2023 Nestor Falls Musky Cup Entry Form and Rules & Regulations
The Nestor Falls Musky Cup entry form must be signed and dated by both participants and sent to the organizers. It can be mailed with a cheque or money order for $400.00 (per team) (CDN) to the address on the form. A copy of the entry form may also be emailed to the organizer at
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Download a PDF of the entry form here.
A PDF of the rules may be downloaded here.
1. The Nestor Falls Musky Cup tournament format is a two person team, fishing for 2 days, daily and total combined length of 2 best daily fish, live release tournament.
2. The tournament director has the right to delay, cancel or shorten the tournament, subject to weather and/or safety considerations. The director also reserves the right to refuse entry to any team or individual for any reason deemed appropriate.
3. Nestor Falls Musky Cup tournament, its promoters, sponsors, organizers, hosts, directors, officers and affiliated organizations assisting the operations of the tournament their agents and/ or agent and assigns are not responsible for any death, injury, damage, liability, fire, theft, or loss that may result prior to, during, or after the tournament howsoever caused.
4. Competitors must be a minimum of 18 years of age unless they have permission of their parents and guardians. All participants will require a waiver of claim, release and indemnification agreement signed by them or their parents or guardians, if applicable.
5. All anglers must possess a valid Ontario sport fishing license.
6. The tournament is limited to 40 boats.
7. Entry fee per team is $400.00 (Canadian).
8. For cancellations received after 30 days prior to the first day of the tournament will be refunded less $100 CDN. Refunds received thereafter will be accepted only for medical and family reasons.
9. Moving fish from one location to another during pre-tournaments fishing is prohibited.
10. All competitions must cease pre-tournament fishing by 5:00 p.m. Thursday September 21, 2023.
11. No contestant may enter the tournament waters for the purpose of catching or locating musky or possible fishing locations after the rules meeting, and before and after daily tournament hours.
12. All muskies must be live-released immediately after being measured at the point of catch in a healthy manner.
13. No fish shall be brought into the boat unless it is for verification of length of a minimum legal length of 54 inches. Any musky that measures less than 50 inches that is brought into a competitor’s boat will be disqualified.
14. A daily limit of 2 musky per team may be judged. There is no limit to the number of fish measured by anglers participating in the Nestor Falls Musky Cup.
15. There is no minimum size requirement for judging. Musky will be measured with the mouth closed and tail pinched on the daily measuring device provided by the tournament director to each team.
16. Video for each team’s fish will be presented to the judge in a format that is transferrable to a computer (i.e., an SD card, or on a device with a USB cable, supported by Windows 8 Operating Systems). Teams are asked to bring their video equipment to rules meeting for a compatibility check. Submitted video must capture the total length of the musky and must be of sufficient quality to identify the measurement markings.
17. All lengths determined by the judge are immediately officially and are not thereafter contestable. All muskies will be judged to the nearest, lower half-inch. For example, a musky measuring 48.25 inches, will be scored as a 48 inch musky.
18. A back up video on a second device will be allowed.
19. Video evidence of proper and healthy release of musky must be provided with the submitted length video for qualifying muskies to be judged. Any musky deemed to be released in an unhealthy manner, missing release video or insufficient evidence of healthy release will have 12” deducted. There can be one continuous video of measurement and release or two separate videos.
20. The tournament director reserves the right to disallow the use of any boat, motor and/or equipment deemed unsafe, inappropriate or unsuitable.
21. All boats equipped with any emergency kill switch mechanism must have the kill switch tether securely attached to the operator whenever the boat is on plane.
22. Team number motor tags will be assigned (upon payment of entry fee) and given out at the registration. The numbers must be affixed to the left cowl of the main engine so that they are clearly and plainly visible.
23. Teams are required to have their equipment ready and on the water 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time of their flight. Late arrivals will be penalized and leave at the end of the next available flight.
24. Boat inspection will take place each morning commencing at 6:30 am at Tinker’s dock.
25. Teams must have all tackle boxes, hatches and live wells ready for inspection.
26. On day one, teams will be started in order of their registration. They will be called and released every 10 seconds using a signal flag and blow horn. Each team must acknowledge by waving at the official starter boat, then accelerate when waved on. Day 2 the order will remain the same.
27. Any team starting or attempting to start out of order will be held by the Official Starter until the balance of the flights has departed.
28. Starting times for each day will be 7:30 am. Return times will be 5:00 pm each day.
29. There will be a 1” penalty for each minute late up to 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, teams will be disqualified
30. All competitors must remain 50 meters from another competitor’s boat.
31. Maximum courtesy must be practiced at all times, particularly with regard to boating and fishing in the vicinity of a non-competitor.
32. The use of cellular phones is prohibited for anything other than emergency situations, or to report breakdowns. Laptop computers, iPad, or other devices that may be used to alter or edit video are strictly prohibited from boats being used in competition.
33. Every competitor must wear a fully secured Coast Guard approved life jacket whenever the boat is on plane.
34. Any team charged with an offence by any law enforcement agency during the tournament fishing hours will be disqualified.
35. Special care should be taken when proceeding through Splitrock Narrows, as well as at the narrows at Turtle Lake for the safety of general boat traffic at these bottleneck points.
36. Every team, whether they have measured fish or not, must check in at the boat Check-In located at the starting location. The penalty for failing to report will be disqualified of the team. The Check-In boat will be ready for check in’s at 3:00 p.m. each day. If break-downs force a team in early, they must check in at Tinker’s dock or call director at 863-243-4586
37. Committee boat(s) will call in, in certain situations, but are prohibited in towing any competitor’s boat during tournament hours.
38. Teams must notify a tournament official if an emergency or breakdown has occurred.
39. Anglers may step on shore if required to aid in rectifying a mechanical problem or emergency.
40. Competitors are responsible for knowing all the Tournament Rules, as well as the current Ontario Sports Fishing Regulations and Canadian Coast Guard Regulations.
41. Competitors are not allowed to pass any item to another boat or receive items from another boat during all the tournament hours.
42. Competitors may not allow another boat or angler to hold a spot for them.
43. Only artificial lures, manufactured baits, and commercially available liquid attractants may be used.
44. No live bait, frozen or freeze-dried bait of any kind may be used or possessed by any competitor during the tournament time frame.
45. Each boat must possess a set of Knipex type bolt cutters, or similar appropriate hook cutting device to facilitate the safe release of muskies.
46. All items and equipment are subject to inspection at any time during the tournament. Official tournament boats may come along side and come aboard and inspect the competitor’s boat at any time.
47. Each boat must possess a cradle for measurement purposes and a basket net of sufficient size to accommodate a large musky in, without bending the fish into an unnatural position. No gaff may be possessed by any competitor during the tournament time frame. Competitors may use lipping devices such as boga grips.
48. The boundaries are all of Lake of the Woods on the Canadian side, including any waters reachable by navigable waters without a portage.
A tie for the Grand Aggregate prize will be determined by the team which has the largest single day catch of the tournament. If a tie remains the biggest fish will determine winner. All other ties including big fish will be determined by return time and date.
