Bass Club: Establishing Rules
Once you have decided to form a Bass Club, one of the first tasks that must be tackled by club officers are the club rules. After a framework is hashed out it is equally important that all club members have a chance to review and vote on the rules. There are many sources for club rules, and if your club is planning on being affiliated with either The B.A.S.S. Federation Nation or The FLW TBF, there are requirements that your club’s rules must meet in order to gain affiliation. In later articles we will discuss national affiliation and help you decide if affiliation is right for your club, but for now we will look over a sample set of rules to help you build a basic framework.
MEMBERSHIP RULES AND REGULATIONS
ALL GENERAL RULES will apply to all Big Bass Club tournaments and contestants. It is your responsibility, as a participant, to read and comply with all written tournament rules, and any local or state rules and regulations. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH MEMBER TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THESE RULES. It is not the responsibility of officers to let club members know what happened at a meeting. It is the club member’s responsibility to find out what happened.
[It is important to determine the number of officers and their duties right off the bat:]
Officers Duties
President: Preside over all meetings and direct all official business. Appoint and direct all committee functions. Supervise all club functions.
Vice President/Tournament Director: Assist the President in all duties and preside in his absence. He is in charge of all club tournaments, including the weighing of all fish, and presents results of all tournaments to Secretary/Treasurer.
Secretary/Treasurer: Maintain fishing records and accurate minutes of all meetings. Maintain a club membership roster. Conduct financial business of club. Receive and disburse tournament money. Maintain an accurate accounting of club income and expenditures. Serve as custodian of the club’s bank accounts.
Weigh Master: In charge of all tournament measurements and assists the tournament director.
Live Well Inspector: In charge of inspecting all live wells in all participating tournament boats.
[Determine your membership requirements and spell them out in your rules:]
Membership
1. A yearly membership fee of $20.00 and valid fishing license will be required upon acceptance into the club. The immediate family (husband, wife, children 18 and under) is also included in the membership fee, and can receive club benefits and is considered a member in good standing.
2. Membership will be granted or denied by a majority vote of the club. A prospective member must attend a meeting prior to fishing in a tournament to be accepted into the club. A member is considered in “good standing” if their yearly membership is paid and there is no cause to remove them from the membership roll. Awards will be given only to “good standing” members of the Big Bass Club.
3. Membership is open to anyone 18 years of age or older; 17 years and younger will require a parent or guardian as a partner.
4. Election of officers takes place in November for the new year. The offices of President, Vice President/Tournament Director, and Weigh Master will be voted into office on an annual basis and the Secretary/Treasurer every two years by the majority vote of the members of the Big Bass Club. Officers will be allowed a reduction of $10.00 off tournaments’ fees.
5. Changes in by-laws are to be discussed in October. Rule changes for the new year will be voted on in November.
6. Lakes will be voted for the following year at the September meeting.
[Sportsmanship expectations and Tournament Rules need to be spelled out as well; remember you may be referring to these in the future so make sure everything is clear.]
Sportsmanship
1. All members are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy towards others, safety, conservation and obey all laws during club activities. Any contestant who displays poor sportsmanship, violates the club rules, or violates the state fishing laws or lake rules may be disqualified. Club members cited by law enforcement officers for violation of state or federal fishing or boating regulations may be disqualified.
2. No alcoholic beverages are allowed during tournament hours. No alcoholic beverages are allowed in any tournament boat.
3. The use of communication devices is limited to emergency use only.
Tournaments
1. All tournaments will be fished on the third weekend of the month except the November tournament, which will be held on the second weekend. The date can be changed only if there is a majority vote of the members of the club. Members will be notified of any changes at the monthly meeting, prior to the tournament.
2. Safe boating must be observed at all times. Each contestant is required to wear a chest type U.S. Coast Guard life preserver any time the combustion engine is operating. The preserver must be fastened securely until the combustion engine is shut off.
3. Minimum length will be 15 inches and all fish will be measured with the fish’s mouth closed and sweep the tail on a Golden Rule board. The weigh masters will make the final decision on the length of fish and their decision is final at the weigh-in. A fish brought to the weigh-in measuring less than 15 inches will have one pound taken from tournament weight. Some lakes have different length restrictions; members will be notified of any changes at the monthly meeting prior to the tournament. A team weighing in more than five fish will be disqualified.
4. Only artificial lures may be used. No prepared or live bait other than pork rind strips are permitted. Trolling with the big motor, as a method of fishing, is prohibited. An angler can fish with only one pole at a time.
5. A .25 lb. penalty is deducted from the angler’s total weight for each dead fish weighed in.
6. The largest fish of each team must be weighed first. Then, all other remaining fish will be weighed. A team’s big fish will be utilized in the event of a tie.
7. Late Rule: Contestants who weigh in late will be deducted at the rate of one pound for each five minutes late up to fifteen minutes, after which time they will be disqualified. The first boat out will have the responsibility as timekeeper for that tournament and will report any late boats.
8. All tournament protests must be made in writing within 30 minutes of the official check in time. The decision of the club officers shall be final in all matters. To avoid protests, if you suspect a possible infraction is about to take place, alert the would-be offender and check the rules.
9. Anglers must start, fish, and finish the tournament in the same boat they started in. In the event of equipment failure or emergency, the contestant’s boat may be towed to the check-in. If it is necessary to transfer fish to another boat, it must be another contestant’s boat. At least one member of the team must stay with the fish at all times and neither angler is permitted to fish while under the assistance of a fellow contestant. The team members being towed may not fish; the team members assisting the disabled boat may fish.
10. Scoring will be determined by hundredths of a pound for each competing team’s catch during the tournament. Only largemouth, spotted, or smallmouth bass will be weighed. The tournament limit will be five fish per boat.
11. All fish will be released alive after weigh-in. Contestants will not retain any live bass after a tournament. A trophy bass weighing a minimum of ten pounds may be claimed by the contestant during weigh-in.
12. A team consists of two members or one guest with a member per boat. Children under sixteen years of age are allowed to accompany a team but not fish in the tournament with the exception of entering the big fish option at the cost of $5.00.
13. Guests will be allowed to fish in a club tournament and not be a member of the club one time. After that they must pay the regular club membership and tournament fees.
14. All boats must have their livewells inspected prior to the tournament. The President will appoint a committee to do the inspections. Any teams signing in after the cutoff time will be the last boats out.
15. A “25 yard rule” is in effect at all times during competition. No tournament boat may move within 25 yards of another tournament boat at any time for the purpose of fishing without consent of the team involved. The 25-yard limit can be waived by both boaters.
16. For a club member to qualify for the fish off, the member must fish at least six tournaments regardless of when he or she becomes a member. This is based on the club calendar year of January through December. If two partners have fished six tournaments and are fishing the fish off, they will fish together. If someone’s partner cannot fish, the other team member may fish with another qualifying club member or by himself. If a member has fished five tournaments, he/she can buy into the fish off for the regular per person tournament fee.
17. The fish-off is free to all teams who fish six tournaments. An option pot of $20/team is available for any team who wishes to participate in the fish-off tournament with 100% payback; payout to one out of every three boats in option pot. No pre-fishing is allowed, beginning three days prior to the fish-off. No club points will be awarded for fish-off participants and it does not count as one of six tournaments for the next years’ fish-off.
[In order to determine angler or team of the year status you will need a point system; make sure you spell out how points are awarded at the beginning of each year. ]
Team Points
1. On the day of a tournament, whoever you fish with will be considered your team for that day and points will be awarded accordingly. The same point total applies to your individual points.
2. Points will be awarded to each member of the team: 50 points for first place, 49 points for second place, 48 points for third place, and so on. All ties will be broken by the team weighing the heaviest bass at that event. Five show-up points will be awarded to each person in attendance at a Big Bass Club Tournament. At a two-day tournament, five points will be given each day. Five show-up points will be awarded to each person in attendance at an official monthly Big Bass Club meeting.
3. Entry fees for all club tournaments will be $60.00 per boat, which will include all options. There will be a $30.00 payback per team, $10.00 for big fish option, $10.00 to the fish-off and $10.00 for the end of the year point awards and club expenses. All winnings will be paid at the next monthly meeting.
4. A two day tournament payout for big fish will be for the biggest fish of each day with a 50/50 payout.
5. If an angler would like a trophy, the cost will come out of the team winnings. The difference between the cost of the trophy and the winnings will be given at the next club meeting. The cost of the trophy will not exceed the angler’s share of the prize money.
Awards
1. “Angler or Anglers of the Year” will be the member(s) that accumulate the most club points for the year and will be awarded a prize for this achievement. As club funds permit, prizes will be awarded to the remaining top nine anglers.
2. A “Big Fish of the Year” prize will be awarded to the club member that catches the biggest fish for the year. The club will pay for the mounting of the first fish weighing ten pounds or more by a member in good standing. If two or more fish weighing ten pounds or more are caught in the same tournament, the fish weighing the most will be paid for by the club. If two or more fish caught weigh the same, a flip of the coin will decide which fish will be mounted. If preferred, the fish may be released live and a fiberglass mounting will be purchased by the club.
3. “Largest Stringer Award” to be awarded to the team catching the largest five fish stringer at a one day club tournament during the tournament year.
[It is also a good idea to have all club members sign an acknowledgement form stating they have read and understand the club’s rules:]
Acknowledgement Form
I have read the Big Bass Club Membership Rules and Regulations and agree to abide by them. Acknowledgement form must be signed and returned with payment of annual dues.
Signed: _______________________ Date: _____________________
For the membership roster, please print your name, address, and phone number.
Name: _____________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________________________
Zip Code: ________________
Phone Number: ______________________________
Cell Phone Number: __________________________
E-mail Address: ______________________________
When trying to determine the rules for a new club, remember a couple of important details; a bass club is meant to be fun and to allow for fellowship and good times for like-minded people. Every year, thousand of anglers leave bass clubs across the country because of politics and rule changes that take the fun out of the club. In addition, your club will likely be living with these rules for at least a year; while rules are meant to be changed, taking the time to write them correctly and vote on them up front will save you time and headaches in the future.
Creating a new bass club is big undertaking, and it is imperative to gather as much information as possible to help form a club that will attract and keep members. By utilizing the internet through sites like www.bassedge.com and search engines like Google you can pull together all of the knowledge necessary to build just such a club. Remember bass clubs should be founded on building friendships, improving conservation and having fun. Structure the rules with these things in mind and your club will grow.
Eric Prey is a Professional Angler and Coast Guard Licensed Fishing Guide. Annually Eric competes in over 30 Regional Tournaments, conducts over 150 guided fishing trips and writes over twenty published fishing articles. His knowledge of both techniques and technology make him a trusted source of information regarding fishing techniques and marine electronics.
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