2023 ACS Wild Carp Classic Tournament Rules
The rules for this competition have been created to ensure the safety of each angler, spectators and the fish, and to give an equal chance for any angler to win. All competing anglers must read, understand and comply with the rules, etiquette and penalties described herein.
Anglers violating rules described herein will be assessed with a verbal warning, yellow card or red card, depending on the classification of the rule. Verbal warnings will be assessed for lesser violations. A second verbal warning will result in a yellow card. Anglers assessed one yellow card will be put on warning and a message will be sent out via an online message alerting the anglers that there was a yellow card issued. Anglers accruing two yellow cards will be immediately expulsed from the competition and entry fees forfeit. Anglers assessed a red card will be immediately expulsed from the competition and entry fees forfeit.
1. Liability
A.) Anglers are responsible for their own property, safety and liability for any damage or injury to others. The Organizer of this competition, the Sponsors, and the hosting Township waive any and all liability for any personal loss or injury, howsoever caused. This is an “enter-at-your-own-risk” event. Please remember that there are likely to be spectators and children present at all times, please be courteous.
2. Fishing License
A.) Competing anglers must possess a fishing license for the State or Province in which the event is held that is valid throughout the dates of the event. You will be asked to present this license at the tournament registration event.
3. Pre-fishing
A.) Pre-fishing is not permitted by registered anglers and/or team sponsors at the event body of water for two weeks prior to competition and during competition. [RED CARD]
4. Peg Draw and Peg Etiquette
A.) All competitors must have registered and paid all entry fees by the start of the peg draw. [RED CARD]
B.) There will be a peg draw for each tournament. Tournament Director will draw team names at random to determine order of peg choosing. Teams will pick one peg from the bag, they will decide to keep it or reject it and it will be placed aside. Then they will choose a second peg from the bag and that second peg will be that team’s assigned location. The peg that was set aside will then go back into the bag. If a team is not present within one minute of being called upon to choose, the Tournament Director will blindly pull one peg from the peg draw which will then be assigned to the team that was not present.
C.) Anglers must fish and place all of their fishing equipment within the posted boundaries of their peg. [VERBAL WARNING]
D.) The Weigh Marshals will attempt to prevent media and spectators from getting in your way. Please be courteous to spectators and be prepared to answer questions and allow photographs from the media. [VERBAL WARNING]
E.) Anglers must be courteous to Weigh marshals and tournament officials at all times. Excessive rude or disorderly conduct will not be tolerated. [YELLOW CARD]
F.) If an angler must leave their assigned peg outside of the range of their bite alarm receiver and there are not at least two registered anglers present in his or her absence, his or her lines must be reeled in before leaving. This is a New York State law. [YELLOW CARD]
G.) If a team wishes to withdraw during the competition for an emergency reason only, they must record their leaving time with the Weigh Marshal and remove all equipment from their pegged area.
If a team leaves the competition prior to the end of the tournament for anything but an emergency, they will not be allowed back for at least 1 tournament and will not receive any prizes earned.
Anglers are encouraged to be present at the end of the Awards Ceremony after competition closes to be eligible for any door prizes and awards.
H.) ACS will provide every team with trash bags. All trash must be put in the trash bags and taken to a designated dumpster that will be communicated at peg draw. [YELLOW CARD] Take all Pop-up tents with you. If any are left behind the team will be issued a Yellow Card.
(If your team is assessed a yellow card for this infraction and has previously been assessed a yellow card for an earlier infraction, your team may be expulsed from the tournament and scores nullified from the leaderboard.)
I.) Open fires are not permitted. Use of propane grills and heating devices are permitted. [VERBAL WARNING]
J.) All competitors will have three hours at the start of the competition and the three hours at the conclusion of the competition to park vehicles and/or trailers at peg sites, where permitted, to load and unload equipment. This will include two hours before the start of competition thru one hour after, and two hours before the conclusion of competition thru one hour after. All vehicles and/or trailers must be parked in designated parking areas for the remainder of the competition. [YELLOW CARD]
K.) Vehicles may not leave tournament grounds after 9:00 PM. [YELLOW CARD]
L.) Before driving on any grass to drop off/pick up gear, please be mindful of the conditions of the grass. Do not cause excessive turf damage. Excessive turf damage may be subject to a fine to fix the affected area.(Yellow Card).
M.) Permanent visitors to pegs have to be registered at registration. Each team is only allowed 1 registered visitor per angler. Permanent and temporary visitors are not allowed to partake in any of the following activities: Making and/or preparing bait, throwing bait, assisting with baiting, playing fish, netting fish, making tackle (ie tying rigs, etc.) or spombing. [YELLOW CARD]
N.) Once the tournament has started, competing anglers are not allowed to enter other team’s pegs unless they ask permission and they are invited in. [VERBAL WARNING]
O.) No continuous illumination of the river or the lake shall be permitted. Spot lighting across the water for baiting and casting within your boundaries is permitted. Shore line lighting for netting and landing a fish is also permitted. [VERBAL WARNING]
P.) Generators must be placed at least 100’ away from the water’s edge and be within your peg zone (do not place it within the buffer). [VERBAL WARNING]
Q.) If pegged along Onondaga Lake, absolutely NO cutting or breaking of the vegetation. You can trample down the vegetation to get to the water and to place your bivvy and rod pods. [YELLOW CARD].
5. Tournament Start and Finish
A.) Teams of two or three permitted; six rods per team, one hook per rod
B.) The competition will start promptly at the advertised time. The start of competition will be announced over an online messaging system. The fishing period will last its designated amount of hours, with competition close announced via an online messaging system.
C.) All fishing lines must be removed promptly at the end of the competition. Any angler currently playing a fish upon the competition end must call out to a Weigh marshal and/or fellow competitor and signal “Fish On.” The angler will have a maximum of 15 minutes to play the fish in and net it; timekeeping will be the responsibility of the nearest Weigh Marshal. The Weigh Marshal’s decision will be final.
D.) Teams awarded prizes for highest combined weight of 10 largest carp (common or mirror) and Largest Fish overall and Largest Mirror Overall.
E.) In the event that the 3 teams don’t get their Big 10 Fish in their section, whatever teams catch their Big 10 Fish in their section will get the remaining prize money split evenly in their section.
In the event that no teams in their section catch their Big 10 Fish, the top 3 teams in that section will get a 50% payout of the prizes assigned to that section.
F.) There will be a blackout period 14 hours prior to the end of the tournament where no weights will be entered into the online system. The marshals will still weigh fish bankside and record all fish weighed into the official score book. At the end of the tournament they will bring the scorebooks to the Director and verify all weights entered into the official scorebook throughout the tournament and the winners will be announced at closing ceremonies.
6. Bait
A.) Baits allowed include food-quality baits such as bread, corn, vegetables, carp-safe boiled baits, pellet and paste baits, etc. The rule here is that the angler must be prepared to eat the bait, to prove it is safe for the fish. [YELLOW CARD]
B.) Care must be taken to properly prepare cooked baits for safe consumption by fish. Certain baits, such as field corn, when raw or undercooked, can be damaging to the digestive system of the fish. Anglers found to be fishing with raw or undercooked baits must cease use of the bait until it has been fully prepared and approved by a tournament official. [YELLOW CARD]
C.) In addition, anglers can use natural baits; worms, nightcrawlers, maggots, mealworms, waxworms, crickets, etc. Lures (plugs, jigs, etc.) may not be used. No live or dead whole or cut fish or fish pieces can be used as bait. Artificial corn and pop ups are permitted. Tournament officials have the right to inspect all baits and disallow any bait they deem illegal, offensive or dangerous. [YELLOW CARD]
D.) Groundbaiting (chumming) is allowed. Spods, PVA bags, nets & string, catapults (fishing slingshots), throwing spoons, and feeders of all types are acceptable. Please bait intelligently, as too much groundbait, chum and/or free offerings will definitely affect your chances of catching and may ruin your neighbor’s sport, too. [VERBAL WARNING]
7. Targeting and Playing Fish
A.) This is a catch-and-release tournament; no fish will be weighed unless it was caught fairly, has been handled safely, and can be released alive. Prior to the start of competition, a weigh marshal or tournament director will meet with each neighboring peg to clearly state boundary line markers on the opposite side of the river that are not to be crossed while baiting and casting. Neighboring teams will agree to stated boundaries for the duration of the event.
B.) Boats, bait-boats, fish finders, sonar, and other like fish-finding equipment are NOT permitted. Deepers ARE allowed. [YELLOW CARD]
C.) No fishing or baiting in designated buffer zones. No baiting off of bridges. All baiting and fishing must be done with your feet inside your peg. [YELLOW CARD]
D.) An angler may enter the water to net a fish, release a fish, place a fish in a holding sack, or to free a fish caught in a snag, weed or otherwise in distress or possible danger. For pegs on the river, in the event of low foliage impeding the angler’s ability to cast, the angler may enter the water far enough to allow for a cast or to bait, but no deeper than the angler’s waist.
For the pegs on the lake no wading in past your waist when casting, baiting, or netting of fish.
Swimming is prohibited. Anglers enter the water at their own risk. [VERBAL WARNING]
E.) Carp are hard-fighting fish and there may be a need for an angler to leave their peg location momentarily to play a fish that is running parallel to the bank. A catch will be valid if the fish is landed within the angler’s assigned peg area or within the adjacent buffer zone. A buffer zone is defined as the space that lies between end boundary lines of neighboring pegs. A fish that is tangled with a neighboring team’s line(s) or that is landed within the assigned area of a neighboring peg will be disqualified.
F.) Tournament Directors and/or the Head Marshal reserve the right to issue a YELLOW CARD to anglers repeatedly playing fish into the neighboring peg area.
G.) In the event of a disagreement between competing neighbors, a Weigh Marshal and/or Tournament Director must be called to settle the dispute if one cannot be reached between the neighbors. The tournament official’s decision on the matter will be final.
8. Landing Nets, Unhooking Mats and Carp Sacks
A.) Anglers must use a soft, knotless mesh or rubber mesh landing net of the appropriate size. [YELLOW CARD]
B.) Anglers are required to use a well-padded mat when unhooking fish that have been netted. [YELLOW CARD]
C.) Anglers must retain catches waiting to be scored in carp-friendly sacks that will not damage the fish. [YELLOW CARD]
D.) While retaining fish, carp sacks must be fully submerged in water and must not be overpopulated with fish. [YELLOW CARD]
E.) In an emergency and without a carp-sack, the angler is allowed to retain a catch momentarily by placing the landing net and fish back in the water.
F.) Any team failing to provide the above mentioned carp-safe equipment must refrain from competing in the event until the appropriate equipment has been obtained, at which time they may resume fishing.
9. Equipment Use
A.) Only six rods per team may be casted with bait at any time, with one single hook per rod. Visual and audible remote bite indicators are permitted.
B.) Hooks can be no larger than a size 1/0. Recommended hook patterns are barbless and micro-barbed (e.g. a standard Carp Hook). Hooks larger than a size 1/0, multiple hooks, double or treble hooks and hooks with an oversized barb are not allowed. [YELLOW CARD]
C.) Weigh Marshals have the right to inspect an angler’s hooks, and can disallow fish caught on any other type of hook. Weigh Marshal decisions in all such cases will be final. Marshals and tournament directors reserve the right to disallow 1/0 hooks in the event that said hooks become problematic in the damage they cause to captured fish. [YELLOW CARD]
D.) Anglers can use additional rods for spodding or controlling a marker float. No fish hooks can be attached to any part of the line on this rod. The angler can have additional rods pre-rigged at the peg, but they can only have a maximum of 6 baits in the water at any time. [YELLOW CARD]
E.) Standard, Carp-safe rigs are allowed. All rigs should include either a Safety Clip or be capable of sliding over knots in the case of an Inline, Helicopter, or Method Feeder rig. Fly Fishing, Float Fishing or Pole Fishing Rigs must include a lower breaking strain leader/hooklength/tippet, to avoid a Carp breaking off the whole rig. [YELLOW CARD]
F.) Be prepared to have enough carp-friendly holding bags; limit 3 fish per large holding bag.
10. Valid Fish
A.) Only Common Carp and Mirror Carp that are at least 15 pounds can be weighed and counted for any awards or prizes. Fish must be weighed and released upon arrival of the weigh marshal and may not be retained for photos or weighing at a later time.
B.) Other fish (including Game Fish) do not count and may not be retained.
C.) Any fish that are dead or snagged (snatched) will be disqualified. (YELLOW CARD)
D) A foul-hooked fish (hook that is in part of the fishes body more than 1 inch from the mouth) will be disqualified.
11. Weighing System
A.) Weigh Marshals will record exact weight (pounds and ounces) and time the weight was recorded on official score sheets. The angler will then be asked to sign official score sheets confirming that the information has been recorded correctly.
B.) Anglers may also record exact weight, and time caught on their own score sheet and may request that the Weigh Marshal check both records. It is each angler’s ultimate responsibility for ensuring that his/her fish is recorded accurately. Tournament officials will not accept any complaints on weight after the angler has signed the official score sheet.
C.) After the fish have been entered into the official score sheet, the weigh marshal will then enter the weight into an online scoring system. Those entries in the online scoring system will not be official until the Tournament Directors get a chance to verify the entries. This will happen every 6 – 8 hours during the day and will resume first thing in the morning. A notification will be sent out via the online scoring system which pegs and times have been verified. The only weights that are official are those that are written on the official score sheet.
D.) Each team will have a flag to put in the ground that signifies to a passing marshal that the team has fish to weigh. If a marshal passes at night and there is no flag or anglers present, the marshal will continue on to the following peg.
E.) The American Carp Society uses State-certified scales; anglers may ask to view certification stickers to verify
F.) Any fish weighing over 30 lbs. will have a picture taken of it along with the scale.
12. Confirm Your Scores
A.) At the end of the competition, anglers may compare their score sheets with the Tournament Director. In the event of any discrepancies, notify the Tournament Director immediately. Tournament Directors and Weigh Marshals will examine the angler’s score sheet, the official score sheet and final tournament results, advise the angler of the discrepancy found, and update the leader board and any other documentation as appropriate. In all cases, the Tournament Director’s decision shall be final and binding.
B.) In the event of a tie for the Big 10 awards & prizes, that prize money will be split evenly between the teams.
13. Cancellation
A.) If the event needs to be canceled prior to the start due to extreme weather conditions (e.g. Tornado warning), all pre-registered and paid anglers will be refunded their fees, less their percentage share of the cost of any administration charges (e.g. DNR Tournament Permit fees, City park fees, etc.) that cannot be recovered by the organizers.
B.) In the case of a forced outage (severe storm) during competition, the tournament may be postponed, which will be alerted by at the alert of the weigh marshal or tournament director. At such a time, anglers are urged to take cover and cease fishing until alerted otherwise by a tournament official.
C.) In case of an interruption caused by a storm before 40 hours of the competition have been completed, the event will be resumed, but the interruption will be added to the originally scheduled hours. If the tournament cannot be finished, but at least 30 hours of the competition have been completed, it will be considered valid and prizes will be awarded based on standings at the time of interruption.
14. Penalties/Disqualification
A.) Tournament officials reserve the right to penalize and/or disqualify any competitor for violating rules and guidelines expressed in writing and verbally prior to and throughout the start of competition. In the event that a competitor is found in violation, they will be reprimanded accordingly for the violation. If a Yellow or Red card is issued, a message will be sent out via the online scoring system that an infraction happened.
B.) Penalized and disqualified Angler(s) will be required to sign a Tournament Rules Violation Form (see attached). A witness may sign the Tournament Rules Violation Form should Angler(s) refuse to do so.
C.) Any team disqualified from the tournament will be removed from the tournament leader board, will lose all monies paid to the tournament and will also be removed from post-event press coverage.
D.) Tournament officials reserve the right to impose sanctions on anglers and/or teams if they commit crimes or exhibit negative behavior not otherwise specified in this document.
E.) Any competitors who repeatedly violate tournament rules across events may be banned from future competitions.
F.) If during the contest situations arise that are not stipulated in the rules, decisions will be made by the Tournament Director and the competitors will be subject to such decisions.
15. Copyrighted Materials
A.) All images, descriptions and associated intellectual property are solely owned by The American Carp Society. These items cannot be used (for commercial purposes) without expressed written consent from the owners.
16. Direct Marketing/Recruitment
A.) Companies are not permitted to directly market their goods and/or recruit anglers for promotional and/or sponsorship deals during American Carp Society tournaments unless approved to do so. Companies that have a paid sponsorship with the tournament may direct market and/or recruit during the registration event, closing ceremony, and any pre-tournament social events sponsored by The American Carp Society.
B.) Official VERBAL WARNINGS will be issued to ALL teams sponsored in the tournament by any Company found to be direct marketing and/or recruiting during non-approved times.
17. Prizes
A.) All prize money will be paid to the winner(s) by check and shall be subject to IRS tax reporting.