Kaskaskia River Rough Fish Roundup Tournament to be held July 17

BALDWIN, Ill. – Kaskaskia River State Fish and Wildlife Area will host the 2021 Rough Fish Roundup bowfishing tournament at Wood Duck Marina in Baldwin, Illinois Saturday, July 17, 2021.

Bowfishing enthusiasts are encouraged to make plans now to participate in the annual tournament, a daytime event taking place from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and consisting of both Boat and Walking/Shore divisions. The Boat division will feature a Big 10 format, and the Walking/Shore division will feature a Big 3 format. Big Fish and Small Fish contests also will be held.

Tournament waters are those located within the Kaskaskia River SFWA, with the exception of Baldwin Lake and the tailwaters below Jerry F. Costello Lock and Dam. That translates to 35 river miles of the lower Kaskaskia River and connected backwaters from Lenzburg to the Costello Lock and Dam.

As always, the community is invited to both the take-off and weigh-in to learn more about bowfishing, rough fish, and Asian carp, with opportunities to taste-test various species of river fish and look at the variety of bowfishing boats and equipment. Participants and spectators will be required to observe health and safety protocols in place at the time of the tournament

Boat division entry fee is $100.00 per boat and teams may be comprised of one to four members. The Walking/Shore division entry fee is $25.00 per participant. Both divisions will be 100 percent payback. Payback amounts and the number of places paid will be based on the number of entries, with payout guaranteed for the top three places in both divisions.

Please note that no gar will be weighed in at the tournament as tournament waters are an Alligator Gar reintroduction site.

Take off for the tournament will be in order of registration and participants may pre-register by emailing the Kaskaskia River SFWA office at joseph.middleton@illinois.gov or dayleann.morgan@Illinois.gov. Participants may also register on site the morning of the event. The tournament will be limited to a total of 40 boats, so pre-registration is recommended.

For more information, contact Kaskaskia River SFWA at 618-785-2555.

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