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Kayak Wars - Official 2013 Rules ----- Updated January 9th, 2013
1. First and foremost, all anglers agreeing to enter the 2013 Kayak Wars agree that Extreme Coast, Ocean Epics LLC and/or its owner/moderators and employees are no way liable for any injuries or accidents that may occur during angling or kayaking in the Kayak Wars Tournament. You are entering this and fishing Kayak Wars exclusively at your own risk. To participate you must read and agree to the liability waiver provided at registration. No one under the age of 12 years may enter Kayak Wars (at this time). Anglers age 12 - 17 years must have a release of liability signed by their parent or guardian. That release can be obtained by contacting Kayak Wars through e-mail or by downloading the release form by clicking the link below. Once the release has been signed, please return the signed waiver to Kayak Wars Organizers via mail, e-mail or fax.

MINOR LIABILITY RELEASE WAIVER

2. All fish must be caught on rod and reel ONLY. Bowfishing, trot lining, or jug lining is not permitted. All entrants and competitors agree to abide by all local and federal boating, recreational, and game laws. In addition, each contestant must read and abide by the rules of this tournament. For safety and ethical reasons, anyone disobeying these rules may result in them and/or their team being automatically disqualified from Kayak Wars.

3. Entering you and your team is free and cost nothing. All entrants agree that any picture submissions to be posted for Kayak Wars allows for ExtremeCoast.com, Ocean Epics LLC and Kayak Wars to use any relevant images as seen fit for Kayak Wars, Ocean Epics LLC and ExtremeCoast.com Purposes and Promotions.

4. Kayak Anglers from all US states and Canadian Provinces are welcome to join in addition to Caribbean nations. There is a minimum of 3 and maximum of 5 members per team. After reading and agreeing to all rules and terms, you may enter your team using the "REGISTER" link in the bottom right corner of the KW Banner image above. You and your team members must be registered before May 1st, 2013. Once you and your team has registered, Kayak Wars organizers will assemble your team with the given team names provided during registration for each angler. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE SUBMISSIONS FOR KAYAK WARS UNTIL YOU HAVE AT LEAST 3 MEMBERS ON YOUR TEAM. If your team does not get assembled within 3 days please write a message to the Kayak Wars coordinators with the anglers names, kayak and Usernames through the following avenues:
     E-mail
     Private message on the forum
     Contact Us Here

After May 1st, teams are finalized and no further registrants will be accepted unless authorized by the KW organizers. Kayak Wars Tournament begins on February 1st, 2013 and ends at midnight December 14th, 2013. You may begin submitting your catches in the submission form using your registered account by logging into your PROFILE PANEL. After Feb 1st, assuming you have already entered your team, members may begin submitting valid catches. Team members do NOT have to all be from the same state to be on the same team. However regional points will only be accepted in the region registered in.

5. Prizes are awarded at the end of the KW season when all prizes have been collected from sponsors or 'made' in special for the prizes. In the event a sponsor is unable to fullfill their prize donation, EC and KW will do its best in obtaining a replacement for the individual(s). In all likelihood there will be a large amount of random prizes to be distributed to both top teams and/or personal achievements. Do not enter this in hopes of immediately securing prizes for top placement, but rather the avenue for enjoyment and entertaining others.

6. The 2013 KAYAK WARS Rules or time duration may be changed without notice but will be made aware to the public when they do. We hold the right to alter rules due to exploitation or end the tournament early if we feel necessary.

7. (Mothership Clause) 'Mother Ships' are allowed for transporting kayaks and anglers to offshore destinations, however points for only the major species/types of pelagic fish including Billfish, Blackfin/Yellowfin Tuna, Wahoo, Amberjack, Cobia, Grouper and Dorado are counted in association with Mothership deployments. Due to the extreme danger, Sharks will NOT count for points from Mothership Deployments so do NOT try to target them (such as large Makos).

IMPORTANT!! All Highly Migratory Species must be released for Mothership Catches. Federal Law prohibits mothership catches for Highly Migratory Species to be harvested. See Code of Federal Regulations Title 50 Chapter VI Part 635.

8. Pictures are required for ALL point submissions. Photos must be at least 800x600 resolution to be accepted. Cell phones can be used but be sure that the minimum resolutions and date and time requirements are met. IMPORTANT - The date and time on your digital camera must be set accurately to make submissions. The system will not accept pictures that have been taken with cameras that have inaccurate date and time values that are set outside the range of the competition. If you can't set the date and time on your camera or you believe that there is an error in the system, please CONTACT US. DO NOT RESIZE YOUR PHOTOS IF POSSIBLE. Some image resizing programs actually remove the embedded time data from your photos. DO NOT USE PHOTOBUCKET. We recommend uploading your photos directly from your camera for the best results.

There has been several inquiries regarding this rule and therefore we are adding more information about the date and time stamp.
Digital cameras have special information that is encoded into the image when you take the picture (defined as exif data or meta data). Its embedded into every image captured with a current digital camera. You probably never even knew it because its hidden. Just set your date and time on your camera correctly and your picture submissions should be fine.

If you have an older first generation model(s) of GoPRO camera please CONTACT US before submitting photos.

IMPORTANT! You have a maximum of 20 days to post your fish to Kayak Wars after your catch. After 20 days of the catch, the submissions will not be accepted. The 20 day rule does not apply to the end of the season to where we will accept submissions up until December 16th, 2 days after the end of the tournament season.

9. ALL Fish 24" and under MUST be photographed with a measuring device showing proof of posted length. This rule also applies to ALL fish being submitted for TROPHY or RECORD Status. The only exception is for Billfish, Sharks, and Tarpon. All other species must abide by this rule. Failure to comply by this result will result in deletion/modification/downgrade of size. Repeated offenses may result in disqualification for the angler in Kayak Wars for the year.

All fish 24" or less MUST have the entire fish in the photo. For larger fish, please make the best possible attempt to include the whole fish along with an object for scale (ex. ruler, water bottle, or boga grips).

If Kayak Wars organizers feel the submissions are questionable because of unlclear photos, inaccurate size reported, poor attempt at getting the whole fish in the photo, or any other reason leading to the submission not being properly eligible, then the submission may be deleted and the angler warned. To prevent this disqualification of a catch, take several pictures (clear photos) of each fish to help validate your catch.

Highslide JS

For ALL fish 36" and under, you MUST take photos of live fish at/around time of catch. Dead fish photos for this mentioned size will be disqualified and deleted (with some minor exceptions by KW organizers). Large species (over 36 inches in length) may be submitted as dead fish as long as all other criteria are met. In all other cases you must photograph and submit live fish. If your catch does not meet this criteria it will automatically be deleted without warning. You must have your kayak or a fellow kayak in a picture to verify authenticity of kayak fishing. Or a sequence of photos from other fish pictures uploaded must conclude that you were kayak fishing. Any submissions on land such as 'grass/lawn/yard' which cannot prove the validity of being caught in the kayak may likely result in deletion. All Sharks must be released for safety reasons.  All other fish have the option of being kept and harvested (pending your local game laws). The fish for the largest of each species must be measured and photographed with a measuring device to validate length. The length of very large species such as Sharks, Tarpon, and Billfish, can be estimated but good photos providing scale must be present to assure validity.

10. ALL catches must be made from a kayak, SUP, canoe/hybrid. (No Wading or Out-Of-Kayak fishing).

11. Updates are done on the honor system via the submission form. Multiple submissions of the same fish will not be accepted and will result in disqualification of the angler and team (at Kayak Wars discretion). Anglers MUST contact the KW organizers or post up in the forums for request for corrections to submissions.

12. Records - Fish that break the all time Kayak Wars world records must have additional photos to verify length in case requested for validity. The fish must be photographed against a ruler/board displaying the full length of the fish. This excludes sharks, tarpon, sturgeon, and billfish. While you do not need to provide a photo of fish over 24" with a measuring device (unless a record, trophy size, or borderline minimum length), you do still have to measure the fish. For fish in question by angler, additional photos can be posted on the forum or sent to Kayak Wars organizers by contacting us HERE.

13. Scoring - Kayak Wars has three different types of scoring categories. Total Points (Saltwater and Freshwater) and Total Inches. Total inches is the largest fish of each species per angler, per team for the year. Those totals are added up and show in the total inches category. Your team does not have to specify what category they choose to fish for. When you enter Kayak Wars you are automatically entered into all categories.

  • Total Points - Saltwater
    Kayak Wars Champions will be crowned in each region for the total points scored for SALTWATER species that were submitted by the team. Freshwater species will not add to your total points scored in this category. IMPORTANT! - Anglers from different regions will not add to your teams total points. Be certain that if your strategy is to score the most points for saltwater species that your team is all in the same region. For species that can be caught in freshwater and saltwater (ex. Salmon and Striped Bass), you must specify whether or not this was a freshwater caught fish or not.
  • Total Points - Freshwater
    Kayak Wars Champions will be crowned for the total points scored for FRESHWATER species that were submitted by the team. Saltwater species will not add to your total points scored in this category. IMPORTANT! - You do not have to be from the same region to contribute to your teams total points in this category. Drafting anglers from different regions is acceptable in the freshwater category. For species that can be caught in freshwater and saltwater (ex. Salmon and Striped Bass), you must specify whether or not this was a freshwater caught fish or a saltwater caught fish.
  • Total Inches
    Kayak Wars Champions will be crowned for the total inches submitted by your team. Both Saltwater and Freshwater species will add to your total inches scoring in this category. Teams can draft anglers from different regions to build a strategy to compete in this category. A team's total inches will be calculated using the largest of each species for each angler on the team. Only the largest of each species the angler caught will add to the total inches. When an angler catches a larger fish than a previously submitted fish of the same species, it will automatically replace the smaller fish and add to the team's total inches. An example of a team's total inches scoring is shown below.

    Team Rockstar = 202.86 inches

    Species Oz Skipjack JustBob Kip Keager Total
    Red Drum 25.25 0.00 28.36 22.00 24.00 99.61
    Trout 26.00 20.00 22.00 0.00 0.00 68.00
    Largemouth Bass 0.00 17.25 18.00 0.00 0.00 35.25
    Total 51.25 37.25 68.36 22.00 24.00 202.86


14. Bonus Scoring - Fish that are considered Trophy class will get bonus points added to the scoring of that particular fish. For example, a trophy trout is considered to be larger than 27 inches in length. Trophy submissions MUST show fish measurement in the photo. Exceptions apply such as Shark, Tarpon, Sturgeon, Billfish etc. This catch will be scored by the bonus structure listed in the species list below. Not all fish have a bonus structure. Some may be considered trophy fish but will not score a bonus. The bonus will also be regional. In some regions where a bonus is offered the bonus may not be offered elsewhere. For example, the South-Central region will not have bonus points for Red Drum. Bonus points will not be offered for Mothership catches.

15. Special Competitions: These are competitions created to feature sponsors and a particular species for a specified time period during the duration of Kayak Wars. These competitions award an angler for the largest of a species or for various other types of angling marvels (ex. Most spots on a Redfish, Most King Mackerel). These events are evaluated by everyone in the competition. However, its organizers have the final word and therefore accurate pictures and documentation is required. Photos must contain a ruler to verify length. In-Accurate rulers will disqualify you from Kayak Wars. Do not attempt to make a ruler with shorter measurements. Each submitted photo must contain meta data. The photo meta data (also called exif data) must be un-altered, complete and accurate. The date and time must be set accurately on your camera to qualify your catch. Be sure to check your camera settings before beginning to fish. If the fish measurement and the photo meta data can not be verified, your catch will not count for a special competition.

TWO EXAMPLES OF SPECIAL COMPETITIONS:

FOR EXAMPLE: a Special Competition for the Redfish with the most spots on one side begins Nov. 1st and ends Dec 14th. The Redfish submitted between Nov 1st and Dec. 14th with the most spots on one side will win the special competition. A Picture must be submitted to Kayak Wars via the submission to qualify for this competition. The pictures must include a ruler in the picture for valid points. Below is an example of a valid photo submitted to Kayak Wars. The ruler is in the photo, the kayak, and the meta data is displayed when the photo is reviewed. The meta data accurately shows that the picture was taken within the specified times. Click the photo to review meta data, length and number of spots.

Highslide JS
Camera: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.
Model: u1030SW,S1030SW
Exposure: 1/200
Focal Length: 45/10
ISO: 80
Date and Time: 2009:11:21 13:00:05


FOR EXAMPLE #2: a Special Competition for the longest Flounder begins Sept. 1st and ends Oct. 1st. The longest Flounder submitted between Sept. 1st and Oct. 1st will win the special competition. Pictures must be submitted to Kayak Wars via the submission system. The pictures must include a ruler in the picture for valid points. This angler below submitted a picture that clearly shows the length and their kayak. In addition, when you click the photo to review the meta data, its within the specified times of the tournament.

Highslide JS
Camera: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.
Model: u1030SW,S1030SW
Exposure: 1/160
Focal Length: 35/10
ISO: 80
Date and Time: 2009:09:25 08:32:36


16. There are currently Seven separate Saltwater regions for Kayak Wars to attempt to balance different fisheries.
Those regions are:
South-Central: TX, LA, MS
South-East: GA, FL, AL, SC
North-East: VA, NC, NJ, MD, MC, CT, DE, MA, RI, NH, NY, ME
South-West: Southern CA, HI
North-West: WA, OR, AK, Northern CA
Hawaiian: All Hawaiian Islands
Caribbean: All Caribbean Nations

17. A monthly cap on points for species is described below. A 'submitted' fish may be substituted for a previous catch only if it is a Record and that team is maxed out on the cap per that species or it is an angler's first of that species and that team is maxed out on the cap for that species.

18. Pedal drive kayaks are allowed. Motorized mechanics for prupulsion on kayaks are NOT ALLOWED to be used at this present time and the decision to use them may be altered officially at any point of the season if felt necessary. If you are legitimately disabled an unable to paddle or pedal a kayak please contact the organizers and let us know your situation and we will allow motorized kayaks.

19. A list of all eligible species, points, and monthly cap is listed HERE.

Click here to view the catch verification database
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