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Rules:
Section 1: Rules Used,
A - The following club rules will serve as the ONLY rules used for all club events.
Section 2: Membership,
A - Number of Members : Club roster shall be limited to fifty (50) active members.
B - New Members:
- 1. Prospective members under 16 years old will be eligible to join the club with consent from their parent or legal guardian. (Rev 04/08/2010)
- 2. A prospective new member must be approved by a majority vote of the club's officials. The vote will be done by a private ballot. A club waiver form must be signed by all members upon joining the club.
- 3. A prospective new member can be voted on the first time he attends a regular club meeting.
- 4. In the event there is no vacancy the prospective member will be placed on a waiting list. When a vacancy occurs in the membership, prospective members on the waiting list will be considered for membership in the order their names were placed on the list. Should a former member in good standings with the club want to re-join, he will be considered before any prospective new member.
- 5. A prospective member must voluntarily express a genuine interest in membership.
- 6. Any current member in good standings with the club may bring a prospective member to a club meeting for membership consideration.
C - Meeting Attendance: Members will receive a one (1) point/pound bonus for each meeting attended not to exceed one (1) point/pound per team. Members who miss three (3) consecutive club meetings, unless excused by an Official, shall automatically be dropped from the roster. Any member that is working during club meeting hours will be credited with attending the meeting if he/she notifies an official of the club before the meeting starts. It is the members responsibility to keep up with club meetings and events.
D - Failure to Abide by Rules: Any member failing to abide by the Club's Rules may be expelled.
E - Meeting Location and Time: Monthly club meetings will be held year round on the second Thursday of each month at 7 pm at 5510 Highway 41 in Jasper, Tn.
F - Alternates: Each team will be allowed to fish with an alternate two (2) times per year. These alternates will pay a five dollar (5) membership fee for each tournament fished and will be temporary club members for that tournament only. Alternates may not be professional fishing guides or considered "experts" on any lake a club tournament is held. All club rules will apply to alternates and a waiver must be signed by the alternate before he/she is allowed to fish.
G - Team Splits: If a team splits up, the points will stay with the Captain (Boater). In that event, each member can sign up a new partner. The new partner will have to pay yearly club dues.
Section 3: Tournaments,
A - Eligibility of Participants: Participants must be in good standings with the club and yearly dues must be paid.
B - Tournament Weigh In: Weigh in will be as soon as possible after each tournament is officially over, usually within fifteen (15) minutes. Fish will only be weighed in one (1) time. No re-weighs. Big fish will only be weighed in one (1) time.
C - Protests: All protests must be made within twenty (20) minutes after weigh in. Protests received after the 20 minute time limit will not be considered.
D - Location and Time: All tournament times and locations will be decided by the club officials. Generally, tournaments will start at safe light and end at 3 pm. All tournament times will go by Central time. Tournaments may start later, end earlier, or be moved to another date due to inclement weather or safety reasons. No night tournaments will be fished.
E - Boats and Motors: All tournament boats must be at least 12 feet in length and motors must be 15 horsepower or greater. Electric trolling motors may be used to maneuver the boat while casting, however, "trolling" as a method of fishing will not be permitted. All boats must be equipped with the applicable required U.S. Coast Guard approved safety equipment for the state the tournament is being fished in.
F - Safety: Each tournament participant MUST wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life preserver which must be zipped, tied, or buckled during blast off and at all times when the gas motor is in operation. KILL SWITCHES ARE MANDATORY AND MUST BE ATTACHED TO DRIVER WHILE GAS MOTOR IS IN OPERATION.
G - Tackle Permitted: Only spinning, casting, or spin casting reels and rods are approved for use in tournaments. All bass must be caught alive using only artificial lures in a sporting manner. No "live bait" or "prepared bait" is permitted, however, pork strips or rinds may be used. Only one rod may be used at any one time.
H - Lakes Fished: Nickajack, Guntersville, Tims Ford, and Chickamauga lakes will be the preferred tournament lakes. Other lakes may be added if approved by the majority of members and club officials.
I - Number of Tournaments: A minimum of nine (9) and a maximum of twelve (12) regular club point tournaments will be scheduled per season.
J - Entry Fees and Payouts: Entry Fees for all regular point tournaments shall be twenty five dollars ($25) per member. Payout will be based on the number of members fishing and will be split as follows:
- A) Three dollars ($3) per entry fee will go to the club to be used for end of year awards and prize money.
- B) Five dollars ($5) per entry fee will go to the big fish pot.
- C) The remaining seventeen dollars ($17) per entry fee will be paid out as follows:
60% 1st Place and 40% second Place. Payouts will be rounded off to the nearest dollar. Second place will only be paid if there are eighteen (18) members or more fishing the tournament.
The yearly CLASSIC entry fees are forty ($40) per member. The payout for the Classic will be 100% and split as follows:
A - Five dollars ($5) per entry fee will go to big fish pot.
B - The remainder will be split 60% 1st place, 30% 2nd place, and 10% 3rd place.
K - Boat Occupants: No more than two (2) anglers may fish from a boat during a club tournament.
L - Late to Tournament: Any member or team that arrives late for a club tournament must notify a club official BEFORE launch. Late arriving members must have their live wells checked by a club official before being allowed to fish. Members or teams that arrive more than one (1) hour late will not be allowed to fish that tournament.
M - Off Limits: All lakes may be pre-fished on any day before a regular club point tournament, however, lakes chosen for the club Classic will be off-limits to all members for two (2) days before the Classic begins.
N - Locking Through: Locking through will not be allowed at any club tournaments.
O - Launch Order: Launch order will be determined by the number a member or team draws at the meeting prior to that tournament.
P - Catch and Release: All fish caught and brought to weigh in alive must be released as soon as possible after weighing. Fish should be "fizzed" if needed and all precautions followed to keep fish healthy and alive while in the live well and at the weigh in. Any dead fish brought to the weigh in may be kept by the team that caught them or given to charity for consumption.
Q - Live Wells Checked: All live wells must be checked before each tournament launch by a club official.
R - Pairing: Members will select their own partners to fish with at the beginning of each tournament season. Once paired, team partners must fish together the complete season unless a team partner is unavailable due to work or health issues. In that event, the team member that wishes to fish may choose an alternate. Alternates must not be professional fishing guides or considered "experts" on any lake a club tournament is held. Teams are only allowed to fish with an alternate two (2) times a year. All partner substitutions must be approved by a club official before the day of the tournament.
S - Fishing with other members: Team members can fish with other team members but must notify a club official before the day of the tournament as to which team is to receive the points for the tournament. This will be considered as each team using one (1) alternate for the year.
T - Professional Guides and Diving: Members may not have the assistance or advice of a professional guide, state or federal wildlife agency employee, or any other person deemed an "expert" on any tournament lake for two (2) weeks prior to the date of the tournament unless the "expert" is a club member.
U - Scoring:
1 - Tournament scores will be based on the total weight, in pounds and ounces, of bass caught by each team during a club point tournament. A one (1) point (pound) bonus will be awarded to each team if at least one member of the team attended the club meeting prior to that tournament. Example:
A team weighs in 11.33 lbs. The team will receive a one (1) lb. bonus if one of the team members attended the meeting prior to the tournament. The total points awarded the team in this example would be 12.33 points.
2 - Two (2) points tournament drops will be allowed each year except for teams that join in mid season. The lowest two (2) scores will be automatically dropped at year's end.
3 - Only largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass will be weighed. The weigh in limit shall be five (5) black bass unless the state legal creel limit for the lake being fished is less than five (5). In that event, the state or lake limit will be the possession limit. Spots must have a clear and visible tooth patch. If the bass is brown, it is a smallmouth. Only one (1) smallmouth per angler per tournament (added 04/13/2010). Club officials will have final say in identifying fish species.
4 - At no time during any club tournament shall a team or member have more than five (5) fish in their/his/her possession. Club officials can make periodic checks. Any contestant caught with more than five (5) black bass in their possession shall have their fish culled down to the legal limit by a club official, starting with the largest fish first. No culling allowed at the dock.
5 - Any bass that appears to be mashed, mangled, or mauled will be measured and credited only at the discretion of the club officials.
6 - Club Length Limits and Measuring - 12" spotted bass, 15" largemouth bass, 18" smallmouth bass. These length limits will apply to all lakes on our tournament trail UNLESS the lake we are fishing has a LONGER length limit. In that case, the lake/State length limits will apply (Rev.04/122010). The bass shall be measured with its mouth closed and in no way unnaturally manipulated, however, moving of the tail is permitted to obtain maximum length. Penalty for a short bass is loss of short bass and loss of largest bass. The club's Machined Golden Rule will be the official ruler. Members that are unsure if a fish meets the legal length may ask for a "Courtesy" measurement BEFORE bringing the fish to the weigh master.
7 - Penalty for dead fish shall be eight (8) ounces per dead fish. Not more than one (1) dead fish per team, or boat, may be weighed at a tournament. Dead fish will NOT qualify for BIG fish.
8 - Any team not inside the no-wake zone or within sight of the launch ramp by the tournament deadline will be disqualified. There is no "grace period". Boat or motor trouble will not be accepted as reasons for being late. If you experience mechanical problems during the tournament you may contact a club member or official to pick up your fish and bring them to weigh in. One team member from the mechanically failed boat must ride back to weigh in with the members that are picking up their fish. Official time will be kept by a club official.
9 - Fishing Locations: No member or team shall fish within fifty (50) yards of another member or team during a tournament. There is no restriction to fishing any structure on the tournament lake except roped-off swimming and beach areas, Cummings Lake (which is considered private) or any area marked off limits by any law enforcement agency.
10 - Ties: In the event of a tie the tied team with the largest single fish caught in that tournament will be determined the winner.
11 - Fish Caught From Boat Only: All fish must be caught from a boat and in the presence of your partner, unless fishing alone. Any member caught out of the boat with tackle or rods during tournament hours will be disqualified.
12 - Rules and Interpretation: Club officials will be solely responsible for the interpretation and enforcement of the tournament rules. If a problem occurs at a tournament, the club's officials will decide the resolution. Their decision will be final in all instances.
Section 4: Miscellaneous,
A - Sportsmanship: All members are required to comply with the Game and Fish regulations in effect at each tournament and are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety, and conservation. Any infraction of these fundamental sporting principles may be deemed cause for disqualification.
B - Alcoholic Beverages and Drugs: No alcoholic beverages, stimulants, or depressants, prescription or otherwise, shall be allowed at any tournament, weigh in, or club event.
C - Fishing Information: Cell phones may not be used to gather or share fishing information during a tournament. They should be used for emergency only. Your partner will be responsible for determining wrongful use. Further, members may not ask other anglers outside their boat for any fishing information during a tournament.
D - Meeting Points: Meeting points begin in January and end in December, except for the 2010 season when meeting points will begin the month of the first tournament (March).
E - Classic Tournament: The club's Classic Tournament will be a two (2) day tournament and will be fished no later than November 15th of each year. The Classic is a separate tournament from the regular point tournaments and no bonus points will be awarded. What you bring to weigh in will be your total points for the Classic. The lake(s) chosen for the Classic will be off-limits to all members for two (2) days before the Classic begins. The Classic will be 100% payback and pay 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. The Mr Bass award will go to the winning team of the Classic.
F - Bonus Points: Bonus points will be awarded in pounds as follows:
1 - A one (1) point bonus will be awarded to each team that attends the club meeting prior to a regular club point tournament. At least one (1) member of the team must attend the prior club meeting for the team to receive the bonus.
Section 5: Awards,
Mr Lunker: A "Mr Lunker" contest shall be held each year. It will start on the first points tournament each year and end on the last regularly scheduled points tournament of the same year. The member that catches the largest bass during one of these tournaments will be named Mr Lunker for that year and receive a trophy and two hundred dollars ($200) in prize money. Results from the club Classic will not count in the Mr Lunker Award.
Team of the Year: A "Team of the Year" contest will be held each year. It will start on the first points tournament each year and end on the last regularly scheduled
points tournament fished the same year. The team that finishes with the most points will be presented a trophy and three hundred dollars ($300) in prize money. Results from the club Classic will not count in this award.
Boat Weight: The team that weighs in the biggest bag caught during a regular points collecting tournament during each year will receive a trophy and one hundred dollars ($100) in prize money. Results from the club Classic will not count in this award.
1st Place winners: All teams that finish in 1st place during a regularly scheduled points collecting tournament will be awarded an engraved trophy plate for that tournament. Results from the club Classic will not count in this award.
Mr Bass: A Mr Bass trophy will be given to the winner of the club Classic each year. Results from the regular point tournaments will not count in this award.
Jr Angler Team of the Year: The Jr Angler/Parent team that finishes highest in points tournaments will receive a trophy at the end of the points season. (Added 04/08/2010)
Section 6: Officials,
Club Officials are held to the same club rules and club financial requirements as club members. Officials will pay yearly dues and entry fees the same as members. Officials will make all decisions with the best interest of ALL club members in mind without partiality or favoritism. Club officials are Wayne Galloway, Keith Cox, and Danny Pitassi.
Phone Numbers:
Wayne - H - 423-939-0256 Cell - 423/227/4431
Keith - Cell - 423-305-2298
Danny - H - 423-837-6455
Section 7: Dues,
Members: Club dues are Fifty Dollars ($50) per year for members 16 or older. Jr Anglers under 16 years old will pay Twenty Five dollars ($25) for yearly dues (Rev 04/08/2010). Dues are to be paid each January at the beginning of the club's new year. If you are experiencing a hardship, contact a club official. You will not be allowed to fish in any club tournaments if dues are not paid.
Alternates: Alternates must pay a five dollar ($5) membership fee for each tournament they fish unless they choose to, and pay, membership dues for the year or the correct pro-rated dues for the remainder of the year. Alternates who pay membership dues one tournament at a time will be considered "temporary members" for that day and must abide by the same rules as full time members. Alternates must sign a waiver before being allowed to fish.
Pro-Rated Dues: Members that are accepted into the club after the tournament season has started shall pay pro-rated dues for the remainder of the tournament season. A club Official will calculate the amount. |
