We will be accepting registrations for the 2024 KC Walleye Classic Fishing Tournament starting Thursday, Feb 1, 2024, beginning at 8:00 AM Central Time.

We will accept 100 teams and once the Tournament is full a "Wait List" will be established.  Your registration time stamp will determine which team gets called first  should there be an opening for the Wait List.  A Wait List Team will not be charged unless contacted by the KCWC Committee to fill a spot in the tournament. 

 

Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic

June 8, 2024

Registration

All registrations for 2024 will be processed through the 2024 KCWC Walleye Classic registration portal at www.kcwalleyeclassic.com.

The 2024 KCWC is a 100-team event. The field will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. A waiting list will be established after the 100 team field is filled.

Phase 1: Registration begins on February 1, 2024, for returning anglers from the 2023 KC Walleye Classic whether returning as an intact team or returning with a new partner.   Your completed Tournament Entry along with the entry charge of $480.00 plus fees ($497.10) per team, must be received on the tournament website by February 29, 2024.

Phase 2: On March 1, 2024, registration opens for new anglers,

Tournament Rules

The Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic will be held on Saturday, June 8, 2024, from 7:00 AM (CDT) to 3:30 P.M. (CDT). The fishing tournament is an event of the Knights of Columbus, Bemidji Council #1544, and has been authorized and permitted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. All participants must comply with all terms and conditions of the permit. A copy of the permit is available upon request.

The Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic is restricted to Lake Bemidji and Lake Irving. The tournament will be a Catch-Photo-Release contest as explained below. At the conclusion of the Tournament, awards and prizes will be presented at the Bemidji Waterfront.

All participants in the KCWC Tournament will be required to abide by the following KCWC Rules and Minnesota DNR Fishing regulations.

All participants must comply with all Minnesota boating and fishing laws and regulations, as well as the following tournament rules:

1. Interpretation and enforcement of these rules shall be left exclusively to the KCWC Tournament Director, and the decision of the Tournament Director shall be final in all matters. The Tournament Director will appoint judges to aid in verifying registered fish.
2. A team must have two (2) contestants and must fish from the same boat. One (1) team per boat. Each team member must sign an official online entry form and waiver to participate in the tournament.
3. Entry fee per team is $480 plus fees ($497.10).
4. Cash payouts are based on filling the tournament with 100 teams. KCWC Tournament Committee Officials reserve the right to adjust cash/prize payouts if the tournament is not filled.
5. One team member must always wear the official tournament hat during the tournament.
6. All participants are required to use the official fishing tournament app on their phones to photograph and verify the length of fish to be counted on their virtual stringer.
7. All contestants competing in this event are expected to always act in a sportsman-like manner toward non-competitors and competitors alike. Violators of this rule will be disqualified.
8. All boats must depart from official tournament headquarters at designated start time in numerical order. Boats will take off one by one and will receive the “go ahead” from the start boat after displaying your boat number. Prior to take-off, boat numbers are assigned by random drawing and all boats must be positioned in order by boat number as specified by the Tournament Director. Take-off will occur on schedule. Any boat that is out of order or delaying the start of the field will be held to the end of the line.
9. All fish must be caught live on a hook and line in a conventional sporting manner. Anyone guilty of snatching or snagging fish (that is, not hooked per state regulations) will have their entire catch disqualified.
10. The Tournament APP will stop recording at 3:30PM.
11. Official Bump Board must be returned to the waterfront no later than 5:30PM. Failure to return the assigned KCWC Bump Board may result in disqualification from the Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic.
12. No pre-fishing after 12:00 PM on Friday June 7, 2024, is allowed and no fishing may start until after 7:00 AM on June 8, 2024.
13. Promoters, tournament directors, organizations, and sponsors are not responsible for death, injury, damage, liability, theft, fire, or loss of any kind to entrants.
14. Alcohol, cannabis, or illegal drugs are not permitted in the boat. Violation of this rule will result in immediate disqualification from this event.
15. The Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic does not discriminate based on race, creed, color, or gender. We reserve the right to refuse entry to any individuals who have been barred or disqualified from any tournament for rules violations.
16. By entering the KCWC Walleye Classic, each competitor agrees to submit to a polygraph or voice-stress examination if necessary and abide by its conclusion.
17. The violation of any rule, as determined by the judges in their sole discretion, shall result in automatic disqualification from the tournament and ineligibility for prizes or awards. All judge’s decisions will be final and may not be challenged.

 

Rules Meeting

1. Rules & registration meeting will be hosted at 2:00 PM sharp, June 7, 2024, at the Eagles in Bemidji.
2. One team member of each team must attend the rules meeting and be in attendance by the start of the meeting or they may have their entry filled by an alternate team; both team members are encouraged to attend the meeting.
3. Starting order for teams is determined by a random drawing at the rules meeting.

 

 

 

 

Scoring

 

1.    Winners will be determined by total assigned weight of up to FIVE (5) walleyes per 2-person team. Anglers may submit all walleye over 14”. The tournament app software will automatically select the best FIVE fish entered by each team.

2.    A qualifying team’s catch will be measured and recorded by contestants using the tournament app. Tournament Judges will review angler submissions to verify submitted fish. The software assigns a weight to each fish based upon exact length. Participants are required to use the tournament supplied bump board ruler while recording your fish.

3.    In the event of a tie, the team registering the largest fish with the tournament app captures the place and the second team to register the same total length drops to the next place. In the event both team’s largest fish are the same length, the first team to register the largest fish captures the place and the tying team drops to the next place.

 

KCWC Catch- Record-Release Procedure

ONCE A FISH IS LANDED - Open the tournament app to take photos directly from there. The tournament App will only allow photos taken during Tournament Fishing Hours. It is your responsibility to train on and test the App before the tournament.

1. SCORING SHOT- FIRST-

1. Place fish on the Official KCWC Bump Board with the left side up with the belly of the fish facing the team member measuring the fish.
2. The mouth of the fish must be closed and MUST touch the bump plate on the ruler to the LEFT (Head to Left), and the tail is extended back to its maximum length using the pinched tail method on the RIGHT end of the ruler (Tail to the Right). You may not insert anything inside the gill plate of the fish while measuring.
3. The partners agree on the length of the fish to 1/4th inch accuracy. If the fish tail is touching the graduation line on the board, then that is the exact measurement. If the tail crosses the graduation line, round up ¼ inch.
4. While the fish is being held on the ruler, scoring photos must be taken of the fish clearly showing the overall length of the fish. The HEAD and TAIL of the fish must be included and show clearly. The photograph must be taken of the LEFT side of the fish ONLY. A photo that does not clearly show the overall length of the fish, including head and tail, and the left side of the fish on the ruler WILL NOT BE SCORED. More than one attempt to get a valid scoring photo is allowed.

1. HERO SHOT SECOND
   1. Photo must be taken of the right side of fish being held up by one team member.
2. RELEASE VIDEO OF FISH GOING BACK INTO THE WATER- Not Required
   1. Video of release of fish back to the water may be submitted by anglers. Fish must be released immediately.

 

 

1. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

1. In the instance when two fish are caught at the same time, the KCWC process requires that one fish must be measured, photographed, and released as quickly as possible before the next fish can be processed. The live well may be used to keep the 2nd fish, however, the second fish must be processed immediately upon releasing the 1st fish. Fish may not be kept in the live well for any other reason.
2. Delays in releasing fish may be grounds for team disqualification.
3. To speed up the Catch, Record, Release process, while a fish is in the boat, anglers will NOT be allowed to reset or place any fishing lines in the water. After all fish are photographed and released, normal angling may resume.
4. Any fish that appears to have been mangled, mashed, mauled, or otherwise altered will be validated only at the discretion of KCWC Officials and Tournament Director. Any fish that are deemed altered by an angler may result in Team disqualification.
5. It is the responsibility of each team member to familiarize themselves with the tournament APP prior to the event and be fully capable of operating the APP. App training videos and demo opportunities are available on the KCWC website.

 

 

Angler Disputes

1. If you see another angler committing what you believe is a rules violation, follow these steps if possible:
   1. Take out your camera and take a picture or video of the offender.
   2. Call the tournament director immediately and explain the situation.
   3. Upon return to the docks meet with the tournament director.
2. A protest of any kind regarding angler disputes or allegations of dishonesty must be filed with the tournament director before 4:00PM on June 8, 2024. A $250.00 fee is required with the protest which will be refunded if found to be valid. A protest committee will consist of two (2) tournament officials and three (3) randomly selected contestants. The committee’s findings are final. If the committee recommends a polygraph test, monies will be withheld until the results of the investigation are known.
3. The violation of any rule, as determined by the judges in their sole discretion, shall result in automatic disqualification from the tournament and ineligibility for prizes or awards. All judges’ decisions will be final and may not be challenged.

 

Boats

1. All boats must be checked in and tagged by a tournament official before the start of the tournament at tournament headquarters.
2. All storage compartments and live wells must be accessible to tournament officials prior to tournament start.
3. No alcoholic beverages, cannabis or illegal drugs may be consumed during tournament hours unless the team has checked in.
4. No marine radio or other electronic communication is allowed during tournament hours except for emergency or to contact tournament headquarters. Cell phones may only be used to operate the tournament app.
5. Binoculars are strictly prohibited in any boat.
6. At no time during tournament hours is a contestant to leave their boat unless you return to tournament headquarters and permission is granted by a tournament official.

 

Weather Emergencies

1. Use safe judgment during inclement weather. If there is a need to clear the lake, the fishing tournament will resume when the tournament director deems the lake safe. Emergency notification for tournament closures and restarting will be communicated through the KCWC texting system. Weather emergencies will also be announced by KCWC text.

 

Contact Information

In case of mechanical breakdowns, tournament questions, possible rule infractions or other issues, the Tournament Director may be reached at 218-766-0527.

 

Mechanical Breakdowns

1. In the event of a mechanical breakdown, the team must contact the Tournament Director to inform them of the situation.

Towing another boat with Mechanical Breakdown

1. Only with approval from the Tournament Director, a team, broken down, may be allowed to be towed in by another tournament boat.
2. Tow boat or disabled boat teams are not allowed to fish any longer, must stay in their assigned boats and must go directly to Tournament headquarters to report in with Tournament Director.

Returning to Tournament after Mechanical Breakdown

1. Time permitting, teams may be allowed to head back on to tournament waters and return to tournament action only with approval from Tournament Director.

Legacy Teams

A legacy team is defined as a multi-generational, family team such as: Father- Son, Grandfather- Grandson, Mother- Daughter etc.  Tournament director has final say if questions arise.

 

For more information, please contact Tournament Director Phil Hodapp hodapp@paulbunyan.net  218-766-0527

or visit our website: www.kcwalleyeclassic.com.

Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic is an event of the Knights of Columbus Council #1544.

PO Box 1788, Bemidji, MN 56619

Don't forget to mark your calendars for Friday June 7, 2024, 2:00 PM for the Rule Meeting at the Eagles (1320 Neilson Ave SE, Bemidji, MN 56601)  Please direct any questions regarding this registration to: