Official Rules for the Riverhurst Walleye Classic
2024
FAILURE TO FOLLOW ALL RULES MAY LEAD TO
DISQUALIFICATION AT THE DISCRETION OF THE COMMITTEE
1. ELIGIBILITY
a) All persons 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter. Anglers under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
2. REQUIREMENTS
a) Each contestant will be in possession of a valid Saskatchewan fishing license.
b) Promoters and organizations assisting in tournament operation, their
agencies and agents are not responsible for death, injury, damage, liability,
theft, fire or any loss to any entrants. Each entrant, upon signing an entry
form, will in effect be signing a waiver form and acknowledge the rules of the tournament.
c) Each entrant will be required to have a U.S. Coast Guard or Canadian approved personal floatation device (PFD) and will be urged to wear same at all times when in the boat.
d) All contestants are required to observe Canadian rules and regulations concerning safe boating.
3. FISHING
a) Only walleye, sauger, or saugeye will be included in official totals.
b) Only those fish caught on hook and line in normal manner will be accepted.
c) Each fisherman will be allowed to have one (1) line in the water at a time. Spare rods and equipment may be carried in the boat.
d) Live bait and artificial bait and lures are allowed. Electronic or electrical luring or attracting devices are prohibited. NO LIVE MINNOWS ALLOWED.
e) Any fish mangled or damaged or otherwise not considered suitable for live release at the discretion of the weigh-in officials will be subject to a penalty of 30% of each dead fish weight.
f) A contestant MUST NOT leave the boat to land a fish or untangle equipment.
g) The tournament daily limit shall be the total of five (5) fish per team. only two of which may exceed 55 cm. Pinched tail measurement.
h) No more than (5) fish may be in your live well at one time.
i) Any team not abiding by the Saskatchewan angling regulations will be disqualified.
j) Any team found putting dead fish back into the lake will be disqualified.
k) Fizzing of fish will lead to disqualification.
4. BOATS AND EQUIPMENT
a) Boats may be equipped with electric positioning or trolling motors.
b) Electronic and electrical depth finders, thermometers, oxygen meters, etc are allowed.
c) Under water cameras are prohibited.
d) Live wells MUST be used by all teams. A live well is an aerated container used to retain live fish. Approximately 1 gallon per fish suggested.
e) No two way communication equipment allowed in boats. Cell phones allowed for emergency use only.
5. TOURNAMENT BOUNDARIES
a) Fishing will be permitted in the portion of Lake Diefenbaker bounded by Enfield Bay to the south and the north at Birsay Pump Station marked by white poles.
b) No fishing in Rusty’s Coulee Marina.
6. WEIGH-IN
a) The scale will be open at 9:00 am and will remain open throughout the fishing day.
b) Each team will be responsible for their own catch. Under no circumstances may anyone other than the contestants handle or touch the catch until presented for weigh-in.
c) A team member will accompany the catch to the scale. Each team will
receive a copy of their scale ticket each time a fish is weighed. The scale tickets are to be initialed by a team member.
d) An unloading area will be designated immediately in front of the weigh-in
area and will be for unloading fish only.
e) A maximum of 2 dead fish per day per team will be weighed. A penalty of
30% of the weight of each dead fish will be applied.
f) Only one minute for revival of questionable fish is allowed in live tank.
g) All weights must be removed from fish before fish is pronounced dead or alive.
h) If a second weight is requested by the fisherman, that is the weight that is recorded.
7. REQUIRED ACTIVITIES
a) All contestants are required to attend the pre-tournament rules night on Friday, June 14th, 2024 – 6:00-8:00 pm at Riverhurst Community Arena.
b) All teams must be checked in by 8:00 pm unless prior arrangements have been made.
c) Any contestants involved in a protest must be on call for three (3) hours following the end of the fishing day.
d) All contestants are required to cooperate with members of the press for interviews and photographs.
8. FISHING HOURS AND STARTING
a) Boats will be leaving in two (2) flights. If you are in the first flight Saturday, you will be in the second flight on Sunday. Flight times are – Saturday: 1st Flight – 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, 2nd Flight – 7:30 am – 4:30 pm; Sunday: 1st Flight – 7:00 am – 3:00 pm, 2nd Flight – 7:30 am – 3:30 pm.
b) Contestants who return late will have a zero weight for that day and will be disqualified for any large walleye prize.
c) The Rusty’s Coulee Marina area will serve as tournament headquarters and contestants will be required to start and end each day at this point.
9. BOAT IDENTIFICATION
a) All contestant boats will be identified with a team # that will be assigned when applicants are notified of their acceptance.
b) Boats will be inspected before and during the tournament. Tournament officials will be checking boats at the launch area. Any cheating will result in immediate disqualification.
10. PRIZES
a) All prizes will be based on most weight during the two days of the tournament.
b) Prizes will be awarded on a team basis.
c) In case of a tie, the winner will be decided by the greatest weight taken on the final day. Other ties will be resolved by tournament officials.
d) Prizes will be awarded on the final day subject to final checks by the officials.
e) Payout of prizes is based on a 100 team field. Fewer than 100 teams, payout will be adjusted according to the number of teams.
f) All winners must have weights registered for both days to qualify for prizes.
11. CONTINGENCY PRIZES
a) Rules for all contingency prizes made by contributors, supporters or other parties may be stipulated by those offering the prize.
b) Only live and releasable fish will qualify for big fish award(s), including fisherman’s bucket.
12. “SPIRIT OF THE RULE”
a) All rules have “loopholes”. It is the intention of the organizers to provide
an honest sportsmanlike tournament. In the interest of good sportsmanship,
contestants are reminded that “the spirit of the rule” will prevail in all judgement cases.
13. PROTESTS
a) Any contestant has the right to make a protest against another contestant.
A protest form will be available from a tournament official and must be filled
out and presented to the official within one hour of the close of the fishing day.
b) A $150 protest fee will be required to accompany any formal protest.
The fee will be returned if the protest is found to be valid by the protest committee.
14. MISCELLANEOUS
a) If one of the two team members drops out before the tournament, he may
be replaced by the choice of the remaining team member. The committee must be notified in writing of the change before the tournament.
b) If an entire team drops out the place will be filled by the tournament committee and not be the choice of the team that drops out. The entry fee, less a $50 administration fee, will be refunded if that place can be filled with another team.