NR 20.40(1)(1) Applicability. This section applies to fishing tournaments on lakes, rivers, the Great Lakes, Wisconsin-Minnesota boundary waters as defined in s. NR 21.02 (39), Wisconsin-Iowa boundary waters as defined in s. NR 22.02 (34), and Wisconsin-Michigan boundary waters as defined in s. NR 23.02 (10). NR 20.40(2)(c)(c) “Catch and kill tournament” means a fishing tournament where fish are caught by participants, reduced to their possession, and retained as part of the participant’s daily bag limit. NR 20.40(2)(d)(d) “Catch-hold-release tournament” means a fishing tournament where fish caught by participants are reduced to possession and transported, usually for purposes of recording, and live fish are then released to the water from which they came. This format was previously referred to as a “live-release” tournament. NR 20.40(2)(dm)(dm) “Cull” or “culling” means the practice of releasing a live fish that was held in an angler’s possession and replacing it with another fish. Live fish that are released and capable of swimming away under their own power are not considered part of the angler’s daily bag limit provided the total number of fish possessed at any one time does not exceed the angler’s daily bag limit. NR 20.40 NoteNote: Section 29.403 (1m), Stats., allows culling only during largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing tournaments authorized by the department. An angler must release the fish to be culled without unnecessary delay when keeping a new fish that would otherwise put them over their daily bag limit, and may not resume fishing or other activities until the fish to be culled is first released. NR 20.40(2)(e)(e) “Fishing tournament” means any organized fishing activity, on any water of the state where competition is the primary purpose, and where incentives, such as money, prizes or points, are awarded. NR 20.40(2)(f)(f) “Immediate-release tournament” means a fishing tournament where fish caught by participants are not reduced to possession and transported, but are held only long enough for identification and to document length or weight or both, and released to the water from which they came. NR 20.40(2)(g)(g) “Live well” means a container designed to hold live fish on a boat. NR 20.40(2)(h)(h) “Off-site weigh-in” means a weigh-in of fish caught in a catch-hold-release tournament at a location that is not on the shoreline or adjacent to the waters listed on the fishing tournament permit. NR 20.40(2)(i)(i) “Open water fishing” means all fishing that occurs except when ice is used as a platform from which to fish. NR 20.40(2)(j)(j) “Opening weekend” means the first Saturday and consecutive Sunday in May. NR 20.40(2)(k)(k) “Organize” means to advance, conduct, direct, establish, promote or otherwise be responsible for the operation of a fishing tournament. NR 20.40(2)(L)(L) “Organizer” means a person who advances, conducts, directs, establishes, organizes, promotes or otherwise is responsible for the operation of a fishing tournament, but does not include a person who only assists in advertising or publicizing another person’s fishing tournament. NR 20.40(2)(m)(m) “Permitted fishing tournament” means a fishing tournament that requires a permit from the department. NR 20.40(2)(n)(n) “Permitted fishing tournament boat days” is a measure of tournament fishing pressure for open water permitted fishing tournaments. It is calculated by multiplying the number of boats participating in an open water permitted fishing tournament by the number of days the permitted fishing tournament is held. Any part of a day shall count as one day. NR 20.40(2)(o)(o) “Person” means any individual, partnership, association, organization or body politic or corporate. NR 20.40(2)(p)(p) “Possess” for the purposes of this section means to own, control, restrain, transport or keep. Once a fish is possessed, it shall be counted towards the angler’s daily bag limit pursuant to s. NR 20.05 (7). Any of the following conditions constitute possession: NR 20.40(2)(p)1.1. Holding a fish out of the water longer than necessary to remove hooks and measure the fish for length, weight or both. NR 20.40(2)(p)2.2. Placing a fish into a live well except to revive a fish or to avoid imminent boating danger. NR 20.40(2)(p)3.3. Holding a fish at the side of a stationary boat for longer than necessary to register and revive the fish. NR 20.40(2)(p)4.4. Resuming fishing by any angler in the boat prior to the release of the fish. NR 20.40(2)(q)(q) “Prizes” means money or items that are provided to a tournament participant based on their performance in a competitive fishing event. This does not include “raffle” type prizes which are given to tournament participants independent of their performance in the competitive fishing event. NR 20.40(2)(r)(r) “Traditional fishing tournament” means a fishing tournament that was issued permits 4 out of 5 years from 2004 to 2008, for the same water or waters and time period. Beginning January 1, 2009, traditional fishing tournaments shall continue to be conducted at least 4 out of 5 years for the same waterbody and time period to remain a traditional fishing tournament. NR 20.40(2)(s)(s) “Weigh-in” means a registration process for catch-hold-release tournaments by which fish are measured and released. NR 20.40 NoteNote: Weigh-ins on certain department-managed properties may require special event authorization from the department, pursuant to ch. NR 45.