BUCKETMOUTH
BASS CLUB INC. 2021 Tournament Rules
Changes in red.
Who can fish?
1. You MUST be a member, complete and sign the waiver
form and show proof of $100,000 liability insurance on your boat to fish.
2. You MUST join as a team.�
3. There will be an early signup period for all of last
year's members and up to 10 new teams of May 1st. After that time
memberships will be taken until a maximum of 40 teams is reached on a first
come basis.� Membership fees are $100 per
team due two weeks before fishing in any points tournament that year.
4. A team my use a sub a maximum of twice a season.� When a non-member
sub is used for the first time they must pay a
$25 sub membership fee. �
6. Two non-partners may fish together in the same boat
and keep their fish separate so each team will receive its own weight.
8. No more than 2 people per boat. One member of each
team must be at least 18 years of age. If under 18 you must have signed
permission by a guardian.
9. All teams must be registered and their boat available
for inspection 45 minutes before the scheduled start of the tournament.� If the team is more than 10 minutes late they are ineligible to fish.� All late teams will be flagged off last.
10. A partner may show up late and fish if: 1) One member
of the team shows up on time for registration, 2) The Tournament Director is
notified before the Pre-Tournament meeting and 3) The late arriving member is
picked up at the tournament designated launch site.
11. A tournament committee member before each tournament
must inspect each boat. Inspection ribbons must stay on the boat until after
weigh-ins.
12. There will be a mandatory pre-tournament meeting
immediately after the close of registration. At least one member of each team
must be present at the meeting.� All
teams are responsible for any information given out at this meeting.
13. The tournament director's watch is the official time
to start and stop each tournament. All watches should be compared at the
pre-tournament meeting
14. At the pre-tournament meeting the launch order will be
determined and we will blast off in single file.� A team can only be drawn once per season for
flag off duties.
15. �Tournament fees
are $80 per team.�
16. Tournaments entry fees will be collected as cash at
the tournament site.
17. The tournament purse is 85% of the total entries minus
$5 per team. One place will be paid back per every 5 team entry fees collected.
(1-5 teams 1 place, 6-10 teams 2 places, etc). This money will be divided as
per the voted percentages.
18. The club will absorb any money not won.
19. No more than 5 fish will be weighed in per team.� No team can have more than 5 fish in their
possession at the end of tournament hours.�
The penalty will be culling of the largest fish in their possession, one
fish for each fish over the limit.�� Fish
will be weighed in using a wet reinforced bag.
20. Smallmouth and Largemouth bass only.
21. Minimum length is 12 inches. (Black Lake is 15 inches)
22. Artificial baits only - with the exception of pork
trailers.
23. Each person is allowed only 1 pole in the water at a
time.
24. Fishing must be done from a tournament registered
boat. No shore fishing or wading is allowed nor may you leave the boat to land
a fish.
25. Fishing is not permitted within 100 ft. of another
tournament boat, unless the first boat waves you through or permits you to
share the spot.
26. All NY State laws pertaining to bass fishing and
boating.
27. Live weigh-ins will be conducted shortly after the
tournament has ended.
28. Trolling under gas, electric or oar power is
prohibited. Drifting is permitted.� No
down riggers.
29. Each boat must have an operational live well. (Coolers
are acceptable)
30. Each boat must comply with state and federal
regulations. (Flotation devices, horn, anchor etc.)
31. Tournament waters are defined by all waters that can
be reached without going through a lock or taking the boat out of the
water.� �
32. A boat may be put on to a trailer at the designated
launch site during tournament hours for repair or bad weather. Then the boat
may be re-launched.�� The boat may not be
trailered from the launch site area during tournament hours.
33. Beaching to use the latrine, for bad weather or any
emergency will not disqualify any team as long as they reach the weigh-ins on
time.
34. Life jackets must be worn and if equipped, kill
switches must be tethered to the driver while the outboard motor is in gear.
35. NO alcoholic beverages or illegal substances allowed.
36. Loss of 1/2 lb. for each fish that is weighed in dead
or is less than the legal length. Culling of dead fish is not allowed.� Dead fish must be weighed in.� Dead fish cannot count for lunker.
37. All fish being weighed in must be released. A lunker
of 5 pounds or greater to be kept will suffer the penalty of 1/2 lb. off the
total weight. A second fish that is kept will not be weighed in.
38. Any team that is late for the weigh-in will get one
pound deduced from their total weight for each minute or part of a minute that
the team is late up to the total weight of their catch. If a team is 15 or more
minutes late that team is disqualified.
39. If you see a boater in distress you must stop and
offer assistance.� If they are in no
immediate danger you must bring one member and their fish to the weigh-ins on
time to avoid a late penalty.� If they
are in danger then you are required to help until the danger is past.� Then you are to bring one member and their
fish to the weigh-ins.� You have until
the results are announced to weigh in your fish with no penalty.� If the boater is a nonmember you should get
name and number to verify your reason for being late.� A call should be made to the tournament
director as soon as possible to explain your situation.
40. Location will be decided at the regular winter
meetings by a vote of the membership present. To qualify you must fish 6 or
more tournaments.
41. You must fish with you season partner, fish alone, or
fish with another qualifying member provided their partner does not fish.
42. Entry fee is twice the regular season fee.
43. Rules are the same as the regular season rules.
44. Payout is 100% of the championship fees + $5 per every
regular season tournament entry collected + 5% of the tournament fees collected
throughout the year and any remaining balance after $1000 is put aside for the
following year.
a) The top 5 teams will be paid.
b) The percentages will be 1st � 36.25%, 2nd
� 24.5% 3rd � 17.5%, 4th � 12.5%, 5th � 8.25% per
team.
c) Lunker will be $100 each day.
45. Trophies for first, second, third, and lunker to be
awarded at the end of the year banquette.
46. The �Gary Bigford Anglers of the Year� award will be
rewarded at the end of each year.� Each
tournament winning team will receive 50 points, 2nd � 49 points, 3rd
� 48 and so on for every team that catches a fish.� Only the best 9 tournaments will count
towards end of the year standings.
47. To receive tournament points one team member must be
in their boat when their launch number is called.
48. If for any reason a team decides to break up they must decide which member will receive the points
accumulated to date.� The other member
may start a new team with 0 points but will be credited with the number of
tournaments fished.�
49. Plaques will be awarded for the first three teams.
50. Any protest of the results must be made before
payouts. Protests should be in writing and must be reviewed by the entire
tournament committee present.
51. The tournament committee must interview all parties involved
in a protest.
52. A unanimous vote is needed to disqualify any team
(tournament committee members involved in the protest are not allowed to vote).
1) Drunkenness
or the possession of alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs.
2) Unsportsman
like conduct. (Not helping another boater, etc.)
3) Unsafe
boat operation.
4) Any
violation of club rules.
Any
disqualification will be reviewed by the entire tournament committee to see if
future participation will be allowed.