• Participation and Eligibility
  • Membership is not required to fish regular, in-person CCKF tournaments.
  • Access to TourneyX is required.
  • Some payments may be handled via PayPal to Centralcarolinakayakfishing@gmail.com
  • Event fees will be posted on the Facebook event page and on the TourneyX registration page.

• Angler of the Year
  • Angler of the Year points race participation is optional.
  • There is a $35.00 fee to be eligible for AOY
  • The $35.00 fee must be paid prior to points accumulation, it is not retroactive for past tournaments.
  • You can go here to pay AOY fees: https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/PS4C3HCZHF3GJ
  • The 2 lowest events will automatically be dropped and not counted towards year end standings.
    • This means that only the top 5 out of the 7 events in 2023 will count for each angler
  • A minimum of 100 Points will be awarded to each paid AOY angler for attending the event
    • No points will be awarded to an angler that does not attend, regardless of registration
  • Points are awarded to the AOY anglers based on their actual finish in the tournament per the following schedule:

• Clash of the Titans
  • AOY membership is not required for Clash of the Titans.
  • AOY membership is addressed above.
  • The Clash of the Titans field will be comprised of
    • The top 20 or the top 40% of paid AOY points leaders (whichever is greater)
    • The winners of any tournament, regardless of AOY participation or standing,
    • The top 1/3 of finishers in the A-1 Pest and Wildlife Sanford Online Tournament Series

• State Laws
  • All state laws and any regulations specific to the body of water being fished must be followed, including PFD rules, whistle rules, and light rules.
  • Fishing in areas deemed off limits will result in disqualification.
  • Fishing without a valid fishing license will result in disqualification.

• Pre-Fishing
  • Anglers must discontinue pre-fishing activity on eligible waters by sundown on the day prior to the event.
    • This does not apply to Wildcats.

• Fish Eligibility
  • The minimum length of bass scored in competition is 10 inches. Photos of bass shorter than the minimum will be denied.
    • If a penalty brings the total length below 10 inches, the fish will not count.

Photos and photo submissions are crucial to our competition.  Strict attention should be paid to photo quality and the rules to ensure you have every opportunity to make your fish count. The KBF rules sections 9, and 10 should serve as educational material.

• Photo Submission and Standards
  • GPS must be enabled in your phone settings.Photos must be a first-generation image (not a photo or screenshot of another photo). Violation will result in picture disqualification.
• • You must use a CCKF ID Card unless otherwise approved by TD.  The ID card can be color or Black and White.  Incorrect ID card will result in the fish being disqualified.
  • All fish must be submitted using a Ketch brand measuring device.
  • Competitors may share measuring boards.
  • The CCKF identifier must be present in the picture. 
  • The full ID CODE must be clearly visible in the picture.
  • The fish’s mouth must be closed, with fish facing left. The left side of the fish must be facing up. Tail may not be touched or pinched and must be in a natural position. A deduction of .5” will be taken for an open mouth.  OPEN is defined as being able to see the board/line through the tip of the lips. CLOSED is defined as the tip of the upper lip in contact (no gap) with the lower lip. Deformed fish will be judged the same way.
  • 5 fish limit. 10 inch minimum. (Largemouth Bass and Spotted Bass and Small mouth bass. 
  • Fish must be caught during tournament times, and in the lake we are fishing, which will be stated prior to the event.  If found you caught fish prior to the event, and turned them in for scoring, you will be Disqualified and banned from CCKF.
  • If a penalty brings the total length below 10 inches, the fish will not count.
  • Fish caught within ½” of each other will need to have distinct characteristics that prove they are not the same fish. TD will make the final decision.
  • Fish length is determined by its caudal fin (tail fin) touching or crossing the manufacturer’s quarter-inch mark on the measuring board. If it falls short of a 1/4-inch factory mark, the length is rounded down to the next lower 1/4-inch mark that the bass’ caudal fin actually touches or crosses. In reviewing photographs, judges will visualize as accurately as possible where a 1/4-inch factory mark would be if it extended the full width of a board and use that imaginary line to determine a fish’s length.  To eliminate any issues, make sure the tail is touching a line.
  • The Entire fish must be visible in the picture.  If the head or tail is cut off, in the picture, the fish will not be scored.
  • Any picture of a fish with anything under the gill plate, will not be scored.
  • The left eye of the fish must be in the photograph or the fish will not be scored. 100% of the eye must be visible.  If your finger is covering the eye or some of the eye, no score will be given. If your fish has no left eye, this should be clearly illustrated in photographs.
  • If the fish is not touching the bump on the board, a minimum .5 inch penalty will be given, and any further penalty is at the judge’s discretion.
  • If the tail is flipped up in the picture, not touching on the ruler, the TD will make the ruling on the last touched line on the board.
  • Pictures must be submitted by the last submission time.  If you have service or upload issues you must contact the TD prior to the last submission time. No adjustments will be made after the last submission time unless needed by the director.

• Tiebreakers
  • A total length tie will be settled with the angler with the largest fish finishing ahead.
    • A tie for position is decided by 2^nd largest fish, and so on
  • A tie for big fish will be settled by the 2^nd largest fish.

• Challenges
  • Challenges must be made by noon on the day following the tournament.
  • Any challenges or disputes in the judgement of a fish that has monetary implications will be reviewed by 2 additional persons with kayak tournament judging experience for a total of 4 judges with a majority deciding the final length / judgement.
    • In the case of a 2 / 2 split, a 5th judge will be consulted with their decision as the deciding vote.

• Competition Period
  • Competition start and end dates and times are stated on the Event Page. Competitors may place their watercraft in the water, occupy them, shove off and then stage (float, drift, or anchor) in the immediate area until the official “Earliest Launch,” at which time they may proceed under way. 
  • Any Competitor who proceeds under way prior to the stated “Earliest Launch” time or begins fishing before the official Competition Start Time on any day of competition will be disqualified from the Event.

• Fishing Tackle
  • Only artificial lures and biodegradable artificial lures may be used. No live bait, preserved bait, or prepared bait will be permitted during competition, with the exception of pork strips or rinds. Violation will result in disqualification from the Event.
  • Only ONE casting, spin-casting, spinning, or fly rod and reel may be in use at any one time. A rod and reel is considered to be “in use” when a lure attached to it by a line is in or on the water. A hung lure (one snagged in an overhanging tree) that is not in or on the water is not considered in use and the attached rod and reel may be set aside while another is in use.

• Eligible Waters
  • Competitors must launch from approved public-access ramps directly onto Eligible Water.
    • Crossing restricted property to reach Eligible Water is not permitted.
    • Tributaries, canals, sloughs or estuaries separated from the rest of eligible water by temporary obstructions (e.g., fallen trees, log jams, beaver dams) that, if removed, could be entered by floating/paddling are considered eligible waters in which competition is permitted, and competitors are permitted to drag or portage watercraft over or around such obstructions.
    • Tributaries, canals, sloughs or estuaries separated from the rest of eligible water separated by obstructions of a permanent nature across or through which one cannot paddle/float (e.g., rocks, levees, earthen or concrete dams, berms, elevated roadbeds, spillways, waterfalls) are ineligible water, and competition in such areas is prohibited. Violation will result in disqualification from the Event.
• Equipment
  • Watercraft acceptable for use in CCKF Competition are those manufactured and marketed as canoes, kayaks, or SUPs for which paddling is the primary means of propulsion.
  • Any other watercraft must be submitted to CCKF for review and approval prior to use in competition.
    • Watercraft specifically approved as exceptions include:
      • Blue Sky Boatworks 360 Angler
      • Solo Skiff
      • Beavertail Stealth
      • Creekboats
  • Tandem kayaks are legal watercraft, however only 1 angler is allowed per boat
    • Exception: Young children may occupy the craft as long as they are not competing
    • This must be cleared by the Tournament Director prior to the event.
  • Watercraft may be powered by paddle, pedal, or electric motor.
  • No gas motors are allowed.
  • Boats such as bass hunters or jon boats are not legal watercraft as they are not designed for paddling.

• Fishing Methods
  • All fish submitted for score must be caught live by the Competitor who submits them for scoring using only equipment and legal methods that comply with all sportfishing statutes and regulations of the states and body of water in which they are taken.
  • Competitors are responsible for research of and compliance with all applicable fishing and boating regulations.
  • Snatching or snagging fish is not permitted.
    • When visually fishing a bed for spawning bass, to be admissible all bass must be hooked inside the mouth. Violation will result in disqualification from the Event.
  • All fish must be caught by the Competitor on rod, reel, line and hook with artificial lures only. No traps, snares, set lines or other methods of fishing other than rod, reel and line are permissible, even if legal under state game laws. Violation will result in disqualification from the Event.
  • Only ONE casting, spin-casting, spinning, or fly rod and reel may be in use at any one time. A rod and reel is considered to be “in use” when a lure attached to it by a line is in or on the water. A hung lure (one snagged in an overhanging tree) that is not in or on the water is not considered in use and the attached rod and reel may be set aside while another is in use.
  • Trolling is allowed.

• Safety
  • During competition, every Competitor must have all required Coast Guard safety equipment, (e.g., light source, whistle or other audible signal device, Coast Guard-approved, chest-type life preserver [PFD]).
    • If all of the following conditions exist, Competitor may briefly remove his PFD while afloat (anchored or adrift) in order to change, add or remove articles of clothing:
      • No fishing lines are in the water.
      • The watercraft is not underway.
      • Weather and water conditions permit one to do so safely.
      • Competitor is over the age of 12.

     Notes / Disclaimers:

• All competitors are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, ethics, courtesy, and conservation and to conduct themselves in a manner that will be a credit to themselves, CCKF, our sponsors.
• This is a living document and is subject to change as needed in order to promote fair and equitable competition.