2015 BIG HAMMER CHALLENGE SHARK TOURNAMENT
OFFICIAL 2015 BHC RULES
*The 2015 Big Hammer Challenge Shark Tournament starts on Sunday April 12,2015 and ends Monday May 11,2015 at 11:59 PM
* 2015 Big Hammer Challenge Boundaries have been extended up to include Florida,Georgia,South Carolina and North Carolina .
*All federal and state fisheries laws apply and must be observed by anglers in the 2015 BHC
*All sharks caught in the Big Hammer Challenge must be caught from land or structure
*All sharks must be caught on manual rod and reel, No electric reels allowed or wire line allowed
*All sharks must be caught unassisted by one angler on the rod and reel
*All sharks must be caught from the state of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina or North Carolina
*All Big Hammer Challenge PARTICIPANTS 'MUST' WEAR A LIFE VEST WHEN DEPLOYING BAITS
*All sharks caught must be handled with caution and care to insure survival
*All sharks must be measured ,photographed quickly and released alive
*All sharks must be a minimum of 5 feet long to qualify in the BHC
*All sharks should be photographed with a Digital Camera -CEL PHONE PICS OF BAD QUALITY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED
*Cameras should have the Correct Time/Date Stamp if possible
*All anglers submitting a shark must appear in the picture next to the shark, and should be facing the camera.
*All sharks must be PHOTOGRAPHED & POSTED on https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com to qualify .Below is the direct link
*ALL SHARKS THAT APPEAR TO BE DEAD ON THE SAND IN THE PICTURES YOU SUBMIT WILL BE DISQUALIFIED
SUBMITTED Sharks that appear discolored,lifeless,bloodied,gashed,gaffed,or INTENTIONALLY harmed will be be AUTOMATICALLY DISQUALIFIED.
*ALL SHARKS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR MAJOR CASH PRIZES SHOULD BE VIDEO TAPED AT THE MOMENT OF IT'S RELEASE
*ALL PARTICIPANTS IN THE STANDINGS FOR MAJOR PRIZES ARE SUBJECT TO A POLYGRAPH TEST
*All shark pictures must contain the Secret Item(To be announced April 11(12noon)) or sharks will not qualify
*All sharks posted must have an Overall picture and a Tail Shot picture in the post to qualify
*All Winners are determined by the Overall Length of the sharks entered
*All sharks must be measured from Tip of snout to Tip of the tail-NO STRETCHING OF THE TAIL
*All sharks to be submitted should be measured using either a metal or vinyl tape measure(wider= better) PLEASE spray paint it at every foot mark
*ALL SHARKS that will be entered for Prizes MUST BE REPORTED to BHC staff within 3 days of capture
*All sharks must be posted on the SFSC site no later than (4 days) after CAPTURE-Deadline for final pictures is May 12, 2015 (12 noon)
*All nurse sharks only qualify for Team Total and Individual Totals, but not for any other prizes
*All anglers competing must fill out and sign the Registration Form Waiver-NO EXCEPTIONS
*Teams may divide in two to fish different spots
*All Team members must be identified on a BHC Registration Form- prior to the April 22 cut-off date
*All teams must designate a Team Captain who will be in charge of communicating with BHC staff
*All Teams must consist of a minimum of two anglers and a maximum of 5
*All Teams must consist of at least one Adult angler-NO ALL JUNIOR ANGLER TEAMS ALLOWED
*All anglers under the age of 18 must have the Consent Form on the Registration signed by a parent
*In case of a Tie, the shark or Fish caught FIRST will be the Winner-No Double Cash Prizes and No Double Trophies will be Awarded
*In case of a Tie for "Most Sharks" Category the Team with the MOST TOTAL LENGTH OF SHARKS is declared the WINNER
*All 2015 Official Winners will be Announced by Tuesday May 12th,2015 * or (as soon as possible after the last day of fishing)
* ALL RULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
_______________________FORMAL COMPLAINTS,DISPUTES___________
*All FORMAL COMPLAINTS or Disputes must be accompanied by $50 Money Order or Cash presented or mailed overnight to Tournament Committee Director c/o 'William Fundora' prior to May 11,2015 end of Tournament.No Disputes will be considered after May 11,2015. The $50 payment would be Returned if the Complaint is deemed to be Valid ,however if your complaint is judged by the Tournament Committee to be without merit you forfeit the $50
MAILING ADDRESS -South Florida Shark Club c/o William Fundora 10818 NW 6 CT MIAMI ,FL 33168
*Once a FORMAL COMPLAINT or DISPUTE has been filed in the 2015 BHC, the Tournament Committee listed below will vote to determine the FINAL DECISION
*The Committee will have A representative from each Zone of our Boundaries
_______ 2015 BIG HAMMER CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE_______
1)WILLIAM FUNDORA-DIRECTOR/FOUNDER "Big Hammer Challenge Shark Tournament"
2)COLBY UVA-OWNER BULLBUSTER LINE
3)DAVE MURRAY-GULF COAST REPRESENTATIVE(Ex member Tampa Bay Sharkers)
4)EARNIE POLK-PANHANDLE REPRESENTATIVE
5)STAN J WARREN -GEORGIA,SOUTH AND NORTH CAROLINA REPRESENTATIVE
*Any participant in the 2015 BHC that attempts to disrupt the Tournament or Harass any of it's anglers can be permanently Disqualified
*All complaints SHOULD be initially filed via Private Message on the SFSC forum to "William" BHC Administrator/DIRECTOR
*In order for any Dispute to become OFFICIAL it must be accompanied with a $50 refundable payment (MONEY ORDER ONLY)mailed to "South Florida Shark Club" c/o William Fundora -Tournament Director ADDRESS -10818 NW 6th CT Miami ,Fl 33168.
The FORMAL COMPLAINT MUST INCLUDE YOUR NAME ,TEAM NAME,ADDRESS AND A PHONE NUMBER WHERE WE CAN REACH YOU
ANGLER SAFETY -USE EXTREME CAUTION
IT IS REQUIRED THAT ALL PARTICIPANTS IN THE 2015 Big Hammer Challenge ALWAYS WEAR A LIFE VEST WHEN DEPLOYING BAITS.IF YOU ARE SEEN DEPLOYING BAITS WITHOUT A LIFE VEST YOU WILL BE DISQUALIFIED FROM THIS TOURNAMENT.
During any activity involved with this sport or related competition, the SAFETY of the ANGLERS and ALL OTHERS is of the utmost importance and should take precedence over any attempt to catch, handle or release any wild animal including sharks. Always use extreme precaution when handling any shark as they can inflict very serious injuries.The safety of all anglers and their teammates is their responsibility, and should be the first consideration in all aspects of this competition .The 2015 BHC is a CATCH,PICTURE & RELEASE TOURNAMENT and proper care and handling should be exercised to avoid any injury to all sharks and fish caught during the month-long competition .The Big Hammer Challenge Shark Tournament, it's officers, committee members, general members, and/or assigns assume no responsibility for risk of injury or death that might occur as a result of attempting to capture, handle or release any wild animal, anywhere, under any circumstances.
TOURNAMENT DATES - April 12th-May 11th 2015
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Tournament will start Sunday April 12th,2015 and ends Monday May 11th, 2015 AT MIDNIGHT
*This tournament is an ALL catch and release tournament hosted on https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com
This tournament benefits two non profit organizations #1 the Shorebound Anglers Alliance, and the #2 the South Florida Shark Club. All monies collected during the 2015 BHC go towards angler Cash Prizes,Trophies,other Prizes and other Tournament related expenses.ALL TOURNAMENT PROCEEDS LEFT OVER AFTER EXPENSES GO TO BENEFIT The Shorebound Anglers Alliance a non profit organization that represents anglers who fish from shore and whose rights we fight to defend ; and the South Florida Shark Club who sponsors the Big Hammer Challenge each year, and has been an ardent proponent/defender of land-based shark fishing for close to five decades.
REGISTRATION FEE & DEADLINE
Registration fee is $100 per angler and $475 for a Team of five if we receive payment prior to the April 12,2015 start date.Each angler receives a 2015 BHC T shirt when they pay the Registration fee .Additional BHC T's will be sold at $20 each -please specify sizes needed .DEADLINE TO REGISTER A TEAM IS MONDAY APRIL 22 ,2015.If a Team needs the 2015 BHC packet mailed to them please ADD a $15 shipping fee .A Paypal account has been set up to accept all Team payments.We urge all anglers participating in this years BHC to register early and pay the total due from your Team via money order ,personal check or Paypal your PAYMENT(whichever state).Only registered anglers can participate and catch sharks for your team.The angler making the catch must appear in the picture.All anglers fishing in the BIG HAMMER CHALLENGE must sign the registration/liability disclaimer form.You cannot compete until we have received your signed fully completed REGISTRATION FORM and your registration fees have been paid in Full.
CORRECT WAY TO MEASURE YOUR BHC SHARKS
Initially we were going to issue plastic measuring tapes to all Teams but because of time constraints we are using the standard method we used in the past.In the 2015 BHC sharks can be measured with a wide tape measure(metal or plastic) that has been marked at every foot mark.It is preferable that a wider measuring tape be used versus a more narrow one because it is easier to see exact size.Measuring tapes have to be in standard American feet not in meters.
Team "Hammer Wranglers"three time CHAMPIONS with their 2012 winning Hammerhead SharK
2011 winner "Second Place Biggest Shark by a Female" Erin Carter TEAM TOTAL RELEASE 8 foot 6 inch BULL shark
SOUTH FLORIDA SHARK CLUB -President SFSC-Founding Member est 1983 SFSC-Website Administrator BIG HAMMER SHARK TOURNAMENT -Founder Rene Memorial Sharkathon -Founder NMFS Shark Tagger
UPDATED RULES ARE ABOVE .WE ASK THAT ALL PARTICIPANTS IN THE 2015 BHC FAMILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH THE RULES.ANY SHARK THAT APPERAS TO BE DEAD IN YOUR PICTURES WILL BE DISQUALIFIED-NO EXCEPTION.
PLEASE READ THE RULES VERY CAREFULLY
SOUTH FLORIDA SHARK CLUB -President SFSC-Founding Member est 1983 SFSC-Website Administrator BIG HAMMER SHARK TOURNAMENT -Founder Rene Memorial Sharkathon -Founder NMFS Shark Tagger
Iggy097,what part in the rules here did you guys miss about post time?????did you contact any committee member about having post problems?????Dave