As per Rhode Island fishing regulations for 2015-16.
1.16 Any organized fishing and boating event and other organized events, which is composed of a minimum of six (6) persons and/or three (3) boats, is prohibited from being conducted on any fresh waters of the state regardless of access, or method of propulsion without the prior issuance of a written permit from the Department. An application for the initial issuance of a permit, which may include more than one event, or a permit modification, must be submitted to the Department at a minimum of three (3) weeks prior to the proposed date of the event (s). The permit application must include the location, date, time (which shall include set-up and arrival activities before the event and ending activities prior to exiting the boat ramp parking lot), and the numbers of persons and boats planned for the event (s). The Department shall review each application for the granting of a permit for each organized fishing or boating event based upon, but not limited to, 1., the capacity of the boat ramp to be utilized, 2., the water body which is proposed as the site of the event, 3., consideration of any competing users, and 4., the support facilities available at the site, including, but not limited to, parking, sanitary facilities, and security. The Department reserves the right to limit the number of tournaments per location. The Department further reserves the right to deny a permit application for a particular date and location for reasons of overuse or conflict with other events. Except in the case of an unforeseen natural disaster or other occurrence, event sponsors who fail to conduct the permitted event (s) and fail to provide the Department with written notice of the event (s) cancellation a minimum of three (3) weeks in advance of the date upon which the event (s) was scheduled to occur, shall have the sponsor's eligibility to conduct organized fishing and boating events revoked for one year from the cancelled event; such revocation shall include any events for which a permit was previously issued. This decision of revocation shall rest entirely with the Department.
1.16.1 Each boat and vehicle occupying the State boat ramp parking lot that participates in an organized fishing or boating event is required to display a participant placard issued by the Department prior to launching at the proposed site of the event.
1.16.2 At the time of application for issuance of a permit for the organized fishing or boating event (s), the sponsor of the event (s) must designate the event (s) as either a "closed" or an "open" event (s).
1.16.2.1 If the event is authorized to be conducted as a closed fishing or boating event, the sponsor shall identify in writing to the DEM at least three (3) days prior to the commencement of the event any changes in the numbers of boats that are authorized to participate in the event and obtain approval. The permit must be retained on site and have the names of all participants.
1.16.2.2 If the event is authorized to be conducted as an open fishing or boating event, the Department will provide the sponsor with a specified number of placards based upon an estimate of proposed entrants given at the time of application. The sponsor shall register each boat on the day of the event on forms provided by the FWFISHING REGS – 2015 - 2016 10 of 14 Department and which are required to remain with the sponsor throughout the event and accessible to the Department. All registration forms shall be returned to the Department within five (5) days of the termination of the event. The Department will provide the sponsor with a specified number of placards based upon the estimate of proposed entrants given at the time of application.
1.16.2.3 Regardless of whether a fishing event has been authorized as a "closed" or an "open" event, the sponsor is obligated to provide a report to the Department, within five (5) days of the termination of the event which includes: the number of hours fished, the numbers of boats, numbers of participants, a separate count of the number of largemouth bass and smallmouth bass caught as well as the separate total weight of all largemouth bass and smallmouth bass processed at the weigh-in. This report may be sent as a letter to the Division of Fish and Wildlife. It is the responsibility of the sponsor to obtain all of the required data in its entirety. Failure to complete and submit the required information shall render the sponsor ineligible to conduct further organized fishing and boating events for one year from the said event; such revocation shall include any events for which a permit was previously issued.
1.16.3 If access of an organized fishing or boating event is proposed for a municipal or a private ramp, the event sponsor may be required to comply with the regulations or rules adopted by that municipality or private entity including the obligation to obtain a permit from the municipality or private entity if so required. It shall be the responsibility of the sponsor of the
fishing or boating event to obtain said additional permit.
1.16.4 No more than one (1) permitted organized fishing and boating event may be held on a freshwater body during the same period, (e.g. weekend, day, or the numbers of hours in a day).
1.16.5 This section shall not be interpreted as superseding any special boat ramp or state management area state regulations, except as described below:
1.16.5.1 It will be the sole responsibility of each permitted organized fishing or boating group to have the names and boat registrations numbers, if applicable of all participants available along with the permit during the activity for Department Law Enforcement purpose.
The following are contacts at the DEM.
Division of Fish and Wildlife
Freshwater Fisheries Section
Great Swamp Field Headquarters
Christine A. Dudley - Deputy Chief, FWF
Phillip A. Edwards - Principal Biologist, FWF
Alan D. Libby - Principal Biologist, FWF
Veronica J. Masson - Federal Aid Coordinator
277 Great Neck Road, West Kingston, RI 02892
401-789-0281 / 401-789-748