kayakers on ice rules
- Interpretation of these rules will be left exclusively to tournament officials whose decisions are final. These set of rules are strictly for online events
Registration
- Registration for the tournament will be done strictly through TourneyX. Tournament registration fees will be done exclusively through TourneyX. Tournament fees do not include launch fees that may be incurred at a particular body of water. Tournament fees are non-refundable. Each angler must have a valid Nebraska fishing license. Licenses can be purchased online prior to a tournament at: https://ngpc-home.ne.gov/ps/faces/index.xhtm
- Registration must occur prior to the registration cutoff as listed on the TourneyX page. You also must register prior to catching, photographing or submitting any fish for the tournament. Fish caught or photographed prior to the anglers registration is subject to not only disqualification from the tournament and forfeiture of any prizes, but a lifetime ban of any future event(s).
- Identifier: After registering and paying entry fee, the angler will receive an “identifier” that must appear in each photo of a measurable fish. Before the start of the tournament, the Tournament Official or his designee will give out a unique “tournament number”. The tournament number should be written on the identifier. The identifier shall be considered “visible” in a photograph as long as the entire “tournament number” can be seen on the portion of the identifier that is in the photograph.
- Start and Finish Times: The Official Time is determined by the Tournament Official or his designee. All tournament times will be posted on the TourneyX registration page.
- Fishing Methods: Anglers may use any rods or tip-ups as allowed by the Nebraska Game and Parks. Fishing with other anglers is allowed and encouraged. Sharing of catches is strictly prohibited and will result in disqualification.
- Launch: All anglers must launch and take-out from public lakes. The use of private property that is not open to the public, even with the permission from the landowner, is strictly prohibited. Trespassing on any property to launch or take-out is strictly prohibited. Private properties that charge a launch fee or day use fee are allowable access points, as long as the properties are open to the public and accessible to any angler. Any angler who launches or takes-out from a location prohibited by this section is subject to disqualification from the tournament and forfeiture of any prizes.
- Tournament Format: Online tournaments are to operate as CPR -Catch, Photograph and Release. Fish are not to be brought to check In – doing so will result in disqualification.
CATCH
- All fish must be taken with a tip-up, fishing rod, line and hook on the day(s) of the tournament during tournament hours. Absolutely no other method will be permitted. Snagging is not permitted. Anglers must obey the Nebraska regulation for number of rods, lines, and hooks.
- Artificial lures or live bait is permitted. Only use live bait where it’s allowed.
- All fish caught and photographed must be alive. No frozen fish. Any angler who submits a picture of a dead fish is subject to not only disqualification from the tournament and forfeiture of any prizes, but a lifetime ban of any future event(s).
PHOTOGRAPH
- All fish must be photographed on a measuring board. If measurement lines aren’t clearly visible it could result in loss of length. You may only submit pictures where the board is laying flat or the board is on your lap. Failure to follow these rules will result in your fish being disqualified. If multiple infractions happen further penalization could happen based on the severity, which will be left to the discretion of the directors. The measuring board may not be broken, snapped, or cut apart and the reassembled at any point between the two ends.
- Every picture of a fish must have the unique identifier for that particular tournament, with the “identifier” showing.
- All pictures must be taken with the upright vertical end of the measuring board on the left-hand side of the picture frame, with the fish facing to the left, the belly of the fish facing the bottom of the picture frame. Photographs of fish in an improper orientation will not be scored.
- The fish’s lip must be touching the upright vertical end of the measuring board, with the mouth closed. If a judge is unable to ascertain with certainty that fish’s lip or mouth is touching the measuring board fence, a 1” penalty will be assessed. Photographs of fish with the lip not touching the vertical end of the measuring board will not be scored. Photographs of fish with the mouth not closed shall be penalized up to 1 inch.
- The fish’s tail may be either pinched or laying naturally on the measuring board, but the tail must be laying flat against the measuring board. Photographs of fish with the tail not laying flat on the measuring board will not be scored.
- Photographs must be taken with your digital phone and submitted through the TourneyX app. It is the angler’s sole responsibility to turn in a clear photograph for each fish being considered. Photos that are blurry, overexposed, dark or taken at a bad angle will be judged as accurately as possible, but may result in less than optimal results due to the quality of the photo, as the official measurements are at the discretion of the Tournament Official or his designee.
- The angler’s hand may appear on the fish in the photograph, as long as the mouth, tail, and eye are clearly visible and the hand is not excessively covering markings of the fish. If the fish has an eye injury, dead looking eye, or it’s glossed over. The angler will need to flip the fish and take a photo of the good eye (full fish), in addition to the regular photo. Securing the fish with any portion of a hand under the fish’s gill flap is prohibited.
- No device other than the anglers hand shall be used to secure the fish to the measuring board. Anglers may not use “clips”, “stringers”, or “fish grips”; no device of any kind can be touching the fish or in the fish’s mouth while taking photographs on the measuring board. Lures may not be in the fish’s mouth in the photograph. Photographs of fish secured to the measuring board with a device other than the angler’s hand, or with a lure in its mouth will not be scored.
- An angler may only submit one picture per fish.
- All rulings by the Tournament Official or his designee will be final.
SCORING
- Tournaments will be scored by using the aggregate length of each angler’s longest fish, minus any penalties incurred. Fish will be measured by the judge(s) and rounded down to the nearest ¼-inch. The highest total in inches will be the winner. If two anglers should have the same total length, the angler with the longest big fish will win the tie breaker. Should both anglers have the same length big fish, the anglers second largest fish will determine the tie breaker. If both anglers have all fish that are all the same length, the tie breaker shall be determined by the angler that submitted their longest fish first. Fish that will be eligible for measurement in each tournament will be: 3 crappie, 3 bluegill/sunfish, 1 black bass, 1 walleye and 1 catfish.
PENALTIES
- An angler’s tournament score shall be subject to the following penalties:
- Photographs of fish with the mouth cracked or open slightly shall be penalized ½”. Photographs of fish with the mouth clearly open shall be penalized 1 inch.
- Photographs of fish in an improper orientation will not be scored.
- Photographs of fish with the lip not touching the vertical end of the measuring board will not be scored.
- Photographs of fish with the tail not laying flat on the measuring board will not be scored.
- Photographs of fish secured to the measuring board with a device other than the anglers hand will not be scored. If any portion of a hand or fingers are under the fish’s operculum (hard gill flap), the photograph will not be scored.
- Photographs of fish with clips”, “stringers”, “fish grips”, “lures” or any other device in the fish’s mouth will not be scored.
- Any angler found to be fishing with the total number of rods, lines or hooks over the state regulation(s) will be subject to disqualification from the tournament and forfeiture of any prizes.
- Any angler found to be using live bait during a tournament where Nebraska law prohibits is subject to not only disqualification from the tournament and forfeiture of any prizes, but a lifetime ban of membership and any future event(s).
- Any angler who submits a picture of a dead fish is subject to not only disqualification from the tournament and forfeiture of any prizes, but a lifetime ban of any future event(s).
- Any angler who launches or takes-out from a prohibited location is subject to disqualification from the tournament and forfeiture of any prizes.
- Any angler who launches or begins fishing before the approved time or before the angler registers is subject to disqualification from the tournament and forfeiture of any prizes.
SAFETY
- No ice is safe ice. Be safe and fish with other anglers if possible.
SPORTSMANSHIP
Sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation are expected from each angler. Any infraction of these fundamental sporting principles may be cause for disqualification. A determination of unsportsmanlike conduct will be up to the Tournament Official or his designee.
FISHING BOUNDARIES
- Only fish caught in public bodies of water are to be eligible; fish caught in unauthorized areas will result in disqualification.
WEATHER
- Anglers are to exercise their own best judgment for safety when considering whether to fish in a tournament or not. The Tournament Official or his designee retain the exclusive right to decide on cancelling or postponing an event due to inclement weather. If an event is canceled or postponed, the Tournament Official or his designee will announce the decision at the earliest possible time.
JUDGING INQUIRIES
- Any judging inquiries or protests must be submitted in writing by midnight of the following day. Tournament director(s) will investigate in a timely manner and respond accordingly.
CHEATING INQUIRIES
- Any inquiries of cheating will be handled by the Tournament Official or his designee. Any angler found cheating during a tournament is subject to disqualification from the tournament, forfeiture of any and all prizes, and a lifetime ban of membership and participation in any future event(s).
PRIZES
- All prizes awarded by the Tournament Officials or any of its sponsors are final. They cannot be transferred or exchanged for other prizes or cash/credit. Prizes awarded for each tournament are subject to change at the discretion of the Tournament Officials or its sponsors. Product and/or Cash prizes will only be awarded to the individual that won the prize. Anyone found violating any of the prior guidelines and rules are subject to forfeit any prizes that are due to them.
WAIVER
- A waiver releasing the tournament officials, tournament members, tournament participants, sponsors, etc. from all liability must be signed during the registration process; otherwise the angler is ineligible to participate,