Alberta Ice Fishing League Fishing Tournament

Alberta wide event

December 1, 2023 - March 1, 2024

Official Rules

1. General Information

1. The Alberta Ice Fishing League is an online tournament run through Angler’s Atlas website and their mobile app MyCatch using the Catch Photo Record method.

2. This is a Catch, Photo, Record, Release tournament to be held in Alberta - Province wide - where it is legal to fish. Refer to the map attached to this event for the official boundaries. 

3. The tournament will be run using the MyCatch mobile app, which is a property of Angler’s Atlas.

4. Anyone can participate in the Alberta Ice Fishing League and it is for all ages. Registration is only able to support individual registration. For those participants sharing a mobile device, participants must login to their own account to submit their catches through the manage accounts feature.

5. There is a $60.00 registration fee to enter the tournament.

6. Each contestant must have a valid Alberta fishing license or otherwise be exempt from needing one. For fishing, all participants must follow the general sportfishing regulations.

7. Anglers may record fish between Wednesday, December 1, 2023 starting at 6:00 am through to Friday, March 1, 2024 at 6:00 pm

8. Keep mobile phones on throughout the tournament in order to receive communication from the Organizer in the event of postponement or cancellation.  Due to the nature of tournament fishing, no refunds will be issued. This is at the discretion of your tournament Organizer.

2.Getting Started

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

2. Anglers will need to download and use the free MyCatch app (available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store) to submit their fish entries for the tournament. For first time users, you must set up your account first. To do this, please complete the following: https://www.anglersatlas.com/sign-up If you previously have had the app, we suggest doing a check to see if there are updates or simply reload the app. 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.  

3. Anglers must then also register and pay the entry fee for the tournament online at https://www.anglersatlas.com/event/759/2024-alberta-ice-fishing-league-2023 using a credit card or PayPal. You cannot pay via cash or eTransfer, and your spot is not reserved until payment has been received. If you need help with the registration process, please watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o3PzcIoGo4  

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

5. If you enter after the tournament starts, you must wait 24 hours before you can submit a fish for entry.

6. Due to the nature of tournament fishing, no refunds will be issued, no exceptions

7. 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).

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

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

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

3. Catch Reporting Rules

1. This event is catch and release only. 

2. This event is for the following species only. Brook Trout, Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Tiger Trout, Burbot, Lake Whitefish, Walleye & Yellow Perch. Recognize fish species using the information here: https://mywildalberta.ca/fishing/fish-species.aspx

3. 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) and submitted for approval. Our app now tags each entry with a unique, identifiable QR code. 

4. 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.

5. Each fish must be entered only once.

6. Fish must be recorded immediately after they’ve been caught. All fish entries must be freshly caught.
   For this event, there will be a minimum size limit for all fish entered set at 6 inches or 15.25 cm 
   

7. This is a total length measurement tournament. NOT fork length. See pic below 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 naturally pinched. The tail may be pinched to the width of the board or left unpinched. 

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. The mouth of the fish is allowed to be closed, open, or anywhere in between, so long as the upper and/or lower jaw of the head of the fish is clearly touching the bump of the board or at 0 cm and the fish submission meets all of the requirements outlined in this section.

11. There are to be no fingers placed in the gills or mouth of the fish. Any fingers in the gills or mouth of the fish will disqualify that fish. This rule applies to the Measurement photo only (not the hero or release video)

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

13. 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. 

14. 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

15. For this event, you must use a commercially available ‘bump board’ that clearly shows the length of the fish. NO tape measures will be accepted. The nose of the fish must be aligned with the start of the measuring board and be clearly touching the ‘bump’, with both the nose and the tail clearly visible in the photograph.

16. Soft/Flexible measuring tapes and Expandable Bump boards are not allowed for this event. 

17. If an entry submission comes in where a measuring rule is not followed, such as the nose is not touching the bump or at the zero mark, the fish may still be approved but a length penalty will be applied. The penalty will apply to the observable length of the fish at the discretion of the Organizer. The entry may also be rejected.

18. Tournament organizers reserve the right to adjust entries. They also have the right to ask for a picture sent to them of your measuring device.

19. A photo that does not clearly show the overall length of the fish, including head and tail, on the measuring device 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.

20. During the entry process you will be prompted for a second photo, often called the Hero Shot, which is OPTIONAL for this event.

21. A third option in the entry procedure is a live video which depicts the release of the fish. This is REQUIRED for this event.

22. For species diversity categories, the photo must show the entire fish so it can be identified by tournament organizers.

23. During the event, 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.

24. DO NOT EXPECT to see entries show up immediately after you log them. Fish DO NOT show up on the leaderboard until they have been approved by the Organizer’s - Travis and his team; so don’t expect to see them reflected on the leaderboard immediately.  If you want to ensure that your fish was recorded successfully, check the Log View of your app (2nd icon from the left at the bottom).  If your fish is there, it logged successfully.

25. 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. 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.

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

4. Tournament Location and Times

1. Tournament boundaries are all public, legal for fishing water bodies within the Province of Alberta. See attached map.

2. The tournament runs from:

Friday, December 1, 2023 starting at 6:00 am through to

Friday, March 1, 2024 at 6:00 pm

3. All catches made within the start and end times must be synchronized with the Angler’s Atlas server by 9:00 am on March 2, 2024 to qualify.

4. Once the tournament concludes, a full review process will begin between the Organizer and their team. Results will not be confirmed, announced, or made public until the morning of Tuesday March 5th, 2024 and no cash prizes will be awarded or sent until after the winner’s announcement has been made. Following this review process, the results will be final.

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

5. Awards &  Prizes

1. Proceeds from the tournament will be distributed as prizes in accordance with the prizing categories below. 

• 1st Place Total Length of all Entries - wins $3000.00

• 2nd Place Total Length of all Entries - wins $2000.00

• 3rd Place Total Length of all Entries - wins $1000.00

• Overall Longest Brook Trout Entered - wins $500.00

• Overall Longest Cutthroat Trout Entered - wins $500.00

• Overall Longest Lake Trout Entered - wins $500.00

• Overall Longest Rainbow Trout Entered - wins $500.00

• Overall Longest Tiger Trout Entered - wins $500.00

• Overall Longest Burbot Entered - wins $500.00

• Overall Longest Lake Whitefish Trout Entered - wins $500.00

• Overall Longest Walleye Entered - wins $500.00

• Overall Longest Yellow Perch Entered - wins $500.00

2. Prize amounts above are based on a full field of 400 anglers. If the tournament doesn’t fill, the payout percentages for each paid position will remain the same and will be adjusted accordingly..

3. More Prizes to be announced when available.

4. Awards will be announced on or by March 7, 2024  and anglers will be contacted directly by the Organizer 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 who entered the tied fish first. If a tie still exists, the tie break will go to the person with the next largest fish entered.

6. Other Rules

1. By registering and participating in the 2024 Alberta Ice Fishing League tournament, all participants agree to abide by the rules and regulations they have received as set out in the Alberta Ice Fishing League tournament event rules. 

2. This tournament is catch and release ONLY. 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.

3. We strongly suggest using only barbless hooks. 

4. All anglers should fish in water shallower than 8 meters (ie. 26ft). This rule is in place to prevent barotrauma to any fish and potential damage to the resource. 

5. All fish entered for this event must be caught via angling i.e. using hook, line, rod and reel including tip ups. At no time will fish caught by non angling (i.e. use of traps, trap nets or cages) be allowed to be entered. Fish cannot be snagged, netted, speared etc. All participants must only use up to a maximum of 2 rods while ice fishing.

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

7. Each contestant must conform to the general sport fishing rules and regulations that are in place for the jurisdiction in which they are fishing. You must follow all regulations pertaining to possession limits.

8. All federal, provincial, local laws and all sport fishing rules must be abided by

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

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 Tournament Organizer and can be reached by email at [email protected].

11. Any angler found to be cheating, breaking the law or disobeying the rules will be disqualified from the tournament. Failure to comply with any tournament rules subjects participants to disqualification and removal from the tournament and possibly reported, as determined by the tournament officials. The right to refuse sale and/or revoke a competition entry to anyone is hereby reserved. Angler’s Atlas also reserves the right to ban anglers from competing in future events.

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

13. The interpretation and enforcement of the rules is at the sole discretion of the Organizer aided by their committee or Angler's Atlas representatives  The tournament Organizer may change rules or impose sanctions as they deem appropriate, including but not limited to disqualifications, forfeiture of prizes, and prohibition from competing in future tournaments.  All decisions made by the tournament Organizer are final. 

14. Abuse of tournament officials and volunteers will not be tolerated.

15. Any angler found to be cheating, breaking the law or disobeying the rules will be disqualified from the tournament. Failure to comply with any tournament rules subjects participants to disqualification and removal from the tournament, as determined by the tournament officials. The right to refuse sale and/or revoke a competition entry to anyone is hereby reserved. Angler’s Atlas also reserves the right to ban anglers from competing in future events.

16. All protests must be brought to the Organizer’s attention before the end of the tournament. Any contestant has the right to make a protest against another contestant by contacting the 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 $100.00 dollar protest fee may need to accompany the protest. The fee will be returned if the protest is found to be valid. 

17. 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. 

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

19. All participants are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety, and conservation. Any participant who displays poor sportsmanship, violates these rules, or brings unfavorable publicity to the sport of fishing could be disqualified. 

20. Participants are responsible for their own safety, actions, and property at all times.

21. For all ice fishing events, practice ice safety at all times! Fishing is only allowed on a minimum of at least 4 inches of ice. Only walk and fish where it is safe to do so. Refer to the My Wild Alberta Ice Safety guidelines: https://mywildalberta.ca/fishing/safety-procedures/ice-safety-tips/default.aspx

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

7. Proper Fish Handling

1. We highly encourage conservation and the proper handling of all fish caught. To ensure the best chances of survival for all released fish, all participants are to handle fish safely. 

2. Handle the fish quickly and as little as possible. 

3. Do not hold or support the fish by its gills, gill covers or eyes. 

4. A fish's eyes and gills can freeze when exposed to sub-zero temperatures. Ice on the eyes or in the gills may be a reason for disqualification. 

5. Whenever possible, keep the fish in the water while handling. 

6. Wet your boards/rulers prior to measuring fish in cold conditions to help prevent freezing the fish to the board, especially if you are using an Angler's Atlas, Judge or other aluminum/metal boards

7. Measure fish inside tents or ice shacks whenever possible, especially when temperatures dip below -10 degrees celsius 

8.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]).