|
1. ELIGIBILITY: Any applicant under the age of 18 must be
accompanied by an adult partner (18 or over). All applicants must also be
members of Walleyes Unlimited of Montana. Tournament participants found not
to be Walleyes Unlimited of Montana members will forfeit any cash or
merchandise prizes earned. Membership status must be determined BEFORE to
tournament starts. Each Tournament Committee reserves the right to refuse or
reject an entry. Boats of all tournament anglers must be covered by
liability insurance. Tournament directors may declare any boat not so
insured as “ineligible for competition”.
2. ENTRY FEES: The entry fees are determined by each individual tournament
on a per team basis.
3. RELEASE OF LIABILITY: By signing the tournament entry form, all
participants agree to the following Release of Liability: “We, in
consideration of being permitted to participate in the Montana Walleye
Circuit, do for ourselves, our heirs, executors, administrators and assigns,
hereby release and forever discharge the Montana Walleye Circuit, the
Montana Walleye Circuit Tournament Committee, Tournament Directors, the
Montana Walleyes Unlimited Board of Directors and any and all sponsoring
companies, entities and individuals, their heirs, successors, administrators
and assigns, from any and every claim, demand, action or right of action, of
whatever kind or nature, either in low or in equity, arising from or by
reason of any bodily injury or personal injuries, known or unknown, death or
property damage resulting or to result from any accident which may occur as
a result of your participation in the Montana Walleye Circuit activities or
any activities in connection with the Montana Walleye Circuit, whether by
negligence or otherwise. We further release all officials, staff,
participating sponsor companies and agencies from any claim whatsoever on
account of first aid treatment or service rendered during my participation
in the Montana Walleye Circuit.” This release contains the entire agreement
between the parties hereto and the terms of thus release are contractual and
not a mere recital.
4. OFF THE WATER TIME AND RULES MEETING: At least one member of each team is
required to attend the tournament rules meeting on the evening prior to the
beginning of the tournament. This meeting will be held at a time and
location determined by the individual tournament directors. In all Montana
Walleyes Unlimited tournaments contestants may not enter or be on tournament
waters after the start time of the mandatory rules meeting, except during
competition hours until the conclusion of the tournament other than to
immediately launch or load up there boat at the designated tournament launch
ramp facility. In some Montana Walleye Unlimited circuit tournaments the
“off the water” time may be designated earlier than immediately prior to the
start of the rules meeting by the tournament officials. It is the
responsibility of the contestant to be aware of the correct off the water
time for each tournament.
Contestants may not navigate or transport there boats across tournament
waters before or after a tournament fishing day for the purpose of
convenience. All anglers local and non local are required to launch and load
there boats within the general area of the official tournament starting
area.
5. GENERAL: For the purpose of these rules, “Walleyes” refers to species of
the genus Sander Vitreus (excluding Sauger (Stizostedion Canadense) and
Saugeye (hybrid walleye/sauger). Unless otherwise declared at the rules
meeting only the species walleye will count towards an anglers score in
Montana Walleyes Unlimited Circuit tournaments.
6. REGULATIONS: Each entrant must possess a valid Montana fishing license.
All contestants must observe the rules and regulations of the U.S. Coast
Guard and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
7. TEAMS: Contestants must enter as a two-person team. Any change of team
members must be approved by tournament officials, and a new application must
be signed. Only two team members may occupy a boat during any tournament.
With approval of tournament officials, an angler may fish without his
partner if illness or personal tragedy makes it impossible for that partner
to be in the boat for all or part of a tournament.
8. TOURNAMENT HEADQUARTERS: Tournament headquarters are determined by each
individual tournament director, and all entries are to be advised of the
location prior to the tournament.
9. TOURNAMENT FISHING AREA:
The fishing area of each tournament will be declared and printed on the
tournament applications. If the fishing area is determined to be less than
the entire body of water that the event is to be held on then those
tournament boundaries may not be expanded at a later date to insure that all
anglers local and non local have an equal opportunity to scout and prepare
there tournament plan within the final tournament fishing area boundaries
before the event.
10. FINAL TOURNAMENT FISHING AREA BOUNDRIES:
In the event of unsafe conditions or an unforeseen event the tournament
director may reduce but not expand the final tournament boundaries from the
pre announced Tournament Fishing area. The final tournament boundaries will
be announced and described in detail at the mandatory rules meeting.
Contestants may not leave their boat at any time (except as allowed by
specific permission of tournament officials, including weigh boat personnel,
or in the event of lightning or wind that poses a significant threat of
personal safety), nor may they operate their boat outside of the designated
tournament area during tournament hours.
11. TOURNAMENT HOURS AND STARTING PROCEDURES: Tournament hours, including
starting times and check-in times, will be established by tournament
directors of each event for each tournament. Tournament hours as well as
starting hours and flight times, will be announced at the mandatory rules
meeting. In all Montana Walleye Circuit tournaments teams will be assigned a
boat identification number when they register for the tournament, however
tournament starting order will be determined buy a random drawing of a
single boat number at the rules meeting. This randomly drawn boat number
will be the first boat out on day one and the last boat out on day two. The
starting order will proceed on day one with the next highest boat number
going out second and so forth until all boats have been released. The order
will be reversed on the second day of competition. The number of flights and
starting and return times for each flight and check-in procedures will be
established by each tournament director and announced at the mandatory rules
meeting. For safety reasons, the Montana Walleye Circuit strongly suggests
that smaller boats either pull over at the start or request to be placed at
the end of the starting line. All starts will occur in single file, and any
boats arriving late for their position in the starting line, will be
required to go to the end of the starting line. Failure to do so may result
in being declared ineligible for any tournament prizes or awards. Each
tournament director will also indicate a starting point, finishing point and
check-in procedures and will announce them during the rules meeting. Boats
not crossing the finish point by the designated time, WILL FORFEIT THERE
WEIGHT FOR THAT DAY.
12. FOUL WEATHER: The tournament officials reserve the right to postpone or
cancel daily competition; if in the opinion of the officials, weather
conditions exist that pose a threat to the safety of teams and tournament
personnel. Furthermore, the Tournament
Director may declare a foul weather situation due to deteriorating weather
conditions, after competition has already begun on any day of the
tournament. In the event that a foul weather situation is declared, weigh
boats and other tournaments personnel may be recalled to tournament
headquarters and participants must use their own judgment concerning whether
to seek safety or continue fishing. In the event that a foul weather rule
has been called by the Tournament Director, tournament participants are
authorized to seek shelter on shore if required. Unless team members are
personally notified by a tournament official, it should be assumed that the
tournament hours have not changed. Such notification may come via visits
from tournament personnel or through emergency channel 16 on marine radios.
Participants will be responsible for reaching the check-in point by the
required time in a SAFE manner. At no time will any team be allowed to give
their score card to any other participant to be turned in for official
scoring. In the spirit of the tournament and good sportsmanship, individual
responsibility and good judgment are essential to insure your own personal
safety under any and all circumstances.
13. INSPECTIONS: Tournament anglers are expected to arrive at all
tournaments with clean boats and must submit their boats for inspection by
representatives of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, if
asked to do so. Each boat will be inspected by tournament officials each day
prior to the start of tournament fishing. No boat may have walleye on board
prior to the start of the tournament. All boats in the tournament must
display identifying marks and/or numbers as provided by tournament
officials. Boats, tackle and equipment may be inspected at any time before,
during and/or after the tournament.
14: TACKLE: Artificial and live bait are allowed, but each contestant must
conform to the rules of the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks
concerning number of lines permitted, allowable bait and methods of taking
fish on each particular body of water. Spare rods and equipment may be
carried in the boat.
15. BOAT OPERATION: Each contestant is required to wear a U.S. Coast Guard
approved Personal Flotation Device when the boat is on plane. All teams must
depart by boat from the starting area under the direction of tournament
officials. All participants must abide by all local and state navigation and
boating laws. Team boats may not come within 20 feet of any other boats or
watercraft (except patrol boats and weigh boats) during tournament hours.
RECKLESS AND CARELESS BOAT HANDLING IS GROUNDS FOR DISQUALIFICATION. Teams
are to approach all weigh boats in a careful and prudent manner. If a
participating team approaches a weigh boat in any sort of reckless manner,
the weigh boat may refuse to measure that team’s fish. The team will then
have to find another weigh boat and try to get their fish measured. Repeat
offenders can be disqualified by the tournament director.
16. FISHING: The tournaments will be operated under a “catch and release”
format. Teams will catch measure (at a measuring boat) and release as many
walleye as they choose. However, only the largest five (5) walleye per team,
per day, will count toward the teams overall score. WALLEYE MUST BE a
MINIMUM OF 14 INCHES IN LENGTH to be counted. The length of a fish that
breaks a ¼ inch mark will be scored at the next 1/4 inch mark. This does not
stand for fish measured at 13 3/4 inches. The length of the fish must break
the 14 inch mark to be scored a legal fish. (So in reality, there will be no
14 inch fish shown on weigh cards. The smallest recorded weight will be 14
1/4. Official measuring boats will be positioned at various places around
the lake.
Teams will not be allowed more than five (5) walleye onboard in the
livewell(s) at any time. Teams discovered to have more than five (5) walleye
in their livewell(s) at one time will be immediately disqualified from the
tournament. However culling is allowed in Montana Walleyes Unlimited
tournaments and one additional (6th) fish may be caught and brought on board
but must be immediately released or exchanged with another fish currently on
board that is releasable. Dead or un-releasable walleye must be recorded and
tagged at a measuring boat and they will count toward the team’s five
walleye limit with a score of zero weight. Any team caught releasing dead
fish or fish that will not survive will be immediately disqualified. All
measuring records are to be verified by tournament officials and a team
member. During the two days of tournament competition, each contestant may
keep one “trophy” walleye over 27 inches in length. Trophy fish must be
tagged as such by weigh boat personnel and they will count towards the five
(5) walleye in the boat limit. Trophy walleye can be counted as part of the
team’s daily score, but only if the fish is otherwise releasable.
17. WEIGH BOATS: It is the responsibility of the weigh boat personnel to not
only measure and record accurately all fish, but also to determine if fish
presented to the weigh boats are the correct species and are in releasable
condition. Once a fish has been determined to be releasable by weigh boat
personnel and is then weighed, recorded and released or tagged, the weigh
card is signed and the tournament boat leaves, that entry becomes a legally
scored fish, even if that fish surfaces and is found to be unreleasable at a
later time. It is the responsibility of weigh boat personnel to properly
determine if fish are releasable, and ALLWEIGH BOAT PERSONNEL DECISIONS ARE
FINAL. As part of Walleyes Unlimited of Montana’s commitment to the
preservation of habitat and management of fish and wildlife all tournament
directors are required to educate their weigh boat personnel on proper fish
handling, measuring, species identification and evaluation techniques. Fish
must be swimming upright with no weights attached and in releasable
condition to be counted towards a tournament angler’s score. Tournament
directors are encouraged to provide belly weights to tournament entrants if
possible, and to educate fishermen as to the proper use of the weights and
handling to keep fish alive and healthy.
18. SCORING AND PRIZES: Daily scores will be the total measurement converted
to weight of up to five (5) walleyes which will be selected by the team from
all of the fish measured and recorded for that team for that day. Anglers as
well as weigh boat personnel are required to initial each measured fish on
the score card. A NON-INITIALED FISH WILL BE CONSIDERED ACCEPTABLE BY THE
ANGLER AND WILL BE DEEMED NON-DISPUTABLE AND NON-CHALLENGEABLE once the
angler has left that weigh boat. Prizes will be awarded based on team scores
as determined by the tournament director. In the event that one of the
fishing days is cancelled, prizes will be awarded on the standings from one
day of fishing. A minimum of eighty percent of the entry fees, excluding
conservation fee and circuit fees, will be paid out in prizes.
19. CHECK-IN, LATE PENALTIES: For safety reasons all boats must check in
each day at a location specified by tournament officials, regardless of
whether the team has caught and weighed fish or not. The team number and
time of arrival will be recorded at the check-in station. Late arrivals WILL
BE DISQUALIFIED for that day and will be ineligible from any prizes. In the
event of a backlog of boats at the check-in station, boats that have arrived
prior to the deadline and are waiting in line will not be penalized.
20. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS: Records of fish caught (weigh cards) must be
turned in at the point designated by the tournament officials at the
mandatory rules meeting within 30 minutes of a team’s check-in time each
day. Failure to do so will result in loss of total weight/score for that
day.
21. ALCOHOL: No alcoholic beverages will be allowed in contestants boats
during hours of competition.
22. Marine radios are to be used only in emergency situations and for
conducting tournament business. Unlawful use may constitute grounds for
disqualification. Cellular phones, CB or two way radios may not be used to
relay tournament fishing information in any fashion. and can be used for
emergency transmissions only during tournament hours.
23. SPIRIT OF THE RULE: It is the intention of Walleye’s Unlimited of
Montana to promote good sportsmanship and fair play in all tournament
events. Unsportsmanlike conduct and cheating will not be tolerated and will
result in disqualification. Any angler found cheating will be immediately
disqualified from that particular tournament, and will become subject to
disqualification from all Montana Walleye Circuit events for a time period
to be determined by the Montana Walleye Circuit Board of Directors.
Interpretation of tournament rules shall be left as the exclusive
responsibility of the tournament officials and all decisions will be final.
24. PROTEST POLICY: Only contestants and circuit officials have the right to
contest the actions of another team or contestant. Protests by the
contestants must be filed in writing with the Tournament Director, in
person, no later than 1/2 hour after the close of fishing for that day. A
$100 cash protest fee must accompany any protest offered by a contestant. A
five person committee appointed by, and including, the tournament director
will convene to investigate and make a decision regarding the protest. The
protest committee and their agents are authorized to utilize polygraph
examinations, photographs - still or moving, or any other investigative
technique in order to determine the validity of the protest or the charge
against any contestant. The decision of the Protest Committee shall be by
majority vote and shall be final in all cases. Contestants waive any right
to appeal the decision of the Protest Committee to a higher authority,
including any court of jurisdiction in this or any other state. If a protest
by a contestant is found to be valid, the protest fee will be returned. If
the protest is found invalid, the fee will not be returned. Any person found
guilty of violating the rules may be immediately disqualified and the
reasons for the said disqualifications announced at the tournament
headquarters.
25. WITHDRAWAL POLICY: Entry fee refunds will be made only if the team gives
written notification of withdrawal two (2) weeks prior to the tournament
starting date. A service charge of 20% plus the $10 conservation fee will be
assessed against refunds made due to withdrawal from the tournament.
Withdrawals later than 14 days from the tournament’s starting days will
receive NO REFUNDS.
26. Violations of these rules may be cause for subsequent denial of
application to compete in future Montana Walleye Circuit events. If
disqualified for any violations of the above rules, future participation
must be reviewed by the Montana Walleye Circuit and approved by a majority
of Montana Walleye Circuit Directors.
NOTE: The above rules for the 2010 Montana Walleye Circuit cover the basics
of all tournament events, but may vary slightly due to local regulations.
Please pay special attention to underlined and bold face items in the above
rules, as most represent changes or extremely important segments.
|
Montana
Walleyes Unlimited Circuit