SJR 500

Brought to you by On X Hunt, Smith’s Consumer Products, Live Target, and Yamaha’s Right Waters.

This year we’re donating 25% ENTRY FEES TO “KEEP IT CLEAN” AT LAKE OF THE WOODS. AND PAYING BACK 50% TO TOP WALLEYE AND TOP STURGEON.

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The 2nd Annual SJR Rainy River 500 Tourney

Photo Contest!
Take pictures of your Rainy River fish and tag Sporting Journal Radio and River Bend Resort in your post on Facebook or Instagram on 4/11/23 or 4/12/23 for a chance to win $150 towards lodging at River Bend Resort and an SJR Prize pack! (Prize value $250. SJR and River Bend Resort reserve the right to use photographs for promotional purposes.)

  • Big Walleye By Length:
  • 1st: tba: $550 Value prizes + 25% entry fee payback
  • 2nd: tba $350 Value
  • 3rd: tba $250 Value
    Big sturgeon by length
  • 1st: tba: $550 Value prizes + 25% entry fee payback
  • 2nd: tba $350 Value
  • 3rd: tba $250 Value
  • Biggest Non-Walleye\Sturgeon: tba

Why is the Rainy River so good for sturgeon?

The river was overfished and polluted. New regulations protected the sturgeon and the Clean Waters Act of 1972 did the rest. Now it’s legendary. Watch this episode of Prairie Sportsman to learn more.

Contest Rules: FishDonkey App
All registration and payment must be completed using the app. The FishDonkey App will be
used to photo document fish and will generate live leaderboards. The leaderboards will update
throughout the event as fish are submitted. All entries will be considered unofficial until verified. You can only win one prize per species.

Measuring & Photo Documenting
● All photos must be taken through the FishDonkey app and measurements must be on a
valid measuring board.
● Fish should be recorded immediately and measurements noted by length.
● All submissions must include at least two photographs: 1) A pic of you holding the fish
2) A pic of the fish on the measuring board.
● Close the fish’s mouth. The nose should touch the bump of the measuring board (the
belly is facing you). The measurement photo needs to include the entire fish on the
board.
● 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”.
● All participants must have their fish submitted before the end of the tournament.
● Extra large fish are difficult to measure with a bump board
and photographs. For example, sturgeon can be measured more accurately by
using video. Bump the nose of the fish against a vertical surface and use a
commercial measuring tape to measure the fish. Video from nose to tail, covering
the complete length of the fish.

Practice the FishDonkey App ahead of time
Watch a 1 minute tutorial on How to Enter a Fish
Test the app before you get out on the water.

  1. Download the app
  2. Join “Practice Entering a Fish”

FishDonkey in poor reception areas

The app will work without internet. Open the app before heading out to poorly covered areas.
Tap on the name of the tourney. Once you see the button ‘Enter a Fish’, head out and fish
away. Fish should be entered as normal in bad reception areas. Your Digital Livewell® (fish
icon) will show you if there are fish waiting for an internet connection to get pushed into the
leaderboard. When you get back to a well connected area, open your Digital Livewell® and
leave that screen open/active until all fish are “Received”. If your pictures are missing from the
leaderboard, this is what you need to do. Until your pictures are received, do not delete or alter
the photos on your phone, as the software will not accept your photos as originals.

Missing Pictures on the Leaderboard?

Anglers can tap the fish icon when they get back to an area with good reception and leave that screen open until all fish are “Received”.  
Measuring Boards
All measuring devices must be commercially made. You are required to have a board with a 90
degree bend which marks 0, and at least ¼” lines. No handmade measuring boards, stickers,
or tape measures allowed. No sliding, retractable, or foldable measuring devices are allowed
unless approved by the tournament director. If your measurement is not clearly readable in
your submission photo, it may not be accepted, or could be penalized.
Extra large fish are difficult to measure with a bump board and photographs. For example, sturgeon can be measured more accurately by using video. Bump the nose of the fish against a vertical surface and use a commercial measuring tape to measure the fish. Video from nose to tail, covering the complete length of the fish.

Tournament Director
Your Tournament Director is Bret Amundson. If you need to reach your director, their contact info is in the “ i “ Info icon within your tournament in the app.
The interpretation and enforcement of the rules is at the sole discretion of the director. The
tournament director may change rules or impose sanctions as they deem appropriate, including but not limited to: disqualifications, forfeiture of prizes, and prohibition from competing in future tournaments. All decisions made by the tournament director are final.

Sportsmanship
All participants are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and
conservation. Any participant who displays poor sportsmanship, violates these rules or brings unfavorable publicity to the sport of fishing could be disqualified. Encroachment is considered a sportsmanship rule.

Body of Water
Boundary: Franz Jevne boat ramp to the accessible portion of the main Lake of the Woods. Tributaries of the Rainy and the Canadian side are NOT within the boundary. Participants must fish in the area specified for the event. Fishing has to be legal and in public
waters only: no private ponds, streams, lakes or rivers. Participants may fish in any water that
is open to public fishing.

Inclement Weather/Cancelation
Keep mobile phones on throughout the tournament in order to receive communication from the
director in the event of postponement or cancelation. Due to the nature of tournament fishing,
no refunds will be issued. This is at the discretion of your tournament director.

Tiebreakers
The tournament director will consider options for determining a tie, which could be 1) time of
entry 2) the exact measurement instead of the ¼” measurement 3) the next largest fish
submitted by each angler. A tie could also result in shared prizes.

Claiming Prizes
Ensure that your correct address, email, and mobile number appear in your app profile for prize
announcements and delivery. Prizes are the responsibility of the winners. Transportation,
taxes, and incidentals are the responsibility of the winner.
It is the responsibility of the tournament director to disburse all prizes.
From our terms and conditions, you have agreed to the following.
“FishDonkey makes no representations or warranties regarding the Service or the quality,
features, conditions, rules, prizes, results, or other aspects of any tournament ORGANIZED
THROUGH, OR hosted on, the Site. AS BETWEEN FISHDONKEY AND THE TOURNAMENT
ORGANIZER, THE TOURNAMENT ORGANIZER IS SOLEY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
RESULTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE TOURNAMENTS THEY ORGANIZE AND HOST
USING THE SITE AND SERVICES.”

As stated above, FishDonkey is not in any way responsible, but if you believe there is a problem
with your tournament director or if something seems suspicious such as not paying out the
funds or prizes, please contact FishDonkey and let us know ASAP.

Laws and Regulations
All federal, state, and local laws and all fishing and boating rules must be abided by.

Failure to comply with any tournament rules subjects participants to disqualification and removal from the competition, as determined by the tournament officials. The right to refuse sale and/or revoke a competition ticket to anyone is hereby reserved.

Cheating
● All protests must be brought to the director’s attention before the end of the event.
● Anyone caught breaking the law or disobeying the rules will be disqualified.
● Fish must be hooked and caught live in a conventional manner. Fish cannot be
snagged, netted, speared, etc.
● Participants may be required to take polygraph exams as part of the tournament
requirements. If deception is detected or the participant refuses to take the exam, the
prize will be forfeited and the participant will be disqualified. Anglers taking a polygraph
examination may be responsible for any and all costs incurred.

Safety
Participants are responsible for their own safety, actions, and property at all times.

Questions?
If there are any questions about the rules, ask the tournament director.

Click here to watch: How To Measure Without A Bump Board.