Rules/Bylaws
Tournament Rules
1. The interpretation and enforcement of these rules is the responsibility of the Tournament Director. Any disputes or protests that cannot be resolved by the Tournament Director will be resolved by the Grievance Committee.
2. Anglers are expected to abide by all applicable Florida Boating or Fishing and Wildlife Statutes and Rules. Violation of such statutes or rules may result in the angler(s) being disqualified from the tournament.
3. All protests must be made to the Tournament Director within 10 minutes after the tournament weigh in has been completed.
The decision of the Tournament Director may be made immediately or at a later time, depending on the nature of the protest and the clarity, or lack thereof, of the tournament rules or club by-laws.
4. Anglers in the Beaches Bass Busters Bass Club are expected to follow the highest standards of sportsmanship, courtesy and safety. Any infractions of these basic and fundamental sporting principles may be cause for disqualification.
5. Mandatory release of live fish after weighing in. Four ounces, or .25 lbs., will be deducted from total weight for each dead fish. Culling dead fish is not allowed.
6. It’s the angler’s responsibility at the time of weigh-in to ensure that his catch is entered correctly into the club records.
7. Five fish limit per angler, unless otherwise stated by state law. Culling must take place immediately, which means the angler must not keep 6 or more fish in the live well.
a. If an angler forgets to cull a 6th (or 7th etc.) fish, or attempts to weigh in 6 or more fish, a two-pound penalty will be assessed on the final 5 fish weight after the angler has culled the number of fish down to 5.
8. The minimum length is 12 inches with mouth closed to the tip of tail, then measured on a flat board. If we are using the Golden Rule, a 12-inch minimum will be used with only the best 5 fish submitted for final weight.
a. Courtesy measurements: Anglers may request a courtesy measurement at the weigh-in table prior to giving their fish to the tournament director for the measuring/weigh-in process. There is no penalty if a fish comes up short for courtesy measurement.
b. Penalty for a short fish will be the loss of that fish plus the largest fish. Fish under size must be released immediately. The decision of the Tournament Director is final.
9. All fishing must be done from the boat. An angler may not leave the boat to fish or land a fish. a. If an angler falls out of a boat while in the process of setting the hook or fighting a fish, he may return to the boat and then complete the fish landing process and still have the fish count. However, if the partner reels in the fish while the other angler is out of the boat, or if the angler who fell out of the boat lips his fish while out of the boat, the fish must be released immediately. Competitors are allowed to leave the boat to retrieve a lure. All fishing by that competitor must cease until the competitor is back in the boat. Only then may another cast be made. You must fish water that is available to all competitors. No fishing in areas designated off limits by governmental agencies or tournament officials. Waters deemed off limits by authorities or tournament officials should be treated like a wall. No boats or casting behind that boundary while fishing. There are NO off limit days for practice.
10. LIFE JACKETS and KILL SWITCHES ARE MANDATORY.
a. All boats must have an operating kill switch that must be always attached to the operator when the outboard motor is running and in gear. Violation of any of the above rules may be cause for disqualification.
11. All boats must be equipped with all required U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment and functioning aerated live well(s) that can support two limits of fish.
12. No ladders or raised platforms may be used to fish from during a club tournament.
13. Boaters are required to abide by all posted no wake zones, speed zones, manatee zones, and off limit areas. Failure to abide by the laws of the water can be grounds for disqualification.
14. The Tournament Director will announce the time for weigh-in. Penalty for late return to weigh-in will be one pound each minute late and after 15 minutes late, the boater and non-boater will be disqualified (for the “big bass” award, the one pound per minute penalty will apply also.) By way of example, if an angler is 6 minutes late to weigh-in and has a 5 fish limit weighing 20 lbs. with a big bass weighing 10 lbs., then the bag weight would be reduced to 14 lbs. and the 10 lb. big bass would be eligible to be considered the big bass of the tournament.
a. Good Samaritan Rule: If a boat comes across a situation that requires assistance to another club member or anyone else on the water, the boater or non-boater giving assistance may contact the Tournament Director to seek permission for late arrival to weigh-in with no penalty. The request must be made prior to the official weigh-in time to the tournament director. This rule only applies to the boater and non-boater giving assistance, not the anglers receiving assistance.
15. Artificial lures only. No live or prepared baits other than pork rind baits.
16. Only one rod may be in use at any time by an angler. Usage is defined as having a line in the water that can catch a fish.
17. Trolling is not allowed.
18. When visually fishing for bedding bass, a bass must be hooked inside the mouth to be counted as a legal fish.
19. Any boater arriving late for a tournament must contact the Tournament Director to determine whether a live well check is necessary before they are eligible to fish in the tournament.
20. Anyone leaving the tournament before weigh-in time must notify a member who is fishing or leave a note on the Tournament Director’s windshield before leaving.
21. Any boat that breaks down may:
a. Have some other boat bring his partner in with the catch while the boater stays with his boat.
b. Return to a ramp other than weigh-in site and trailer to weigh-in. The boat is not allowed to re-enter water.
c. In both situations, the boat or catch must be on-time at weigh-in to avoid penalty.
22. Point System – Regular Tournaments
a. Tournament standings will be determined by most weight less penalties. (100 points for 1st place, 95 points for 2nd place. 90 points for third and 5 points deductions each place that weigh fish until 14th place and after, which will receive 30 points minimum.
b. If a member has no legal fish to weigh in, the member will receive 30 points for fishing. If no legal fish are weighed in each contestant will receive 30 points.
c. Big Bass will award 5 points.
d.Payouts will be based on the number of entries as outlined in the By-Laws.
e. Annual club dues must be paid prior to the tournament before an angler can receive a payout and be eligible to receive points. Guests may receive points retroactive to the previous tournament if they are approved for membership at the next scheduled tournament, but they will not receive any money for a tournament that they fished as a guest. THEY are eligible for Big Bass if they paid the “Big Bass Pot” fee.
23. In the event of a tie, the members that tied will divide the sum of the money awarded for the tie position and the next position down. (Example: Two people tie for 1st place. The prize money for first and second places are added together and divided equally between the two members. Both members will be deemed as finishing first for points and there will be no second-place winner. The third-place winner will remain in third place for the calculation of points, prize money and awards). The same methodology would be employed for resolving a tie in any of the top places, even if there were more than one tie for one of the top places.
24. If an angler has fished in every tournament over the course of the year, he will be entitled to “drop” his 2 lowest finishes. For clarity, a normal tournament year will include 11 days of tournament fishing and opportunities to earn points. If 11 days of tournament fishing occur, then the highest 9 finishes will be included in the final standings for Angler of the Year and Classic qualification.
25. All boaters must have $100,000 of liability insurance coverage for their boat in order to participate as a boat in a club tournament. Copies of current insurance policies must be provided to the club Secretary.
NON-BOATERS: The boater has a variety of expenses to get on the water. (IE) Insurance, Gas (tow vehicle and boat,) wear and tear, etc. Consideration is appreciated and expected. The Boater provides a Non-Boater the opportunity to compete and win money. What the two of you work out is between the two of you. If you do not help out, don’t be expected to be invited back to his/her boat.
26. LIABILITY RELEASE:
Any angler signing up and competing in a Beaches Bass Busters event agrees to the following:
I hereby release Beaches Bass Busters, its officers, agents, employees and sponsors(herein referred to as Beaches Bass Busters) from any and all damages, claims, demands, cost or expenses relating to injury of any person(s) or any property, which I may sustain or which I may cause by reason of participating in or in connection with any and all Beaches Bass Busters events.
Covenant not to sue and Waiver of Subrogation: I further agree that I will never sue Beaches Bass Busters for damage on account of any injury or damage I suffer or cause whether known now or which may develop in the future. In the event Beaches Bass Busters is sued because of my actions, I expressly agree to indemnify and hold Beaches Bass Busters harmless from any liability whatsoever, including court cost and attorney’s fees, arising with respect to such actions. I understand that in waiving my rights to sue Beaches Bass Busters I am also waiving my rights of recovery from Beaches Bass Busters of my Insurance carrier for any claims they may pay on my behalf. I further understand that by signing this agreement I waive any rights my heirs or relatives have or may have to sue Beaches Bass Busters for liability.
Verification of Liability Insurance: I state that I maintain liability insurance on the boat I will use in this or any Beaches Bass Busters event.
Truth Verification: Polygraph or truth verification may be given at any time at the discretion of the officers of Beaches Bass Busters. Refusal or failure of polygraph or truth verification will automatically eliminate team members’ participation from all future Beaches Bass Busters events.
Camera Release: I hereby grant Beaches Bass Busters the unconditional rights to use my voice, photographic likeness and biographical information and fishing tips and instructions in connection with all Beaches Bass Busters video/audio production, promotions and/or other compensation in connection with such use.
I signify by my signature that I have read, understand and agree to abide by all rules and regulations and decisions set forth by Beaches Bass Busters tournament officials.
Beaches Bass Busters reserves the right to refuse membership and/or participation in any event for any reason.
Any person aged 17 or under must be with a parent or a person age 18 or older. Persons under 18 must have the signature of his/her parent or legal guardian on the tournament entry form.
27. Safety is of the utmost importance, and anglers must recognize that fishing from an open boat is
inherently dangerous, and as a result Beaches Bass Busters seeks to limit those hazards with reasonable safety rules
1. Safe boat conduct and speed limits, where applicable, must always be observed by competitors. Anglers must realize that riding in an open boat is inherently dangerous, and all safety precautions must be adhered to.
2. Tournament officials may delay, shorten, restrict tournament waters, or cancel the start of an official tournament day due to bad weather or other factors that would endanger the safety of the competitors.
3. In the event of an emergency, competitors should call 911 immediately and then notify tournament officials. Competitors may leave the boat and seek safe shelter in bad weather conditions when danger may be imminent, at which time all fishing must cease.
28. INSURANCE:
All boats used in Beaches Bass Busters tournaments must have a mandatory minimum of $100,000.00 liability insurance. This is the user/owner’s responsibility. Participants should have a copy of insurance readily available for random checks. Failure to supply necessary liability insurance coverage will result in disqualification from the event.