1. Eligibility
A) All persons 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter the 49th annual North Dakota Governor’s Walleye Cup Tournament. Anglers under 18 must fish with a parent or guardian.

2. Requirements
A) Each contestant must have in his/her possession a valid fishing license.
B) All contestants are required to observe U.S. Coast Guard and N.D. Game and Fish Department rules & regulations concerning safe boating.
ALL CURRENT NORTH DAKOTA GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT REGULATIONS MUST BE FOLLOWED.
C) Promoters and organizations assisting in tournament operation, their agencies and agents are not responsible for death, injury, damage, liability, theft, fire or any loss to any entrants. Each entrant, upon signing an accepted entry form, will in effect be signing a waiver form.
D) Each entrant will be required to have a U.S. Coast Guard approved personal floating device (PFD).
E) Each entrant will be urged to wear a PFD at all times while in the boat.

3. Fishing
A) NUMBER OF FISH PER TEAM: TEAMS MAY CATCH 8 FISH, WEIGH 5 FISH EACH DAY. TOTAL 10 FISH FOR 2 DAY TOTAL.
B) In the Governor's Cup only walleye, sauger and saugeye will be included in official totals. There will be no minimum length limit on fish weighed in.
C) Only those fish caught on a hook and line in formal and usual manner will be accepted.
D) Each fisherman will be allowed TWO (2) LINES in the water at a time. Spare rods and equipment may be carried in the boat.
E) Live bait and artificial lures are allowed. Electronic and electrical luring or attracting devices are prohibited.
F) Any fish mangled or altered in any way, will be weighed and credited at the discretion of the weigh-in officials. Their decision is final. A team may not fish to replace a disqualified fish.
G) Entrants will conduct themselves as true sportsmen and gentlemen when fishing near another boat. No boat may touch another boat.
H) A contestant MUST NOT leave the boat to land a fish or to untangle lines or lures. Anglers may only leave the boat to take a service dog to shore to go to the bathroom if necessary.
I) During tournament fishing hours, contestants must not solicit, share, or receive fishing information pertaining to method or type of presentations being used or location of fish with other contestants or non-contestants.

 

4. Boats and Equipment
A) All boats will be required to meet U.S. Coast Guard safety regulations.
B) All boats will be required to carry a state registration in accordance with the regulations of the home state of the contestant owning the boat.
C) Boat may be equipped with electronic positioning or trolling motors.
E) Electronic and electrical depth finders, thermometers, oxygen meters, etc. are allowed.

 

5. Tournament Boundaries
A) Tournament teams may not fish west of the boundaries during tournament hours.
B) Fishing will be permitted in an area east of the west point of Berthold Bay on the north shore and an imaginary line stretching across to the south shore to the east point of Expansion Bay, stretching east to Highway 83 on the eastern boundary. Tournament teams may not cross boundary line during tournament hours.
C) Teams going back into Garrison Bay upon flight launch MUST go out past the flag boat near the mouth before going back into the bay.

 

6. Weigh-in
A) The scale for the weigh-in will be open throughout the fishing day at the Garrison City Park.
B) Each team will be responsible for their own catch. Under no circumstances may anyone other than the contestants handle or touch the catch until after it has been presented to the weigh-in officials at the scale.
C) A team member must accompany the catch to the scale. Each team will receive a copy of their scale ticket each time their team weighs in fish. The team member must check weight ticket for accuracy before leaving the stage area.
D) An unloading area will be designated immediately in front of the weigh-in area and will be for unloading of fish only.
E) YOUR PATIENCE DURING WEIGH-IN IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.

 

7. Required Activities
A) REGISTRATION WILL BEGIN AT NOON ON JULY 18TH AND CLOSE AT 6:30 PM. IF TEAMS HAVEN'T REGISTERED BY THIS TIME, REGISTRATION WILL OPEN AGAIN AFTER THE RULES MEETING.
B) All contestants are required to attend the pre-tournament rules meeting which will be held at 7 p.m. in the Garrison City Auditorium on July 18.
C) Any contestants involved in a protest must be on call for three (3) hours following the end of the fishing day.
D) All contestants are required to cooperate with members of the press for interviews and photographs.

 

8. Fishing Hours
A) The tournament fishing day will begin at 7 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday with Sunday reserved as a storm makeup day. All boats must be inspected and must receive their identifying marker before they will be allowed to leave in their respective flight.
B) Contestants who return late will be penalized five (5) percent of their total weight for each minute late and will be disqualified for any large walleye prize.
C) The Fort Stevenson Park area and Garrison City Park will serve as tournament headquarters, any contestants will be required to start and end each day at these locations.
D) Boats will be leaving in four flights. The flights will alternate each day.
E) All boats must pass the check boat when moving to flight departure and return area.

 

9. Boat Identification and Patrolling
A) All contestants' boats will be identified with a colored decal. Team numbers will be assigned. Decal must be placed on the left side of the boat.
B) If an emergency exists, patrol boat personnel will be clearly marked for easy identification.
C) Tournament officials will be checking boats at the launch area and patrol boats will be intensively patrolling the fishing areas. Boats may be inspected before and during the tournament. Any cheating will result in immediate disqualification, if protests are upheld.
D) Boats may come by water to be inspected at the dock in Garrison Bay. In order to weigh fish, teams must trailer their boats and take them into town to the Garrison City Park where the weigh-in will be held.
E) YOUR PATIENCE DURING INSPECTIONS & LAUNCHING IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.

 

10. Prizes
A) Prizes will be based on most weight (pounds) during the two days of the tournament.
B) Prizes will be awarded on a team basis.
C) In case of a tie, the winner will be determined by the team with the earliest team entry number. The other team will move to the next place.
D) Prizes will be awarded on the final day unless otherwise stated but are subject to final checks by the committee. All cash prizes will be mailed no later than one month after tournament concludes. W-9 must be signed for anyone receiving a payout of $600 or more and must be signed before teams leave following awards.
E) Polygraph test may be given to the top winners of the tournament and other prize winners the committee deem necessary, as soon as possible following the tournament.
F) Payoff in cash prizes is based on 260 team field.

 

11. Contingency Prizes
A) Contingency prizes may be offered by contributors, supporters, or other interested parties.
B} Rules for contingency prizes will be stipulated by those offering the prize.

 

12. "Spirit of the Rule"
A) All rules have “loopholes”. It is the intention of the sponsor to provide an honest tournament in the interest of good sportsmanship. Contestants are reminded that "spirit of the rule" will prevail in all judgment cases.

 

13. Protests
A) Any contestant has the right to make a protest against another contestant. A protest form is available from the tournament chairman and should be filled out and presented to the chairman within one hour of the close of the fishing day.
B) A $150 protest fee will be required to accompany any formal protest. The fee is to be returned if the protest is found valid by the protest committee. If invalid, the fee will not be returned.

 

14. Miscellaneous
A) All questions or problems concerning the rules of this tournament are to be referred to the tournament committee chairman.
B) If one of the two team members drops out before the tournament, he may be replaced by the choice of the remaining team member. The chairman must be notified of the change before the tournament.
C) If an entire team drops out, the place will be filled by the tournament chairman and not by the choice of the team that drops out, and the entry fee will be returned only if notice is given by July 1st.
D) Fishermen (contestants) are not allowed to fish within tournament boundaries if a day of fishing is cancelled due to inclement weather.
E) Fish may be donated.