The Official Word

Weekend Format

The rules are short. The scoring is older than most of the anglers. The trophies are real, and so is the Master Baiter.

The Window

Saturday Sunrise* First cast

Sunday 1:00pm Leader board is locked

The clock is the clock. Fish logged outside the window do not count. At 1:00pm Sunday, the leaderboard stops caring.

* Official start is 5:30 AM. SMART guys can't always keep track of actual time.

II

Scoring

Points decide it. Ties get ugly.

Every angler keeps his own log. Numbers are turned in Sunday, verified by the Field Office, and posted on the board before 1:00pm.

2 per fish + in + oz of your biggest + bonuses three of them = your score on the board

01

Two points per fish

Every legal fish caught during the window is worth two points. Minimum length is 8" (thanks to Jerry and Matt). Sucker fish do not count, because we still have standards. After that, a fish is a fish.

02

Inches plus ounces of your biggest

Each angler reports the largest fish he caught all weekend. Add the inches to the ounces and that number goes straight into his score. Only one big fish counts per angler.

Example 18 inch, 22 oz trout → +40 points

If not calculated Default biggest fish = 8" + 8 oz → +16 points

03

Traditional award bonuses

Three honors as old as the tournament itself. One angler can win more than one, and yes, the bonuses stack. This is how legends are made, or how one lucky fish ruins everyone else's weekend.

First Fish +6 First confirmed fish of the weekend, based on tournament clock. 75+ Rule For anglers age 75 or older at the time of SMART Weekend, the First Fish clock starts when their first cast hits the water, not at sunrise. Because after 75, sunrise is a suggestion.
Most Fish +4 Highest total fish count across the window.
Biggest Fish +2 Largest fish by inches plus ounces.

Scoring Note

Nobody leaves the leaderboard completely empty. If no fish are logged, each angler receives one default fish at the minimum mark: 8" and 8 oz. That gives every man 2 points for the fish, plus 16 points for the default biggest fish, for an official default score of 18 points.

It is not impressive, but it is mathematically defensible.

First Fish, the 75+ exception

For most anglers, the First Fish clock starts at sunrise. The earliest "minutes into tournament" wins. Only anglers age 75 or older get a personal clock that starts at their first cast instead of sunrise.

Example: if sunrise is 5:35 AM and one angler catches a fish at 5:45 AM, he caught his fish 10 minutes into the tournament. If an angler age 75 or older makes his first cast at 10:30 AM and catches a fish at 10:39 AM, he caught his fish 9 minutes into his tournament clock and wins First Fish.

Everyone else is still on sunrise time. No exceptions, no negotiations, no "I was almost 75."

III

The Trophies

Top three on the board.

1st

The Golden Stoney

Photo

The Golden Stoney — small fish trophy, painted gold, with the 1997 walleye mounted to it.

Top score on the board. The champion. The man everyone pretends to congratulate while quietly questioning the scoring system. Name on the trophy. Glory in the ledger. Unbearable for a full year.

2nd

The Silver SMART

Photo

The Silver SMART trophy.

Second place. So close to greatness that it will bother you until next June. Name on the trophy, technically. Still a great weekend. Still buying the first round. Still not the Golden Stoney.

3rd

The Bronze Angler

Photo

The Bronze Angler trophy.

Third place. Last spot on the podium. Name on the trophy, where his futility will be remembered and immortalized. Stand quietly, smile for the photo, and do not make eye contact with first place.

Rarely Awarded

The Special Honor

The Master Baiter Award

Photo

The Master Baiter plaque — small. Earned once in 29 years.

Awarded to any angler who, in a single weekend, sweeps all three traditional awards:
First Fish, Most Fish, and Biggest Fish.

1 Won exactly once
in SMART history

Sweeping all three Traditional Awards guarantees you a top-three finish — that is just math. The plaque is small. The bragging rights are not.

IV

Tiebreakers

In order. Until someone wins.

Ties happen. When two anglers turn in the same final score, the Field Office walks down the list below until the tie is broken.

1

Biggest single fish

The angler with the larger biggest fish (inches plus ounces) wins the tiebreaker.
2

Most fish caught

If big fish are equal, total fish count breaks the tie.
3

First fish of the weekend

If still tied, whoever logged his first fish earliest on Saturday takes it.
4

Girth of biggest fish

If still tied, the girth of each angler's biggest fish is measured. The thicker fish wins.
5

Field Office ruling

If somehow we are still tied, the matter will be turned over to the Field Office, a highly respected and deeply questionable panel of whichever Stoneberger members happen to be nearby. After a brief review, several opinions, and at least one accusation of bias, they will decide who delivers the final call. Their ruling is final, binding, and historically generous to the older generation.

V

Fine Print

The unglamorous bits.

Eligibility

Men, 18 and up. Paid in full. Registered before the deadline. No exceptions, including for sons who turn 18 the following Tuesday.

Honor system

We do not believe in an honor system. This is family, not a courtroom, and frankly, that would be irresponsible.

Fish must be witnessed and officially logged to count. With a personal witness, you can write down your Big Fish numbers on your card. If no one is around, photograph the fish — photos with a tape and scale are acceptable for catch-and-release Big Fish, as long as the measurement is clear.

Otherwise, fish must be brought to the official weigh station at the weekend's home base for measurement, weighing, and the appropriate level of public scrutiny.

Per-award proof requirements:

Biggest Fish: the fish in hand at weigh-in, or a clear photo of the fish. Photo does not need a tape if the catch was witnessed in person.
Most Fish: punch card in hand at weigh-in, or a photo of the punch card.
First Fish: a personal witness or a time-stamped photo of the fish.

Conservation

Follow state regulations. Catch and release is encouraged. Numbers count whether the fish goes in the cooler or back in the water.

Early departure

Should a participant be required or choose to leave the tournament before awards are presented at the conclusion of the weekend, the disposition of that individual's points, prizes, and tournament standing for that weekend shall be at the discretion of the Field Office and its SMART members. The Field Office may vote to preserve or forfeit any combination of points, prizes, and standing on a case-by-case basis.

First applied: 2007 · Twisty Park, CO

Weather and safety

The tournament happens in rain, shine, hail, wind, and whatever else the mountains decide to contribute. Boats, waders, and questionable confidence are each angler's responsibility.

Each angler is responsible for deciding whether conditions are safe enough to fish. That said, lightning, severe storms, unsafe water conditions, or any weather-related situation that puts people at real risk ends fishing immediately for anyone affected. No fish, points, or awards are worth someone getting hurt due to weather.

Common sense wins, even when it arrives late. Personal hook-related decisions remain between you, your pliers, and whatever poor soul has to drive you to the ER.

Read the sign before it hurts

All local lake, river, state, and posted fishing regulations must be followed. If a body of water has specific rules for bait, flies, lures, limits, species, methods, seasons, or anything else written by people with clipboards and authority, those rules apply.

Fish caught in violation of local regulations are disqualified. No exceptions because someone missed, did not see, or misunderstood the posted sign. No appeals. No emotional testimony about how good the fish was, how long it took to land, or how unfairly the universe treated the angler.

SMART does not enforce local law, but SMART does enforce SMART heartbreak. And yes, this rule exists because someone was once robbed of glory by lake regulations and hours of emotional ruling.

Rules Questions and Disputes. Rules questions, disputes, and creative interpretations will be handled by a quorum of Stonebergers in the Field Office. If you do not know what a quorum is, that may affect the weight of your argument.