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Northern Fishing Games

Competition rules ’24

TIME AND PLACE OF COMPETITION

  • The competition is 22–24 August 2024
  • As the competition waters are the Haukivesi uniform permit area, the map of which is attached
  • Saimaa Holiday Oravi is the competition center.

THE FISH OF THE COMPETITION

  • The fish which are fished in the competition are pike, zander and perch.
  • The lowest length of the fish are pike 60 cm, zander 45 cm and perch 30 cm.
  • All fish are released in competition. Dead or unfit fish (which are not expected to survive) shall be reported immediately to the Results Service Center. The release rule also applies to fish which are not eligible for competition.

 

FORM OF COMPETITION

  • Each day, the teams aim to catch one (1) pike (60 cm minimum), two (2) zanders (45 cm minimum) and three (3) perch (30 cm minimum) as long fish as possible.
  • The total position points of the first two days of the competition will determine entry to the Sunday final, which will be reached by the top 16 teams 
  • The first two days position points are given accordingly: 1.-20. positions gets the team the equivalent amount of points (1-20) and after position 20. all the rest teams get position point of 21.
  • In the case of even scores, the longest fish are compared in the following order: longest perch, longest pike, longest zander.
  • All forms of active fishing with a rod are permitted.
  • One rod per fisher may be used. The rod where the lure is in the water is calculated as one rod in use.  
  • When fishing, only one lure is allowed to be used, to which hooks are attached. In trolling an unhooked lure or similar unhooked diver may be used in a tamdem rig.  There may be an unlimited number of rods and lures on board the boat.
  • The use of natural baits is prohibited. All lures must be artificial, feathers and hair are allowed, but not bait fish, maggots, etc..

TEAMS

  • The boat used by the team must have 2 competitors, one of whom is the captain. The captain must be over 18 years of age and the competitor must be at least 16 years of age (with parental permission to participate).
  • Every competitor must have paid the fisheries management fee to Metsähallitus Eräluvat.
  • 60 boats will be allowed in the competition. However, the organiser has the right to increase the number of competitors to enable international and domestic partners to participate.

 

FILMING AND PHOTOGRAPHING

  • taking part to competition the competitor accepts the Photo permit of the competition
  • In each boat the organiser can attach a livestream camera (1-2 psc), from which the video is shown on paid or national tv
  • Competition organisation has the right to choose the boats where the cameras are fastened
  • The competitors agree to show caught fish to the camera and to talk to the camera(s) minimum one time a 1 minute speech about the fishing/competing, etc.
  • The teams agree to make sure the camera(s) stay in the place they have been mounted to.

 

BOAT LANDING

  • On boat landing sites, the competitors shall consider other users. 
  • Trailers and vehicles are parked in places designated to them. 
  • When boats are landed and lifted, some members of staff of the competition organisation may be present.

 

STATUTORY SAFETY ITEMS AND INSTRUCTIONS AND ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE ORGANISER

  • Each captain shall verify the seaworthiness of the boat before going out to water.
  • All boats shall carry at least:
    • Oar, paddle or anchor with ropes
    • emptying tool or a bail
    • approved life jackets for everyone on the boat.
    • approved extinguisher for all inboard and outboard motorboats with an engine power greater than 25 kW or on boats fitted with a flame-generating combustion appliance
    • first aid kit
    • For navigation, a nautical chart shall be onboard. A plotter map is accepted as a nautical chart.
  • The amount of fuel must always be checked before departure and must also remain in reserve.
  • The competition organisation has the right to inspect the boat, its storage facilities before the competition.
  • The competition respects the statutory limit of 0.5 per mil of alcohol for professional use in water transport in Finland. The boat driver may be tested with an intoximeter when the boats are in the water before the start and for 10 minutes after crossing the finish line. The maximum penalty for exceeding the per mil limit is exclusion from competition and a ban on entering the event. In addition, the police are aware of the race and may be patrolling the area.
  • Furthermore, each competitor shall wear a life jacket or self-inflating life jacket when the boat is being driven by the main engine.

 

REGISTRATION

  • Team registration for the competition is done by sending a test image of the team NAME in the Predator App as a screenshot to the Predator App by Wednesday, August 21, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.
  • The team participating in the competition must make sure that the team name in the fish reporting application (Predator App) is the SAME as the team registered for the Northern Fishing Games competition. The competition organizer cannot edit the team name in the Predator App.

 

CAPTAIN’S BRIEFINGS

  • Wednesday’s captain’s meeting takes place via e-mail. Each captain will be sent an email on Friday 16 August 2024 with the latest information on the competition arrangements and rule interpretations. Captains will be given the opportunity to ask supplementary questions about competition arrangements, rule interpretations and competitors’ obligations by email until Monday, August 19, 2024.
  • On competition days, daily short captain’s meetings are held in the morning at a separately stated time. Only the captain of the team may participate in the captain’s meetings.
  • The team does not have the right to participate in the competition if the captain has not attended the captain’s meeting.
  • The competition day’s scoreboard and/or race pass for that day, which entitles you to participate in the race, will be distributed at Thursday’s captain’s meeting. Race passes for Friday and Saturday will be distributed at the captain’s meeting that morning.

 

START AND END OF COMPETITION DAY

  • The motor of the boats must have the competitor number given by the race organizer clearly visible on both sides, or in a boat without an outboard motor in another clear place.
  • Each boat’s fish tanks and boxes are checked before moving to the departure point. Shortages and/or fraud will result in a penalty. The BoatCheck time is announced to the captains in advance, and in this case the boat must have the team’s race time.
  • Competition time is Thursday and Friday 10:00–17:00, Saturday 9:00–17:00.
  • The boats move to the competition area in the order drawn. On the second day of the race, the starting order is reversed. In the final, the winner of the qualifiers starts first in the competition area, followed by the rest in order of ranking.
  • Boats must be at the finish line by 17:30 at the latest. The finish line must be crossed in such a way that the team’s race number is recognizable either from the judge’s boat or from the shore.
  • Every day, upon entering the finish line, each team must report to the judges at the finish line.

 

COMPETITION SITUATIONS

  • the competition can be discontinued at any time for a short time or the rest of the day due to weather or other pressing reasons. If the competition is discontinued, the teams must go immediately to the closest safety zone informed by the organiser
  • If the competition must be discontinued for the rest of the day, the result of the day is the same as the result at the time of the discontinuation
  • Fishing boat must be passed by minimum from the distance of 50 m (if possible). If the passing by must be done closer, the boat that passes by, must drive by with the speed of under 10 km/h and not create waves nor disturb the fishing. If this rule is broken, the team will be given a warning.
  • Fishing nearer than 100 m of shoreline where there is housing, is forbidden. If this rule is broken, the team will be disqualified.

 

MEASUREMENT AND HANDLING OF FISH

  • The minimum lengths of fish are pike 60 cm, zander 45 cm and perch 30 cm
  • Fish shall be measured and photographed immediately after capture and the fish described shall be reported to the results service center without delay.
  • The landing net/in the boat shall contain no more than two fish at a time. Fishing must be suspended until one, or both, is released.
  • Fish are measured on the Northern Fishing Games official fish measure board related to each competition day.
  • Fish shall be measured and taken pictures on the right flank of the fish (viewed from behind the fish) against the measuring board when the head hits the zero end of the board.
  • The tail of the fish can be squeezed and the mouth of the fish must hit the front end of the measuring board.
  • The mouth of the fish may be closed or open when measuring the fish and the whole fish may be caught on the measuring board.
  • During the measurement, you can hold the fish with two fingers in the belly area of the fish. The hand must not cover the fish from the belly to the back. The measurement must be directly under the fish and the race pass must also be visible in the picture.
  • When taking a measuring board picture, the fish must not be held by the mouth or under the gill cover.
  • The length of the fish shall be measured in even centimetres, i.e. the decimals shall be rounded down to the nearest even number. (E.g. 35.4 cm is 35 cm.)
  • The entire fish shall be displayed on both the measuring board and on the landscape image. The length of the fish shall be clearly visible in the measuring board image.
  • A second picture of the fish is also taken showing the fish, the catcher’s face and landscape, as well as the daily competition pass. The fish should show the left flank in the landscape picture, i.e. the same side of the fish as on the measuring board.
  • There must be a release video of all the zander reported, more detailed information on this is given at the captain’s briefing
  • It is recommended to use rubber coated landing nets. 
  • Handle fish with care and avoid unnecessary contact with the fish mucous surface. Don’t hang fish in vain.
  • The use of a livewell is forbidden, the fish is waiting to be measured in the landing net outside the boat, and likewise any resuscitation of the fish takes place in the landing net outside the boat. 

 

REPORTING OF FISH

  • The reporting system requires a Finnish phone number to work, so it is needed that international team’s purchase a prepaid cell phone plan for the competition time. More information info@northernfishinggames.com
  • Photographs (2) taken with a mobile camera are sent to the results service center immediately after the measurement as according to the instructions give at the captain’s briefing.
  • If the image sent is later changed, the results service center shall be informed separately by a WhatsApp message indicating the species of fish, the length of the fish and the team number. 
  • Competitors must ensure that the cell phone battery is adequately charged and must include a backup cell phone for reporting purposes.
  • All fish caught shall be released unharmed after taking relevant pictures.
  • Bloody fish or fish with bulged eyes are not accepted in the competition.
  • Dead or unfit fish which are not expected to survive shall be reported immediately to the results service center. The organisers will tell you how to deal with the fish.

 

GROUNDS FOR DISQUALIFICATION: COMPETITION/FISH

  • Failure to pay the fisheries management fee on behalf of any member of the boat, in which case the entire boat’s competition performance will be disqualified.
  • Fishing in an area where fishing is prohibited, in which case the entire boat’s competition performance will be disqualified.
  • If the image indicates that the fish is undersized, the fish shall be rejected.
  • If in the measure board picture, the whole fish does not show, i.e. the size of the fish, the fish is rejected.
  • If the measure board image is not clear, the fish is rejected.
  • If the fish has been held against the rules when taking measurement picture, the fish will be rejected.
  • If the competition pass is missing in the landscape or the measure board image, the fish is rejected.
  • If the team uses a measure other than the official competition measure, the fish in question will be rejected.
  • Bloody fish or fish with eyes that bulge from the head are rejected. Detailed instructions shall be given in the captain’s briefing.
  • If the team fish nearer than 100 m of inhabited shore, the team will be disqualified. Attn. Lahisten osakaskunta (at the Lahinen Fishery area the distance to shore is 300 m (will be shown on the competition map)
  • If the team does not report after the competition day to the competition organisers
  • If anyone other than the team members indicated in the competition participates in the competition, the entire boat’s performance will be disqualified (any changes in the composition of the team must be notified to info@northernfishinggames.fi by 11.8.2024, in last minute illness cases, please contact the competition director).
  • If the team gets more than one warning, it will be disqualified

 

PROTEST AND JUDGEMENT

  • The competition results service center has the right to change the stated lengths of the fish based on the images sent by the teams.
  • If the team has questions about their fish or reporting problems, the team can contact the result service center directly.
  • If a team/competitor has any comments regarding their results or fish sizes, the comment must be made immediately and not only after the competition, by contacting the competition director.
  • The results service center has the right to request additional photos from competitors.
  • Any observations on violations must be reported immediately to the competition director
  • Protests to rule violations must be submitted to the immediately at the end of the competition day. The protest will be charged a deposit of €100, which will be refunded in case the protest is accepted.
  • The protest is processed by the competition director, one marshall and one person from the result service center 
  • The decision is not subject to appeal.

 

The competition organisers have the right to change the rules before 31 July 2024.