Lake of The Woods Women's Walleye Tournament

OFFICIAL RULES

2025 OFFicIAL RULES & REGULATIONS


ANGLER RESPONSIBILITY

Read the Rules!  Every angler is responsible for checking their Digital Livewell® at the end of the day to make sure all of their fish submissions have been RECEIVED.  Tap on the Digital Livewell® (fish icon).  You will need a minimum of 2 bars of service or strong Wi-Fi.  If any entries have a message that reads NOT RECEIVED, leave that screen open until all fish read RECEIVED to the leaderboard.  If you cannot get your entry to say RECEIVED, try this:  https://tinyurl.com/LivewellHelp

TOURNAMEMENT FORMAT

  • Lake of the Woods Woman’s Walleye Tournament is a one day, women’s only fishing derby. Women must enter in teams of two and are able to have a third person on board to aid with the operation and launching/loading of the boat ONLY. No fishing, no fishing assistance, and no direction to fishing locations are allowed by the third person. 
  • By entering the Lake of the Woods Woman’s Walleye Tournament all participants declare that they have an understanding of all tournament rules and agree to abide by them.
  • You are responsible for your safety and actions at all times before, during and after the Tournament. Each entrant, upon registration to compete in the derby, agrees that she will not hold the Sponsors or Hosts liable for any kind of accident that might occur during the Fishing Derby.
  • Registration can only be done through the FishDonkey app (see below). 
  • All Ontario Sport Fishing Regulations and Transport Canada regulations must be abided by or you may be disqualified. Boat operators MUST comply with all safety requirements and have their Pleasure Craft Operators Card certification as per Transport Canada regulations.
  • All decisions of the Derby Judge are final and may not be protested. The entry fees for the tournament are as follows: 
    • Reeling Queens – $300.00 per team which must be submitted with a fully completed entry form. 
    • Reeling Rookies – $150.00 per team which must be submitted with a fully completed entry form.
  • All Competitors, Officials, and Volunteers will conduct themselves in a true sportsmanlike, courteous, safe and ethical manner. As Competitors, each person represents not only their Team but also their Sponsors and those of the tournament. 
  • It is the angler’s responsibility to enter their team into the correct division in FishDonkey. Failure to notify the directors to correct a division mistake before fishing in the tournament will result in the team’s disqualification.
  • Cancellations will be accepted up to 21 days prior to the tournament (up to 4pm on May 17, 2025). The tournament director must be notified of the cancellation in writing before the deadline to qualify for a refund. The entry fee will be refunded less a $50.00 administration fee. In the case of extenuating circumstances, exceptions to this may be considered by the Tournament Committee on a case-by-case basis.  

FISHDONKEY APP

All registrations must be completed using the FishDonkey (FD) link on the Lake of the Woods Women’s Walleye Tournament (LOTWWWT) website.  All registrations are to be paid directly to FD with a credit card. The FishDonkey app will be used to photo document fish entered and will generate live leaderboards.  The leaderboards will update throughout the event (UNTIL12:00 PM) as fish are submitted.  All entries will be considered unofficial until verified. 

** It is your responsibility to train on and test the FD app before the tournament **

Measuring & Photo Documenting

  • All photos must be taken through the FishDonkey app and measurements must be on a tournament provided measuring board.
  • Fish should be recorded immediately and measurements noted by length in inches.
  • All submissions must include two photographs: 
    • 1) A pic of you holding the fish and        
    • 2) A pic of the fish on the measuring board.
  • Close the fish’s mouth. The nose should touch the bump of the measuring board (the belly is facing you). This photo needs to include the entire fish on the board.  
  • If the tail touches or crosses a graduation line, round up ¼ inch.
  • All participants must have their fish submitted before the end of the tournament.
  • In the event a photo that designates a fish to be scored is judged to be unscorable, a replacement fish will not be allowed.
  • WALLEYE LENGTH: Each team can submit three walleye under the following description:
    • Between 12 in (30.5 cm) & 16.75 in (42.5 cm)
    • Only one over 27.6 in (70 cm)
    • None between 16.93 in (43 cm) & 27.56 in (70 cm)
  • Any fish that appears to have been mangled, mashed, mauled, or otherwise altered will be credited only at the discretion of the Tournament Director. Any fish that are deemed altered by an angler may result in Team disqualification for the day or event.

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”

Here’s a video on How to Measure a Fish

FishDonkey in poor reception areas

The app will work without the internet. Open the app before heading out to poorly covered areas. Tap on the name of the tourney. That is all it takes to fully load your event for the day.  Enter fish through the button ENTER A FISH. 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.

Missing pictures on the leaderboard?

Open your Digital Livewell (fish icon) when you get back to an area with good reception.  Leave that screen open until all fish are “Received”.  Never delete anything from your Digital Livewell.

TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS

Your Tournament Directors are Colette Surovy, Judy Bain & Danyelle Neniska.  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.

PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY

  • Competitors must be a minimum of fourteen (14) years of age as of June 7, 2025. Participants under 18 must be paired with an adult 18 years of age or older. 
  • All participants will require a:
    • 1) WAIVER OF CLAIM, RELEASE AND INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT AND
    • 2) PERMISSION TO PHOTOGRAPH AND VIDEO signed by them. 
  • You cannot fish in the tournament with a Conservation Fishing License.
  • All anglers must possess, and be able to show upon request if asked, a valid Ontario Sport Fishing License, except those exempt by the Fisheries Act.
  • There will be a limited field of 100 paid teams for the Tournament unless the Tournament Committee determines otherwise.
  • If, after competition has started, a team captain or partner is unable to continue for medical, family or other justified reasons, the remaining team member will be given the option of continuing as a single angler. In the event that the remaining team member elects not to continue in the tournament, the team’s entry fee will not be refunded. 

BOATS AND MOTORS

  • All boats, motors and their equipment must meet Canadian Coast Guard standards. 
  • All boats equipped with an emergency kill switch mechanism must have the kill switch tether securely attached to the operator whenever the boat is on plane. 

DAILY LAUNCHING AND MORNING EQUIPMENT INSPECTIONS

  • There are three flight times – 7:00 am, 7:30 am, and 8:00 am.
  • Your flight times will be based on your boat entry number when you register.
    • FLIGHT ONE @ 7:00 AM: Registered teams #1 – #35 will be in the first flight. 
    • FLIGHT TWO @ 7:30 AM: Registered teams #36 – #70 will be in the second flight and
    • FLIGHT THREE @ 8:00 AM: Registered teams #71 – #100 will be in flight three. 
  • Boat inspections will take place on a first come, first served basis, with teams arriving in the 30-minute window preceding their start time. Teams will have 7 hours to fish from the time they leave the dock after inspection is complete. 
  • Boats will be inspected for but not limited to: team numbers properly affixed; kill switch operation; and required safety equipment. 
  • Teams must have all tackle boxes, hatches and live wells open for easy inspection prior to the arrival of the Tournament Officials. 
  • Failure to report for daily boat inspection will result in disqualification. 

SAFETY

  • All Competitors must practice safe boating at all times during practice and tournament fishing. 
  • Every competitor must wear a fully secured Coast Guard approved life jacket or floatation device while traveling from one location to another at other than trolling or drifting speed, and tethered kill switches must be attached to the driver’s body (if applicable). 
  • No alcoholic beverages or illicit drugs may be possessed or consumed by the Competitors during tournament fishing hours up to and including the weighing of their catch. Failure to comply with this rule will result in immediate tournament disqualification of the team.
  • In the event of a thunderstorm, lightning, or severe weather, teams may pull onto the nearest shoreline until it is safe to continue fishing. Competitor(s) may not leave their boats during the tournament except at the Official Check-In Station, except in the case of a proven emergency.
  • Every Team, whether submitting a scorecard or not, must, at the end of the day, report to the Official Check-In Station.
  • In the case of an emergency, first call 911, then notify us by calling (807) 407-2825.
  • Unlimited pre-tournament practice is allowed, however moving fish from one location to another during pre-tournament practice is prohibited. Violations could result in tournament disqualification. 
  • Each team will be given a team number. Team numbers must be affixed to the port (left) side of the main combustion engine so that they are clearly and plainly visible. 
  • The Tournament Director has the right to delay or shorten the Tournament, subject to weather and/or safety considerations. 

ON THE WATER

  • Competitors are personally responsible for knowing all Tournament Rules, as well as the current Ontario Sport Fishing Regulations and Canadian Coast Guard regulations. Penalty: Teams found to have violated federal or provincial fishing and boating regulations during the tournament may be disqualified when this information is confirmed by tournament officials. This judgment could also apply to eligibility to participate in future tournaments. 
  • Competitors are not allowed to toss or pass any item(s) to another boat or to receive any item(s) from another boat. 
  • All Teams and their equipment are subject to inspection at any time during the Tournament. 
  • No fishing information may be given to or exchanged with Competitors during the Tournament fishing hours by Tournament or Non-Tournament anglers. 
  • Competitors are expected to co-operate as much as possible with official video and still photography personnel. 
  • All waters accessible by boat on Lake of the Woods, within Canada, are deemed Tournament waters unless stated otherwise. 
  • All waters leading into the first narrows of Shoal Lake downstream from marker No. W10, and all the Labyrinth thereafter are not part of Lake of the Woods and are out of bounds for fishing.
     

RULE(S) VIOLATIONS, PROTESTS AND APPEALS

  • General Penalties: Teams may be disqualified from the tournament for frequent or major infractions of the rules and will not receive a refund of their entry fee. Examples of major infractions include unsafe boating practices, gross angling ethics violations and violations that clearly give the competitor an unfair or illegal advantage over other competitors, such as; movement of fish, caged fish, violation of provincial and federal fishing and boating regulations, exchanging fish between teams, and drug and alcohol violations.
  • Each Team Captain has the right to file a Protest when they have firsthand knowledge that a rule or rules may have been broken or violated by another Team. A Protest must be filed within ten (10) minutes of check-in at the check-in site to be considered. 
  • The Protest and Appeals Committee will interpret the rules according to their spirit and intent. The decision of the Protest Committee is final and not subject to review of any kind.
     

TIE BREAKERS

  • Ties will be settled by using time stamp and time recorded on check-in. If there is still a tie, longest single walleye will be used. And if there is still a tie after that, it will be settled by second largest walleye, and if need be, the third largest walleye.
  • In the case of continued tie, regardless of fish lengths, winner will be determined using time stamp on photo of largest walleye to determine which team caught the largest walleye first.

PRIZE STRUCTURE

  • The prizes will be paid out to the first 5 placings for each division (Reeling Queens and Reeling Rookies). They will be based on the number of teams entered and based on entry fees collected.  There may also be prizes that also go along with the cash prizes.
  • It is the responsibility of the tournament director to disburse all prizes.  
  • From our terms and conditions, you have agreed to the following.  

”FishDonkey 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 SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RESULTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE TOURNAMENTS THEY ORGANIZE AND HOST USING THE SITE AND SERVICES.” 
  

CHANGES AND AMENDMENTS

The Lake of the Woods Woman’s Walleye Tournament Committee retains the right to change or amend any or all of these preceding rules at their sole discretion without prior notification or consultation with the Competitors.


HAVE FUN!