For a downloadable document of all tournament rules for 2026 click here.
The Tournament director is Colleen Vennechenko, and the rules committee consists of Elaine Soucy, Cindy Kellar, and Becky Deschouwer.
The Emo Walleye Classic will be once again awarding the Nevin Bonot Early Bird award. It is a random draw available to all anglers who have signed up by February 28, 2026 by 12:00PM Noon.
The Emo Walleye Classic will also be awarding the Elmer Haglin Family award to the Top finishing team meeting one of the following criteria (Parent/Child, Grandparent/Grandchild, etc). After signing up please contact us with the names of the participants and their relationship to be eligible for this award.
Prizes based on a 40 Team field and subject to change, payout will be 100% less fees.
The tournament is open to Canadian and American anglers. However, all anglers must fish the Canadian side of the Rainy River only.
Required License
Each Contestant 18 years of age or over and must possess a valid Ontario fishing license in order to fish the Canadian Side of the Rainy River.
All Ontario 2026 Recreational Fishing Regulations apply for all Teams.
Only one rod per angler may be used at any time during the tournament as per Ontario Fishing Regulations and this will be in effect for the American teams as well.
Liability
All contestants must sign a liability waiver. Contestants younger than 18 years of age must have a parent or guardian sign a consent form and liability waiver.
Cancellations
Any cancellations up until 30 days before the tournament date will be refunded half of the entry fee ($250). Cancellations within 30 days of the tournament will not receive a refund.
Tournament Dates
The Tournament will run three days in total, one day for rules and two days for fishing. The official rules day will be held on May 21st, 2026 at 7:00pm, all teams are required to have at least one team member in attendance. Day One of fishing will be held on May 22nd and have two flights and Day Two of fishing will be held on the subsequent day, May 23rd, and have two flights as well.
Day One: Day Two:
Flight 1 – 8:00 am – 4:30pm Flight 1 – 8:00 am – 3:30pm
Flight 2 – 8:30 am – 5:00pm Flight 2 – 8:30 am – 4:00pm
Boundaries
Tournament boundaries will be from the dam in Fort Frances to the mouth of the river at Lake of the Woods (there is a wind sock located at Wheeler’s Point which will be used as the boundary).
All creeks and rivers flowing into the Rainy River are out of bounds.
Non-Contestants will not be allowed to hold a spot in the river for a contestant.
Fish Sizes and Weighing
Starting in the morning with no fish, each team is allowed to catch and hold up to four (4) fish in their live well as they are caught during the day. Therefore, culling of smaller fish must be done before putting larger fish into the live well.
Size restrictions are in effect. All fish must be a minimum of 12 inches measured on the longest side. Each team is allowed four (4) fish per day, of which two (2) may be over 18 inches. If a team’s catch includes more than two fish over 18 inches, the largest of the three will be culled by the weighmaster.
If, upon inspection, a team carries more than a total of four (4) fish in their live well, their catch will be culled down to four by the tournament officials or spotters, starting with the largest fish, followed by the next-largest, and so on.
To reduce stress caused by holding fish in live wells for too long, teams are permitted to come into the weigh station during the tournament hours to weigh in or measure their catch on the official scale or measurement ruler by the weighmaster.
All weights called by the weighmaster are deemed accurate and final and are not contestable. Each and every dead fish will result in a penalty of one-half (.5) pound to the total catch weight for that day. Dead fish are defined as any fish not capable of recovery at the time of weighing. Fish will be designated alive or dead at the launch site.
No weight of any kind may be attached to a fish at the time of inspection. Any devices attached will be removed, and a one-pound penalty will be assessed for each fish with a device attached.
Any team’s catch may be subject to measurement by the weighmaster, at their discretion.
Bait
Live bait, frozen bait, or artificial lures can be used per Ontario Recreational Regulations. All bait shall be the responsibility of the contestant.
All boats must follow all Federal and Provincial boating and fishing regulations.
Boats/Equipment
All boats tiller and console must be equipped with a seat for the passenger and at least one handle device for passenger to secure themselves, if fishing out of a skiff the benches will be considered seats.
Tournament officials reserve the right at any time to disallow the use of any boat and/or motor they deem to be unsafe, inappropriate or unsuitable for use in the tournament.
Instant stop switches, kill switch, tether switches must be attached to driver and boat kill switch.
All contestants must wear approved personal flotation device when the main combustion engine is running and the boat is on step (if so equipped).
All boats must be equipped with a live well, either permanent or temporary, with a flow-through or aeration system. The use of water treatment chemicals in live wells that are legally available in Ontario is permitted. All caught fish must be kept in live wells at all times.
Each boat will be assigned a number, printed on two motor tags, which must be affixed to each side of the motor and be visible at all times.
Boats and their respective anglers must not come into contact with another boat and their respective anglers at any time, either in or out of the water. Intentional contact, or the passing of objects between boats, will result in disqualification. Teams must not tow another boat unless dangerous conditions exist.
Any competitor stepping ashore without approval or accompaniment by a tournament official may be disqualified, except in life-threatening circumstances.
In the case of a boat breakdown or emergency, a team must contact a tournament official or spotter boat. Emergency contact cell phone numbers will be provided to all teams during the rules meeting. Tournament officials will advise you of procedures to follow to avoid disqualification and or will provide assistance in the case of emergency. Every attempt will be made to assist in getting your fish to the weigh station on time; however, it cannot be guaranteed.
No underwater cameras may be used during the tournament.
The tournament officials shall declare any entrant or participant ineligible to compete who is unable to perform safety functions, or may hinder/endanger the safety or well being of other contestants.
Use of any drugs, Marijuana or alcohol or possession thereof (other than those prescribed by a licensed physician) during the tournament hours is prohibited.
Boat Inspections
All boats must attend a pre-inspection before flight time; inspection volunteers will be available at 6:00 am. It is each team’s responsibility to be in the water in time to be inspected before they are scheduled to depart from the designated location. ALL boats on both days of the tournament will be inspected and in the river by 8:00 am.
Boats that are NOT inspected and ready to depart when their team number is called will be required to wait until all other boats in their flight have departed. Boats will be launched on a first-come, first inspected basis.
Late Returns
Teams returning late past their designated flight return time will be penalized one-quarter (.25) pound for each minute up to a maximum of 5 minutes. After 5 minutes the team will not be allowed to weigh their fish in for that day and will be given a zero weight for that day’s·catch. No teams will be given a negative weight, zero being the lowest possible weight.
Two-person Team
There must be a team of two (2) persons per boat. The same two (2) competitors who start the tournament must finish the tournament, except in extreme or exceptional circumstances. The tournament officials will assign an alternate or aid in finding a replacement in such circumstances.
Tie Breaking
In the case of a tie, the team with the biggest single day catch during the two days of the tournament fishing will be declared the winner. If the teams are still tied at that point, the winner will be determined by a coin toss.
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.
“Spirit of the Rule”
All rules have “loopholes”. It is the intention of the Tournament Director to provide an honest, sportsman-like tournament. In the interest of sportsmanship, contestants are reminded that “the spirit of the rule” will prevail in all judgment cases and the decisions of the Tournament Director are final.
All contestants are expected to act in a sportsmanlike manner at all times. Failure to do so may result in disqualification from the tournament, at the Rules Committee’s discretion
Violations and Fines
- It is the discretion of the Tournament Director to decide the severity of the violation and the fine to be served
- Competitors may be fined any amount or disqualified for any violation of the tournament rules and will not receive a refund of their entry fee.
Tournament Director
Your Tournament Director is Colleen. If you need to reach your director, their contact info is listed here as well as the other committee members.
Interpretation and Enforcement of the Rules
The interpretation and enforcement of the rules is at the discretion of the rules committee, which consists of Elaine Soucy, Cindy Kellar, and Becky Deschouwer . The rules committee 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 unfavourable publicity to the sport of fishing could be disqualified. Encroachment is considered a sportsmanship rule.
Body of Water
Tournament boundaries will be from the dam in Fort Frances to the mouth of the river at Lake of the Woods (there is a wind sock located at Wheeler’s Point which will be used as the boundary). All creeks and rivers flowing into the Rainy River are out of bounds.
Inclement Weather/Cancellation
Keep mobile phones on throughout the tournament in order to receive communication from the director in the event of postponement or cancellation. Due to the nature of tournament fishing, no refunds will be issued. This is at the discretion of your tournament director.
Laws and Regulations
You must abide by All federal and provincial fishing and boating rules.
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.
- Tournament contestants can file an official protest if so desired, for a $100 cash fee, up to 30 minutes after the final team has weighed in. The fee is non-refundable, unless the protest results in a change in the tournament rules committee’s decision.
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.
