Rules & Regulations


General Description:
A high stakes team tournament event where teams must receive an invitation from the tournament committee to attend. The event will be limited to 15 teams. The event will be held in North Central NYS on a small waterway or part of a waterway (determined each year by the NYS IPA tournament committee), where all teams will be in sight of the others. The registration fee is $275/team which includes a prime rib Dinner at Capt. Jack's. This is a one-day shootout to culminate the end of the winter pike season!

Team Selection:
Teams (one or two anglers) will be accepted into the event. The first 18 teams to submit their registration and payment will be accepted. Any additional teams will be placed on a waiting list if one of the registered teams should have to drop out of the competition. Those that participate this year will have seniority for the next year, and be able to register first to secure their place in next year’s invitational event. Once a team gives up their spot, it will be offered to the teams on the waiting list in the order they were placed on the list.

Tournament Format:
Each team will be fishing for their largest (by weight) 3 northern pike, and largest (by weight) 10 panfish (sunfish, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch). The following point system will be used for fish weighed in:
Pike: 10 points per fish plus 1 point per pound.
(minimum length = 28”)
Panfish: 5 points per fish and 1 point per pound. (minimum length = 6”)
The top 3 teams with the highest point total place. In the event of a tie, the team with the larger northern pike will win. Any undersized fish brought to the scales will not be counted and a 10 point reduction in the team’s final score will be given. 

Dates / Times:
Date: One of the first two weekends in March.
Timeline:
4-5:45am: Registration/Check-In/transport to center of waterway.
6:00am (or as soon as all teams are ready): Shotgun Start, teams may begin fishing.
3:00pm: Teams must be in weigh-in line with their fish.
5:00pm: Social Hour at Capt. Jack’s.
6:00pm: Dinner and Awards.


Special Rules & Regulations:
1) Waterway will be the area between the Sodus Bay Islands unless deemed unsafe by the tournament committee one week prior to the event. In the event of unsafe ice, a new waterway may be announced by the IPA tournament committee one week prior to the event on the IPA website (otherwise all funds will be refunded). No teams may pre-fish the waterway during the 5 weekdays (Mon-Fri) prior to the event, nor during the Big Fish Sat event. Any team caught pre-fishing this waterway will be DQ’ed from the event with all funds forfeited. Teams may drill holes and use electronic devices (cameras, sounders, etc.) during the days preceding the event, but may not use any method of attracting or targeting fish. 
2) This will be a “Walking Only” event with no motorized transport allowed (except for initial transport on and final transport off the ice). There will be one safety vehicle that will be centrally located in the fishing region prior to the tournament start, and brought off the ice after the tournament ends at 3pm for emergencies only.
3) No shanties or shelters of any kind will be allowed at the event. Only open sleds and small portable containers will be allowed. Multiple sleds may be pulled by each angler.
4) All teams and their gear will be checked prior to the shotgun start. Once checked, each team will be directed to the staging area to wait for the shotgun start and may not leave the ice. If necessary, the shotgun start will be postponed until all present teams are checked. Any team arriving after 5:30am will be DQ’ed. 
5) No anglers may exit the specified fishing zone once the shotgun has commenced until after they have weighed-in their fish for the day. 
6) Team members do not have to fish together, however they must combine their fish prior to entering the weigh-in line and only bring the required number of fish to the scales. NO PANFISH WILL BE WEIGHED IN PRIOR TO 2:30, all Pike will be weighed in and released when caught - all pike must be run in to weigh-in when caught.
7) No angler may fish or set gear within 20 ft of another angler or their gear.
8) There is no staking out of holes prior to the start of the tournament. 
9) All teams are required to have and use a cooler to keep fish in during the day and to bring to weigh-in. Fish may be culled throughout the day. Panfish are not required to be alive for weigh-in.
10) All team members are encouraged to wear matching team attire (pro-jerseys, embroidered polos, etc.) to the dinner and awards ceremony. These are necessary for premier pictures to be taken at the awards ceremony. While pro-jerseys are preferred, they are not required.

Additional Regulations:
NOTE: Violations of ANY of these rules could result in disqualification for the tournament. Any decisions will be put to a vote of the participating anglers and the result deemed as final. The tournament directors will have the final say in a tie or undecidable situations.

NOTE: All NYS DEC regulations apply. All anglers must possess a valid NYS fishing license. All local angling regulations for each waterway apply.
NOTE: Disposition of fish must be in compliance with state and local laws. NO DUMPING OF YOUR FISH IS ALLOWED.
NOTE: Any inappropriate, improper or abusive conduct by any participant towards any Tournament Official, volunteer, observer or fellow participant shall be deemed a violation of the rules and may subject the violator to penalties or disqualification as determined by the Tournament Directors. Any person or team that has been disqualified by any tournament or derby for an overt act to deceive or defraud may be barred from entry into any future tournament with any registration fees already paid forfeited.
NOTE: Fraud in a tournament of this magnitude is a felony. Any participant suspected of fraud may be issued a lie detector test or voice stress test. If found guilty, will be barred from all future participation in the series, their names forwarded on to all other tournament directors, and, if in contention for any prizes, will forfeit any prizes.

Liability: 
1) Every reasonable precaution will be taken by the Tournament Committee to protect persons and property during the contest. However, the Committee, its judges, sponsors, officers, directors or employees of the same will not be held responsible for the safety of persons or property participating in the tournament. All participants further understand and agree to hold harmless members of the aforementioned groups from any liability or claim of damages. Furthermore, the aforementioned groups assume no responsibility for gear left unattended. 
2) All tournament vehicles will carry liability insurance. 
3) Each contestant will be required to sign a liability disclaimer before entering the ice. Leaving the departure point or entering the ice without turning in the signed disclaimer form could result in immediate disqualification of the team for the event.
NOTE: All entrants agree that their purchase of a registration in any of these events shall constitute an acknowledgement of these rules and they further acknowledge that they understand their obligations and responsibilities outlined within and they agree to abide by these rules and the decisions of the Tournament Officials.
NOTE: Violations of ANY of these rules could result in disqualification for the tournament.
NOTE: All decisions made by the tournament directors are considered FINAL.
NOTE: Tournament directors will also be participants in this event. 
NOTE: Any team that is DQ’ed from the tournament will forfeit all funds.