2022 New Brunswick Muskie Melee for the Muskie Master Angler

May 1, 2022 through till November 30, 2022

1. Getting Started

1. The 2022 New Brunswick Muskie Melee for the Muskie Master Angler is an online tournament run through Angler’s Atlas website and their mobile app MyCatch.

2. Anyone can participate in the 2022 New Brunswick Muskie Melee for the Muskie Master Angler and it is for all ages. Registration is currently only able to support individual registration. For those participants sharing a mobile device, participants must login to their own account to submit their catches.

3. There is a 2 part registration fee to enter the tournament. Upon registering for this event you will first be charged $10.00 through shopify which will set you up in the Angler’s Atlas - MyCatch portion of the event. For the second portion,  the registration fee is $50 per person to be paid via e transfer to: [email protected]. A record of all entries (by name) will be sent out to everyone as of 1 June by text message. Also available is the optional Lunker registration fee which is an additional $10 per person 

4. Catches must be submitted through the MyCatch app for approval.

5. In order for catches to be sent properly, you must use the same login email and password for both the Angler’s Atlas website and the MyCatch app.

6. All contestants must register for the tournament via this hidden URL:

https://www.anglersatlas.com/tournament/To be completed when event is set up

7. You will receive an automatic email confirming that you have entered the tournament and that your payment has gone through.

8. Once accepted into the tournament, download the free MyCatch mobile app which is available for both iOS (Apple App Store) and Android (Google Play Store) and login to activate the tournament on the app using the same login email and password that you used to register in the tournament. (https://www.anglersatlas.com/mycatch)

9. Protecting anglers’ privacy is a priority, and any location data collected during the tournament will not be released to the public. Our promise to anglers is “Secret Fishing Spots Stay Secret”. See below for further details.

2. Catch Reporting Rules

1. This event is catch and release for Muskellunge only. 

2. In order for each catch to qualify, a photograph of the fish on a measuring device must be taken using the MyCatch app (ie. photos cannot be uploaded from a photo gallery or other source). 

3. All contestants must have GPS/location services enabled on your cell phone for their catches to qualify. Your location data will be protected. For more information, see details below.

4. This is a total length measurement tournament. NOT fork length. See pic for reference. The total length of a fish is measured from the tip of the nose or jaw to the tip of the tail with the tail pinched.

5. The nose of the fish must be at the start or zero mark on all measuring devices and the total length is taken where the longest length of the tail crosses the measurements on the measuring device.

6. The photo must be taken from a birds-eye view looking down on the fish.

7. If you measure your fish entry on a bumpboard, the measurement rules are as follows. The nose of the fish must be visibly touching the bump end of the board, the fish must be placed on top of the board and the entire fish showing the head and tail and past the tail must be visible in the measurement photo.

8. If you measure your fish using a tape measure, the measurement rules are as follows. The fish nose and the start of the tape must be aligned by placing both against a solid edge. The fish's nose must be aligned with the zero mark on the tape, the fish cannot be on top of the tape measure or cover it in any way, and the entire fish showing the head and tail and past the tail must be visible in the measurement photo. Do not use fabric or flexible measuring tapes.

9. Tournament organizers reserve the right to adjust entries.

10. A photo that does not clearly show the overall length of the fish, including head and tail, on the ruler will be judged by a vote by all participants (Majority decision rule) More than one attempt to get a valid scoring photo is allowed. The app will prompt you to either accept the photo or retake a photo.

11. The app works out of cell range, and catches will synchronize with the server once the user opens the app when back in cell range, or via a wifi signal. Photos are date, time, and location stamped to the moment that they are taken. If the catches are not synced by the prizing deadline, they will not qualify for prizes.

12. Catches that are submitted will be reviewed for approval by the organizer - Ray Leblanc - regularly. Once the submissions are reviewed and approved, they appear immediately on the appropriate leaderboard(s). DO NOT EXPECT to see entries show up immediately after you log them.

13. A great resource is the MyCatch video that shows how to complete an entry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqwbAFFQE-w&list=PL1Yp9OqZ6saBgaKklT5jh6DkuTbai3NeJ&index=1

3. Tournament Location and Times

1. Tournament boundaries are within the limits of the Province of New Brunswick and include any waterbody that contain Muskellunge 

2. The tournament runs from:

Saturday, May 1, 2022 from 6 am through till

Sunday, Nov 30, 2022 at 6 pm

3. All catches made within the start and end times must be synchronized with the Angler’s Atlas server within the event times to qualify.

4. Awards &  Prizes

1. Once the event ends, the winner’s will be announced that evening - Nov 30 2022. Followed by a get together at Ray Leblanc’s place Friday December 2 2022, details TBD

2. The event is based on the most Musky caught and registered by a person. The individual who has landed and registered the most Musky at the end of the season will be declared the winner for the Most Fish Entered category.

3. Additionally, there will be a “LUNKER” prize for the Longest Musky Entered category. 

4. The prizes for this event are as follows:

• A large trophy that the individual gets to keep for 1 full year, which comes with a full year of bragging rights as the Top Angler for Musky. (Ray Leblanc will be defending his win from last year);

• A small trophy the individual gets to keep forever; and

• All the registration fee money, less the cost for the small trophy, engraved plated for both trophies and the cost of the BBQ (Minimal) although, we could look at having everyone bring something to the BBQ, make it like a Potluck, TBC.

5. In the case of a tie, the tie break will go to the person registering the first fish. 

5. Other Rules

1. By registering and participating in the tournament, all participants agree to abide by the rules and regulations they have received as set out in the 2022 New Brunswick Muskie Melee for the Muskie Master Angler event rules. 

2. This tournament is catch and release ONLY. The goal is to achieve a 0% mortality rate. 

3. Anglers can only submit catches that they have caught themselves. This is an individual tournament, so you cannot enter as a partnership or team, and under no circumstances can you share fish with any other angler. Anglers are free to fish alone or with other tournament or non-tournament anglers, but each registered angler may only enter their own fish on their own app.

4. All fish entered for this event must be caught via angling i.e. using hook, line, rod and reel. At no time will fish caught by non angling (i.e. use of traps, trap nets or cages) be allowed to be entered. Usage of a landing net to land a hooked fish is allowed.

5. Each contestant must have in their possession a valid fishing license for their respective jurisdiction or be exempt under regulations of their jurisdiction.

6. Each contestant must conform to the fishing rules and regulations that are in place for the jurisdiction in which they are fishing.

7. Promoters and organizers assisting in the tournament operation are not responsible for death, injury, damage, liability, theft, fire or any loss to any contestants.

8. Any angler found to be cheating will be disqualified from the tournament. Angler’s Atlas also reserves the right to ban anglers from competing in future events.

9. In the event of disqualification, any paid entry fees will be forfeited and not refunded.

10. All rules have loopholes. It is our intention to provide an honest sportsmanlike tournament. In the interest of good sportsmanship, contestants are reminded the spirit of the rule will prevail in all judgments.

11. All questions or concerns relating to the rules of this tournament are to be referred to the Organizer- Ray Leblanc. His decision will be final in all cases. No other person can be considered a spokesman for the rules during the tournament. The phone contact information for this event is 506-471-2452 and by email at [email protected].

12. To ensure the best chances of survival for the fish, all participants are to handle fish safely. Blatant abuse to fish or the resource is reason for disqualification

13. All participants must follow boating safety regulations in your jurisdiction.

14. All photo and video submissions may be used by MyCatch by Angler's Atlas for future use.

15. As this is not an official event, i.e. not a registered tournament, let’s keep it in small circles. If you have a buddy or know of someone you believe is a good individual who would be interested in joining this event, please feel free to ask them to join us and forward this instruction to them. I only ask that this does not get pushed out CC1 open forum. Additionally anyone you ask to join understands that as well.

6. Data Privacy and Fisheries Research

“Secret Fishing Spots Stay Secret” — This is our primary commitment to anglers who report their catches through MyCatch. So what does this mean in practice?

1. Angler’s Atlas does not release MyCatch GPS data to the public. It is treated as confidential and is provided to fisheries researchers under strict conditions.

2. Every research team we work with must sign a data sharing agreement that sets the terms of use for the data.

3. Data is anonymized before it is provided to the researcher.

4. Researchers agree not to share the data with anyone else.

5. Researchers cannot use the data for any purpose other than the research specified in the agreement. 

6. Exact location data cannot be published as part of the scientific research. Instead, it has to be generalized to a larger region so the location cannot be reverse engineered. 

7. Angler’s Atlas may release data to a law enforcement agency if compelled to do so under court order.

These data privacy rules are designed to protect our angler’s private data, to conserve the fisheries, and to make sure we maintain a trusting relationship with our anglers into the future. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to reach out to Angler’s Atlas President directly by email ([email protected]).