Rules
Tournament Format
The Sioux Narrows Bassin’ for Bucks tournament format is a two person team, fishing for 3 days, daily and total combined weight, live release tournament.
The Tournament director has the right to delay or shorten the tournament, subject to weather and/or safety considerations.
Sioux Bassin’ for Bucks tournament, its promoters, employees, sponsors, organizers, hosts, directors, officers and affiliated organizations assisting the operations of the tournament their agents and/ or agent and assigns are not responsible for any death, injury, damage, liability, fire, theft, or loss that may result prior to, during, or after the tournament howsoever caused.
All competitors must sign an entry and acknowledgement, waiver of claim, release and indemnification agreement.
Participation and Eligibility
Competitors must be a minimum of 18 years of age unless they have permission of their parents and guardians. All participants will require a waiver of claim, release and indemnification agreement signed by them or their parents or guardians, if applicable.
All anglers must possess a valid Ontario sport fishing license.
The Sioux Narrows Bassin’ for Bucks tournament committee reserves the right to refuse entry to any individual or team for any reason that the tournament committee may deem appropriate.
The tournament is limited to 120 boats.
Entry and Registration
Entry fee per team is $500.00 (Canadian).
Team registrations and release of numbered motor tags will take place on the Thursday immediately prior to the tournament, between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., at the Lazy Loon located at the Narrows Ltd. On Highway 71’ in Sioux Narrows. Those who can’t make it to the Registration Event, please contact Barb Salvador at 807-466-2578 to make alternate arrangements.
Entry fees for the following year will be accepted at the registration event. All teams that have paid for the following year by Saturday night, will be entered into a draw and team numbers will be assigned accordingly. The list will be posted at Sunday weigh-in. All entries received after the draw will continue to fill in the remaining spots following the same format, on a first come, first serve basis.
Cancellations received in writing 30 days prior to the first day Tournament, the entry fees less $100. CDN shall be returned to the team Captain. Cancellations thereafter will be accepted only for medical and family emergencies.
Rules
No official Rules Meeting shall take place.
For questions or clarification, see us at the Registration Event or contact Barb Salvador at 807-466-2578.
Pre-Tournament Practice
Moving fish from one location to another during pre-tournaments fishing is prohibited.
All competitions must cease pre-tournament fishing by 4:00 p.m. the Thursday immediately prior to the tournament.
No contestant may enter the tournament waters for the purpose of catching or locating bass or possible fishing locations after the Registration Event, and before and after daily tournament hours.
Live Release of Fish
Every effort must be made to keep the bass alive through the use of a built-in or securely fastened. Properly aerated or recirculating live well.
Any fish mauled, altered, or injected with water or a foreign matter will result in a teams’ Immediate disqualification.
Penalty for late check-in
A team will be penalized ¼ lb. per minute late up to 5 minutes after their appointed return time. Fish brought in after the 5 minute period will not be weighed.
Scoring
Only Largemouth and/or Smallmouth Bass quality for weigh-in.
A daily limit of 5 bass per team may be weighed. A team may possess the daily Ministry of Natural Resources limit while angling only. While under main engine power the 5 fish rule is in effect.
The minimum length is 12inches. Bass will be measured with the mouth closed and tail pinched. Bass presented for weigh-in which fail to meet the minimum length will not be weighed and the team will be penalized at a rate of 1 pound for each short fish.
Each team’s fish will be presented to the weigh-master in the containers supplied by the tournament organizers.
All weights called by the weigh-master are immediately officially and are not thereafter contestable.
One team member must sign the Weigh-in slip recording the weight of the catch.
4 ounces will be deducted from the total daily weight for each dead or non-releasable fish.
Boats and Motors
The tournament director reserves the right to disallow the use of any boat, motor and/or equipment deemed unsafe, inappropriate or unsuitable.
All boats equipped with any emergency kill switch mechanism must have the kill switch tether securely attached to the operator whenever the boat is on plane.
Team number motor tags will be assigned (upon payment of entry fee) and given out at the registration. The numbers must be affixed to the right and left cowls of the main combustion engine so that they are clearly and plainly visible.
Daily Launching and Morning Equipment Inspections
Teams are required to have their equipment ready and on the water 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time of their flight. Late arrivals will be penalized and leave at the end of the next available flight.
Boat inspection will take place each morning commencing at 6:30 am. At the Sioux Narrows Government Dock, located just off Highway 71′, downtown Sioux Narrows.
Teams must have all tackle boxes, hatches and live wells ready for inspection.
Flights and Trickles Starts
Flight sizes are determined by the number of teams entered. Flight times are rotated each day. Based on a full field of 120 boats, the flights will be as follows:
Start
7:30 a.m.
7:45 a.m.
8:00 a.m.
Friday
A 1-40
B41-80
C 81-120
Saturday
B41-80
C81-120
A 1-40
Sunday
C 81-120
A 1-40
B 41-80
Return
3:30 p.m.
3:45p.m.
4:00 p.m.
On day one, teams will be started in order of their registration. They will be called and released every few seconds using a signal flag and blow horn. Each team must acknowledge by waving at the official stater boat, the accelerate when waved on.
Any team starting or attempting to start out of order will be held by the Official Starter until the balance of the flights has departed.
Sportsmanship and Courtesy
It is strictly prohibited for any competitors to give, offer, accept, or suggest the exchange of any other competitor or non-competitor.
All competitors must remain 50 yards from another competitor’s boat.
Maximum courtesy must must be practiced at all times, particularly with regard to boating and fishing in the vicinity of a non-competitor.
The use of cellular phones is prohibited unless situations only.
Safety
All competitors must practice safe boating at all times during practice and tournament hours.
Every competitor must wear a fully secured Coast Guard approved life jacket whenever the main combustion engine is in operation.
No alcoholic beverages or uncontrolled substances may be consumed by competitors during tournament fishing hours.
Any team charged with an offence by any law enforcement agency during the tournament fishing hours will be disqualified.
Competitors may not leave their boats except in the event of a thunderstorm, lightning, or severe weather. Anglers may in these situations, pull into the nearest shoreline until it is safe to continue fishing.
Every team, whether weighing fish or not, must check in at the Check-In boat located at the starting location. The penalty for failing to report will be disqualified of the team. The Check-In boat will be ready for check in’s at 3:00 p.m. each day. If break-downs force a team in early, they must check in at the Siox Narrows Government Dock or at the lazy Loon.
Mechanical Breakdowns or Emergencies
Committee boats will call in, in certain situations, but are prohibited in towing any competitor’s boat during tournament hours.
A team has a mechanical problem may not use a different boat to finish that tournament day.
Teams must notify a tournament official if an emergency or breakdown has occurred.
Anglers may step on shore if required to aid in rectifying a mechanical problem or emergency.
Competitors are responsible for knowing all the Tournament Rules, as well as the current Ontario Sports Fishing Regulations and Canadian Coast Guard Regulations.
Competitors are not allowed to pass any item to another boat, or receive items from another boat during all the tournament hours.
All items and equipment are subject to inspection at any time during the tournament. Official Tournament boats may come along side and come aboard and inspect the competitors boat at any time.
Competitors may not allow another boat or angler to hold a spot for them.
Competitors may go to shore, if necessary for washroom purposes.
Tackle and Equipment
Only official lures, manufactured baits, pork rinds, and commercially available liquid attractants may be used.
No live bait, frozen or freeze-dried bait of any kind may be used or possessed by any competitor during the tournament time frame.
The use, in live wells, of commercially available dried fish care chemicals is permitted.
The use of the “Fish Eye” underwater camera or any similar device is prohibited during the permanent time frame.
Rule Violations and Protest
Each team captain has the right to file a protest when they have first hand knowledge that a rule has been broken or violated by another team. A protest must be filed within 15 minutes of weigh-in to be considered. A $50.00 fee must accompany all protests.
The ‘violations’ will be comprised of the top 5 team captains of the previous day, and they will interpret the rules according to their ‘spirit and intent’. The decisions of the committee are final, and not subject to review at any time.
If the protest is found valid, the protest fee will be returned forthwith and the penalized team will be dealt with as the committee sees fit.
If the protest is found invalid, the protest fee will not be returned.
Boundaries
INBOUNDS – All waters East and South of the latitudinal and longitudinal lines #35 (can be found on map 6212-1).