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Fishing Tournaments - General Provisions

Standard Provisions for a Fishing Contest (Tournament) Permit

To ensure a tournament sponsor is issued a valid tournament permit, the sponsor must meet/address the following provisions...

Requirements

  1. An application along with the tournament sponsor rules and regulations must be submitted online to the Department within 30 days of the pending contest.
  2. The application must list the recipient of the conservation fee and include a seventy-five dollar application fee. A conservation fee must be negotiated between the organization desiring to hold the fishing contest and a representative of the fishing league or fishing tournament. A fishing contest may not include a conservation fee if the fishing contest is held by a nonprofit veterans organization, charitable organization, educational organization, religious organization, fraternal organization, civic and service organization, or public spirited organization, as those organizations are defined in NDCC chapter 53-06.1.
  3. A statement to the effect that ‘All North Dakota Game and Fish Department rules and regulations must be followed’ must be included in the tournament rules provided to the contestants. Further the following should be stressed:
    1. High-grading or culling of fish is illegal. Fish may not be returned to the water after being held on a stringer or confined by or in any type of holding structure. Culling (high-grading) is the practice of selectively targeting fish – catching a fish, reducing it to creel (e.g. in a livewell), and then later releasing the fish after catching additional fish of a more preferable size. High-grading is and has been against the law for more than six decades in North Dakota.
    2. ‘Party’ fishing is illegal. Anglers may not take (harvest) more than their daily limit.
  4. A post contest report must be submitted online to the Department within 30 days of the conclusion of the tournament.
  5. The agency/entity with jurisdiction of the use facilities (e.g. boat ramps, parking areas, etc.) must allow for the permitted tournament.
  6. If the weigh-in site is away from the immediate boat ramp area, the tournament sponsor must provide staffing at the site to ensure all boats are in compliance with ANS rules.
  7. Non-tournament anglers must be given first right of entry or exit on the ramp.
  8. Tournament sponsors must leave a minimum of 5 to 10 parking sites closest to the ramp for non-tournament anglers.

Recommendations

  1. If any contestant violates a state or provincial game and fish law or regulation, the Department highly recommends that individual be immediately disqualified. Future tournaments may not be permitted, if complaints are received and verified.
  2. No alcohol should be allowed in the boats for participants or on the shore for organizers until the event is completed.
  3. Require all participants to wear life jackets upon take-off. This is a good safety measure and provides a positive message to non-tournament anglers. Also, due to safety concerns, the Department strongly discourages ‘shotgun’ style take offs. Instead numbered flights with idle-speed single-file exits from launching sites are strongly recommended.
  4. Distribute the date, ramp to be used, and boundary of tournament via newspaper ads, PSA’s, etc., a minimum of one week prior to the tournament.
  5. Promote the practice of fishing and boating ethics. BE COURTEOUS to all, including non-tournament anglers and other boaters.
  6. All participant boats should have a highly visible number on its side. This will assist in providing proper identification when complaints are received from the fishing public.