SHOW ME Tournaments, LLC

Tournament Rules (apply to all SMT events)

1. Eligibility & Membership
  • Teams
    • SMT teams consist of one (1) person or a maximum of two (2) persons.
    • All participants must have a valid, current state fishing license.
    • It is the angler’s responsibility to comply with all state and local fishing and wildlife laws. Any angler caught fishing without a valid license or violating state/local law may be disqualified.
  • Membership Requirement
    • Active SMT membership is required to participate in any SMT Trail or Series event tournament (including Just Fish Team Trail and River Series), unless designated an “open tournament”. This applies to boaters, co-anglers, minors, and alternates.
    • 2026 memberships run through December 31, 2026.
2. Boats & Safety
  • Boats
    • All boats must meet U.S. Coast Guard and state regulations.
    • Boats must have:
      • a functioning emergency kill switch
      • a functioning aerated livewell suitable to sustain a healthy tournament limit
  • Safety Requirements
    • A U.S. Coast Guard–approved chest-type life preserver (PFD) must be worn and properly fastened any time the combustible engine is running.
    • The kill switch must be attached to the driver with a lanyard no longer than 48 inches.
  • Insurance
    • The boater must carry liability insurance on any boat used in an SMT event, with a minimum of $100,000 liability coverage.
    • SMT may require proof of insurance at registration or check-in.
3. Registration & Event Day Procedures
  • Registration
    • On-site registration typically begins one (1) hour or more before tournament start.
    • Entry fees paid after posted registration time may be accepted only at the Tournament Director’s discretion.
    • Online pre-registration is available for select events.
  • Refunds & Rollovers
    • No refunds for registration cancellations.
    • Entry fees may be rolled over to a future tournament within the same season only if the Director is contacted prior to the start of the tournament.
    • Failure to contact the Director prior to tournament start will result in forfeiture of entry fee.
  • Boat Numbers
    • Boat numbers are assigned in order of paid registration, or payment of a $30 non-refundable deposit per tournament.
  • Pre-Tournament Meeting
    • A pre-tournament meeting will be held 5 minutes before each tournament.
    • Additional tournament-specific rules and/or off-limits may be announced at this meeting. Anglers are responsible for following all tournament-specific announcements, even if not listed in this document.
4. Weigh-In & Fish Handling
  • Weigh-In Procedures
    • Fish must be weighed using bags provided by SMT.
    • Early weigh-in may be permitted at the Tournament Director’s discretion.
    • Detailed weigh-in instructions will be provided at the pre-tournament meeting.
  • Fish Handling & Equipment
    • Each team must present their own catch to the weigh-in official.
    • No person other than a weigh-in official may:
      • handle fish once presented for weigh-in
      • touch the scales, weigh-in basket, or any weigh-in equipment
  • Culling & Livewell Limits
    • No more than five (5) fish are allowed in a livewell at any time, except during the culling process.
    • Dead fish may not be culled.
    • No culling is allowed in the host marina.
5. Scoring, Length, Penalties, Ties
  • Daily Limit & Length
    • Each team may weigh in five (5) fish per day.
    • Minimum lengths:
      • Largemouth & Smallmouth: 15 inches
      • Kentucky (“spotted bass”): 12 inches
    • Fish will be measured on a Golden Rule measuring board.
    • The Tournament Director has final discretion on all length assessments.
  • Short Fish Penalty
    • Any short fish will be culled from the sack and a one (1) pound penalty will be applied to total weight.
      Make sure your fish is legal length before coming to the scale.
  • Dead Fish Penalty
    • For each dead fish, a one (1) pound penalty will be deducted from total weight.
    • A dead fish will not be weighed as big bass.
    • The Tournament Director makes the final decision on whether a fish is dead.
    • Fish that appear altered or mangled may be weighed or disallowed at the Tournament Director’s discretion.
  • Ties
    • Ties will be broken in this order:
      • 1. Big Bass
      • 2. Most Fish Weighed In
      • 3. Earliest Entry Into Tournament
  • Late to Weigh-In
    • Any team returning to checkpoint late will have no weight recorded.
6. Permitted Methods & Fishing Water Rules
  • Bait & Equipment
    • Artificial lures only. Pork trailers are permitted.
    • Alabama rigs (A-rigs) and Forward-Facing Sonar (FFS) are permitted.
    • Cell phones may not be used to gain an advantage over other participants. (Emergency/safety communication is always allowed.)
  • Permitted Waters & Off-Limits
    • No fishing is allowed:
      • inside the host marina
      • in coves immediately next to the host marina
      • within marinas hosting other tournaments
    • No fishing is allowed within 50 yards of another anchored or tied tournament boat with a trolling motor out of the water without their approval.
    • Fishing is not permitted in areas designated “off limits” or “no fishing” by the Corps of Engineers or local/state/federal officials.
    • The Director may announce additional off-limits at the pre-tournament meeting; anglers are responsible for following all announced off-limits areas.
  • Boat & Fish Handling on the Water
    • Participants may not leave the boat to land a fish or gain access to a fishing area.
    • Restricting natural movement of fish by any means will result in disqualification.
    • Knowingly baiting a specific hole/brush pile prior to an SMT event (or having an outside source do so) to gain an advantage may result in disqualification from that event and future SMT events
  • Leaving Your Boat / Emergencies / Boat Trouble
    • During tournament hours, team members must remain together in the boat at all times except for brief, reasonable exceptions such as sickness, “nature calling,” severe weather, or other safety-related hazards.
    • If a team leaves tournament waters early for any reason, the team must make a reasonable effort to contact the Tournament Director before leaving.
    • Boat trouble procedure: If a team experiences mechanical trouble or becomes disabled, one team member must remain with the disabled boat whenever practicable.
    • The other team member may accept assistance and may ride with another tournament participant to check in and/or weigh in the day’s catch only if:
      • the team’s fish are kept separate from the assisting boat’s fish at all times, and
      • the team contacts the Tournament Director prior to transferring fish or transporting fish to weigh-in (when possible).
    • “Leaving the boat” exceptions are for safety and emergencies only and may not be used to gain access to a fishing area or advantage.
    • SMT reserves the right to review these situations for fairness and rule compliance. The Tournament Director has final authority on resolution.
7. Conduct, Protests, and Enforcement
  • Sportsmanship
    • All participants must demonstrate the highest standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, and conservation.
    • No alcohol or controlled substances may be used or allowed in the boat during tournament hours.
  • Disqualification for Misconduct
    • Physical or verbal abuse of SMT personnel or other contestants, possession of alcohol/illegal substances during tournament hours (including weigh-in), or other severe misconduct may result in immediate disqualification without appeal.
  • Cheating & Rule Violations
    • Anyone found knowingly violating SMT rules may be disqualified from the current event (no refund) and may face permanent disqualification from future SMT events.
    • SMT reserves the right to request a truth verification test at any time. Refusal to voluntarily submit may result in disqualification from current and future events.
  • Protests
    • All protests must be submitted in writing to the Director before the close of weigh-in.
    • Verbal protests will not be accepted.
  • Refusal of Entry / Director Authority
    • SMT reserves the right to refuse entry into any SMT event.
    • Interpretation and enforcement of these rules is left exclusively to the Tournament Director.
8. Prizes, Media, and Tax Reporting
  • Photography & Media
    • Participation in any SMT event constitutes permission for SMT to use a participant’s name, photograph, and/or video for promotional, marketing, or reporting purposes.
  • Prize Disbursement & Tax Reporting
    • If a participant wins a cash prize or a prize paid by check, the participant may be required to provide their Social Security number before payment is issued, for tax reporting and compliance purposes. Failure to provide required information in a timely manner may result in forfeiture of prize earnings.

Trails and Series – additional rules addendum

A) Teen Angler Team

If both partners are under age 18, a parent or legal guardian must be in the boat as the driver and observer only.

B) Angler Team of the Year (Points Champions)
  • Angler Team of the Year is awarded based on a points system using the best five (5) finishes out of seven (7) regular-season tournaments leading up to the championship.
  • Points:
    • 1st = 100 points + weight
    • Each place after declines by 1 point + weight (2nd = 99 + weight; 3rd = 98 + weight; etc.)
    • If no fish are weighed, teams receive 10 points less than the last position weighed
  • Updated points will be posted on the SMT website within two (2) weeks following each regular season event.
  • Any disputes regarding points must be submitted to the Director before the next regular season event.
  • Additional prizes and incentives may be announced during the season.
C) Team & Alternate Participation Policy
  • A two-person team may fish up to two (2) events during the season using any combination of solos and/or alternates (two solo events, two alternate events, or one solo and one alternate) and still maintain team points and championship eligibility.
  • An established solo team may bring an alternate up to two (2) times during the season and still qualify as a solo team for the championship and retain points as a solo team.
  • Additional use beyond the two-event allowance will not count toward points or championship eligibility.
  • Permanent partner/team changes must be communicated to the Director in advance.
D) 2026 Championship Eligibility

Teams qualify for a series or trail championship by either:

  1. Paid entries in 5 of the 7 regular-season events, regardless of points, OR
  2. Finishing in the top 40% of the field based on final points (points calculated using best 5 events)

Additional notes:

  • Teams may pre-pay for regular season events, but may count only one (1) “pre-paid/not-fished” event as a qualifying tournament toward the championship.
  • In those cases, the entry fee counts as a paid entry and counts toward boat number count and payout.
A photo of the Lake of the Ozarks showing the "Off Limits" areas. "No fishing along or inside the red line" illustrates that PB #2 Boat Launch and the coves on either side of PB2, including the underwater "hump" just outside of PB2 are "Off Limits".

Download a read-only copy of the Tournament Rules:

2026 Tournament Rules (January 2026)Click to download the rules to your device

Download a read-only copy of the Liability Waiver & Release

This is a read-only copy of the waiver signed during SMT membership registration.

2026 SMT Waiver (January 2026)Click to download the waiver to your device.