Strategic Digital Solutions Corp, (DBA “CAST”) expects strict adherence to the following rules by all contestants. In the event of an emergency, please call 911. CAST recommends the use of EPIRBs and Personal Locator Beacons. All competitors must enable location tracking on their mobile device. The below rules and regulations only apply to Cast Challenges. Anglers that are fishing NON Cast tournaments hosted on the platform, are required to follow all the rules and regulations listed by that tournament, which may differ from Cast.  

• 2022 Cast Rules & Regulations for Challenges:
  1. INTERPRETATION & ENFORCEMENT • These rules will remain unchanged during 2023. Interpretation and enforcement of these rules will be left exclusively to CAST. Decisions by CAST are final in all matters and are not subject to appeal. Each contestant agrees to report any rule violation to the CAST immediately upon discovery of the violation. Failure to report violations (boater, co-angler, or kayaker) may be cause for disqualification. The violation of a tournament rule may result in, but is not limited to, inches or weight loss, the loss of inches or weight up to a particular time in the tournament day and disqualification from the entire tournament or challenge. Protests and/or alleged rule violations are to be documented in writing by the witness immediately, and emailing tournament@castapp.fish. CAST reserves the right to consider rule violations reported or discovered after a tournament has ended and assess penalties for future events, including denying entry to compete.

  2. PURCHASING OF INFORMATION • The purchasing of, or bartering for, information about locating or catching fish on tournament waters or fishing challenges, including but not limited to GPS waypoints (other than through commercially available sources) and the hiring of fishing guide services is not permitted after the entry deadline for each tournament or fishing challenge. The sharing of tournament winnings with non-contestants in exchange for information about locating or catching fish on tournament or challenges waters is strictly prohibited and will be cause for disqualification from the entire tournament. The purchasing of, or bartering for, fishing locations from another contestant is strictly prohibited and will be cause for both contestants to be disqualified from the entire tournament and/or challenge.

  3. SAFETY • Safe boating must be always observed for boaters and kayakers. Each contestant is required to wear a fastened U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device anytime the combustion engine is running or at all times on a kayak, from the start and end of the tournament and/or challenge. All boats must be equipped with a factory-installed emergency ignition-shutoff device that must be securely attached to the driver’s body with a standard-length, factory tether whenever the combustion engine is running. Boaters and co-anglers may fish and charge batteries using an onboard charger by letting the combustion engine idle in neutral only if the boat is equipped with a certified and functioning wireless ignition-shutoff device and everyone in the boat is wearing a fastened U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device. All persons must be seated and a driver must be behind the steering wheel in full control of the boat whenever it is on plane or the combustion engine is running and in gear. 

  4. SPORTSMANSHIP • All contestants are required to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, and conservation and to conduct themselves in a manner that will be a credit to themselves, to CAST, CAST’s sponsors, the sport of fishing and CAST’s efforts to promote the sport. Conduct not complying with these standards includes, but is not limited to, the following:
  • Violation of, or failure to comply with, any of the rules.
  • Consumption and/or possession of alcoholic beverages or any kind of mind-altering substance during registration or tournament hours extending through the weigh-in procedure.
  • Abuse of, or addiction to, mind-altering substances.
  • Conviction of a felony within the past 36 months.
  • Suspension/disqualification, probation or ban from any tournament or fishing organization.
  • Boat operation in an unsafe or unsportsmanlike manner.
  • Violation of a posted no-wake area.
  • Publicly criticizing or questioning the integrity of CAST, including but not limited to CAST rules, policies and procedures.
  • Dissemination of disparaging content or content that one should reasonably know would harm the reputation of CAST or CAST sponsors.
  • Any other words, conduct or actions reflecting unfavorably upon efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship, fair competition, and compliance with tournament rules, or which fail to comply with the standards set forth in the rules and regulations.
  In case of any conduct not complying with the standards outlined above, CAST shall have the right to refuse an application to compete, to deny a confirmed application to compete by returning the entry fee, to disqualify a contestant or impose any penalty outlined in paragraph 1.

  5. PERMITTED FISHING METHODS • Fishing is defined as having a lure attached to a line and a rod and reel with the rod in hand. All fish must be caught alive in a conventional sporting manner. All lures must adhere to state regulations. CAST will be hosting both freshwater and saltwater tournaments. Only artificial lures may be used with the exception of pork trailers and biodegradable soft baits, unless otherwise stated by CAST. In some saltwater challenges, CAST will advise when live bait can be used. Alabama rigs and similar umbrella-type rigs are limited to a maximum of five wires with a maximum of five spinners, five lures and three hooks (single or treble) unless state regulations are more restrictive, in which case state regulations prevail. Only ONE fishing rod may be used at a time. Trolling as a method of fishing is strictly prohibited, unless otherwise stated by CAST for saltwater tournaments. Trolling is defined as operating the combustion engine to extend a cast or lengthen a retrieve. Co-anglers may not assist boaters and boaters may not assist co-anglers with the use of underwater cameras and viewing systems, including but not limited to floggers, bathyscopes and similar systems. All fish caught while sight-fishing must be hooked inside the mouth and immediately measured/weighed, photo taken (showing the measured size), and released. All catches must be entered within the CAST website or app.

  6. PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS FOR TOURNAMENTS & CHALLENGES • Contestants may fish anywhere on waters available to the public and accessible by boat or kayak, except areas posted or otherwise designated as “off-limits,” “no boats,” “keep out,” “restricted,” “no trespassing” or “no fishing” (or similar language or markings intended to restrict public access), commercial property owners and/or local, state or federal officials, or within 50 yards of a contestant’s boat that was first anchored. An anchored boat is a boat held in a stable position by a line attached to a weight or by a Power-Pole or similar shallow water anchor with the trolling motor in the up position.  
  
  

  1. Photos that competitors submit for scoring in every Cast Challenge or tournament must be of fish caught from Eligible Water. To be “Eligible,” the body of water must be inside the competition area boundary, during public-access hours, be accessible to the public, and be where fishing is permitted by regulations.

  2. Resident only or community ponds are not eligible for Cast competition.

  3. Any body of water that requires special permission is not eligible for Cast competition unless specifically permitted per Cast Rules (i.e. Military Establishments)

  4. Community (neighborhood) lakes that provide public access are off-limits to Cast competition regardless of whether or not they allow public access.

  5. If a lake has posted use times, it is eligible only during the hours permitted by the regulatory body. For example, if a park permits launching from daylight and closes at sunset, and that is the location used to access the lake, then the lake is off-limits outside of the permitted launch times.

  6. Use of private access to fish in any public waters is not permitted.

  7. A competitor must access the water from or across publicly accessible areas or rights-of-way. Additionally, anglers MAY NOT cast into or otherwise obtain access to off-limits areas from eligible water. (Example: Posted spawning areas or other refuges)

  8. Clarification of eligible waters is the sole responsibility of the competitor prior to engaging in competition.

  No Private Lakes, Community Ponds, Resident Ponds, Golf Course Ponds, Private Property Ponds are prohibited.

  
  7. Challenges Based on Length:
  
  A. Fish length is determined by its caudal fin (tail fin) touching or crossing the manufacturer’s quarter-inch mark (e.g., ridges, grooves) on the measuring board. If it falls short of a 1/4-inch factory mark, the length is rounded to the next lower 1/4-inch mark that the bass’ caudal fin touches or crosses. In reviewing photographs, judges will visualize as accurately as possible where a 1/4-inch factory mark would be if it extended the entire width of a board and use that imaginary line to determine a fish’s length. Entire caudal fin lifted away and out of contact with the board will result in denial of the photo submission.
  B. If any portion of a bass’ caudal (tail) fin extends off the edge of a Measuring Board surface, the score will be determined by the highest 1/4-inch measurement reached or crossed by the portion of caudal fin on the measuring board. Any portion of the caudal fin extending off the edge of a Measuring Board is not considered in scoring. Alignment aids and attachments to a CAST-approved measuring board (e.g., a cradle attachment for the Ketch measuring board) will not be considered part of a measuring board surface when determining a fish’s length.
  C. If a judge denies a Competitor’s photo after the end-of-competition, it may be automatically replaced by a previously submitted and auto-culled photo; however, no Competitor may submit a replacement photo after the end-of-competition time.
  D. In the event of a tie-in score, the tied competitors’ longest (highest-scored) fish are compared, and the tie breaks in favor of the competitor with the longest (highest-scoring) fish. If the longest fish are equal, the second-longest fish are compared and determine which competitor wins the tie. If the second-longest are identical, the process repeats for each remaining fish. If all of the tied competitors’ highest scoring fish are identical, the tie breaks in favor of the competitor whose last leaderboard photo was uploaded earliest.
  E. CAST judges apply the following scoring criteria to adjust measurements, approve or deny photos, and penalize photos by deducting points (length) or disqualifying a competitor.

  8. Photos • Digital photographs of each fish submitted to judges for scoring must meet these criteria:
  A. Unique – Each digital photo submitted in each Event must be of a different fish. The Judge will deny subsequent digital photos of the same fish submitted by the Competitor in an Event. Possession of multiple fish is not permitted. All fish must be caught, photographed, livestreamed, and released prior to resuming fishing for subsequent fish.
  B. Visible/Legible – Each photo must be in focus and clear enough for a judge to:
  • Verify the Official CAST Identifier Form and event ID code. The inability of the judge to verify will result in the denial of the photo submission.
  • Verify the fish’s condition. Violation will result in denial of the photo submission.
  • Verify the fish’s length or weight. The judge will score fish at the greatest length of which he or she is certain.
  • Verify whether the bass’ jaw or lip is in contact with the measuring board fence. The inability of the judge to verify will result in a minimum penalty of 1 inch and may result in denial of the photo submission at the judge’s discretion.
  • The entire fish, from its mouth/jaw to the end of its caudal (tail) fin must be visible in photos (Except where allowed to be covered by hand). In addition, at least one visible one-inch increment of the measuring board must be clearly visible to make an accurate length determination (Example. If the fish is 17.75 and the 17 is covered, the 18′ mark must be clearly visible). If either end of the fish is covered or cropped off, the photo may be denied at the judge’s discretion.
  C. Centered – Camera lens positioned directly over the center of the fish’s body, which contributes to accurate measurement by judges. Photos taken at a low angle to obscure an open mouth may be denied or penalized at the judge’s discretion.
  D. First-generation – Each digital photo must be a first-generation image (not a photo of or screenshot of another photo). Violation will result in denial of the photo submission.
  E. Identifiable – Official CAST Identifier Form above, below, or beside the fish (not covering or laying on top of any portion of the fish, unless placed on the Competitor’s hand or arm).

  NOTE: Only the official CAST identifier is acceptable for photo submission. No hand-drawn images, codes written on hands, or forms from other series are permitted. Violation will result in denial of the photo submission.
  F. Background – Competitors’ watercraft must be clearly visible in all eligible photographs. Violation will result in denial of the photo submission. Watercraft must have been launched and underway to be eligible for submission. Kayak may not be in or on competitor’s vehicle or trailer while photos are taken.
  G. Hand Position – It is recommended to take the photo with hand as close to centered on the fish as possible. Hand placement must meet the following guidelines:
  1. No portion of the hand may enter the gill plate. Violation will result in denial of the photo submission.
  2. The competitor’s hand must be placed to provide a clear view of the fish’s eye. Obstruction or coverage of any portion of the fish’s eye will result in the denial of the photo submission. Hand must be placed forward of the Caudal peduncle (fleshy, scaled part of the bass’ body at the base of the caudal fin). Competitor’s hand may not contact any portion of the Caudal Peduncle past the back edge of the fish’s dorsal or anal fin. Violation will result in denial of the photo submission. (See Photo Submission Guidelines). NOTE: The photo below is for advisory purposes and indicates areas for competitors to avoid. Official scoring is based on Photo Submission Guidelines.
  

  H. Mouth
  1. Bass’ lip or jaw must be in contact with the measuring board fence (bump board, upright), and the fence must be visible in the photo. Violation will result in denial of the photo submission.
  2. In bass fishing competition, a closed mouth is required for uniformity of measurement and to validate contact with the measuring board fence. If a judge considers the mouth to be open (even if it is structurally unable to close) a one-half inch penalty will be assessed. In addition, if the mouth is opened excessively in an attempt to make the fish appear longer, the entire fish may be denied.
  NOTE: This determination will be made by the judge and will only be considered for review through submission of a formal dispute.
  I. Not “In-possession” In most states, though not all, unless a fish is secured by a restraint device or is placed in a holding container, state regulatory agencies do not consider it to be “in possession” by Competitors, so states’ minimum length regulations do not apply for photo submissions. However, if an event occurs in a state where photographing a fish constitutes “possession,” and a photo is submitted of a fish that does not comply with state size limits, the photo will be denied.
  Photos can be denied for the following reasons:
  • Blurry photo; completely unable to judge
  • Appears to be second-generation (e.g., screen shot, photo of photo)
  • EXIF data does not exist and/and other evidence substantiates photo taken outside of Eligible Water boundaries
  • EXIF data, other evidence substantiates photo was taken outside of competition hours
  • Multiple digital photos submitted of the same fish; unintentional violation
  • Multiple digital photos submitted of the same fish; evidence indicates intentionally (Ban from all future tournaments and CAST)
  • Competitor’s watercraft not visible in photo background
  • Entire fish not in picture
  • Fish positioned with right side of body toward camera; head pointing right and caudal fin left
  • Fish positioned with dorsal fins at bottom of photo, pelvic and anal fins upward
  • Identifier Card is lying on or covering any portion of the fish
  • Official identifier Card missing, counterfeit, or incorrect code for the event.
  • Secured by restraining device (e.g., stringer, tape, or clip attached to fish)
  • Photo violates state regulations regarding possession
  • Photo of any species or variety of fish other than that approved for the Competition
  • Photo Bass caudal (tail) fin tip fails to reach 12.00″ line on measuring board (If other species tournament the caudal fin tip fails to reach minimum on measuring board)
  • Any portion of a hand or fingers under the fish’s operculum (gill flap or cover )
  • Finger(s) or hand touching or covering bass’ from the lip to the back of the gill plate and forward of the caudal peduncle.
  • Entire caudal (tail) fin entirely lifted away and out of contact with the measuring board
  • Fish appears to have been snagged, snatched, or hooked in the body rather than mouth
  • Fish appears to be dead, mutilated, frozen, mangled, or otherwise damaged or appears to have been mashed, mauled, or otherwise altered to increase its length
  • Bass lip or jaw clearly not touching measuring board fence (upright end plate)
  • Unable to ascertain with certainty that bass lip or jaw is touching measuring board fence
  • Mouth open, even if it appears to be structurally unable to close completely.

  9. Measuring Boards • Acceptable measuring boards for all competitions are the aluminum and plastic boards. Recommended boards are the aluminum Ketch Products Measuring Board, the Ketch Karbonate (plastic) and the Ketch X. Measuring boards may be shortened only by removing inches from the upper end (opposite the fence). For example, one may cut off the end of a measuring board at the 26-inch mark in order for it to fit crossways between a watercraft’s gunwales. However, it may not be broken, snapped, or cut apart and then reassembled at any point between the two ends. Violation will result, at minimum, in denial of the photo submission. A slight flex in a measuring board resulting from a fish’s weight is allowed; however, competitors are prohibited from deliberately flexing or deforming a measuring board by exerting pressure or reshaping it. Any modification of a measuring board that results in a misrepresentation of a fish’s actual length is grounds for a competitor’s disqualification from the event and may result in subsequent sanctions and penalties as described in Rule 1. A clean measuring device is expected to ensure we can give you a proper score. Competitors may share measuring boards.18. TIES • In the event of a tie-in score, the tied competitors’ longest (highest-scored) fish are compared, and the tie breaks in favor of the competitor with the longest (highest-scoring) fish. If the longest fish are equal, the second-longest fish are compared and determine which competitor wins the tie. If the second-longest are identical, the process repeats for each remaining fish. If all of the tied competitors’ highest scoring fish are identical, the tie breaks in favor of the competitor whose last leaderboard photo was uploaded earliest.

  10. TRUTH VERIFICATION TEST • Each contestant agrees to submit, by signature on the tournament entry form, to a polygraph or voice stress analysis examination and to abide by its conclusion. Failure to pass an examination will result in disqualification from the tournament or challenge. Truth verification tests will be used at CAST’s sole discretion, and the determination of the meaning of the results will be made solely by CAST.

  11. TAXES • Competitors are responsible for all applicable taxes on both cash and merchandise awards. Failure to meet those obligations may result in disqualification from all future CAST competitions. In addition, all prize recipients must fill out and submit a substitute IRS Form W-9 including name, address, social security number, signature, and date. These are used to prepare IRS 1099 forms for distribution in Januar

         12. Waiver & Release of Liability Agreement •

          Adult Registrants

        WAIVER AND RELEASE OF LIABILITY AGREEMENT READ BEFORE REGISTERING FOR COMPETITIVE EVENT OR CHALLENGE
         (Participants under 18 years of age, 19 in Alabama and Nebraska, are NOT eligible to compete in Cast Sponsored Tournaments or any Challenges on the platform)
         In consideration of being allowed to participate in any way in CAST tournaments, Challenges, and its related competition and activities, I, the undersigned (or registrant), being
         at least 18 years of age or 19 if residing in Alabama or Nebraska, acknowledge, appreciate, and agree that:

• 1. I affirm that my participation in Cast Tournaments and/or Challenges is voluntary and declare that I am physically fit and capable to participate in such; and
  2. I acknowledge that fishing participation and competition involves certain inherent dangers, and hazards; that the risk of injury from the activities involved in this event is significant, including the potential for permanent paralysis and death, and while particular skills, physical fitness, equipment, and personal discipline may reduce this risk, the risk of serious injury does exist; and,
  3. I KNOWINGLY AND FREELY ASSUME ALL SUCH RISKS, both known and unknown, EVEN IFARISING FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASEES or others, and assume full responsibility for my participation; and,
  4. I willingly agree to comply with the stated and customary Terms and Conditions for If, however, I observe any unusual significant hazard during my presence or participation, I will remove myself from participation and immediately bring such to the attention of CAST’s Staff, Officers, Tournament Directors, or contracted tournament management services.
  5. In full recognition and appreciation of the dangers and risks inherent in such activities, I, for myself and on behalf of my heirs, executors, administrators and assigns, personal representatives and next of kin, HEREBY RELEASE, INDEMNIFY, AND HOLD HARMLESS Cast Fishing Tournaments and/or Challenges and its owners, officers, managers, officials, volunteer event staff, agents and/or employees, other participants, sponsoring agencies, sponsors, advertisers, event service/management and technology providers, and, if applicable, owners and lessors of premises used for the activity (“Releasees”), with respect to any and all injury, disability, death, or loss or damage to person or property, whether arising from the negligence of the releasees or otherwise, to the fullest extent permitted by law, and I hereby waive, release, and forever discharge Releases from and against any and all claims, demands, actions, or causes of action, for costs, loss, expenses, or damages to personal property, or personal injury, or death, which may result from my participation in Cast Fishing Tournaments and/or Challenges and its owners, officers, managers, officials, volunteer event staff, agents and/or employees, other participants, sponsoring agencies, sponsors, advertisers, event service/management and technology providers, and, if applicable, owners and lessors of premises used for the activity (“Releasees”), with respect to any and all injury, disability, death, or loss or damage to person or property, whether arising from the negligence of the releasees or otherwise, to the fullest extent permitted by law, and I hereby waive, release, and forever discharge Releases from and against any and all claims, demands, actions, or causes of action, for costs, loss, expenses, or damages to personal property, or personal injury, or death, which may result from my participation in Cast Fishing Tournaments and/or Challenges
  6. I give Cast Fishing Tournament and parties designated by Cast (Strategic Digital Solutions Corp.), including clients, licensees and purchasers, the right to use my name and any photograph and video of me for sale to any medium for purposes of advertising, trade, display, exhibition, social media, television, or editorial use. This release is granted without expectation for additional compensation upon submission of Event Registration.

  I have read this release of liability and assumption of risk agreement, fully understand its terms, understand that I have given up substantial rights by acknowledging the waiver and release when registering for the event in Cast, and acknowledge freely and voluntarily without any inducement.