2026 Tournament Rules | James River Tackle

2026 James River Tackle Co

JRTC Bass Tournaments

RULES

MEMBERSHIP – $35 membership fee per person/$70 per team
NO Form of Forward-Facing Sonar may be used during tournament hours. This includes, but is not limited to Garmin Livescope, Hummingbird Mega Live, and Lowrance Active Target and Eagle Eye. Hummingbird 360 is allowed.
BLAST-OFF POSITIONS –Boat number is drawn morning of tournament, if you sign up at ramp you will follow behind the prepaid.
Life jackets must be worn when boat is on plane.
SUBS – Sub fee is $35.00(one time fee – paid 1st time Sub is used) Only 1 Sub for the year. A Sub may fish the Classic, as long as he/she has Fished at least one of the qualifiers.
You must fish 3 of the 4 qualifier tournaments to qualify for the Classic.
POINTS –First Place will receive two hundred (200) points, Second Place one hundred ninety eight (198) points, Third Place, one hundred ninety seven (197) points, etc. Big Fish winner will receive two (2) bonus points. Points winner for the year will receive $500 and boat #1 for all 2027 Qualifying JRTC Bass Tournaments excluding the Classic.
START TIME – The JRTC tournaments will begin at safe light and end at 3:00 PM.
LIMITS – All JRTC tournaments have a five (5) bass limit. Length limit is 12”. A Half (0.5) pound penalty will be deducted for each dead fish weighed (culling a dead fish is allowed). A team bringing a short fish to the scales will lose the short fish and their biggest fish. A team bringing more than five (5) bass to the scales will result in being disqualified.
TIES –Big Fish weight to break a total weight tie, if no big fish is weighed by either team you will draw a ball and the best # gets it. Total weight will break a Big Fish tie.
LATE PENALTY – One (1) pound per minute will be deducted from a team’s total weight for each minute the team is late. Returning to the ramp more than five (5) minutes past the designated weigh-in time will result in disqualification. It is your responsibility to check in upon return to ramp!
POLYGRAPH – Winners and participants are subject to a polygraph exam at any JRTC Tournament. Refusal to take a polygraph for any reason will result in disqualification.
No alcohol or illegal drugs may be consumed during tournament hours.
If a team receives assistance from a competitor or non-competitor in the instance of a break-down or other emergency, it must be brought to the Committee’s attention for approval. If possible, a phone call should be made to a committee member to receive clearance for any help a team receives during tournament hours. If a call cannot be made, the instance must be brought to a committee member’s attention before weigh-in. A team member can return to the weigh-in with the team’s catch in another competitor’s boat or non-competitor’s boat. CELL PHONE USE FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY.
PAYBACK & ENTRY FEES –90% payback *80% at each qualifier with 10% of each qualifier entry fee held back and goes into the Classic Fund. One (1) Big Fish place will be paid. One (1) place paid for every Five (6) teams entered. $250 per tournament if paid in advance and $270 if paid at the ramp. $300 entry fee for Classic. 3.5% added for Credit Card payments and $50 return check fee. Cash payments only if paying at ramp. Completed W-9 form required if you receive a check.
OFF-LIMITS – Chippoaks ponds, both gravel pits blocked by poles and barrels and Hopewell Marina from no-wake buoy to no-wake buoy, behind Dominion Power plant where red NO Trespassing signs are, The Chick. Dam, Private fishing club at the end of swift Creek under interstate 95 bridge, Cornelius creek. No casting over manmade structures to fish other bodies of water. You are not allow to leave your boat to advance into a spot to fish or have someone sit on a spot for you. Show respect and do not fish on top of other anglers. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS CALL DONNIE (804) 691-4764
CLASSIC – 2 Day Classic – all qualifying teams will fish both days and total weight for both days wins. Day one you will draw your boat # and day 2 boat # is the order you finished on day 1
NO REFUNDS - When you sign up, you are securing your spot. Please do not sign up in advance if you are unsure about fishing. You can sign up until 7pm the evening before the tournament or at the ramp the day of. We are no longer issuing refunds or rolling the funds to the next tournament.