Tournament Rules
Jere Jaillite
Rule 12:

12. A five fish limit will be allowed each angler per day unless state or local laws restrict limits to less. When a person catches his 6th keeper fish, he must cull a fish before continuing fishing. Penalty for non-compliance is disqualification for that day. Fish must be a minimum of 12 inches long, unless otherwise restricted by state or local laws. The Tournament Director will determine 12 inches with the mouth closed, and pinched tail.
Contestants weighing in undersized fish will lose that fish and their largest fish of the day.
The decision of the Tournament Director is final. Contestants weighing in dead fish will be penalized 0.2 lb. per dead fish.
In the case of a breakdown, fish may be brought to the scales by the boaters partner provided he can get another club boater to bring him in. If a boater is fishing by themselves and his boat breaks down , his fish may be weighed in by another club boat. Tournament winners and places will be determined by the total weight of the catch less any penalties.

2013 Change:
Rule 12:

Change to read:

12. A five fish limit will be allowed each angler per day unless state or local laws restrict limits to less. When a person catches his 6th keeper fish, he must cull a fish before continuing fishing. Penalty for non-compliance is disqualification for that day. Fish must be a minimum of 12 inches long, unless otherwise restricted by state or local laws. The Tournament Director will determine 12 inches with the mouth closed, and pinched tail.
Contestants weighing in undersized fish will lose that fish and their largest fish of the day.
The decision of the Tournament Director is final. Contestants weighing in dead fish will be penalized 0.2 lb. per dead fish.
This penalty will be assessed for both the total tournament weight and lunker weight.
In the case of a breakdown, fish may be brought to the scales by the boaters partner provided he can get another club boater to bring him in. If a boater is fishing by themselves and his boat breaks down, his fish may be weighed in by another club boat. Tournament winners and places will be determined by the total weight of the catch less any penalties.
Rational:

For the twenty years that I have been a club member this is the way that we interpreted and enforced the dead fish penalty.
It wasn’t until fishing year 2012 that it was pointed out that the tournament rules were not clear in this interpretation.
This rule does not apply to any boo-ray pot which is ran and controlled by whoever established it.