New Rule Effective April 2024
Watch this YouTube video to learn about approved measuring boards for use during MNKFA Bass tournaments.
What is a “bump” board?
A bump board is a measuring device used in kayak fishing tournaments. It’s basically a ruler with a vertical “bump” plane at one end. The vertical or bump plane is at the zero mark. You place the fish on the board and move or bump the nose of the fish to be in contact at the zero mark. In the photo shown above, the lower lip of the bass has been pushed or “bumped” in contact with vertical plane of the measuring board. You can see the ruler measurement marks at the end of the tail of the fish.
Why does MNKFA only allow certain bump boards to be used in tournaments?
We strive to get all aspects of our tournaments fair. Having everyone use only approved measuring devices goes a long way to making sure we’re all using a very similar device when we are taking pics and submitting them to the Tournament Director. Having boards that are easy to read makes the Tournament Director’s job easier.
Which measuring boards are approved for use in MNKFA tournaments?
Ketch boards and Musky bumper boards. We’ve limited our approved measuring boards to make submitting pics as uniform as possible. These boards are readily available from online sources. You need to plan ahead, not wait until a day or two before a tournament starts to get your board. If you have any questions about boards, email or message Ron Strauss. They can tell you if your board is approved. DON’T rely on someone who is not a policy maker for MNKFA to tell if a board is acceptable. Ron is available to answer your questions, contact him.
Hawg Trough style boards
Hawg Trough boards are no longer approved for MNKFA tournaments as of April 2024.
Ketch style measuring boards
Ketch is a relatively new player in the tournament bump board space. They continue to innovate with several styles of boards. They have super durable aluminum boards. They also offer a Karbonate plastic board that is very durable and more affordable than the aluminum boards.
If you need to purchase a board, MNKFA absolutely recommends you purchase a Ketch board!
Ketch Karbonate 26″ Measuring Board
This is a great choice if you participate in kayak fishing bass tournaments exclusively. The board is smaller and lighter and perfect for bass less than 26″. Any fish measured on this board will only be scored up to 26″. That’s policy on all boards, if your board is only 26″, that is the max score you will get with any pic submission on a 26″ board.
Ketch Karbonate 32″ Measuring Board
You can use this board for bass and larger fish like pike and musky. Any fish measured on this board will only be scored up to 32″. That’s policy on all boards, if your board is only 32″, that is the max score you will get with any pic submission on a 32″ board.
Ketch Accessories
Whatever you can do to make taking your pic submissions easier is worth investing in. MNKFA uses tournament standard identification tag size. Each pic submitted needs to show the correct image identification for that tournament. We strongly suggest you get a Ketch ID holder. It attaches to your Ketch board and holds the tournament identification in a zip loc style, waterproof holder. You won’t need to try to hold or get the indentification tag in place to show in your pic. If you’re in multiple tournaments at once, you can store multiple ID’s in the pouch, take a pic with one ID, put your fish in a net in the water, replace your current ID with another. This ID holder is a strong recommendation from MNKFA!
Where can I get an approved MNKFA bump board?
Omnia Fishing carries Ketch Karbonate boards and accessories. They are an MNKFA sponsor, have a vast line of the best fishing products on the market and incredible customer service.
