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Bakken Classic Fishing Derby

July 15, 2025 @ 6:00 am - 6:00 pm CDT

BAKKEN CLASSIC

Fishing Derby

The 12th Annual Bakken Classic Fishing Derby will be held on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at the Four Bears Casino and Marina. This charity tournament helps raise money for the North Dakota Petroleum Foundation’s conservation efforts and other programs.   

SCHEDULE

7:15 a.m. – Flight One (Boats 1-50) boats in the water

7:30 a.m. – Flight One (Boats 1-50) shotgun start – Pontoon will wave you off

7:45 a.m. – Flight Two (Boats 51-100) boats in the water

8:00 a.m. – Flight Two (Boats 51-100) shotgun start – Pontoon will wave you off

2:00 p.m. – Bell Supply Company Weigh Station and ThruTubing Leaderboard Opens

2:30 a.m. – Flight One boats must report back & weigh-in at the Bell Supply Company Weigh Station (Check in with pontoon if ramp is backed up)

3:00 p.m. – Flight Two boats must report back & weigh-in at the Bell Supply Company Weigh Station (Check in with pontoon if ramp is backed up)

3:30 p.m. – Social begins – Dinner provided by Weatherford

Circa 5 p.m. – Door Prize Drawing following the weigh-ins. Must be present to win, so make plans to stick around!

Circa 5:15 p.m. – Awards

RULES

DOWNLOAD RULES AND BOUNDARY MAP

  1. All non-Native American participants 16 years or older must possess a North Dakota fishing license. Native American participants 16 years or older must possess either a state or tribal fishing license.
  2. Team consists of no more than three (3) fishermen per boat.
  3. All anglers must be in the same vehicle at the time of inspection and boat launch.
  4. Teams will be divided into two flights:a. Flight One: all boats must be in the water by the main ramp by 7:15 a.m. with shotgun start at 7:30 a.m. A pontoon will wave a flag to signal your start.b. Flight Two: all boats must be in the water and gathered in the bay on the west side of point by 7:45 a.m. with shotgun start at 8:00 a.m. A pontoon will wave a flag to signal your start.
  5. Each fisherman is allowed to fish with two (2) rods.
  6. This is not a catch and release tournament.
  7. Weigh-in will be the top six (6) fish of each boat, with a maximum ten (10) fish per boat. Culling is not allowed. Once you have kept 10 fish you are done fishing and must weigh in. Patrol boat checkers will be randomly boarding boats to check fish. Non-compliance will result in disqualification.
  8. No fish other than walleye, sauger or saugeye shall be allowed in boats. Minimum fish length is 14 inches.
  9. Flight One boats must be back at the Marina and checked in with a Patrol Pontoon by 2:30 p.m. Flight Two boats must be back at the Marina and checked in with a Patrol Pontoon by 3:00 p.m.a. Five (5) minutes late will result in a 10% dockage of total weight.b. Teams more than five (5) minutes late will be disqualified from weigh-in. Official weigh-in will follow.
  10. All participants must have life jackets on while traveling above trolling speed.
  11. All current North Dakota Game & Fish Department and Three Affiliated Tribes Game and Fish regulations must be followed.
  12. 75% of entry fees will be paid out in prizes.

BOUNDARIES:

The northern boundary for the fishing tournament will be White Earth Bay and straight south to opposite shoreline. Markers will be placed on shoreline to denote boundary.

The southern boundary will be from Skunk Bay across the lake to the bay on the north side of the lake. A marker on the north side and the metal rooster statue on the hill at the east entrance of Skunk Bay will mark the boundaries.

Patrol boats will be in operation throughout the derby to monitor compliance with boundaries and tournament rules.

 

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INFO

If you have any questions, contact Tessa Sandstrom at tsandstrom@ndoil.org or 701-557-3972.

WHEN

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

(Make-up day will be Wednesday, July 16 if there is inclement weather)

WHERE

Four Bears Casino Marina
202 Frontage Road
New Town, ND

REGISTER

Register a team or check out sponsorship opportunities that incldue a team entry below.

TEAM ENTRY
$400

Entry of one boat, 3 anglers per boat. Each team member will receive a shirt. Click here for shirt sizing chart.

BIG FISH / LOW FISH BUY-IN
$20

NEW: $20 per team optional buy-in for the Big Fish/Low Fish Prize:

75% of the pot will go to the team reeling in the biggest fish.

25% of the pot will go to a team in the bottom 10% of weights.

Registration will open in Spring of 2025.

SPONSOR

We are offering a limited number of sponsorships for this year’s derby.

SPONSOR

We have several sponsorship opportunities available this year including Exclusive Sponsorships and Team Sponsorships. 

2024 PREMIER PARTNERS

Our events and efforts aren't possible without the support of our members. Thanks to all our Premier Partners for their sponsorship! Learn more about becoming a Premier Partner here

Details

Date:
July 15, 2025
Time:
6:00 am - 6:00 pm CDT
Event Category:
Website:
https://ndpetroleumfoundation.org/bakkenclassic/

Organizer

North Dakota Petroleum Foundation
Email
info@ndpetroleumfoundation.org
View Organizer Website

Venue

Four Bears Casino Marina
202 Frontage Rd
New Town, 58763 United States