GENERAL RULES:

1. Club tournaments will consist of at least three (3) club member contestants.
2. Tournament entry fees shall by $25.00 per person, payable to the treasurer or designated representative at the launch site prior to launch. The Club treasury is paid $20 from all entry fees collected. Payback is 100% of the remaining funds. 1st place angler collects 50%, 2nd place angler collects 30% and 3rd place angler collects 20%. Total weight of up to five fish limit will determine the standings. In the event of a tie, first place money will be divided evenly.
3. Entry fee includes the lunker pool of $5.00 per person.  Total amount will be awarded to the angler with the largest fish. In the event of a tie, money will be divided evenly.
4. No cheating (MEMBERS FOUND CHEATING WILL BE DISMISSED FROM THE CLUB).
5. All boat owners must provide the club president a copy of their "boat insurance policy" prior to using their boat in any club or region event.
6. Non-boat owners will provide the boat owner up to $20.00 a day to help defray expenses. The boater and non-boater prior to launch should agree upon the actual amount and when payment is due.

TOURNAMENT SITES:

7. Tournament sites and dates will be voted on by members present at the chosen meeting (usually January). Once the tournament schedule has been voted on, the date and/or launch site will not be changed except by the Executive Committee because inclement or pending inclement weather that may, in his opinion, pose a danger to the tournament contestants.
8. All tournaments will be "draw tournament"; boater with a non-boater. All Non-boat owners and boaters will be placed in the draw. In the event there are not sufficient boats to carry all contestants, only enough non- boater's names will drawn to cover available boats. The luck of the draw may at times leave a non- boater unable to participate. In the event this happens, or a non-boater's partner (the boat owner) fails to show for a tournament, (and no other boat is available) the stranded member will be awarded 1/2 (one half the average weight for that tournament. If agreeable to all parties concerned, a stranded member may fish in the boat with another team. In this case, the 1/2 average weight rule does not apply. Once the draw has been completed boaters who have not been paired with a non-boater may state their intentions to bring a guest.  If a club member has an out of town guest he may seek approval to fish with that person from the Vice President/Tournament Director prior to the draw.  Boaters without partners may team up if they so desire.  Two anglers may not fish together in more than two consecutive tournaments.
9. The tournament director shall determine the number of contestants (boaters and non-boaters) at the meeting prior to the tournament, and complete the draw as outlined in rule 8. Other methods may be used as a situation may dictate. If a member cannot be present at the meeting and wants to be a contestant at the tournament, he must ensure that word gets to the meeting so he can be counted as available, and his name be entered in the drawing.

BOAT SAFETY EQUIPMENT:

10. The use of alcohol or illegal drugs during club tournaments is strictly prohibited and will result in disqualification.
11. To be considered a boater, your boat must be at least 14' in length, and must be a stable craft (i.e., can walk around comfortably without fear of capsizing). Gasoline engines of more than 85 horsepower shall be maneuvered with a wheel type steering assembly. All gasoline engines (regardless of size) shall be equipped with a "kill switch". An electric trolling motor is recommended, but not mandatory. All state required equipment will be on board and in working order.
12. It is the responsibility of the boat owner to ensure that all boat equipment is safe and operational.
13. It is the responsibility of the non-boater to verify that equipment is operational and used appropriately during the tournament.
14. Live well aerator systems must be operational.
15. The "kill switch" must be operational and attached to the driver anytime the gasoline engine is running. Excluding launching and docking.
16. Life jackets are the responsibility of each angler, and will be worn and buckled anytime the gasoline engine is running and the boat in motion, from blast-off to weigh-in. It is the boater’s responsibility to ensure one additional flotation device is in the boat. (Launching and docking the boat are excluded).
17. Any contestant, in the judgment of the club officers, operates a boat in such a manner as to endanger or unfairly handicap his partner, will be disqualified.
18. Anyone receiving a citation for any violation from an authorized law enforcement official during a tournament will be disqualified.

FISHING/WEIGH-IN:

19. No boats will leave the launch site until directed to do so by the Tournament Director.
20. Once launched, boats must stay in prescribed waters and contestants must remain in the boat, except in cases of dire emergency or nature calls.
21. Bass must be caught on artificial lures only. The use or possession of live bait is strictly prohibited.
22. Trolling, as a form of fishing, is prohibited.
23. Any legal size bass caught by a club angler, which dies, cannot be culled.
24. Any angler weighing in a dead fish will be assessed a four (4) ounce penalty per dead fish.
25. Any illegal size fish brought to the official weigh-in will result in the loss of that fish's weight, plus the weight of that anglers biggest fish. All bass will be measured on the club's "golden rule". Courtesy checks will be available prior to the official weigh-in. Bass will be measured on a flat board, from the closed mouth to the tip of the tail in its natural state. Size and creel limits will be determined by state regulations on the body of water being fished.
26. Members will be assessed a one pound per minute penalty for being late for weigh-in. Anyone over I 0 minutes late for weigh-in will be disqualified. The tournament director will maintain the times, and assess each situation separately.
27. All protests must be made to the tournament director, prior to weigh-in.

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CERTIFICATION: The above Tournament Rules were presented to the membership for adoption, in its entirety, by a majority vote. It supersedes all previously approved written or verbal policies.

Update: December, 2008