1. Only lures CURRENTLY manufactured by Bill Lewis Lures and publicly offered for sale may be used.  
  2. No form of an umbrella rig may be used.
  3. Modification of lures:
    1. Changing of hooks is permitted
    2. Custom painting is not allowed
    3. Modifying internal weight of a lure is not allowed
    4. Modifying the weight of a lure externally is allowed.
    5. If your modification is in question, contact the tournament director prior to the tournament.
  4. All other brands of tackle does NOT have to be removed from your boat.
  5. All State, Coast Guard, Federal Parks & Wildlife regulations shall apply at all times. A violation of any of these regulations could result in a Team surrendering their stringer and/or being disqualified.
  6. Participation & Eligibility:  The following are NOT eligible to enter the tournament:
      • Any angler that has committed to compete in 2025 in a B.A.S.S. Elite Series Event, an MLF Invitational Tournament, MLF Redcrest Series or Bass Pro Tour Event
      • Any angler the Tournament Director should decide to refuse entry
  7. Boat Captains:   Boat Captains are allowed for junior high and high school aged teams.  At no time may the captain be allowed to fish.  Boat Captain is the only person permitted to operate the combustible engine during tournament hours.  Boat Captain is allowed to verbally instruct minors, net fish and operate the trolling motor.  Boat Captain may tie on, retie, re-spool or perform any usual duties that occur with tackle throughout the course of the tournament day.  Boat Captain is not allowed to have a rod & reel in hand while a lure is in the water and attached to said rod & reel.
  8. Minors Competing: Team Members under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or adult and a signed minor’s release is required. (See Form Section on website for online Minor’s Release) If a team consists of two minors (no captain required in boat), both minors MUST have completed the Texas Boaters Safety Course and submitted a minor’s release for both minors.
  9. Only paid team members, designated Boat Captains for junior high/high school aged teams and/or tournament officials are permitted in a team’s boat during tournament hours.
  10. Any person who has been disqualified from any prior tournament may be subject to being refused entry into tournament.
  11. Tournament director may refuse any entry.
  12. Entry form (online or handwritten) with complete entry fee must be received before tournament hours begin.
  13. All bass weighed in will become the property of the tournament director and shall be released back into the tournament waters.
  14. Refunds: No refund of entry fees will be allowed nor will entry fees be transferred to a future tournament.
  15. Alcoholic Beverages: No alcoholic beverages are to be consumed by any team member during tournament hours or until team required to polygraph has been selected; nor are alcoholic beverages allowed in a team’s boat during official tournament hours. Violation of any of the above will result in disqualification of said team.
  16. PFD & Kill Switch: All boats must be equipped with emergency kill switch. Kill switch must be attached at all times while combustible engine is in operation. Kill switch must operate properly. US Coast Guard approved life jackets are required for each person in boat. Life jackets must be worn and fastened while combustible engine is in operation. 
  17. All boats must have a functioning livewell that is adequate to keep the tournament limit of fish alive.
  18. Trailering: Trailering is allowed. Contestants may leave from any public launch site. No fishing until Official Start Time. Official Start & Official Stop times will be determined based on cell phone service.
  19. Method of Fishing: All bass must be caught on artificial bait by casting in the waters of Sam Rayburn. No trolling with main outboard motor. Contestant may use only one rod at any one time.
  20. Dead Fish Penalty: Any dead bass weighed in will result in a deduction of 1 pound per dead fish applied to their daily weight.  Any fish that has been on ice will not be allowed to be weighed in.
  21. Big Bass must be alive to be eligible for Big Bass Prize.
  22. Minimum Length: Minimum length of bass to be weighed in is fourteen (14) inches. Official measuring board is the CHECK-IT-STIK. Only Largemouth and Kentucky Spotted Bass will be weighed in. Should a Team present a Bass for weigh-in which fails to meet the minimum length limit, Team must surrender remaining daily stringer.
  23. Culling: No team may have more than five fish in their livewell at any time during official tournament hours. While one team member is culling the other team member may fish, however both anglers cannot resume fishing until culling has been completed and team possesses only five fish.
  24. Polygraph Exam: Each team member, by signing the entry form, agrees to submit to a polygraph test and agrees to accept the results. Should a team member fail to pass a polygraph test, team will be disqualified. No alcohol or mind-altering drugs may be consumed prior to a team’s polygraph exam. 
  25. Protests: Any protest must be submitted to the tournament director in writing within 15 minutes of the completion of tournament weigh in.
  26. Check In Time: Any team wishing to weigh fish must be in the weigh-in line with their fish prior to stated weigh in time based on boat number.  Any team not in weigh-in line with their fish by their designated weigh-in time will be assessed a one (1) pound penalty per minute late from their total weight including any weight towards Big Bass Award.  Any contestant more than fifteen (15) minutes late will forfeit that day's stringer.  In the event of a mechanical breakdown a team may return to the weigh-in location with their stringer by receiving a ride from another registered competing team or tournament official ONLY.
  27. Opening Of The Scales:  Scales will open at noon on tournament day. No Teams are allowed to weigh in prior to scales opening.
  28. Culling Of Dead Fish: Culling of dead fish is NOT PERMITTED. 
  29. Outlaw Outdoors reserves the right to place an official observer in a team’s boat at any time during competition hours, and/or have an observation boat follow a team any time during competition hours.
  30. Off Limits: There is no off-limits period.
  31. All decisions of the tournament director are final.
  32. Violation of any of the aforementioned rules (with exception to rule #20 and #26) will result in an automatic surrender of a team’s catch for the day and disqualification from the tournament.

Revised December 17, 2024

Download Bill Lewis Tournament Rules