Rules are still in update stage.

last update 2008-02-24,18:18:46

General:

This is a “kayak” fishing tournament.  All fish entered for prizes must be caught while angling from a kayak or canoe. For the purposes of the tournament, Sit in Kayaks (SIKs), Sit on Top (SOT) kayaks and Canoes are all considered “kayaks”. All kayaks will be exclusively human powered for the duration of the time on the water. No engines (electric or gas), sails or towing assistance from motored or sail vessels will be permitted during fishing or for travel to/from fishing grounds (i.e. use of a “Mothership” is prohibited). All fish must be hooked and boated from the kayak to be considered for prizes; no beaching the kayak to fish. Wading and towing the kayak while fishing the flats is acceptable for fly division.

Partners:

All participants are strongly encouraged to fish with one or more partner. This is for safety and will help you document your catch. Larger groups are encouraged. If you do not have a partner, please let the tournament staff know and we will be happy to introduce you to some of the other kayak fishing fanatics.

Safety:

The staff of the Kayak Fishing Rodeo takes your safety on the water very seriously, but ultimately it is the responsibility of each participant to (1) know the limits of their own abilities, (2) be aware of their surroundings including weather, currents, local boating regulations, other vessels, etc. and (3) carry and know how to use all the personal safety equipment required by the United States Coast Guard for a manually propelled vessel operating in coastal inshore waters. 

Mandatory Safety Items:

The following items are mandatory to enter and MUST be carried by each participant while on the water:

• Kayak or Canoe of sound construction and suitable design for inshore coastal condtions.

• A USCG approved Personal Floatation Device (PFD), type III or Type V - must fit the angler properly and MUST be worn at all times on the water during the tournament.

• Paddle of sound construction (spare paddle optional)

• USCG approved audible signaling device – Whistle or better (e.g. air horn)

• USCG approved visual signaling device – Signaling mirror, dye or smoke markers or flares are acceptable for daytime

Additionally the following items are mandatory for those fishing at night:

•  USGC approved white light (e.g. stern light) – Visible for 360 degrees and mounted high enough to be visible (preferable 3ft or more above the waterline

• Compass

Recommended Safety Items (optional):

• Flares

• First Aid Kit

• Paddle leash / tether

• Cell Phone

• Marine VHF radio

• GPS

Divisions:

There will be 2 Divisions. Anglers must declare their intended division when registering for the tournament:

Open Division – Includes spinning, conventional and fly rods using natural bait or artificial lures

Fly Division - Only fly fishing tackle allowed on the kayak, no bait

Prize Categories:

Largest fish by length (measured from the snout to the fork of the tail). One Largest Fish winner will be selected from each division. 

The “Grand Slam”, in which the combined length of the largest fish from three species including Striped Bass and two of the following species: Bluefish, Fluke (Summer Flounder), False Albacore, Bonito and Weakfish.  Exotic game fish species (not indigenous to the local waters) will also be considered by decision of tournament staff. One Grand Slam winner will be selected from each division.

Overall Tournament Winner. Largest fish (by length) in any of the targeted species from any angler in any division will be the overall winner.

In addition to prizes for fish, all anglers in attendance at the award ceremony will have an equal opportunity to win raffle prizes (which is where all the really good stuff is anyway).

Submitting fish for Prizes:

We encourage all participants to practice catch and release during the tournament. However, anglers will not be penalized if they choose to keep their catch for table fare. Handle the fish as little as possible and revive the fish before release. Avoid lifting large fish out of the water by the head or tail without supporting the rest of the fish’s body, as this has been shown to dramatically increase mortality of released fish.

• Measure the fish’s length (from snout to the fork of the tail) and girth (at its widest part) to the nearest ¼ inch.

• Take a picture of the fish that clearly shows the entire fish and a ruler.

• Fill out the measurement form.

• Measurement slips must be turned in by the angler or their fishing partner before 1:00 PM Sunday.  Calling in the length of the fish over the phone is not allowed.

• In the case of a tie for Length, the second largest fish submitted by the tied participants will be used as a tie breaker. In the event of a tie for second largest fish, a coin toss will be used to determine the winner.

Photographs:

In lieu of requiring a tournament “identifier” in each picture, participants will be instructed to photograph an identifier at King Cove during Check-In, to ensure that fish were caught during the tournament. If you’ve ever tried to juggle a fish, ruler, rod, paddle, camera and identifier, you’ll appreciate having one less thing to deal with. We also encourage anglers to take advantage of their fishing partners to get the needed pictures.

Pictures will be used to verify length of winning fish. Take a picture that clearly shows the entire length of the fish, with the tape measure legible.  Bring the prints and negatives or digital camera with you when you hand in the measurement form.

NOTE: Use of a camera does not eliminate the requirement to fill out a measurement form.  All entries must be accompanied by a measurement form.

If you are using a film camera, the first picture on the roll should be of the tournament identifier during Check-In. Bring both prints and original negatives at the end of the tournament to be considers for prizes.

If you are using a digital camera, bring software and USB cable so pictures can be uploaded to tournament staff computer. As with the film camera, the first picture on the digital memory card should be the tournament identifier. The file name on the camera, date and time is used to determine the picture order.