The majority, if not all of our boat coaches are dads, uncles, friends of the family or the fishing coach at the student's school.
This league is about the KIDS, but the student anglers must provide their own boat drivers who should review the handbook attached below ( especially the rules on PFD on pages 30 and 31 )
This league is about the KIDS, but the student anglers must provide their own boat drivers who should review the handbook attached below ( especially the rules on PFD on pages 30 and 31 )
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INFORMATION Amended 7/1 and finalized 9/1 (before first trail )
Mission Statement: SALTT provides student anglers competitive opportunities in fishing as well as conservation service to the environment with " catch and release " at each trail tournament.
Vision: Every effort will be made to keep the fish alive and live fish “will be” released after weigh in.
Species: You may only target one species per boat per tourney but you have the option at each tourney to choose to fish for red drum or bass. Once you launch, you may not change species.
Statement : This is “not” a school or SC High School League sanctioned event. We are a separate non-profit 501C3. We are not restricted by school districts or require physicals and academic eligibility.
Prizes:
-Trail team "champions" will be crowned at the end of the school year based on cumulative weight.
-6 tourneys is best 4 -5 tourneys is best 4 -4 tourneys is best 3
-Trail team “champions” per division and species will receive a LEWs Rod and Reel Combo
-Individual team tourney “winners” per division ( red or bass ) will receive in prizes the value of :
1st = $150 per boat 2nd = $100 per boat 3rd = $50 per boat Big Fish = $25
-Elementary anglers are awarded by Big Fish Only 1st = $75 2nd = $50 3rd = $25
-Big fish for reds is the heaviest weight with the length as a tie breaker ( fish must be in the slot of 15-23 inches )
-Big fish for bass is the heaviest weight with the length as a tie breaker ( minimum of 12 inches )
-Individual Tourneys end with a Free Raffle where our goal is to give every angler a fishing item for participation. Items depend on partner items donated and if we have money in our budget to purchase items at a discount. Items in the past have been rods, reels, combos, hats, shirts, sunglasses, gift cards and fishing tackle. In the event of government mandated social distancing or expecting rain later in the day, prizes will be provided the morning before the event. In extreme situations, the next tourney would have double prizes.
Divisions:
-Elementary division is “Big Fish” only so if there are two elementary anglers on the boats, they are fishing against one another. They are both eligible for awards.
-Elementary boats are highly encouraged to have two adults and two anglers for safety.
-High School is grades 9-12 and Middle School is grades 5-8 with Elementary School grades 1-4.
-The Trail will be scored at the end of the year in 6 Divisions : HS Red Drum, HS Bass, MS Red Drum, MS Bass, ES Red Drum, ES Bass
Cost:
-Student Anglers = a one time $35 per angler fee for the entire trail.......YES, you pay one time and you are good for the season when the event is a trail. Other fundraisers do require an entry fee.
-Boat Captains = No charge and we will allow a second adult on board for events. All adults must be 21 or older and have boat captain paperwork done. Please remember, this is a kid's tourney so let's keep it about the kids. Please do not ask me to have more than 2 adults on the boat.
-Insurance = each boat captain must be prepared to provide a copy of their boat insurance with $300,000 liability. The online registration will ask for your information but always have a copy on your boat. The high liability is mandated by our insurance carrier. SALTT has an insurance policy that is secondary support. You must also have a live well built in or carried on that can keep alive 2 red drum or 5 bass.
Teams:
-A team consists of an adult 21 or older fishing with one or two students registered in grades 1-12 from any South Carolina public, private, charter, virtual, or home school. Students in Adult Education cannot participate. If a senior is graduating after the first semester and has not turned 19 before the end of the school year, then this student can finish the season.
-A middle school angler fishing with a high school angler will be scored for the trail with the high school division.
-A elementary school angler fishing with a middle school angler will be scored for the trail with the middle school division .
-A elementary school angler fishing with a high school angler will be scored for the trail with the high school division.
Sportsmanship:
-Go Fish Grants allow us to take disadvantaged youth to fish. The students who do fish on the day of a tournament with this program have to complete registration. Their fish will NOT count toward this tourney or the trail. The registration fee is also waived.
-Boat Guides for hire are not allowed. We do have many anglers who parents or relatives make a living as fishing guides and/or supplement their income as professional anglers. That is ok. It is not ok to hire guide and pay them to take your child fishing. Apply for the Go Fish Grant if your income level has your child on free or reduced lunch so we can provide your child with an opportunity to fish.
Registration:
www.salttfishing.com Online registration and $35 annual membership
GUIDELINES
The following rules are designed to promote sportsmanship among the anglers and provide fair competition. Once you register, you have agreed to these guidelines. Failure to comply with any rules may result in a weight penalty or disqualification from any tournament and/or the trail up to 365 days.
Inclement Weather Plan
The tournament director will communicate with the boat captains by phone and post on the "Social Media" should weekend weather cause the tourney to be cancelled. We plan to have each tourney as schedule if at all possible. Safety comes first. We have a date in place to make up a fall and/or a spring tourney if necessary.
During the event, if there is lightning or thunder, the tournament director will communication with the boat captain to “stop fishing” so all boats will be secured and participants asked to return to the nearest safest location. Please honor this request until the director communicates to “continue fishing” or “return to landing” which means the tournament is cancelled and weigh in will begin when it is safe to begin the process.
We would cancel a tournament when there is: 100% chance of rain, Freezing Temperature all day, Temperature in the 40s with rain, post storm conditions with dangerous floating items from a hurricane.
Alternative Sites are only used to save the tournament on an extremely windy day. When the weather is favorable for fishing, but winds increase the risk of traveling in Winyah Bay, a potential Alternative Sites announcement will be made. The final decision and boundaries will be made up to the morning of the tournament, but the director can announce an Alternative Sites tournament as soon as the day before. Boundaries are set for safety which is the initial concern to establish an Alternative Sites.
All tourneys are expected begin and end at Carroll Campbell Boat Landing on the Sampit River so yes, you may drive past your alternative site on your way to check in at Sampit. Remember, we are trying to save the tourney using alternative sites.
Launch and Weight Ins: 7 am and 2-3 pm from Carroll Campbell on the Sampit River
Pre- Launch : Come early, get your boat in the water to make sure you are ready to launch at 7:00
-Pick Up a Georgetown County ramp registration card at check in station ( boat captain's responsibility )
-Live well open for inspection by student anglers while boat captain receives a weight in card to complete based on target species of red drum or bass.
Start :
-7 am = Idle out to 100 yards to the left of the boat landing toward the paper mill , director will have a flip chart for your card # and use a megaphone to announce the card #. When your number is called, drive by the director on the dock with life jackets on the kids then go under the bridge
-Respect the no wake zone and other boats by waiting until you are 100 yards past the bridge of Highway 17 for a blast off. IF you are returning to fish the Sampit, then you must go across the river to the opposite side then idle past the boat ramp which is a no-wake zone. Idle until you are 100 yards past the last boat in line.
Teams who arrive late need to contact the tourney director by 6:30 and must launch at the same site. You can launch after 7 once inspected and have your registration card. You must have been inspected and have a launch card to participate in the tourney. We will cut off the launch at 8:00 unless the director has approved a launch after 8:00.
Weigh In :
-2:00 pm -Elementary Cards are due
-2:30 pm -Middle School Cards are due
-3:00 pm -High School Cards are due
-Director or appointee must have your card by the designed time or you are disqualified. To be fair to others who were on time, your fish cannot be weighed. Once you make it to the boat landing, have an angler hustle to the director and just hand in the card so you are checked off. Then, you can take you time to bag the fish and get in line.
-Use the fish clamp we gave you or one that you own so when your team brings the bag to weigh in, the big fish is already designated
-Boat captains must notify the director of any problems that may have occurred. The sooner the better. This way we can start the process of helping you. For example, we may have time to send a boat to get your kids and fish for weigh in, if there is enough time. Cards are still due on time even in this situation so the sooner the better chance these kids can make weigh in on time.
-We don't want to punish kids for an adult's mistake like getting stuck on a mud flat, dead battery, and engine problems. If a team gets a DQ and we know in advance, we can give the anglers a gift card to help create a better experience. We ask that you release the fish once you know you are receiving a DQ to give the fish a better chance to survive.
-Bags are used by student anglers to bring fish to weigh in. Bags should be purchased by the anglers and be large enough to hold water for the fish to survive and include handles. These bags make weigh in quicker for our fishmasters.
-Students will keep air in their bags until called to the stage. Once they arrive on the stage, the fishmasters will conduct weigh ins while the anglers talk with someone who will give the anglers a chance to talk about their experience and give thanks to others.
Early Weigh In :
-If you have a fish that is throat hooked and/or at risk to die, we want to give the fish the best possible chance to be released alive. Call the director and we will be ready for your arrival so we can release the fish to give it the best possible chance to survive. This fish will count as one of your 2 ( reds ) or one of your 5 ( bass ). The fish will be DQ it does not meet the minimum or is over 23 inches ( reds ). The fish must swim off or it is considered a dead fish with the .25 pound penalty. Once it is brought to the scales, it counts for the tournament.
-Any team can weigh in early once the scales open. Early is considered 1:00
-If something happens and you must leave, a team can weigh in early. We don’t want you to miss the tourney because you have a planned event that afternoon, so you have the option to come fish and leave early to attend that event. Communicate with the director in advance.
Live Wells
Since our first priority is catch and release, if your live well is not working, you can return to the landing and weigh in fish so they can be released. If you return and catch more fish, the highest weight of all fish weighted will count. You must return to the landing where we will have live well equipment that can be used when you return to the water to finish the tourney. This live well equipment cannot be taken to begin a tourney. It is for emergency purposes only.
Only with permission of the director can you transfer fish from one boat to another to make weigh in with the live fish. This is under special circumstances only. You must have the director’s permission in advance. If you are putting 2 fish in a live well that already has 2 fish, you must have a tag system to identify the fish. Tag using the lip, not the gills.
Boundaries
No fishing within 100 yards from the boat landing that you launched from.
Private or gated area not available to the public cannot be used.
The Cooper River System is off limits.
Alternative Sites may also include additional boundaries.
Boats
Equipment includes a working live well (built in or carry on) and all safety equipment as required by the US Coast Guard and SCDNR.
Participants must use only the gear that is in the boat when the boat leaves the dock at the start of the day with the exception of acquiring a live well from the director.
Captains need to have current boat registration and have turned in a copy of insurance to the director. Captains and student anglers (16 and older) must possess a current fishing license.
In respect to the location of the Sampit River launch site, the director suggests that you have both freshwater and saltwater license.
Boat Operation
Captains operate the gas engine in a safe manner abiding all boating laws when carrying student anglers to fishing locations with the Lanyard Ignition cut-off device ( kill switch ) attached to the boat captain at all times the main engine being used to travel.
Lifejackets should be on anytime the gas motor is running for safety.
Student anglers can operate electric trolling motors.
Captains are encouraged to return to the landing for rest room breaks.
Use caution with other boats around you, and remember, you are responsible for your wake and can earn a DQ if you endanger another one of our teams as well as be subject to a fine from SCDNR.
Fishing
-Only fish caught by students on a rod and reel in the boat will count.
-Only the student who casts the rod can land the fish. IF anyone else touches the rod during process of the cast to the landing of the fish into the boat, the fish does not count.
-Casting : Everyone casting can have one rod per person. We request to “just” let the kids fish.
We do let boat captain(s) fish but once they cast a rod, they are the only ones who can retrieve. Boat captains cannot hand over their rod until the lure/bait is in the boat. We know kids lose rigs, so it is easier for the boat captains go give theirs up so the student can continue to fish. This way you won’t be accused of giving a student your rod with a fish on it. If you are fishing in an area with other boats, they will be watching to see if the boat captain honors the guidelines.
-Rod Holders : Only the students can fish. One rod per student when using rod holders. This means when the rod holders are in use, the boat captain(s) cannot fish.
-Trolling is not allowed anymore.
-Red Drum = artificial and if you CAN use live or cut baits BUT circle hooks are mandatory
-Bass = artificial bait only
-Only fish caught with a hook in the mouth will count. No snagging or netting a fish.
-Cast nets can be used to harvest live bait that will be used for fishing
-Cast nets cannot be used to retrieve fish for the weigh in
-Bait cannot be used to feed fish in the live well to add more weight
-The boat captain can assist with : using a landing net, rod and reel repair, but don’t touch the fish until it is in the boat.
-Anchor fishing in the middle of a creek in order to block others is not allowed because some creeks are small and other cannot get past you so make sure you set up on the side of these creeks.
-Anchor fishing should be at least 25 yards from another boat..
Fish Length
SCDNR is one of our partners and could be involved with the weigh in procedures since we have to get ramp permission to host the tourneys, they know we are fishing. We invite SCDNR to stand at the weigh in scale during our tourneys.
Each fish is subject bump boards at weight ins and measured in accordance to the rules of SCDNR.
Each boat is HIGHLY encouraged to have a bump board. Before you put a fish in the live well, measure the fish on the boat's bump board. When in doubt, release the fish. Please don't risk the DQ and/or a ticket at the weigh in from SCDNR.
Bass is 12 inch minimum and no maximum
Red drum slots: SC = 15-23 inches *we pinch the tails on the red fish and check to see if the tail has been cut
Dead Fish
-.25 pound penalty per fish and the fish is property of SALTT
-do not cull a dead fish
Protests
-Boat Captains have the opportunity to teach life lessons on the boat at our tournaments. Doing the right thing is more important than any award. If anyone suspects foul play (cheating), send a picture and details to the director. Keep this between the adults and do not use social media or group texts to bring negative attention to SALTT. Once the scales are announced closed, the director will meet with both boat captains. If you have not sent any information, you can file a protest 5 minutes after the scales close for the tournament. We have the option to call for a lie detector test. The protester with the grievance and the boat captain are both subject to a lie detector test. No kids will be tested. If found guilty, the boat captain who broke the rule will be DQ from driving a team for 365 days. SALTT will pay for the test. We would rather use those funds to purchase items for our raffle for the kids.
Teams
We have to have a plan because we do not want kids to be punished due to the other kids not being able to fish for various reasons. Plus, for schools who have a fishing coach, it is a struggle to get someone to drive the kids so these coaches just want their boys on the water fishing with winning the tourney or trail being secondary.
Student Anglers have the best chance to win the trail when the same two kids fish each tourney together.
Student Anglers can mix schools if they like. An angler from Waccamaw can fish with an angler from Andrews.
Student Anglers can mix divisions if they like. A middle school angler can fish with a high school angler but they are a high school team.
Situations in Scoring
-When two anglers fish together, their team is identified by their last names ( example Payne / Nesmith )
-When one of the original two anglers cannot attend, one can fish solo and the score counts the same ( Payne can fish solo )
-Trail #1 Payne / Nesmith - 7 pounds
-Trail #2 Payne - 5 pounds so total is now 12 pounds
-When the two anglers decide to fish with other anglers then their original score stands but they start at zero with the new partner
-Trail #1 Cooper / Howard = 10 pounds
-Trail #2 Cooper / Brown = 9 pounds Howard / Johnson = 4 pounds and 1 point
-After 2 Trails = Cooper / Howard 10 pounds Cooper / Brown 9 pounds Howard / Johnson 4 pounds
-When after the first trail ONLY, a pair of boats who both fished solo decide to combine to make one team can take the higher weight
-Trail #1 Drew = 8 pounds Calhoun = 6 pounds
-Trail #2 Drew / Calhoun = 8 pounds
Individual Tourneys
Total weight will be scored with the top 3 teams receiving a tourney certificate and awards (gift certificates, fishing tackle, ect. )
-1st tiebreaker = a dead fish will bump you down
-2nd tiebreaker = team with the heaviest Big Fish
-3rd tiebreaker = co-champions for that spot… 1st, 2nd, 3rd
Points will be awarded each tourney "per division" to only be used as a tiebreaker for the championship
1st = 10, 2nd = 9, 3rd = 8 up to 10th place per tourney but you have to weigh in fish to earn points
SALTT Trail Champions
6 Divisions are as followed : -High School Bass -Middle School Bass -Elementary School Bass
-High School Reds -Middle School Reds -Elementary School Reds
Trail team "champions" will be crowned at the end of the school year based on cumulative weight.
-6 tourneys is best 4 -5 tourneys is best 4 -4 tourneys is best 3
1st Tie breaker = most points for the season ( the more you fish = more likely to earn more points )
2nd Tiebreaker = most 1st place finishes
3rd Tiebreaker = most 2nd place finishes
4th Tiebreaker = most 3rd place finishes
5th Tiebreaker co-champions and split the awards .......
Each divisional Trail Champion will receive a LEWs rod and reel combo based on total weight
SALTT Points Champions
Each divisional team champion that has the most points will receive a $50 gift card
The Trail Champ is based on weight but we do want to reward a team that has points because chances are, they fished all the tournaments and came close to winning the trail.....
--A team could finish first in weight, win the rod and reels plus have the most points and win the gift cards
--A team could finish first in weight, win the rod and reels but be second in points.
--A team could finish second in weight but have the most points and win the gift cards.