Minimalist Challenge Tournament

EVENT INFORMATION AND OFFICIAL RULES

FORMAT: Each angler is given lures to fish with for the tournament. You can only use these lures. POSSESSION of any other lures will result in the contestant being disqualified. Super glue, leader material, and simple speed clips or tactical clips will be allowed to be used one at a time as intended. No additional weight or weights or the use of any type of scent or dyes will be allowed. No floats other than the provided top water lure and no scavenging old corks or using items found as a float.

BOUNDARIES: All anglers will shotgun launch from the public launch in Leeville, LA.  The boundaries shall include all publicly accessible waters from Launch Leeville.

TIME: Lures will be handed out to all anglers at 5:00 AM at Launch Leeville.  The official shotgun launch & lines in time is 6:00 AM. You may launch your kayak prior to 6:00 AM and stage within the immediate area of the launch, but DO NOT travel forth or begin fishing UNTIL the 6:00 AM launch horn is sounded. REMINDER: Be courteous, DO NOT BLOCK LAUNCHES.

OBJECT: The heaviest total weight of up to 3 slot Redfish (16″ to less than 27″), 15 Speckled Trout (12″ or greater), and 10 Flounder (11″ or greater) will win. A slot Redfish will be measured with a closed mouth and a pinched tail; the longest point of the pinched tail shall touch the 16″ mark at a minimum length and shall NOT touch the 27″ mark at a maximum length. NOTE: The drying of redfish to make the fish shorter is NOT ALLOWED.

WEIGH-IN: The weigh-in will begin at 2:00 PM at Launch Leeville. The weigh-in line will be cut off at 3:00:00 PM sharp. Upon your arrival at the weigh-in site, SIGN IN ASAP. Sign in time is a tie breaker in the event of a tie. Sign-in will begin by 2:00 PM and will end promptly at 3:00:00 PM. Any angler not signed in by 3:00 PM will not be allowed to have their catch weighed. There will be no proxy sign-ins, a participant must appear in person and physically sign-in.

ENTRY FEES: The entry fee is $31.50 per participant.
$20 of each entry is paid out to the winners.
$10 of each entry is held for the Championship Event.

100% of the event purse is split to pay out the individual awards.
1-30 Paid Entries = Three (3) places paid out
31-50 Paid Entries = Four (4) places. paid out
51-75 Paid Entries = Five (5) places paid out
76-100 Paid Entries = Six (6) places paid out
101+ Paid Entries = Seven (7) places paid out

Minimum payout = $50 with cash differentials provided by BCKFC.

BIG FISH AND LEOPARD RED: There will be an option during registration to enter the BIG FISH category. Entry into the BIG FISH category will be $5.00 and the winner will take all. Winner is determined by weight. Redfish must be a slot Redfish (slot defined above) at the time of weigh-in. There will be an option during registration to enter the LEOPARD RED category. Entry into the LEOPARD RED category will be $5.00 and the winner presenting the slot Redfish (slot defined above) at the time of weigh-in with the most spots (spots must not touch or they will be only counted as one) will take all.  The Leopard Redfish presented does not have to be a part of your three fish stringer.  In other words, this is the only scenario in which a 4th redfish can be presented at the weigh in.  If your Leopard Redfish is presented as an additional 4th fish, the weight of this fish will not be included/added in the total weight of your three redfish stringer.

YOUTH DIVISION: *** There is a FREE youth division for anglers who are 12 years of age or younger *** Enter by sending an email to [email protected] or send a Private Message to BayouBound on the forum.

PADDLE/PEDAL CRAFT ONLY: This event allows human powered craft only.  Trolling motors, sails, gas engines, and “mother ships,” are not allowed.  Your pedal or paddle craft must be human powered and includes tandem kayaks, canoes, pirogues, and paddleboards.   A participant is allowed to wade fish or fish from the bank but ONLY if they remain within 100’ of their LAUNCHED paddle craft.  Launched is defined as your paddle/pedal craft being off of your vehicle/trailer and that a portion of the craft is in fishable waters.

PRIVATE LAUNCHES & PRIVATE FISHING AREAS: Private launches that offer an angler an unfair advantage are not allowed. Participants may only utilize those private launches where other anglers can readily access the same fishing grounds. Fishing behind gated areas of the marsh is not allowed unless the angler has arranged for all other participants to also fish the area that day AND has made that possibility known to all by posting appropriate information on our forums at least one week in advance.

WATER COURTESY / ENCROACHMENT: Do your best not to disturb someone else’s fishing area, by encroachment, or noise. If you come upon an angler in an egress area, as quietly as you can, ask which side he or she would like you to cross at. A good rule of thumb is that if you can both cast to a common point you’re too close. Respect others and use the golden rule.

PROTESTS: All protests must be made in writing and delivered to a tournament official within 30 minutes of the official end of the weigh-in. The tournament director is the final authority in all considerations.

CHEATING/FOUL PLAY: All anglers are encouraged to report violations.  Cheating and contest fraud in a fishing tournament is a crime in the state of Louisiana.  BCKFC will enforce a zero tolerance policy with regard to cheating.

POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION: All participants, by signing up, agree to take a polygraph examination if requested. Any participant can be asked to submit to a polygraph examination. No explanation shall be required from the hosts of the tournament as to why a specific individual is asked to submit to a polygraph examination. Refusal to submit to or failure of a polygraph examination will result in disqualification from the tournament, forfeiture of any and all prizes / awards, and potential banishment from all future BCKFC events.  No refunds for tournament fees will be granted for person(s) refusing to submit to or failing a polygraph examination.

RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND COVENANT NOT TO SUE: A waiver, release of liability, and covenant not to sue are part of the entry form.  It is required that all contestants take responsibility for themselves while participating in event activities.  Please DO NOT let your competitive nature push you into doing dangerous things. You must agree to the Waiver to participate. The Waiver is in the online registration page linked below.  BE SAFE, BE SEEN, AND WEAR YOUR PFD!

DEPTH FINDERS: Depth finders / fish finders are allowed.

COMMUNICATION: Cell or electronic communication “to and from” non-tournament anglers during tournament hours will not be allowed except if it is not fishing related (Example: your wife, work, etc.).

PFD REQUIREMENT: You must properly wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD while in your kayak during all BCKFC events. Failure to comply with this rule during competition could result in disqualification from the tournament. Disqualification will be determined by the Tournament Director based on investigation of any specific incident.

RULE CHANGES: Interpretation of rules is exclusively left to the Tournament Directors and BCKFC Officers. The decisions of this group are final in all matters and are not subject to appeal.  Please do your part in not providing a reason to place them in a position where they must make rulings, decisions, etc.  Keep it simple, keep it clean, and when in doubt…do the right thing.

PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY: Participation is open to anyone 18 years of age or older.  Minors are eligible to participate with a parent or legal guardian.  That parent or guardian, not BCKFC, is responsible for the safety and well-being of that minor.  All participants represent that they are physically and mentally competent and fit and able to participate.  By entering, all participants agree to assume ALL risks of personal injury, death, and damage to or loss of property and further agree to indemnify and hold BCFKC, its officers, members, agents, and sponsors harmless from and against any and all claims, liabilities, and causes of action resulting directly or indirectly from participation.

LEGAL FISH: All competitors must check in with legal fish as per LDWF regulations to be eligible for awards and prizes. All fish presented at time of weigh in must meet BCKFC tournament size requirements. Any fish presented to weigh-master that does not meet minimum/maximum size requirements will not be accepted as a tournament entry. A replacement fish will be allowed but has to be in your physical possession. You are not allowed to leave your position at the weigh table. If a second fish is presented and does not meet minimum/maximum tournament size requirements it will result in an immediate disqualification of the angler from the tournament. All gross negligence of the minimum/maximum tournament size limits will result in an immediate disqualification and the BCKFC weigh-master and Tournament Director will have final decision. Any attempt to enter fraudulent catch, exchanging catches, tampering with catch, or to hamper or threaten any official of the tournament will result in immediate disqualification. Only authorized persons will be allowed in the sign-in and weigh-in stations.

DRONE/UAS USAGE: Tournament participants are not allowed to use unmanned aircraft systems (drones) during the tournament day to scout for fish, spy on other anglers, or any other means that may be viewed as benefiting/advancing their fishing.