Bylaws

Nonprofit / Dual Affiliated Bass Club

The BSCBC

2016 BSCBC BYLAWS
BIG SANDY CREEK BASS CLUB
CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS
2016

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 F.LW. – 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 subject to approval by a vote of the club members present at the time
of the meeting.
2. Applicants are required to attend one meeting and fish one tournament as a guest before being voted into the club.
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 $35.00 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.
i. Disseminates the updated information to the Club’s Web Master.
ii. 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.
e. Monitors the clubs P.O. Box

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 weekends for the first four months of the year at the December meeting. The May
thru August weekends will be voted on at the April meeting and the September, October and December weekends will
be voted on at the August meeting. 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 for the upcoming four
months during the December, April, and August meetings. 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 or draw), 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.
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.
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.

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 (this excludes paper and draw tournaments).
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 (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 it is 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.

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 TOURNAMENTS
a. Weight of fish shall be determined by weight chart provided by the club. All lengths are to be verified by
boating partner.
b. 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 or items will be given to the angler at the ramp by the Tournament Director.
Each fish must be photographed on a regulation measuring stick and include an item given by the
Tournament Director for the fish to be counted for the Anglers paper weight.
ii. This provision may be applied to anglers unable to secure a partner prior to the tournament at
the Officers discretion.
c. To be eligible to qualify for the big bass pot, the fish must be legal by lake rules and brought to the weigh-
in and weighed on club scales. Overall standings and weight for the tournament will be determined by the
paper weight of the big bass.
d. Guests are not allowed to fish in paper tournaments unless the guest is a prospective member and has
attended one of the last three meetings prior to the tournament.

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.
v. Guests are not allowed to fish in draw tournaments unless the guest is a prospective member and
has attended one of the last three meetings prior to the tournament.
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 not allowed to fish in draw tournaments unless the guest is a prospective member and
has attended one of the last three meetings prior to the tournament.

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 earned
a minimum of 26 points (meetings, tournaments and extracurricular and bonus points) in the current calendar year
prior to the October meeting. Tournament weight points do not count toward this qualification. (See Article VIII
CLUB STANDINGS for point’s information).

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 5 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 meeting / tournament points of current year.
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 have earned at least 30 points (meeting,
tournament, extracurricular and bonus points) in the previous Calendar year (January 1 to December 31).

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 is 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 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.

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: 12/2017
Editor/Author: Big Sandy Creek Bass Club