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2012 Billfish Frequently Asked Questions
updated 07/28/2011
Will I be able to depart from Destin and Orange Beach in 2012?
updated 07/28/2011
Will I be able to depart from Destin and Orange Beach in 2012?
- Yes, plus you'll have the option to leave from Biloxi, too. Departure times will be: Thursday, July12th, Panama City Pass at noon; Destin, Orange Beach and Biloxi at 5pm.
- The mandatory Captain's Meeting and Reading of the Rules will take place at 6pm on Wednesday, July 11th at Bay Point Marina. Immediately after the Captain's Meeting we'll have our official Tournament Kick-Off Party, world-famous Dock Walk and live entertainment.
- All tournament boats must have a registered representative (who will be onboard the boat) sign in to the Wednesday night Captain's Meeting. The meeting is mandatory, and any boat that does not attend will be disqualified.
- The official Tournament Designator (which will be required for catch and release videos and weighing Billfish and meat fish) will be distributed at each location 30 minutes prior to departure times. Boats leaving from Destin, Orange Beach or Biloxi will be photographed by tournament representatives and logged prior to departure.
- All boats must weigh in at Bay Point Marina during scheduled weigh in hours.
- No limit.
- As many as you can safely carry. There's no limit to the number of anglers you can have, but they must be registered with the tournament. You'll receive six VIP tournament entry passes with your paid team registration, and there will be no charge for additional anglers this year. Additional passes to tournament parties will be available at registration, and extra tournament shirts may be purchased from the Half Hitch retail booth.
- They'll be posted online at baypointbillfish.com and we'll email a copy to the team contact.
- Simple: check out the website at baypointbillfish.com, which will be optimized for your smartphone. We'll keep the unofficial positions posted as quickly as possible – but in a situation where the weights seem close it's always best to weigh in!
- No problem. We'll gladly refund your paid entry fee minus a 20% handling fee up until July 1st.
- We prefer it. Our secure online registration page lets you easily enter as many categories as you like, but if you still have questions simply contact Steve Arndt at Bay Point and he'll gladly assist you over the phone. And should you have to withdraw for any reason, we'll happily refund 100% of your early online Optional Entries. The 20% percent handling fee only applies to Tournament Entry fee.
- Excellent question. The Invitational home page shows an up to date listing of all registered Invitational boats and the 40/40 home page shows all registered 40/40 Shootout boats.
- 80% of total tournament entry fees collected and 90% of Optional Cash Entries collected. All payouts and procedures are supervised and audited by the accounting firm of Tipton, Marler, Garner and Chastain.
- No problem, as long as your friend has tournament experience. Just contact Steve Arndt at Bay Point Marina and he'll make the necessary arrangements.
- We've added a second fully operational digital scale for medium size fish this year avoiding the need for the block and tackle. Of course we'll still use the High Tower and tackle for the trophy big fish. Nobody does drama at weigh in like Bay Point.
- Seven. With dock lines and fenders. All deep water. Right in front of the crowds. Nobody does it better.
- No. Fish may be weighed on Friday and Saturday only.
- Yes, if you're using natural bait. Here's the ruling, straight from the HMS Recreational Compliance Guide:
Anglers fishing from Atlantic HMS permitted vessels and participating in Atlantic billfish tournaments must use only non-offset circle hooks when deploying natural bait or natural bait/artificial lure combinations.
You can see the specific rule on page 30 of the HMS Recreational Compliance Guide.
- Yes, our Optional Cash Awards will feature a billfish release program.
- Hell yeah.
- No. The 40/40 is a separate one day tournament primarily focused upon high performance outboard powered, center consoles fishing for Tuna, Wahoo, Dolphin and Swordfish.
- Yes, the same rule applies to 40/40 Shootout participants too.
- A limited number of site vendor locations and sponsorships are available during the tournament. These normally sell out well in advance of July. Call Steve Arndt at (850) 628-1740 to discuss sponsorship availability, options and pricing.