Official Tournament Rules
1. The tournament is scheduled for February 16th, 2013, from 12:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. on Ely Lake in Fayal Township. The Tournament will not be cancelled or postponed for any reason except unsafe ice conditions. No access is allowed into the fishing area prior to 10:00 a.m. on the day of the tournament. Anyone pre-fishing 24 hours before the tournament must register with contest officials.
2. All laws of the State on MN including the MN DNR will be abided by.
3. The cost of the tournament is only $30.00 if you purchase your ticket before February 10th, 2013. After the 10th the entry fee is $40. No refunds will be given for any reason other than cancellation due to unsafe ice conditions.
4. The tournament ticket and raffle tickets are two separate items. The raffle tickets are available for $10 and need not be purchased in conjunction with tournament tickets. Tickets can be purchased with cash before and during the event. 500 raffle tickets will be printed and no refunds will be given for any reason.
5. Contestants are required to park in the areas provided. Contestants can park and enter the lake from the sky harbor airport on Ely Lake Drive. Those who need assistance will be shuttled out to the designated fishing area. Please call 218-780-2682 at least one day prior to the contest for handicap access information. No motorized vehicles are allowed in the contest area other than those of contest officials and law enforcement.
6. No shelters of any kind or the use of augers will be allowed. Coolers and large containers are discouraged. Chairs, bait pails, heaters, and depth finders are allowed. No bait or licenses will be sold on the lake. Contestants must provide their own bait and bait fish must be four inches or smaller or it will not be allowed on the ice. Small chisels are recommended in case the holes drilled the previous day begin freezing over.
7. No glass containers are allowed. Please assist us in our efforts to protect the environment. We request that you use the waste containers provided to discard any refuse including cigarette butts when you leave the ice.
8. Contestants must fish in the area designated for the contest and will be required to have their ticket visible at all times. Ticket checks and container inspections will be required.
9. Each person will be allowed to fish one hole per ticket with two holes maximum. A contestant may only reserve 4 holes prior to the start of the tournament.
10. Contestants may register as many fish as they want, but only the heaviest fish per contestant will be qualified for a competition prize. No contestant will be eligible for more than one competition prize. There is no age requirement on tournament participation.
11. All fish must be registered by the person that caught them. You may not give a fish to another contestant to register.
12. All fish entered must be brought to the weigh-in station immediately and be alive. Please bring a bag or bucket, as the tournament is live release. Dead or frozen fish are ineligible. Judges shall have the right to verify that fish were legally caught. The decision of the judge is final. All prize winners may be required to take polygraph exams as part of contest requirements. In the event deception is detected or the contestant refuses to take the exam, his/her prize will be forfeited to the charity.
13. Contestants are responsible for verification of the weight of fish at the time of weigh in. Tournament officials will provide certified weigh-in tickets.
14. Contest prizes are determined by largest weight and time registered. If some fish weigh the same, the fish registered first will take priority.
15. All fish must be caught and the contestant must be on the way to the weigh-in station by 3:00 p.m. on the day of the contest. All fish caught will immediately be released back into the lake after registration, no exceptions.
16. Contestants will be allowed to move to other unoccupied holes in the contest area. You are allowed to bring as many poles as desired but cannot use more than one pole per hole at a time. Contestants must use holes provided and will not be allowed to leave and reenter the contest area between 12:00-3:00 p.m.
17. There will be a leader board located in the fish registration area. All efforts will be made to keep the board accurate and up to date.
18. Contestants are responsible for their own safety, actions, and property at all times.
19. Contest and raffle prizes are the responsibility of the winners. Licensing, registration, transportation, taxes, and all incidental or consequential expenses incurred are the responsibility of the winners. Prizes must be claimed within 60 days of notification. There will be prize ceremonyimmediately after the tournament at Goodfellas Bar in Eveleth. Prizes will be awarded to the contest winners and the raffle will take place at the ceremony. Door Prizes will also be awarded at the ceremony. You must be present to win door prizes.
20. Failure to comply with any contest rules subjects contestants to disqualification and removal from competition site as determined by contest officials.
21. The right to refuse to sell and/or revoke a competition ticket to anyone is hereby reserved.
22. All contestants and others present at the competition consent to the use of any names, photographs or likeness of them to be used in future promotion of this contest, including but not limited to print, television, radio, and any other media.
23. The youth prizes are for those 12 and under. If a youth catches a fish that places in the main top 5 prizes, he/she will only be eligible for that prize and the youth prize will go to the next largest youth fish that is not eligible for the top 5 prizes. Youth (accompanied by a guardian) are eligible for the grand prize drawing if they catch a fish that registers in the top 25.
24. Members directly involved with the contest on the tournament day are not eligible for contest prizes.