KAOTY UK, GRAFHAM WATER

KAOTY GRAFHAM WATER – October 2
West Perry, Huntingdon PE28 0BX

Grafham is a world class fishery which can be kind to the visiting angler or at times very cruel. Grafham holds specimen Pike, Perch and Zander. It’s a fitting venue for our third and final KAOTY event for 2021 where one lucky (skilled) angler will have qualified for a place to the Hobie Fishing Worlds 10 and fishing for Great Britain.

Target species: 3 x Pike, 3 x Zander, 3 x Perch

RULES – The KAOTY UK Series 2021

SUMMARY
KAOTY (Kayak Angler of the Year) is a series of 3 kayak fishing tournaments at 3 venues. KAOTY is a Hobie Fishing Worlds 10 Qualifier.

FORMAT
Anglers will be participating in a 1 day event using Catch, Photo, Release. The number of each species differs between venues and in some cases the lures that can be used.

REGISTRATION & ENTRY FEE
All participants must completely fill out the official registration form available at www.shorething.co.uk All paperwork must be filled out online to ensure entry. Entry Fee will be £60.00 per angler for each event. (If you have an Anglian Waters Predator Ticket you will be able to recover some of the cost on the day via the onsite shop).

SPORTSMANSHIP
All contestants are required to follow high standards of sportsmanship on and off the water. Be respectful of other participants that are launching or fishing in similar areas to you. Anglers are expected to follow all the rules. Anyone caught cheating could receive punishment by law and receive lifetime bans from other kayak fishing events and tournaments.

SAFETY
Each angler must have a valid fishing license for the days they will be on water. All participants must wear their life vest (PFD) through the duration of the competition, it must remain done up. At the morning Check-in the competitor will be issued with a numbered key tag that will be the anglers starting and competitor number for that day only. Anglers will be issued with a different tag number each day. All competitors MUST return their key-tag to the tag board when they return to the event site at the end of the fishing day regardless of whether they are measuring fish or not. In the event of an angler not returning their key tag to the board by the specified finish time, the event
organizers will commence a search for the missing competitor(s).

COVID
Competitors are expected to wear face coverings and keep social distanced as soon as they arrive at the tournament venue. Failure to do so could cause the venues to refuse us entry. We will be following the Angling Trusts COVID guidelines to help keep all the competitors, tournament directors and the venues staff safe as possible. If you are feeling unwell or showing signs that you may have contracted COVID 19 please do not attend the event.

KAYAKS
KAOTY is open to all brands of kayak. Kayak must be manually propelled. No electric or petrol motors may be used. If competitors require an electronic aid due to a disability, please speak to the organizer prior to the event.

BRIEFING
Attendance at the safety briefings are mandatory for all competitors. See event Information for exact briefing times.

CHECK-IN (coming off the water
Exact check-in times will be confirmed at the briefing the app will close to fish entries 30 minutes before check-in time. Key tags must be returned to the key tag board and measuring boards returned by the nominated finish time. Failure to do so will result in time penalties at the rate of 1cm per minute late (or part thereof) and deletion of longest fish if 15 minutes later than designated check-in time.

FISHING
Competitors must abide by all the local waters fishing and boating regulations. Be prepared to show your  current fishing license at registration and have it with you all times while fishing. EA Bailiffs may be present at our events. Due to COVID there will be no registration. Please take your Key Tag as per the list attached to the Key Tag board. Keep in a safe place, replace onboard when you return to shore, failure to do so will result in penalties.

– ALL fish must be taken with a fishing rod, line and hook on the day of the tournament. No other methods are permitted.
– ALL species must be the minimum length. Fish below the minimum size should be immediately be released alive. The minimum legal length are as follows: Pike: 60cm, Zander: 30cm, Perch: 25cm.
– Any undersized fish will be disqualified from the angler´s bag.
– Only 1 rod may be used at a time
– Cast-and-retrieve and vertical fishing – Lure fishing only, no live baits, no dead baits and no trolling (if the lure is behind your kayak as you manoeuvre you are trolling).
– It´s the angler’s responsibility for the wellbeing of the fish.
– Anglers must also adhere to the individual waters’ rules. These can be found on the water’s websites.

SCORING KEY TAG
Due to COVID we will not require any key cards or scoring tags in the photographs.

PREFISH BANS
Anglers fishing the KAOTY UK Series will not be allowed to access the tournament waters from and including the following dates:

KAOTY PITSFORD RESERVOIR – 19 JULY

KAOTY RUTLAND WATER – 20 SEPTEMBER

KAOTY GRAFHAM WATER – 27 SEPTEMBER

A pre-fish ban means anglers are not allowed on competition waterways and linked systems for ANY REASON. There will be no pre-fishing.

SCORING
We will be using the SCORE FISHING App for the KAOTY tournament’s, you will need to download the app from the Play Store or Apple Store before the event. There will be a test period to get use to the app before the tournament, you must be registered for the events to test the app. The app has been tested at both venues and works very well on all devices and service providers. If you are worried about using your phone on the kayak there are leashes available from Amazon. There will be no alternative means of recording your catch. The event uses catch-photo-release scoring determined by the length of each species (Pike, Zander, Perch, Trout), combined in the case of an “Aggregate”.

– Fish must be photographed in or on the kayak, on an approved measuring device, clearly showing the length of the fish with the kayak visible.
– Fish must measure above the stated minimum to count.
– Fish must be lying flat, facing left to right, dorsal fin facing away from the angler, with mouth closed in a natural resting position centred against the vertical portion of the measuring device. The fish must appear in a natural state. Any manipulation of the fish will result in a disqualification of that fish. The tail will be measured as it lies, measured to the point of the tail.
– Only the anglers’ hand can hold the fish down on the board. Use of bands, grips, stringers, etc… Will result in a disqualification of that fish.
– Competitors may enter as many fish as they like on the day The SCORE FISHING App allows for upgrades
– *A bladed spinner may be used to target the Brown Trout at Pitsford, you can only enter one Brown Trout, there will be no upgrading of Brown Trout and you have to stop using all lures with spinning blades once you have registered your Brown Trout*
– A minimum of 1 target fish species is needed for the ranking. 0 points will be awarded for no fish.
– The KAOTY 2020 and ticket to the Hobie Worlds 9 will be won by the angler who has the longest total length of scoring fish from all three competitions. In the event of a draw then the longest fish will be used to determine the winner.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
The only method of registering your catch is with a smart phone, sending in your catch via the SCORE FISHING App, please download before arriving at the event, SCORE FISHING is available from the App Store or Apple Store. Please use ensure that your phone is safely tethered to yourself or kayak, the organisers will not be held responsible for any losses.

– Images may not be digitally altered or enhanced in any way.
– Judges have full discretion on open mouth and where the tail lies. If there is a questionable photo, judges can ask tournament director to make final ruling.

PHOTO CRITERIA
Each fish photo MUST include ALL the following criteria:
– The whole fish, tip to tail (Aside from your hand, fish must be clear of any devices. Mouth / fins / tail cannot be obstructed in photo)
– Laying with the tip of the lip at the beginning of the official measure
– Measuring markings must be clearly visible.
– All criteria must be met, or photo will not be scored
– Measuring board must not be bent or manipulated.
– Ensure photograph has uploaded before releasing the fish. Keep in net until you have checked.
– If you have problems recording a catch, send the fish to the referee via messenger (details to be given on the day)

RECORDING OF FISH LENGTHS
– It is the angler’s responsibility to register their catch lengths correctly for each species
– The SCORE FISHING App will close given time on the day of the tournament.
– Lengths of fish are to be round up to the nearest full centimetre. A 30.1cm length fish will be recorded as 31cm, 30.5cm will be 31cm, 30.9cm will be 31cm.

TIES
In the event of a tie, the angler with the largest fish in the aggregate will be declared the winner, if still a tie, second longest fish. All, rules are applied as interpreted by the Tournament Director, and the Director’s decision is final.

PROTEST
All protests must be submitted to the Tournament Director, in writing within fifteen (15) minutes of check-in time.
Any complaints regarding a breach of the rules must be addressed to the on-site Tournament Director within 24hrs of specific incidents. Penalties for rule and conduct violations may include the following:
– Disqualification of catch for the day
– Disqualification from the tournament
– Disqualification from future Hobie events
Any concerns regarding clarification of rules can be discussed with the Tournament officials BEFORE the start of the tournament.

PRIZES
Prizes will be announced for each venue prior to tournament.

RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND COVENANT NOT TO SUE
A waiver, release of liability, and covenant not to sue is part of the entry form. It is required that all contestants take responsibility for themselves while participating in event activities.

PHOTO RELEASE
All photos taken by ShoreThing, Hobie Kayak Europe and the organisers may be used to promote their business and further events.
Contestants grant Hobie Kayak Europe, and the event sponsors the unconditional right to use their name, voice, photographic likeness and biographical information in advertising, production, promotion, and/or articles and press releases, and shall not be entitled to receive any royalties or other compensation in connection with such use.

FISHING LICENSE
Competitors must have a valid EA fishing license. Fishing licences can be purchased at: https://www.gov.uk/fishing-licences

RULE CHANGES
Rules interpretation is exclusively left to the Tournament Director. Decisions of the Tournament Director are final in all matters and are not subject to appeal.
– Any/all rule changes will be posted for viewing on the notice board and online prior to the event.
– All rules are subject to change without notice at the discretion of the Tournament Director.

“CHECK, CLEAN, DRY”
Check your equipment and clothing for live organisms – particularly in areas that are damp or hard to inspect.
Clean and was all equipment, footwear and clothing thoroughly. If there are washdown points at the reservoir, use them as you leave the water, wash your kayak, wheels, and boots. If you come across any organisms, leave them at the water body where you found them.
Dry all equipment and clothing – some species can live for many days in moist conditions. Make sure you do not transfer water elsewhere.