WESTERN FISHING LEAGUE RULES AND REGULATIONS
The rules and regulations are to be adhered to by all Western Fishing League (WFL) competitors.
By registering to compete in a WFL event, you are acknowledging that you have read, understood, and will abide by these rules, terms, conditions, and regulations.
All federal, provincial, and local fishing, boating and criminal laws must be obeyed at all times. Individuals are liable for any infringement of law and will not be protected by the WFL.
REGISTRATION
Season Registration
All competitors must be registered with the WFL for the season. To register, send an email to westernfishingleague@gmail.com with a completed waiver and the following information:
Small Craft series anglers: your name, email address, and phone number.
Boater series anglers: your name, email address, phone number, and the name of your season partner.
Junior anglers: your name, email address, phone number, and waiver signed by a parent or guardian.
Regular Season Event Registration
All competitors must register and pay for each event by 6:00pm the night before the event. To register for a specific event:
Send an email to westernfishingleague@gmail.com with your name, email address, phone number, and (if applicable) the name of your Boater series partner.
Send an eTransfer of the appropriate amount (see below) to westernfishingleague@gmail.com. Include in the notes section the event you are registering for.
Boater series: $100
Small Craft series: $35
Junior anglers: no charge, no eTransfer required.
Championship Event Registration
We are changing the format of the 2 Day Season Finale! Details will be coming out soon.
ENTRY FEES, PAYOUTS & PRIZES
Regular Season Events
Entry Fees:
Boater Series: $100 per boat, includes $80 for main pot, $20 for big bass.
Small Craft Series: $35 per boat, includes $30 for main pot, $5 for big bass.
Payout Structure:
85% of entry fees received. 15% is retained to cover administrative costs.
Main pot: 1st place 50%, 2nd Place 30%, and 3rd Place 20% of applicable entry fees for the event.
Big Bass: 1st place 100% of applicable entry fees for the event.
Additional prizes and lucky draws will be added as and when received from our sponsors.
Championship Events
We are changing the format of the 2 Day Season Finale! Details will be coming out soon.
WATERCRAFT SERIES
There are two separate watercraft series in the WFL, the Boater Series and the Small Craft Series.
BOATER SERIES
Any length boat with any size mechanical motor.
1 or 2 anglers per boat. Teams must be registered with the WFL in advance.
The competitor’s boat must be rated by the manufacturer for the number and weight of persons competing.
If you are using a boat that is under 12’ and/or using a motor under 5hp: at the event blast off time, wait until the bigger vessels with more power have cleared the area before commencing.
All boats must be inspected at the morning check-in before blast-off.
Daily limit for team is 5 fish. Scores are based on cumulative length of the 5 fish limit.
Alternate Anglers. Each team is allowed one instance, per season, of using an alternate angler if one of the registered team members is unable to fish an event. Any season points accumulated will accrue to the registered team.
Junior Anglers. One Junior angler (16 years and under) may accompany/fish with the 2-person team. The following conditions apply:
Junior Anglers can enter the event free of charge, unless participating as part of a 2-person team.
A liability waiver and entry form must be signed by the Junior Angler’s parent or guardian.
Junior Anglers will have a maximum limit of 3 fish per event as part of the Junior Angler competition and will be eligible for designated Junior Angler prizes.
Junior Angler fish must be recorded and submitted in a separate email from the team submission.
The Junior Angler, unless competing as part of the 2-person team, may not contribute any of their fish toward the team event competition.
The Junior angler, unless competing as part of the 2-person team, will not be eligible for the main pot or Big Bass cash payouts or prizes.
In the event of a Junior angler competing as part of a 2-person team:
The Junior Angler must be registered as a regular competitor and pay the regular entry fee.
Fish caught by the Junior angler can be counted for BOTH the two-person team 5 fish limit AND the 3 fish Junior angler limit. Fish can be counted in both categories. Separate emails for team and Junior angler fish must be sent.
The Junior angler will be eligible for the team event payouts and prizes, as well as designated Junior angler prizes.
SMALL CRAFT SERIES
Any watercraft up to 16’ length with human or small electric motor propulsion.
Anglers must be registered with the WFL in advance.
The competitor’s boat must be rated by the manufacturer for the number and weight of persons competing.
Only one angler may fish from a single boat, except in the case of a Junior Angler joining the Small Craft competitor.
Daily limit per competitor is 3 fish. Scores are based on cumulative length of the 3 fish limit.
Junior Anglers. One Junior Angler (16 years and under) may accompany/fish with a Small Craft competitor. The following conditions apply:
Junior Anglers can enter the event free of charge, unless also registered and participating as a regular Small Craft competitor.
A liability waiver and entry form must be signed by the Junior Angler’s parent or guardian.
Junior Anglers will have a maximum limit of 3 fish per event and will be eligible for the designated Junior Angler prizes.
Junior Angler fish must be recorded and submitted in a separate email from the Small Craft competitor’s submission.
The Junior Angler may not contribute any of their fish toward the accompanying Small Craft competitor’s fish limit.
The Junior Angler, unless also registered and participating as a regular Small Craft competitor, will not be eligible for the main pot or Big Bass cash payouts or prizes.
In the event of a Junior Angler competing as a regular Small Craft competitor:
The Junior Angler must be registered as a regular competitor and pay the regular entry fee.
Fish caught by the Junior Angler can be counted for BOTH their Small Craft competitor 3 fish limit AND their Junior Angler 3 fish limit. Fish CAN be counted in both categories.
The Junior Angler will be eligible for the Small Craft competitor payouts and prizes, as well as designated Junior Angler prizes.
SAFETY REQUIREMENTS
Vessels must have all the safety equipment required by the jurisdiction in which they are competing.
Life jackets are required to be worn while under throttle of the main engine of your boat (Boater series) and to be always in possession for the Small Craft series.
In the event two boats collide or damage property, authorities will be called directly by the parties involved.
No alcohol or drugs are permitted in your boat, or to be used during the official hours of the event.
TOURNAMENT RULES
All events begin with a Captains’ Meeting 15 minutes before the official blast-off. It is imperative that solo anglers or team representatives attend. Failure to do so will result in the forfeiture of any appeals process.
Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass, 12” minimum length. Smaller fish will not be counted.
The same fish cannot be counted more than once, even if caught more than once.
All events are C.P.R (catch, photograph, release) – the fish is caught, photographed to record length, and promptly released.
The use of live wells is strictly prohibited.
Tournament check-in and blast off times will be posted per event.
Any disputes regarding fish measuring or scoring must be received within two hours of the posting of event results.
Any disputes regarding other anglers, including regarding cheating or breaking rules, must be received within two hours of the completion of the event.
The WFL committee’s decision regarding any dispute will be final and no further disputes regarding the same issue will be accepted.
Fishing equipment, tackle, methods:
All submitted fish must be caught by a rod, reel, line, and hook with artificial lures only.
Only one rod per angler may be used at one time. A rod is considered “in use” when the attached hook or lure is in or on the water.
All competitors must sign the liability release form, if a competitor is under the age of 18, you must have a parent or legal guardian sign the liability release.
Non-allowed equipment/methods:
Umbrella/Alabama rigs
Forward-facing sonar
360 sonar
Trolling (line is in water while under way)
Anglers are not allowed to fish within 30 yards of another competitor’s vessel. Permission may be asked and granted to fish closer than 30 yards; if you allow one competitor within the distance, then you must allow any competitor.
Communication devices are not to be used to tell competitors where fish are/are not.
Competitors cannot exit the vessel to land a fish and may exit to use the washrooms only.
Failure to comply with league rules can result in disqualification from competition and possibly from the league.
PHOTO STANDARDS
All photographs are to be taken with a digital device with email capabilities.
All eligible fish are to be measured on a one-piece trough style measure board, e.g., Hawg Trough. Collapsible measuring boards are not allowed.
All increments on the board must be visible in a contrasting colour. Fish will not be scored if increment lines are not clearly visible. Tip: use a marker to colour the increment lines on your board.
All photos must be clear and centered. If the judge cannot comfortably analyze the photo due to clarity, the photo will be disallowed. You will have an opportunity to submit a different photo of the same fish.
The event card and number (issued by the event director the morning of the event) must be clearly visible in the photograph. The photo will be denied if absent.
The fish must be placed facing left, dorsal fin on the top of the board with its fully closed mouth facing the measuring board fence.
-0.25 inch penalty for mouths open up to 1/8 inch and -0.5 inch penalty for a mouth open more than 1/8 inch. Measurements are at the discretion of the judge.
Photo will be denied if board or the fish is facing the wrong way.
Hand or fingers may be in contact with bass’ body only, must not cover the face or any portion of the tail, and must not be under the gill plate.
-0.5” penalty for any of the above infractions.
The tail fins may be gently pinched together and gently released before the photo.
If the tail is off the measuring board, the longest point of contact with the board will be the final measurement.
All photos will be evaluated on a mobile phone or tablet so that judging occurs on a device similar to the device the photo was taken with, helping ensure fairness and consistency.
Photo submission cut off is 15 minutes after the event ends, photos received after cut-off will not be counted.
In the event of a photo device malfunction or internet connection issue please contact a WFL committee member within the 15-minute cut-off timeframe arrange an alternative submission method.
To submit your event fish entries, please send an email to westernfishingleague@gmail.com with the following information:
Subject Line
Include event name, lake and competitor names
In the body of the email:
Your first and last name
If you are a Junior angler
Name of angler who caught the biggest bass
Your photos
Boater Series: best 5 fish
Junior Boater: best 3 fish
Small Craft Series: best 3 fish
Junior Small Craft: best 3 fish
Event results will be posted to the WFL Facebook page by 7:00pm on the night of the event.
Appeals
Should you have any concerns or disputes regarding tournament results, please submit your appeals via email to westernfishingleague@gmail.com by 7:00am of the morning following the event. Appeals will be resolved within 72 hours by review of the WFL Committee.