1. Tournament Lakes are off limits beginning 12:01 AM on the day of the
tournament, if it is a tournament that begins at midnight the off limits starts at 6:00 PM the evening before.
*Penalty for infraction is disqualification from that tournament.
2. All tournament participating boats must launch from and return to the designated launch site even if you do not catch any fish.
*Penalty for use of a different launch is disqualification from the tournament and a 4 point deduction from year end total. If you have to leave early you should notify someone in the club preferably an officer or tournament committee member. At the very least you should leave a note on another member’s car windshield.
3. Every club member fishing tournaments must have a valid fishing license and
show it to a designated club officer prior to the first tournament. In NY State a new
fishing license is needed on the same date each year that you purchase your license and must be presented to the club officer.
*Penalty for fishing without a valid license is disqualification from the tournament.
4. You cannot fish club tournaments unless your dues are paid in full.
*Penalty for fishing before dues are paid in full is disqualification from the
tournament and a 4 point deduction from year end total.
5. You can only fish a club tournament with a club member or by yourself, this includes team tournaments.
*Penalty disqualification from the tournament. This rule does not apply to Family
Fun or any Opens this club runs as they do not count towards year end totals.
6. Live Bait is not allowed for use in club tournaments, however you may use pork type baits and any bait that is artificial.
*Penalty for using Live Bait is club dismissal.
7. Gas engine trolling is not permitted in club tournaments, only electric motor trolling is acceptable.
*Penalty for gas engine trolling is disqualification from the tournament.
8. Tournaments are fished with equal time between the boater and non boater as to location of fishing. It is mandatory that the boater complies with this.
*Penalty is disqualification from the tournament.
9. A boat that is already working an area has the priority in that area. Boats shall not pass within 50 feet of a boat already working the area unless given permission.
*Penalty will be assessed after 1 warning; on 2nd occurrence the boater will receive a 10 point deduction from year end total.
10. All fish must be caught by rod and reel and the proper use of baits and hooks. No gill netting or snagging of fish is allowed.
*Penalty for infraction is disqualification from the tournament.
11. No casting, pitching, flipping or baits in the water after the end of any tournaments.
*Penalty for infraction is a 4 point deduction from that tournament’s points.
Lure tuning and line stretching prior to tournaments will be allowed beginning with the 2013 season, if a fish is caught it must be released immediately.
12. All casting, flipping, pitching and/or fishing must be done from the tournament boat you are fishing in.
*Penalty for fishing off the tournament boat is disqualification from the
tournament.
13. No culling of dead fish.
*Penalty for culling a dead fish is disqualification from the tournament.
**Note….. A dead fish is defined as not having any life or movement on its own. A
mortally wounded fish that may die but has some life and movement will be counted
as alive.
14. A 4 ounce penalty will be assessed for each dead fish brought to be weighed in
up to a maximum of 1 pound per angler per day of competition.
15. All boats participating in club tournaments must have at least one livewell with a working aerator or recirculation pump.
*A livewell that is found inoperable in 2 consecutive tournaments will have the boat
eliminated from further tournaments until the livewell is in working order.
16. All fish must be brought to the weigh in scale in proper tournament weigh in bag
with water in it, this is to ensure as much as possible the survival of the fish after release.
*Penalty for not using a weigh in bag with water in it will be disqualification of all
fish brought to the scale by other means.
17. A designated tournament committee member will be the official timekeeper for
purposes of starting and ending tournaments. We will use his watch as official time
so be sure you synchronize your watch with his prior to the start of the tournament.
Time should be set to a satellite connected GPS unit to be accurate.
When the tournament ends you must be within 100 yards of the launch and not
fishing.
*Penalty for lateness is as follows; 2 points per minute for each angler up to 5
minutes, after 5 minutes has passed you will be disqualified from the tournament. If
not disqualified but in the penalty category the points will be deducted from the year end total.
**Note….. If you have a mechanical breakdown or other circumstance beyond your
control that will make you late (going through a lock making you late will not be an
acceptable reason to waive rule), you must call an officer of the club prior to the end
of the tournament and the tournament committee present will decide if the rule can
be waived.
18. Only the “Golden Rule” will be used for measuring fish at the weigh in.
19. Short fish cannot be weighed in. Any short fish presented for weigh in at the scale table will result in a penalty.
*Penalty for attempting to weigh in a short fish is a 4 point deduction from that tournament’s points and the short fish does not get weighed.
**Note….. Any member that is in doubt if a fish measures can ask for a courtesy
measurement by a tournament committee member prior to coming to the weigh in
table. If that fish is found to measure then it will be accepted as measuring for the weigh in.
Everyone has this right so don’t get caught with a short!
20. All fish close to the minimum size at the weigh in table will be measured by at
least 2 tournament committee members and they will decide if the fish measures. All
Bass will be measured with their mouths closed as this constitutes the Bass’ snout, which is mentioned in the state laws.
**Note….. If it’s that close get a courtesy before bringing it to the table!
21. Fish cannot be transferred to another angler to take credit for catching and weighing it in for them self. Anglers can only take credit for fish they actually catch.
*Penalty is disqualification from the tournament and pending further action by the
tournament committee up to dismissal from the club.
22. Designated tournament committee members will preside over the weigh in.
These members will make the decisions as to weights, lengths and dead fish. All the
committee members present will rule on any discrepancies. The tournament
committee rulings are final and will be accepted by all members of the club.
23. All members participating in team draw tournaments will attend the draw for
partners at the meeting prior to the tournament. If you are unable to attend the
meeting you must notify a tournament committee member and the draw will be done for you in your absence.
Rank order in points will determine the use of a particular angler’s boat (ie; If we
have too many boaters then the boater with the least amount of points will have to
go as a non boater.)
We will to the best of our ability even the number of boaters to non boaters if we
have an odd number of anglers fishing a team draw then an angler may fish alone.
24. The top 10 anglers in points will qualify for the Club Classic, if we do not have all top 10 participating in the Classic, we will go down the list to fill the 10 spots without the need for other qualifications or compensation from the participant unless all are paying a fee then those apply to all. The club will supply the payout cash for the Classic and this rule is subject to change when deemed necessary by the executive board and tournament committee.The payouts are 50% to 1st, 30% to 2nd and 20% to 3rd.
The lunker pool will remain a separate fee paid by each angler in the Classic.
25. Registering for tournaments. The following procedure will be used beginning in
the 2019 season. Participants are required to register for tournaments prior to
fishing them.
You must register by using the club website forum Boater/Non Boater section in the
section under the tournament’s heading. This registration must be completed
by the meeting when the boat numbers will be drawn. At the meetings prior to the
tournaments, the numbers will be drawn for all tournaments that are scheduled
before the next meeting. All boat numbers will be posted on our website in the
Boater/Non Boater section under that tournament’s heading.
Each boater should make note of his boat number.
The boat number will be the order in which you will be called on to start the
tournament; there will be a starter boat that will tell each boat when to go.
The starter boat will be the last boater drawn and he will go out when all other boats have been started. **Note….. If you show up to a tournament without having registered for it then you automatically become the starter boat and you must pay a $25.00 penalty for not registering. If you register later than the deadline noted above you will also become the starter boat and you go last. Regular tournament fees are $20.00 per event. An optional side lunker pool will also be available.
26. Beginning in the 2009 season the Angler Of The Year will be determined by the
Points Standings. The weight standings will be used for the purposes of a tie
breaker. If there is a tie in points the angler with the higher standing in the weight
of fish category will rank higher.
27. Use of alcoholic beverages and/or illicit drugs or unprescribed controlled
substances immediately prior to or during club tournaments is prohibited. The use
of or carrying of these not only affects you but also could subject your partner
riding in the same vehicle to consequences that he should not be held responsible for.
*Penalty will be disqualification from that tournament.
28. All voting on club issues will be done by members whose dues are paid in full
and are present at the time the vote is taken. One exception is below.
29. Dismissal of any member of the club will be voted on by all club members whose
dues are paid in full if all members are not present they will be polled by telephone for this type of vote only.
**Note….. Please remember that friendship, sportsmanship, courtesy and fair play
is our motto.
30. Whenever you are passing a slower or anchored boat, please be mindful of your wake.
Although it is not a rule you should wear your PFD whenever the boat you are in is under power by the gas engine.
Always use good judgment in situations that involve safety.
31. Drop Rule….. If you fish all the tournaments in a given season you must drop
one tournament for purposes of the year end standings. If you do not fish every
tournament in the season then you will not have to choose a tournament to drop.
32. ***Rule violation procedures.
If a member wants to file an accusation of a rules infraction the following procedure
must be followed. Failure to adhere to the stated procedure will void any allegation
of rule infraction. All rulings will be made by the tournament committee members
present. The vote of the club President will be initiated only in the case of a deadlocked ruling. The procedures are;
A) The accusing party must come up to the weigh in table as soon as it is set up.
B) The complaint must be filed before the weigh in starts.
C) The complainant must be prepared to verbally state the case of rule infraction to the tournament committee as well as the name of the accused party.
D) The accused party will get a maximum of ten minutes to state his side of the case.
E) Upon hearing from both sides the tournament committee will rule in an expeditious manner.
33. In order to be nominated for election as any club officer you must be a member in good standing for two consecutive years just prior to the nomination to be eligible.
All rulings made by the tournament committee are final.
