September 2nd, 2010:

September 3rd, 2010:

September 4th, 2010

September 5th, 2010

Rules and Regulations:

• 1. Teams are required to sign in by 6pm on Thursday evening (September 3, 2009) at the Sooke Harbour Resort & Marina Reception area. There you will be given team rules kit, derby perimeters, measuring tape, boat numbers, flags, team wristbands.


• 2. All team captains must attend the meet and greet reception and team rules briefing at 6:00 pm, no exceptions.


• 3. All tidal water sport fishing regulations must be adhered to by all teams fishing during the Vancouver Island Salmon Classic and team members must have valid licenses to participate.


• 4. All Vancouver Island Salmon Classic fishing to be confined to; those waters open to the retention of Chinook salmon in Canadian tidal waters ranging from Beechey Head and no farther west than Point No Point.


• 5. All teams must:
  A) Stay a minimum of 50 feet off the Vancouver Island shore
  B) Stay a minimum of 30ft away from all other vessels (except derby patrol or DFO vessels)
  C) Not venture outside of the derby fishing boundaries
  


• 6. Exemptions to rule #5:
  A.) Teams are permitted to transit in and out from Sooke Harbour Marina & Resort by way of the navigation channel through Sooke Harbour and out to the derby fishing area
  B) While mooring at Sooke Harbour Marina & Resort
  C) In the event of an emergency and with official derby consent
  


• 7. All hooks on board while fishing in the Vancouver Island Salmon Classic must be MANUFACTURED barbless hooks. No exceptions. Spot checks will be conducted on and off the water by derby officials.


• 8. No team shall fish more than 4 rods/lines.


• 9. No salmon weighing less than 15 pounds shall be registered.


• 10. Each team may enter up to their legal limit of salmon in to the Vancouver Island Salmon Classic weigh station. Only each team’s top four (4) heaviest spring salmon will remain on the leader board and contend for prizes. The remaining registered salmon will be bumped off the leader board. No other species of salmon will be weighed.


• 11. Once a team retains its daily limit of Chinook salmon on board their vessel that team shall cease fishing for that day. No exceptions!


• 12. Guides are permitted in the Vancouver Island salmon Classic. If the guide is the 5th person on board a team’s boat they cannot be on the official team roster. The 5th person (guide) will be required to wear a (supplied) bright coloured vest which will easily identify that individual as the guide to other participants. Guides can work gear prior to a strike, but cannot play any fish at any time.


• 13. Only those persons listed on the team roster may touch the rod and play a fish after the moment of a strike. Guides who are not on the team roster may work the gear during set up but must not touch the rod at any time after the fish strikes. Guides may clear the other rods not involved with a fish and also net the fish.


• 14. All teams must display their team number on either side of their vessel and tournament flag so that they are easily visible to other boaters, teams and tournament patrol vessels.


• 15. The top 3 prize winning fish will be held by the Vancouver Island Salmon Classic officials for biological testing to verify that they were caught in compliance with derby rules. These fish may not be returned to the teams.


• 16. In the event of any dispute, all official derby rulings will be considered final and binding. No disputes will be heard after the prizes have been awarded.


• 17. Any confirmed infraction of derby rules will result in the Immediate Disqualification of the entire team in question and a lifetime ban of any future participation in this event.


• 18. All teams MUST sign in each morning prior to departing the marina and before any fishing takes place. VI Salmon Classic staff will be set up each morning in the reception/office area for team sign in. Your boxed lunches will handed out to team members at this time.


• 19. Friday and Saturday official derby start is at 6am, teams must follow the Official Patrol around Whiffen Spit and wait for the ‘horn blast’ before leaving the Sooke Bay. Skippers are reminded to use caution rounding Whiffen Spit, if the leading boats encounter rough water outside the spit they will be slowing down, boats behind should be aware of the boats in front of them.


• 20. Once a fish has been landed the team must call a patrol immediately if they wish to register that fish into the tournament. Teams will be given an official time upon contacting a patrol vessel to register a fish. This time will be used to determine a winner in the event of a tie. Teams may continue fishing while waiting for the patrol boat to arrive. If a team wishes to return directly to weigh station, the area patrol must first be notified and provide approval to return to weigh station.


• 21. Each team will have a 2 day limit tie straps that must be attached through the gill slits of each derby fish. Place the tie strap through the lower jaw and out the gill cover.


• 22. When a patrol vessel arrives to verify your fish, you will be asked to measure the fish for length. Do this by laying the fish on top of the measuring tape supplied in your team kit. Measure from the fork in the tail to the tip of the head. You are not required to broadcast your fish length over the radio. Do this person to person with the official on the patrol vessel.


• 23. The patrol official will ask you to hold up your fish to inspect visually. They will want to see that the tie strap is in place and that the fish is not in a state of rigor. Fish that are in a state of rigor will not be accepted (unless the time between the call to a patrol vessel and excessive time for the patrol vessel to arrive was the cause)


• 24. In the event of a tie for any major cash prize the team with the earliest catch registration time will be declared the winner of that prize.


• 25. After your fish has been accepted and registered by a patrol official you may continue fishing and weigh that fish later in the day or you can run it into the scales right away. You must contact Vancouver Island Salmon Classic base officials to inform them if your team is coming into the scales to weigh a fish. This can be done by VHF or by cell phone.