How does your state manage Tournaments?

[ProCrafter]

Washington State manages tournaments by setting a deadline for application, setting a calendar and with one conflict resolution meeting....30+ clubs are given 7 tournament dates/weekends on all bodies of water and sets boat limits and size restrictions.

Each application for event has a $24.00 application fee.

Boats must be identified by a "Tournament Banner" which is Bright Chartreuse on one side and Blaze Orange on the other.....accepted distance for sportsmenship is 100 ft. from a bannered boat and if a boat should experience a mechanical failure that boat is to turn the banner over to expose the blaze side and any other tourney boat has a duty to stop and render aid.

Tournament directors can change size limits at their descretion.....

Big lakes have up to 250 boat limits so multiple clubs might share water....the smallest lakes might have 35 boat limit and all permits are species specific....no keeping anything not on the permit...not only DQ but can be cited and fined!

Overmanaged??? how about your state?

Here is our states website showing currently accepted tournaments and their fisheries...

http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/fish/contests/2010contests.htm

[Glenn]

Procrafter, a good synopsis of the rules, but you left out a few things:

- If the mortality rate exceeds 10% of the total fish caught, the tournament is over.

- The banners are to identify tournament anglers. In Washington, once you have a limit in your boat, your done fishing UNLESS you're in a tournament (so you can cull). The banner helps game wardens determine who is in violation.

- Under no circumstances may boats be pulled out of the water if fish are in the livewells. It is considered illegal transportation of fish and you'll be cited! This means you can't trailer you boat until after the weigh in and the fish are released.

- All fish must be released after weigh in.

- No body of water may host tournaments more than 2 weekends per month. However, per the boat limit restriction above, you could concievably have multiple tournaments for the same species at the same time, provided they don't exceed the total boat limit restriction.

- Procrafter: Isn't there a rule regarding insurance, or is that just something all the tournament organizations implement on their own?

- Procrafter, keep me honest here:  The state identifies a "contest" as 6 or more people fishing where a prize is awarded (a "prize" could be anything, even a rock).  So that even means a friendly wager amongst 6 friends is considered a "contest", and is subject to fines/penalties if you don't have a permit.

Keep in mind this is the northern climate, where warm water species are not as prolific as they are in the south. So I don't think the fisheries could support daily tournaments like you see in the south.

Oh, and who's Ranger is that in the background of your pic? :

[ProCrafter]

Thanks Glenn....

Insurance requirements were adopted years ago in conjunction with BASS requirements which at that time were the standard....most clubs also carry a "Hold Harmless" insurance and release program to protect the organization....

Here is the WAC code for tournaments/contests...

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=232-12-168

and yes that is a certain persons Ranger....cant tell if the picture is grainey or if that rig is just gettin a lil long in the tooth?? :D :D

[Tin]

No body of water may host tournaments more than 2 weekends per month.

That is a rule I would love to see in RI. There are some bodies of water in our state that see 3 tournies a week and 5 or 6 a month. These lakes are all under 350 acres as well. Some may have 15 boats or 30 anglers. Way too much pressure on a select few lakes that have definatley gone down hill the past couple years.

[burleytog]

VA and TN don't regulate anything.  Wouldn't have it any other way.

[fishfordollars]

Texas does not either. At least as far as I know.

[Glenn]

Oh there's more....and here's the dumbest one:

On certain bodies of water, you cannot target largemouth in May and June if you're in a tournament. If you're meat fishing, well then that's just fine and dandy. Go ahead and kill them during those months.  But don't you DARE put them in a livewell and release them healthy later!!

Bizarre.  It makes no sense whatsoever.