Castlegar Invasive Fish Out Derby

August 26 @ 6 am to September 4 @ 6 pm, 2023
Rules - updated April 13, 2023

1. Getting Started

1. The 2023 Castlegar Invasive Fish Out Derby is an online tournament run through Angler’s Atlas website and their mobile app MyCatch.

2. Anyone can participate in the 2023 Castlegar Invasive Fish Out Derby and it is for all ages. For those participants sharing a mobile device, participants must login to their own account to submit their catches.

3. There is a $40.00 registration fee to enter the tournament. 

4. Catches must be submitted through the MyCatch app for judging anytime during that period.

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/event/700/2023-castlegar-invasive-fish-out-2023

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 event, and if you have not already done so; 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. If you previously have had the app, we suggest doing a check to see if there are updates or simply reload the app.

9. Practice using the MyCatch app ahead of time.
   

   1. Watch all four videos available at this link to familiarize yourself with the app: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1Yp9OqZ6saBgaKklT5jh6DkuTbai3NeJ

   2. Test the app before you go out fishing (note: the app allows you to record fish for your own personal logbook while not in an active event. Some features will appear slightly different when you are not in an active event, so please make sure you watch the YouTube videos at the link above).

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

11. 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.
    
    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 Walleye and Northern Pike only, both of which are invasive species to the Columbia River system. You cannot release any Northern Pike caught, they must be harvested.

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. All catches will be approved to the last physical line on a measuring device. If it extends past a mark but there are no physical lines to confirm the true length, the last mark it crosses will be used. If a fish is longer than the angler's bump board, the longest measurement on the board will be counted

   

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. All fish must 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.

7. 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.

8. If you measure your fish entry on a homemade bumpboard, the measurement rules are the same as above BUT you must provide a photo to the organizer of the empty board to verify proof of measurement accuracy. Send photo of empty board to [email protected] Homemade bumpboards must have a solid edge or "bump" for the fish to be set against and it must line up with the 0 mark on the tape. Unverified boards will NOT be accepted.

9. 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. 

10. Tournament organizers reserve the right to adjust entries. 

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

12. A photo that does not clearly show the overall length of the fish, including head and tail, on the ruler WILL NOT BE SCORED. 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.

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

14. During the entry process you will be prompted for a second photo, often called the Hero Shot, which is optional for this event. You will also be prompted with a third option which is a video of your catch. This is also optional for this event.

15. The app will work without WiFi or any or strong cell service. If you submit a fish without any or strong enough service, the app will tell you that the fish has been recorded, and that it will sync up to the server once you return to service. Every fish you log (whether in good service or not) will appear in your app’s Log View (2nd icon from the left at the bottom). If you have fish “awaiting sync,” it will indicate this here. The submissions will eventually come through on their own once you return to service, but you can help speed up the process by “manually syncing” those pending logs (see how here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU-AwLc8OLY) once you’re in service. The logs are time/date/location stamped to the moment that they were taken, so even if the submission is delayed, the time on that submission will still be accurate.

16. Catches that are submitted will be reviewed for approval regularly throughout each day of the event. 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.

17. A great resource is the MyCatch video that shows how to complete an entry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS65wMakQHA

3. Tournament Location and Times

1. Tournament boundaries are within the limits of the Columbia River system In BC as per the following. The upstream boundaries are the Hugh Keenleyside Dam on the Columbia stem and the Highway 3A bridge on the Kootenay River stem. The downstream boundary is the downstream side of the Waneta Dam on the Pend Oreille River stem and the Canada / US border on the Columbia stem. Refer to the map attached to this event. 

2. The tournament runs from:

Saturday August 26, 2023 at 6 am to

Sunday, September 4, 2023 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. 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. Proceeds from the tournament will be distributed as prizes in accordance with the prizing categories below. Prize payouts will be adjusted if the event does not fill to the expected number of participants - see 4B
   
   

Overall Total Length top 10 Walleye 1st Place Only - $1000

Longest Walleye 1st Place - $2000 - Minimum $1000 Guaranteed

Longest Walleye 2nd Place - $750

Longest Walleye 3rd Place - $400

Longest Walleye 4th Place - $300

Longest Walleye 5th Place - $100

Hidden Length Walleye # 1 Prize - Swag / Merch Prize
Hidden Length Walleye # 2 Prize - Swag / Merch Prize
Hidden Length Walleye # 3 Prize - Swag / Merch Prize

Longest Northern Pike 1st Place - $250

2. Prize amounts are based on a full field of 150 anglers. If the tournament doesn’t fill, the payout percentages for each paid position will remain the same and will be adjusted accordingly. The minimum cash value for the Longest Walleye 1st Place prize will be $1000 - guaranteed! Cash prizes may be awarded through either E-transfer, cheque or entry fee refund. 

3. A participant can only win one prize placing per category. For this event, there are 4 categories.

4. Awards will be announced on or by September 6th, 2023 and anglers will be contacted directly using the contact information provided in the tournament registration process.

5. In the case of a tie, the tie break will go to the person with the highest number of fish reported. If a tie still exists, the tie break will be the time of the first fish recorded. 

6. Anglers have up to 60 days to claim their prize. Anglers that do not claim their prize within this period forfeit their prize

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 Castlegar Invasive Fish Out 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 general sportfishing fishing rules and regulations that are in place for the jurisdiction in which they are fishing. All anglers must also conform to all regulations pertaining to possession limits.

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 designated committee. 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 MyCatch Approval team and can be reached by email at [email protected]

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. An $80.00 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. https://www.boatingbc.ca/cpages/safe-boating

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]).