First Day of the District IV 4-H Virtual Fishing NEXT Saturday the 14th!!!!

The purpose of this “virtual” fishing tournament is simply to encourage 4-H members and families to go fishing.  Please look over the rules below, scout out a good fishing hole, get your gear ready, grab a buddy, and wet your hook!

Download and share the event flyer:  Fishing Flyer

Rules:

1. All participants must be District IV 4-H members enrolled via 4-H Connect.

2. There will be 4 fishing dates: March 14, April 11, May 9, and June 13.  Participants may enter in any number of the listed tournament dates.  Members must be registered for the tournament before fish will be considered for official measurement.

3.  There is a one-time $25 registration fee that covers entry for all dates.  Registration will be open on 4-H Connect between February 19 and June 5.

4. Only bass will be considered for measurement.  This is a catch and release tournament.  4-H members are expected to fish in an ethical and legal manner.  All state fishing laws and regulations apply.

5. Participants may fish from any legally accessible lake, river, creek, or pond.

6. Boats are not a requirement.  If fishing from a boat, all state laws apply and safety protocols should be reviewed before fishing.

7. Participants must submit a photo of their fish on a tournament date by 3 p.m. Texas time in order to be considered for awards.  A common household item will be identified that must be displayed with your fish when you post a picture to the District IV 4-H Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/DIV4H).  The item will be identified on the District IV 4-H Facebook page at least 30 minutes before each tournament date starts. You must measure your fish on a Check It Stick (pictured below). This is a measuring stick you can pick up at most sporting goods stores.  To assist contest officials with crediting the correct measurements, please mention the member’s name and county in the comment of the post.

EXAMPLE:  The picture below shows how the fish and item should be oriented and uploaded. The fish shown is laying on the Check IT Stick with the daily item and measurement clearly visible in the picture. In this picture the event item was nail clippers.

8. Any fish measurements that cannot be read will be disqualified.  TPWD provides a guide on how to properly measure a fish. (Link)  All length measurements will be converted to an estimated weight using TPWD’s length-weight conversion table linked here: Link

9. Participants are allowed to catch as many fish as possible and post their top 5 online per tournament date. The top 5 bass measurements for each member on each date will be added together for the total recorded 5-fish stringer.  Results for each fishing date will be posted on the Facebook page.  Awards for all fishing dates will be distributed in June.

10. We encourage participants to fish with a buddy or as a club. Participants must be supervised at all times for safety reasons.

11. All fish photos must be posted on the given fishing date by 3:00 pm.

More Hints and Tips will be coming in from the teen leaders. So keep watch!!!