Tournament fishing may occur upon either Lake Okmulgee or Dripping Springs Lake upon receipt of a license issued by the city of Okmulgee to the event sponsor, and subject to the following:
A. The fishing tournament shall be conducted in such a way that it does not upset the natural habitat of Lake Okmulgee or Dripping Springs Lake, nor deplete either of the lakes of fish. No nets, debris, felled trees or other devices may be placed in the lake and used to restrict the natural movement of fish or prevent access to any part of the lake by other boaters.
B. The fishing tournament shall be conducted as catch and release only. Therefore, all boats must be equipped and use live wells or comparable devices to preserve the life of the catch. If culling of fish is allowed by the tournament rules, no angler may cull a dead fish.
C. All fishing tournament participants shall be required to possess and carry any fishing licenses required by the state of Oklahoma. Individual life preservers or comparable flotation devices shall be available to each occupant of each boat.
D. The fishing tournament participants shall be required to comply with all applicable ordinances, laws, rules and regulations of the city of Okmulgee as the owner of the lakes and those of the state of Oklahoma as the lessee of portions of the lake properties.
E. All fishing tournaments shall allow only mouth caught fish. Snagging of fish or trapping with nets or other devices is prohibited. Only one rod per angler may be used at any one time. Other rods may be present in the boat, so long as no more than one is in use by any angler at any time; this means that any cast must be fully retrieved before a different rod is put to use.
F. All fishing tournaments shall follow the Oklahoma department of wildlife conservation publication entitled "Fish Care Guidelines For Tournament Directors", including the "other release considerations", unless expressly excused by the city council.
G. Tournaments shall be limited to Monday through Friday only, during the period from Memorial Day to Labor Day inclusive. For the time period from Labor Day to Memorial Day but excluding those named weekends, tournaments may be conducted on any day or set of days described in the license.
H. Tournament participants shall be limited to a total of no more than thirty (30) boats in any tournament. The total number of persons in each boat shall not exceed the manufacturer's recommended load limits.
I. Any violation of the rules set forth herein may be handled by the tournament authorities as a matter of internal discipline. However, violation of subsections A through E, inclusive, of this section is prohibited and may also subject any offender to prosecution in municipal court.
J. Tournament sponsors may apply to the city for a license, providing an application fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00), describing the event proposed, providing a copy of the event rules, and providing either liability insurance or the written guarantee that the event participants carry their own individual insurance. In no event shall the city be liable for any accident occurring during or in connection with a tournament. (Ord. 2022, 2014: Ord. 2015, 2013)