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Check the Competition Schedule
Review the ORWL bylaws :
A point to ponder
"A peculiar virtue in wildlife ethics is that the fisher (hunter) ordinarily has no gallery to applaud or disapprove of his conduct. Whatever his acts, they are dictated by his own conscience, rather than by a mob of onlookers. It is difficult to exaggerate the importance of this fact." With apologies to Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac
All of our documents and forms are available in PDF format, you will need a PDF reader to read them, we recommend Adobe Reader, click the link to download the reader.
Mission Statement
Develop and promote the sport of fishing for walleye in a club atmosphere for the benefit of all members. Promote and encourage conservation of our natural resources including proper fish conservation together with ethical and legal fish handling techniques, including but not limited to Catch, Record, and Release procedures. Provide a platform for members to share ideas, techniques, and information which will enhance the members knowledge and enjoyment of walleye fishing. Arrange regular competitions &/or trips for the enjoyment of members providing a grassroots environment for beginning walleye tournament anglers. Promote and encourage proper boating safety. Top of PageCode of Ethics
Members will abide and follow all fishing and conservation laws and legal requirements contained therein, and will assist newcomers to the sport in learning said requirements. Members will treat each other, sponsors, other fisherpersons, and the general public with complete respect and honesty at all times. Members will obey and follow all boating laws and regulations. Members will show respect and proper etiquette to other stakeholders on the water, on the road, at the dock, and all O.R.W.L. event sites. Members that are boat owners, will maintain valid liability insurance with a Canadian approved boat insurer, and that said insurance will remain in effect for the duration of their membership. Top of PageOrganizational Rules and Guidelines
- The Club Executive will consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Competition Captain, Conservation Captain and 2 Honorary Club Advisors.
- The club year end will be March 31st of each calendar year.
- The club's Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held within 30 days of the club year end.
- The Club Executive will be elected each year at the AGM.
- Member dues are for the club year of April 1st to March 31st of each year, and are to be paid in full by March 20th for the following year.
- All candidates standing for Club Executive positions must have following years membership paid in full, and all members voting for Executive Team must also have following years dues paid in full
- Any member who has not paid their dues in full by March 31st shall be deemed to be a 'non-member' as of April 1st and as such will have Club benefits suspended (including access to Club discussion boards) until such time as renewal membership dues have been paid in full.
- Club competitions will not be scheduled or held during walleye opening weekend.
President's Duties
- The President will schedule, co-ordinate, and chair all club meetings.
- The President, along with the treasurer, will arrange and co-sign on any bank account requirements.
Vice President's Duties
- The Vice President will assist the President and other Club Executive members as required, and to take over the President duties when the President is absent.
- Vice President to also be OFAH Membership representative responsible for sending required membership documentation to OFAH and ensuring 100% of ORWL membership are also OFAH members to protect continuity of OFAH liability insurance.
Secretary's Duties
- The Secretary will maintain minutes of all club meetings and list all members in attendance.
Treasurer's Duties
- The Treasurer, along with the President, will arrange and co-sign on any bank account requirements.
- The Treasurer will receive and account for any and all club-generated funds.
- The Treasurer will provide an annual financial report at the AGM or when requested by the membership or Club Executive members.
Competition Captain's Duties
- The Competition Captain will maintain a record of all guest participation at competitions.
- The Competition Captain will collect and tabulate all score cards, award competition prizes (if any), and keep original copies of score cards, together with cumulative totals for all club members.
- The Competition Captain will ensure all identified and eligible club guests receive a copy of club code of ethics and competition rules, as well as sign the required Member (Guest) Application.
Conservation Captain's Duties
- The Conservation Captain will pursue conservation opportunities and initiatives on behalf of the club.
- Conservation Captain to also be OFAH lottery representative and as such will control and administer ORWL sale of OFAH lottery tickets which are anticipated to be a prime source of funding for ORWL activities.
Club Guests
- Club guests will be allowed to participate in a maximum of three club competitions before being required to join the club on a formal basis.
- Guest participants must identify themselves to the Competition Captain. They will be given a copy of the club's code of ethics and competition rules, and must agree to follow them at all times by signing the Member (Guest) Application.
Members who own businesses.
- It is the position of the ORWL that members who own a business in the fishing industry have joined the ORWL to express their support for the fishing industry, ethical fishing practices, catch and release, respect for others and fish conservation, all stated core values of the ORWL.
- Members who own their own business are welcome to post general information on the ORWL Message Board.
- Advertising lists of product and pricing will result on the post being removed.
- A message under the Events section saying that there is a sale or open house on a date and referencing the owners website for more details is acceptable. Advising club members of impending orders and offering to order members requirements if supplied by PM is also acceptable.
- Any business that supports the ORWL through a donation ie Event Sponsorship, preferred rates or similar contribution may be acknowledged by having their logo placed in the supporter’s area on the club website http://www.orwl.ca the logo will be linked to the business website where applicable.
- Any member who owns a business where there may be an opportunity to promote the ORWL should contact the Club President who will discuss the venture with the Club Exec and render a decision.
View PDF Organizational Rules and Guidelines
Top of PageORWL Competition Rules
- Have fun!
- Club competitions will not be scheduled or held during walleye opening weekend.
- Club competitions are open to guests as boaters or non-boaters, who will be allowed to participate in a maximum of three club competitions before being required to join the club on a formal basis. Guest participants must identify themselves to the Competition Captain. They will be given a copy of the club's code of ethics and competition rules, and must agree to follow them at all times by signing the Member (Guest) Application.
- Each angler will measure, record, and release* walleye with a length of 10" or more. Walleye will be measured from the tip of the mouth to the tip of the pinched tail. The walleye will be recorded to the completed full inch on an official ORWL score card. e.g. If the fish measures 15.75", 15" will be recorded on the score card.
- Each angler must submit an individual score card. All score cards must be submitted to the Competition Captain (or designate) at the conclusion of the league fishing competition. It is recommended that each angler also take a digital photo of the catch with the competition code for verification in the event of a dispute.
- A competition code will be supplied prior to the competition via the ORWL message board. It is each angler's responsibility to get the competition code before participating. Print the competition code on a piece of paper and place it next to the fish and ruler so the length can be confirmed by the Competition Captain.
- Participating anglers may NOT begin fishing in any scheduled ORWL Competitive Event, prior to posted start times on scheduled competition day, and may end any time prior to official cut-off time. Official launches and cut-off times are posted for each event on the Competition Schedule. With the exception of Wednesday events when participating anglers may begin fishing before the official start time, but will not be allowed to count fish caught before the official start time as posted. This exception is based on the honor and trust of club members one for another. Any complaint will be subject to the complaint rule. See rule 14.
- In the event that an angler fails to return to the designated launch by the official cut-off time, all fish on their scorecard will be disqualified and no handicap points will be received .
- All fish caught will be measured and scored to the nearest completed full inch, and one point will be awarded for each inch. The minimum length is 10", and only the top 5 fish will count on the scorecard.
- The competition Handicap Fish will be determined by the largest fish caught (rounded up to the next nearest 5" mark) in that particular competition, as reported among all scorecards handed in to the Competition Captain. In the event that no fish are scored, all eligible participants will receive 15 handicap points.
- Angler of the Year Awards (Boater, Non Boater and Junior categories) will be based on the cumulative total points from each angler's best 5 events. Designated Tournament Anglers will NOT be eligible to record any handicap points. Prior to the beginning of the Competitive Series of events, any Junior Angler (under age of 21 years) may request that they be allowed to compete in a respective adult category. Said request is to be made via post to our message board, and once approved will remain in effect for the year.
- Any available prizes will be awarded at the discretion of the Competition Captain based on points scored at that competition.
- All anglers must contact the Competition Captain once they are off the water. If you do not attend the meeting at the launch by the official cut-off time, ensure that other competition participants are aware of your departure.
- ORWL encourages the proper use of VHF radio equipment.
- Members' contact information is also available on the ORWL message board.
- In the event that a boater does not return by the cut-off time, search parties will be organized. Remaining members will not leave the competition site until all participants are accounted for. Let's be safe in numbers.
- Any complaints regarding the competition must be directed to the Competition Captain within one week, along with a $10.00 complaint fee. The Competition Captain and the Executive Board will review the complaint, and if the complaint is up held, the $10.00 fee will be refunded. Written rules as posted in this list of Competition Rules, will take precedent over any posts or proposed changes that may appear from time to time, either written or verbal. The Competition Rules will be set at the beginning of the club year (April) and will remain in effect until the following April. The rules may only be amended under exceptional circumstances and only then by agreement of the Executive Members and by publishing notification of the change to all members on the bulletin board.
Scoring
Points Table shown in PDF File
Safety
Complaints
*Catch-Record-Release
The CRR competition format is being practiced in professional angling tournaments to great success. This format involves taking a few digital photographs of the fish, and immediately releasing the fish where it was caught. This eliminates stress on fish from transporting them great distances over several hours in a livewell.
CRR eliminates the need to implement dead-fish penalties, and also circumvents slot limits (the prohibition of keeping fish within a specified length range) since no fish are kept. In a competitive setting such as ORWL's, this means that the angler who catches the most and largest fish wins.
Keeping fish within MNR rules and regulations is acceptable, as walleye are excellent eating. It is recommended that after a walleye is measured and recorded, it should be placed on ice in a cooler.
Affiliated with Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH)
