FISHING TOURNAMENT RULES
- Participants and Eligibility: This tournament is being held for fundraising purposes. All fishermen 16 and older must have a Kansas fishing license. At least one member of the team must be 18 years or older. Underage contestants must have written consent from a parent or guardian. All registration dues should be paid 7 days prior to the scheduled tournament date. If available, day-of registration can occur with a penalty fee of $20/angler. The tournament directors reserve the right to refuse entry to anyone.
- Sportsmanship: Each contestant is expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety, and conservation. Maximum courtesy must be practiced at all times, especially with regard to boating and fishing in the vicinity of non-contestants who may be on tournament waters. Any act of a participant which reflects unfavorably shall be reason for disqualification. No alcoholic beverages or illegal substances shall be allowed in a participant’s boat during official tournament hours.
- Rules: Every contestant shall comply with all applicable federal, state, local, and lake laws and regulations. The tournament rules are explained below and the interpretation of these rules shall be left exclusively to the tournament committee. The decisions of the tournament committee shall be final in all matters.
- Tournament Committee: The tournament committee consists of staff put together to help run the tournament.
- Registration and Fees: We will be conducting two opportunities for anglers to win during the tournament. One is the top 3 bass and the other is the biggest bass catch of the day. You can choose to participate in both opportunities at registration. A properly completed and signed entry form and entry fee of $150.00 per boat must be completed online or received 7 days prior to the tournament date. There is an extra $30 fee to compete for the biggest catch. If using the online payment option, an additional administrative fee will be charged to cover credit card fees. There will be no refunds. Shall the tournament need to be delayed or rescheduled due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, registrants will be notified via email with the email used to register.
- Check-in: At least one contestant per boat must check in at registration to begin live well checks. This location is identified on the map as Zone 2. Failure to check in may result in disqualification. Disqualification will be at the discretion of the tournament committee. It shall be each participant’s responsibility to check the schedule of events for event times and location. There is only one official loading and unloading area that will be used during the tournament, which is designated as Zone 2.
- Safety: Safe boating and fishing practices must be observed at all times by all tournament participants. Each participant is required to wear a United States Coast Guard (USCG) approved life preserver when the boat is in motion from use of the watercraft motor, trolling motors are not included in this rule. Such preserver must be worn anytime the combustion engine is operating. The preserver must be strapped, snapped, or zippered securely and maintained in that condition until the contestant reaches his fishing location and the combustion engine is shut off. Extra gas containers of any kind are prohibited. Violation of this rule shall be reason for disqualification.
- Boat and Motor: If using a watercraft with an engine, the boat must have a USCG horsepower (HP) rating plate attached to the boat by the manufacturer. The engine HP must not exceed the rating specified on that plate. All boats must be equipped with some type of operational ignition kill device. This ignition kill device must be attached to the driver’s body any time the combustion engine is operating.
- Basic Boat Equipment and Pre-launch Checks: All boats must have a properly functioning live-well system with an operable sufficient aeration system capable of keeping two limits of fish alive and healthy. Each boat’s live well will be inspected prior to the start of the tournament. Every boat must have all required USCG safety equipment. All boats will have the proper operable safety equipment onboard to include lifejackets, a throw cushion, engine kill switch, running lights, bilge pumps, and noise-making device e.g. horn, whistle, or bell. The tournament director, or his designated appointee, shall have the sole responsibility for determining whether safety features are satisfactory. All state boating regulations apply to the entrants for the state in which the tournament is held.
- Tackle and Equipment: Only artificial lures may be used. No “live bait” or “prepared bait” will be permitted except for worms, pork strips, & rinds. Only bait-casting, spin-casting, or spinning rods may be used. All other types are prohibited. Only one rod and reel is permitted to be in use at any given time. Dip nets are allowed. All fish must be caught live in a conventional sporting manner.
- Boat Operation and Expenses: Boaters have full control of the boat operation and waters to be fished. Any participant who, in the judgment of the tournament committee, operates the boat in such a manner as to unfairly handicap other contestants shall be disqualified.
- Permitted Fishing Locations: Fishing is permitted anywhere within the tournament waters except within 50 feet of another contestant’s boat which is anchored (by line and weight or mechanical anchor with the trolling motor in the up and stored position). No such anchored boat shall permit selected contestants to fish within the 50 feet circle claimed by him, to the exclusion of any other contestant. All fishing must be done from the boat, participants cannot leave the boat to access waters or land a fish. Trailering of boats during tournament hours, prior to official check-in is prohibited. Anglers in teams must remain together at all times, (except for bathroom breaks, boat loading, and tournament committee members preparing for weigh-in) in order for their catches to be counted in the tournament.
- Official Weigh-in: At weigh-in, a team member shall identify themselves by their last names and proceed immediately to the designated weigh-in area. All contestants must check in with the designated tournament official. Teams must be sure their names and the number of bass that they will weigh in are correct on the check-in roster at the weigh-in area, prior to the end of tournament hours. Teams must use their own weigh-in bag to bring their fish to weigh in. A team may weigh in only once during each tournament. Early weigh-ins are final. Anglers do not have to be together at weigh-in. Only 1 person from each team is required when weighing in. Upon arriving at the weigh-in station, any and all fish brought to the weigh master station shall become the property of the weigh master. Tying up, caging, or seeding fish under any circumstances shall result in immediate disqualification.
- Qualifying Catches & penalties: Only Largemouth, Smallmouth, Spotted or Kentucky Bass will be accepted. Tournament Director determines the difference between species. Bass must be at least 15 inches in length to be a legal catch. No bass caught under 15 inches can be put into a live well or brought to weigh-in. Bass under 15 inches should be released after they are measured under Kansas laws. Total stringer weight will determine winners. Only 3 bass will be weighed in. For Biggest Catch: All the same rules apply. It must be a bass. You can only weigh in 1 fish and you must have paid the extra fee prior to the tournament start time. You can use one of your bass caught from the top 3 bass during weigh-in.
- Tie Breaker: The tournament committee will resolve all ties. Tournament big bass will break tournament final total weight ties. If still tied, the total number of legal bass weighed during the tournament will break the final total weight ties. Daily heaviest total weight will break daily big bass ties. If still tied, the total number of legal bass weighed daily will break daily big bass ties. In both cases, if still tied, a coin toss will be the final tiebreaker. For Biggest Catch: the winner will be the longest fish. If there is still a tie, then the winners will split the 1st and 2nd place pot.
- Insurance: Boaters must carry a copy of their boat insurance, showing the expiration date (on their person or in their boat) to be presented upon request of a tournament official. If no proof of valid insurance is provided, payouts and final standings will be provincial until proof of insurance is presented to the tournament director.
- Payouts: Payouts are per team. For the top 3 bass: First place is $500, second place is $300, and third place is a rod, reel, and tackle. For the biggest catch: the payout is based on entries.
- Restricting bass by any method which disallows its natural movement or travel throughout the entire impoundment is prohibited. Having knowledge of restricting bass or restricting bass for the purpose of using them for their benefit is also prohibited.
- State & Federal Laws: Anyone caught running bridges or breaking any state or federal boating laws may be disqualified.
- No Culling at the weigh-in area.
- Brushpiling and Habitating: Contestants must follow state and federal guidelines. Contact the Corps of Engineers Project Office or GRDA for guidelines. Destroying public or private property is cause for automatic expulsion.
- No trailering of boats during tournament hours.
- No trolling or chumming allowed.
- All bass must be caught on the day and lake of the specified event during tournament hours.
BBQ COMPETITION RULES
- Prep & Cook: Meats do not need to be prepped or cooked on-site. You may cook and prepare your meats at the lake if you would like. Zone 2 will be designated for this event and you will be allowed to camp overnight if you wish to prepare your food there for the competition. Meats will need to be cut and displayed on site.
- Sanitation: Cooks are to prepare and cook in as sanitary a manner as possible. If the competition teams are to provide/sell meat to the general public they will need to present their current Health Department permit.
- Entries Per Pit: Only one entry per team is allowed.
- BBQ Pits: Any commercial or homemade, trailered or un-trailered, pit or smoker normally used for competitive barbeque is allowed.
- Open Fires: Open fire pits are allowed for this event.
- Categories: The following are the categories for this event:
- Beef Brisket
- Baby Back Pork Ribs
- Chicken
- Sausage
- Open - Any type of meat can be used including wild game. Competitors will have to identify the type of meat used.
- Turn-in Location/Times/Date: All meats will be judged promptly at 12pm on May 6, 2023, during the Bass N’ BBQ fundraiser at Winfield City Lake in Zone 2 behind the Lake Office. We encourage all competitors to be at the lake to prepare for judging no later than 11am on May 6.
- Samples: All teams are encouraged to offer samples to anyone who would like to try the meats after they are judged. Anyone who wants to sample the meats will pay a $5 fee. The $5 fees will then be split evenly among all the teams who allow samples.
- Judging Quantity: Meats will be numbered anonymously by event volunteers before the judges are seated. We will have five judges. Each team must have five individual plates presented to the judges' table at 12pm. Judges will not sample and/or judge any entry outside of the designated time. Meats will be judged on a scale of 1-10 in the following categories: appearance, taste, tenderness, and overall opinion.
- Tie Breaker: Judges will assign a score from 1 to 10 for each category and tray sampled. In the event of a tie for any given category or overall tie, a winner will be randomly selected from the two competitors by the “Head Judge.”
- Safety: Each team must have and use proper sanitation.
- Most Important Rule of All - Have Fun! This event is in conjunction with 2 other events all being conducted in the same area. Please be respectful of all the events being held for this fundraiser. A schedule of all the activities is posted on the registration page.
KIDS' FISHING DERBY RULES
- Offered to all kids 12 & under.
- All kids must register and pay the $15 fee to participate
- All lake and state fishing rules apply
- Kids must supply their own fishing equipment - rod/reel/tackle/etc.
- Kids will be allowed to fish from the banks in and around Zone 2.
- Fishing time begins at 10am and ends at 11am
- Have your fish ready to weigh in promptly at 11am
- Top 3 winners will be rewarded with cash and/or prizes
- Winners are determined by the biggest fish caught
- Only 1 fish can be weighed in
- Up to 2 fish may be kept on a stringer
- Stringers will be supplied to each kid
- Kids must be accompanied by an adult at all times
- It is at the discretion of the parents whether they need to wear a life jacket or not
- Any species of fish is allowed
- Nets are allowed to bank a fish caught from a rod and reel
