Description

The 19th annual Western Outdoor News
Big Bear Lake Troutfest

October 5th – 6th, 2024

• Itinerary
• Entry Form
• Waiver Form

Tournament headquarters for registration, weigh-ins, and awards will be:
40524 Lakeview Dr
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315

Big Prizes, Big Giveaways, Powered by Suzuki Marine

Anglers can look forward to a packed bag at this year’s event!

All event activities including registration will be held at the BBMWD or Big Bear Marina Gravel parking lot.

There will be tens of thousands of dollars in cash and prizes at stake, trophies and prizes for adult big fish winners (men and women’s division), Kids Division (both boys and girls), and the Big Bear community will as always roll out the red carpet for all WON anglers!

Friday October 4th  Anglers check-in at the Big Bear Municipal Water District or Big Bear Marina gravel parking lot from 4 pm to 8 pm.  (40524 Lakeview Dr, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315; TEL: 1-909-866-5796). Anglers will receive their wristband with raffle number on it, goodie bag, copy of rules and itinerary, and most importantly, have thier raffle number placed into a raffle bin which makes them eligible to win prizes.  Late sign-ups, if any are available, will also be taken at this time with a $15 late fee assessed.

Saturday October 5th  Late angler check-in at the Big Bear Marina gravel lot (40524 Lake View Dr, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315 909-866-5796) from 6 am to 7 am.  It is strongly recommended however that you use the Friday evening check-in.

Fishing will begin on Saturday morning, October 1st at 7:00 am and continue until 4 pm.  The official tournament scales, located at the Big Bear Marina parking lot, (40524 Lakeview Dr, Big Bear Lake, CA) will be open from 12 pm until 4 pm.  Anglers not in line by 4 pm will not have their fish weighed and their catch will not count towards that day’s competition.  Once you weigh fish, you are done for the day and cannot weigh additional fish or continue to fish.

Sunday October 6th  Fishing will begin on Sunday morning, October 8th at 7:00 am and continue until 2 pm.  Scales will be open at the Big Bear Marina parking lot from 11 am to 2 pm.  Anglers not in line by 2 pm will not have their fish weighed and their catch will not count towards that day’s competition.  Once you weigh fish, you are done for the day and cannot weigh additional fish. Each angler may weigh only 5 fish per day.

The raffle prize drawing and awards ceremonies will commence around 3:30 pm in the Big Bear Marina parking lot.

We will be awarding 1st through 5th place trophies and prizes for the top adult male, top adult female, top junior male (under 14 years of age), top junior female (under 14 years of age) and overall big fish.  Thousands of dollars in raffle prizes will be raffled off to those in attendance. You must be present to win.  The Blind Bogie cash prizes will also be awarded on Sunday.  Awards should be over no later than 5-5:30 pm to allow everyone the chance to get down the hill before dark.

Since there is no seating in the Big Bear Marina parking lot, it is strongly recommended that you bring folding lawn/beach chairs.

Additionally, due to the crowd size, no dogs will be allowed on BBMWD property during the TroutfesT award ceremonies.

1. Contestants may fish from shore, float tube, canoe, kayak, boat, or any other legally permissible vessel provided they meet all local, state, and federal regulations.
2. All boats, including float tubes, canoes, and kayaks used during the TroutfesT must be properly outfitted with the USCG mandated equipment for their vessel, which may include but is not limited to, anchors, running lights, throw cushions, life vests, signal devices, oars, and bailing devices. All vessels must also possess current state registration stickers if required.
3. Contestants using their own vessels must obtain a special permit, which is obtained through the Big Bear Municipal Water District office prior to the contest. Vessels are also subject to a Quagga Mussel inspection prior to launch on Big Bear Lake.
4. All participants under 13 years of age fishing from a vessel 26 feet or less are required to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life vest (PFD) during on the water tournament hours. See dbw.ca.gov for details concerning life vests.
5. At the time of check-in, all TroutfesT contestants will be issued a wristband with their raffle number on it. These wristbands must be worn for the duration of the event and should not be removed until the close of the contest at 6:00 pm on October 8th, 2023.
6. Pre-fishing with a licensed guide is permitted up until 5 pm on October 6th, 2023. Other than providing emergency assistance, no fishing guides licensed on Big Bear Lake may participate, or in any way assist other TroutfesT participants during the contest period.
7. All California Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations will apply to the TroutfesT. All contestants 16 years of age or older will be required to possess and carry a valid California Fishing license. Any angler cited as being in violation of California or Federal Fish and Game laws will be disqualified from the TroutfesT.
8. All fish submitted for weight during the TroutfesT must be taken from the waters of Big Bear Lake during the official contest hours. Fish brought in from outside of Big Bear Lake as judged by the tournament staff will result in angler disqualification. All fish must be caught live, with rod and reel, fair game hooked, per California Department of Fish & Wildlife regulations. No snagged fish will be accepted. CA Fish and Wildlife regulations may be viewed on line at wildlife.ca.gov.
9. All California Department of Boating & Waterways and all local Big Bear Lake Municipal Water District boating regulations must be observed during the tournament. Any boat operator cited by local, state, or federal agencies for violating boating laws during the tournament will be disqualified.
10. Lake Closures – Big Bear Lake will be closed to TroutfesT contestant fishing from 5 pm on October 6th to 7:00 am on October 7th. The lake will again close to TroutfesT contestant fishing on October 7th at 4 pm and reopen on October 8th at 7:00 am. It will close again on October 8th at 2 pm. Contestants may be on the water during off-limits times but are not allowed to have lines in the water. Anglers found fishing during the off-limits period will be disqualified from the TroutfesT.
11. Official Contest Hours – The TroutfesT will start at 7:00 am on Saturday, October 7th  and cease at 4 pm on October 7th. To facilitate vessel launching, anglers may be on the water earlier than this, but MAY NOT have any lines in the water. Scales will open Saturday at 12:00 pm in the parking lot of the Big Bear Marina parking lot and close at 4:00 pm. All anglers who are in line prior to 4:00 pm will have their fish weighed.  On Sunday, October 8th, the contest will start at 7:00 am and cease at 2:00 pm.  Scales will open at 11:00 am and close at 2:00 pm. Again, all anglers in line prior to 2:00 pm will have their fish weighed.  The tournament director is the keeper of the official event time.
12. Limits/Size – Trout submitted for weight during the TroutfesT must be a minimum of 10 inches in overall length (from tip of nose to tip of tail). All fish under 10 inches as determined by our weigh staff will not be included in the total weight. Each angler in the TroutfesT may weigh 5 trout per day. Once you weigh your fish, you are done for the day and may not submit any additional fish for inclusion to your daily weight. You may not go back out fishing once you have weighed your fish.
13. Unless cooperating jointly, all boats must maintain a distance of 50 feet between them when anchored or drift fishing. Boats which are trolling are exempt from this rule. There is no minimum distance for shoreline anglers.
14. The Tournament Director has the sole discretion to disqualify any catch for any reason deemed to violate any tournament rules or the spirit of the competition. Decisions of the Tournament Director are final and may not be appealed. All anglers are responsible for weighing in their OWN fish and may not pass or hand off any fish to anyone else. Handing off fish to junior anglers will not be accepted, and if you are caught handing off a fish, both anglers are subject to immediate disqualification. Protests must be filed in writing with the Tournament Director no later than 2:30 pm on Sunday, October 8th to be considered.
15. Divisional Prizes ─ Merchandise prizes will be awarded to the top 5 finishers in each of the Adult Male, Adult Female, and Junior’s divisions based upon total weight at the close of the competition. The largest trout of the tournament will also receive a trophy and merchandise. Junior divisions consist of anglers under the age of 14. All divisional winners must be present to receive their prizes, or the merchandise portion of their prizes will be donated to the general raffle.
16. Ties ─ In case of a tie based upon weight, the greater number of fishes caught over the course of the two-day event will determine the winner. In case the anglers each caught the same number of fishes, the winner will be determined by their entry date. The earliest entry date will win the tie breaker, so sign up early!
17. Raffle Prizes – All anglers as a part of their entry will have their raffle number (from their wristband) placed into a raffle bin. Raffle numbers will be drawn, and raffles will be awarded to those persons who are present. Contestants who are not present will forfeit their prize.
18. Blind Bogey Contest ─ Each person entered in the TroutfesT is a part of the Blind Bogey contest. $5 of each entry fee is allocated for this contest. 75% of all blind bogey monies will go to the Big Bear Municipal Water District and will be used solely for restocking Big Bear Lake with trout. The remaining 25% will be distributed to participating anglers in the form of cash prizes. Blind Bogey prize drawings will be held Sunday during the awards ceremonies.
19. All anglers and family members attending the 2024 Big Bear Lake TroutFest will adhere to county social distancing guidelines and wear a face buff or mask during all tournament activities if required. We will be utilizing the large BBMWD parking lot for our weigh-ins and awards, and it is recommended that all participants space out accordingly.
20. No parking will be permitted in the BBMWD parking lot from Friday October 4th through Sunday October 6th, 2024.  No truck and trailer parking will be permitted in the Big Bear Marina parking lot.
    
21. It is our understanding that the BBMWD “EAST” ramp is the best place for boat inspection and permit applications.  All anglers that are bringing and launching their personal boats are strongly advised to get there early Friday morning at minimum, to get your boat inspected and permitted for the weekends event. Most marinas are at full capacity now, and slips may be hard to attain for the event.  Please contact your favorite marina for specifics.