COLUMBUS — Ohio anglers now have access to registration information and results about fishing tournaments across the state, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
The new online application is available at fishtournaments.ohiodnr.gov. Anyone can access the schedule of upcoming tournaments without logging into the system.
Anglers or other recreational users can find out when and where events are scheduled by filtering the list by waterbody (such as a lake, reservoir, or river), name, county, species (including black bass, crappie, and muskellunge) or a range of dates.
The fishing tournament system will allow directors to schedule events and view information about when and where they are currently scheduled. It will also expedite the review and approval process for requests at ODNR sites.
Directors are required to create an OH|ID account. Events may be scheduled once an account has been approved by ODNR staff. Tournaments held at ODNR access areas are required to be scheduled using the online system. Directors will be notified by email as soon as their event has been reviewed and approved by ODNR. The approval email replaces hard-copy daily use permits.
Scheduling an event involves selecting the access area of interest, providing basic information about the start and end times, number of anticipated boats and preferred fish species. After an event has been completed, directors can immediately report the results.
ODNR is requesting basic information about the number of participants, number of boats, and catch details. These results will allow division of wildlife fisheries biologists to better understand the amount of tournament activity in Ohio and angler success. Annual results will be summarized at the conclusion of each season.
