21st Annual Montana Governor’s Cup Walleye Tournament Rules
Effective: July 10, 11, & 12, 2008
1. Eligibility: Any applicant under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult (18yrs or over) partner. There will be no more than 200 teams fishing in the tournament. The tournament committee reserves the right to refuse entry to any individual. All applicants must also be members of Walleyes Unlimited of Montana. Tournament participants found not to be Walleyes Unlimited of Montana members will forfeit any cash or merchandise prizes earned. Membership status must be determined BEFORE the tournament starts. The entry fee is determined by each individual tournament on a per team basis, with a $10 conservation fee added. Each Tournament Committee reserves the right to refuse or reject an entry. Boats of all tournament anglers must be covered by liability insurance. Tournament directors may declare any boat not so insured as “ineligible for competition.”
2. There is a 14 ¼ -inch minimum length requirement for any walleye caught. The length of the fish must the 14 inch mark to be scored a legal fish. (So in reality, there will be no 14 inch fish shown on weigh cards).
3. Rules Meeting: All contestants are required to attend a rules meeting on the evening prior to the tournament beginning at 5:00pm Kiwanis Park, Fort Peck, Montana. Pre-fishing is not permitted after 3:00pm on Thursday; violators will be disqualified from the tournament.
4. General: Sauger and Saugeye must be released immediately as they are a species of special concern and may not be in your possession during the Montana Governor’s Cup Walleye Tournament.
5. Regulations: Each entrant must posses a valid Montana fishing license. All contestants must observe U.S. Coast Guard and Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Park’s rules and regulations.
6. Teams: Contestants must enter as two-person teams. Tournament officials must approve any change of team members and a new application must be completed by the team and signed.
7. Tournament Headquarters: Tournament headquarters will be located at the West end boat ramps and Kiwanis Park in Fort Peck, Montana.
8. Fishing Area: Fishing will be allowed only within the boundaries of the tournament area as described on a map that will be provided to each team prior to the tournament.
9. Tournament Hours: Tournament hours are 7:00am – 3:00pm on Friday and Saturday, in the event the competition is cancelled on Friday or Saturday, Sunday will become a “make-up” day.
10. Inspection: Boats will receive an inspection each day prior to launching and receive the scorecard for that day. All boats in the tournament must display identifying marking provided by tournament officials. All tournament boats must be inspected by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Park’s prior to tournament start for exotic plant and aquatic species. No boat may have Walleye on board prior to the fishing tournament.
11. Tackle: Artificial and live baits are allowed. Each contestant may fish with up to two lines at a time. Spare rods and equipment may be carried in the boat. Each contestant must conform to the rules of the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks concerning number of lines permitted, allowable bait and methods of taking fish on each particular body of water.
12. Boat Operations: All teams must depart by boat from the Fort Peck Marina under the direction of tournament officials. The order of departure will begin with a randomly selected team number and be reversed on the second day. Cellular phones, CB’s, and marine band radios may not be used to relay tournament fishing information and should be used for emergency transmissions only during tournament hours.
13. Fishing: The tournament will be operated as a ‘Catch and Release’ format. Fish may be measured at patrol boats. A dead fish will receive zero weight. Fish length will be recorded and the fish released if alive and releasable condition. Non-releasable fish will be tagged by patrol boats at measuring sites and must be kept in the contestant’s boats until final check-in. Teams will not be allowed more than five (5) fish in the boat at any time. Big Fish Northern must be weighed at Tournament Headquarters. Any live walleye 24-inches or longer can be tagged and kept as a trophy with no penalty.
14. Scoring: Daily scores will be the total measurement converted to weight of up to five (5) walleye. These five (5) will be selected by the team from all the fish measured and recorded for their team that day. The five selected MUST INCLUDE any tagged fish.
15. Checking In/Late Penalty: All boats must be checked in each day with the officials on the Corps Boat regardless of whether the team has fish or not. Late arrivals will be penalized 50-percent of that day’s catch weight and will be eliminated from any big fish prizes. Boats over 15 minutes late will be completely disqualified for the day. Scorecards must be turned into tournament officials by 4pm at Tournament Headquarters. If a team’s scorecard in is not turned in by 4pm, that teams will receive a ‘zero’ for the day’s fishing weight.
16. Alcohol: NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES are allowed in the contestant’s boats.
17. Spirit of the Rule: It is the intention of this tournament to promote good sportsmanship and fair play. Unsportsman-like conduct and cheating will result in disqualification. Interpretation of the rules shall be exclusively left to the tournament officials; all decisions are final.
18. Protest Policy: Only contestants and tournament officials have the right to protest the actions of another team or contestant. Protest by contestants must be filed in writing with the A three-person committee appointed by the tournament officials will convene to investigate and make a decision regarding the protest regarding the protest. Protests must be made to the Tournament Director no later than two hours after that day of fishing. A $100 protest fee must accompany any protest offered by a contestant. If the protest is found to be valid, protest fee will be returned. If the protest is found invalid, the fee will not be returned. Any person found violating the rules may be immediately disqualified and the reasons for said disqualification announced at the Tournament Headquarters area.
19. Tournament chairman and committee reserve the right to disqualify any teams participating in the tournament that are being rude or disrespectful to any tournament staff or volunteers.
20. Marine Band Radios: Radios must be present in participants’ boats both days for everyone’s safety, check-in and penalty purposes. Any team experiencing mechanical difficulties (i.e. dead in water) will radio to patrol boats for assistance.
21. Withdrawal Policy: Entry fee refunds will be made only if the participants give written notification of withdrawal two weeks prior to the tournament starting date. A service charge of $60 will be assessed.
22. Weather: Sustained winds of 25mph or greater at the start of the day of fishing will either be delayed no later than 9:00am or cancelled. The cancelled day will be made up on Sunday.
