OBJECTIVE:

The intention of these tournament regulations is to promote high standards of sportsmanship. Furthermore, these rules and regulations outline non-tolerated unsportsmanlike conduct and cheating behavior that will result in immediate disqualification from this and future tournament activities coordinated by the Montana Pikemasters Chapter.

 

Definitions: 

·         Northern Pike:  Genus – Esox, Lucius. The sole purpose of these intended rules.

·         Tournament Committee:  A group of individuals chosen from members of Montana Pikemasters.

·         Tournament Officials:  Individuals selected by the Montana Pikemasters Tournament Committee to enforce the regulations listed herein.

·         Tournament Headquarters:  The tournament headquarters will be determined by the tournament committee.

 

1.             Eligibility for Participation: 

·         Membership in Montana PikeMasters is not required in our tournaments.

·         Any applicant under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult partner over 18 years of age. 

·         The entry fee is determined by individual tournaments on a per team basis with a conservations fee added; these added fees go toward the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks for the State of Montana.

·         Tournament Committee reserves the right to refuse entry of any individual.

2.             Regulations:

·         As stated by Montana State Law and enforced by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks: all boat exteriors must be washed, and live wells cleaned, prior to entering the water at the beginning of the tournament.

·         Each participant must possess a valid Montana Fishing License with a Warm Water Fish License.

·         Each participant must observe and adhere to all the rules and regulations of the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks and the U.S. Coast Guard.

3.             Participating Teams:

·         Contestants enter as two (2) -person teams.

·         Any change in of team members must be approved by the tournament Committee and an application must be signed.

·         Only two (2) Team Members may occupy a boat during the tournament.

4.             Drugs & Alcohol:  Drugs, drug paraphernalia, and/or alcoholic beverages are not permitted in any contestant’s boat.

5.             Rules Meeting:  One participant from each team is required to attend the Rules Meeting as advertised on the agenda prior to the tournament starting.

6.             Inspections: 

·         Boats will receive an inspection each day prior to the start of the tournament.

·         Absolutely no entry boat may have Northern Pike on board prior to the start of the Tournament.

·         All boats participating in the tournament must display their identifying makers provided by the tournament committee upon registration.

7.             Tackle:

·         Due to tournament catch-and-release policies, all hooks must be barbless.

·         Each participant must adhere to all rules and regulations set forth by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks regarding the methods of taking fish.

·         Spare fishing rods and equipment may be carried in the boats.

8.             Boat Operations:

·         As an ongoing effort to prevent the transport and introduction of aquatic nuisance species, that may be harmful to the preservation of all freshwater species, all participants are required to wash their boats and trailers before and after all tournament events.

·         Each participant is required to wear an approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD) when the primary motor is running, unless when trolling.

·         All teams must depart by boat from the starting area under the direction of the Tournament Officials.

·         Team Boats may not come within 100-feet of another watercraft, except for patrol boats.

·         Marine band and CB radios may be used for emergency purposes only.

·         Disqualification may occur when handling a boat in a careless and reckless manner.

·         A check boat can refuse to follow the format of the tournament if any participating boat approaches in a reckless manner.

·         If a check boat refuses to follow tournament format the participating team will need to find another check boat to try to get their fish weighed.

·         The Tournament Committee may disqualify a team, without refund, from the tournament for repeat offenses of approaching a check boat in a reckless manner.

9.             Tournament Hours and Procedures:

·         Tournament hours are as advertised in the tournament itinerary.

·         The starting order will be announced at the rules meeting by the Tournament Committee.

·         Starting boats will commence as advertised and will always occur in single file.

·         Any boat arriving late for the start time will be required to go to the end of the start line.

·         Starting and check-in procedures will be determined by the Tournament Committee.

·         The Montana Pikemasters Charter strongly recommends that small boats pull over either at start or request to be placed at the end of the starting line.

·         The Tournament Committee will announce the established check-in methods, as well as a start and finish points, during the rules meeting.

·         Teams not returning to the finish point by the designated time will be disqualified, without refund.

10.         Withdrawal Requirements:

·         Entry Fee refunds will be made only if team gives written notification of withdrawal two (2) weeks prior to the Tournament starting date.

·         A service charge of twenty percent (20%) plus the Conservation Fee will be assessed against refunds made due to withdrawal from the tournament.

·         Any other refunds defined outside this policy are subject to review by the Tournament Committee.

11.         Fishing Area:

·         Fishing will only be allowed within the boundaries of the tournament area that will be defined at the Rules Meeting.

·         Teams may not leave their boat at any time except as allowed by specific permission of the check boat personnel or in the event of lightening posing an immediate threat.

·         A team operating their boat outside of the designated tournament area, during tournament hours, is grounds for disqualification, without refund.

 

 

 

12.         Inclement Weather: 

·         The Tournament Committee reserves the right to postpone or cancel a daily competition if, in the opinion of the Tournament Committee, weather conditions exist that pose a threat to the safety of the teams, their participants, and tournament personnel.

·         The Tournament Committee may declare a bad weather condition due to deteriorating weather conditions, after the tournament has already begun on any day of the competition.

·         In the event that inclement weather is declared, check boats and tournament staff will be called in.

·         Teams must use their own discretion, to seek safety or continuing to fish, as it pertains to weather conditions.

·         When the Tournament Committee has ruled to stop the tournament, teams are encouraged to seek immediate shelter.

·         Bad weather will not change tournament hours.

·         Teams must reach the check-in point by the required time in a safe manner.

·         After arrival time, teams will give their scorecard to Tournament Committee Officials.

·         Good intentions, sportsmanship and proper judgment are essential as it pertains to your own personal safety under these circumstances.

13.         Procedure of Fishing:

·         The tournament will be catch-and-release only.

·         Check boats will be at various points on the lake.

·         Teams will catch, measure, and release as many Northern Pike as they choose; however, only the largest five (5) Northern Pike per team per day will count towards a team’s overall score.

·         Teams are not allowed to have more than five (5) Northern Pike in the boat at any given time.

·         Northern Pike must be a minimum of 24-inches in length to be counted.

·         The length of a fish that breaks the ¼-inch will be scored at the next ¼-inch mark; this does not stand true for any fish measured at 23¾-inches.

·         The length of the fish must break the 24-inch mark to be scored as a legal fish.

·         Any fish that cannot be released alive will receive a six (6) inch deduction from fish length.

·         Any team caught releasing Northern Pike, or any other game fish, that are dead, or are otherwise unreleasable, will be disqualified, without refund.

·         During the Tournament hours, each contestant may keep one Trophy Northern Pike greater than 40-inches in length or have a replica made.

·         The Trophy Northern Pike will count toward the five (5) Northern Pike tournament limit.

14.         Check-in Late Penalty:

·         All teams must check-in each day at the location designated by the Tournament Committee; regardless of whether the Team has fish or not.

·         The team number and arrival time will be recorded at the check-in destination.

·         In the event of a backlog of boats at the check-in destination, boats that have arrived prior to the deadline will not be disqualified from that tournament.

15.         Fishing Reporting Requirements:  Records of fish caught must be turned in twenty (20) minutes after the tournament time ends each day.

16.         Scoring:

·         Daily scores will be the total measurement converted into the weight of up to five (5) Northern Pike.

·         These fish are selected by the Team from all of the fish caught that day.

·         Placement in the Tournament is based on the total Team score during the duration of the tournament.

 

 

17.         Protest Policy: 

·         No later that one-half (½) hour after the close of the tournament for that day do teams and committee members have the right to bring actions of protest to another tournament person.

·         A participant or Team must include a $150.00 cash protest fee with their protest.

·         The decision made by the Tournament Officials shall be final.

·         Teams or participants waive any right to appeal the Tournament Committee to a higher authority; this includes any court of jurisdiction or other states.

·         If a protest is found to be sound, the protest fee will be returned.

·         If the protest is found not sound, the fee will not be returned.

·         Any participant or Team found violating the rules may be disqualified, without refund.

18.         Prefish:  Prefishing cut off time is 5:00 PM (17:00 hours) the day prior to the tournament.

19.         Violations: 

·         Failure to keep or observe these listed rules may result in a denial to compete in future Montana Pikemasters sanctioned tournaments. 

·         Future participation would be reviewed by the Tournament Committee.

20.         Rules are Final:  These rules have been established by the rules committee and translation of the rules shall be left exclusively to the Tournament Officials and Tournament Committee members.  All decisions made by Tournament Officials will be deemed final.

 

Liability Release: When a participant signs the Tournament Entry Form, all teams or participants agree to the following Release of Liability.

We the participants, in consideration of being permitted to participate in the Montana Pikemasters Tournament, do for ourselves. Therefore, the participant’s heir executors, committees, and administrators, hereby release and forever discharge the Montana Pikemasters’ committee members, their directors, all sponsoring agencies (or individuals of sponsoring agencies), their heirs, successors and administrators, and Montana Pikemasters members from any and every claim, demand, action or right of action, of whatever kind or nature whether in law or inequity arising from or by reason of any bodily injury or personal injury, known or unknown, death or property damage resulting or to result from any accident that may occur as a result from any accident that may occur as a result of your participation in the Montana Pikemasters activities or any activities in connection with Montana Pikemasters, whether by negligence or otherwise.  We further release all tournament officials, committee, staff, participating sponsors, or other sponsoring agencies from any harm whatsoever on account of first aid treatment or services rendered me/us during the participating in the Montana Pikemasters Tournament activities.  This release contains the entire agreement between parties hereto and the terms of this release are contractual and not a mere recital.