contest rules
Every contestant is responsible for learning the rules!
1. It is only permitted to be 1 team per boat. Each team may have up to 5 team members, and the boat driver is one of the 5 team members. It's only allowed to use 1 fishing-rod per person. 1 spare fishing-rod per person in the boat is allowed.
2. The halibut must be properly hooked (through the mouth). Documentation on the placement of the hook is required for the catch to be approved.
3. All halibuts must be released back into the sea for the catch to be approved.
4. Fishing with live bait is prohibited, and doing so will cause disqualification. Use lure/pilk/jig with max. 4 hooks. (4 hook tips).
5. Only 1 person is allowed to hook and wheel in the catch. The rod cannot be turned over to someone else.
6. The halibut must be photographed next to the contest's official ruler and measuring device. The starting number must be visible in the image, and the halibut must be measured from mouth to the middle of the tail. The length of the halibut must be clear in the photo to be approved. Remember that it is the person catching the fish that’s responsible for convincing the judges that the length is correct.
7. All halibut over 150 cm. must be measured outside the boat. If there is a risk of harming the halibut, or risk for personal injury, the halibut can be lifted into the borat. Contact the judges for approval before doing this.
8. The minimum approved halibut size is 86 cm.
9. Use of down rig is prohibited.
10. Immediately after catch-and-release, picture and info on who caught the fish must be sent to the festival management.
11. The deadline for reporting a catch at the end of the day must be followed. Starting chip and photo/film must be handed in no later than one hour after the day ends (time set in program). If the starting chip is not handed in on time, all results from that day will be disquailified. Deadline for Friday and Saturday will be announced at the captain's meetings.
12. Any complaints must be given within one hour after the results are published. The festival management's decisions on complaints are final.
13. The 20 best teams from Friday with the 3 longest halibut (total cm) will compete in World Championship Halibut Fishing, to qualify the team must have caught at least 1 halibut. If two teams have the same total cm., the team that has caught the longest halibut qualifies before the other team. If both teams have caught equally large halibuts, the teams that reported the catch first qualifies before the other team. The remaining teams compete in Arktis Fisch Open.
14. All teams that participate in the World Championship Halibut Fishing take with them the two longest halibut from Friday to Saturday. The teams that compete in Arktis Fisch Open take with them the longest halibut from Friday to Saturday.
15. If two teams have the exact same amount of cm. when it's time to pronounce a winner, the team who has caught the longest halibut wins. If the two teams have equally long longest halibuts, it is the second longest halibut that decides who the winner is etc. If the two teams have all halibuts of the same length, it is the team who reported catch first that wins.
16. All teams should have at least 2 mobile phones on board at all times, so that the management can report on
weather changes and other important information. The teams can communicate amongst themselves using Channel 72 on the VHF.
17. All teams must report to the competition management about which sone they are fishing in at 12 o'clock both Friday and Saturday.
18. The teams that venture out to Sone 1 during the competition will have 1 hour less fishing time. This is to prevent dangerous situations when returning to Havøysund.
19. The competition area can be minimized if the weather conditions are rough.
20. If the weather is to bad to go out on one of the competition days, this day will be removed from the competition. For example, if Friday is removed from the competition only the results from Saturday will count. This means that all teams compete in the World Championship Halibut Fishing. If Saturday is removed from the competition, Friday will be World Champioship Halibut Fishing.
21. If both days are cancelled there will be a draw between all the contestants for the prizes, except money prizes, trophies and medals. Changes in the program will be given at the captain's meetings on Friday and Saturday.