2024 Rules
1. Rules and Ethics
A) The Miramichi Striper Cup Organizing Committee makes the rules.
B) The Miramichi Striper Cup Tournament Marshalls shall administer and enforce the rules.
C) The Miramichi Striper Cup Organizing Committee shall interpret if the rules were violated.
D) It is the intention of the Miramichi Striper Cup to provide an honest, sportsmen like tournament. Contestants are reminded that the spirit of the rules will prevail in all judgment cases.
E) Unless otherwise noted, failure to abide by the rules will result in disqualification.
F) Disqualification from the tournament also disqualifies the participant or team from any prizes and entry fees paid to the Miramichi Striper Cup will not be returned to any team or participant.
G) Miramichi Striper Cup Code of Conduct must be adhered to: https://www.miramichistripercup.com/code-of-conduct
2. Eligibility
A) Only registered Miramichi Striper Cup participants may collect prizes and cash.
B) Only striped bass caught by registered team members may be submitted by the team - using fish caught by someone else will be considered fraud and reported to RCMP/Miramichi Police Force for possible criminal charges.
D) All fishing must take place inside boundaries indicated on current year event map provided on the Miramichi Striper Cup website or Miramichi Striper Cup event program: https://www.miramichistripercup.com/rules
3. Regulations
A) All federal, provincial, coast guard, angling and boating regulations must be adhered to.
B) It is the responsibility of the angler to know all the regulations and to obtain all angling licenses and related permits.
4. Team registration- $250 per team
A) Teams can be made up of 1 to 4 people.
B) All Members of the team to be in same boat.
C) Team must designate a team captain - who will represent team interests.
D) Team members must be listed on the registration form and register as part of team.
5. Team Division - Safety equipment
A) Each participant is required to have a lawfully approved personal flotation device (PFD) and it must be worn and fastened when the gas engine is running above trolling speed.
B) If so equipped, kill switch must be hooked to the driver of the boat any time the gas engine is operating above trolling speed. An inoperative kill switch will result in removal from the tournament until the kill switch is repaired.
6. Team Division - Boat inspection
A) All boats must be inspected by tournament officials prior to the tournament at the start of each day.
B) After boat checks are completed, nothing shall be added to the boat unless checked by a Miramichi Striper Cup Tournament Official.
C) All boats must display tournament identification stickers in easy to see location on the boat being used in the tournament.
7. Team Division - Leaving the boat
A) All fishing must be done from a tournament inspected boat, leaving the boat to catch fish is prohibited.
B) You may only leave the boat in the case of an emergency (lightning, storm, sinking), a nature call, or to obtain fuel.
C) A departure from the boat should be reported as soon as possible to a tournament official.
8. Team Division - Electronics
A) CB's, marine radios and cellular phones are allowed for emergency use only.
B) Transmitting information concerning the aspect of taking fish during a tournament is prohibited.
C) Carrying an underwater video camera during a tournament is prohibited.
D) No scanning prior to take-off on Saturday and Sunday. If your team launches anywhere other than weigh-in site, your team must report immediately to the muster area located near Ritchie Wharf.
9. Team Division - Rods
A) Each contestant will be allowed a maximum of one line in the water at any time.
B) Additional rods may be rigged and ready but not in use.
10. Team Division - Baits
A) Only artificial lures and baits are permissible for all divisions of the Miramichi Striper Cup.
B) Single barbless hooks only.
C) Possession of baits other than artificial will result in disqualification.
D) You may have treble hooks in your possession - but must not be used.
11. Team Division - Live well
A) All fish must be kept in aerated/circulating live wells or an aerated/ circulating cooler/tote system.
B) Where possible your system must have water in it and pumps operating when you pass through an official inspection line.
C) The use of fish stringers or wire baskets of any kind is prohibited.
12. Team Division - Culling
A) A limit is 2 fish
B) Culling must take place immediately after a limit is reached.
C) Any team caught with more than two stripers in their possession will be disqualified.
13. Team Division - Angling hours
A) Hours of angling on Day 1 are 9:00 am until 5:30 pm unless otherwise specified by the Miramichi Striper Cup Organizing Committee.
B) Hours of angling on Day 2 are 8:00 am until 3:30 pm unless otherwise specified by the Miramichi Striper Cup Organizing Committee.
C) At the end of each day, a one (1) pound penalty will be assessed for each minute a team is late. Must be within sight of tournament officials at Ritchie Wharf.
D) Angling hours will be advertised and confirmed in writing by the Miramichi Striper Cup Organizing Committee.
E) In the event of fog, take off may be delayed at the discretion of the Miramichi Striper Cup Organizing Committee. Extra time may be added to a maximum of 30 minutes.
14. Team Division - Take offs
A) To promote a safe start to the event, a flared start shall be done in three or four flights (dependent on number of participants) each day from Ritchie Wharf area marked by orange buoys - first Flare (10 minute wait), second flare (10 minute wait), third flare (10 minute wait), and forth flare (10 minute wait if required).
B) Boats will be assigned Team Number based on order of received paid entry into Miramichi Striper Cup.
C) Each Flight will consist of 75 boats (1-75, 76-150, 151-225, 226-300).
D) Each Flight will take place in 10-minute intervals.
E) Every Flight will be identified by separate-colored MSC stickers that must be displayed boats.
F) Teams that leaving during the wrong flight may results in disqualification.
G) Flight order will be determined by random draw during Mandatory Angler Meeting. Flight order will be then posted to the Miramichi Striper Cup Facebook page for Saturday and Sunday.
H) Boats must be inside buoyed areas before return time (See late penalties rule 13-C)
Saturday Takeoff Return time
Flight #1 9:00 am 5:30 pm
Flight #2 9:10 am 5:40 pm
Flight #3 9:20 am 5:50 pm
Flight # 4 9:30 am 6:00 pm
Sunday Takeoff Return time
Flight # 1 8:00 am 3:30 pm
Flight # 2 8:10 am 3:40 pm
Flight # 3 8:20 am 3:50 pm
Flight # 4 8:30 am 4:00 pm
15. Team Division - Pre-fishing & Off-Limits
A) All participants must be off water by 6 pm on Friday. No fishing by any participants will be permitted outside of tournament hours.
B) Waters are open to pre-fishing up until Friday at 6 PM.
16. Team Division - Eligibility of fish for weigh-in
A) Miramichi Striper Cup tournament is catch and release only.
B) Dead fish and fish not deemed returnable will result in a 2.5 lb. penalty.
C) At least one team member must pass through the weigh in line.
D) Any fish that is not freshly caught, showing evidence of having been on a stringer, caged, mauled, mashed, frozen, injected with fluids, stuffed with foreign matter, or showing extreme loss of gill color will result in disqualification.
17. Team Division - Weigh in
A) Teams may weigh in any time after 12 pm during angling hours at Ritchie Wharf.
B) Only two (2) stripers can be weighed per team - each day.
C) Teams can weigh in one fish and return to fish for other fish.
D) Total weight of two fish shall be tournament weight for the day.
E) Total weight for two days shall be tournament total for team.
18. Team Division - Lunker Pool
A) Lunker pool is included in registration fee with 50% of total collected going to the largest bass weighed in "ALIVE" each day.
B) Lunker pool will be determined by the number of entries x $40.00 = Lunker pool.
19. Team Division - Encroachment
A) Boat and or lure is not permitted within 50 feet of another boat that was at a location first. First boat must have anchor down.
B) You may not crowd another team of their location.
C) You may only control water that is within one cast or 25 feet of your boat if not anchored.
D) You may not block access to fishable water and the team passing must reel in if within 25 feet.
E) The 25 feet encroachment rule applies to trolling as well.
F) Teams are expected to exhibit high levels of "sportsmen like conduct" in situations such as these.
G) Any teams seen close enough to exchange items (10 ft or less) will be disqualified -unless Miramichi Striper Cup Tournament Marshal is involved
20. Team Division - Ties
In the event of a tie Prizes and monies will be added together and divided equally; The void placings will be eliminated. (i.e., tied for 2nd, 3rd is eliminated, next placing is 4th).
21. Team Division - Breakdown rule
A) Situation 1 - In the event of a team experiencing mechanical failure, teams may transfer their fish to another contestant's boat for transport to the weigh in, with the following conditions:
(1) Team makes attempt to contact Miramichi Striper Cup Organizing Committee to inform them of their intent. (506.624.7041 or 506.636.1798)
(2) Fish must be marked or placed in a segregated live well.
(3) One member of the team that has experience mechanical failure must accompany these fish at all times to the weigh in.
(4) The team experiencing mechanical failure must stop fishing from the time of transfer to the time of weigh in.
(5) The transporting team may continue to fish out the rest of the day.
B) Situation 2 - In the event of a team experiencing mechanical failure, a team will be allowed to exchange boats, if another boat is available. The team may transfer their catch to the new boat only under the supervision of a member of the Miramichi Striper Cup Organizing Committee.
22. Protest Committee
A) Any contestant has the right to protest another team if they feel the rules have been broken. The protest must be filed in writing with the Miramichi Striper Cup Organizing Committee no later than 30 minutes after the close of tournament fishing hours. If possible, please provide a form of verification to the Miramichi Striper Cup Organizing Committee (Picture, witness, etc.).
B) Any team that has been disqualified by the Miramichi Striper Cup Organizing Committee has the right to file a protest. The protest must be filed in writing no later than 30 minutes after being notified of the disqualification.
C) A three-person protest committee shall be appointed by the Miramichi Striper Cup Organizing Committee. The Protest Committee will convene to hear both sides of any protest. The decision of the protest committee shall be final in all cases.
23. Idle Only Zone - (Northwest Miramichi River)
The area above the orange buoys located in the Red Bank/Cassilis section of the Northwest Miramichi River will be idle only up to Red Bank Bridge. All boats MUST come off plane and idle up from orange indicator buoys. The intention is to protect any fish from unnecessary harm. Failure to do this results in disqualification
No wake zone in construction area under and around Anderson Bridge (Route 8). This also means no passing of boats.
24. Allowable Fishing Zone
A copy of the allowable fishing zone for the Team Division for the Miramichi Striper Cup is available Miramichi Striper Cup website (www.miramichistripercup.com) and will also be available within the Event Program. Miramichi Striper Cup reserves the right to change water based on DFO section 52 permit requirements.
25. Sponsor Boat Draw
At the mandatory anglers meeting taking place on Friday evening at the Miramichi Civic Centre (487 King George Highway), each team will receive a Special Ticket that they will be required to keep and return on Sunday for the boat draw.
Only one Special Ticket will be produced for each team, and it is the responsibility of each team to safeguard their Special Ticket.
At least one member of the team must attend the Sunday boat draw. This team member is responsible for returning the Special Ticket to MSC officials to be entered into the draw.
The Special Ticket must be returned to MSC Officials by 5:00 pm to be entered into the draw.
The team who’s Special Ticket has been drawn will have 2 minutes to come to the stage.
The team will be required to produce ID to verify they are a member of the team who’s Special Ticket has been drawn.
In the event that the team does not come to the stage within the 2 minutes period, MSC will determine that the team is ineligible and the next Special Ticket will be drawn.
The process will repeat until a team is determined to be eligible.