2003 LETS Tourney Series

[GullGuide]

Hey all,
It's time once again to plan to fish the Leading Edge Tournament Series this summer.

For those of you who don't know, L.E.T.S. is the official summer fishing league for FishingMinnesota.com. We fish lakes all over the state in a fun, no-pressure atmosphere.

We have room for 15 teams of 2 anglers.

The lakes we will be tentatively fishing this season are-
Rainy Lake
Lake Bemidji
Winni
West Battle

This is a multi-species fishing league and open to all.

For more information, contact me at-
[email protected]

See you there!

[GullGuide]

L.E.T.S. Go Fishing!!
Leading Edge Tournament Series 2003
Official Rules and Information
L.E.T.S. is a league format event in which teams of 2 anglers compete for points. This is a multi-species tournament series which allows for a wide variety of fishing options.

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League Size:
15 teams

Teams:
2 people must sign up to be league members. Teams may use substitutes, but at least 1 registered team member must participate.

Cost:
League fees for 2003 will be $300 per team. All fees will go towards event pay-outs, overall champion payouts, Saturday night meals for all teams, end of the year prizes, trophies and any league expenses. The first 15 teams to send in their dues will be allowed into the league, but note that participants from the previous year have enrollment priority status.

Pay-out Schedule(based on a 15 team league):
Individual event pay-outs
1st place - $200
2nd place - $150
3rd place - $100
4th place - $50
5th place - $50
There will also be a big fish prize awarded for each individual event, this prize will be a donation from Scenic Tackle, a very reputable site sponsor!

Season championship pay-outs
1st place - $500
2nd place - $300
3rd place - $200
4th place - $150
5th place - $100
6th place - $100
7th place - $100
8th place - $50

Events:
Each event will be a 2 day tournament. Saturday's event times will run from 11am - the nearest half hour to sunset. There will be an hour break at 3pm. Sunday will be from 7am to 4pm, with an hour break at 11am. The breaks will allow time for scoring of fish caught during the first half and to insure a safe release.

Dates and locations:
May 31st & June 1st - Rainy Lake
June 21st & 22nd - Lake Bemidji
July 19th & 20th - Lake Winnibigosh
August 23rd & 24th - West Battle Lake

Lodging:
To keep in the spirit of sharing information, fellowship and camaraderie, we encourage teams to camp or stay in the same general area. Headquarters for each event will be announced at a later date.

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General Rules:

L.E.T.S. prides itself as being a catch-and-release league. Taking some fish for the pan is ok, but selective harvest is strongly recommended.

1) All rules and regulations of the State of Minnesota must be observed at all times. There will also be a boat and trailer inspection for aquatic vegetation prior to teams launching their boat.

2) A cell phone or marine band radio must be n the boat at all times. This is necessary for safety and to contact other teams for large fish verification.

3) Teams must respect other teams. No fishing within 30 yards of another team will be allowed unless invited by said team to do so. Non league boats must also be respected at all times.

4) All check-in deadlines will be strictly enforced. A watch synchronization will take place each morning.

5) There will be a staggered start. Teams will draw for starting position before each event. Boats will then leave the starting point in 5 second intervals with the last team being the starter boat. After the break, this order will be reversed. On the second day, order of start will be determined by total points, having the lowest scoring team go first, highest last. In case of a tie, the first days' starting order will be used. This order will be maintained after the second days' break.

6) The scoring system will be based upon overall weight. All game fish species will be worth 1 point per pound. There will also be 2 points awarded for attendance at each event.

One bonus point will be awarded for each Pike, Walleye, Bass combination brought in for a maximum bonus of 3 points.

Any legal Muskie will be worth 25 points and on the water verification is required for a safe release.

Any team may choose to have a large fish of any species verified on the water by length measurement. This length measurement will be used with the weight equation for that species to determine the weight of the fish and added to that team's daily total.

The first team to verify a fish for another team will receive one added bonus point, which will be added to that team's daily weight.

In the case of a tie, the weight of a team's largest fish will be the tie-breaker.

Also, individual event totals will be kept and added towards the end of the year league champion.

7) Each team will be allowed one person's legal limit per day.

8) The wearing of lifejackets while teams boat is under power of main engine is strongly encouraged.

9) All boats must have a live well or other means such as a cooler with an aerator capable of keeping fish alive. Stringers and fish baskets will not be allowed.

10) Any water that can be accessed by boat without having to pull, push or drag the boat will be deemed tournament water. The use of a push-pole, oar or paddle will be allowed.

11) All teams must remain in their boat except in case of emergency, or at breaks or weigh-ins.

12) Fishing in Minnesota presents a wide range of weather conditions that anglers must face. Events will only be cancelled in the event of lightning. The event will not be completely cancelled, only postponed until the lightning has passed. In event of lightning, all boats must return to the starting area or another location of safety. This will allow ample time for teams to reach safety. Teams failing to report in either via cell phone or marine radio will loose all points for that day except under conditions where teams must take immediate cover and unable to make it back to the starting point or reply. Teams will be contacted by cell phone or marine band radio if a postponement is called.

13) All rules and scoring decisions will be made by league president and are final. In the event of a rules violation or conflict by the league president, the league vice president will make the call. Any rules changes will be announced prior to each event.

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To register for L.E.T.S. Go Fishing or for any questions you may have, please contact either:

Tom Herman, "Gullguide"
L.E.T.S. League President
[email protected]

Paul Waldowski, "Pwaldow123"
L.E.T.S League Vice-President
[email protected]

Chris Graber, "Grabs"
L.E.T.S League Treasurer
[email protected]

[This message has been edited by GullGuide (edited 12-26-2002).]