Top Dawg Online Freshwater Spearfishing Tournament
REGISTER HERE
Entry Fee - $40 for non-NFSA members / $20 for NFSA members
Top Pup – Free!! (Under 18yrs by May 1st)
Starting Date – May 1st
Ending Date - September 31st
No entry deadline but must be registered prior to shooting eligible fish
Having an issue with app registration? Watch this video.
Contact Information
Email - nationalfreshwaterspearfishing@gmail.com
Facebook
- Page:https://www.facebook.com/nationalfreshwaterspearfishingassociation
- Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nationalfreshwaterspearfishing
- Handle: @nationalfreshwaterspearfishingassociation
Instagram - @nationalfreshwaterspearfishing
Tournament Director - Jeromy Herrick
Assistant Tournament Director - Greg Hall
Top Dawg Committee
- Brett Leable (Texas)
- Mike Kennedy (Utah)
- Ken Hekhuis (Michigan)
- Cal Straub (Wisconsin)
- Gene Stansbery (Nebraska)
- Review submissions for any competitor submitting a fish that will take over as category leader.
- Review submissions for tournament directors, Jeromy Herrick and Greg Hall.
- Address and resolve and competitor submission disputes
Online Tournament Format and Rules
Format
This is an online style tournament consisting of Freediving and Scuba Diving. Your choice!
This year we are using an app called “iAngler Tournaments”. Every diver will submit and log fish and see live tournament standings through this app. Search for it on the iOS and Google Play App store. It should be titled "iAngler Tournament" and will have an icon like below:
The longest fish in each individual category at the end of the tournament wins Top Dawg for that category. At the end of the tournament there will also be a winner dubbed “The King of Freshwater" (or Queen). The King of Freshwater will be determined by adding up the total length of each individual competitor’s longest fish in each category. You will want to enter a fish in as many categories as possible. Just because your big fish didn’t win you the Top Dawg for the category, it will help you add up overall inches and increase your chance for being crowned “The King of Freshwater" (or Queen). Participants must purchase entry into the tournament, which includes completing the registration.
There will be 2 divisions in the tournament. Top Dawg and Top Pup. There will be 3 prizes for Top Pup, which will be for the 3 longest fish, however the 3 winning fish must be different fish species. The fish species must be one of our category species in the tournament. Top Pup fish submitted are eligible to win a Top Dawg Fish Category. Parents, no shooting fish for your kids! If you are making a submission for the Top Pup division, the rules are still the same, but you must write that it is a Top Pup entry.
Top Dawg can change tournament rules at any time. You must comply with the rules at all times. If we make changes due to some unforeseen reason, we will update you on the NFSA Facebook and Instagram page as well as email. Be sure to have the notifications turned on for the page to alert you of any updates. As always, safety is of the utmost importance. Remember there is no fish worth of your life! Always dive with a buddy and remember 1 up and 1 down and use your dive flag on every trip. From all of us at Top Dawg, we would like to wish you all the best of luck!
Rules
- All submitted fish must be speared with a rubber/pneumatic gun or pole spear.
- All fish must be taken in NAMED PUBLIC WATERS
- Tournament waters restricted to all freshwater bodies of water within the United States/Canada where state/federal regulations allow it.
- Channel Catfish, due to the nature of its body configuration, will be measured by laying the fish flat on its belly on top of the 1 inch metal measuring tape. The measuring will start from the top of the mouth to the tip of the tail.
- All entries must be submitted within 3 days of being taken.
- In the event of a 2-person tie for "The King of Freshwater", the tie breaker will be the total length of each person's 2 longest fish. In the event of a tie for Top Dawg, the winner will revert back to the first submitted fish.
- All participants must follow all state/federal laws in the areas they are spearfishing. Any violation or suspected violation, of any of the laws and/or tournament rules, will result in disqualification from the tournament and possible disqualification from all future tournaments.
- Any participant who gets caught cheating or is suspected of cheating after review from the board at Top Dawg, will be disqualified and will automatically be barred from ever being allowed to participate in future tournaments. Be honest!
How to Document and Log a Fish!
All entries to be submitted through the iAngler Tournaments app. Log your fish by entering the appropriate details and uploading a video clearly showing the length of the fish AND a picture of you holding up for your fish for bragging rights! Please also post to your own Social Media accounts and tag us and use the following hashtags: #topdawgfwsf #freshwaterspearfishing
Timestamp verification is provided by the iAngler Tournaments app. You MUST allow the app all permissions in order for iAngler to properly timestamp your photo for your submission. Any submissions with a picture that is not timestamped will be rejected.
Fish must be laying on a FLAT surface! Fish are measured from under their body with a 1” wide easy to read steel tape measurer. Any submissions where the measurement cannot be undoubtedly seen will not be accepted. All measurements shall be made from the tip of the tail to the tip of the mouth. The mouth of the fish must be closed and not open.
Here is a step by step explanation of how to measure a fish:
- Bump 1 inch wide metal tape against hard flat surface
- Lay fish on top of steel measure tape and bump nose of fish against the same hard surface
- Begin video of your entry.
- State your name and species of fish.
- Video tape down length of the fish showing the nose of the fish bumped against the hard flat surface all the way down to the tail.
- Pinch tail and show clear visual of steel tape measurement.
- Zoom out and show that the fish has maintained stable position during measuring process and that the tape measure has not moved.
- Take multiple pictures and videos of your submission. In case of a challenge, the burden of proof rests upon the submitter.
Here is an example video of how to measure your fish.
Having issues with the App?
You may submit as many fish throughout the tournament for every category as you wish. Meaning, if you submitted a fish today and went out tomorrow and shot a bigger fish, you can upgrade your smaller fish by submitting your bigger fish. This will play a key role in becoming “The King of Freshwater”.
For all species other than Panfish, measurements go to the closest 2/8 of an inch (1/4 inch). To take over the leaderboard you must beat the previous leading fish by 3/8 of an inch! Measurements for Panfish will go to the closest 1/8 of an inch. To take over the leaderboard for Panfish, you must beat the previous leading fish by 1/8 of an inch. All fish competing for a leaderboard position within 4/8 of an inch (1/2 inch) are subject to review by the Top Dawg Committee.
If the fish is not measured correctly or clearly documented in the video, the Top Dawg Committee will determine whether to disqualify the fish or reduce the reported length. Top Dawg reserves the right to challenge any submission. Proof must be provided from the person submitting the entry if additional information is asked for. Anyone has the right to challenge another submission. If your submission is challenged, you will be notified of the challenge, and then notified of the decision once the Top Dawg Committee reviews your submission.
Fish Species Category
- Carp (Common and Buffalo) - $800 value
- Walleye - $500 value
- Pike - $300 value
- Drum - $200 value
- Striper (Landlocked Only) - $150 value
- Crappie - $100 value
- Channel Catfish - $100 value
- Sucker - $100 value
- Sunfish (All species) - $100 value
- Tiger Muskie - $100 value
- Brown Trout
- Rainbow Trout
- Smallmouth Bass
- Largemouth Bass
- Lake Trout
- Gar (excluding Alligator Gar)
- Flathead Catfish
- Grass Carp
- Perch
- Wiper
- Rock Bass
Top Dawg will have 21 category prizes provided by our awesome sponsors! An individual competitor is only allowed to win a maximum of 2 categories in addition to being eligible for The King of Freshwater award. If a competitor leads in more than two categories they will have the option to choose which two category prizes that they would like.
Top Pup will have 3 prizes from our sponsors and each winner will receive a prize! The Top Pup winner with the longest fish gets to pick their prize first.
The award for “The King of Freshwater” will be a Trophy, Competition T-Shirt, and bragging rights for the next year!
Be sure to thank the sponsors by getting more divers involved and sharing the Top Dawg tournament with your friends on Facebook or Instagram! Sign a Top Pup up with you and get them out on your next spearfishing adventure!
Disclaimer
Top Dawg Spearfishing or any of its people cannot, and will not, be held liable for any death or injuries to any participants by them or their families partaking in the tournament. By signing up for the tournament, you acknowledge this and can not hold Top Dawg Spearfishing and any of its people liable.
Troubleshooting
- "User Not Authorized"
The app needs to be reset. This occurs when a file has been corrupted on the phone. The app fails to recognize the user.
To reset the app, the user will need to do the following:
- On the app homepage, there's an "Info" icon ( an "i" with a circle around it) located in the lower right corner of the screen. Select that Icon.
- The "About Us" screen is displayed. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and locate the blue, "Reset App" button.
- Press the "Reset App" button. A message will warn the user that all app data will be removed from the phone. Select the option to proceed.
- The "Reset App" process will only require a few seconds.
- Forgot your username?
Please reach out to mchristopher@ianglertournament.com
