2024 Kayak Adventure Series Rules

Kayak Adventure Series Rules

Effective January 6, 2022

The following rules standards apply to all KAS events; the only location any of the following rules standards could officially be overridden is on each specific tournament event page to inform anglers of anything that may/could differ from these official rules standards below.

1. The Common Sense Rule: Watch this short video to learn more about this rule

The common sense rule is simply an overarching rule put in place to protect everyone involved in the event. If an incident/situation occurs in which there is previously no specific rule/judgment for this rule allows the tournament panel (TD of another series, KAS angler not in the event, Angler or Judge from another series...see rule #21) to decide what the outcome of the "unexpected situation" is and use common sense to determine a fair and just outcome for all, that ultimately is all about trying to get the to the correct result.

2. Rules Interpretation & Enforcement

Interpretation and enforcement of these rules shall be left exclusively to the Tournament Director and/or the tournament panel, his/her designee at a tournament. KAS has deemed two types of violations - Minor and Major - and the TD will place them in their proper category in order to help with determining the enforcement.

A.) Minor rules violations - typically unintentional, but can be intentional in nature as well. These are violations typically didn't give an angler an advantage or just a slight advantage, if any. In the event of a minor rule violation, the Tournament Director or panel may impose such sanctions as deemed appropriate by them, including without limitation -DQ of fish, loss of inch/es, forfeiture of prizes or time in the "penalty box" if it was a day 1 infraction and enforcement can be handed down on Day 2. Penalty Box is simple a loss of time on the water (ex. they have to start 1 hour later than the field etc). Subject to the appeal process set forth in rule 20 below, the decision of the Tournament Director, his/her designee, or the rules committee, shall be final in all matters. Minor rule violations must be reported to tournament officials within 30 hours of the final "lines out" time of the tournament.

B.) Major rules violations - These are typically of the intentional & pre-meditated nature or gave the angler a major advantage. They can be reported any time after the event and will be enforced to the fullest extent of the law, if necessary. Penalties for infractions of this nature could include any of the following - loss of one or more fish caught in potential violation of rules or regulations, disqualification from the tournament, loss of inch/es, disqualification from future KAS event/s, a lifetime ban, returning of cash/prizes, any different or additional penalties determined by the tournament panel, including potential reduction of points towards AOY or TMOY. Anglers agree to take a polygraph test if asked by the Tournament Director or accept the punishment the TD has handed down if they refuse.

All Federal, State, and Local laws, rules, markings, orders, and warnings must be followed. Violation of any laws may be cause for disqualification.
All violations of laws will be turned over to the proper authorities for investigation and possible prosecution. This includes, but is not limited to, cheating, harassment, wildlife violations, illegal drug use, and any other illegal activity.

3. Participants and Eligibility

Participation is limited to angler who are 10 years of age or older. However, a parent/guardian waiver will be required for any competitor that is under the age of 16. Proof of age to the satisfaction of tournament officials is the responsibility of potential competitor.
Any member of the KAS organization involved in the development of the competition components of each tournament (when, where, boundaries etc) shall be ineligible to compete in that event.
All Competitions are conducted using TourneyX®. Each angler who wishes to participate in such an event must create a, free, TourneyX user account before the first day of competition - tourneyx.com
A properly completed TourneyX registration, and payment, must be complete by the registration deadline (on rare occasions the TD may allow a late registration, but never once the tournament has begun). Most events will have an early registration bonus, where anglers to receive a "sponsors gift bag" at each event, with bags typically consisting of $100 worth of sponsors products.
In the event an angler wins more than $600 they will be required to fill out a W-9 form. Checks will be distributed in person, at events, and be post dated for the Monday after the tournament weekend which means they are clear of the 30 hour protest window as well. In the event of a protest, checks will be placed on hold until the situation has been looked into, the protest and/or appeals process has been complete. Anglers will be notified at this time and allowed to cash their winnings, or be sent an adjusted check, if necessary, based on the outcome of the protest.
In extenuating circumstance the Tournament Director has the right to extend the date/time of registration.
All contestants must have a valid fishing license for the waters they fish. KAS has the right to request proof of license before or after the event. Anglers who cash a check should be prepared to show proof of valid license to a member of the KAS tournament staff. Failure to produce such license will result in a disqualification of any day/s catches, where a valid license was not produced.

4. OFF-LIMITS, PRACTICE AND COMPETITION

The 2 week Official Practice Period will start the Friday, 14 days prior to day 1 of the tournament, and be specified on the exact day/month on each tournament page. Watch this video to learn why
Within this Official Practice Period anglers are allowed to choose 4 days to be on the water as their "official practice days." Anglers choose the day/s that fit best within their lives/schedules. Some may choose Mon-Thurs prior to tournament Friday. Others may choose the Sat/Sun & Sat/Sun the previous two weekends to avoid using weekdays or vacation time from work. Others may choose a combination of weekend and weekdays, but the maximum for all will be 4 days to not allow those with an infinite amount of time to have a major advantage.
Any amount of time on the water on a given day, during the Official Practice Period, will be considered one of your "4 days." You may drive around, scout etc, but once you launch your kayak and/or make a cast into eligible water that is considered one of your 4 days regardless if you fish for an hour, half day or full day. Use your "days" wisely.
Official Practice typically ends at 5:00pm on Thursdays but check your tournament page for any updates on this time.
Participating anglers may not re-enter tournament waters after 5:00pm on Thursday until Friday afternoon's tournament "official launch" time (typically 2:30pm but may vary and will be listed on each tournament page). To be clear, no pre-fishing or being in your kayak on eligible water is allowed on Fridays until "official launch" time that afternoon. Driving, scouting, shuttling, or fishing "non-tournament" waters are all legal.
Once Friday's "4-hour Afternoon Sesh" portion of the tournament is over (typically 7pm but may vary and will be listed on each tournament page) there is also no fishing, or being in your kayak on tournament waters until the "official launch" time on Saturday morning which will be listed on each tournament page.
All practice during official practice and competition must be done in a vessel in accordance to Section 8: KAYAK REGULATION or done by foot/wading (do not have to stay tethered to your kayak during practice) If boat is legally licensed, electric motors will be permitted. All state rules for motorized kayaks apply. Failure to comply, may result in disqualification.
Testing equipment on tournament waters after the start of the pre-tournament meeting is NOT permitted for any reason, except with permission from the Tournament Director. Test equipment on non-tournament waters if you need to do any further testing.

5. SOLICITATION of INFORMATION

Within the 2-week Official Practice Period the purchasing of, or bartering for, information, from anyone, for the purpose of locating or catching fish on tournament waters, including, but not limited to, GPS waypoints (other than through commercially available sources) and the hiring of fishing guide services is not permitted through the conclusion of the tournament.
Hiring or using a guide for tournament waters can only be done outside of the Official Practice window.
During official competition, contestants may not solicit information about locating or catching fish on tournament waters from anyone except other anglers confirmed in the tournament and through publicly available sources. Quasi-public websites, blogs and/or social media pages set up for the specific purpose of sharing information with individuals or a small group of individuals are NOT publicly available sources.
During the official competition days/times a competitor may not make cell calls for the purpose of locating or catching fish on tournament waters. Cell phones may be used to communicate with those outside of the tournament for any reason (wife, kids, family not in the event etc) other than getting information about catching or locating bass. Phones can be used for emergencies, scheduling an off-water pickup (from a fellow competitor or someone outside of the tournament) or for posting on social media during the event if you choose to do so. If you do, feel free to use the following hashtags #chooseyouradventure #chasethewild or #kayakadventureseries or # KAS2025 so friends and fans can follow along.

6. OPENING CEREMONIES, CHECK IN & OFFICIAL ONLINE RULES and Q&A MEETING

It is mandatory that all contestants read the rules on this site. This page is the only location for the written rules.
Pre-tournament "check-in" can be done in person at two different times/locations. The most common (and preferred) will be at Thursdays Opening Ceremonies, (typically 5-7pm) where anglers will "check-in" and enjoy food, music, games, receive their gift bags etc. The next and only other opportunity to check in will be at the optional "KAS Bass U Brunch Seminar Series" on Friday morning usually from 10am-12:30pm. Each brunch location will be listed on each tournament page. *If for some reason you cannot attend, in person, to either of these check-ins you must contact the Tournament Director to see if they can find another day/time to check you in, but there is no guarantee this will be possible.
If all in-person "check in" options have been exhausted, the Tournament Director may grant a virtual check-in.
The optional pre-tournament Q&A Rules Meeting will take place on Thursday's Opening Ceremonies at (usually 6:30 or 7:00pm). This is solely a Q&A meeting for anyone who is new or may just need clarification on any of the written rules, boundaries or help with the TourneyX® app. Anglers are encouraged to attend, but do not have to given they have read the written rules here and are confident they understand them all.

7. SAFETY

Safe boating must be observed at all times.
Each contestant is REQUIRED to wear a fastened U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device while fishing from or maneuvering their kayak during tournament hours. Inflatable BELT type PFDs are not allowed.
When applicable (typically low light morning launch situations) all kayaks must be equipped with proper lights based on the state laws they're fishing in - be it a 360 or red/green nav lights.
At the discretion of the tournament director, tournament days may be shortened, postponed or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions.
Competitors may of course leave or untether from their kayak to seek shelter in bad weather or when danger is eminent.
Competitors are expected to use sound judgement and are accountable for his/her own actions when faced with a potentially dangerous situation. (i.e. Lightning, excessive wind, pleasure boaters, hunters, etc.)
IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, COMPETITORS SHOULD CALL 911 FIRST AND THEN NOTIFY TOURNAMENT OFFICIALS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

8. ANGLER CODE OF CONDUCT AND SPORTSMANSHIP

Be cool, stay calm, communicate with others and the KAS TD for each event; we're all here to compete, have fun, and all want the correct/proper outcome. The following bullet points are for those that don't understand the previous sentence.
Competitors in KAS tournaments are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation. Any infraction of these fundamental sporting principles may be deemed cause for disqualification.
Use of alcohol or the use of drugs (other than those drugs purchased over-the counter or prescribed by a licensed physician) by any competitor, during the tournament, will not be tolerated and shall be cause for disqualification.
Maximum courtesy must be practiced at all times, especially with regard to non-competitors and recreational anglers who may be on tournament waters. Any act of a competitor, which reflects unfavorably upon efforts to promote fisheries conservation, clean waters and courtesy, may be reason for tournament penalty or disqualification.
All competitors are bound by the prevailing statutes and regulations of the various states in which they fish. Some regulations may differ from these rules resulting in fines, citations or other penalties at the discretion of law enforcement and may or may not result in tournament penalties. Competitors are responsible for research of fishing and boating regulations.
Anglers participating in any KAS-sanctioned event shall observe this code of conduct and the applicable rules for the specific event in which they are participating. Anglers and family members of anglers, shall, at all times, conduct themselves in a professional manner that demonstrates integrity, honor and respect toward fellow competitors, tournament staff and the general public and does not reflect unfavorably on KAS, its members, officers or representatives, tournaments or sponsors, who are striving at all times to put on the most enjoyable, honorable and fair event possible.
Anglers are frequently in the public eye and are considered role models by young people; therefore, it is imperative that tournament competitors demonstrate good sportsmanship in fishing. Sportsmanship is defined as fair play, respect for opponents and polite behavior while competing in the sport.
Following are examples of unacceptable behavior by competitors or family members of competitors in KAS events that will be cause for penalties as outlined in this document.
Heated public disagreements with KAS officials, other competitors and fans and volunteers during an event.
Public attacks through media, including social media, upon the integrity of KAS rules or officials.
Public comments that an angler or family member knows, or should reasonably know, will harm the reputation of KAS, or KAS officials or its sponsors
Publicly questioning or criticizing a tournament official or official decision, ruling or penalty except through the proper channels.
Abuse (physical, verbal, threatening or slanderous) of tournament officials, volunteers, fellow competitors or others connected with a KAS event, including comments on social media.
Offensive or slanderous comments with racial or cultural or sexual overtones regarding event officials/judges, event personnel or fellow anglers.
Intentionally interfering with a fellow angler’s ability to compete, for example, working with a non-competitor to block other anglers or hold spots before or during tournament hours.
Any disqualification, suspension or other disciplinary action imposed by any tournament or fishing organization may result in disqualification from competition and rejection of an application for participation in a KAS tournament.

9. KAYAK REGULATION

Watercraft propulsion is restricted to paddle, pedal, pole, or electric motor. (See electric motor restrictions, below.)
Use of electric motors in competition is approved with the following restrictions: 1.) Electric motor must be attached to the kayak in a safe manner for operation. 2.) An electric motor used to propel a watercraft may not exceed the lesser of (a.) manufacturer’s labeled Maximum HP/Thrust Capacity, (b.) 3 HP, or (c.) 155 foot-pound thrust. 3.) Only one motor is allowed to be attached to each vessel. A backup motor cannot be on your vessel at all. It can be kept in your vehicle, or wherever you chose to leave it for closest access to it in case your primary motor goes out and you choose to pedal or paddle to get your backup.
Competitors must comply with all boating regulations pertaining to motorized kayak/electric-propulsion watercraft registration, use, and operating restrictions for the designated fishing area.
Motors with dual props operated by a single power source are permissible as long as the unit is sold as a single unit.
Vessel must be adhere to these spec & identifying/marketing standards.
- The combined length + width cannot be over 230 inches. You can go long and skinny or short and wide, but not exceed 230.
- If your kayak/vessel has a hp rating over 6hp, regardless if it comes in under 230, it is not an approved vessel.
- If the vessel is listed as, or marketed as, the popular "plastic jon boat" category (Bass Hunter, Pond Prowler, Sun Dolphin etc) then it is not an approved tournament vessel.
- Canoes are legal so long as the meet the 230 spec standard. watch this video to learn more about canoes being legal
- Inflatable kayaks and modular kayaks, stand-up paddleboards (SUP), and any other "solo or tandem watercraft" are all acceptable watercraft so long as they come in under the 230 spec requirement.
- Catamaran style personal fishing vessels complying with all other regulations listed above will be eligible.
- Bass Raft is an approved watercraft.
- Any kayak/boat made from metal is not approved, with the exception of an aluminum canoe. This helps eliminate jon boats and other true "boats" that met all other above requirements but are clearly not the intent watercraft of this series.
If anglers are fishing out of a watercraft that is also marketed as a "tandem," only one participating angler can be in the vessel. Two anglers cannot share one vessel (even in the high school & youth division)
In order to get a watercraft (not listed above) approved you must contact the KAS Tournament Director.
No "Homemade" Kayaks, Sailboats, Jon boats, pirogues, coracles, rowboats, dinghies, skiffs, float tubes, inflatable rafts, or rigid inflatable boats (e.g., Zodiac), pontoon boats, pontoon-style pond boats, twin-hull watercraft, or similar.
The use of manual or motorized anchor system is permitted.
Mothershipping, tethering/holding or any on-water transportation coordination with a non-competitor is strictly prohibited unless approved by KAS officials due to an emergency situation.
By officially entering the event, contestants agree to submit their kayak to an inspection by KAS staff if necessary.

10. TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT

All bass must be caught alive in a conventional sporting manner by the angler out of their vessel or while tethered to their vessel.
Anglers must net/land and handle their own fish, even anglers fishing in the "team division" must do so without assistance
Anglers must photograph and score their own fish without assistance from any other person
All lures must adhere to state regulations.
Only artificial lures may be used, with the exception of pork trailers and biodegradable soft baits.
Alabama rigs and similar umbrella-type rigs are allowed and are only limited by the laws within the state they are fishing.
Up to two fishing rods may be used at a time. Watch this video to learn why
Trolling as a method of fishing is allowed. Long-lining and drifting with current/wind are allowed. Watch this video to learn why
All bass caught while sight-fishing must be hooked inside the mouth.
Fish gripping and/or clip devices are acceptable to temporarily hold fish in the water before or after taking photos. The health of the fish is the utmost importance.

11. PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS & WATER ACCESS

Official "core" bodies of water & boundaries will be located on each tournament page.
Concerning tributaries: Any canals, creeks or rivers that are free flowing feeding into a "core" body of water is also in bounds. When scouting (online or in person) track all tributaries upstream until you hit any of the following man-made obstacles - solid or earthen dam, or road, culvert or pipe etc that you cannot kayak under/over. Any of these are hard KAS boundaries. However, a "spillway" or "lowhead" type dam is legal in KAS and anglers can fish, access, above and below them, and portage around them. They are just "running the river" and are considered "free flowing" & different from "solid or earthen dams" that have water flowing down a pipe/drain under the dam (think neighborhood or farm ponds, private lakes etc) or through larger outflows via underwater turbine outputs on larger public lake dams. If the water above the said dam is a public lake that is legal for that event it would be listed as one of your "core" bodies of water for that tournament. If it is not, then it is not legal for the event. If you get so far up a tributary that it is no longer navigable for a kayak and/or, per the state's laws is now considered "non-navigable" it is not legal for KAS.
Also concerning any tributaries off of one of your 'core' bodies of water, if you encounter a spillway type dam that the water above it (using 'Google Maps' as our guide/authority) it is a 'named lake, pond or millpond,' that will be considered a hard boundary. If it is not named above and is still considered the river/creek then anything above, on the upstream side of the dam is legal to fish and access upstream of the dam as well. It is the angler's responsibility to know the laws and research this when fishing very small tributaries or risk being DQ'd.
Anglers must access "legally" and "publicly." If you find any water, or access, you feel may not be covered by the interactive map, preview video, or these rules standards please contact the KAS Tournament Director prior to the event for clarification or risk being DQ'd if it is later deemed to be not eligible. For help determining "public" access you can also refer to the official Farwide Flowchart
Contestants may fish anywhere on tournament waters available to the public and accessible by kayak except areas posted federally or by the city, county or state as "no fishing," “off-limits,” “no boats,” “keep out,” “restricted,” “no trespassing” (or similar language).
All fishing must be conducted from either inside the kayak or via wade fishing while still tethered to your vessel. A maximum of 10ft tether is allowed. An angler is not required to be tether to their watercraft when doing anything besides fishing (to have a shore lunch, drag around obstacle, go to the restroom, get out to stretch legs or remove any debris that may be in their way etc).
The cutting of trees, bushes and/or logs that are blocking your kayak's path is allowed at any time, provided that A.) it is done legally per the state's laws and B.) you stay on public water/land. If what you're doing is legal, and can be done on any non-tournament day, then it is legal during the Official Practice Period and on Tournament Day/s.
Dragging around (also referred to by some as portaging) is also allowed, so keep in mind that you may (or may not) want to remove any trees, bushes or logs if it is easy enough to legally drag around. Watch to learn more about this rule
The intentional cutting or moving of any trees, bushes, rocks, and/or logs, or anything, intended to block other anglers access to an area is prohibited and will result in a disqualification from KAS, and future KAS events.
Using any items including the kayak or fishing line to block an area off to other competitors or anglers is strictly prohibited.
To hold position you may tether your vessel to trees, posts, signs or any public docks or structures unless signage dictates otherwise. You may NOT tie off to single buoys, or safety/warning signs which could prevent other boaters from seeing them.

12. SCORING - Longest 5 Leaderboard

Scoring is determined by length using 1/4 inch increments of each contestant’s catch during each tournament day via the Catch, Measure, Photograph, and Release (CMPR) method (see rule 16 for detailed scoring process) Example 1 Example 2
Each competitor will be provided with the same unique identifier for that tournament at the "check in" and this identifier card must be in all fish scoring photos for the fish to count.
Judges will round down and to the nearest ¼ inch.
Only Black Bass Species will count. Most commonly Largemouth, Smallmouth, Alabama Bass, Spotted Bass, Shoal Bass and any other black bass species not listed or any hybrid of black bass.
The longest five (5) fish make up your tournament limit.
A bass' mouth must be COMPLETELY closed. Mouth open examples - egregious example slightly open example (still a deduction) zoomed in view same fish with mouth fully closed (no deduction)
NEW: 1/4 inch Corrective Scoring - This only applies when a fish's mouth is "slightly cracked" (approx 1/4 inch or less - aka where you can barely see some of the board between its lips) which in the past has resulted in a 1/2 penalty. The new "1/4 Corrective Scoring" method will be instituted by the judge to help the angler get the best (and proper) score and not have to stress about re-submitting another photo.
- HOW IT WORKS: When a mouth is only slightly cracked the length of the fish does not change much, if any, when fully closed that last 1/4 inch. The jaw is closed and therefore the advantage gained for a true open mouth is gone. Therefore, "1/4 inch Corrective Scoring" allows the judge to score the fish what they know it is, and should be, if the mouth was fully closed up. This means the score will be moved down just 1/4 inch (not 1/2 like the deduction in the past would have been) and the angler does not have to stress about trying to find a new photo, re-submit, delete the old one etc and the judges do not have to worry about removing the fish, waiting for the angler to re-submit which at times can lead to duplicate fish in the system.
- CAN I RESUMBIT? If the angler can find a new photo where the bass' mouth IS fully closed and still touching the 1/4 mark they are trying to attain, then they of course can re-submit the fish to TourneyX for re-judging.
- EXAMPLE: Angler XXX tries to get a fish to touch 17.50. He/She Is trying so hard to get it to touch with the mouth fully closed. They finally get it, or so they think, but the mouth is barely cracked and the astute KAS judges catch it. In the past this would have deducted 1/2 inch because the fish's mouth isn't "fully closed," resulting in a 17-inch score. "1/4 Corrective Scoring" moves the score to 17.25, and only moves the score down 1/4 to what it should be. Again, this only applies to fish that have a mouth open just 1/4 inch or less and angler XXX doesn't have to do anything further unless he/she chooses to re-submit a new photo that shows mouth fully closed and touching 17.50, in which case they can gain 1/4 inch back.
A scored/accepted fish will only count once to an angler’s aggregate score for all days of the tournament. A bass, even if caught a second time on the same day or the second day of the tournament will only count once.

13. SCORING - Team Leaderboard (5 from each angler = 10 total) Watch to learn more about the 2-Man Team Division

The longest 5 bass from each team member will count towards the teams 10 fish total.
Teams are not required to fish together, it is just their score that is combined.
The same fish cannot be scored on both angler's team stringer, regardless if it is legally and legitimately caught again that day or any tournament day. The fish will be fully DQ'd.
A team member cannot pass a fish he/she caught to his/her teammate for them to score. This is considered pre-meditated and intentional cheating (MAJOR VIOLATION); both anglers will be DQ'd without a chance to ever fish a KAS event again. PLUS, be turned over to local authorities on "fraud" charges.
Team members cannot share information via text or cell phone calls during the tournament. They can only speak or text through their phone about scheduling a pickup or any other conversation not related to where or how to catch or locate bass until after "lines out" time. Using "code" to help each other is considered communicating about where/how to catch bass and is automatic DQ.

14. SCORING - Smallest 5 Leaderboard (Micro Bag Division)

All the same photo/scoring rules apply (in Rule 16 below) to the "micro bag" with the following additional notes/differences.
There is a 5-inch minimum for micro bag division, and 9.75 inch maximum. Any fish submitted in that inch range automatically goes toward your "micro bag" stringer and leaderboard.
Submit "micro bag" fish through the normal TourneyX leaderboard but do not submit until you have 5 bass. Micro Bag cannot be won without a full 5-fish limit and it helps the leaderboard be more accurate when we wait until 5 are actually caught.
Anglers may place a maximum of one finger (centered) on the fish for the photo to hold it down. We prefer no fingers at all, but if your fish is being difficult, one finger is allowed. Judges need to see the markings on the fish to ensure that no fish are scored twice (accidentally or on purpose). PHOTO EXAMPLES: Perfect one-finger photo Whole hand on fish (deduction or DQ) Perfectly done w/ no finger on bass.
The bass' tail must be centered and cannot be excessively curved any direction (diagonally up or down) on the board. Don't leave it up to the judges to make a judgement call, center the tail/fish horizontally where it is literally covering the centered numbers (on the Ketch brand board). Failure to do so may result in a 1/2 to 1-inch addition to your fish's length. PHOTO EXAMPLE: diagonal bass (+ mouth open + 2 fingers) Perfectly horizontal micro bass photo
Scoring is also done by 1/4 inch increments, rounding down, which is why your fish must be horizontal on the board (no diagonal fish to try to make it measure smaller than it is!).

15. MEASURING DEVICE

ALL Ketch Boards (including 16 inch Crappie board) & the Yak Attack "Leaderboard" are approved as the official, mandatory, measuring devices for the KAS.
Contestants must bring their own measuring device or potentially buy one at the event if the KAS on-site store has any for sale.
Your measuring device may be inspected by KAS staff at any time before, during, or after the tournament. If after the tournament a inspection is requested, the device must be present and given to the KAS staff immediately. It must match the device in your tournament photos. If it does not, it will be a automatic disqualification from the event and potentially a DQ from future KAS events.
Anyone found to be using a measuring device that has been altered will be disqualified from the tournament & future KAS events.
Ensure the markings on your measuring device are clearly marked and can be seen by the scoring official.

16. PHOTO CRITERIA

Each fish photo must include all of the following criteria to avoid penalties or disqualification:
- The entire bass, from the tip of lip to the end of the tail, on an approved measuring device, on/in a tournament-legal vessel.
- Lying flat on the board with the tip of the lip against the post (bump) end of the measuring device/board.
- The mouth must be closed completely. PHOTO EXAMPLES- This bass' mouth is not closed This example is
- The tail of the bass can be pinched, but your hand cannot be over, or cover the end/tip of the tail. Pinch it at the top & bottom sides. PROPERLY PINCHED PHOTO EXAMPLES - Largemouth - Smallmouth
- Bass must be facing to the left, tail to the right, belly toward the angler.
- Measuring device markings must be clearly visible. including the actual numbers. It's angler responsibility to make sure photos aren't blurry, foggy or have water spots affecting the judges ability to score the bass.
- Assigned unique identifier must be visible.
- One overhead photo, centered over the bass, not shot at an aggressive angle from one direction or the other.
- Fish must be clear of any holding devices including fishing lure or hook.
- Lip, eye, and tip of tail cannot be obstructed in the photo, even by your hand or identifier. Keep hand centered if using hand.
- Hand or fingers must not be under the gill plate.
- Your hand may be used to hold the bass down, so long as it is not over the lip, eye or tip of the tail obstructing the ability to score or under the gill plate.
  - Keep in mind for "micro bag" division (5.00-9.75inches) only one finger is allowed maximum centered on the bass.
- If fish has a visible glossy eye or odd markings it is suggested the angler take video of that fish going from the board, and actively swimming away. If the angler does not, and the judges ask to see the video, it may result in the fish being DQ'd
- Any questionable issues with a fish should be immediately brought to the KAS Tournament Director's attention.
- Quality of the photo, and ensuring it meets all requirements is the responsibility of the angler.
- Anglers can "replace" a photo that has been given a "deduction" or was "disqualified" by going into TourneyX, clicking on "Manage Catch," deleting the photo (swipe right then "delete") and re-uploading a new one for the judges to access. Anglers can do this as many times as necessary until the "Photo upload deadline" for that tournament day (typically 1.25 hours after "lines out") has passed.
- TourneyX will alert (via push notification & email) anglers if a fish has been "approved," "denied" or "deducted." It is each anglers responsibility to take note of their fish's score and submit a new photo, if necessary, or if they choose, in hopes to get a different score or the score they feel they deserve. Again, the best way to view your full 5-fish stringer and see what the judges final score for each bass is, is via the "Manage Catch" tab inside the TourneyX app. At times judges may call or text you to alert you of an issue, but this is courtesy and not alway possible when submissions are coming in quickly. This is why it is the anglers responsibility to double check their "manage catch" page to make sure they agree with the scores they were given, and re-upload a new photo if necessary. All judges decisions are final.
- Scoring a fish twice is not allowed, even if it is legitimately caught both times. Catching the same bass does happen, even in the same day, from time to time. We apologize if it happens to you but we have to ensure that anglers are not being cheated by those who might actually think it is a good idea to keep fish in baskets, stringers, coolers or livewells to try and score them multiple times over the course of the tournament day/s. Below is the criteria and enforcement and judgment of the rule.
  - Scale patterns & unique markings, or scars, etc, will all be used to determine if the fish is the same.
  - If the bass has the same scars and scale pattern, it is the same fish and only one will be scored.
  - If the bass has new or different scars, but also the same scale pattern, sorry, it is still the same fish and only one will be scored. If any suspicion of foul play is suspected the local game warden will be notified. You may also be requested to take a polygraph test. If you refuse to speak to a game warden or take a polygraph test you will be DQ'd.
  - If you do have video proof, cast to catch, that you caught the same fish twice (while not bed fishing) you will win a new GoPro as a consolation prize since the fish cannot be legally scored twice in the event.
  - Moral of the story - film your adventure to win KAS bonus cash/prizes, and to cover yourself if anyone ever questions anything you did or didn't do. If we don't have the video proof, the ruling may not go the way you hope it will.

17. Optional filming incentives AND mandatory KAS camera crew on-water coverage

Filming yourself with any camera validates your catch in case of suspicion or questioning about the fish catch or your character. so For this reason alone it is highly encouraged and incentivize to film in KAS events. While it is not mandatory to film, the ability to have the anglers catches validated and legitimized is better for the anglers, the league, and the fans because the more exciting fish catches to watch on the big screen or share on social media the better!
KAS has its own team of on-water videographers and drone pilots who travel around to various in bounds water to cover the event for the anglers and fans - capturing both photo and video.
At each event the KAS production crew will ask some anglers where they will be, in order to cover them or get information based on TourneyX GPS data from the Tournament Director. They are respectful of staying a safe distance away or using the drone when an angler is in a sensitive skinny area. Please communicate with them about anything you may want them to do or not do. Anglers cannot refuse this coverage or they will be DQ'd from the event. KAS just wants to capture your catches, and make some great photo/video content for you and your family to have these memories forever. These photos/videos may appear on the Tournament Recap article or on social media as well.

18. TIES

Ties will be broken by longest fish, followed by next longest fish until all fish have been accounted. If a tie still exists, the angler who had all 5 fish submitted earliest will be the winner.
"Big Bass" Award ties will be broken first by whichever angler filmed their catch and sends it to us, second tie breaker is the next largest fish on an anglers 5-fish virtual stringer. In the event that a ties still exists, the winner will be determined by earliest photo submitted of their largest fish.

19. Angler of the Year and Team of the Year Race - Watch this video to learn more about this unique format

AOY & TMOY Points are awarded based on how anglers/team finish at each event.
Points are awarded on a % basis, based on the winning angler/teams score being 100% for that event.
Whatever percentage your score equals in comparison to the winners score is the AOY score you get.
For simple math, if the winner has 100 inches, and you have 90 inches (regardless if you're in 2nd place or 25th place) you get 90 AOY points. If you have 99 inches (regardless of what place that puts you) you get 99 AOY points. It is always based off of how well you did in comparison to the winner who sets the bar (100% mark) for the entire field that day.
Why? This allows anglers to really get what they deserve in terms of how well they fished. If an angler blows out the field by 10 inches, he/she deserves an appropriate AOY score that reflects how good a day they had on the water. Likewise, if an angler (or several) lose by just a 1/4 of an inch, they deserve to have an AOY score that reflects how great a day they actually had compared to the winner.
AOY & TMOY will be the sum of your AOY and TMOY points for 3 total events, with one of those being the finale event (Broodstock) each year. This requires anglers to just fish a minimum of 2 (of the 6) regular season events, and of course Broodstock. If an angler/team chooses to fish more than 2 regular season events (3, 4, 5 or 6) then their AOY/TMOY score will be their top 2 point finishes, combined with their Broodstock points. This allows for a few mulligans, if you will.
Yes, you can be a part of two teams and get TMOY points for both teams! Sometimes your partner may not be able to make it, so if you want to fish 4 or all 6 regular season events and your partner doesn't, you can get a different team going with the new partner for some of the events. You will earn the same TMOY points but of course you will have to make a final decision on which team you will fish on for the Broodstock finale to get that 3rd and final event which determines our Team of the Year.
The prize packages for AOY & TMOY will be released before the season begins! Typical packages are $10,000 in cash/prizes for AOY and $5000 for TMOY. Good luck!

20. TRUTH VERIFICATION TEST

By registering and/or placing his/her signature on the official tournament entry form, each competitor agrees to submit to a truth verification test and abide by its conclusion should he/she be accused of any rule violation. The KAS Tournament Director, rules panel, or such person designated by the Tournament Director, shall have the discretion to determine the need for a truth verification test. Failure of a truth verification examination is not appealable. The KAS Tournament Director or his/her designee shall be responsible for selecting an independent expert to administer and interpret the results and establishing, in consultation with the expert administrator, the scope of the questions which may be asked during the test. The KAS Tournament Director or his/her designee shall have sole responsibility selecting the location, date, and time of the test with respect to all concerned parties schedule and travel cost. The competitor shall make himself/herself available at the location selected by the Tournament Director and shall cooperate in all respects with such test. Anglers taking a truth verification test may be responsible for all costs incurred. Random truth verifications tests may be administered on site during the course of a KAS Event. There is nothing to fear about these tests (if you haven't done anything wrong!). We as competitive anglers only have something to fear if tests like this are not administered when necessary. They are just one piece of the puzzle to ensuring events are ran fairly for all anglers and will be used in conjunction with the other evidence that our smart phones provide us about the anglers' catches and whereabouts through TourneyX and other witnesses.

21. PROTESTS AND REPORTING PROCEDURES

Each competitor agrees to report to the Tournament Director immediately any violation or infraction of any tournament rules. Failure to report violations, may be cause for disqualification. Official protests must be filed in accordance to rule 2, within 30 hours from the final "lines out" time at each tournament. Reporting of any "major" rules violation is to be done whenever the reporting party learns about said violation. All parties of interest will be provided a copy of the protest.
Tournament Director and KAS Panel will investigate the protest and have an answer to all parties within 48 hours. The angler in question will either be disqualified or the protesting party will be informed of the evidence the TD and/or panel discovered to not disqualify the angler. If the angler is disqualified they will have 48 hours from the moment they are notified to decide whether to file an appeal, which gives them more time to produce evidence proving that can prove they did not break the rule/s in question.
An appeals committee will be established by the KAS. This panel will be comprised of 3 individuals. A Tournament Director of another series, a KAS angler not in the event, or an angler or Judge from another series.
Appeals hearings shall take place within seven (7) business days from the date of receipt of the written/emailed appeal and all parties must make themselves available at prescribed time of hearing. If competitors admit to a rules violation, they may not file an appeal. Decisions of the appeals committee shall be final.

22. WAIVER & RELEASE

As a condition of participation in each tournament there will be a "check box" on TourneyX registration page that will serve as your online waiver and release of liability, and a name and likeness release. Meaning, you do not have to download a waiver and fill it out since that box reads that you are agreeing to these rules and accepting the waiver of liability. If an angler is under the age of 16 a parent/guardian must also sign for the youth angler. This waiver will be linked in TourneyX during registration and a "check box" must be checked before each angler can complete their registration.

23. KAS CONTENT USAGE & KAS FILM CREW PERMISSIONS

As mentioned in rule #17 KAS will have a film crew that may follow and photograph or film anglers for the event. The KAS production team will stay a safe distance away, and communicate with anglers on "where" to be out of respect to the area. The goal is to capture the action and promote the anglers and the series as well as possible for you, your friends, family and fans.

Footage the KAS production crew creates is 100% owned by KAS. However, when asked, or once posted publicly, the angler in the photo/video can get the photo/video assets to also share to promote themselves and/or the KAS.
Any video or still images the anglers capture while filming themselves can be uploaded to this site (or directly given to the KAS production team at events) to be a part of the Closing Ceremony Awards Show in the theaters, or part of the TV episode for that tournament. Any photo/video submitted/given to KAS will be considered dual ownership with the angler and KAS. The anglers may post/share those photos or videos publicly (even before the TV show airs) and likewise KAS will be allowed to use them in the awards show or on the TV show epsiode.
You may live stream during a tournament.
During tournaments KAS may ask to mount a POV GoPro camera in a competitor’s kayak (the footage may be used in KAS web, or TV or Awards Show coverage). KAS may also request part of the KAS Production team follow the angler as "support" for the camera to ensure it continues to run, doesn't get water spots, knocked at a bad angle etc. Refusing to comply may result in a penalty.
If a competitor has a personal camera person or crew following him on the water, that person or team must not get in the way of KAS videographers who are covering the tournament.
Anglers are encouraged to send as many photos and videos as they want to the upload page on this website to potentially get as much exposure on kayakadventureseries.com and our social media pages.
If KAS feels, in its discretion, the content is inappropriate or violates other KAS rules the angler must remove it when asked.
KAS wants to help promote both your brand and the KAS series. If there are stories written about you or by you appearing on kayakadventureseries.com, KAS grants permission to link to these stories, and any others on our website, from your website or social media pages. You may also grab photos/videos from kayakadventureseries.com to promote yourself. Please credit/tag Kayak Adventure Series and use #chasethewild and/or #kayakadventureseries