The prevailing federal, state, and local statutes and regulations will bind all contestants. At no time will contestants have in their possession more than the limit described above. Tournament officials will conduct checks for these violations. Failure to do so will result in removal of the largest fish down to the legal limit. In no case shall the minimum length be less than 12 inches.
Maximum penalty is the total weight of the catch.
Once a competitor's catch has been presented to tournament officials, competitors may not add to or touch said catch. A penalty of four ounces will be assessed for each dead fish presented for weigh-in. The determination of a live or dead fish will be the sole responsibility of the tournament officials. Any penalty will be from the total score of the contestant. There is no excuse for being late.