Submit requests starting April 1 for 2011 events
MADISON – Organizers of certain fishing tournaments planning events for 2011 will want to apply for a permit starting April 1, 2010.

“If you plan on holding a fishing tournament in 2011, we recommend that you apply in the open period that starts April 1 and runs through June 30, 2010, to have the best chance of getting your desired dates and waters,” says Joanna Griffin, tournament coordinator for the Department of Natural Resources.

All applications received during the open period will be reviewed by Aug. 1, 2010, and in the unlikely event that another tournament conflicts with an organizer’s choice of dates or waters, DNR fisheries biologists will discuss options with the tournament organizers, Griffin says.

Permit applications from tournament organizers applying after June 30, 2010, for events in 2011 will be considered on a first-come first-served basis.

Under the state rule that became effective in May 2009, some tournaments in Wisconsin must get a permit and there is a cap on the maximum amount of tournament fishing allowed on individual waters.

Tournaments need a permit if any of the following apply:

•The tournament involves 20 or more boats, or 100 or more participants;
•The tournament targets any trout species on waters classified as trout streams;
•The tournament is a catch-hold-release tournament with an off-site weigh-in; or
•The total prize value is $10,000 or greater.
An application fee must accompany all permit applications. Fees vary by type of tournament and total prize value.

Organizers can still apply for 2010 tournaments

Tournament organizers can still apply for 2010 tournaments, but the DNR must receive completed applications at least 30 days before the start of the applicant’s tournament. These applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more details on the fishing tournament rule, to submit an application, or to view a tournament event calendar, visit the fishing tournaments page of the DNR Web site.

A 2004 law passed in response to growing citizen complaints about tournaments and perceived problems with crowding at boat ramps, concern over fish that died after being caught during tournaments, and other factors, instructed DNR to update tournament fishing rules where there were significant, documented problems.

DNR worked with an advisory group including fishing clubs, lake associations, fishing tournament organizers and the Wisconsin Conservation Congress to develop the rules.