General Overview

Rules: “It is the Fishermen’s Responsibility to know these rules and their changes”!!!!!!!! Please Note The Amendments Made for the Governors Cup/ Angler of The Year. Covid 19 Guidelines will be in place, remember to wear a mask as needed and to socially distance. 

Fish Donkey App 

All registration and payment must be completed using the app.  The Fish Donkey App will be used to photo document fish and will generate live leaderboards. The leaderboards will update throughout the event as fish are submitted.  All entries will be considered unofficial until verified. 

Measuring & Photo Documenting 

• All photos must be taken through the Fish Donkey app and measurements must be on a valid measuring board. 
• Fish should be recorded immediately and measurements noted by length. 
• All submissions must include at least two photographs:  1) A pic of you holding the fish 2) A pic of the fish on the measuring board. 
• One video is required:  3) A release video of the fish going back into the water- Do NOT include this requirement if anglers are allowed to keep some of their catch.  
• Close the fish's mouth. The nose should touch the bump of the measuring board (the belly is facing you). The measurement photo needs to include the entire fish on the board.  
• If the fish tail is touching the graduation line on the board then that is the exact measurement.  If the tail crosses the graduation line, round up ¼”. 
• All participants must have their fish submitted before the end of the tournament. 
• [DIRECTORS OPTION] Extra large fish are difficult to measure with a bump board and photographs.  For example, sturgeon can be measured more accurately by using video. Bump the nose of the fish against a vertical surface and use a commercial measuring tape to measure the fish.  Video from nose to tail, covering the complete length of the fish.  
• Important: Any Governor’s Cup Team with a youth angler (under the age of 18) fishing as part of your team, must have picture of them on the leaderboard. 
• GC/AOY: If and when an angler catches a fish larger than his bump board, he must use a flat tape that is legible in the pics/video. It must show that it is zeroed out against the Bump Stop in order to be Scored 
• GC/AOY: It is the fisherman’s responsibility to make sure that all pictures/ measurements are “CLEAR and READABLE”.  
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FishDonkey in poor reception areas 

The app will work without internet.  Open the app before heading out to poorly covered areas.  Tap on the name of the tourney.  Once you see the button ‘Enter a Fish’, head out and fish away.  Fish should be entered as normal in bad reception areas.  Your Digital Livewell® (fish icon) will show you if there are fish waiting for an internet connection to get pushed into the leaderboard.  When you get back to a well connected area, open your Digital Livewell®  and leave that screen open/active until all fish are “Received”. If your pictures are missing from the leaderboard, this is what you need to do.  Until your pictures are received, do not delete or alter the photos on your phone, as the software will not accept your photos as originals. 

• GC/AOY: The Tournament will end at 3:00pm Saturday and 2:00pm on Sunday. It is the fishermen’s responsibility to know where the cell service is on Lake Roosevelt and to be in an area where service is strong enough to send all photos to be scored and are on their way to the Tournament Director no later than 4:00pm. On Saturday and 3:00pm on Sunday. Any Photos received after this time will not be scored. 

Missing Pictures on the Leaderboard?  Anglers can tap the fish icon when they get back to an area with good reception and leave that screen open until all fish are “Received”.   

Measuring Boards 

All measuring devices must be commercially made.  You are required to have a board with a 90 degree bend which marks 0, and at least ¼” lines.  No handmade measuring boards, stickers, or tape measures allowed.  No sliding, retractable, or foldable measuring devices are allowed unless approved by the tournament director.  If your measurement is not clearly readable in your submission photo, it may not be accepted, or could be penalized.  

[DIRECTORS OPTION] Extra large fish are difficult to measure with a bump board and photographs.  For example, sturgeon can be measured more accurately by using video.  Bump the nose of the fish against a vertical surface and use a commercial measuring tape to measure the fish.  Video from nose to tail, covering the complete length of the fish. 

Tournament Director 

Your Tournament Director is Marvin O’Hearn LRWC. If you need to reach your director, their contact info is in the “ i “ Info icon within your tournament in the app.   

The interpretation and enforcement of the rules is at the sole discretion of the director.  The tournament director may change rules or impose sanctions as they deem appropriate, including but not limited to: disqualifications, forfeiture of prizes, and prohibition from competing in future tournaments.  All decisions made by the tournament director are final. 

Sportsmanship 

All participants are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation. Any participant who displays poor sportsmanship, violates these rules or brings unfavorable publicity to the sport of fishing could be disqualified. Encroachment is considered a sportsmanship rule. 

Body of Water 

Participants must fish in the area specified for the event.  Fishing has to be legal and in public waters only:  no private ponds, streams, lakes or rivers.   Participants may fish in any water that is open to public fishing. The Boundaries will be Grand Coulee Dam, to the Canadian Border and Napoléon Bridge on the Kettle River. 

Inclement Weather/Cancelation 

Keep mobile phones on throughout the tournament in order to receive communication from the director in the event of postponement or cancelation.  Due to the nature of tournament fishing, no refunds will be issued.  This is at the discretion of your tournament director.  

Tiebreakers 

The tournament director will consider options for determining a tie, which could be 1) time of entry 2) the exact measurement instead of the ¼” measurement 3) the next largest fish submitted by each angler.  A tie could also result in shared prizes.  

Claiming Prizes 

Ensure that your correct address, email, and mobile number appear in your app profile for prize announcements and delivery.  Prizes are the responsibility of the winners.  Transportation, taxes, and incidentals are the responsibility of the winner. 

It is the responsibility of the tournament director to disburse all prizes.   

From our terms and conditions, you have agreed to the following. 

"Fish Donkey makes no representations or warranties regarding the Service or the quality, features, conditions, rules, prizes, results, or other aspects of any tournament ORGANIZED THROUGH, OR hosted on, the Site.  AS BETWEEN FISHDONKEY AND THE TOURNAMENT ORGANIZER, THE TOURNAMENT ORGANIZER IS SOLEY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RESULTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE TOURNAMENTS THEY ORGANIZE AND HOST USING THE SITE AND SERVICES." 

As stated above, FishDonkey is not in any way responsible, but if you believe there is a problem with your tournament director or if something seems suspicious such as not paying out the funds or prizes, please contact FishDonkey and let us know ASAP. 

• GC/AOY Purse will pay 10 places for the largest Sat and Sun combined stringer, Big Fish Saturday, Big Fish Sunday, Large Stringer 1st and 2nd place Saturday, Large Stringer 1st and 2nd place Sunday. A stringer will consist of the” FIVE WALLEYE” 
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Laws and Regulations 

All federal, state, and local laws and all fishing and boating rules must be abided by. 

Failure to comply with any tournament rules subjects participants to disqualification and removal from the competition, as determined by the tournament officials. The right to refuse sale and/or revoke a competition ticket to anyone is hereby reserved. 

Cheating 

• All protests must be brought to the director’s attention before the end of the event. 
• Anyone caught breaking the law or disobeying the rules will be disqualified. 
• Fish must be hooked and caught live in a conventional manner.  Fish cannot be snagged, netted, speared, etc. 
• Participants may be required to take polygraph exams as part of the tournament requirements. If deception is detected or the participant refuses to take the exam, the prize will be forfeited and the participant will be disqualified. Anglers taking a polygraph examination may be responsible for any and all costs incurred. 
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Safety 

Participants are responsible for their own safety, actions, and property at all times 

• GC/AOY: There will be a driver’s meeting Fri June 25th at 6:00pm at TJ’S in Kettle Falls and at least one member of the team must be present. 
• All boats will go through a safety inspection prior to launching each day of the tournament. A Tournament Banner must be displayed and clearly visible at all times, on the boat, while participating in each days contest.  
• Saturday and Sunday START TIMES WILL BE 6:00AM EACH MORNING, the tournament will begin with a “Shotgun Start” BEGINNING WITH THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, FOLLOWED BY THE BOATS IDLING AWAY TOWARD THIER FAVORITE SPOT, NO!!!!!!! HIGH SPEED LAUNCH UNTIL THE HORN HAS BLOWN!!!!!!!  

Questions? 

If there are any questions about the rules, ask the tournament director. 

Practice the FishDonkey App ahead of time 

Watch a 1 minute tutorial on How to Enter a Fish 

Test the app before you get out on the water.   

1.  Download the app 

2. Join "Practice Entering a Fish"