FORMAT

Individual Angler Competition – Per angler entry fee ($60) and per angler pay structure. All persons on the boat during the derby must be registered and pay the entry fee.

Catch, Photo, Video Release –Required photos and release video outlined below.

Big Fish Competition – Each angler’s longest walleye (55cm or over only) may be submitted for scoring.

RULES

The spirit of the rule shall apply to the entirety of below

Participation and eligibility

  • Boats may have any numbers of competitors on board as deemed within the safe capacity of each individual watercraft
  • All persons on board the watercraft during the tournament must be a registered competitor.
  • Competitors must be a minimum of eighteen (18) years of age. Competitors aged seventeen (17) and under will require a permission waiver of claim to be signed by a parent or guardian.
  • All competitors must possess a valid Manitoba Angling License or Treaty card. Those exempt as per Manitoba angling regulations are Manitoba resident competitors aged 15 and under or aged 65 and over and active Military members or veterans.
  • Kickerfish reserves the right to refuse entry to any individual or team for any reason that the Derby Director may deem appropriate.
  • There will be a maximum field of 100 boats.
  • Entry fee is $60 per angler. Registration is not complete until receipt of entry fee.
  • Registrations for boats/Team Captains will continue to be accepted until 11:59pm on Tuesday September 30 or until the maximum number of 100 boats is reached.
  • Registrations for individual competitors who are not Team Captains will continue to be accepted until 11:59pm on Tuesday September 30th.
  • In the event of proper notice of cancellation in writing received no later than Friday September 26, the $60 entry fee minus the $20 non-refundable portion shall be returned to the competitor. All entries received after September 26 are non-refundable.
  • Entries are transferable up until 11:59pm on Wednesday September 30 after which they become non-transferable.

Logistics

  • The date of the event will be Friday October 3, 2025
  • Derby fishing hours will be from 8:30am to 3:30pm. All times are based on GPS.
  • In the case of eighty (80) or more boats entered in the competition, the field will be divided in half as needed to form two separate flights. Tournament hours will change as follows:

Flight 1 (Boats 1-50) – 8:30am to 3:30pm

Flight 2 (Boats 51-100) – 8:45am to 3:45pm

–      Take-off will be a number ordered trickle start called out over a public address system.  Boats taking off before being called will be disqualified.  Boats missing their call must wait until all boats in the field (or their flight if applicable) have taken off before leaving.

  • Pre-fishing will cease at 6:00pm on Thursday, October 2, 2025. No boat shall travel tournament waters or actively fish after this time until take-off time the following morning. Persons travelling to and from accommodations/property on the river after pre-fishing has ceased must only do so for the purpose of commuting and not to actively locate fish or conditions.
  • Boat inspections at the Selkirk Park boat launch will commence at 7:00am.
  • Online rules meeting will take place on Thursday October 2, 2025 at 8:15pm on Streamyard. Link to the meeting will be sent to all anglers. Attendance from at least one team member is required by logging in to the broadcast and leaving a comment with your Team Captain’s Name and/or assigned Boat Number. Meeting will be recorded and can be viewed at anytime after live stream has ended.

Boundaries

  • The competition will take place on the Red River from Lockport Dam to the south and up to but not north of the mouths of the river at Lake Winnipeg. All other water accessible via boat from take-off at Selkirk Park is in bounds for the tournament.
  • Boats cannot enter Lake Winnipeg during the competition. Northern cut-off is an imaginary line extending from the furthest north point of land on the east shore to the furthest north point of land on the west shore of the: East Channel, Main Channel, and West Channel.
  • All creeks and tributaries of the Red River connected by water as outlined above are in-bounds for the competition.

Boat inspection

  • Tournament volunteers will conduct boat inspections at the Selkirk Park boat launch prior to each boat entering the water and will flag and record each boat as completed.
  • Failure to have boat recorded as ‘Inspected’ before taking off will result in disqualification.
  • Volunteers will check for: appropriate Personal Floatation Device for each team member; ensuring livewells are empty of water; properly affixed boat number cowl stickers.
  • Teams will receive an Official SWC Judge Tournament ruler during each day’s morning boat inspection. Each ruler will have a serial number tag, and all will be marked with a strip of colour-coded tape on the bump.
  • Teams will receive an Official Fish Tag Set of numbers during each day’s morning boat inspection. Six laminated squares numbered 1-6.
  • Teams captains will receive two cowl stickers with their boat number. Stickers must be affixed to both sides of the outboard motor (or both sides of the windshield if there is one is also acceptable).
  • All anglers competing are required to sign the waiver/consent form (registering online and accepting the terms or physically signing the waiver form on day of).

Boats and equipment

  • Canoes, houseboats, kayaks and other similar personal or cumbersome watercraft are not permitted.
  • Tournament Directors reserve the right to refuse entry or disallow use of any boat, motor, or equipment deemed unsafe, unsuitable, or contravening of tournament rules.
  • Competitor boats must not come into contact with any other boats on the water whether they be other competitors or not. The passing of items from one boat to another will result in disqualification.
  • Boats will be respectful and sportsmanlike in regard to other competitors and property on tournament waters. A twenty-five (25) foot radius shall be respected between boats during the competition.
  • Marine radios, cellphones, and other communication devices are to be declared at inspection and are only to be used in the case of an emergency during tournament hours. Electronic boat to boat communication is prohibited during tournament hours.

Safety

  • Competitors are not permitted to consume alcohol directly before and during tournament hours.
  • Competitors are required to wear approved Personal Floatation Devices whenever the boat is on plane or travelling beyond trolling or drifting speed.
  • Emergency contact number will be communicated at the Rules Meeting.
  • All teams must adhere to safe boating practices while participating in the tournament.
  • For the purpose of accounting the safe return of all competitors, all boats are required to check-in at the conclusion of tournament hours. Failure to do so may affect further participation in this event in the following year.
  • Competitors are strictly not permitted to step ashore/off their boat at any time during tournament hours other than at Selkirk Park boat launch. In the case of lightning or other severe dangerous weather, competitors can seek safety at the nearest shoreline as necessary.

Fishing

  • All competitors must abide by the Manitoba Angling Regulations including all possession limits.
  • Only fish caught by angling hook and line in a normal manner will be permitted for scoring.
  • Competitors are permitted to use only one (1) line in the water per person at a time.
  • Only walleye, sauger, and saugeye (hereafter designated as ‘fish’) are permitted for inclusion in the competition. Legal fish not entered in the competition may be kept for harvest.
  • Fish shall not be altered or purposefully deformed in any way.
  • All care for the well-being of any/all fish caught during the tournament shall be of the utmost priority of each competitor.
  • The use of sonar (fish/depth finders) is permitted including ‘Live’ technology.

Check-in / End of Derby

  • Boats must return to the Selkirk Park boat launch area and ‘check-in’ with the Check-in Boat on or before their respective check-in time. Check-in process will involve a Tournament Official calling out your boat number to confirm that you have checked in.
  • Late boats will be penalized half an inch per minute up to 5 minutes, beyond which they will not be eligible to submit any fish (disqualification).
  • Official Kickerfish rulers and fish tags must be handed in to the Official’s desk located on shore near the dock to complete check-in.
  • Lost or unreturned Kickerfish rulers will result in a $100 charge to the Team Captain.
  • Boats who do not complete Check-in process will not be eligible to submit any fish (disqualification).
  • All boats not intending on submitting fish must still notify the Weighmaster of their safe whereabouts at the derby’s conclusion and return the issued Kickerfish ruler before the Awards.

Scoring

  • Hero photo will be taken with the fish’s head in an angler’s right hand with the fish’s left side facing the camera. Entire fish must be in frame, angler’s face must be in frame, fish tag must be placed on the fish’s left side and visible in the photo.
  • Measurement photo will be taken with the fish laying flat on its right side, head placed against the bump of the ruler (0″) with its mouth closed. Tail may be pinched to achieve maximum length. Entire ruler must be in frame. Angler may hold the fish in place for the photo. Serial Tag and Bump screws must be visible in the photo (photo taken from above the bump). There should be no colour-coded tape visible between the fish’s mouth and the bump. Camera person may take the photo from either the fish’s dorsal side or belly side (photo can be rotated by the weighmaster after).
  • Release Video will commence from the same framing and fish position that the measurement photo was taken. Fish will then be taken off the ruler and tail-held in the water to assist with recuperation. Fish will swim away under its own power. Video may end once angler is no longer physically touching the fish and the fish has swum away healthily.
  • All fish must measure a minimum of 55cm to score. Fish under 55cm are not eligible for scoring. All qualifying fish at the 55cm mark will score at 21.75″.
  • Team Captains (or other pre-assigned team member) will submit qualifying catches (Hero photos, Measurement photos, Release videos) as they are caught via each team’s private chat with the Weighmaster on Whatsapp. Chats will be established and confirmed beforehand.
  • The Weighmaster will confirm receipt of catches as they come through and signal approval. Anglers may ‘upgrade’ their catches throughout the day.
  • Penalties or outright disqualification may be levied against an angler’s submission if any or all of the above scoring requirements are not adhered to.
  • The scoring headquarters will be located at the Selkirk Park boat launch/Ag Barn and will be officiated by the Official Weighmaster.
  • Measurements must touch or surpass a line on the ruler to earn that length. Scores will not be rounded up. The final determination for this will be the sole discretion of the Weighmaster.
  • All measurements declared by the Weighmaster are final.

Prize Structure

  • Tiebreaker Rule – In the event of a tie (same exact official measurement), the higher placing fish will be determined by time of submission (earlier scored fish is higher). If there is still a tie, then the higher placing fish will be determined by earlier date of paid registration.
  • Cash prizes will be paid out to the Top 20 finishers (percentage of total entry fee pool)
  • Other prizes: Top Finishing Youth (15 and under), Mystery Time for all competitors who scored a fish but not in Top 20. Captain’s Cash Prize Draw for all boat captains. Random Prize Draws for all anglers who did not score a fish. Derby Director reserves the right to adjust prize structure accordingly in relation to the final paid number of entrants and derby costs.
  • Previous years payouts are all publicized via the Kickerfish page on Facebook and on kickerfish.ca

Code of Conduct

  • All competitors and officials will conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike, respectful, and ethical manner at all times during the tournament.
  • No aggressive behaviour or inappropriate language toward other competitors, officials, spectators, or volunteers will be tolerated and can result in tournament disqualification and future tournament eligibility.
  • This code of conduct extends to comments made or posted on Kickerfish social media platforms including but not limited to the Kickerfish Facebook page, Instagram account, YouTube channel, and website.

Other

  • Upon filling out the entry/waiver form, competitors are permitting the use of their name and image on all media coverage relating to the promotion and reporting of the Selkirk Walleye Championship. Competitors also free the organizers, volunteers, sponsors, and other agents involved in the above-named event of any responsibility for death, injury, damage, theft, or related loss as a result of participating in the Selkirk Walleye Championship howsoever caused.
  • Tournament Directors reserve the right to delay, shorten, or cancel the tournament in the case of severe weather or unsafe conditions.
  • Competitors who have been disqualified will not be entitled to a refund of their entry fee.
  • Any protests of contravention of rules must be submitted directly to the Tournament Organizers accompanied with $200 cash before the completion of weigh-ins. Fee will be refunded if allegations are found to be justified and result in a change in the final standings.
  • It is the goal of the Tournament Directors to organize a fair and sportsmanlike competitive event, in all cases the ‘spirit of the rule’ will apply.

Disclaimer – By entering this Derby, you agree that your photo, likeness, and/or name will be used to publicize the results and possible subsequent promotion of the event. Being a weekday event, and in keeping with tradition, should you not wish for your name/likeness to be publicly used *cough cough* please let the Derby Director (Eric Labaupa) know ahead of time.

DERBY DIRECTOR CONTACT            Call or Text ERIC LABAUPA 204-995-6583