Freshwater Frenzy - Fall 2026 - North Central Division 

September 12 - October 18, 2026

Official Rules

1. General Rules

1. By registering and participating in the event, all participants agree to abide by the rules and regulations they have received as set out in the Freshwater Frenzy - Fall 2026 event rules.

2. This is a length-based fishing event to be held in the boundaries of the North Central Division of the American Fisheries Society. Refer to the map attached to this event for the official boundaries. 

3. Eligible species include all freshwater fish species except small-bodied minnows (under 10 cm) from the Leuciscidae family.

4. Freshwater Frenzy - Fall 2026 - is an online event run through the Angler’s Atlas website and the mobile app MyCatch. The app is available for both iOS (Apple App Store) and Android (Google Play Store).

5. Freshwater Frenzy - Fall 2026 is open to students and supporting staff of any college or university in bounds of the North Central Division of the American Fisheries Society (school email address required for validation, and students must be enrolled in at least one semester during the calendar year). If your school is not currently on the list please contact [email protected] to get it added.

6. This event is free to enter. 

7. Each contestant must have a valid state fishing license or otherwise be exempt from needing one.

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

9. 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.

10. Contestants must register for this event through the Angler’s Atlas website or the MyCatch app. We recommend anglers practice using the app before the event begins. Here is a link to some helpful videos to familiarize yourself with the app. 

11. You will receive an automatic email confirming that you have entered the event.

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

13. This is a School Team based event and participants must be associated with one of the eligible teams. Participants acknowledge that email addresses and phone numbers provided during registration may be shared with their designated team captain for the purpose of team-related communication during the event.

14. 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.

2. Measurement Rules 

1. Eligible species include all Freshwater fish species except small-bodied minnows (under 10 cm) from the Leuciscidae family.

2. All fish must be caught using hook and line. Netting of fish is not permitted. Usage of a landing net to land a hooked fish is allowed

3. This is a total length measurement event, not fork length. Total length is 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 measuring board.

4. Each fish may only be entered once. Fish should be entered as soon as possible after being caught, and catches must be recorded at the fishing site.

5. The nose of the fish must be positioned at the start (zero mark) on all measuring devices and against a hard vertical surface, commonly referred to as a bump board. If the nose is not placed at the zero mark, a penalty will be applied.

6. The entry photo must be taken from a bird’s-eye view, looking directly down at the fish. The entire fish must be visible, including the head and tail, and measurement markings must be clearly visible.

7. All fish must be measured with the right side facing down or when appropriate with the belly down. Failure to do so will result in a penalty.

8. Where appropriate, additional photos of the fish may be submitted using the hero feature to help show key identification features needed to verify the species.

9. If measuring with a commercially produced bump board, the fish’s nose must be visibly touching the bump end of the board, and the fish must be placed on top of the board. Expandable (sliding) bump boards are allowed, provided the submission photo clearly shows that the board is fully extended otherwise a penalty will be applied

10. If measuring with a homemade bump board, all of the above measurement rules still apply, plus participants must provide a verification photo of the empty board, showing the bump board with a measuring tape placed alongside to confirm measurement accuracy. This verification photo must be sent to [email protected]. Unverified boards will not be accepted.

11. If measuring with a soft tape measure, the fish’s nose must be positioned at the zero mark of the tape. The tape measure should be placed on top of the fish, so the measurement increments can be seen. Due to the curvature of the fish, a length penalty will be applied to account for reduced measurement accuracy.

12. If an entry is submitted where a measurement rule is not followed, the fish may still be approved, but a length penalty may be applied to the observable length of the fish at the Organizer’s discretion. The standard penalty is one inch, but can be expanded if circumstances warrant. Entries may also be rejected if rules are not sufficiently followed.

3. Catch Reporting Rules

1. Catch and release is recommended but not mandatory if the regulations allow for harvest.

2. You must follow all limits pertaining to possession and bag limits at all times.

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). 

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 in Section 7 below.  

5. Our Catch Approval Team reviews and judges all fish. Once a submission has been approved, it will appear on the appropriate leaderboard(s). Entries will not show up immediately after submission. To check if your fish was uploaded successfully, check the Log View of your app (2nd icon from the left at the bottom).

6. Fish will be approved for length only to the last physical mark crossed. 

7. Event organizers reserve the right to adjust entries. They may also require a picture sent to them of your measuring device.

8. The app will work even when out of cell range, however for catches to qualify they must be synced with Angler’s Atlas server. To learn how to submit a catch into the event you can watch this MyCatch video for more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS65wMakQHA

4. Event Location and Times

1. Event boundary is within the North Central Division of the American Fisheries Society. See the map attached to this event.

2. The event runs from Saturday September 12, 2026 starting at 6:00:00 am Central time through to Sunday October 18, 2026 at 6:00:00 pm Central time.

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. It is the anglers responsibility to ensure all catches are synched by 6:00:00 pm Central time October 18, 2026. 

5. Awards & Prizes

1. Prizes - Prizes for the event will be distributed in accordance with the prizing categories below. In addition, weekly challenges will be held throughout the event, each with its own prizing. Challenge details and prize amounts will be announced each Friday morning at 7 am Eastern time on the MyCatch app event feed and our @freshwaterhq social media accounts.

2. A participant can only win one prize placing per prize category.

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

4. Awards will be announced following a review process on or by Friday October 30, 2026. Anglers will be contacted directly using the contact information provided in the event registration process. Any cash prizes are awarded through PayPal or Amazon e-gift Card, and paid out after the conclusion of the event.

5. Anglers have up to December 30, 2026 to claim their prize. Anglers that do not claim their prize within this period forfeit their prize.

6. Other Rules

1. Anglers can only submit catches that they have caught themselves.

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

3. All federal, state or provincial and local laws must be abided by. 

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

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

6. The interpretation and enforcement of the rules is at the sole discretion of the Organizer. The event 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 events.  All decisions made by the event Organizer are final. 

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

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

9. 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 one hour of the close of the event. The Organizer’s decision will be final in all cases. A $100 dollar protest fee may need to accompany the protest. The fee will be returned if the protest is found to be valid.

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

11. 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. 

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

13. All photo and video submissions may be used by Angler's Atlas or our event partners for future use.

7. Liability Waiver and Assumption of Risk

1. By registering for and participating in this event, participants acknowledge that fishing and boating activities involve inherent risks, including but not limited to injury, illness, death, property damage, adverse weather, water hazards, equipment failure, and the actions of other participants.

2. Participants voluntarily assume all risks associated with participation in this event and related activities.

3. To the fullest extent permitted by law, participants hereby release, waive, and discharge Angler’s Atlas, MyCatch, event organizers, sponsors, partners, volunteers, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents from any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, or expenses arising out of or related to participation in the event, including claims arising from negligence.

4. Participants agree to indemnify and hold harmless the above parties from any claims brought by third parties arising from the participant’s actions or conduct during the event.

5. Participants are solely responsible for their own safety, equipment, compliance with all laws and regulations, and for securing appropriate insurance coverage if desired.

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 a 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, Sean Simmons, directly by email ([email protected]).

8. Location-specific rules and regulations

1. SASKATCHEWAN ONLY: Due to Saskatchewan's Competitive Fishing Event rules, this event is restricted to a maximum of 24 Saskatchewan anglers. 

2. IOWA ONLY: Each participant in the tournament must also have a copy of the tournament authorization letter (either paper or electronic) to identify themselves as a tournament participant.