What You Need to Know

2025 Red Lake Fall Classic Tournament Rules and Regulations

*Tournament Rules are subject to change*

Version 1.25

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Ian Russell – 807.728.3882

RL Fall Classic Docks – 807.728.5110

MECHANIC ON CALL

Froy – 418.321.3585

Morning Boat Check-in Open at 6am

 

FLIGHT TIMES – TRICKLE START

Day 1

Flight 1 – Boat 1-50 – Out 7am, Check in at 4:00pm

Flight 2 – Boats 51-100 – Out 7:15am – Check In 4:15pm

Flight 3 – Boats 101 – Last Boat – Out 7:30am – Check in 4:30pm

 

Day 2

Flight 1 – Boat 1-50 – Out 7am, Check in at 3:00pm

Flight 2 – Boats 51-100 – Out 7:15am – Check In 3:15pm

Flight 3 – Boats 101 – Last Boat – Out 7:30am – Check in 3:30pm

  • All paid entries must be received no later than Friday August 22nd, 2025, to be eligible for entry.
  • A full field shall be no more than 130 (Unless otherwise determined by the Red Lake Fall Classic Committee.)
  • All new entries will be received on a first come first served basis.
  • Cancellations will only be processed up to Friday August 22nd, 2025. Cancellations will be subject to a $50 administration Spots cannot be sold or transferred. Refunds will only be granted by the RLFC Committee. No cancellation fees or entries will be paid after August 22, 2025.
  • It is the intent of the committee that all anglers participate in an honest, sportsmanlike tournament.
  • Contestants will be reminded that the “Spirit of the Rules” WILL prevail in all cases.
  • Any team or angler who is disqualified at any time during the tournament, (unless rule 9.i has been determined) will be ineligible to weigh in – resulting in a final weight of 0lbs, thus ineligible for any prizes.
  • Disqualification will result in immediate removal from the tournament (no further fishing). Eligibility for entry (after disqualification) into the 2026 tournament and/or thereafter will be decided upon by the Red Lake Fall Classic
  • Disqualified teams WILL NOT receive a refund for paid entry.
  • Any contestant may submit a written protest for consideration prior to 5:00pm, Monday September 1, The contestant/team will be required to make a $500 cash deposit with EACH protest; the deposit will be refunded if the protest is upheld.

RED LAKE FALL CLASSIC TOURNAMENT RULES

  1. The Red Lake Fall Classic Committee retains the right to change or amend The Rules at their discretion. Rules will be reviewed Friday, August 29, 2025 (Drive-Thru Rules Night; event location to be determined). All participating anglers are required to read the rules in their entirety. One member of every team will be required to sign a liability waiver to participate in the Drive by will commence at 5pm ending at 6:30pm.

*Disclaimer – one member from every registered team will sign off on their registration package at the Drive-Thru Rules Night. *

2. Starting positions and times are determined according to;

    1. Finishing position from 2024 Red Lake Fall Classic (Returning Anglers)
    2. Earliest date of paid entries (New Entries)

3. Pre-tournament fishing will cease at 3:00pm Friday August 29th, 2025.

4. Every boat will be checked in at the docks at the start of and at the end of each tournament day. Contestants checked in late will receive an 8oz penalty per Any boat 5 minutes late will be ineligible for weighing in and will collect no weight for that day.

FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL ANGLERS – ANY TEAM THAT DOES NOT CHECK IN WILL BE DISQUALIFIED FROM THE TOURNAMENT, AND/OR THEREAFTER

 The Pontoon boat is deemed the “check in location”.

In the event that a team is unable to make it to the docks or pontoon boat for Check In, a tournament official may be called at one of the above phone numbers.

5. Boats may be checked by tournament officials at any time throughout the Any team refusing inspection WILL be disqualified from the tournament and/or thereafter.

6. Tournament Boundaries – ALL bodies of water accessible by Red Lake.

7.All contestants under 16 years of age will have written parental consent. One member of every team must be 18 years or older.

8. ALL PARTICIPANTS WILL CARRY A VALID ONTARIO FISHING LICENSE (unless under the age of 18).

9.  TOURNAMENT WEIGHTS:

a) A MAXIMUM of FOUR fish may be weighed in each tournament day per

b) Saugers will be considered walleye for the duration of the tournament and will be eligible for weigh-

c) NO MORE THAN 4 FISH MAY BE RETAINED IN ANY BOATS LIVE WELL UNLESS WEIGHING AND MEASURING IS BEING PERFORMED.  AT THAT TIME THERE MAY BE 4 (OR UP TO 6) FISH IN THE WELL WHILE ANGLERS ARE CULLING FOLLOWED BY IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF THE FISH BEING REPLACED.

d) ONE walleye 23” or over, and three fish no more than 18” may be weighed in by each team at the end of each tournament day, OR

e)Up to FOUR fish 18”and under may be weighed in.

f) THE LONGEST MEASUREMENT OF THE FISH WILL PREVAIL AT THE 18” and the 23” side.

g) All fish will be measured by tournament Anglers will be shown any discrepancy.

h) All Fish will be weighed, pinched tail, both sides, using a JUDGE ruler.

i) ANY ANGLER FOUND WITH A FISH EXCEEDING ANY OF THE ABOVE LIMITS WILL WEIGH ZERO WEIGHT FOR THAT DAY OF THE TOURNAMENT (If this is a result of an honest mistake – Where no obvious alterations have been made to the fish – Anglers will remain in the tournament, however losing that day’s weight.) *This will be determined by the Official Fish Measurer and tournament committee members*

j) Any anglers with fish found in the tub with weights will receive a 16oz penalty.

ALL DISQUALIFICATIONS WILL BE HANDLED BY THE RED LAKE FALL CLASSIC COMMITTEE.

10. All anglers may weigh their fish throughout the day to reduce stress on the fish.

11. Scales will close one hour to the official weigh-in. Any angler who chooses to weigh in within one hour of closing, will be required to weigh in ALL fish at that time.

12. ALL STRESSED AND ALL DEAD FISH WILL RECEIVE A PENALTY OF 25% OF THEIR TOTAL WEIGHT.

13. All “Big Fish” will be weighed separately.

14. ANY fish that appears to be “unnaturally altered”, will be ineligible for weigh-in, and will result in immediate disqualification for the team weighing in the fish. This team will be disqualified from entering the tournament and/or thereafter.

15. The Red Lake Fall Classic Committee is not responsible for fizzing fish.

16. Aerated live wells are MANDATORY. Temporary live wells are acceptable. The use of water treatment chemicals which are legally available in the Province of Ontario is recommended for usage in live well. All fish must always remain in the live well.

17. Contestants may use live bait.

18. The Red Lake Fall Classic committee encourages the use of barbless hooks.

19. All ties will be determined by the highest weight on day TWO.

20. All teams will receive a numbered sticker, which will be always affixed in a clearly visible location.

21. ALL participants WILL wear a life jacket or NOT WEARING A LIFE JACKET WHEN TRAVELLING ABOVE TROLLING SPEED MAY RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION.

22. A tethered kill switch (if available) must be used when travelling faster than trolling or drifting All boats equipped with a tethered kill switch are required to use it.

23. Boats will not come into contact with other Any boat coming into contact with another boat will be DISQUALIFIED from the tournament and/or thereafter.

24. There will be NO passing of objects between This will result in DISQUALIFICATION from the tournament and/or thereafter.

25. No team will tow another boat/team unless dangerous conditions exist.

26. The Red Lake Fall Classic is not liable for any breakdowns.

27. ANY TEAM NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT INTO THE DOCKS UNDER THEIR OWN POWER WILL NOT BE ELEGIBLE

FOR WEIGH IN – RULE 4 will apply.

28. Un-sportsman like, obnoxious, disruptive, disrespectful behavior will NOT be tolerated. Any angler/team displaying this type of behavior to ANYONE will be disqualified/or restricted from registering or participating in the tournament and/or thereafter.

29. Any Angler who steps ashore without approval or accompaniment will be disqualified from the tournament and/or thereafter (unless life threatening circumstances exist (i.e., lightning)).

30. All registered teams will have TWO people per The two competitors that start the tournament must finish the tournament. Exceptions to this rule may only be made and approved by the Red Lake Fall Classic Committee.

31. There will be no possession of, or consumption of alcoholic or recreational substances on any registered boat. Infractions will result in disqualification from the tournament and/or thereafter.

32.  NO WAKE ZONE • THERE WILL BE A NO WAKE ZONE BEGINNING AT BOW NARROWS EXTENDING TO THE GREEN MARKERS:

  1. THERE WILL BE A NO WAKE ZONE AT THE CHUKUNI BRIDGE (Highway 125)
  2. THERE WILL BE A NO WAKE ZONE AT THE ENTRANCE TO PIPESTONE BAY
  3. THERE WILL BE NO PASSING IN ANY OF THE ABOVE AREAS
  4. ANY TEAM NOT ADHERING TO THE ABOVE NO WAKE ZONES WILL BE DISQUALIFIED FROM THE TOURNAMENT AND/OR THEREAFTER.

33. All competitors may be subject to a lie detector test.

IT IS THE INTENTION OF THE TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE TO PROVIDE AN HONEST, SPORTSMANLIKE TOURNAMENT. CONTESTANTS ARE REMINDED THAT THE “SPIRIT” OF THE RULES WILL PREVAIL IN ALL JUDGEMENT CASES.

**TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF THE RED LAKE FALL CLASSIC CATCH AND RELEASE TOURNAMENT, ANYANGLER CAUGHT, OR SUSPECTED OF CHEATING, OR ANY UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT BY ANY ANGLER WHILE PARTICIPATING IN ANY TOURNAMENT, WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR ENTRY INTO THIS TOURNAMENT**