2024 NEOCC RULES

2024 NEOCC Rules

Last Edit 1/21/2022

1. This is a team tournament; however, an angler may enter alone.

2. Sign it will be @ 5:45 AM and conclude at 6:50AM. Launch will be at 7AM. All boats must be @ the dock location before departing @ 7AM unless an early start has been approved by NEOCC. (Meaning no boats will leave before start time) No Shotgun Starts, please proceed slowly in order until you have gone past the safety zones. All boats must leave from the desired ramp specified by NEOCC. ONLY OTHER MOVEMENT TO OTHERS RAMPS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IF
PERMITTED BY EMAIL OR BEFORE 7AM START TIME AND DIRECTED BY NEOCC before each tournament @ NO TIME SHALL A TEAM LEAVE BEFORE 7AM TO ANOTHER RAMP.

2a. PFD’s / Floatation device MUST be worn while on plane.

2b. Private docks & boat lifts. No tying off to any private dock or lift is allowed. However, You are allowed to hold with a hand and brace your foot to protect your boat and others property. At no time can you place your foot on the dock to gain a fishing advantage. Just respect someone else’s property.

3. The Advisory Committee will inspect the live wells for each boat. Each committee member will rotate each tournament in 2023 LIVEWELL CHECKS. This team must arrive early to ensure this is completed and All ribbons are attached to the trolling motor. Advisory committee will be notified by email.

4. Teams must fish from a boat / Kayak. ( That means you must remain in your boat while fishing) All waters MUST be accessible by normal boat propulsion to be legal fishing waters. (If you are not sure if your means is considered normal propulsion ask the Advisory Committee before the tournament!!) Additionally, If
either TEAM member chooses to leave the boat for a bathroom break OR remove jig/hook from another boat or dock ETC, BOTH MEMBERS MUST STOP FISHING until said member returns to the boat. NEOCC encourages members to always remove and retrieve jigs / hooks that may be stuck on another’s property.

5. Northeast Ohio Crappie Club may cancel any tournament in the event of severe weather. The tournament may be rescheduled or money will be refunded. (It is the fisherman’s responsibility to find out about cancellations and or rescheduling.)

6. The lake is off limits from 5:30PM the day before the tournament. You must be off the water by 6:30PM For Membership Tournaments. Open Tournaments you must be off the water by 6PM the day before. to the Official fishing start time. 7AM to 3:30PM. No lines may be in the water before official start time. All teams must quit fishing by the official quit time, = 3:30pm. unless start time is changed based on weather conditions OR Daylight Savings. All Teams must be in the weigh-in line no later than 4:15pm. Weigh in will take place at Designated time by a BOARD CLOCK stating what time the weigh-in line will be OPEN. If you enter the Weigh in line after the deadline, you will be DQ. (Weigh in line means in line and visible at the scale. Start time could fluctuate on certain tournaments and be notified by the tournament director.

7. Any angler that has a JIG stuck in the throat of a Crappie must report this to the weigh in directors ASAP before the fish is weighed in. Once notified at the scale, the weigh in director will remove the JIG.

8. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted during ALL NEOCC tournaments or weigh-ins. This will be strictly enforced.

9. A total of 7 fish may be weighed in and they must be alive at the weigh in line (weigh in line starts when fish are placed in the tub). All anglers have the option to ask for a courtesy check before their fish are placed in the tub (fish are considered official once in tub and anglers can’t touch them anymore). If a FISH is determined dead you will be given a 8OZ penalty. The dead fish will be removed and anglers will weigh the remaining live fish. Once the fish are verified to be alive and legal they will be placed in the basket by committee members. It is imperative that anglers ask for a courtesy check before their fish are placed in the tub.

9a. NEOCC teams may not weigh-in more than (7) ‘ALIVE’ crappie when entering the official weigh-in line. Fish will be considered in the weigh in line once they are placed in the tub. Any team presenting more than allowed creel will be disqualified. Any team presenting a fish under the legal length (or 9 inches if no size limit on body of water) will be disqualified.

10. Crappie must be hooked and landed with a rod or pole by a team member. Crappie must be hooked through the lip or in the mouth.

11. Any Crappie brought to the scale for weigh-in must have been caught during tournament fishing hours from tournament waters by a team member bringing
them to the scale.

12.Weigh in line is dedicated to that team only weighing in their fish. NO CROWDING PLEASE so the directors can weigh the fish, and enter weights on the weigh in board.

13.All fish must be at least 9” long or legal limit, if the lake has a size limit greater than 9”. It’s the team’s responsibility to find out if size limits apply to each lake or ask a Club Member.

14.Fish you weigh MUST be replaced in the lake to help preserve the longevity of each lake. up to 7 fish. All fish once weighed will go into another tank to ensure each fish remains stress free and in good health as we give back to each lake.

15.Both live and artificial bait may be used.

15a. The use of Aqua View or underwater cameras are prohibited during NEOCC tournaments. Pre fishing is OK.

16. All grievances must be brought up to the directors and Advisory Committee 30 minutes before / or during weigh in. This is required verbally before cash payout. Once payouts are given, it’s final.

17.All local, State, and or ODNR laws and rules will be Followed. If not followed, the TEAM will be disqualified for that event if the Directors are provided proof form State / local / DNR and or other teams.

17a. The use of mobile communication devices such as cellular phones, marine radios, walkie talkies, CBs, etc. to communicate fishing coordinates during
tournament hours between anglers is discouraged during the tournament. If an emergency occurs please communicate this to the Director.

18. In the Big Slab Are Us pot, the winning Crappie will be decided by WEIGHT ONLY, if we have a tie in weight the teams will split the pot. We now Pay TWO
BIG FISH pots. At NO time will both big fish go to the same team. It will go to the next BIG fish. As a reminder, to qualify for the end of year BIG SLAB you
must fish in a 4 points race tournament as a member to qualify.

18a. If you catch a slab 2lb and over you will receive  2 points per fish in 2024 & a 3lb Crappie 3 Pts.

19. Pay out for each event will be 100% of the money paid for each Tournament. Depending on the number of boats entered in each event determines the number of paid places.

20. Please Complete the Roster Form Listed On the Main Page. (Please Complete All Boxes Listed) This will help us identify What Teams will be Entering a Northeast Ohio Crappie Club Selected Event.

21. All teams fishing our events (Northeast Ohio Crappie Club) must complete the Entry Form. At the bottom of this form, you will see a waiver and liability section that requires signatures from both anglers. If not completed, you will not be able to fish the event. This Waiver release form, protects the club and its member’s liabilities of persons participating in any of our events.

22. Any Son or daughter under 18 years of age participating in a NEOCC event will not need to pay a membership fee to fish. Also, a Legal guardian must sign off on the waiver & Legibility forms.

23. Fishing the TWO DAY tournaments requires all anglers to fish 2 prior tournaments to qualify for this tournament. This was noted on the tournament
flier. This includes open tournaments as well.  — REMOVED FOR 2024

24. Payout process – 1 – 4 teams. (1) spot will be paid out. 5 – 8 teams. (2) spots will be paid out. More than 9-16 teams per Tournament. will pay (3) spots. 17 + pay (5) spots.

● 1 spot paid = 100% payout,        2, spots paid = 60% / 40% Payout.       3, three spots paid = 50% / 30% / 20% Payout
● SIX spots paid = 45% / 25% / 15% / 10% / 5% / Gift Card
● NEW for 2024 – Points Race Payout = top 5 Same as we did in 2023 – Based on points.

25. BIG FISH Payout – = 80% Vs 20%

26. Points race will pay out 5 spots = Same as above and could be a kicker.

27. Points Race – We will NOT have an elimination of 1 tournament in 2023. All Points Tournaments will count in 2023. – REMOVED

28. Any violation of good sportsmanship will be reviewed by the directors and will be written within 48 hrs. by the tournament director. These are types on conducts =

● Fighting
● Harassment
● Cheating
● Tampering
● Caught by another team VIA photo. Will result in disqualification from that Tournament, and we result in a meeting to see if the team is removed from the Club.

28a. Code of Conduct – Anglers participating in any NEOCC event shall abide by this code of conduct and the published rules for the event in which
they are participating. Anglers shall, at all times, conduct themselves in a manner becoming of a professional that will not reflect negatively on NEOCC and its members, representatives and Sponsors. The reputation of NEOCC as a Club in the sport of Crappie Fishing Trail, it is an obligation of Anglers to refrain from comments to the media that unreasonably attacks or disparages the integrity of its, tournament directors, sponsors, fellow members, or the NEOCC tournament trail. Responsible disagreement with NEOCC policies are acceptable; however, attacks upon the integrity of the rules or directors and members are not tolerated. Any NEOCC Member who violates any portion of the Anglers Code of Conduct may be subject to sanctions up to disqualification.

28b. MEMBERSHIP: NEOCC membership is a requirement to participate in any NEOCC events. Failure to have an active/paid membership is grounds for disqualification. NEOCC reserves the right to refuse and/or revoke memberships without cause, reason and/or explanation and without recourse at our own discretion. Membership does not guarantee the ability to enter a tournament. NEOCC may deny tournament entry to a member without cause, reason, explanation or recourse.

Points Race Points =
● 5 points show up
● Open events (Club Members) will now receive 5 points.  — Removing, as this was put in so folks would travel to southern lakes.  
● 1 point for each fish = 7pts. for 7 fish
● 1 point for big fish
● 2 points for 2lb slab.

> 3 Points for 3lb slab.
● Points for placement for the tournament.
● Penalty point = Minus 2 points for any Club violation.

○ ODNR RULES
■ Tournament Disqualification.
○ Dead fish
○ Under size limits
○ Extra Pole violations based on STATE regulations.
■ Tournament Disqualification.
○ Late to weigh in line.
○ Cheating
■ Tournament Disqualification.
○ Line in water before and after official start and end time. In the event two teams are tied in the points race, the heaviest bag (single tournament) of crappie caught during the year between the two teams tied will be the tie breaker. The same follows if 2,3,4. teams etc… are tied for the year end points race.
Points will go to the designated TEAM. The designated team will notify NEOCC 4 alternate for 2024 by name that must be a member of NEOCC. Points will stay with said Team. Designated team may use TWO different boats throughout the 2024 fishing year