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Michiana Walleye Association
13040 Day Road, Mishawaka, IN. 46545
Get your 2008 license online here
2008 rules & regulations here
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2009 Michiana
Walleye Association, Inc
is sponsoring a Team Tournament
Trail with an opportunity to qualify for an invitation to the
2010 Cabela’s
National Team Championship Tournament
RULES
AND RULE CHANGES
These rules will remain unchanged unless otherwise notified at the
Captains meeting. Interpretation of the rules will be to the discretion of
the Tournament Director and the Rules Committee. The rules and the
interpretations of them will be final and not open to protest. Safety
rules may be changed at any time.
PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY
It is the contestant’s responsibility for knowing and abiding by all MWA,
local and state regulations, which pertain to the MWA tournament waters.
Contestants must enter as a two-person team, with the same partner each
tournament. Points will accumulate only when the team membership remains
the same. If a member of the team changes for a future tournament the new
partnering will be considered a new team and must register as such, those
points can not be combined with previous totals. Any person, up to 17
years of age must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. All
contestants must posses a valid fishing license for the waters fished.
ENTRY INFORMATION
A $25.00 club membership must be purchased before entering any MWA
tournament (each contestant must purchase a membership, unless team
partner is a family member “spouse or child ages 10 – 17 yrs old”, family
memberships are $40.00). All participant memberships must be up to date
and current to participate in any MWA tournament. All single tournament
entries must be received prior to the Tuesday before each tournament by
6:00 p.m. NO other entries will be accepted after the cut off time. An
early entry fee will be $150.00 which covers all three qualifying
tournaments. Early registration will be from February 7th to April 5th.
This is only available to teams entering all three (3) qualifiers and
qualifies that team for the tournament placement drawing on April 4th for
their boat number. The boat number will be used for all three (3) MWA
qualifying tournaments (This will also be the order in which boats are
released to fish). After April 4th, anglers must register for each of the
tournaments individually whether they fish all three (3) or fewer. The
entries will be accepted for individual tournaments (providing there are
vacancies) on a first come first serve basis. A single tournament entry
fee will be $60.00. The maximum number of boats/teams will be 25 per
tournament. NO refunds will be given, with the exception of a death in the
family. Club membership will not be refunded. Any Tournament Entry Form
not completely filled out, will be returned. The Michiana Walleye
Association Inc. reserves the right to accept or reject any applications
for any MWA event.
CELL PHONES
Any type of transmission of information via any communicative device
concerning any aspect of fishing is prohibited during the tournament.
Communication between fishermen is prohibited. The use of cell phones will
be for emergency use only, all cell phone numbers must be listed on the
Tournament Entry Form. A list of the Tournament Committee’s Cell phone #’s
will be listed on the boat board you are issued prior to the Captions
meeting.
BOATS AND EQUIPMENT
All boats will be inspected prior to the start of that day of fishing. A
“boat identification board” will be issued after inspection as well a
colored ribbon marker for on the water identification. Teams are
responsible for returning the boat boards at the end of the day . This is
for safety to show that all boats have returned from fishing. All boats
must conform to the appropriate state, and USCG standards. All outboards
used in a MWA tournament must not exceed the horsepower rating set by the
USCG ruling November 1, 1972. All boats will have an USCG or BMA plate
attached by the boat manufacturer and the horsepower rating will not be
exceeded by any means. Kill switches must be in working order. Bait and
tackle may not be passed between boats after the tournament has started.
Tournament staff is not permitted to loan their boats or equipment to any
tournament fisherman during the tournament. No binoculars or cameras with
telephoto lenses are to be used during tournament hours.
CAPTAINS MEETINGS, FLIGHTS AND LAUNCHING
All Tournament fishing hours will be 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM EST. Each team
will be responsible for any ramp / launch fees when applicable. All boats
must be inspected, launched and ready for the day by 6:25 AM. The Launch
Master will give the launching direction. Any boats not ready to launch or
boats that are creating a bottleneck will be sent off line until ready
(this means each boat needs to be ready to go when it is their turn
comes). There will be mandatory captains meetings (no exceptions) held
prior to the tournament at 6:30 A.m. The meeting place will be at the
launch site. It is required that one team member must attend and sign in.
(Failure to attend will result in losing your 10 ‘show up’ points). Teams
returning late from fishing will forfeit their weight for that tournament.
“One second after the official tournament end time is late”. A third party
observer may be used at any time and for any reason so deemed by the MWA.
Boundaries for any tournament are available upon request. There will be no
early weigh in. Contestants must leave and return to the official
tournament site in their own boat only.
FISH AND FISHING
A dead fish penalty of .25 pounds per fish will be levied for each fish
that is deemed non-releasable. All state or Federal fishing regulations
and rules will be observed unless the Tournament Director specifies more
stringent regulations. A maximum of Five (5) walleye, sauger, or saugeye
in any combination, caught on hook and line in a conventional sporting
manner, will be accepted for weigh in. Both artificial and live bait can
be used. All fish must be kept in aerated live wells or coolers to keep
fish alive and as fresh as possible for release. Use of stringers, wire
fish baskets, boat bags, etc. is prohibited. Any fished mauled, frozen,
stringered, injected with water or other fluids containing foreign matter
to add weight or showing white gills, soft flesh, sunken eyes, or gills
that won’t bleed, may result in disqualification from the tournament
and/or other MWA events. This determination is made at the discretion of
the Director and rules committee. Culling of dead fish is prohibited.
Bringing undersize fish to the scale will result in that day’s loss of
total weight. All contestants are prohibited from fishing tournament
waters after 5 PM, on the day prior to the tournament. All boats will be
subject to inspection on and off the water by tournament officials, state,
local or Federal authorities. There will be no re-weighing of fish, the
weight stands that reads on the scales and is at the discretion of the
weigh master only “No exceptions”. Only one fish per team may be weighed
for big
fish, so make be sure to pick the right one.
CHAMPIONSHIP POINT DETERMINATION
All prizes and points are awarded by team placement determined by their
net weight. Each event will be worth a maximum of 25 “placement” points
for 1st place with the points decreasing by 1 point for each descending
place for teams weighing fish. The top five finishing teams at each event
will be awarded “bonus” points for the top 5 spots beginning at 5 “bonus”
points for 1st and decreasing to 1 “bonus” point for 5th. Teams not
weighing any fish will receive no “placement” or “bonus” points. All teams
participating will be awarded 10 “show” points whether or not fish are
weighted. Teams have to be present to receive merchandise prizes. In the
event of a tie for 1-5th place, the cash prizes for the tied place and the
next lowest place will be added together and the two teams will equally
share the winnings. Checks must be picked up in person at tournament site.
When non-cash prizes are involved, the non-cash prizes for the tied place,
and the next lowest place, will be determined by a gentleman’s agreement
or by a drawing. A member of the MWA staff will do the drawing. In the
event of a tie, at any place, points will be awarded to both teams based
on the higher place.
SPORTSMANSHIP
Entrants must conduct themselves in a true sportsman like manner at all
times. NO EXCEPTIONS. Courtesy and ethics of the highest standard are the
norm, not the exception. Remember that you not only represent yourselves,
but all tournament anglers and competitive fishing. Any rude or insulting
type of behavior will be subject to disqualification.
SEVERE WEATHER RULE
In the event of severe weather, the tournament hours may be suspended or
cut short. A tournament may be cancelled at the discretion of the staff at
the event. “If you see lightning, take shelter!”
SAFETY
Safety must be observed at all times. All contestants must wear Coast
Guard approved PFDs while the boat is moving above trolling speed. Each
contestant is to follow all Coast Guard regulations. All boats are
required to have, and in working order, an emergency cut off switch that
must be securely attached to the driver whenever the boat is above
trolling speed. No Alcoholic beverages or illegal substances may be
consumed or in possession by teams during fishing hours.
SPIRIT OF THE RULE
All rules have “loop holes”. It is the intention for the Tournament
Director and the committee to provide a sportsman like tournament. All
questions or problems are to be referred to the Tournament Director and
the Rules Committee. They have sole jurisdiction in determining the
application of the rules. The committee will be identified at each
tournament site. Any disqualification will result in the loss of all
championship points for that event. If disqualified, no refund will be
granted.
PROTEST
The tournament committee or any contestant has the right to protest
another team or contestant. The protest must be filed with the Tournament
Director, in writing, within 1/2 hour following 3:00 PM, on the day of the
tournament.
WAIVER AND HOLD HARMLESS
All contestants, in signing an entry form, agree to hold harmless any and
all promoters, tournament directors, agents, and organizations assisting
the MWA / Michiana Walleye Association Inc. in the tournament operation.
Furthermore, all contestants agree to waiver all responsibility for death,
injuries, damage, liability, theft, fire or loss of any kind to entrants.
I have read, and understand the above rules, and by signing the entry form
is in fact signing a waiver form. No unsigned entry will be processed for
competition.
These events may result in an invitation to the 2008 Cabela’s National
Team Championship Tournament and are designed for this intended purpose.
However, neither the MWA nor Cabela’s will guarantee this outcome as these
tournaments are considered among other nationwide events all vying for the
same result.
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