Entry Form & Rules

1. Eligibility – Any person 18 years of age or older can participate. Those under 18 years of age can participate so long as a parent, guardian or other relative 18 years of age or older with parental consent is also in the tournament. Tournament officials reserve the right to refuse entry to any person.

2. Tournament Hours – This is a one day event, Saturday, February 4th, 2012 from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm.  A rules meeting will be held at 1:00 pm and all entrants must attend.  The rules meeting will be held at North Shore Bar and Grill.

 3. Entry Fee – A per person entry fee of $25.00 is required before the rules meeting begins and must accompany a signed entry form. Entries received before January 21, 2012 will be $20.00.  Kids 17 and under will be $20.00 ($15.00 before January 21, 2012).  No refunds will be given.  All entrants will receive a Ducks Unlimited membership.

4. Regulations – All contestants must observe South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Department rules, regulations, laws & licensing requirements.

5. Fishing Area – Lake Thompson in Kingsbury County, South Dakota.  Final boundary determination will be announced no later than one week before the tournament and will be available on our website www.fishinglakethompson.com.  Entrants are responsible for their own transportation on the ice.  Boundaries do not imply safe conditions and extreme care must be exercised while traveling on the ice.  Ducks Unlimited, North Shore Bar and Grill and the Tournament Committee will not be held responsible for the safety of the participants. 

6. Fishing – Artificial and/or live bait may be used according to the South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks rules & regulations. Fishermen may share portable or permanent shacks but sharing of fish is not permitted.  Shacks may be setup and holes may be drilled before the event, but fishing is not allowed before 2:00 pm on Feb. 4, 2012.  Shacks are subject to inspection by officials before or during the event. 

7. Fish – Fish must be kept alive until registration. Fish should be registered at tournament headquarters as soon they are caught.  If any fish is deemed questionable (dead or frozen), due to poor handling, it will not be counted.  Fish may be released after being weighed or measured.  If fish are kept, the tails will be clipped to prevent counting the same fish twice.  Please do not release clipped fish back into the lake.  Participants are responsible for monitoring their own limits.

8. Scoring – There will be no prizes awarded for total basket weight.  Any game fish may be eligible for prizes in this event.  Prizes for fish will be determined by species, time registered, weight or length.  Each fish caught is potentially eligible for a prize.  There is no limit to the number of fish a participant can register. Participants are allowed to register fish during the fishing hours.  No fish will be registered after 7:00 pm.  If there are more prizes than fish caught, additional prizes will be awarded by drawing.

9. Late Penalty – All fishermen must check in before 7:00 pm or they will be disqualified.

10. Ties – If there is a tie, the fish weighed earlier will be awarded the higher position.

11. Prizes – Prizes will be announced at the completion of the tournament.  Must be present to win.

12. Inspection – Shacks may be inspected before and possibly during the tournament. Cheating will result in immediate disqualification.

13. Tournament Headquarters –Tournament Headquarters for registering fish will be on the ice, south of North Shore Bar and Grill.

14. Inclement Weather – The event may be postponed or cancelled due to inclement weather.  No refunds will be issued.  If the event is cancelled, prizes will be awarded by drawing.  Prizes will not be shipped, but will be held for 30 days for pickup.  Prizes not claimed will be held for the 2013 event.

15. Rules – The intention of the Tournament Committee is to provide an honest, sportsmanlike tournament with the best interests of all participants involved. The rules specified herein are to provide for such a Tournament. Should any participant have a question about a rule they may address it during the Rules Meeting or at any time with a Tournament Committee member. The interpretation of these rules is left exclusively to the Tournament Committee and all judges and officials decisions shall be final.