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CRAPPIEFEST RULES

Please scroll to the appropriate tournament day to view the applicable rules. 

SATURDAY TOURNAMENT FORMAT
The Saturday CrappieFest Tournament is an individual, one-fish competition. Each registered participant may present one (1) crappie for official inspection and weigh-in.
 
S-1 Registration & Official Angler Number
Participants must be officially registered for the Saturday Tournament before fishing.

Registration
  • Online Registration: Through Friday, April 2, at 12:00 PM (Noon) CDT.
  • Friday, April 2: In-person registration from 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM at the SRA Pavilion.
  • Saturday, April 3: In-person registration from 5:00 AM – 7:00 AM at the SRA Pavilion.
     
No Saturday Tournament registrations will be accepted after 7:00 AM on Saturday.

 
Official Angler Number
  • All participants must obtain their official CrappieFest angler number before competing.
  • Participants fishing both Saturday and Sunday will use the same official angler number unless otherwise directed by tournament officials.
  • Participants will not be permitted to enter fish inspection or weigh-in without their official angler number.
 
 S-2 Tournament Hours
  • Lines In: 7:00 AM
  • Lines Out: 1:00 PM
  • Official Weigh-In Line Deadline: 2:30 PM
     
The official tournament clock maintained by the Tournament Director shall be the official time for all tournament activities.

Participants must be in the official weigh-in line by 2:30 PM.

It is each participant's responsibility to allow sufficient travel time to arrive before the official weigh-in deadline. Travel distance, traffic, weather, mechanical problems, boat or vehicle issues, or other delays will not extend the official weigh-in deadline unless the Tournament Director approves it.

 S-3 Fish Requirements
  • One (1) crappie per angler.
  • Fish must be legally caught during tournament hours.
  • Fish must be caught by the angler presenting it.
  • Fish must measure a minimum of 10 inches.
  • Fish must be alive.
  • ​Anglers may possess no more than three (3) crappie during tournament hours.

S-4 Fishing Rules
  • ​Only one (1) line may be in the water at any time.
  • A maximum of two (2) hooks, baits, or lures may be attached to the active line.
  • Artificial lures and live bait are permitted.
  • Landing nets are permitted. 
  • ​Fish may not be shared, transferred, or exchanged between participants.
  • If fishing from a boat, everyone on board must be registered to fish.
​
​S-5 Fish Inspection
 
  • Participants must present their official angler number and one (1) crappie at the official fish inspection station.
  • Tournament officials will verify:
  • Official angler number
  • One fish only
  • Minimum legal length
  • ​Live fish requirement

Only fish approved by tournament officials may proceed to the official weigh-in.

Once approved, that fish may not be replaced or substituted.

S-6 Live Fish Requirement
  • All fish must be alive.
  • The determination of whether a fish is alive shall be made solely by the designated fish inspection official.
  • The inspecting official's decision is final.
  • Fish determined to be dead will not be eligible for weigh-in.

S-7 Official Weigh-In Categories
Saturday consists of two official competition categories:
  • Exact Weight
  • Big Fish

Each participant may enter one (1) fish into one (1) category only.
 
Junior 12 & Under and Junior 13–17 anglers shall weigh their fish in the Big Fish line and are not eligible for the Exact Weight category.
 
S-8 Official Weigh-In Procedures
After passing inspection, participants must choose either the Exact Weight or Big Fish weigh-in line.
 
Tournament officials may ask participants to declare their category before entering the appropriate line.
 
Once the weigh-in line separates:
  • Participants must remain in the selected line.
  • Participants may not change lines unless directed by a tournament official.
  • Participants must remain in line with their fish until weighed unless approved by a tournament official.
  • Leaving or changing lines without authorization may result in the fish being declared ineligible.


     
S-9 Award Eligibility
  • Fish entered in the Exact Weight category are not eligible for Big Fish awards.
  • Fish entered in the Big Fish category are not eligible for Exact Weight awards.
  • Each fish may compete in one (1) category only.
     
 
S-10 Tie-Breakers

In the event of a tie in either category, the first fish officially weighed shall be declared the winner.
 
The official weighmaster's recorded weigh-in order shall determine the official result.
 
S-11 Official Scale
  • Only fish that have passed inspection may enter the weigh-in line.
  • The official tournament scale shall determine the official weight.
  • The Tournament Director has final authority regarding all weigh-in decisions.
     
S-12 Sportsmanship
  • Participants shall conduct themselves in a respectful and sportsmanlike manner.
  • Unsportsmanlike conduct, abusive language, interference with tournament officials, or actions that delay or disrupt tournament operations may result in penalties, disqualification, or removal from current and future CrappieFest events.
     
S-13 Fish Integrity & Fraud
The following are strictly prohibited:
  • Adding weight or foreign objects to a fish.
  • Altering a fish in any manner.
  • Presenting a fish caught by another participant.
  • Presenting a fish caught outside tournament hours.
  • Any attempt to deceive tournament officials.
     
Violations may result in immediate disqualification, forfeiture of prizes and entry fees, and exclusion from future CrappieFest events.
 
Tournament officials reserve the right to inspect any fish and investigate suspected rule violations.
 
Applicable General Saturday Rules
 
The following General Tournament Rules also apply to the Saturday Tournament:
  • Watercraft & Launching Rules
  • Safety Requirements
  • Tournament Authority
  • Polygraph Examinations
  • Tournament Director Authority
    Acceptance of Rules



SUNDAY TOURNAMENT FORMAT
 
SU-1 Registration & Official Angler Number

Participants must be officially registered for the Sunday Tournament before fishing.

If fishing from a boat, everyone on board must be registered to fish.

Registration
  • Online Registration: Through Friday, April 2, at 12:00 PM (Noon) CDT.
  • Friday, April 2: In-person registration from 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM at the SRA Pavilion.
  • Saturday, April 3: In-person registration from 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM at the SRA Pavilion.
  • Sunday, April 4: Final in-person registration from 5:00 AM – 7:00 AM at the SRA Pavilion.
     
No Sunday Tournament registrations will be accepted after 7:00 AM on Sunday.
 
Official Angler Number
  • All participants must obtain their official CrappieFest angler number before competing.
  • Participants fishing both Saturday and Sunday will use the same official angler number unless otherwise directed by tournament officials.
  • Participants will not be permitted to enter fish inspection or weigh-in without their official angler number.
     
SU-2 Tournament Hours
  • Lines In: 7:00 AM
  • Lines Out: 1:00 PM
     
Note: Participants weighing a fish during the final hour of the tournament must be in the official weigh-in line no later than 1:00 PM. 

The official tournament clock maintained by the Tournament Director shall be the official tournament time.

 
SU-3 Hourly Competition Schedule
  • Hour 1: 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
  • Hour 2: 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
  • Hour 3: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
  • Hour 4: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
  • Hour 5: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
  • Hour 6: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Each hour is a separate competition.
 
SU-4 Fish Requirements
  • One (1) crappie may be weighed during each hourly competition.
  • Fish must be legally caught during official tournament hours.
  • Fish must be alive.
  • Fish must measure at least 10 inches.
  • Participants may possess no more than three (3) crappie at any time.
  • All General Tournament Rules apply.
 
SU-5 Weigh-In Procedures
  • Fish do not have to be weighed during the hour they were caught.
  • Any legal fish caught during tournament hours may be weighed during a later hourly competition.
  • Fish must pass official inspection before weigh-in.
  • No fish may be weighed after 1:00 PM.
     
SU-6 Official Fish Inspection
Participants must present:
  • Official angler number
  • One (1) crappie
     
Tournament officials will verify:
  • Official angler number
  • Minimum legal length
  • Live fish requirement
  • Tournament eligibility

Only approved fish may proceed to the official weigh-in.
 
SU-7 One-Time Weigh-In
  • A fish may only be weighed one (1) time during the Sunday Tournament.
  • Once officially weighed, that fish becomes the property of CrappieFest.
  • Fish may not be reclaimed, substituted, or entered into another hourly competition.
 
SU-8 Top 10 Seating Procedure
  • During each hourly competition, the Top Ten (10) participants will occupy the designated numbered chairs.
  • Participants directed into the Top Ten must immediately report to their assigned chair.
  • Participants must remain in their assigned chair until that hourly competition has officially concluded unless released by the Tournament Director or a designated tournament official.
  • Leaving the assigned chair without authorization may result in disqualification from that hourly competition and forfeiture of any prize for that hour.
  • The next eligible participant shall advance into the Top Ten.
  • All decisions of the Tournament Director regarding Top Ten seating are final.
 
SU-9 Hourly Awards
  • Each of the six (6) hourly competitions shall pay ten (10) places based on the official weight of one (1) legal crappie.
  • A participant may receive only one payout per hourly competition.
  • Official payout amounts shall follow the published CrappieFest payout schedule.
 
SU-10 Overall Sunday Big Fish Award
  • The largest legal crappie officially weighed during any hourly competition shall be declared the Overall Sunday Big Fish Champion.
  • A fish receiving an hourly award remains eligible for the Overall Sunday Big Fish Award.
  • A participant may win both an hourly award and the Overall Sunday Big Fish Award with the same fish.
  • In the event of a tie, the first fish officially weighed shall be declared the winner.
 
SU-11 Sportsmanship & Conduct

All participants shall conduct themselves in a respectful and sportsmanlike manner. Unsportsmanlike conduct, abusive language, interference with tournament officials, or actions that delay or disrupt tournament operations may result in penalties, disqualification, forfeiture of prizes, or removal from current and future CrappieFest events.
 
SU-12 Final Authority
  • Unless specifically modified by these Sunday Tournament Rules, all General Tournament Rules remain in effect.
  • The Tournament Director has final authority regarding the interpretation and enforcement of all Sunday Tournament Rules.
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