TRI-LAKES BASS CLUB

 2011 Rules and Regulations

1.        Interpretation of Rules and Eligibility

Interpretation of rules shall be left exclusively to the tournament committee.  The decision of the tournament committee will be final in all matters.   To be eligible, all club dues and entry fees must be paid prior to the tournaments.  Guests will be allowed to fish.  Tri-Lakes Bass Club reserves the right to refuse anyone’s membership or participation.

2.        Club Dues and Tournament Fees

Club Dues are $30.00 per year for each angler.  $15.00 of this amount is to be used for club expenses throughout the year.  Tournament Fees are $60.00 per boat. Big Bass is included and not optional.  No checks will be accepted at tournament site.  A portion of all club dues collected and 15% of the tournament fees will go toward the Classic.

 3.        Major Prizes

        First place shall be awarded to the team with the heaviest total weight (limit of 5 bass).  There will be one place paid per every 7 boats.

In the event of a tie for first place:  (we will not break ties for any other positions except first place)

A.       first place will be determined by:  1. the most number of fish weighed in the total stringer, 2. the weight of the largest fish of each stringer, and 3. the committee may elect to hold a fish off (the fish off will be scheduled at the best time the committee can determine to hold it)

B.       All other places will be combined and split evenly. (i.e.- if there is a tie for 2^nd place, 2^nd and 3^rd monies will be combined and split evenly. The next highest finishing team will receive 4^th place monies)

Big Bass Pot:

There will be two Big Bass winners:  First 60% and Second 40%.  If there is a tie for first place, the pot will be combined and split.

A second place tie will be split.  Note: First and second place cannot be from the same boat.

 *Note: We will only weigh fish for the purpose of winning the Big Bass pot or to break a tie for the winning stringer.  Big Bass is no longer a tie-breaker for points earned toward the classic or Angler of the Year (except for winning stringer).

 4.        Pre-Tournament Practice

The lake will be open at all times. (except for the classic: see rule #12)

 5.        Take-Off and Check-In Procedures

We will draw for take-off positions at the launch site 15 minutes before each tournament. Each boat will be issued a take-off number chip.   All numbers must be placed on the check-in number board for official check-in.  If you fail to turn in your number, you will be penalized by taking off last at the next tournament.  If you are late, there will be a penalty of 1 pound per minute, up to 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes the weight of your catch will equal 0 lbs.  If your boat breaks down, someone may bring your fish in for you.  All late entries must find a paid tournament competitor and let them check your live well before you start to fish.

 6.        Boat Motor and Tackle

Boats must be 14 feet or longer.  A small motor may be used for slow maneuvering.  Trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited.  Only artificial lures may be used.  No live baits or prepared baits.  All bass must be caught live and in a sporting, conventional manner.

 7.        Creel Limit

There is a 5 fish limit.  Teams are not allowed to carry more that 5 fish (of any species) in the livewell at any time.  The only exception to this would be if you catch and want to keep a trophy of another species.   If more than 5 bass are found in your position, you will be subject to penalty, including disqualification.   After fish have been checked in at the scales, return trips to the live wells are not permitted.

 7-A:         Dead Fish Penalty

There will be a ½ pound penalty for each dead fish presented for weigh-in.  (The committee reserves the right to refuse the weighing of a dead fish if necessary)

8.        Tournament Fish and Scoring

All fish must be brought to the scales in a Tri-Lakes Bass Club plastic bag with water in the bag.  At the discretion of the committee, there will be a 1.0lb penalty for not using a T.L.B.C. bag. Only largemouth, spotted bass, and/or smallmouth bass will be weighed.  Spotted bass have to be a “true” spotted bass: no largemouth bass with a rough patch on their tongues.  Only bass as described above, which measure 12 inches or more in length (or lake regulations) on the longest straight line, will be weighed in.  Fish will be measured on a flat board with mouth closed and tails pinched.  All attempts will be made to release all live fish back into the lake after weigh-in.  The only exception will be a trophy fish kept to be mounted. 

The point system for determining Classic qualifiers and Angler of the Year will be as follows:

 All participants catching fish will be ranked by weight of catch and awarded points as follows:  1^st place will receive 100 points, 2^nd place will receive 99 points, 3^rd place will receive 98 points and so forth.  

 There will not be a tie breaker for points except for 1^st place.  If two teams tie, they will receive the same number of points.  (i.e. – if two teams tie for 7^th place, they will both receive 94 points; the next highest finishing team will then receive 92 points)

 All paid participants who do not have a fish to be weighed and did launch their boat and attempted to fish or had the weight of their catch equal zero, will be awarded 25 points for that day.  All paid participants who paid entry into the tournament but did not fish will receive 5 points for that day.

 8-A          Substitution Rule

If one member of a team is unable to fish a tournament, his or her partner may fish by himself or herself, or with a guest and pay full amount of both entry fees and both club members will receive the same amount of points.  Each team member will be allowed to miss 2 tournaments and receive the same points as their partner acquires for those tournaments.  Guests will be required to pay a $5.00 one day membership fee to be eligible to fish with a club member.  A club member can fish with as many guests per year as they would like, however a guest can only fish twice per year.  No member can substitute for a team and both members of those respective teams receive points for that tournament.  (Only two members can receive points for a tournament from one boat)

 9.        Permitted Fishing Locations

Fishing on tournament waters is permitted anywhere except:  restricted areas, behind buoy markers of restricted areas, within 50 yards of gas pumps,  within 50 yards of another competitor that has his boat anchored or tied or within 50 yards of areas occupied by scuba divers..  All fishing must be done from the boat only. You may not leave the boat to attempt to catch or retrieve a fish.

  There will be seven tournaments, not including the Classic, one tournament per month.  There is a limit of no more than 3 tournaments on any lake.  We will not fish any lake back to back.  The only exception will be due to flooding or other act of nature.  All decisions canceling or postponing the take-off or changing the lake to be fished will be left up to the tournament committee. 

 10.     Safety

Safe boating conduct must be observed at all times.  All boats must be equipped with an operable kill switch.  Operators of boats must be at least 18 years of age. Each competitor is required to wear a Coast Guard approved chest-type preserver anytime the boat is on plane.

The possession or use of alcohol during club event hours is prohibited and will result in disqualification and be subject to termination of club membership. 

 11.     New Members

Club membership will be open at all times.

 12.     Classic

The Classic will be a two day event and will be held starting the last Saturday in August.  The lake to be fished will be determined by a vote of those that qualify.

 There will be a dead water period of two days before the classic.  Anglers who want to compete in the classic cannot be on the water or get information from someone who is on the water for the lake to be fished for the classic from Wednesday at midnight until the morning the tournament starts (Thursday and Friday). 

  There will be two ways to qualify for the classic. First: The top 15 teams who have the highest point totals at the end of the year will qualify for the 2-Day Classic.  If there is a tie for the last position, each team tying will qualify.  Second: Any team who has participated in five (5) of the regular season points’ tournaments and has PAID for entry into all seven (7) of the regular season tournaments will qualify for the classic. (entries have to be paid before start of each tournament)   There will be NO non-club member allowed to fish the Classic.

Pay-out: There will be five (5) places paid at the classic.  The pay-out distribution will be determined by the committee.

Entry Fee:  The entry fee will be $50 per boat.  Big Bass will pay only one winner per boat.  Payout will be for 1^st place each day and will pay 50% on Day 1 and 50% on Day 2.  All payouts will be paid at the final weigh-in on Day 2.   Any club member who has not qualified for the classic may participate in the Big Bass pot and/or the Side Pot. Members that are not qualified to fish the classic may not fish from a boat with a competitor that is qualified for and fishing in the classic.

 13.     Polygraph

A polygraph test may be given at any point and time during the year.  The teams to take the polygraph test may include: 1. The top three finishing teams in that tournament, 2. The top three teams in points, 3. A team at random.  The committee will determine who takes the test from some combination of the before mentioned choices. The person of the team to take the test will be chosen by a coin toss.  If that person fails the polygraph test, his or her partner will take the test.  If the partner passes the polygraph test, they both pass.  If a team fails the polygraph test, they will forfeit all monies won that tournament and any awards due to them for the year.  They may also forfeit their right to participate in any Tri-Lakes Bass Club sponsored event in the future. It will be left up to the discretion of the committee as to when the polygraph will take place.

 14.     Protest

Any contestant wishing to protest the score or conduct of a fellow contestant must do so in writing within 15 minutes after official weigh-in time.

         15.   Sportsmanship and Conduct

All contestants are required to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, conservation and to conduct themselves in a manner that will be a credit to themselves, to Tri-Lakes Bass Club, sponsors, the sport of fishing and Tri-Lakes efforts to promote the sport.