2024 California Stampede Kokanee Research Project

July 29 - August 4, 2024

Official Rules

1. General Information

1. This is a MyCatch mobile app event held on Stampede Reservoir in California from July 29  to August 4, 2024. Please refer to the official map boundaries shown on the 2024 Stampede Kokanee Research Project 

2. Anyone can participate in the 2024 Stampede Kokanee Research Project and it is for all ages.

3. This event is free to enter.

4. Each contestant must have a valid California fishing license for the region they are fishing in or otherwise be exempt from needing one.

5. This tournament is a separate, standalone fun event and is separate from Kokanee Power’s annual Team Stampede Derby.  For those anglers that are participating in KP’s Stampede derby on Saturday, August 3rd, this will be a great opportunity to upload your pre-fishing catches & your derby day catches for a chance to win a prize. 

2.Getting Started

1. This event only supports individual registrations, not teams. 

2. Participants must use their own account when submitting their catches.

3. The app supports multiple accounts on the same device so a single phone can be used for multiple participants. 

4. Participants must use the same account login email and password when registering for an event and when submitting catches. 

5. All catches must be submitted through the MyCatch app to qualify for this event, which is available on Google Play Store and Apple App store.

6. First time users must set up a free Angler’s Atlas account before entering an event, either through the app or on AnglersAtlas.com/sign-up. Here is a helpful video.

7. To participate in the derby, you can register for the event online at 2024 Stampede Kokanee Research Project or directly through the app. Here is a quick YouTube video for more information). Once entered, you will receive an automatic email confirming that you have entered the event. 

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.

3. Catch Reporting Rules

1. This event is for Kokanee 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). Each photo is tagged with a unique QR code for backup purposes. 

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 section 7 below for details. 

4. Each fish must be entered only once.

5. Fish should be entered at the fishing site, and as soon as possible after catching them.

6. All fish should be measured with the right side down.

7. This is a total length measurement event, measured from the tip of the nose or jaw to the tip of the tail. The tail may be pinched to the width of the board or left unpinched. 

8. All catches will be measured to the last physical line on the measuring device that the tail touches or crosses. If a fish is longer than the angler's bump board or tape measure, the longest measurement on the board or tape measure will be counted.

9. 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 measurement board or vertical surface. 

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

11. Anglers can only submit catches that they have caught themselves. Under no circumstances can you share fish with any other angler.

12. If you measure your fish entry on a commercially produced bumpboard, these rules must be followed:

1. The nose of the fish must be visibly touching the bump end of the board, 

2. The fish must be placed on top of the board and 

3. The entire fish showing the head and tail must be visible in the measurement photo. We must also see past the head and tail in the photo. 

4. Expandable (sliding) bump boards will not be permitted if the fish is longer than where the slide starts on the board.

13. If you measure your fish using a tape measure, these rules must be followed:

1. The fish nose and the start of the tape must be aligned by placing both against a solid edge. 

2. The fish's nose must be aligned with the zero mark on the tape, 

3. The tape measure must be beside the fish, not on top of the fish. 

4. The fish cannot be on top of the tape measure or cover it in any way

5. The entire fish showing the head and tail and past the tail must be visible in the measurement photo. 

6. Do not use fabric or flexible measuring tapes. *Rapala roll out tapes will be treated as a tape measure*

14. During the entry process, you will be prompted to enter another photo called the Hero Shot. For this event, it is optional but encouraged  

15. A third option in the entry procedure is a video which is not required for this event, but may be used to demonstrate the release of a fish.

16. 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 may be applied. A one inch penalty will apply to the observable length of the fish at the discretion of the organizer. The entry may also be rejected. 

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

18. Fish only appear on leaderboards after they have been reviewed and approved by the organizer. To see if your fish was recorded successfully, check the Log View of your app (2nd icon from the left at the bottom). Here is a YouTube link showing how to submit a catch on the app.

4. Event Location and Times

1. Tournament boundaries are the boundaries of Stampede Reservoir, California. See the map attached to this event for the boundaries. 

2. The tournament runs from:

Monday, July 29, 2024 starting at 6:00:00 am Pacific time through to 

Sunday August 4, 2024 at 6:00:00 pm Pacific time

3. To qualify, all catches made must be synchronized with the Angler’s Atlas server by Monday August 5, 2024 by 3 pm.

4. Once the event concludes, a full review process of the catches will be managed by the organizer. Results will be announced no later than Thursday August 8, 2024 and will be final.

5. At the discretion of the organizer, the duration may be shortened, postponed or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions.

5. Awards &  Prizes

1. Prizes to be awarded are:

• $100 in Kokanee Bucks

• Free entry to KP’s Shaver Lake Derby, including all side pots

• Abu Garcia reel

2. Categories include:  a prize for the longest kokanee, the shortest kokanee and the blind bogey (which is the average length of the longest fish and the shortest fish).  The winner of the longest kokanee will have the first pick of the three prizes, the shortest kokanee will have the second pick and the third-place winner will get the remaining prize.

3. A participant can only win one prize.

4. Awards will be announced on or by August 8, 2024 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 who entered the tied fish first. If a tie still exists, the tie break will go to the person with the highest number of fish reported.

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

6. General Rules

1. By registering and participating in the 2024 Stampede Kokanee Research Project, all participants agree to abide by the rules and regulations they have received as set out in these event event rules. 

2. 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. Fish cannot be snagged, netted, speared etc. Usage of a landing net to land a hooked fish is allowed.

3. Each contestant must have in their possession a valid California fishing license for their respective jurisdiction or be exempt under regulations of their jurisdiction. As well, each contestant must conform to the general sport fishing rules and regulations that are in place for the jurisdiction in which they are fishing. 

4. You must follow all fishing regulations pertaining to possession and bag limits. 

5. All federal, state and local laws must be abided by. 

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

7. All questions or concerns relating to the rules of this event are to be referred to the organizer or designated representative. The organizer for this event is MyCatch and can be reached by email at [email protected]. Their decision will be final in all cases. 

8. The interpretation and enforcement of the rules is at the sole discretion of the organizer. The 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 organizer are final. 

9. Abuse of event officials and volunteers will not be tolerated.

10. Failure to comply with any event rules subjects participants to possible disqualification from the event.

11. Any angler found to be cheating or breaking the law will be disqualified from the event, and may result in future bans for any MyCatch events.

12. Any protest against another participant not complying with the rules must be brought to the organizer’s attention before the end of the tournament, and 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.

13. It is our intention to provide an honest sportsmanlike tournament, and contestants are reminded the spirit of the rule will factor into judgments by the organizer.

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

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

16. All photo and video submissions may be used by MyCatch by Angler's Atlas in the future.

7. 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 only provided to fisheries researchers under strict conditions.

2. Every research team we work with who receives location data must sign a data sharing agreement that sets the terms of use for the data consistent with 7A.

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]).