Tournament Rules - click here to download a copy
Salt City Bassmasters follows the B.A.S.S. Nation Club by-laws as closely as possible.
Click here for a copy of the B.A.S.S. handbook.

1.       RULE CHANGES:
 
a.        The rules set forth herein are to apply to all club tournaments.  The interpretation shall lie solely with the tournament director and a committee selected by the tournament director.

 
b.       Rule changes will be presented to the tournament director and voted on by the tournament committee.  The tournament director will then present the rule changes to the membership.
 
c.        In the event of improper weather or other extenuating circumstances, tournament sites can be changed by a majority vote of tournament committee members that are present.
 
d.       In the event of rule changes, even if for only one particular tournament, it is the responsibility of the participant to ascertain and abide by such changes.
 
e.        Appeals may be made to the tournament director or tournament committee member prior to 5 p.m. the day following the tournament for consideration by himself and the tournament committee.
 
 
 
2.       PARTICIPATION:
 
a.        Participation in club tournaments is limited to paid members of Salt City Bassmasters. Potential members and guests may request to participate in club tournaments through the tournament director. He will base his decision on what effect it will have on all club members. Potential members and guests must pay an entry fee if they wish to compete for prize money, or they may go as an observer, not pay an entry fee but still fish if they wish. Their presence will be ignored in regard to the points standings and all other rewards.
 
b.       Salt City Point Tournaments will be a Pro-AM format where the boater must fish from the front of the boat and the non-boater must fish from the back of the boat.  Other tournament formats will be announced by the tournament director.
 
c.        The tournament director reserves the right to declare anglers eligible to participate in the boater division or non-boater division based on special circumstances.  These requests must be submitted in advance of the draw.  The Tournament director and/or the tournament committee will approve/deny the request and establish parameters for the entrants directly affected by the request.   The spirit of this rule is that it is a priority of the club to be able to accommodate members of the club while maintaining a fun and competitive atmosphere.
 
d.       The tournament director reserves the right to assign and or change the pairing of partners for the guest, if necessary.
 
e.        All participants must be 16 years of age or older.
 
f.        All Boaters must carry a Minimum of $300,000 Liability Insurance. A copy of the Declaration Page of their Policy must be provided to the Tournament Director at or before the May Club meeting of each year.
 
 
3.       OFF LIMITS:
 
a.        There will be NO “off limits” for any Club Points Tournaments unless directed as such by the Club Tournament Director.  “Off limits” is the period of time that tournament waters are not to be entered by contestants.

b.        There will be an off limits for paper tourneys.  The off limits will be from the  Monday previous until tourney day.
 
 
4.       PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS:
 
a.        The tournament committee will select the tournament sites and schedule the tournament dates. The tournament committee shall schedule events where priority will be given to the Club Trail first(1st); the New York Bass Nation second (2nd); other trails as they may be deemed appropriate.
 
b.       Tournament boundaries will be established for all tournaments by the tournament director.  Tournament sites, dates, and boundary information will be distributed to members by the tournament director at the regular monthly meetings.
 
c.        No State or special tournament will be used as a club point tournament.
 
 
 

5.       FISHING RESTRICTIONS:
 
a.        Participants may not fish within 50 yards of another boat that was first present and anchored. (anchored means - anchored with traditional anchor or power pole type device or while trolling motor is deployed in the water.)
 
b.       Participants may not fish within 50 yards of the weigh-in area, or as designated by the tournament director.
 
c.        Participants may not fish within 50 yards of a gas pump.
 
d.       Participants may not fish in a marina, over the objection of the marina owner, employee, or customer, or if there is a “NO FISHING” sign posted in the marina.
 
PENALTY FOR ANY OF THE ABOVE (a - d) INFRACTIONS IS THREE (3) POUNDS.
 
e.        The use of communication devices is forbidden during official tournament hours except, in the case of emergency.  (PENALTY – DISQUALIFICATION.)
 
f.        Non-boaters shall not utilize GPS units without the prior consent of the boater.  (PENALTY – DISQUALIFICATION.)
 
g.       All fishing must be done from the boat.  Contestants must not leave their boat to land a fish.  Boats must stay in the water during the tournament day.  All contestants must leave the official dock by boat.  (PENALTY - DISQUALIFICATION)
 
h.       Contestants may go ashore only by mutual consent, and must stay within sight of each other.  The partner who does not give consent, must clearly state this to his partner before he goes ashore.  (PENALTY FOR GOING ASHORE WITHOUT CONSENT IS TWO (2) POUNDS.)
 
i.        If a boat owner wishes to return to dock, the boat owner still receives a two (2) pound penalty if his partner does not consent to this arrangement.
 
 
 
6.       SCORING:
 
a.        Tournament standings will be determined by the weight of each competitor’s catch.  Only Largemouth and/or Smallmouth Bass will count.
 
b.       The competitor with the heaviest catch will be awarded 250 points.  The next heaviest catch will receive five points less.  This point reduction will continue until the last competitor with the lightest weight.  All other competitors who have not caught fish will be given 75% of the points given to the last competitor with fish.
 
c.         A four (4) ounce (or 0.25 lb) reduction of weight will be taken from the total weight for each dead fish.  A fish is considered alive if it displays any movement of any kind on its own during inspection at weigh-in.
 
d.       All competitors are bound by the statutes and regulations as they pertain to fishing in the State of New York.
 
e.        At no time shall a competitor possess more than five (5) bass.  If a sixth bass is caught, one bass must be released (culled) before fishing is resumed by that competitor.  Tournament officials will conduct checks for violations of this provision.  In the event a competitor has not reduced to possession of five (5) bass, the largest bass shall be culled first until the five smallest bass are left.  Competitors shall not cull dead fish.
 
f.        Only bass which measure equal to or greater than the legal minimum length for a waterway will be counted for weight.  Measuring shall be done with the mouth closed and the tail squeezed or rotated (revolved).  Measurement is to the farthest protrusion of the tail.
 
g.       Bass presented for weigh-in which fail to measure equal to or greater than the legal minimum length for a waterway shall accrue penalties at the rate of one (1) pound in addition to the loss of the short fish.
 
h.       Any bass that appears to be mangled, mashed or otherwise mutilated will be weighed at the discretion of the tournament director.
 
i.         An official 12 inch measuring device will be used at the weigh-in.  It is the responsibility of each competitor to check their own measuring device against the official one to ensure accuracy of their device.
 
j.    Only your highest 4 points tournaments will count towards angler-of-the-year and the 6-person team. 
 
 
 
7.       TOURNAMENT TIES:
 
a.        In the event of ties during a tournament, the higher position will go to the angler with the most fish.  If a tie still exists, it will be recorded as such.
 
b.       The ties will be given all places from the tied position down until a place is taken up for each person included in the tie.  The total points for each place taken by the ties will be added up and divided by the number of positions.  This will become their point total for the tournament.
 
c.        The next position points will be the next position lower than used by the ties.
 
d.       Any prize money will be divided in the same manner.
 
e.        Ties for multiple-day, single point tournaments will be decided by the average fish count for the two days, then by the average weight.  For example a fisherman who participated in a two day tournament that counted for one set of points and caught 5 fish for 10 lbs. on Day 1 and 3 fish for 5 lbs. on Day 2 would have an average of 4 fish and 7.5 pounds for that tournament.
 
 
 
8.       END-OF-YEAR TIES:
 
a.        In the event of ties at the end of the year, the higher position, based on ALL 6 Points Tournaments, will go to the angler with the most fish for the year.  If a tie still exists, the total weight from ALL 6 Points Tournaments will be used.  If a tie still exists, the Angler with the most points from ALL 6 Points Tournaments will be given the higher position.
 
 
 
9.       PENALTIES:
 
a.        If any penalties exceed the amount of weight caught by a contestant, the maximum of eight (8) ounces will be carried over to the next tournament.
 
b.       The meaning of the phrase “in the check point area” will be defined by the tournament director for each tournament.
 
c.        There shall be only one official check point, and all contestants must end the tournament day at this point by boat, by water.
 
d.       Competitors who are not in the official checkpoint area at the appointed time, shall be penalized at the rate of eight (8) ounces per minute late.  This will be deducted from his total weight for that day.  The eight (8) ounces per minute will also be taken from the weight of the lunker award.  If the “appointed time” is 2:00, a competitor will be considered late when the Tournament Director’s (or designee) GPS clock changes to 2:01.
 
e.        Any contestant more than 15 minutes late will lose all credit for that day.
 
f.        Official time will be GPS time.  It is the responsibility of each competitor to obtain that time from the tournament director if they do not have their own GPS.
 
g.       Late return due to unexpected mechanical failure may be considered by the tournament committee, if witnessed by others or if proof is presented.  Those assisting in the return of a disabled boat will not be penalized.
 
 
 
 
10.    PAIRING OF CONTESTANTS:
 
a.        This will be done by blind (random) drawing of those constants with boats for those without boats. No SCBM will be asked to give up the use of their boat at a SCBM Tournament. A non-boater will only be paired with the same boater twice during any tournament year for points tournaments.
 
b.       In the event a boater fishes alone, the TD should try to make sure all other boaters have an opportunity to fish alone before the boater fishes alone again.
 
c.        If there are an equal number of boaters and non-boaters signed up for a tournament, pairing will be conducted at the monthly meeting.  If the numbers are not equal, pairing will be delayed.  The tournament committee will make every effort to even the field by contacting members who are not already signed up.  Once there are an even number of boaters and non-boaters, the field will be closed and the pairing will be conducted and posted on the message board.  If the field is not evenly filled by the Monday prior to the tournament, the field will be closed and the pairing will be conducted.  If there are extra boaters, they will be allowed to fish alone.  If there are extra non-boaters, the non-boaters will be drawn first, then paired with as many boaters as have signed up.  The remaining non-boaters will then be cut from the field and contacted by the tournament director.  No non-boater will be cut from a tournament a second time until every other non-boater in that field has missed the cut on a previous tournament during that tournament year.
 
d.       Emergency boaters - Non boaters who own a boat can be subdivided into another category called emergency boaters. An emergency boater may be asked at the discretion of the tournament director to participate as a boater. In the event this occurs the emergency boater will maintain entry in the non-boater division and continue to accumulate points as such for classic and end of the year awards.  The emergency boater’s catch will be weighed and rewarded in the non-boater division.  If a non-boater elects to use his/her boat NOT at the request of the tournament director their status will be considered boater for classic and end of the year awards.
 
 
11.    PRE-REGISTRATION:
 
a.        The selection of partners will take place at the regular monthly club meeting before the tournament.  If  there is more than one
          tournament scheduled between our regular monthly club meetings, there will be a partner draw for each tournament.  Anglers
          shall be obligated to register and PAY IN FULL each/all event(s) before hand or at each monthly meeting where registration is
          required. Anglers that fail to PAY IN FULL by the required meeting will be added to a waiting list and only allowed to fish should
          a previously registered angler forfeit or at the discretion of the tournament director.
 
b.       Five ($5.00) dollars of the $45 boater division registration fee will be paid back for Lunker.
 
c.       Five ($5.00) dollars of the $45 boater division registration feel will be put towards the Club Classic payout at the end of the
         season.

d.       Three ($3.00) dollars of the $45 boater division registration fee will be paid back to the club treasury.
 
e.       Thirty-two ($32.00) dollars of the $45 boater division registration fee will be paid back one place for every five contestants.
 
f.        Five ($5.00) dollars of the $35 non-boater division registration fee will be paid back for Lunker.
 
g.       Five ($5.00) dollars of the $35 boater division registration feel will be put towards the Club Classic payout at the end of the
          season.

h.       Three ($3.00) dollars of the $35 non-boater division registration fee will be paid back to the club treasury.
 
i.        Twenty-two ($22.00) dollars of the $35 non-boater division registration fee will be paid back one place for every five
         contestants.
 
j.        The Lunker fee being part of the registration will be mandatory.
 
k.        No registration fee will be accepted after the meeting (as it is required that all members pre-register and pre-pay (see rule A.)
 
**Only exception would be if a member was allowed to fish the event at the request of the tournament director, at which point monies must be paid in full prior to the start of the tournament.**
 
 
 
 
 
12.    BOAT OWNERS’ FEE:
 
a.        A minimum $30.00 boat fee will be paid directly to the boat owner by the non-boater. It shall be the responsibility of the pair to agree on sharing boat operational expenses prior to the send-off. Refusal to pay the boat owner after the tournament has ended will result in that person not being allowed to fish another tournament until it is paid.
 
 
 
13.    BOAT OPERATION:
 
a.   Boats will start in the order names were drawn for the pairing of partners, unless a mechanical problem prohibits this. In which case that boat would move to the end of the line.   Boats will normally be permitted to leave at 15 second intervals or at intervals specified by the tournament director or his designee.
 
 
14.    SPORTSMANSHIP AND SAFETY:
 
a.        Sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation is expected from each participant. Any infraction of these fundamental sporting principles shall be grounds for imposition of penalty to be determined by the tournament director and his committee.


b.       All boats must contain safety equipment as required by the U.S. Coast Guard.   (PENALTY -DISQUALIFICATION).
 
c.        All boats must be equipped with a kill switch.  (PENALTY - DISQUALIFICATION).
 
d.       Contestants must wear a life preserver securely fastened at all times while the combustion engine is in gear and the boat is in motion.  The driver must have the kill switch attached to his person.  (PENALTY - TWO (2) OUNCES FOR EACH INFRACTION).
 
e.        No alcoholic beverages may be consumed during tournament fishing hours.  No alcoholic beverages may be on board a tournament boat during the tournament.  (This provision also includes any mind altering substances commonly referred to as “drugs”).  (PENALTY - PERMANENT DISQUALIFICATION).
 
f.        Each Angler is responsible for his or her dead fish, not to be left at weigh-in site.
 
 
 
15.    TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT:
 
a.        Only artificial lures may be used.  “No live bait” or “prepared bait” will be permitted, with the exception of pork rinds.
 
b.       Only casting, spinning, or spin cast rods & reels may be used.
 
c.        Rods may be no more than eight feet in length, including butt section.  Only one rod may be used at any time.  Other rigged rods may be in the boat for substitution purposes, however, only one rig is permitted in use or in the water at any time.
 
d.       All bass must be caught live and in a conventional sporting manner.  (PENALTY - DISQUALIFICATION).
 
e.        Trolling is prohibited.
 
 
16.    BOATS AND MOTOR:
 
a.        Boats must be 16 feet or longer in length, and equipped with an outboard motor that is at least 40 HP but does not exceed the maximum horsepower shown on the U.S. Coast Guard rating plate.  This plate must be affixed to the boat, be original, and installed at the factory.  (PENALTY - DISQUALIFICATION OF THE BOAT).
 
b.       Large or cumbersome boats, such as houseboats or barges, will not be permitted.
 
c.        Boats must be equipped with an aerated live-well system of sufficient size to keep both contestants catches alive for the duration of the tournament.
 
d.       Boats must be equipped with an electronic trolling motor (foot or hand controlled).   
 
e.        Tournament ready boat means – Every boat must have all the required Coast Guard safety equipment on board; it must also have working lights, a working trolling motor, functional bilge pumps, and properly aerated live wells large enough to maintain a limit of ten bass.  The tournament director will disqualify any boat that does not meet these minimum requirements.
 
f.        In the event a boat has repeated problems the “penalty” will be “disqualification” until said boat is shown to the Tournament Director to be fixed properly.
 
 
 
17.    LATE ARRIVALS:
 
a.        If partners show up together late, they incur the loss of tournament time, but are allowed to fish.  Before fishing, their boat must be inspected by any tournament contestant for the required safety equipment.
 
b.       If a boat owner shows up late alone and the tournament has already started, he can still qualify for the tournament if:
 
1.       He is willing to find his partner before he starts fishing.
 
2.       He does not fish until he finds his partner.
 
3.       He has his boat inspected by another contestant for the required safety equipment.
 
4.       If he finds his partner and his partner does not choose to fish with him, he can still fish and fish alone if he shows another contestant that he has no fish in his live-wells and he has his boat inspected for the required safety equipment.
 
c.        If a non-boater shows up late and the tournament has already started, he is subject to disqualification and the boat owner may fish alone.
 
 
 
18.    REMOVAL OF MEMBERSHIP:

Members may be dropped from the membership roll for the following reasons:
a.      Failure to pay dues.
b.      Any action that would reflect dishonor and disgrace on the Club and/or B.A.S.S..
c.      Disqualification for any reason from participating in B.A.S.S.-sponsored events, including disqualification for use of drugs or
        alcohol.
Note: Military deployment exempt.

19.    MISCELLANEOUS:
 
a.      The tournament director and/or committee reserve the right to make decisions regarding special requests or circumstances
        regarding any tournament rule or contestant pairing.  The tournament director will notify the members of any such decision as
        it affects any tournament prior to that tournament.
 
b.      Where these rules differ from previously set forth rules, these rules herein  shall be the rules in effect.