2008 Duluth Bass Club Rules

Approved and adopted 12/04/08

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Purpose of the Duluth Bass Club is to fish monthly tournaments, have fun, catch fish, improve our fishing skills, share winning techniques, and determine bragging rights.

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Organizational

1. An Organizational Meeting will be held prior to the start of the year. This is a business meeting for purposes of adopting rules, electing officers for the coming year, and the secretary is to provide a financial accounting for the calendar year.

2. Officers will be elected at the organizational meeting. To be eligible to hold an office; one must have been an active member in good standing from the preceding season. To encourage a pool of officers; each new officer will receive a club shirt funded by the club treasury. Term in office is 1-year and officers will be determined by a majority vote.

(1) President, (2) Vice President / Assistant TD, (3) Tournament Director, (4) Secretary / Treasurer, (5) Webmaster

3. Tournament Committee: The tournament director will be responsible for conducting the boat inspection, Blast-off, Weigh-in, and will be supported by the VP/ATD and members of the team who draw/receive the last number at the monthly meeting, teams are limited to this duty once in a 6-month season. The designated team who fails to support this vital responsibility shall lose their meeting points.

4. Committees: Open Tournament, Sponsorship, Media/Tournament Coverage will provide as needed reports to members.

5. Rule Changes: Suggestions for rule changes are to be submitted in writing to the club officers for a rules committee to consider proceeding the next season. New rules will be presented in October with final discussion in November & December and voted on for implementation during the organizational meeting. Rule changes may only be amended at the Organizational Meeting by a majority of the members present.

6. Eligibility to Vote: Each member present is entitled to one vote. For purposes of voting on rules and bylaws; a member is defined as having paid membership fees for either the current or upcoming season. Teams are permitted one (1) vote when determining tournament issues such as lake choice, launch ramps, and tourney hours.

7. Fundraiser Pot Tournament: Providing a pot tournament is held during the year; Benefits from this fundraiser will be put into the club’s general fund and used for the overall good of the membership providing 60% team participation from the club membership is achieved in support of the function. These funds will be available to support club expenditures that benefit the total club membership. If less than 60% participation is achieved; the funds will be used to reduce costs for those teams who participated when funding requirements for a club function or purchase occurs.

8. Charity event: See club Secretary for the addendum to Club rules, which details the event.

Meeting, Membership, Initiation, & Recognition

1. Membership The Duluth Bass Club membership shall be no greater than 40 teams. “CHARTER MEMBERS” (founders, original members) of the Duluth Bass Club may return to active membership anytime following an absence.

2. Guest Option: is used when the club’s membership had reached its 40 team limit or so that new teams can experience the club, or for past members to fish a single tournament for fun. Guest teams are encouraged attend the meeting. Guest teams are eligible to fish the tournament’s big fish pot only. Maximum of three (3) guest teams allowed in a tournament.

3. Monthly Meeting Attendance: The regular monthly bass club meetings will be held on Tuesday evening 7:00PM @ Bass Pro Shops preceding the Sunday monthly tournament.  Meeting points will be awarded if entry fee is paid before or at the monthly meeting.  A team not attending the meetings will have no voting rights nor will they be eligible to receive Door Prize drawings. A team may have a person represent them (such as a wife or an immediate family member but not competing team. If represented they shall receive all the benefits as if a team member were present.  A team who pays at the ramp and does not attend the meeting will not receive meeting points. The secretary will monitor meeting attendance.

4. Initiation Fee: NEW adult members joining the Duluth Bass Club will incur a one-time initiation fee of $15 per person. This will fund the cost of required media relations, mailing expenses, weigh-in materials, warranties, lake permits, etc.

5. Membership Dues: Membership dues are $40 per team for each season.  For late joining teams dues are prorated $5 for each missed tournament but not more than 50% (a maximum prorate of $20) of dues.

6. Late membership Rule: A NEW team joining the Duluth Bass Club after the first tournament is required to: Attend the monthly meeting and pay all applicable fees prior to participating.

7. Plaques/Trophies: Duluth Bass Club will provide plaques for Big Bass and the Monthly Tournament winners. $1.00/team from each tournament entry will fund the cost incurred to provide the plaques.

8. Club’s Points Champions:  In recognition for being the season’s point champions, the club treasury will purchase shirts for both anglers (NTE-$38 ea.) that will include their names, club logo, and state for example: 2008 Spring Champions.

Tournament...General

Tournament Rule #1 - Anyone who has ever failed a polygraph test regarding fishing related activities will not become a member or fish with the Duluth Bass Club.  A team’s membership can be revoked by a majority vote of the membership, when cause for Duluth Bass Club dishonor or disgrace surfaces. 

2. Boat Equipment:  All boats must have all the required safety equipment and an aerated live well system adequate to sustain a limit of bass.

3. Fishing Methods: Artificial baits only, no trolling; each angler may not fish with more than one rod at a time meaning that they may not actively fish but with one rod at any one given time.  No fishing or fishing tackle is permitted in hand if or while out of the boat during tournament hours.

4. Safety: Safety is #1 and is to be observed.  It is mandatory that Duluth Bass Club Anglers wear a life vest anytime the gasoline-engine is running (Exception: inside buoys/no-wake zones).  A safety committee consisting of the tournament director and president shall have the authority to call, postpone, or move any tournament to the runner-up lake when hazardous conditions exist.

5. Circuit Description: The Duluth Bass Club 2008 circuit will contain two (2) seasons as follows:

· 1st Season:  Spring Half:  Jan. 20th, Feb. 17th, Mar. 16th, April (2-Day 19th–20th), May 18th, June 15th

· 2nd Season: Fall Half: July 20th, Aug. 17th, Sep. 21st, October (2-Day 18th- 19th), Nov. 16th, Dec. 7th.

· 12 monthly qualifying tournaments are held during the year. The lakes will be determined as described in picking lakes.

· The December tournament is traditionally held 1st Sunday in December to avoid the Christmas holidays and allows the fall Classic to also be completed prior to the holiday season.

· A 2-day tournament will be held in April during the spring season and in October during the fall season. A team may choose to fish only 1 day of the 2-day tournaments. 2-day tournament lakes will be determined two months in advance.

· The Classic will be held after each 6-month season for those teams qualifying.

6. Payback: Duluth Bass Club tournament pay back will be one place for every five teams with a 5 place max payout. The tournament payback schedule is available from the club secretary and is also contained in the club rules handout:

# Teams	1^st	2^nd	3^rd	4^th	5^th
1-5	100%
6-10	60%	40%
11-15	50%	30%	20%
16-20	40%	30%	20%	10%
21-Limit	39%	27%	19%	10%	5%

Big Bass payback is $10.00/boat,  Pay 3 places @  $5 for First; $3 for Second; $2 for third

7. Alternates:  Each team may use two (2) alternate(s) a season. An alternate cannot represent a team or fish by themselves. A team member may fish by oneself when a member of the team cannot fish a tournament. All family members of ones immediate household (son, daughter, and wife) is considered one (1) alternate. This is to encourage family participation.

8. Tournament Hours, Ramp and Blast-off order:  Tournament hours and ramp location will be voted on at the monthly meeting and the Tournament Director will determine the actual safe-light blast-off time. Boat departure #’s will be drawn at the meeting by teams entered. Teams not present for the meeting will receive the remaining highest blast-off #’s, Bull-horn/blast-off duty will be the responsibility of the last boat number drawn or assigned at the meeting and teams are limited to this duty once during a 6-mo season. Cards with the boat #’s, tournament hours, and several emergency cell phone #’s will be passed out as teams have their boat inspected tournament morning. All boats are to be inspected and in the water 15 minutes prior to blast-off, or they will be considered late! It is a team’s responsibility to check-in.

9. Picking Lakes: Each TEAM will vote from a ballot containing all eligible lakes for the following month’s tournament.   The two lakes receiving the most votes will then be given a second round written team vote to determine the next monthly tournament lake.  If a tie exists creating a third lake on the first round, a run-off vote will pare the choice down to two lakes. Lakes will be voted on a minimum 1-month in advance to enable participants to make hotel/motel accommodations.  All Georgia lakes and out-of-state lakes within 225 mi. are eligible to be fished as the voting membership dictates and fishing a lake no more than two times per season and never in consecutive months.

Tournament...Rules

1. Tournament Director’s decision is FINAL on all matters. Any protests must be made known to a club official prior to the weigh-in. Decisions on protests will made by the tournament director after collaboration with affected teams and club officers.

2. Tournament Entries: The monthly tournament entry fee is $50.00*/team; which includes $2.00 for Door Prize drawing. $10.00 goes toward “T” Big Bass. $1.00 goes toward monthly tournament plaques, $0.50 goes toward Classic plaques, and $0.50 goes to the General Fund. The resulting “T” pay back will be $31.00. Contact the club secretary for the complete tournament payout schedule. Late entry teams (defined as paying any portion of the entry fee at the ramp) will incur a $10.00 late fee (which will go into the Classic fund). *An Optional ongoing side-pot of $5/”T” is included for the three largest bass caught during the entire 6-mo. season - split in a 50-30-20 with payout at the final “T” of each season.

3. Scoring:  Limit of (five) 5 Largemouth, Smallmouth, Spotted, Redeye, or Coosa Bass - twelve (12) inches in length (mouth closed) measured on the club’s official “Golden Rule” board will be scored accordingly. Weight will be measured in lbs. and hundredths (0.01). There will be a one-quarter lb. (0.25 lb.) penalty for each dead bass weighed.  Tournament placement will be made by total weight LESS any penalty for dead fish.  Each team’s tournament weight is multiplied by 16 which equals points equivalent toward season standings.

4. Penalties: Upon teams turning their fish over to weigh-in committee; they shall not handle/touch their creel until the weight is recorded without being disqualified. The tournament director may be asked to provide a courtesy measurement on one fish only using the club’s official measuring board. In the case of a short fish (less than 12”, or the legal lake size limit) is weighed, that fish plus the team’s largest bass will be removed from the team’s catch. Should more than one short fish be weighed, that team will have their catch disqualified. No culling at/near the scales/weigh-in area.

5.Tournament Points: 100 points will be given to each team that pays the entry fee for the tournament. No post-tournament entry fees accepted. A team NOT on the starting line at the noted blast-off time must find another club member and have their boat inspected prior to fishing. A team showing up late (after blast-off) and not having their boat inspected prior to fishing will forfeit 50% of their day’s tournament catch starting with Big Bass.

6. Tie Breakers: When teams tie with total weight, and penalty subtracted, both will get credit for that position, however tie-breakers to determine pay-outs and plaques as follows in this order: 1) Most fish, 2) Biggest Bass, 3) flip of a coin. Tournament money winnings are split equally when ties become unresolved.

7. Early departures: Should any team need to or decide to leave a tournament early, it is their responsibility to notify either the tournament director, another team that they plan to do so or leave a note on another team’s vehicle to that effect.

8. Late Check-in: Any team that fails to return to the weigh-in area at the designated time will be penalized one pound per minute (starting with their Big Bass) up to 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, the team will be disqualified. Boats can but do not have to be out of the water prior to weighing your catch. 

9. Emergencies or Boat Problems on the water: Regardless of the situation, one member of the team must present their teams catch at the weigh-in in order to be counted; If a team experiences boat problems they may flag down another competitor and be towed, or one member can stay with the boat and the other team member bring their team’s catch to the weigh-in.

Classic: 2008 Classic Qualifying & Payout Process

· Teams finishing in the Top-5 points standing qualify for that season’s classic regardless of the number of tournaments fished.

· 25% of the member teams will qualify for the classic. This is defined as adding # 6 qualifier @ 24, #7qualifier @ 28 member teams, etc.

· Any team who wins one (1) tournament during the 6-month season and has fished in all six tournaments in that season will qualify for the classic regardless of their points standing.

· The Classic will be held on the Sunday following the last tournament of that season.

· The “Classic” lake will be chosen by blind draw.  Each eligible team will be allowed to submit one ballot of their lake / ramp choice.  There are no restrictions on the Classic lake choice, other than the 225 mile radius.  Ballots are placed in a hat and one ballot is blindly drawn choosing the classic lake.  

· No alternates or substitutes can be used in the Classic for any reason regardless of the situation.

· The Classic “POT” will be the membership money and interest earned; less any applicable expenses.

· Plaques for the Classic Champs and Big Bass at the Classic will be provided as noted above in “T” Entry fees (» $100).

· The Classic will pay five (5) places at the rate of: 40%* for 1st, 25%* for 2nd, 15%* for 3rd, 10%* for 4th, and 10%* for 5th.

· Additional Classic payouts of $50 will be made to 6th place Classic qualifiers and beyond.

36 Team memberships Example: $ 1400 in fund (40%-25%-15%-10%-10% split)

1^st	2^nd	3^rd	4^th	5th
40%	25%	15%	10%	10%
$480	$300	$180	$120	$120

Classic Payout will be according to above schedule:   = % of Classic POT