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

We have held the entry fee to $75 for adults and $50 for juniors (under 16), and the first 600 entries will receive a goodie bag with a selection of items from sponsors.

Here is just some of what you get when you sign up for the WON Big Bear TroutfesT:

1) Each person that signs up for the 2013 Big Bear TroutfesT will receive a raffle ticket for the grand raffle prize of a Klamath/Mercury new boat and motor package. On Sunday, Oct. 6th at the end of the awards program one lucky angler will win that prize. In addition to the grand raffle prize there are tons of other raffle prize awards.

2) Trophies and merchandise will be awarded to the top five winners in each of the following categories: Adult Male, Adult Female, Junior Male and Junior Female (under 16). This event is perfect for the entire family, and we have prizes and levels so that anyone can win!

3) The Blind Bogey Contest in which participants can win cash. All anglers that have signed up will be eligible for the cash that will be awarded as part of the Blind Bogey Contest.

4) There’s also a special raffle for juniors only, with a separate grand raffle for each paid junior. The drawing will be held during the awards ceremony on Sunday, Oct. 6th.

5) Of course the fishing should be great at Big Bear Lake, and as always WON puts $15,000.00 worth of trout stocking in the lake prior to the event, with the help and cooperation of the Big Bear water district.


This year, as in the past, this event will be limited to only 1,000 entries and it does fill up fast, so don’t delay on getting in on this one.

For more information on the 9th annual Western Outdoor News Big Bear Lake TroutfesT, call Lori at (949) 366-0030, ext. 26.

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2013 Big Bear Lake October TroutfesT Itinerary

Friday, Oct. 4th — Anglers check in at the Big Bear Visitors Center, 630 Bartlett Road, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315; Tel: 1 (800) 4 BIG BEAR from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Anglers will receive their wristband with angler number, goodie bag, copy of rules and itinerary, and most importantly, have their name and angler number placed into a raffle bin which makes them eligible to win prizes, including the Klamath boat/Mercury motor package and EZ Loader trailer courtesy of Klamath Boats and Mercury Motors valued at $16,800. Late sign-ups, if any are available, will also be taken at this time with a $15 late fee assessed.

Saturday, Oct. 5th — Late angler check-in at the Big Bear Visitors Center, 630 Bartlett Road, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315; TEL: 1 (800) 4 BIG BEAR from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. It is strongly recommended, however, that you use the Friday evening check-in as how quickly we can get you in and out on Saturday morning will depend on how many people show up at the late check-in.

Fishing will begin on Saturday morning, Oct. 5th, at 6 a.m. and continue until 3 p.m. The official tournament scales, located at the Big Bear Marina parking lot, will be open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Anglers not in line by 4 p.m. 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 up to the legal limit of 5 fish per day.

During the weigh-in on Saturday, various TroutfesT sponsors will have their products on display. BBQ lunch will be provided by B’s BBQ at no charge to TroutfesT contestants. Anglers will be provided a food ticket at check in.

Sunday, Oct. 6th — Fishing will begin on Sunday morning, Oct. 6th, at 6 a.m. and continue until 1 p.m. Scales will be open at the Big Bear Marina parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anglers not in line by 2 p.m. 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 p.m. in the Big Bear Marina parking lot.

We will be awarding first through fifth-place trophies and prizes for the top Adult Male, top Adult Female, top Junior Male (under 16 years of age), top Junior Female (under 16 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 bogey cash prizes will also be awarded on Sunday. The awards ceremony will end with the grand prize raffle of the $16,800 Klamath boat and 40 hp Mercury motor package with EZ Loader trailer. Awards should be over no later than 5-5:30 p.m. 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.

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2013 Big Bear October TroutfesT Official Rules

*PLEASE READ THESE RULES CAREFULLY AS THEY APPLY TO ALL CONTESTANTS

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.

All boats, including float tubes, canoes and kayaks, used during the TroutfesT must be properly outfitted with the USCG mandated equipment for the 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.

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.

All participants 16 years of age or younger fishing from a vessel are required to wear a life vest (PFD) during on-the-water tournament hours.

At the time of check-in, all TroutfesT contestants will be issued a wristband with their angler I.D. 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 p.m. on Oct. 6th, 2013.

Pre-fishing with a licensed guide is permitted up until 5 p.m. on Oct. 4th, 2013. 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.

All California Department of Fish and Game 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.

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, and fair-game hooked per California Department of Fish and Game regulations. No snagged fish will be accepted. California Fish and Game regulations may be viewed online at www.dfg.ca.gov.

All California Department of Boating and 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.

Lake Closures — Big Bear Lake will be closed to TroutfesT contestant fishing from 5 p.m. on Oct. 4th to 6 a.m. on Oct. 5th. The lake will again close to TroutfesT contestants on Oct. 5th at 3 p.m. and reopen on Oct. 6th at 6 a.m. 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.

Official Contest Hours — The TroutfesT will start at 6 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5th, and cease at 2 p.m. on Oct. 6th. 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 10 a.m. in the parking lot of the Big Bear Municipal Water District, and close at 4 p.m. All anglers who are in line prior to 4 p.m. will have their fish weighed. On Sunday, Oct. 7th, the contest will start at 6 a.m. and cease at 1 p.m. Scales will open at 10 a.m. and close at 2 p.m. Again, all anglers in line prior to 2 p.m. will have their fish weighed. The tournament director is the keeper of the official event time.

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 in your daily weight. You may not go back out fishing once you have weighed your fish.

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.

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 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6th, to be considered.

Divisional Prizes — Mer­chan­dise prizes will be awarded to the top five finishers in each of the Adult Male, Adult Female, Junior Male and Junior Female 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 16. All divisional winners must be present to receive their prizes or the merchandise portion of their prizes will be donated to the general raffle.

Ties — In case of a tie based upon weight, the greater number of fish caught over the course of the two-day event will determine the winner. In case the anglers each caught the same number of fish, the winner will be determined by their entry date. The earliest entry date will win the tie breaker, so sign up early!

Raffle Prizes — All anglers, as a part of their entry, will receive a raffle ticket, which will be  placed into a raffle bin. Raffle tickets will be drawn and raffles will be awarded to those persons who are present. Contestants who are not present will forfeit their prize. All raffle tickets  will be placed back into the raffle bin prior to the grand prize drawing of the boat/motor package.
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Blind Bogey Contest — Each person entered in the TroutfesT is a part of the blind bogey contest. Twenty dollars of each entry fee is allocated for this contest. Seventy-five percent 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 percent will be distributed to participating anglers in the form of cash prizes. Blind bogey prize drawings will be held Sunday during the awards ceremonies. You must be present to win.

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