2025 Tournament Rules
The rules for the 2025 season are posted below.
Participation
1. The TLFL is a team or single angler tournament trail.
2. You must be 18 years of age.
3. All the tournaments are for current members, in good standing with the TLFL. The TLFL reserves the right to deny membership and tournament entries for any reason at any time.
4. No TLFL angler can solicit any information in any form.
5. Fishing guides for the tournament body of water may not be used within 30 days prior to the event.
6. During the official practice and competition days of any TLFL tournament, no member may operate a boat unless that member has documented proof of $100,000 / $300,000 liability insurance per occurrence covering the boat being used. A copy of the insurance must be provided upon check-in of every event. Any competitor that does not provide a copy of the required insurance will be disqualified with no refund.
7. All entries can be made online or cash onsite.
8. No refunds on entries to events, no exceptions.
9. If you pay for an event and do not show up, your entry fee shall be forfeited.
PRACTICE, COMMUNICATIONS, AND
OFF-LIMITS:
Practice/Assistance: There is no cutoff for pre-fishing unless otherwise stated by the tournament director. During official practice for a regional or national multiday event, contestants can only pre-fish with their team member, alone, with a member of his/her immediate family, another contestant of the tournament, a sponsor of the THIN LINE Fishing League or a member of TLFL staff. Contestants may not receive assistance from anyone other than another contestant for the purpose of locating or catching fish during competition days. Buying or bartering for fishing locations is prohibited. During the official practice and the competition days of the event, competitors may not “SKIN DIVE” OR “SCUBA DIVE” in the tournament waters. Contestants are not allowed to practice after the start of the tournament briefings.
Communications: During official competition day(s), a competitor may not use a CB radio, a VHF marine-band radio, a cellular phone, texting, or any other type of communication device for locating or catching fish. Competitors are permitted to transmit by radio or telephone only in the event of an emergency. A designated TLFL tournament official must be granted access to the competitor’s boat at any time during the competition. Failure to grant such access will result in immediate disqualification. Competitors may not follow non-competitor’s boats for the purpose of a non-competitor assisting in locating fish.
Off Limits: Off-limit areas will be designated upon the creation of each event.
ONSITE SIGN IN:
1. Sign In: All members are required to sign in, at the latest, 1 hour before the start of each event (unless dictated otherwise) We strongly encourage you to arrive earlier than this to ensure smooth check-in and take off. Each individual member will need to provide the following documentation:
a.) THIN LINE Fishing League membership card.
b.) Current and valid Boat registration
c.) Required fishing license for the body of water that the event is being held on
2. Mandatory Meeting for State Championships: The pre-tournament Safety and Rules meeting is mandatory for all competitors and will be at a designated location at 18:00 the night before the tournament start date. Failure to attend will result in the forfeiture of entry fees and disqualification for the event, unless previously discussed and approved by the tournament director for that event.
SAFETY: Safety is at the forefront of every event, and all anglers must recognize that fishing from an open boat is inherently dangerous, and as a result, the THIN LINE Fishing League seeks to minimize those hazards with these general safety rules.
- Safe boat conduct and speed limits must always be observed by competitors. During official practice and competition, competitors must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved chest-type life preserver and must always be worn while the combustion engine is in gear. This life preserver must also be properly secured and maintained in that condition until the combustion engine is no longer in gear. Violation of this rule shall be a reason for disqualification. “Fanny Pack” preservers are not allowed. In the event a boat is being towed, all anglers in the towed boat must wear a life preserver.
- Tournament officials may delay, shorten, restrict tournament waters, or cancel the start of an official tournament day because of bad weather or other factors that would endanger the safety of the competitors.
- The TLFL reserves the right to impose boat speed limits during any or all tournaments. The decision to impose a speed limit, the area covered by the speed limit and/or the actual speed limit shall be left exclusively to the discretion of the tournament director.
- In the event of an emergency, competitors should call 911 immediately and then notify tournament officials. Competitors may leave the boat and seek safe shelter in bad weather when danger may be imminent, at which time all fishing must cease. Furthermore, tournament directors must be notified as soon as possible, if anglers have left their vessel for any reason.
Sportsmanship
Anglers participating in an TLFL sanctioned event are expected to uphold the highest standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety, and conservation and shall always conduct themselves in a professional manner. Members shall use their best efforts to demonstrate professionalism and integrity in support of the sport of bass fishing and the Thin Line Fishing League. Any angler who does not carry themselves as such, will be subject to fines, forfeiture of tournament winnings, probation, suspension from competing in TLFL events, permanently banned from the league, or any combination the outlined consequences above deemed appropriate by the THIN LINE Fishing League.
1.) The use, possession of, or consumption of illegal drugs or alcohol by any competitor during official practice or tournament hours will be cause for automatic and immediate disqualification from this and all future tournaments. (Exception; medication prescribed to the angler by a licensed physician). If a contestant is prescribed a medication that hinders their ability to safely operate a motor vehicle, they will not be allowed to partake in the event without a note from their physician stating that they are able to safely operate a boat.
2.) Courtesy must be practiced, especially about boating, and angling near noncompetitors. Any act of a competitor which reflects unfavorably upon efforts to promote water safety, conservation, clean waters, and courtesy will be a reason for immediate disqualification.
3.) All competitors are bound by the prevailing statutes and regulations of the state within which the tournament is being held, and all participants are required to have the appropriate state fishing license. A copy of the fishing license will be verified upon the event check-in.
4.) Chemical substance addiction or abuse, crimes involving moral turpitude, a conviction of a felony not specifically exempted by the TLFL, or other conduct reflecting unfavorably upon efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship, fair competition, and compliance with tournament rules shall be grounds for rejecting any application for participation and/or for disqualification. Any disqualification, suspension from, or disciplinary action imposed by any fishing organization will be grounds for rejecting applications for participation in a tournament and/or disqualification from a tournament after circumstances are reviewed by the TLFL Tournament Director.
Tackle and Equipment
The use of a landing net is allowed. The use of grippers in landing bass is prohibited. Only artificial lures may be used. Only one rod and reel may be used at any one time per angler. All bass must be caught live and in a conventional sporting manner. When visually fishing for bedding bass, bass must be hooked inside the mouth.
Horsepower Regulations
Maximum horsepower for all outboard motorboats used in official tournament practice and in tournament competition will be 250 HP. Horsepower cannot exceed the limitations set by the U.S. Coast Guard or the manufacturer’s rating plate or the maximum horsepower set by TLFL. In the event there is reason to suspect the horsepower is exceeded, competitor agrees to submit their boat and outboard motor used in the tournament, to an inspection by factory-trained personnel. Changing or altering standard factory parts of a competitor’s engine to increase the horsepower over the factory horsepower rating is forbidden and will result in immediate disqualification. No modifications to the motor’s computer, internal combustion engine, etc. to increase the horsepower above the U.S. Coast Guard or manufacturers plate rating are allowed. Changing of a propeller does not fall into this category and is allowed.
Boat and Motor
During official practice and competition, all boats must be equipped with an operational and approved type of ignition kill switch and a single lanyard. A lanyard must be attached to the driver’s body any time the combustion engine is in gear, and the driver must be in the driver’s seat in full control of the boat. Fishing boats that are less than 16 feet in length may not be used. Any raised platforms or decks cannot be higher than the gunnels of the boat. Fishing while standing on the outboard motor or boat seats is not allowed. Trolling motors may be used for slow maneuvering; however, trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited. All bladder tanks and any auxiliary gas tanks that are not installed by the boat manufacturer are prohibited. Boats that do not have factory-installed gas tanks are restricted to a maximum of 18 gallons of gasoline in tanks, properly secured or strapped, and meet U.S. Coast Guard regulations. No portable gas tanks or containers capable of holding gasoline can be placed anywhere on tournament waters or shorelines for use by any tournament competitor. No “barges” or similar craft or “stick steering boats” will be permitted.
Basic Boat Equipment
During official practice and competition, every boat must have all the required U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment. During the competition, every boat must have live-well space, with a functioning aerator, to safely maintain a limit of bass. The TLFL tournament officials shall have the sole responsibility for determining whether aeration and capacity is proper and adequate.
Boat Identification
Prior to each day’s start, every boat will be inspected and checked by a tournament official. Boaters will be given their launch number, and it is the boater’s responsibility to ensure they are checked-out and checked-in by an TLFL official.
Boat Operation
Team members are only allowed to operate the boat if they are covered under the boat owner’s insurance policy.
Permitted Fishing Locations
Tournament waters and off-limits areas shall be established by the Tournament Director for each tournament. Specifically, any water within tournament waters posted “Off-Limits” or “No Fishing” by state or federal agencies will be OFF-LIMITS. Only water open to all public fishing will be considered tournament waters. All angling must be done from the boat. No fishing within 50 yards of any other competitor’s boat, anchored or not.
Competitors Must Remain In Boat
Competitors must leave from and return to the official checkpoints by boat and must not depart the boat to land fish or to make the boat more accessible to fishing waters. Boats must remain in tournament waters during tournament hours. Team members must remain together in the boat and in sight of each other and each partner’s catch, except in case of dire emergency or with permission from the Tournament Director. If an emergency occurs, competitors must call 911 immediately then contact a Tournament Director, at which time all fishing will cease. If after the emergency has been resolved, tournament officials may allow competitors to resume fishing. Trailering boats during tournament hours is prohibited. You may leave the boat if “duty calls” but fishing from both team members must cease until they are both back in the boat. Do not leave the boat and go onto private property. It is up to the competitor to know whether the land is private property. If any competitor trespasses, it may be grounds for immediate disqualification from the event.
Official Checkpoint
There will be only one official check-in and check-out location for checkout in the morning and check-in in the afternoon and will be designated by the TLFL tournament officials. At the time of check-out, all boats must be in full compliance with all the rules set forth by the Thin Line Fishing League. At check-in, all boats shall identify themselves to the TLFL designated official and all fishing must cease. If fishing as a team, partners must stay together through the weigh-in process.
Late Penalty
Anglers who are not in the official checkpoint area appointed before the start of the tournament, at the appointed time shall be penalized at the rate of one pound (1 lb) for each minute. The late penalty will be deducted from the total weight of their catch for that day, including any weight to be counted toward “Lunker”. No weight will be awarded if the net weight after penalties is zero or less. Any angler arriving more than 15 minutes late will weigh zero pounds (0 lbs.) for that day. Exact starting and check-in times and locations will be announced by an TLFL tournament official.
Scoring
Tournament standings, awards, and final winners shall be determined by the weight of each team’s catch during the competition days of the tournament. Only Largemouth, Smallmouth or Spotted bass will be weighed.
- The limit for the team shall be 5 bass of the above species and varieties per day unless otherwise established by the tournament director and/or state laws.
- The official length for bass shall be established by the Tournament Director. Culling must be performed immediately for teams. In the event tournament officials observe more than the allowable limit is in the boat or at weigh-in, tournament officials will cull beginning with the largest fish. Only bass measuring the official length or more on the longest straight line, shall be weighed. If a short fish is brought to the scale, that fish along with the team/angler’s largest fish will be removed from the bag and will not be weighed. You will be allowed one courtesy check by an TLFL designated official BEFORE the fish is brought to the weighmaster. Once a fish is brought to the weighmaster, and if it is deemed short, the above penalty will take effect.
- Any bass that appears to have been mangled, mashed, mauled, or otherwise altered will be weighed only at the discretion of tournament officials.
- Once a competitor’s catch is verified, no additional fish may be added to the catch. Placing bass on a stringer is prohibited. Only puncture free cull tags or clips may be used.
In the event of a mechanical failure (boat is inoperable) anglers may have their catch counted by one of the following methods only:
1) Boat is towed to the weigh-in site by another boat.
2) One partner may take the catches (clearly marked) and board another competitors’ boat only for a ride to weigh-in. The tournament director must be notified immediately. Competitors must not allow any bass caught by them to be counted on the score of another competitor. Mechanical failures do not extend the established check-in times.
Tiebreakers
Ties will be broken using the following criteria:
1.) The largest number of legal fish weighed during the event.
2.) The largest fish weighed during the event.
3.) The heaviest single day catch during the event (for multi-day events).
4.) If the tie is not broken by applying the foregoing procedures, prizes will be awarded according to TLFL tournament officials.
Catch and Release
CULLING OF DEAD BASS IS PROHIBITED: For each legal dead bass brought to weigh-in, a penalty of one half of a pound (1/2 lb.) per dead fish will be assessed and deducted from the day’s total weight. A dead fish cannot be weighed in for lunker.
*For fish care, the TLFL requires the use of a cull system with clips that do not puncture. Livewell treatment such as G-Juice is strongly encouraged *
Scoring System and Qualification Requirements
Points are awarded and based on place of finish with two drop events, and cannot be combined or transferred from one event to another. Any team disqualified from an event will not receive points for that event.
REGULAR SEASON EVENTS: These events are worth 100 points to first place anglers. Points will be awarded in 1-point decreasing increments. *Contestants not weighing fish will receive 5 points behind the last place that weighed in. Total points from events will determine the team/angler of the year. If you pay for an event, and do not show up, your entry into the event will remain in place and will earn you 1 point behind the last place boat.
Tiebreakers
Ties will be broken using the following criteria:
1.) The largest number of legal fish weighed during the event.
2.) The largest fish weighed during the event.
3.) The heaviest single day catch during the event (for multi-day events).
4.) If the tie is not broken by applying the foregoing procedures, prizes will be awarded according to TLFL tournament officials.
Thin Line Fishing League Logo and Sponsor Logos
• TLFL encourages (not mandatory) the wearing of the TLFL Logo. The suggested placement for TLFL logo is centered on the left chest, the top of the patch should hit the top center of the left collarbone.
• The TLFL encourages the use of patches and logos to promote the angler’s sponsors. The TLFL may, however, restrict the use of patches, logos, signage, etc., that promote or advertise products which are in competition with the products or services of official tour sponsors, or which are, in the TLFL’s sole judgment, in poor taste.
• The use of the TLFL sponsors logos is strictly prohibited unless permission is given by the TLFL. Any angler found using these logos without receiving consent from an TLFL official will up for immediate disqualification from fishing any future events.
Taxes
Where and when state laws require, income tax may be automatically deducted prior to any awards being presented. Anglers are responsible for all applicable taxes for both cash and merchandise awards.
Liability Waiver and Release Forms
To participate in any of the THIN LINE Fishing Leagues events, members must read, understand, and sign a liability release waiver and release form.
Media Comments and Public Attacks
The favorable public reputation of the THIN LINE Fishing League as a sanctioning organization in the sport of fishing, the integrity of its officials, and the reputation of its media properties are valuable assets and tangible benefits for the TLFL. Accordingly, it is an obligation of competitors to refrain from comments to the news media that unreasonably attack or disparage the integrity of tournaments, tournament officials, sponsors, fellow members, fellow anglers, or the TLFL organization. Competitors are encouraged to express themselves and have the right to question rules officials. Responsible expressions of legitimate disagreement with TLFL policies are encouraged as opposed to attacks upon the integrity of the rules or officials. However, public comments that an angler knows, or should reasonably know, will harm the reputation of TLFL, TLFL officials or sponsors shall be considered conduct unbecoming a professional and will result in disciplinary action.
Agreement Form
Where and when state laws require, income tax may be automatically deducted prior to any awards being presented. Anglers are responsible for all applicable taxes for both cash and merchandise awards.