS AND KILL SWITCHES MUST BE WORN AND USED CORRECTLY WHEN THE COMBUSTIBLE ENGINE IS OPERATIVE.

6. PERMITTED FISHING WATERS: (Lake D’Arbonne) Tournament waters shall be defined as areas open to all participants of the event and accessible by normal navigational means only fishing within 50 feet of a marina gas pump or within 50 feet of a competitor’s boat, which was first anchored, is prohibited. (Trolling motor must be in up position to be considered anchored.) A safe and courteous distance should be maintained when trolling motors are in use. Any violation of off-limits water will result in disqualification.

7. MEETING: The Captain’s Meeting will be held on Friday, March 28^th at the Farmerville Recreation Center (116 Cox Ferry Rd, Farmerville, LA 71241). This will be mandatory for at least 1 member of the team to be present. Check-in will be from 5:00-6:00PM. Following team check in we will have a sit-down dinner starting @ 6:00PM. During the dinner we will go over rules and answer any questions about the event.

8. LIVE WELL: Live wells are required; stringers or bags are not allowed.

9. FISHING HOURS: Boats must be off the water by midnight the day before the tournament. Fishing hours will be 6:30AM-2:30PM. All boats must check in by 3:30PM, no later. There will be no exception to this rule and will result in disqualification.

10. BOAT LAUNCH: Anglers may launch their boats beginning at 5:00AM after a LiveWell check. Livewell check will be done @ the Farmerville Recreation Center. Once you are checked, you are free to trailer to any public ramp on Lake D’Arbonne.

11. BAIT: Any legal or commercial bait will be allowed. No chumming or hole baiting of any kind is allowed.

12. NUMBER OF RODS ALLOWED: All fish weighed must be caught by rod and reel only. A maximum of (8) rods per boat are allowed to be used at any given time. Any team with a third person is still limited to eight rods. You may have extra rods and reels in the boat.

13. SCORING: Teams may not have more than (5) crappie when entering the official weigh-in line. Any team presenting more than allowed creel (5) will be disqualified. Once you have entered the weigh-in line, your fish will be checked for count. Only live fish will be allowed to be weighed. All dead crappie will be removed from your creel and only those live fish remaining will be entered on the weigh-in voucher. Once your fish have been verified alive and entered on the weigh-in voucher, you will then be allowed to weigh-in those fish, and only those fish, even if one or more die before reaching the scales. You may then continue to the scales for your official weigh-in by the tournament director. The tournament director has sole responsibility for the declaration of dead or live crappie. All healthy fish weighed in will be released to the lake.

14. LEGAL CATCH: Crappie must be hooked and landed with a rod or pole by team member(s). Crappie must be hooked through the lip or in the mouth.

15. TIES: In the event of a tie the prize money will be combined and split between the two teams.

16. MECHANICAL FAILURE: In the event of a mechanical failure SeaArk Tournament staff will attempt to assist with towing anglers to the ramp, if possible, but ability to weigh-in is forfeited. Towing by any other means will be allowed without weigh-in forfeiture, if tournament rules are followed. Fish must remain in the boat they were caught in at all times.

17. PROTEST: All protests must be submitted in writing prior to the weigh-in scales closing. Scales will close 15 minutes after the last tournament boat to weigh in. Closure of the scales will be announced.

18. POLYGRAPH: All contestants are subject to a polygraph test. Failure to submit to a polygraph test will result in immediate disqualification.

19. ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE: At no time during tournament hours are any alcoholic beverages or drugs other than prescription allowed in the boat or to be consumed while on the water.

20. BOAT DRAWING: to be entered into the drawing teams must present one legal crappie during final weigh in. Participants must be present to win the drawing. In the event of an eligible team not being able to stay, reasons will be discussed on a case-by-case basis between the tournament committee.

21. RULE CHANGES: The following rules will remain unchanged throughout the event unless State or Local laws are in conflict. Interpretation and enforcement of these rules shall be left exclusively to the Tournament Committee. In the event of a rule violation, the Tournament Committee may impose such sanctions as they deem appropriate, including, without limitation, disqualification, forfeiture of prizes, entry fee and prohibition from participation in subsequent tournaments. The decision of the Tournament Committee shall be final in all matters. It is at the Committee’s discretion to make a change where the safety of the contestants is a concern. ALL Tournament, Federal, State, and Local laws must be obeyed during tournament hours regardless of chip or weigh-in status. It is the contestant’s responsibility to know these rules.