Bass Busters Tournament Rules 2008

 

 

  1. Tournament rules: are in effect starting in January and remain in effect for the entire year. These rules will only be changed after the November and before the January tournament of the following year.

 

  1. Participation and eligibility: in all tournaments are open to members in good standing whose dues are not in arrears.

 

  1. Prospective members and guest: may fish the pick-your-partner tournaments. Prospective members may also fish draw tournaments on a space available basis. They pay no club fees and are not eligible for points or awards. (Exception: Trophies will be awarded at team draw)

 

  1. Special Tournaments: Prizes and entry fees will be set by the members fishing any special tournament. The tournament will be governed under the existing rules.

 

  1. Sportsmanship: Any contestant who displays poor sportsmanship will be disqualified from the tournament they are fishing. All participants will be expected to maintain a clear and respectable distance between boats while fishing.

 

  1. Spirit of the Rules: All rules have “loopholes.” It is the intention of this club to provide an honest, sportsman like environment. In the interest of good sportsmanship, club members are reminded that the “Spirit of the Rules” will prevail in all judgment cases.

 

  1. Tackle and Equipment: Only artificial lures will be used, however, pork and pork-strips may be used. Rods may be of any length.

 

  1. Trolling: as a method of fishing is not permitted.

 

  1. Tournament dates and lakes: will be selected by the Tournament Committee and may be subject to change. Once the tournament schedule is approved and posted, there will be “no change in venue” other than adjusting to a new launch facility.

 

  1. Fishing Hours: will be determined by the Tournament Committee and will be announced prior to each tournament.

 

  1. Official Timepiece: will be that of the Tournament Chairman.

 

  1. Licenses: Each contestant must have in possession a valid and current fishing license with appropriate stamps governing the fish-able water of the event. Penalty for such an offense is disqualification of the day’s catch.

 

  1. Fish Handling: Contestants will make every effort to handle fish by the lower jaw. Aerated live wells will be used. Rope or metal stringers will not be allowed. Fish in live wells will not be removed except in a culling situation or at weigh-in. Dead fish may not be culled. All fish culled must actively swim away, if not they must be retrieved by the contestant and returned to the live well and sufficient live fish culled to meet legal possession limit requirements.

 

  1. Boating Safety:  All members declaring themselves as Boaters in a tournament will be responsible for having a liability insurance policy for their boat.  Boats will be equipped with standard Coast Guard Safety equipment. Safe conduct while boating is necessary. Life jackets and kill switches must be used when the outboard motor is operating. Non-boaters are required to supply their own life vest. Running lights are to be used at morning blast-off, during night tournaments and whenever they are needed for safe boat operation.  All boats are to obey (5mph) zones.

 

  1. Check-in: All boats must be checked for functional livewells and both anglers have life vests to receive an official signed weigh slip from the tournament chairman prior to blastoff. In the event an angler is late for blastoff they may still be eligible to fish the tournament if the following conditions are met.

A. Late arrivals must locate another club member and have livewells checked and verified as empty             before fishing.

B. Late arrivals must provide a signed affidavit by the club member who checked the livewells to the            tournament chairman at weigh-in.

C. The signed weigh slip or affidavit will be required at the weigh-in to receive points or awards.

 

16.  Measuring Devices: All boats will have a Well-E-GO flat board or ruler to measure fish. Fish of questionable length will be measured on the clubs official flat board. Fish will be measured flat with mouth closed and moving tail and must measure 12” (twelve inches) in length.

 

  1. Size Limits/Bag Limits: Qualifying fish (largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass) must be a minimum of 12” (twelve inches) in length, measured laying flat, mouth closed on a Well-E-GO flat board or ruler and the daily limit will be 5 (five) fish per angler. Team tournament limits are 5 (five) bass per team but never more than the legal daily possession limit. If only (1) angler competes as a team the limit is 5 fish. Should local regulations specify a different method of measurement, a different minimum length, or a different bag limit than the club’s standard, the more stringent standard will be utilized in the tournament.

 

  1. Trophy Fish: is a fish 5 (five) pounds or larger and may be claimed by its captor.

 

  1. Drawing Partners: for the monthly tournaments are detailed under either draw or the pick-your partner tournament sections.

 

  1. Start and Finish: All contestants will start and finish at the lake headquarters (usually at the launch site) as set by the tournament committee. The tournament committee chairman will instruct all boats to the designated meeting area during the morning blastoff.

 

  1. Alcohol Use: No alcohol or drugs will be permitted in or around boats through completion of the post tournament debriefing. Anyone who appears under the influence will be disqualified from the tournament.

 

  1. Operation of Boat: Each contestant has the right to operate the boat from the front seat and to choose the fishing areas for ˝ of the fishing day and is responsible for non reimbursable damages to the boat while the boat is in their control.

 

  1.  Sharing Expenses: The non-boater is required to cover a fair share of expenses.  The amount can be up to 50% of the expenses agreed upon by the boater and non-boater.

 

  1. Radios and Cellular Telephones: are allowed in boats as an emergency tool only. Boat-to-boat communications are prohibited except for emergency purposes.

 

  1. Pre-Fishing: will be allowed at any tournament lake at any time before the tournament starts.

 

  1. Leaving Boat: All fish will be hooked, fought and landed from the angler’s boat. No fishing from docks, shore, or other places is permitted.

 

  1. Scoring: will be in pounds and hundredths of pounds. All fish must measure 12” (twelve inches) long with mouth closed on a Well-E-GO flat board or ruler. Each contestant’s big fish will be weighed as a tiebreaker.

 

  1. Re-Weighing: of fish can only be requested once and only at the scales. The second weighing will be official.

 

  1. Penalties: Contestants who are late will have 1 (one) pound subtracted from the total weight for each minute late up to 5 minutes (5 lb max).  Contestants who are late by more than 5 (five) minutes at the specified time or have not checked in for the weigh-in will be disqualified for that day.  Contestants with boat or motor trouble will be allowed to transfer their fish to another boat. The fish must be identified and accompanied by one contestant from the disabled boat. Anyone weighing-in a fish smaller than the 12” minimum length will have his weight disqualified for the day.  Anyone or any team having more than the 5 (five) fish limit in their possession past the official check-in time shall have their weight disqualified for the day.  Any fish that appears mutilated or altered in the tournament director’s judgment will be deemed illegal and 1 (one) pound will be subtracted from the total weight for each such fish. It is the goal of the club to release live all tournament caught bass following the weigh-in. Contestants are therefore required to do all in their power to preserve their daily catch. Deliberate rough or careless handling of fish while culling is grounds for disqualification. The penalty for dead fish will be progressive in the amount of 1st dead fish .20 (20/100) of a pound. 2nd dead fish .40 (40/100) of a pound. 3rd dead fish .80 (80/100) of a pound. 4th dead fish 1.60 (160/100) of a pound. 5th dead fish or more 3.20 (320/100) of a pound. Complaints or protests must be submitted in writing to the tournament chairman within 30 minutes after weigh-in. A decision of tournament committee members present will be made prior to awards and shall be final. 

 

  1. Trophies: Eligible club members only: Draw and pick-your-partner tournament awards will be:

 

First Heaviest Stringer                           First Place Trophy       

Second Heaviest Stringer                      Second Place Trophy  

Third Heaviest Stringer                         Third Place Trophy

Big Fish                                                Big Fish Trophy

 

31.  Points: will be awarded each month as follows:

 

Tournament points will be awarded to the top 20 places. A fish must be weighed-in to be eligible.

 

1st-20 pts               8th-13 pts                     15th-6 pts

2nd-19 pts               9th-12 pts                     16th-5 pts

3rd-18 pts               10th-11 pts                   17th-4 pts

4th-17 pts               11th-10 pts                   18th-3 pts

5th-16 pts               12th-9 pts                     19th-2 pts

6th-15 pts               13th-8 pts                     20th-1 pts

7th-14 pts               14th-7 pts

 

Team Draw: Club members on same team receive equal points. Prospective members will receive no points.

 

Participation points:

Meeting Attendance 1 pt

Tournament (show-up) 3 pts

Debriefing Attendance 1 pt


All members who fish all eleven tournaments are required to have 1 throw-out tournament but will receive all Meeting, Show-Up, and Debriefing Points.

 

  1. Year End Trophies: will be awarded at the annual banquet to the top three tournament fisherman.  A $350 cash award will also be given to the Angler of the Year.  Plaques will be awarded for fourth through twelfth place. There is also a trophy and big fish mount award in the amount of $250 for the club member that catches the largest fish of the year while fishing a club tournament.  Plaques will be awarded to Sportsman of the year, Mr. Bass, Rookie of the Year, and the Top Non-Boater.  In the event of a tie for the Year-End Trophies, the contestant with the largest fish caught during the year wins. In the event of a tie for the Angler of the Year, a fish off will take place at a lake and date designated by the tournament committee. The person with the largest weight during this fish-off will move above the other person they were tied with. In the event of a weight tie at this event the largest fish caught will break the tie. A club officer will be present at the designated lake for live-well check, blast-off and official weigh-in.

 

  1. Courtesy: Any contestant who has to leave the water after the launch must notify a member of the club. If not possible to locate another club member they must leave a note in an obvious place on an officer’s vehicle.  A search party will be formed to search for any boat not checked in by the end of the weigh-in.

 

  1. Decisions of the Tournament Committee are final in all matters.

 

Tournament Rules 01/11/08