Official Rules and Regulations

Contestants must enter as two-person teams. Any person under 16 years of age must be teamed with their parent or legal guardian.

All applications will be accepted on a first-come basis, 40 total teams. Boat numbers and ease off position will be assigned by drawing the morning of the tournament.

All participants must wear a life jacket while under power of the main motor. All Minnesota State fishing laws will be adhered to.

No alcoholic beverages or illegal substances may be consumed by participants prior to or during tournament hours or be allowed in the boat.

At no time during the fishing day may a participant leave his/her boat unless he/she returns to tournament headquarters and permission is obtained from a tournament official.

All participants must leave and return to Casperson's Boat Launch. Boats will be inspected prior to the start of the tournament. Boat check-in will begin at 4:30 a.m.  Tournament fishing hours are 6am - 1pm

No participant may anchor closer than 50' to another participant's boat or fish within 20' of another boat.

Bass Minimum Size -- 12 inches -- six (6) Bass Per Team. (No live bait or underwater cameras allowed during tournament hours.) Any fish mauled, mashed, frozen, injected with water or other fluids/substances containing foreign matter to add weight, or showing extreme loss of gill color may result in disqualification at the discretion of the tournament officials.  No culling of dead fish is allowed.   Adequate live wells are mandatory on each boat. They must provide aeration to sustain a limit of fish in a good and releasable condition as possible.
 

Any participant may protest another participant. A written protest, accompanied by a $100.00 fee, must be submitted in writing to the Tournament Director before official closing of the scales on the day of the alleged infraction. The $100.00 fee shall be returned if a protest is found to be valid.

No refunds after June 27, 2010. Alternates will be on a first-come basis after the 40 teams have been filled.

In the interest of good sportsmanship, it is expected participants will not crowd or impede other participants. Other than going to shore for adverse weather conditions, no two participants' boats may pull up to each other during tournament hours.

Patrol boat(s) may pull up and inspect participants at any time. Anyone found cheating will be immediately disqualified and the reasons for disqualification will be announced at the weigh-in.

Scales will open at the official weigh-in site at 11:30am. Fish can only be brought to scales with a weigh-in bag provided by Gopher Bassmasters.

It is the intention of the directors to provide an honest, sportsmanlike tournament. Participants are reminded that the "Spirit of the Rule" will prevail in all judgment cases.

Promoters, tournament officials and organizations assisting in the tournament operation, their agencies, agents, etc., are not responsible for death, injuries, damages, liability, theft, or any loss of any kind to entrants. Each entrant upon signing any entry form will, in effect, be signing a waiver form.

Person or companies named on the flyer have paid a fee or granted a service for advertising services only.

CATCH AND RELEASE PROMOTED - four (4) ounce penalty per fish not released alive.

Prizes will be by total team weight. Ties will be broken by number of live fish weighed and then weight of the largest fish per team or, if needed, by the tournament officials. Prizes will be awarded at the conclusion of the tournament weigh-in.