Alberta Outdoorsmen Forum - 2015 Open Water Derby

2015 Open Water Fishing Derby – Official Submission Thread

This is the official entry thread for the 2015 Open Water Fishing Derby. Here you will find rules, instructions for participation, other members entries and the current standings.

Anyone on this forum can participate in this derby, no registration is required just submit entries according to rules below.

IMPORTANT: This thread is meant only for contest submissions and standings updates. DO NOT criticize other posters/submissions, if you have an issue with a submission PM me and I will sort it out. If you would like to discuss the derby please do so in this following thread.

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=252063

Categories and Awards:

There are multiple categories associated with this derby as specified below. The awards for winning a certain category is bragging rights and winners will be supplied with signatures that they may use if they want.

1. Biggest Fish (by length)

Brook Trout
Brown Trout
Burbot
Cutthroat Trout
Golden Trout
Goldeye
Lake Trout
Lake Whitefish
Mooneye
Northern Pike
Rainbow Trout
Rocky Mountain Whitefish
Sauger
Sucker(All Species)
Walleye
Yellow Perch

2. Combination Awards

Most Species Caught
Best Alberta Slam (Largest Combined Length of Pike, Walleye and Rainbow Trout)
Ultimate Alberta Angler (Largest Combined Length of All Species)

In determination of Best Alberta Slam and Ultimate Alberta Angler only the largest fish of each species will be counted. Example: If you post pictures of a 12” perch, a 36” pike, and a 15” rainbow your total would be 63”. If you get a 13” perch your total will become 64”.

I will be keeping track of the standings and updating this thread with them every other week(and possibly more often near the end).

Instructions to Participate:

1. Print off a token(token will be posted Thursday, April 23rd and fill in your AO username and remember to take this token with you when you go fishing (you’ll need to take a picture with it). Using the token is the only way to guarantee your fish will be counted, that said if you forget it at home then your picture will still be accepted if the following conditions are met.

Date can be proven either by time stamp, exif data or date in photo
Proof you caught the fish by having your username, face or other distinguishing feature in the photo.

2. Take a picture using the rules below and then post it to this thread. Check out the “Posting Pictures” thread here if you need help: http://outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=191020
3. In your post, please put the SPECIES NAME, and your MEASURED LENGTH.
4. Photos must be posted within 2 weeks. Stockpiling fish and submitting them at the end of the derby will not be accepted.

Rules:

1. Official Judges: I will make ruling on entries as necessary and will converse with fellow members AppleJax and CanadianBadass as necessary. If you have an issue with any submission please bring it to our attention via private message, do not post issues in this thread.
2. Timeline: April 25th, 2015 to October 31, 2015. ALL entries must be posted by noon on November 1, 2015 to be eligible.
3. Photos: Must show the entire fish in a healthy state, your token, and a fish measuring device(measuring board, tape measure etc). Please review and follow these photo requirement/suggestions.

Photos taken at home will not qualify.
Photos of filleted/gutted/mangled fish will not be accepted.
Photos where the measurement is not legible will not be accepted.
Photos in which only a partial measurement can be determined will be scored as the largest measurement as determined by the judges.
A boundary between the fish and the ground is required. Do not place fish directly in dirt or grass etc. Suggestions for a boundary include a plastic bag, tarp, measuring board, piece of pvc tube cut in half, piece of wood etc. Surfaces must be safe and should be damp so that they do not cause harm to the fish.
I highly recommend using a measuring board. They can be bought or made for cheap and they make taking a photo much easier and more accurate.

4. Locations: It is not required to disclose the lake of origin with your entry but the lake must be managed under the Alberta Fishing Regulations (ie: no private or community lakes). If a judge requires further proof the lake is in Alberta, be prepared to verbally verify it in confidence.

5. Catch and Release/Fish Handling/Barbs:

C&R is encouraged, this is meant to be a C&R based tournament so please only submit fish of live healthy fish. If it is legal to keep the fish and you choose to do so please do so after taking your photos.
If you are practising C&R, handle the fish with the least possible impact, “C&R Fish Handling Suggestions” are provided below.
In accordance with the official SRD stance, participants are encouraged to use barbless hooks but are not legally required to do so.

Measuring Fish Length (from Alberta SRD)

Length – The total length (maximum) of a fish is measured from the tip of the nose or jaw to the tip of the tail fin, with the tail pinched.

NOTE: When measuring a fish either lay the fish on or directly beside the tape so that it can be easily read. Do not set the tape on top of the fish or far away so that an accurate measurement is not possible. Please avoid using flexible tape measures as they are less accurate and also know that a yellow measuring tape is usually easier to read in a photo then a white one. As mentioned above a fish measuring device makes measuring and photos much easier and I highly recommend using one. You can either make one or buy them at most fishing stores.

C&R Fish Handling Technique

C&R Fish handling is all about doing the least harm possible to the fish, some ways to do this include.

When grabbing the fish, refrain from using rough surfaced ‘fish gloves’, wool or cotton gloves are okay if they are soaked before handling the fish. If using bare hands, getting your hands wet before handling fish will cause less damage to the protective coating.
When you are laying the fish down, it helps to wet the surface beforehand.
Handle fish with a secure but soft grip. Do not squeeze tightly or lose control and drop the fish.
Do not put your fingers in the gills of the fish.
Do not put your fingers in the eyes of the fish.
Limit the time the fish spends out of the water.
Barbless hooks are encouraged.
If the fish has an over-inflated swim bladder, hold it in the water until the bladder deflates.
Hold fish horizontally as much as possible, holding a fish vertically(by gills for example) causes more stress on vertebrae and organs.
Carry needle nose pliers to more easily remove hooks.

Very Important: Remember to have fun out there and good luck to everyone who participates.