Bi-Laws

1.  PURPOSE:

    A.    To stimulate public awareness of bass fishing as a major sport.

    B.    To offer our state conservation department our organized moral and political support.

    C.    To promote full adherence to all conservation codes and to demand adequate water standards.

    D.    To detect and report any polluter and call public and political attention to his or her crime.

    E.    To improve our skills as bass anglers through a fellowship of friendly exchange of expert

            bass catching techniques and ideas.

    F.    To promote and encourage youth fishing and a love for this great sport.

2.  OFFICERS, ELECTIONS, VACANCIES AND ELIGIBILITY:

     Section 1:  Officers and their duties

    A.    President – Preside over all club meetings and direct official business and supervise all club

             functions.

    B.    Vice-President – Act as program chairman, assist the president in his duties and preside in the

             absence of the president.  Serves as head of all committees.

    C.    Secretary – Maintain accurate minutes of all regular and special meetings.

    D.    Treasurer – Collect and disperse all monies, maintain accurate financial records and present a

             current balance report at every club meeting.

E.  Tournament director - To inspect all boats prior to  the tournament to make sure they are all legal, to make sure everyone has a current license and are legal to fish the tournament,  To go over all rules and regulations prior to each tournament,  To weigh in and keep an accurate record of all weights and attendances to tournaments, functions, and meetings for a total of points to be presented to all members for their standings at each monthly meeting.

Section 2: Elections

      The election of officers will be held annually at a regular meeting during the month of November.  Election will be by simple majority of members present.  The term of office is for one year, which will begin on January 1, and ending on the last meeting day of December or until the successor assumes office.

3.   STANDING COMMITTEES:

A.     Tournament Director and Committee – To plan, organize and operate all tournaments and determine eligibility , collect entry fees for Classics and give to treasurer  and lunker pots at  tournaments.  Tournament committee shall rule with authority on proper conduct, procedures, qualifications, and other matters properly relating to the orderly conduct of all tournaments. To make all final decisions on any   violations. To be responsible for  any and all trophies and plaques.

B.     Conservation Committee – Appointed by the president to be a watchdog of our local environment and report any and all violations to the proper authorities.  To organize an annual clean up project or lake improvement project.

C.    Photo Committee – Two members of the club appointed by the president to record all club functions by photographs and to organize and keep the club scrapbook up to date.

D.    Public Relations Committee – Two members appointed by the president to keep the club up to date on club functions, standings and other matters by the way of a monthly letter to all club members.  To report to local newspapers and B.A.S.S. the results of all club functions.

E.     The Vice President will be a member of all committees.

4.   MEETINGS:

      The Mispillion Bass Club will hold its regular monthly meeting on the first 

      Tuesday of every month beginning at 7 p.m. 

5.  MEMBERSHIP:

1. New membership is based on a boat owner to non-boat owner basis.  There must always be two more boaters than non-boaters.
2. A boat must have a minimum 25 hp motor and measure 14 ft in length.
3. To become a member you must:

1.               Have a member introduce you at a regular club meeting.

2.               Serve a three month probationary period.

3.               Demonstrate good sportsmanship while fishing.

4.               On the third month the new member will be considered for membership in an election by secret ballot and must be accepted by a ¾  majority vote.

5.               Be at least 16 years of age.

6.               Any applicant who has been turned down for membership or any former member must wait a period of 6 months before re-applying.

7.               New member fees:

          $75.00

6.  MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS:

1. To be a member in good standing you must attend 50% of all club meetings and functions.

1.        Any member who cannot make a meeting because of work or other excused  absence ( only medical for self or family will be considered excused ) must notify the club officer prior to the meeting or be recorded as unexcused.  If the officer is notified in advance, the absence will not count toward the attendance totals at the end of the year.

2. Attend as many functions as possible.
3. Non-Participation at discretion of the club.

7.  DUES;

Club Dues will be set at $10.00 a month, which entitles a member to fish all club  tournaments except the Spring and Fall Classics.  The fee for the classics is $15.00 each, with $5.00 or the fee going to the club.  Dues must be paid by the day of the tournament.

8.  REMOVAL OF MEMBERSHIP:

1. A member shall be removed for the following reasons:

1.      Failure to pay dues.  Any member three months in arrears will be sent a letter stating their status.  After the 4^th month, the member will be dropped  automatically.

2.      Any action that dishonors or disgraces the Mispillion Bass Club.

9.  INACTIVE STATUS:

1. Member shall be granted inactive status providing:

      1.  All dues must be paid up.

      2.  A $75.00 annual fee will be charged to an inactive member.

      3.  An inactive member cannot fish the classics.

            4.  An inactive member does not receive plaques.

      5.  An inactive member does not participate in yearly point totals.

10. POINT SYSTEM:

1. MEETINGS:  10 points       5 points if after adjournment

      TOURNAMENTS:  20 points

      FUNCTIONS:  20 points

      EACH FISH CAUGHT:  1 point per ounce

      LUNKER:  25 points                                                                                                              

      Any  member  not attending meeting, tournament, or functions without an excused absence will be deducted the same amount of  points that would have been awarded for the same.

B.   Only points for 12 tournaments will be totaled.  Only the top 10 tournaments will  be added to the total points from meetings and functions to determine:

     1.  Angler of the year – MR. BASS

     2.  Angler of the year – RUNNER-UP

2. All points and dues are retroactive from the first meeting attended once membership in the club has been established by vote.
3. For purposes of tallying tournament and lunker points, the year is from January 1 to December 31.
4. For points to count for any individual, that person must be an active member on December 31^st  of that year.

TOURNAMENT RULES

1.  PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY:

A.     Tournaments are open to all members and probationary members of the Mispillion Bass Club.  Probationary members however, do not win tournaments.

B.     A $15.00 fine is assessed to any member who fails to notify  the tournament director or  assistant  before the tournament if he is unable to fish, that officer will notify his partner A.S.A.P. in order to give that person an opportunity to find another partner.  The fine must be paid before he is able to participate in another club function.

C.    Notification of a member’s intent not to fish a tournament must come by 5:00 P.M. on the day before the tournament.

D.    There are 12 tournaments a year.  10 will be counted for a years total points.

E.     Attendance points will count for all tournaments attended.

2.  TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE:

1. A tournament schedule will be made up by the club members.  The schedule must be approved by the general club membership.

3.  LOCATION:

1. Locations will be chosen at the club meeting prior to all tournaments.  Two locations will be nominated and the majority vote will determine sites and times.  Any member nominating a site must vote for his site.  Only members who are fishing may vote   Tournaments will be divided between  ponds and rivers as decided by  a majority vote.

4.  PARTICIPANTS, BOATS, MOTORS AND EQUIPMENT:

1. All participants, boats, motors and equipment must meet all state and federal requirements including:

1.      Each boat must have a live-well.

2.      Boat motors must not exceed 250 hp. 

3.      Tournament officials must be contacted for tournament verification except in the case of inclement weather, when it is up to the boat owner whether they will fish or not.     

4.      Safe boating regulations and etiquette must be observed at all times.

5.      Life jackets must be worn any time the boat is on plane during tournament hours.

5.  SPORTSMANSHIP:

1. Sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation are expected from each tournament contestant.  There will be no fishing within 50 ft of any boat unless you have permission from that boat or water conditions void this rule.  Any driver who operates his boat in such a manner as to handicap his partner may be disqualified.  Tournament waters are off limits on the Sunday prior to the tournament at 12:00 midnight.  It is also mandatory that the rider offers the driver money to share in the cost of gas and oil.  The minimum is $15.00.

6.  TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT:

1. ONLY ARTIFICIAL LURES MAY BE USED.
2. ONLY ONE ROD MAY BE USED AT A TIME.

7.  TOURNAMENT FEES:

1. $10.00 dues at the monthly meeting preceding the tournament.
2. Optional lunker pot.
3. Club Classic tournaments have a fee of $15.00 at the regular monthly meeting preceding the tournament.

8.  PARTNERS:

1. Partners will be drawn by the tournament director at the regular monthly meeting preceding the tournament.
2. Members may not fish two consecutive tournaments with the same partner.

9.  LATENESS FOR START OF TOURNAMENT:

1. A one-hour grace period is allowed.  Any contestant who is late must contact one of the tournament committee members to be checked in to the tournament.

10. DRIVERS MEETING:

1. A drivers meeting will be held 15 minutes before the start of the tournament at which any changes in the tournament will be discussed.

11 SCORING:

1. Winners will be determined by the pounds and ounces of their catch.  All tournaments will be a 5 fish limit.  Only large and small mouth bass will be weighed in.  One point per oz. will be awarded for the total weight.  Lunker is awarded 25 points.
2. Fish must measure 12 in. in length or the legal size for the waters being fished with the mouth closed.  Fish will be weighed at the end of the tournament.
3. A contestant can call for a measure of a close fish before it leaves the boat.  This will be done by someone on the tournament committee.  The officials judgment will be final.
4. There is an 8 oz. penalty for a dead fish.  A dead fish can be counted as lunker the 8 oz. will be deducted from the weight of the lunker.  Contestants are required to do their utmost to keep all fish alive, as they must be released at the end of the tournament.  No dead fish can be culled.  A dead fish is one in which its gills are not flaring.
5. Bass that are mangled or mutilated will not be weighed.
6. There is a five bass limit per contestant.
7. Bass presented for weigh-in must measure 12 in. in length or a fine of one pound per fish will be assessed.
8. Anyone who is not in the designated NO WAKE area at the designated time will be penalized 10 oz. per minute.  The penalty will be deducted from the anglers total weight of that tournament.  This includes any weight to be counted toward the tournament lunker award.  Any angler more than 15 min. late will lose his catch for the day.
9. In the case of a tie for total weight:

1.  FIRST:  total number of fish

2.  SECOND:  largest fish in weight

3.  THIRD:  length of the largest fish

12. TOURNAMENT WITHDRAWAL:

1. If a boat has no catch and wishes to pull out early, the contestant may do so by informing a tournament official that they will not be weighing in.

13. WEIGH-IN:

1. Weigh-In will be done in the order of draw.  All boats must be docked and ready to weigh in at the designated time.

14. PROTEST OF THE RULES:

1. Any violation of the rules must be presented to the tournament director prior to weigh-in.

15. RULE CHANGES:

1. These rules may be changed at any monthly meeting by a majority vote with notice given to all members that a bi-law change is going to take place.

Bi-Law Changes voted on July 5th, 2011

All monies owed to MBC must be paid before tournament or your catch will not count. You can only fish for lunker until you’re paid in full.  Tournament director will notify you at time of weigh in if you’re weight counts.  You know if you owe money so be paid up before tournament starts.   Pay tournament director or treasurer.  If you pay treasurer, make sure the tournament director is aware that you are paid up to date.   As always your license for waters fished must be current for your catch to count.  This is for all tournaments and is retroactive as license has issue date and if you are caught at any time fishing illegally your points will be removed.  It is your responsibility to obtain the correct license before the tournament.  All of this was voted on at the July 5th meeting.   If you do not show up for meetings and don’t notify anyone weather or not you’re fishing, you may be added to the list as a rider only.

THE ADMINISTRATION OF ALL TOURNAMENT RULES WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE, THAT DECISION WILL BE FINAL

                                                                                   REVISED 12/ 2008

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