Rules & Regulations

1. All entrants must have the appropriate fishing license and boat regulation when partaking in the derby.

2. Weigh station time: August 11th & 12th, 2023 / 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM, and August 13th, 2023 9:00AM - 5:00PM. All weigh in and measurements must occur within this time. NO FISH WILL BE WEIGHED OR MEASURED AFTER 5:00 PM SUNDAY.

3. Tournament waters include St. John River west of Grand Falls and all of its tributaries.

4. Minimum Length is 38". No shorter Fish will be accepted.

5. Scoring by length will be to the nearest 1/8 inches. Entries with the same length will have the heaviest fist as the tiebreaker. In the event of an entry with the same length & weight the fish turned in the earliest will break tie.

6. A tournament official must witness the measurement of all entered fish.

7. Participants must be present at awards ceremony to receive any prize.

8. Protest of rule violation must be submitted to the tournament committee in writing prior to the awards.

9. All decisions of the tournament committee are final. Derby Marshal will have the final judgment.

10. Contestants wishing to protest any witnessed violation of derby rules shall do so in writing to derby officials before the presentation of prizes. The Fort Kent International Muskie Derby Committee shall rule on any protest before the awarding of prizes.

11. Violation of the tournament rules and/or cheating will result in disqualification and forfeiture of entry fees.

Please view our Catch and Release Statement

13. All fish presented for entry in the derby shall be caught in accordance with Maine Fishing Laws and Rules as written in Maine Statute Title 12. Any muskie or bass presented for entry that shows signs of being “Snagged”, “Jigged”, “Gigged”, “Speared”, “Gaffed”, “Gill Netted”, or previously frozen shall be disqualified at the discretion of the Derby Officials.

I expressly assume all risks associated with this tournament and I hereby release Fort Kent International Muskie, the hosts, town of Fort Kent, sponsors and derby officials from all claims of negligence resulting from injury and/or property damages incurred in connection with this tournament. I am aware of the inherent risk associated with fishing and boating, including but not limited to the risks of collisions with other boats and/or stationary objects in and around lakes/rivers, including rocks, reefs, piers, or other vehicles and trailers at landing areas. I am familiar with the risks up to and including death by drowning associated with rough weather, rough water, currents, changing weather patterns, heavy winds and lightning storms.