Rule #9
All 40″ muskies must be taken immediately to nearest witness not in your boat for measurement and release. Witness does not have to be participating in Metro Muskie Tournament.
Doesn’t this seem like a bad idea to transport fish to the closest person you can find? Sounds like setting up for some beat up fish… Not like its a big tourney on a single body of water with judge boats.
Intersting they phrased it that way. Yea you should not be taking them anywhere. I’ve fished that tourney before and we left them in the net while we flagged down a boat to sign the form. That’s the only way I can see doing it.
Brings up an interesting point for this year with the new 48″ minimum law – now that fish has to be “immediately released” that doesn’t fit well with having someone sign off on a measurment.
I’m pretty sure you guys both have it wrong. My understanding after last year is that your fishing partner for the tourney CAN be your witness. No reason to haul a fish around the lake looking for a witness when you have your fishing partner standing right next to you. If you fish the tourney solo, well, then you will have to go looking for a witness.
You guys are not the only ones confused by this rule. I know many people who fish the tourney who thought they had to go looking for a witness too. Quite a few fish were killed on a certain lake last year during this metro tourney as a result of bad fish handling. I would contact Paul Hartman directly for specific questions related to the tourney. I personally don’t fish the tourney, not into tournament fishing. Just have some friends who fish it and that was my understanding from what they told me. Hopefully the rules will be explained better this year. Good luck.
I’ve always just had my boat partner witness fish in the past unless someone else is very nearby. Certain waters like the St. Croix and some larger lakes wouldn’t make any sense at all to transport a fish. Although in previous years rules it did state that if nobody was close enough a boat partner was acceptable. As Mallard stated above..put a call in to Paul to make sure. I can’t imagine that he would expect fish to be transported any distance.
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I’ve always just had my boat partner witness fish in the past unless someone else is very nearby. Certain waters like the St. Croix and some larger lakes wouldn’t make any sense at all to transport a fish. Although in previous years rules it did state that if nobody was close enough a boat partner was acceptable. As Mallard stated above..put a call in to Paul to make sure. I can’t imagine that he would expect fish to be transported any distance.
This is just the first one ive seen stated like this. Majority of these contests are not partner fishing so usually its who ever is in the boat is good to have verify.
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