Tournament Regulations.
Membership is not required, other than the entry fee, and the "optional big fish pot" there are no additional fees.
NEIT tournaments are open to either two person teams, or individuals. The entry fee, weigh-in limits, prize payouts and all other rules will be the same for both individuals and teams.
As an example
An individual would pay a $120 entry fee, could weigh in up to a full twelve fish limit, and if they finished in first place they would receive the first place payout.
A two person team would pay a $120 entry fee, could weigh in up to a full twelve fish limit, and if they finished in first place they would receive the first place payout.
The official start time will be 8am, but will often be earlier, and all entrants must return to the weigh-in by 1pm. Check in will begin at 6am at the official launch location, please be prepared for a complete search of equipment and person- Portable shelters open, lids off buckets, coats unzipped. Any place you could hide a fish will be checked, thanks for your cooperation. The start time will be earlier if all entrants have passed the check in line. All tournament participants must start and finish from the official launch site.
Once an entrant has passed through the morning check-in, they may not leave the ice or the check-in / weigh-in line until after weigh-in unless escorted by a tournament official.
Each angler may fish with no more than two lines at a time, portable shelters are permitted, live bait is permitted. The "two lines" may be a rod/reel, a tip-up, jigstick, handline or other device legal for ice fishing according to state laws. An individual may fish up to two lines, a team may fish up to two lines per anger, or a total of four lines. All lines must be within three feet of each other and under immediate control of the person using them. If you are fishing two holes at the same time, the holes you are fishing may not be more than three feet apart, measurement will be discussed at the rules meeting.
Each entrant, whether a team or an individual, may weigh in no more than twelve (12) fish. This twelve fish limit may consist of perch, crappies or sunfish. The term sunfish shall include any species commonly referred to as bluegills, pumpkinseeds, redears, green sunfish and such. Rockbass are NOT considered sunfish and may not be counted towards a limit. In other words, a limit could be 12 perch or it could be 5 perch, 3 sunfish and 4 crappies. There will be no size limit unless the tournament is held on a body of water where a size limit on panfish is state mandated.
All state and local laws must be obeyed at all times while participating in, prior to, or following the tournament.
Consuming alcoholic beverages, or any illegal drug, while participating in a tournament, or within two hours of the end of the tournament (while on the property that the tournament is being held on) will result in disqualification.
Any entrant who leaves dead or dying fish (regardless of species) on the ice,or on the property ( including trash cans ) that the tournament is being held on will result in disqualification. This includes fish that may be considered trash fish. All fish caught must be immediately released or put into the contestants bucket (or similar device), immediately is considered to be no more than one minute.
Team partners must stay within 30 steps from one another from the time their team has passed inspection until their teams fish have been weighed. Teams or individuals may not fish closer than 10 feet from another person, except their team partner, spectators included.
A tournament participant may fish as close as they like to another persons equipment, providing they are not within 10 feet of another person. Tournament Director, observers/officials and members of bona fide media outlets are excluded from the 10 ft rule.
Fish must be kept alive in a five gallon bucket or similar container such as a cooler with water and without ice. No frozen fish.
Auger covers on blades are required while augers are in transport.
Participants may drill as many holes as they wish. However, any open hole may be fished by any competitor as long as they maintain the 10 ft rule. Hole Blocking is not allowed: Leaving a portable or other equipment next to a hole does not stop another fisherman from using that hole if you are over ten feet away. In the event that another person fishes a hole that your equipment is at, you may NOT retrieve that equipment unless said person is more than 10 feet away when you do so.
Snowmobiles/ATV's are not permitted on lakes within Pennsylvania. ATV / Snowmobiles may be used at tournament locations where they are legal for use, pending safe ice conditions.
All fish brought to the weigh-in must be caught on the day of the tournament, during tournament hours, by the angler or team weighing the fish
Unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated. Unsportsmanlike conduct includes, but is not limited to, such things as using profanity in a loud manner, littering of any kind (including cigarette butts). It's simple, do not do anything that the average person wouldn't let someone do at their family gathering.
Sharing equipment or supplies is not permited without prior approval from the tournament director.
All teams/individuals must travel and fish within the designated tournament boundary area.
Entrants may not prefish or be on the ice of the tournament lake past 4pm the day prior to the tournament.
At least (1) one team member must attend the rules meeting/registration. The rules meeting will generally be held the evening prior to the day of the tournament.
Teams must return to the official tournament weigh-in line by 1:00 pm with all fish sorted and ready to be weighed. Your BIG FISH must be marked and ready to weigh (a safety pin in the lower lip works well for this). A penalty of .5 (½) pound per minute, with a 5 minute maximum will be charged for being late across the time line. After 5 minutes the team is disqualified.
Cheating for monetary gain while participating in a sporting event is a felony offense. Any person caught cheating, or attempting to cheat will be disqualified immediately. They will also be banned from any future NEIT events, will have their names forwarded to all other tournament organizations, will have their names forwarded to local and regional press/media and be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Metal detectors will be used and polygraph tests may be required of all top ten finishers.
If a team witnesses a violation of these rules, it is the obligation of that team to notify an official immediately. Any allegations of rule infractions must be brought to the attention of a tournament official within one half hour of the beginning of the weigh-in procedure.
In order to preserve the integrity of the field, the Tournament Director reserves the right to disqualify a team/individual from the Tournament, Tournament Series and/or Championship for any rules infraction, at the sole discretion of the Tournament Director. At times, certain rule infractions may not result in disqualification, this will be at the discretion of the Tournament Director. These rules are subject to change/modification without prior notice.
