first walleye tournament next june on Devils Lake: PFD rules, kill switch lanyard, inflatables, what the rules actually require

i fish about a dozen a year, Iowa great lakes, Big Stone, a couple in Minnesota. the rule sheet language is close to the same everywhere. PFD: worn and fastened any time the combustion engine is running, meaning the big motor or the kicker. once you are on the trolling motor you can take it off, and most guys do. inflatable: yes, if it is Coast Guard approved and you are wearing it, inflatables only count as a life jacket when worn, that is federal, not the tournament.

kill switch: that is the law now, not the tournament being picky. since april 2021 the federal rule says if your boat is under 26 feet and has an engine cut-off switch, you use it whenever you are on plane or above displacement speed. the lanyard or a wireless fob, either counts. the rule sheet just says it louder because a disqualification is cheaper than a funeral. the Coast Guard has the plain english version on uscgboating.org.

morning inspection: they look in the livewell to see it is empty, check the PFDs and the throwable, check the kill switch lanyard is there, sometimes check the fire extinguisher. takes two minutes if your stuff is where it belongs.

adding the Minnesota side for when you fish one over here. state law is one wearable per person on board plus a throwable on anything 16 feet and over, and kids under 10 have to wear it any time the boat is underway, trolling motor included. the tournament rule sits on top of that. and the inflatable thing bites people: a brand new inflatable in the bag under the seat does not count as a life jacket at all in Minnesota, it has to be on you.

moderator hat off, retired shop teacher hat on. ND is the same on kids, under 10 have to wear one on a boat under 27 feet. and check your throwable. i have watched a warden fail a guy on Otter Tail because his cushion had a split seam and stuffing coming out, that is not a legal throwable anymore. 30 bucks, buy a new one before june.

on inflatables, since you are going to buy two. they have a CO2 cylinder and a bobbin or a pill that fires it, and the pill has a date. check the green indicator every trip and buy the re-arm kit now so it is in the boat, 25 to 35 dollars. and do not wear an auto-inflate one in a canoe or when you are sure to get splashed, it will go off in your face. manual inflate is fine for tournament work, the rule just says approved and worn.