The VBBT is a Boat tournament—any member of the crew may set the hook, but a registered angler must then fight the fish unassisted. Unconventional non-trolling techniques are strictly prohibited. No backing into schools, casting, use of casting tackle, use of live bait or live bait teasers.

10. Mechanical Failures
Fish must be brought to the scales on the boat on which they were caught. Should a situation arise where a boat cannot make it back by the deadline, the fish and angler with scorecards may be transferred to another tournament boat, after consulting with VBBT Officials.

If a boat becomes completely disabled, another boat may be substituted. Substitute boats must be registered with the Tournament Director prior to fishing.

11. Reporting Billfish and Billfish Catch Affirmations
The Billfish Catch Affirmation (BCA) form is the Team’s record of billfish hooked and subsequently released, tagged, lost or boated. Affirmations are compared to the Committee Boat radio logs for verification. Billfish should be recorded as caught to ensure accuracy. If you caught a billfish you must turn in a BCA. Billfish Catch Affirmation forms are distributed during Registration.

As soon as you release or boat a billfish, call a Committee Boat and report Boat Name, Species, and Status (Released or Boated). In addition, billfish hooked within the last hour of fishing on any day, and billfish still being fought at lines out must be reported to a Committee Boat. If a Committee Boat cannot be raised, a verifiable report must be given to another tournament boat and the boat name noted on the BCA. Committee Boats are announced during the Captain’s Meeting.

Lost billfish should not be reported to a Committee Boat but should be recorded on the BCA for statistical purposes. The same applies to recording the time the billfish was hooked and whether it was tagged.

Before turning in your BCA be sure it’s filled in completely including a suffix if necessary for the angler (i.e. Jr., Sr., III). If the angler was a Lady check off under the L column. If the angler was a Junior write in the junior’s age under the JR column. If you used a Circle Hook place a checkmark under the CH column.

The boat captain, observer (if assigned) and all anglers who caught billfish must print their name and sign the BCA indicating they affirm the information as recorded.

Turn in all copies of the BCA to the Scoring Table by the designated deadline (see Rule #14). If you did not catch a billfish you do not need to turn in a BCA.

12. Official Billfish Release
A billfish is considered officially released when the leader connection is wound to the tip of the rod, or the mate or other crew member touches the leader. Tagging is not required for tournament points, but is encouraged if the billfish is under control and the tag can be placed without injury to the fish. If a gaff breaks the plane of the cockpit covering boards, the team has committed to a capture and the billfish will not count as a release whether or not it is subsequently captured.

13. Weighing Fish
All fish must be weighed at the official Weigh Station. The scales open daily at 12:00 noon. On Thursday, August 21 and Friday, August 22 the scales close at 8:00pm. On Saturday, August 23, the final day of fishing, the scales close at 7:00pm. On the final day of fishing, any boat wishing to weigh a fish must be inside Rudee Inlet by 6:45pm. Additional rules:
   • Boats are lined up to weigh in the order in which they arrive.
   • The weighing of blue marlin takes precedence over gamefish.
   • Fish must arrive at the dock in edible condition.
   • Mutilated fish are not weighed. In this case, "mutilation" is defined as any damage that would impair the fighting ability of the fish.
   • All fish are weighed to the tenth of a pound.
   • If anyone wishes to have a fish re-weighed, it must be done while the fish is still hanging.
   • The angler must remain with the fish throughout the weigh-in process, and before leaving the scales must sign the Weigh-In form.

The Weighmaster and VBBT Officials reserve the right to refuse to weigh any fish that does not meet tournament requirements.

14. Scoring
Scoring closes Thursday and Friday at 8:00pm and at 7:00pm on Saturday. Forms are accepted after 8:00pm on the first two days of fishing only if the team is fighting a fish or their boat becomes disabled, however, the Tournament Director must be made aware of the situation delaying the team. On the final day of fishing, forms must be turned in by 7:00pm. Billfish Catch Affirmations must be filled in completely and signed by the boat captain, all anglers who caught billfish and the observer if one was assigned. Weigh-In forms must be signed by both the weighmaster and a member of the team. The location of the Scoring Table is announced at the Captain’s Meeting.

15. Breaking Ties
Ties between the weight of two or more fish are broken by the time the fish was weighed. Ties between Release Points are broken by the time of release. The date of Release is based on the boat’s fishing day (day 1 or 2) as opposed to the tournament fishing day (day 1-2-3). The Rules Committee may consult Committee Boat Logs to reach decisions on release time or sequence of releases.

16. Observers
The Tournament, at their sole discretion, may assign an observer to any boat on any fishing day. If an observer is assigned, the boat is responsible for the observer’s comfort and safety, including providing lunch and non-alcoholic beverages.

17. Polygraph Examination
Registered Participants agree to submit to a polygraph examination if requested to do so by VBBT Officials. Failure to comply will result in disqualification of the Participant and, at the discretion of VBBT Officials, the Participant’s entire team. Disqualified Participants/Teams or Participants/Teams that fail a polygraph examination forfeit any and all entry money, prizes or prize money, and are refused entry to future VBBT tournaments. The decision of the Rules Committee is final.

18. Protests
Registered participants may submit a protest against any fish entered. Protests must be submitted in writing to the Tournament Director by 9:00am on the day following the catch of the disputed fish or by 8:00pm on Saturday, August 23. The Rules Committee at their discretion may use a polygraph examination to reach a decision. All participants agree to the final decision of the Rules Committee.