DOES SIZE REALLY MATTER?

[LITTLEHOOKER]

I THOUGHT THAT WOULD GET SOME ATTENTION. I'VE POSTED THIS MESSAGE 4 TIMES AND NO RESPONSES. DOES YOUR BOAT HAVE TO BE A CERTAIN LENGTH TO USE IN A TOURNAMENT? IF SO, WHICH TOURNAMENTS ON WHAT TRAIL AND ALSO DO YOU NEED A SHIP TO SHORE? THANKS IN ADVANCE...

[Juls_WI]

Hey there Chris...

I saw your post before, but to answer it I would have to have all the info on all the tournies. If you knew which tournies you were thinking of entering, all you would have to do is go to the tourney page here to get the phone numbers of the people you would need to contact.

I can tell you what the rules say for the USFA:

BOAT AND MOTOR:
All boats entered in the tournament must carry a $100,000.00 liability policy. All boats must be equipped with some type of safety-stop switch. Each boat must have all state and federal safety equipment. Each boat must have a properly aerated or recirculating livewell space to maintain a live catch.
All outboard motors used during official tournament hours will not exceed the horsepower limitations as indicated on the manufacturer's rating plate affixed to the boat. Any boat having a plate that has been altered or changed will be disqualified. Any boat without a plate can not be used during tournament hours. If any contestant has knowledge of any overpowered boat being used in the tournament, they must bring it to the attention of the tournmanet director prior to takeoff. If a contestant's boat is disallowed for use during official tournament hours, they may elect to use a tournament approved boat.

As you can see, it state nothing about how big the boat needs to be.
Hope this helps you some...

Juls

[yerbuddy]

Yah, but....does size really matter? LOL

[Dr. Ruth]

No,
Size of da boat doesn't matter. Its what you do with the boat that matters!!!!

[Bluewater]

Dr. Ruth, as always your analysis is insightful but limited. Along with what you do with what you have, it is the size of your NET and not the size of your boat that matters.

[FROGMAN]

While Juls is correct in the exerpt of the rules for USFA, I do know that last year there was an 18' minimum length for the Lake Erie circuit when I fished it. You can contact Dave Kidd to find out if it is still in effect. Good Luck