Basic Rules
Eligibility:
The 333 Championship Series is open to any fishing team willing to participate and abide by official tournament rules and state specific DNR regulations. The Tournament Committee reserves the right to decline entry or participation by any person, team or boat, as deemed necessary, to ensure such things as integrity, image, reputation, financial performance and community relationships with sponsors, participants and supporting groups.
Rules:
The 333 Championship Series is a side bet that runs in conjunction with each host tournament on the Tournament Trail. The object of the 333 is to catch 3 fish in 2 days. The heaviest 3-fish catch wins. In 333 competition teams can only weigh 3 fish over the course of the entire 2 day event. Teams can elect to weigh any number of their 3 tournament fish on day 1 or they can elect not to weigh any fish on day one. Any fish weighed and counted on day 1 cannot be exchanged for a bigger fish caught on day 2. On day 2 teams will weigh however many fish they have left to complete their 3 fish limit.
Entry Fee:
333 Entry is $100 Per Boat
Some events offer “333 Only” which allows teams to enter 333 without entering any division of the host tournament.
333 Only Entry is $150 Per Boat
Check availability at each host event.
Limits:
333 Limits mirror the limits of the host tournament at which they are taking place. In other words you must abide by all applicable host tournament limits while fishing 333. Any 333 fish must come from a legal host tournament catch. The total number of fish you can count toward your score is 3. The total number of fish you can catch is determined by the host event and division in which you are entered.
Penalties/DQs:
Any 333 fish must come from a legal host tournament catch. If you or your catch is disqualified for any reason from the host tournament you will be unable to weigh fish in the 333. This applies to only to the catch or day that was disqualified in the host event. In other words, if you are DQ’d on day 1 you will not be able to weigh any fish on day 1. However, you will be able to weigh 333 fish on day 2 as long as you are legally able to weigh fish on day 2 in the host tournament.
Late Boats – Boats that are deemed late by host tournament rules will not be allowed to weigh any fish in the 333 on the day that they are late. This ruling will apply at all 333 events even if the host tournament rules call for penalties or point deductions instead of total disqualification.
Disabled Boats – You must fish both days of the 333 in the same boat. Teams may not for any reason change boats once a tournament has started.
Weigh In:
333 fish will be weighed on separate scales. They may be weighed prior to or after your host tournament catch. Remember, all 333 fish must come from your legal host tournament catch. You must weigh your 333 fish on the 333 scales. There is no way to transfer weights from the host tournament scales to the 333.
Awards:
333 awards will be posted and displayed at the Captain’s Meeting of each host tournament event. 333 Awards are “choice” awards, meaning that first place gets first choice, 2nd place gets second choice and so on. The only exception to this rule is the Gimme 5 Big Fish Awards.
Gimme 5 Big Fish Awards:
Gimme 5 awards may be available at 333 events. If they are available they will be on display at the Captain’s Meeting along with the “Choice” Prizes. Gimme 5 awards have a retail value of at least $500 and are awarded to the team that catches the biggest single fish in a pre-determined category. Gimme 5 Big Fish awards may vary by port. The 5 categories are Big King, Big Lake Trout, Big Steelhead, Big Brown & Big Combo. THERE IS NO EXTRA COST TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR GIMME 5 BIG FISH AWARDS. THEY ARE INCLUDED WITH YOUR 333 ENTRY.
Best Overall Division:
The 333 Best Overall Division is an additional competition that goes on over the course of each 333 Season. There is no additional entry fee for the Best Overall Division. All 333 scores are kept by Tournament Trail and automatically calculated after each event. If you enter (3) separate 333 events you’re scores will be combined into one cumulative score. The highest cumulative score at the end of the season will be declared the 333 Best Overall Champion. Additional payouts and/or prizes may be available.
Scoring Explained -
Teams may only use (3) 333 scores to make their final score. If a team fishes in (4) 333 events the lowest of the four scores will be dropped and the cumulative score will be made from the remaining 3 scores. If a team fishes in (5) or more 333 events in a single season then the best 3 of the first 4 scores will be used to form the cumulative score. Teams who know they will be fishing in (5) or more events may declare prior to the start of any event that they do not want their 333 score at said event to count toward their Best Overall Score. In this case the team will still be eligible for all Port Prizes including all choice and Gimme 5 Awards for that specific weekend. However, their score will not be converted into Best Overall Points. It is the responsibility of the team to declare that they do not want their score to count toward Best Overall. This must be declared to any member of the Tournament Trail Staff prior to the start of the fishing period on Day 1 of the host event. If no declaration is made, the score will count.
Best Overall Scores will be determined by awarding points based on standings in individual 333 events. For example:
1st Place = 100 Points
2nd Place = 99 Points
3rd Place = 98 Points and so on.
That means that if a team comes in first place for 3 individual 333 events they would receive 100 points for each victory. That translates to a Best Overall Score of 300.
Size Of Field Bonus:
Bonus points will be added to each team’s score based on the total number of boats competing in the 333 event. The points will be calculated as 10% of the Size of Field. For example:
Team A competes in a 333 event and comes in 3rd.
There were a total of 48 boats competing in that 333 event.
Team A gets 98 points for 3rd plus 4.8 points for Size of Field.
Team A Total Score: 102.8 points
Team B competes in the same 333 event and comes in 20th.
Team B gets 81 points for 2oth plus 4.8 points for Size of Field.
Team B Total Score: 85.8 points
PLEASE NOTE: 333 Best Overall Scores are not transferable between boats. You MUST fish in the same boat for each of your 333 individual scores in order for them to count toward Best Overall.
333 Only:
In an effort to make the Tournament Experience more accessible to more anglers, some events on the Tournament Trail offer “333 Only” as an entry option. If 333 Only is in effect, teams may elect to enter the 333 event without entering any division of the host event itself.
333 Only teams are required to abide by all applicable tournament limits. 333 Only teams may bring a maximum of (5) fish to the 333 Scales each day.
333 Only teams will be eligible for all 333 Port Prizes including all choice prizes, gear packages and Gimme 5 Big Fish awards. 333 Only team scores will be recorded and kept on record for Best Overall as well. However, 333 Only teams will not be eligible for any prizes in the host event.
333 Only Entry is $150 per boat. 333 Only is only available at certain events. Check with Tournament Trail Staff or Host Event Staff to verify availability.
