Nonprofit / Dual Affiliated Bass Club

2020 BSCBC BYLAWS

2020 BSCBC BYLAWS
BIG SANDY CREEK BASS CLUB 
CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS 
2020
 
ARTICLE I. NAME & PURPOSE 
 A. The name of this group of anglers shall be Big Sandy Creek Bass Club. 
 B. The purpose of this club is to promote sportsmanship, camaraderie, conservation, and education while enjoying the 
 sport of bass fishing. To function as a dynamic and effective link with other chapters of the State B.A.S.S. Chapter 
 Federation and FLW – the Texas Bass Federation embracing the principles and purposes of both organizations. 
 
ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP & DUES 
 
A. MEMBERSHIP 
 1. Membership will be by application only and is $20 per year.

 2. Prospective members are allowed to fish one tournament as a guest.
 a. All acquired weight will carry over while attending as a guest. 
 b. This rule excludes previous members who have left the club and wish to return. 
 3. A returning member from the previous year, whose membership has lapsed and is in good standing, may re-join the 
 club by paying their dues prior to fishing any tournaments. 
 4. A member must sponsor individuals under the age of eighteen. 
 a. Sponsors must be over the age of eighteen. 
 b. Sponsors of such individuals will be responsible for the actions of those so sponsored. 
 5. Applicants who have been accepted by the membership shall become voting members upon payment of membership 
 dues. 
 6. Membership may be cancelled under any of the following conditions: 
 a. Violation of rules. 
 b. Any action which would reflect dishonor and disgrace on the club and/or B.A.S.S. or FLW/TBF 
 c. Non-payment of dues. 
 d. By recommendation of the officers and a two-thirds majority vote of the club members present at the time 
 of the meeting. 
 
B. DUES 
 1. Club dues for new and returning members will be $20 for each calender year.
 2. Club dues for the year will be due by the January meeting and delinquent after the meeting in February. Returning 
 members must pay club dues prior to fishing any tournaments scheduled between the January meeting and the February 
 meeting. 
 3. Yearly B.A.S.S. Federation dues are $30.00 for the National Federation and $25.00 for the State Federation. 
 a. B.A.S.S. dues are due before December 31st of the current year. 
 4. Yearly dues for FLW/TBF are $65.00. 
 5. Club dues will be used for club responsibilities and are non-refundable. 
 
ARTICLE III. CLUB OFFICERS 
 
A. POSITIONS & DUTIES 
 
1. PRESIDENT 
 a. Presides over all club meetings and special club functions. 
 b. Acts as the representative for the club at all club related functions. 
 c. May vote on any club issues 
d. Assumes the duties of any vacant officer position if the delegated backup officer is not present. 
e. Creates and delegates special committees as required for the club to function.

2. VICE PRESIDENT 
 a. Assumes the duties of the President in the absence of the President, or at the President’s request.
 b. Assumes the duties of the Tournament Director in the absence of the Tournament Director. 
 c. Assumes the duties of any vacant officer position if the delegated backup officer is not present. 
 
3. SECRETARY 
 a. Records the minutes at all club meetings. 
 b. Is responsible for the clubs official standings. 
 c. Maintains the club roster. 
 d. Writes and distributes the club newsletter on a monthly basis. 
 e. Is responsible for clearly recording and keeping the written record of the results of all club tournaments. 
 f. Is responsible for updating all tournament results, standings and roster on the club's website. 
 g. Disseminates the updated information to the Club’s Web Master. 
 h. If the Secretary is not present at the tournament – The President or Vice President will ensure 
 that the tournament results are forwarded to the Secretary for maintaining the club’s records. 
 
4. TREASURER 
 a. Collects all club dues and tournament fees. 
 b. Maintains a file of all receipts, bills, canceled checks, and financial reports. 
 c. Submits a treasurer’s report at each meeting. 
 d. Brings a copy of the current month's bank statement to the Club meeting. 
 
5. TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR 
 a. Official timekeeper for all club tournaments. 
 b. Responsible for measuring and weighing at club tournaments. 
 c. Maintains club scales. 
 d. Acts as a point of contact for tournament information. This includes coordinating 
 with members that require a partner. 
 e. Enforces all tournament rules. 
 
B. NOMINATION & ELECTION OF OFFICERS 
 1. Nomination of officers will occur at the November meeting. 
 2. Election of officers will occur at the December meeting. 
 a. The vote may be by secret ballot or by a show of hands of the members present. 
 
C. ADDITION OF OFFICER POSITIONS 
 1. By member vote, the club may create additional officer positions, along with defining the authority and duties of 
 those positions. 
 
D. VACANCIES 
 1. Excessive absence of a club Officer will result in vacating the office. Excessiveness will be determined at the 
 discretion of the remaining club officers. 
 2. Any office vacancies, except for the office of the President, will be filled by a nomination and election at the next 
 available meeting. Vote may be by secret ballot or by a show of hands of members present. If the Presidents office 
 becomes vacant, the Vice President will assume the role of the President and a nomination and election will be held to 
 fill the office of the Vice President. National and State Headquarters For both B.A.S.S AND FLW/TBF shall be 
 notified immediately of the change of any officers. 
 
ARTICLE IV. AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS 
A. METHOD 
 1. The Constitution & Bylaws may be amended by written/typed proposal only. The proposal shall be submitted to any 
 club officer at any time via current electronic methods (no phone calls). The written proposal shall consist of a reason 
 why the document should be amended and a solution to the amendment. The written proposal should reference the 
 specific area in this document. 
 
B. REVIEW & ACCEPTANCE 
 1. The club officers will review the written proposal and by majority vote of the officers, determine if the amendment 
 should be presented to the club for consideration by the club members. 
 2. Club members will vote on accepted amendments at the next available meeting after discussion. 
 a. Amendments require a two-thirds majority vote of members present at the meeting to pass. 
 3. Printed amended Constitution & Bylaws will be distributed to members at the December Meeting.  a. Members may request printed versions of amended Bylaws after revisions are made.
 b. The Webmaster will update The Bylaws online after revisions are made.
 
ARTICLE V. MONTHLY CLUB TOURNAMENTS 
 
A. TOURNAMENT FEES, EXPENSES, AND PAYOUTS 
 
 1. FEES 
 a. Entry fee for a “one-day” tournament is $25.00 per angler. The entry fee is due and payable prior to or at 
 the weigh-in of each tournament. Failure to pay the entry fee to a tournament fished will render the member 
 ineligible to fish any future tournaments until said entry fee is paid. 
 b. Entry fee for “two-day” tournaments is $30.00 per angler. A Big Bass Payout will occur for each day of 
 the tournament. The entry fee is due and payable prior to or at the weigh-in of each tournament. Failure to 
 pay the entry fee to a tournament fished will render the member ineligible to fish any future tournaments until 
 said entry fee is paid. 
 c. (Optional) Entry fee for the “Big Bass of the Year” award is $12.00. This is a one-time fee per year. 
 Members have the option to pay prior to fishing their first tournament of the year. If funds are available, club 
 will match the pot up to $300 at the end of the year by means of raffles, sponsors, donations, etc… The cut- 
 off date for determining if “funds are available” will be December 1st of current year. Only bass caught 
 during regular monthly club tournaments are eligible to win the award. 
 
 2. EXPENSES 
 a. All expenses and winnings shall be split between boater and non-boater for each tournament. The boater 
 shall keep written track of all expenses and split the cost with the non-boater at the end of the tournament. If 
 non-boater refuses to pay their fair share, the boater may take the appropriate expenses from the winnings. If 
 no winnings are due, then the non-boater will be ineligible to fish any future tournaments until appropriate 
 costs are paid. 
 
 3. PAYOUTS 
 a. $5.00 per angler will be deducted from the total pot to be applied to the Big Bass payout for each 
 tournament. 
 i. $10.00 per angler will be deducted from the total pot to be applied to the Big Bass Payout for 
 “Two-day” tournaments. 
 b. Tournaments with less than 15 teams - 80% of the tournament entry fees will be paid back to the 
 contestants at the meeting following the tournament. 20% of the fees will remain in the club treasury. 
 c. Tournaments with 15 or more teams - 90% of the tournament fees will be paid back to the contestants at 
 the meeting following the tournament. 10% of the fees will remain in the club treasury. 
 i. Standard tournament payouts for 1-14 teams will be based on the following scale: 
 1st Place Team $10.00 per angler 
 2nd Place Team $6.00 per angler 
 Club Treasury $4.00 per angler 
 A “Big Bass” side-pot may be entered into by each member. The fee for the side-pot will 
 be determined by the members at the meeting prior to the tournament. 
 ii. Standard tournament payouts for 15+ teams will be based on the following scale. 
 1st Place Team $8.00 per angler 
 2nd Place Team $6.00 per angler 
 3rd Place Team $4.00 per angler 
 Club Treasury $2.00 per angler 
 A “Big Bass” side-pot may be entered into by each member. The fee for the side-pot will 
 be determined by the members at the meeting prior to the tournament. 
 d. In the event of a tournament in which no fish are weighed, all entry fees will be rolled over into the pot for 
 the next tournament. 
 e. In the event of a tournament in which only one team weighs fish, 100% of the payback will be paid to that 
 team. 
 f. In the event of a tie, the team members involved have the option to split the prize money for the respective 
 places or flip a coin to break the tie. A club officer must perform the coin flip. 
 
B. TOURNAMENT SELECTION 
 1. Members will vote on tournament dates the meeting the month before each tournament.
 a. To avoid conflicts, the President shall create a small committee to research weekend availability and 
 present the club with a calendar that displays popular tournaments, events, moon phases, etc… before 
 the December meeting. 
 2. Members will vote on lakes, two-day tournaments, and specific dates of the elected weekends at the first meeting of the year in January. The President shall create a small committee to research lake productivity and report back to the club before the meetings in the above stated months. 
 3. Members will vote on times, type (paper/cpr, scale/cpr, draw or regular) and weigh-in site for the upcoming tournament during the 
 meeting prior to the tournament. 
 4. Once a tournament lake is selected by the membership of the club, the lake cannot be changed at the meeting prior to 
 the tournament. 
 a. Motions to change the lake may be made at any meeting prior to the meeting immediately preceding 
 the tournament. 
 i. If a valid reason for changing the lake is brought to the attention of the club at any meeting prior 
 to the tournament it will be discussed by the membership and voted on at the Officers discretion. 
 ii. Changing the lake requires an 80% passing vote of members present at the meeting. 

 iii. Decker Lake will be the back up lake if a valid reason or inclement weather forces a change in venue.
 5. Once a tournament date is selected by the members of the club the date cannot be changed at the meeting prior to the 
 tournament. The only exception to this rule will be instances of inclement weather that poses a threat to cancellation of the

 club's monthly event. 
 a. Motions to change the date may be made at any meeting prior to the meeting immediately preceding 
 the tournament. 
 i. If a valid reason for changing the date is brought to the attention of the club at any meeting prior 
 to the tournament it will be discussed by the membership and voted on at the Officers discretion. 
 ii. Changing the date requires an 80% passing vote of members present at the meeting.

 b. In cases of inclement weather, the date may only be moved forward or backward by one day on that selected tourney weekend.
 i. The entire club must be notified and given an opportunity to make a decision on the date change.
 ii. The tourney will only proceed if two or less teams are lost from the original field size." 

 iii. If the tournament cannot be made up per sections i and ii above, the club as a whole can elect a makeup day later

 during the year as to not conflict with other tournaments.
 
C. TOURNAMENT RULES 
 
1. ELIGIBILITY – GENERAL RULES 
 a. A team shall consist of two Anglers fishing from the same boat. 
 b. All state, federal, and local laws must be obeyed at all times. 
 c. If a member is unable to secure a partner, he is eligible to compete as a team as long as he notifies an officer of 
 the club. 
 d. A non-club member may only fish in a tournament as a guest of an individual member once per year. 
 e. A member cannot fish with another non-sponsored member more than 4 times per year. This excludes draw 
 tournaments. 
 f. Contestants will abstain from consuming alcoholic beverages until after tournament hours. 
 g. Any angler involved in a BSCBC tournament must not be paid for any services during the fishing hours of the 
 tournament. 
 h. An Angler may not pay a guide to fish with them during fishing hours of a tournament. 
 
2. SAFETY 
 a. Each contestant is required to wear a Coast Guard approved life preserver anytime the boat is on plane. 
 b. The kill switch (if equipped) must be attached to the boat operator any time the boat is on plane. 
 c. Due to inclement weather, the club officers may shorten the tournament hours or cancel it for the safety of its 
 members. 
 
3. FISHING AREAS & HOURS 
 a. Standard starting time will be safe light (15-30 minutes before sunrise) and standard weigh-in time will be 
 3:00 PM for a one-day tournament and the first day of a two-day tournament. Standard weigh-in time for the 
 second day of a two-day tournament shall be 1:00 PM. Tournament hours can be changed by two-thirds 
 majority vote of members attending the meeting before the tournament. Each tournament must be at least 8 
 hours with the only exception being the second day of a two day and the Classic Championship. 
 b. Members must all launch from the designated weigh-in ramp. 
 c. The Tournament Director will determine launch time (safe light) and the method of launch (In order 
 by draw or shotgun launch). 
 d. No fishing is allowed from 12:00AM to tournament start time on the day of the tournament. 
 e. No fishing is allowed from outside your boat or within 50 yards of an anchored or tied boat with its trolling 
 motor in the stored position without the express permission of its occupants. 
 
4. TACKLE & EQUIPMENT 
 a. Only artificial lures may be used, the only exception is pork rinds. 
 b. Only one rod per person may be in use at any one time. Each cast must be completed before another is  made.
 c. Trolling with the main engine is NOT allowed.
 
5. WEIGH-IN & CONSERVATION 
 a. The bag limit for each tournament shall be five fish per angler per day, or the lake limit, if less than five. 
 b. All tournament contestants must be at the weigh-in site at the time of weigh-in. A late penalty of 4oz per 
 minute will be assessed on the teams’ tournament weight up to 15 minutes. After 15 minutes the teams’ total 
 catch will be disqualified. The penalty will be assessed as 2oz per team member. If a team member has no 
 catch – his portion of the penalty will be waived. i.e.– no “negative” penalty. 
 c. All fish must be transported to and from the weigh-in line in a bag filled with water. Failure to follow this 
 rule will result in disqualification of that days catch. 
 d. A penalty of 4 oz. per dead fish weighed will be assessed against the individual member’s weight. If the 
 big bass to be weighed is dead, the 4 oz. penalty will be subtracted from the big bass weight. 
 e. Only largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass will be weighed. Each spotted bass must be a minimum 
 length of 12 inches on lakes with no minimum length limit set (This excludes paper tournaments). The 
 “Check-it Stick” measuring board will be the “Official” measuring board used by the Tournament Director to 
 measure fish. Fish will be measured with the mouth closed and tail compressed or fanned. 

 f. Non-puncture cull clips must be used in order to cull fish. This is a preventive measure that prevents

additional holes in their mouths that lead to infection & permanent damage.
 
6. PAPER/SCALE CPR TOURNAMENTS 
 a. Catch Photo Release format to be exercised. (Top 2 teams will be submit catch photos to the Tournament Director for verification.)

 b. Weight of fish shall be determined by weight chart or scale provided by the club. All lengths & weights are to be verified & photographed by boating partner. 
 c. Provisions will be made to any angler that is without a partner due to no-show at the ramp the morning of 
 the tournament. 
 i. An item (poker chip) will be given to anglers at the ramp by the Tournament Director and or Officers. 
 Each fish must be photographed on a regulation measuring stick/scale and include the item given by the 
 Tournament Director for the fish to be counted for the anglers paper or scale weight.  
 d. To be eligible to qualify for the big bass pot, the fish must be legal by lake rules and brought to weigh-in

and weighed on club scales. Overall standings and weight for the tournament will be determined by the 
 paper or scale weight of the big bass. 
 e. Guests are allowed to fish in paper tournaments but are encouraged to fish with current members.
 
7. DRAW TOURNAMENTS 
 a. Draw for Partners at the Ramp 
 i. Draw tournaments will be conducted by drawing for partners 30 minutes prior to start time. All 
 contestants must be present before the draw can take place (They must be on the Tournament 
 Directors list of participants). If a contestant will be late he must contact the Tournament Director 
 and notify him of the estimated time of arrival. The draw will take place no later than 10 minutes 
 before the start of the tournament. All contestants that are not present at the time of the draw will be 
 penalized 2 pounds per person subtracted from their overall weight for that tournament. 
 ii. To be included in the draw each boater must secure a non-boater or each non-boater must secure 
 a boater prior to the tournament. 
 iii. In cases of hardship, a member may fish solo without penalty if the draw tournament is a regular 
 tournament. 
 iv. In case of hardship for a paper/draw tournament, see Article V Section C-6-b-ii for rules for 
 fishing solo. 
 b. Draw for Partners at the Meeting 
 i. The draw for partners at a meeting before the tournament will be done so by taking an equal 
 number of boaters and non-boaters that have declared their intention to fish and drawing for 
 partners with those members. All other members that are not in attendance but who wish to fish 
 will go into a draw by phone, or at the ramp conducted by the tournament director before the start 
 of the tournament. If a member going into a draw by phone does not have a draw partner, the 
 member will wait until a draw is attempted at the ramp. 
 ii. In cases of hardship, a member may fish solo without penalty for regular tournaments. 
 iii. In case of hardship for a paper/draw tournament, see Article V section C-6-b-i for rules for 
 fishing solo.  

iv. Guests are allowed to fish in draw tournaments.
 
8. OTHER RULES 
 a. The Texas B.A.S.S. Federation Tournament Rules and Regulations will be used if a rule is not specifically 
 covered in these rules. 
 
9. RULE CHANGES 
 a. Under special conditions, rules may be changed by majority vote. 
 
10. RULE VIOLATIONS 
 a. All protests must be submitted in writing to a Club Officer within 15 minutes of the final weigh-in. 
 b. Any violation of tournament rules may result in disqualification at the discretion of all officers in 
 attendance. 
 c. Resolution of the protest will take place at the weigh-in sight within 30 minutes of the written protest. 
 i. In the event that a decision cannot be rendered at the weigh-in sight - the resolution will take place at the 
 next scheduled meeting 
 
ARTICLE VI. CLASSIC CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT 
A. EXPLANATION 
 1. This yearly tournament rewards those who actively participate in the club throughout the year. 
 2. If funds are available, the club will contribute up to $600.00 bonus prize money to the tournament. The payout scale 
 will be decided by club vote at the meeting before the tournament. 
B. QUALIFICATION 
 1. For a club member to qualify for this event, the member must have fished a minimum of 3 BSCBC tournaments throughout the season.
 
C. FORMAT 
 1. This tournament will be a team tournament on a lake in which the club has not fished in the corresponding season. 
 2. Entry fee will be $20.00 per contestant. 100% of the tournament entry fees will be paid back to the contestants at the 
 meeting following the tournament. 
 3. The lake and date of the tournament will be determined by vote of the qualifying members at the October meeting. 
 4. The time, ramp and rules will be determined by vote of qualifying members at the meeting prior to the 
 tournament. 
 5. This tournament will be a draw/team event for a 10 fish team limit. 
 6. The draw for the teams will be done so with qualified members. Option to be a boater is based on current years 
 standing. 
 7. Alternates will be used when a team is needed to be filled. Alternates are chosen based on being a pre-qualifier, 
 current member, and by total tournaments attended. 
 8. If funds are available - the Club will purchase appropriate Plaques or Trophies for the winning Teams of the Classic 
 Tournament Including Big Bass. If funds are limited, the Club will vote to decide what Plaques or Trophies will be 
 purchased. 
 
ARTICLE VII. NON-CLUB SPONSORED TOURNAMENTS 
A. FUNDING 
 1. If funds are available, the club will contribute money to the top six members in the corresponding year standings for 
 expenses to The B.A.S.S. State Federation Championship. The amount contributed by the club shall be determined at 
 the January meeting. 
B. CLUB REPRESENTAION 
 1. Members are required to wear BSCBC attire. 
C. QUALIFICATION 
 1. For a top six member to participate in this tournament, the member must be active and in good standings.

ARTICLE VIII. CLUB STANDINGS
A. The club secretary shall maintain and publish individual club standings in monthly newsletters or online.
B. Standings will be determined as follows:
1. Each member will earn two pounds (points) for attending each club meeting.
2. Each member will earn two pounds (points) for attending each club tournament. Three pounds (points) for a two-day tournament.
3. Each member will earn the actual weight of fish weighed in at each club tournament.
4. Each member that works a club sponsored open tournament will be rewarded 1 pound (point) for working that tournament. Member participation rewards are determined by the officers discretion.
5. Each member will earn extracurricular bonus points for participation in activities in which the club is actively seeking participation from members. Some examples are fishing Regional events, fishing sanctioned events, Kid-Fish events, attending conservation education, Casting Kids events, etc. The bonus points awarded for the activity must be discussed and approved by the club officers before the event.

6. Anglers are allowed to drop one tournament day per year. 

a. The two tournament points will be accrued for the dropped tournament day if the angler fishes all 12 club events. Only the weight will be deducted.

7. An angler's meeting attendance, tournament attendance, extra points,10 best tournaments, and the Championship results will determine year end totals.  

ARTICLE IX. AWARDS & BANQUET 
A. AWARDS 
 1. First place “Angler of the year” and the remainder of the “Top Six” individuals, as determined by the final club 
 standings, will be awarded plaques. 
 2. If funds are available – the club will award the Angler of the Year by paying for a Big Sandy Creek Bass Club jersey 
 noting “Angler of the Year”. This jersey would be worn to represent the club at Non-club sponsored events such as the 
 Texas B.A.S.S Federation Nation State Championship or other events to which the club sends the Top Six Team. 
B. BANQUET 
 1. The club should vote on a banquet date and location for the corresponding year standings for the top six. This 
 banquet should be the week following the top six team tournament and should be held no later than the first week of 
 May. 
 
ARTICLE X. MEETINGS 
A. TIME 
 1. Standard meeting time is 7:00PM 
B. DATE 
 1. Meetings will be held on the 1st Monday of each month. 
 
ARTICLE XI. CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS AND/OR DONATIONS 
A. DONORS 
 1. All donors of charitable contributions to Big Sandy Creek Bass Club will receive a receipt for all cash items. 
B. DISTRIBUTION 
 1. A portion of all money received from donations will be contributed to a selected charity. 
 2. The remaining amount will be held in the club treasury. 
 
 
Last revision: 12/2020
Editor/Author: Big Sandy Creek Bass Club