Rules

PRO TOUR: Entry fees for Pro events are $1,000 per event; this is a commitment of five tournaments in the Tour. All members of Pro teams must be SKA Competition members during the year. The boat entered into the Pro Tour must remain with the team for the entire year and keep the same name. If a boat is sold during the year it can be replaced, however it must carry the same name. Two boat substitutions may be made in the five-event series and must be done for mechanical reasons or sale of the boat. Designated Captain must be on board for at least three of the five events. A Co-Captain must be designated at the beginning of the year. To qualify as co-captain, he or she must fish with the Captain in a minimum three of the five events. Top Angler of the Year honors go to the captain of the boat with the highest point total of their best seven fish at the end of the five tournament series. The tournaments are aggregate in nature, with the teams weighing in the biggest single fish during each of the two days of competition. The team’s top seven, of a possible ten fish (five tournaments, two fish per event) will count toward their final score. SKA Membership Rules, Angling Rules and Code of Conduct to apply at all times. Top Angler of the Year (Captain) will receive a ceremonial gold ring. The Top Angler of the Year (Captain) will also receive a large gold cup trophy engraved with his/her name, boat name, and year. The Top Angler of the Year Captain is also automatically qualified to fish in any National Championship event, providing that they renew their Competition membership by April 1st annually, and fish at least two divisional tournaments in their own boat during the calendar year. This applies to the Captain only, not the crew, however a crew member who fishes a year with a Pro team can elect to start a team of his or her own for the following year providing the angler has been a competition member of the SKA for a minimum of one year prior to fishing the Pro circuit. The top five (5) teams at the end of the year will be awarded trophies, from first through fifth place. The Top Angler of the Year (Captain) will receive a Yamaha outboard motor as a special bonus. Also, the Top Junior, Lady, and Senior Angler will be awarded trophies. Any captain, co-captain, or team member, who qualifies for the SKA National Championship in the year prior, may elect to fish the Pro Tour. Teams who qualify for the National Championship in the Class of 23 are also eligible to compete in the Pro Tour the following year, and may do so in a larger boat of their choice. There is no Class of 23 in the Pro Tour. Pro teams must pay the entry fee and fish all five events in order to maintain their Pro eligibility for the following year and to qualify for the Nationals. Any team or teams who drop out of the Pro Tour without paying for all five events will not be allowed to rejoin the Pro Tour the following year. They must sit out one year and re-qualify for the National Championship to be eligible for the following year’s Pro Tour. Team members must have fished in all five Pro events on an existing Pro team in order to captain their own boat for the following year on the Pro Tour. You must receive approval by the SKA management prior to fishing the Pro Tour in order to verify that the requirements have been met previously. Teams will be sent qualifying announcements by Jan. 1st for the current year’s Pro Tour. Captains will be required to pay the $140 Pro Captain fee as well as $2,000 for the first and last Pro Tour events of that year, non-refundable. Pro qualifiers may join the Pro Tour ranks at the first tournament of the year. Any Pro team electing to sit out a year can be re-instated any year for the processing fee of $250. No team fishing the Pro Tour may recruit or pay a guide to assist them in a tournament during the tournament fishing days. Pre-fishing with a guide is allowed. Likewise, teams may not add members to their team who possess local knowledge or who would create an unfair advantage against the other teams competing. Please see Angling Rules for additional rules.