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2024 Falcon Lake Bass Classic

Sponsored by

Rules & Regulations

 

Tournament Format

  1. The Falcon Lake Bass Classic (the ‘tournament’) format is a two-person team, single day, total weight, live release tournament.

  2. The Tournament Director has the right to delay or shorten the tournament, subject to weather and/or safety considerations.

  3. The Falcon Lake Bass Classic, its promoters, employees, sponsors, organizers, hosts, Directors, Officers, and affiliated organizations assisting the operations of any of the tournaments; their agents and/or agents and assignees are not responsible for any death, injury, liability, fire, theft or loss that may result before, during or after the tournament howsoever cause. ALL COMPETITORS MUST AGREE TO THE ENTRY AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THE WAIVER OF CLAIM, RELEASE, AND INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT UPON SUBMISSION OF TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION.

 

Participation and Eligibility

  1. Competitors must be a minimum of eighteen (18) years of age unless they have permission from their parents or guardians.

  2. All anglers must possess a CURRENT VALID MANITOBA FISHING LICENSE.

Harvester cards, proof of Indigenous status, or any other exemption to the conservation requirement to possess an MB fishing license will be deemed unacceptable as the required license to compete in ANY AND ALL MBA events. NO EXCEPTIONS. A MANITOBA FISHING LICENSE IS REQUIRED.

  1. The Manitoba Bass Anglers Executive Board reserves the right to refuse entry to any individual or team for any reason that the Committee may deem appropriate, including refusal to refund the paid entry fee.

  2. The tournament is limited to Manitoba Bass Anglers Members only. If you are not a member, visit our website at www.mbbass.ca to sign up. 

 

 


 

Entry Fee and Registration

  1. The Early Bird Entry fee per team is $200.00 if paid in full on or before May 17th, 2024, at 11:59 PM by E-Transfer or Cash.  All entries after that time will be $250.00.  WALK-UPS ARE  PERMITTED BUT ARE CASH ONLY!

  2. The early bird boat draw will be held on or shortly after the early bird deadline. TBA

  3. The last day for on line entries is Friday, May 24th, 2024, at Noon.  The tournament director will assign you a boat number based on when your entry has been paid and received.

  4. Team registrations, boat inspections, and team number motor tag release will occur on Saturday, May 25, 2024, outside the Faloma Beach Marina at 7:00 a.m. Teams must receive rule updates, team number motor tags, and complete registration before leaving the dock on tournament day.

  5. Full refunds will only be issued if a team can provide sufficient evidence of the inability to participate (i.e., doctor’s note, emergency, etc.).  These will only be considered if the evidence is submitted to the tournament director before noon on May 24, 2024

 

Pre-Tournament Practice

  1. Anglers will be allowed to pre-fish until 3 pm May 24th 2024.

 

Live Release of Fish

  1. Every effort must be made to keep bass alive through the use of a built-in or securely fastened, adequately aerated, or circulating live well.

  2. Any fish mauled, altered, or injected with water or a foreign matter will result in a team’s immediate disqualification.

  3. Under no circumstances are dead fish to be released.

  4. The proper handling of fish during the weigh-in and all teams must supply their own live release bags.

 

 

Penalty for Late Check-In

  1. A placed physical marker or marker boat will determine the checkpoint to be considered on time.  Competitors who are late checking in for weigh-in after the required return time for whatever reason, including breakdown, will be disqualified. Competitors are strongly urged to contact MBA staff to notify them if they will be late or absent.

 

MB Bass Tournament director for Falcon lake contact Darryl Rempel 204-997-1554


 

Scoring

  1. Only Smallmouth Bass legally caught on tournament day by angling qualify for weigh-in. Violation of this rule will result in disqualification.

  2. The Weigh Master's scale and measure board are the official equipment of the tournament.

  3. A daily limit of FIVE (5) bass per team may be weighed. A team may possess the daily limit as outlined in the 2023 Manitoba Fishing Regulations while angling only. While under main engine power, no more than 5 bass may be possessed per team.

  4. No bass exceeding 45 cm in length per team may be possessed or presented for weigh-in. Official measurement for bass is from tip of closed mouth to tip of open tail. Teams in possession of or presenting for weigh-in any bass exceeding 45 cm in length will be disqualified.

  5. Each team’s fish will be presented to the Weighmaster in weigh bags supplied by the Angler.

  6. All weights called by the Weighmaster are immediately official and not contestable thereafter.

  7. Dead or non-releasable bass presented for weigh-in will not be weighed.

8.      Species caught other than Smallmouth Bass must be returned to tournament waters Immediately. No fish, other than Smallmouth Bass, will be kept in the boat during tournament hours, including completing the weigh-in for the tournament field.

 

 

Boats and Motors

  1. The Tournament Director reserves the right to disallow the use of any boat, motor, and/or equipment deemed unsafe, inappropriate, or unsuitable.

  2. All boats must be a minimum of fourteen (14) feet in length. Canoes, dinghies, barges, houseboats, or similar craft are prohibited.

  3. All boats, motors, and equipment must meet Canadian Coast Guard standards.

  4. All boats with any emergency kill switch must have the kill switch securely attached to the operator whenever the boat is on the plane.

 

Launching and Mooring Equipment Inspections

  1. Teams must have their equipment ready and on the water fifteen (15) minutes before the scheduled departure time. Late arrivals will be penalized and leave at the end of the take-off after all other teams have departed.

  2. Boat inspections will commence at 7:00 a.m. at the Faloma Beach Marina.

  3. Teams must have all tackle boxes, hatches, and live wells ready for inspection.

  4. Boats will be inspected for, but not limited to, team number motor tags properly affixed; operation of live well; kill switch operation; no live, dead, frozen, or freeze-dried bait; no underwater cameras and for required safety equipment.

  5. Failure to report for daily boat inspection will result in disqualification of their catch.

 


 

Start & Tournament Hours

  1. Tournament angling hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

  2. Teams will be started in order of their assigned team number issued at registration. The official start time is 8:00 a.m., and the official return time is 4:00 p.m. At the commencement of the official start time, teams will be called and released every few seconds using a signal flag (trickle start). Each team must acknowledge by waving at the Official Starter. (If available, a member will announce boat numbers for take-off)

  3. Any team starting or attempting to start out-of-order will be held back by the Official Starter until all boats have departed.

  4. Any team with lures in the water will be disqualified before their official start/release according to the assigned boat number.

  5. Return/check-in time for all teams is 4:00 p.m. Any teams returning for weigh-in after 4:00 p.m. will be deducted 1 lb per minute, up to 5 minutes. If a participant shows up later than 4:05 p.m., the participant will be automatically disqualified.

 

Sportsmanship and Courtesy

  1. It is strictly prohibited for any competitor to give, offer, accept, or suggest the exchange of any weighable fish too, from, or with any competitor or non-competitor.

  2. Maximum courtesy must always be practiced, particularly concerning boating and fishing near a non-competitor.

  3. Use of cellular phones is prohibited unless for emergencies only.

Safety

  1. All competitors must practice safe boating at all times during tournament fishing.

  2. Every competitor must wear a fully secured Coast Guard-approved life jacket whenever the main combustion engine is in operation.

  3. Competitors may consume no alcoholic beverages or narcotics before or during the tournament fishing hours.

  4. Any team charged with an offense by any law enforcement agency during the tournament fishing hours will be disqualified.

  5. Competitors may not leave their boats except in the event of a thunderstorm, lightning or severe weather, or other emergency. Anglers may, in these situations, pull onto the nearest shoreline until it is safe to continue fishing.

  6. Whether weighing fish or not, every team must check in at the check-in dock at the starting location. The penalty for failing to report will be disqualification of the team. The check-in dock will be ready for check-ins at 3:00 p.m. each day. If breakdowns force a team in early, they must check in at the designated weigh station.

 

Mechanical Breakdowns or Emergencies

  1. A team that has a mechanical problem may not use a different boat to finish that tournament day.

  2. In the event of a breakdown, the competitor must call the tournament director and get clearance from the tournament Official to transfer their catch to another competitor’s boat or be towed in by another competitor. Fish transfer can only be done if two live wells are present. One competitor from the broken-down boat must accompany the catch back to the check-in.

 


 

On the Water

  1. Competitors are personally responsible for knowing all tournament rules and the current Manitoba Fishing Regulations and Canadian Coast Guard regulations. Teams that have violated federal or provincial fishing and boating regulations during the tournament may be disqualified when tournament Officials confirm this information. This judgment could also affect eligibility to participate in future tournaments.

2.      Competitors are not allowed to toss or pass any items (to another boat or to receive any items) from another boat.

3.      All teams and their equipment are subject to inspection at any time during the tournament. Committee patrol boats may come alongside, following proper identification, and if necessary, board to check for adherence to all tournament rules. No other boat may come in contact with a Competitor's boat at any time.

4.      No competitor shall step on shore without approval or accompaniment by a tournament Official (except in adverse weather conditions).

5.      No fishing information may be given to or exchanged with competitors during the tournament fishing hours by tournament or non-tournament anglers.

6.      Each boat must respect a 50-foot diameter fishing circle, which may not be fished or navigated through by another boat.

7.      Competitors are expected to cooperate with official video and still photography personnel as much as possible.

 

Tackle and Equipment

  1. Only artificial lures, manufactured baits, pork rind, and commercially available liquid attractants may be used.

  2. No live, dead, frozen, or freeze-dried bait of any kind may be used or possessed by any competitor during the tournament. Teams caught using prohibited baits will be disqualified.

  3. The use, in live wells, of commercially available fish care chemicals is permitted.

  4. Underwater cameras or any similar devices are prohibited during the tournament.

  5. Use of BISONIC EQUIPMENT is prohibited.

  6. All items and equipment are subject to inspection at any time during the tournament. Official tournament boats may come alongside and come aboard and inspect the competitor’s boat at any time.

 

Violations and Protest

1.      General Penalties: teams may be disqualified from the tournament for frequent or major infractions of the rules and will not receive a refund of their entry fee. Examples of major infractions include unsafe boating practices, gross angling ethics violations, and violations that clearly give the competitor an unfair or illegal advantage over other competitors, such as; movement of fish, use of live bait, fishing out of bounds, caged fish, violation of provincial and federal fishing and boating regulations, exchanging fish between boats.

  1. Each team captain has the right to file a protest when they know firsthand that another team has broken or violated a rule.

  2. The “violations” Committee will include the top 3 team captains, 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.

  3. If the protest is valid, the penalized team will be dealt with as the Committee sees fit.

 

Boundaries

  1. All waters of Falcon Lake proper are deemed Tournament waters unless stated otherwise by the Tournament Director.

 

Tie Breakers

  1. In the event of a tie, the team with the heaviest single bass of the tournament will govern.

 

Changes and Amendments

1.      The Executives of the Manitoba Bass Anglers retain the right to change or amend any or all of these preceding rules at their sole discretion without prior notification or consultation with the Competitors.

 

Law Enforcement

1.      By agreeing to these rules and conditions, you are waiving any privacy rights between yourself, the Conservation officers of Manitoba, Ontario, all other law enforcement officers, and the MBA. You agree that if you interact with law enforcement during tournament hours, the officers have the right to contact the MBA and its tournament officials to report the situation. If the member of law enforcement provides the MBA with any information about an infraction, the MBA will take the side of the officer in any given situation and result in disqualification.

 

 

For more information or in case of emergency, please contact

 

Tournament Director For Falcon Lake Darryl Rempel 204-997-1554