2022 Kootenay Lake Northern Pikeminnow Derby

May 15 - September 15, 2022

EVENT RULES
Fish photo entires MUST be taken while on the water

1. Getting Started

1. The 2022 Kootenay Lake Northern Pikeminnow Derby is an online tournament run through Angler’s Atlas website and their mobile app MyCatch.

2. Anyone can participate in the 2022 Kootenay Lake Northern Pikeminnow Derby and it is for all ages. Registration is currently only able to support individual registration. For those participants sharing a mobile device, participants can use the new “switch accounts” feature. Once you are set up, you can “add accounts” to your profile and then simply “switch accounts” to enter fish under the right person in your family.  

3. There is a $10.00 registration fee to enter the tournament. 

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 URL: https://www.anglersatlas.com/tournament/577/2022-kootenay-lake-northern-pikeminnow-derby-2022

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.

9. By participating in this event your name may be publicly visible.

10. 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.

11. A great resource to refer to is our How To Register For A Tournament video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o3PzcIoGo4&t=8s

2. Catch Reporting Rules

1. This event is for Northern Pikeminnow fish 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. All fish SHOULD be measured with the right side down (the right side of the fish must be facing down or touching the board) and the left side of the fish facing upwards.

8. If you measure your fish entry on a commercially produced 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.

9. For this event you  may also use a homemade bumpboard, the measurement rules are the same as above. 

10. 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. 

11. If you are using a soft tape, it must be laying flat on the ground next to the fish and all measurements must be visible. No fish will be accepted with a soft tape over the top of the fish.

12. The mouth is allowed to be open, closed, or anywhere in between, so long as the fish meets the other above requirements.

13. Tournament organizers reserve the right to adjust entries.

14. FOR THIS EVENT ONLY - THE FIRST PHOTO YOU TAKE MUST BE THE LENGTH MEASUREMENT PHOTO. THEN YOU MUST INCLUDE A SHORT VIDEO SHOWING THE STOMACH CONTENTS.

15. If your initial photo is not clear, the app will prompt you to either accept the photo or retake a photo. MUST BE COMPLETED.

16. A second photo, often called the Hero Shot, may be used but is optional for this event. 

17. A third option will come up asking for “add a release video. This is where you will record the stomach contents of the fish. MUST BE COMPLETED.

18. 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.

19. Catches that are submitted will be reviewed for approval at least once per week - often it will be completed more frequently. Our Catch Approval Team made up of trained biology students will be reviewing and approving all fish. 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.

20. IMPORTANT: Arguing against or trying to attribute reason as to why any of the above rules could not be followed will have ZERO bearing on the ruling of a rejected fish. “It was cold/windy” or “My buddy can verify...” will not be considered, and NO exceptions will be made. It is on the angler to review their photo thoroughly and submit an acceptable photo based on the above rules.

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

3. Tournament Location and Times

1. Tournament boundaries are within the limits of the water body of Kootenay Lake up to the Highway 3A bridge near Nelson. Refer to the map on the entry site. 

2. The tournament runs from:

Sunday May 15 at 6 am 2022

Thursday, September 15 at 6 pm 2022

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. At the discretion of the tournament director, tournament days may be shortened, postponed or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions.

4. Awards &  Prizes

1. There will be cash prizes based on the number of entries at the end of this event for the individuals who entered the most fish. Prizes will be based on $4 of every entry going towards the cash prize pool (note - this prize pool may also be topped up from sponsors!) . The prizes will be awarded as follows:

• 1st Place Most Northern Pikeminnow Entered - 50% of the available funds

• 2nd Place Most Northern Pikeminnow Entered - 30% of the available funds 

• 3rd Place Most Northern Pikeminnow Entered - 20% of the available funds

2. This event will also have merchandise prizes.

3. All prizes must be picked up at Jones Boys Boats.

4. All prizes will be accepted as awarded

5. Prizes will be based on the most number of fish entered

6. Prizes will be given out on:

7. June 16 2022 - Most Fish entered from May 15 to June 15.

8. July 16, 2022 - Most fish entered from June 16 to July 15. 

9. August 16, 2022 - Most fish entered from July 16 to August 15. 

10. September 16, 2022 - Most fish entered from August 16 to September 15. 

11. Additional random draw prizes will be added as they become available. Check the prizing information on the Tournament site.

12. Awards will be announced on or by the 16th of each month of the event and anglers will be contacted directly using the contact information provided in the tournament registration process.

13. In the case of a tie for any prize, the tie break will be the time of the first fish recorded.

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 Kootenay Lake Northern Pikeminnow Derby event rules.

2. 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.

3. 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.

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

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

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

7. 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.

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

9. 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.

10. All questions or concerns relating to the rules of this tournament are to be referred to the Organizer or their designate. Their decision will be final in all cases. No other person can be considered a spokesman for the rules during the tournament. The contact person for this event is the Anglers Atlas Catch Team and can be reached by email at [email protected] (please include the name of the event in your email).

11. Any contestant has the right to make a protest against another contestant by contacting an Organizer through email and must be completed and presented within 1 hour of the close of the tournament. Their decision will be final in all cases. A $50.00 dollar protest fee may need to accompany the protest. The fee will be returned if the protest is found to be valid.

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

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

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]).