First and foremost — CDC, Federal, State and Local guidelines must be followed in order for the B.A.S.S. Nation insurance to be applicable. Strictly follow the requirements laid out by your state government officials and any additional restrictions imposed by local authorities for group activities on the body of water you are fishing. Check for the latest information immediately prior to your event. Follow CDC guidelines on social distancing, sanitizing, wearing masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment (PPE). Encourage Anglers and Staff to stay home if they are sick.
Registration and briefing:
- Encourage use of electronic registration (phone, web-based, email, phone apps) Email or make liability waivers available online for download and allow electronic signature.
- For in-person registration, check current state restrictions and follow guidelines on numbers allowed in group settings. Limit number allowed in the registration area. Staff monitors numbers entering and leaving, keeping 6-foot distances among all anglers and staff.
- If state has quarantine requirements for people coming from suspect locations, they may register but must show proof of state-required number of quarantine days before being allowed to fish.
- For any signature required, use disposable pens and wipe down between uses.
- Staff would wear PPE and disinfect equipment regularly.
- Participants required to wear face covering during registration and briefing (if on site).
- Briefings should be video recorded for viewing online via FB or web link, sent to all contestants with information about a set time for a limited live Q and A session prior to the tournament day.
Launch & Take-off:
- No one in another person’s boat or vehicle except immediate family or team member when launching boats. If a draw-for-partner tournament, only boater drives boater’s vehicle (will slow launch so adjust times accordingly).
- Limit people on docks to contestants only, maintaining 6-foot distancing, adhere to state restrictions on group size.
Weigh In:
- More flights so fewer anglers in a flight, more spacing between flights to avoid crowding at docks & ramp.
- Anglers wait in boats until your flight is called for weigh-in. Staff provides bags or one angler per boat comes to bag line, maintaining distancing.
- Staff will wear PPE
- Participant encouraged to wear face protection during weigh-in and encouraged to wear disposable or washable gloves
- Limited number of bags handed out.
- Drive-thru weigh-in encouraged – trailer boats with fish in livewells, aerators running on manual, pulling one boat at a time to scales, one angler bags and hands bag to weighmaster, fish are weighed and handed off to staff to release.
- If waiting line tanks are provided, only one angler per tank (6 feet apart)
- If no tanks, one angler from each team bags and brings fish to scales — only after being called by Tournament Director.
- Bag of fish is handed to weighmaster, placed on scales, weighed and handed back to contestant. Contestant exits and is responsible for releasing their own fish.
- No microphone interviews, on stage, of anglers.
- Following fish release (or placing them in release boat or trailer) bags are sanitized with hydrogen peroxide (the only fish-safe disinfectant – submerge bag and keep wet for at least three minutes). Bags are returned to bag line for another team/individual to use.
Awards ceremony:
- FB Live or another digital platform encouraged, do not attract crowds. If present, follow state restrictions on grouping, maintain social distance.
- Checks mailed, electronic transfers or placed on a table where one angler per team comes to
pick up when name is called. - Teams or individuals not weighing fish leave location immediately after loading boat.
- Contestants, family, friends are discouraged from gathering in groups during or following weighin, observing state guidelines.