Little Elm Bass Busters
Est. 2002
CLUB RULES AND REGULATIONS
ARTICLE 1
- Anyone interested in Bass fishing is eligible to apply for membership to the Club.
- The membership fee is $30.00 per tournament year.
- Any member may resign from the Club by not paying dues or by submitting a letter of resignation to the President of the Club at a regular meeting.
- Club meetings will be held immediately following a Club tournament.
- Each member of the Club is entitled to cast one vote on any Club business.
- A 2/3 majority vote of the Club membership is required for changes in the by-laws or for decisions concerning special events.
- The Club will be comprised of a President, Secretary/Treasurer, and a Tournament Director.
- The term of the Officers will be three (3) years and it is a re-elect able position.
- At least one Officer and the Tournament Director are required to attend each Club Tournament throughout the year.
- If the Tournament Director can not be present for a tournament, then the Officer that is there will act as the Tournament Director and visa-versa.
ARTICLE II
- The President will preside over all Club meetings and will cast the tie breaking vote only.
- The Secretary/Treasurer will be responsible for keeping the minutes of the meetings, inform all members of the out come of the meeting, and be in charge of all funds, the paying of club bills, and paying of the tournament winnings to the appropriate winners at the meeting.
- The Tournament Director will preside over all tournaments and any other duties the President gives him/her.
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- A $30.00 membership is required each tournament year starting in November.
- A $30.00 per person per tournament fee is to be paid at the launch sight the day of the tournament.
- Changes or amendments to any club rule must be voted on and passed by at least 2/3 of the clubs paid membership or 2/3 of the elected officers. If 2/3 of the paid membership or 2/3 of the elected officers are not present at the meeting, then the issue is tabled until at least that majority is present.
- All members are allowed to fish with a paying guest at each tournament, however, that guest can only fish one (1) tournament per season without becoming a member.
- The paying guest is eligible for prize money but will receive no points.
- Non-members are not allowed to fish in the Championship tournament.
- Each member must sign a release of liability form and accept responsibility for any accident.
- Any boat is eligible except: pontoon boats, cabin cruisers, or house boats.
- All fishing boats must be equipped with working aerated live wells.
- All boats must be able to pass a Coast Guard inspection and be equipped with all the necessary equipment to be able to pass.
- No live or cut baits allowed. Artificial lures only.
- Life jackets must be worn at all times when your when the outboard is running.
- You must be fishing in a boat in order for the fish to qualify. No getting out of the boat to retrieve your fish.
- All members must abide by State, Federal, and Local laws.
- No alcoholic beverages allowed during tournament.
- Any tournament protest must be presented to the officers at the tournament within 15 minutes of the completion of the weigh in. An investigation will be conducted at the tournament, the findings will be presented at the next meeting and a decision will be rendered by all members present at the next meeting.
- No pre-fishing the Championship lake within 7 days prior to the tournament.
- No member can fish a tournament lake, if they have fished on that lake with a State registered guide within 30 days prior.
- All fish will be measured with the mouth closed and the tail pinched.
- All questionable fish will be measured on the Golden Rule of the club and any member of the club present for the weigh-in can request a measurement.
- All measurements by the Tournament Director will be final.
- No jaw breaking. Only legal fish will be weighed in.
- A five (5) fish limit per angler.
- A one (1) pound penalty (as determined by the Tournament Director) for a dead fish weighed in. All other dead fish will not be weighed in.
- A dead fish can not be weighed in for Big Bass.
- If no fish are weighed in at a tournament, then all fees collected for that tournament will roll to the Championship fund.
- If first (1st) place and Big Bass pays out, and no other places, then second (2nd) and third (3rd) place moneys will be rolled into the Championship fund.
- The Championship fund will be all the club money less any money designated for a special event, and $350.00.
- The break down for the $350.00 is as follows: $100.00 left in club bank account to start the new season, $150.00 for Angler of the Year presentation, $50.00 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place championship trophies.
- In case of an exact tie at the weigh in for first (1st) place, the biggest bass of the creels will determine the winner. If there is still a tie, then the most fish in the creels will determine the winner. If there is still a tie, then a coin toss will determine the winner and the loser will move to second (2nd) place.
- In case of an exact tie for second (2nd) place, the same rules for a tie for first (1st) place apply, with the exception that there is no third (3rd) place.
- In case of a tie for Big Bass, the money will be divided evenly and each fisherman will receive the Big Bass points per tournament payout.
- In case of a tie for Angler of the Year, the tied members will fish a 4 hour sudden death fish off in a designated area with spotters present. The first angler to catch a legal fish will notify the spotter of his/her catch and return to the ramp immediately to have it weighed in. If no legal fish are caught in 4 hours, then a coin toss will determine the winner.
- If the member is a boat owner, he will fish solo. If the member is a non-boat owner, his partner can drive the boat to the fishing spots only and then the boat owner must surrender control of the boat. The boat owner will be allowed to fish, run the trolling motor, or net fish. In case of a tie, again a coin toss will determine the winner.
- All fish will become the property of the Tournament Director after the weigh in and will be released back in the water unless there is a problem.
- One (1) big fish can be weighed in, per angler, for Big Bass.
- Any fish that qualifies for the Shared Lunker Program can be retained and turned over to TPWD.
- All tournaments will start at safe daylight, as determined by the Tournament Director, and will end 8 hours later.
- Iindividual fisherman must be at the weigh in site prior to the scheduled weigh in time to declare they are off the water.
- No underwater surveillance equipment is allowed except for standard depth/fish finders.
- No electronic fish attracting devices will be allowed in any tournament.
- For safety purposes: If you leave a tournament early for any reason, please leave a note on someone’s truck or tell someone. We don’t want to have to go looking for you.
- Largemouth bass, Spotted Bass, and Smallmouth Bass only will be allowed to be weighed in.
- No bass less than 10" will be allowed to be weighed in. State or Lake ML (minimum length) rule applies for bass. This rule includes slot lakes.
- A trial run tournament is permitted by any person or team wishing to fish with us from their own boat. No entry fees, no points given, and no prize money awarded.
PAYOUT FOR TOURNAMENTS
Pay out of money is as follows:
($30.00 entry fee)
$3.00(10%) to Club
$3.00(10%) to Big Bass
$12.00(40%) to 1st place
$7.50(25%) to 2nd place
$4.50(15%) to 3rd place
POINTS PAY OUT FOR TOURNAMENTS
Zero (0) points for a guest fishing a tournament
Five (5) points for fishing a tournament
Ten (10) points for attending the meeting following tournament
Fifteem (15) points for Big Bass + one (1) point for each pound
Thirty (30) points for 1st place
Twenty (20) points for 2nd place
Ten (10) points for 3rd place
PAYOUT FOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Ten (10%) for Big Bass
Fifteen (15%) percent for 3rd place
Twenty-five (25%) percent for 2nd place
Fifty (50%) for 1st place
PAYOUT FOR INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
(If less than 20 boats)
Ten (10%) for the club
Fifty (50%) for 1st place
Twenty-five (25%) for 2nd place
Fifteen (15%) for Big Bass
(If over 20 boats)
Ten (10%) for the club
Thirty-five (35%) for 1st place
Twenty-five (25%) for 2nd place
Fifteen (15%) for 3rd place
Fifteen (15%) for Big Bass
- Payout and points will be awarded immediately following the tournament.
- All tournaments will be fished on the first (1st) Sunday of each month unless otherwise agreed upon by a majority vote or the fishing date falls on a holiday or holiday weekend.
- Members must accumulate a minimum of 125 points in order to qualify for the Championship Tournament.
- Members participating in the annual Kids Fish will receive an additional 20 points.
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