LAKE MALONE BASS CLUB RULES

 

1.      TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS – Your 5 officers and the 2 at large members of the tournament committee present will settle any disputes at tournaments.  Any protest must be submitted in writing before scales close at each tournament.  Interpretations of all rules shall be final in all matters.

2.      STATE FISHING AND BOATING REGULATIONS: All members shall obey all State Fishing and Boating Regulations at all Times.

3.      LIABILITY INSURANCE:  All Boat owners shall carry at least $100,000 Liability Insurance on boat.

4.      SPORTSMANSHIP – Competitors in club tournaments are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship.  Any infraction of these fundamental sporting principals may be deemed cause for disqualification.  Upon first offense for unsportsmanlike conduct, a verbal reprimand will be assessed.  Upon second offense, the penalty will be expulsion from the club.  Alcohol or narcotic use by any competitor during the tournament will not be tolerated and shall be cause for immediate disqualification.

5.      BOAT AND MOTOR – A small motor, gas or electric, may be used for slow maneuvering.  No trolling of any kind will be permitted.

6.      TOURNAMENT BOATS – Must remain in the tournament waters during the tournament. Contestants must remain in the boat at all times except in the case of dire emergency or rest breaks in the immediate lake area.  Trailing of boats during tournament hours is prohibited.  In case of boat failure, a contestant from said boat will be allowed to return to weigh-in in another club member’s boat with both contestants’ fish.

7.      BASIC BOAT EQUIPMENT – Each boat must have all required Coast Guard safety equipment.  Safe boating must be observed at all times.  Each contestant is required to wear a chest type preserver any time the combustion engine is in operation.  The preserver must be fastened securely until the combustion engine is shut off.  All boats with an electric starter must be equipped with an engine kill switch that is attached to the driver’s body any time the combustion engine is in operation.  Violation of these rules shall be reason for disqualification.

8.      PRE-TOURNAMENT PRACTICE – There will be no official practice period or off limits period for regular scheduled tournaments.

9.      TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT – Only artificial lures may be used.  No live bait will be permitted with the exception of pork rind strips, rinds, etc.  Only one casting, spincasting or reel may be used at any one time.  Rods can’t be longer than (8) feet in length.  All bass must be caught live and in a conventional sporting manner.

10.  LATE PENALTY – There shall be no excuse for tardiness and in no case shall a competitor be allowed to make-up lost time.  The tournament director for each tournament will designate a check-in spot for the end of the tournament.  Contestants are required to check in with the officials and be within sight and cease fishing by tournament stop time.  Anyone determined late by tournament officials shall lose all fish for that tournament.  Any contestant paying entry fees shall receive show-up points.  It is the responsibility of contestants to be on time.

11.  SCORING – Scoring will be determined by the pounds and ounces of each boat’s catch during the tournament.  Only largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, and redeye bass will be weighed.  The limit shall be FIVE (5) BASS PER BOAT.  At no time shall a boat exceed the tournament limit.

12.  LIVE FISH – Every effort should be made to keep the bass alive and returned to the lake.  No stringing of bass will be permitted.  All fish weighed during the tournament becomes the property of the Lake Malone Bass Club and returned to the water.  A trophy bass over five (5) pounds will be returned to the contestant if they so desire.  A penalty of .20 pounds will be deducted for the dead bass weighed, and .50 pounds (1/2) pound penalty for each additional bass weighed.

13.  Tournament officials before start of each tournament will check each boat.

14.  The official length for bass shall be 12 inches unless the state limit is over 12 inches, in which the case state limit shall prevail.  On Kentucky, Barkley Lake and Lake Malone there will be a 15-inch minimum length on all fish.  The penalty for a bass presented for weight-in that fails to measure the legal minimum length will be TOTAL DISQUALIFICATON FROM THAT TOURNAMENT.  Any bass that appears to have been mauled, mangled, mashed or altered will be weighed only at the discretion of the tournament officials.  All fish will be measured on the “Golden Rule” with the mouth closed and swishing of the tail.

15.  TIES – Incase of a tie, positions shall be resolved by combining winnings and dividing equally among the tied contestants.  Toss of coin decides presentation of trophies.

16.  Each contestant must have their fish in a plastic bag containing water or their fish will not be weighed.

17.  POLYGRAPH TEST – By being a member of Lake Malone Bass club, each contestant agrees to submit to a polygraph test or other truth devise available at any time.  The results of the test will be final.  Failure to submit to polygraph will be viewed as an admission of guilt and member will be expelled from club.

18.  Each team will be given a team number for the entire year.

19.  NEW MEMBERS – In order to join Lake Malone Bass Club, a new member may come to a regularly scheduled club meeting and be voted on by club members.  Also, club members present can vote a new member in at boat ramp.  New members must be at boat ramp 1 hour before start of tournament and be recommended by 3 club members before being voted on by club members.

20.  GUESTS – In event of one team member is unable to compete in a tournament, the other team member may obtain a guest to fish the tournament.  If guest is not a club member, total weight will count for team member.  Points will go to number registered on morning of tournament entry.  If guest wishes to fish second tournament, they must join the club as described in Rule #19.  In no case shall a team be allowed more than 4 guests a year.

21.  All fees MUST BE PAID IN FULL ($50.00 club dues) prior to fishing any tournament.

22.  The only exception to rule #21 is if you were a paid in full member in the previous year, you can pay all LMBC fees at the tournament of the new year. 

23.  The club will accept membership dues and entry fees of last year’s paid members up to fifteen (15) minutes before start of first tournament.  This is due to heavy turnout for season opener.

24.  Club officials per points schedule kept by club secretary shall assign scoring or team points.

25.  POINTS SYSTEM – Points start at 50-1st, 49-2nd, 48-3rd, and so forth, if last team to weigh a fish is 10th-41 points than we drop 10 points and any one not weighing a fish gets 31 show up points.  Any team that splits during the year will have their points split in half.  If this happens after 8 tournaments they have to fish alone or as a team in the Fish off.  Any team disqualified at a tournament will get show up points for that tournament.

26.  IF you arrive late (after boats have left starting point of tournament), you MUST find and inform a club member that you are fishing this tournament, and they MUST check your livewell at this time.  You must also be at the weigh-in to pay your entry fees.  Failure to do this will result in expulsion from the club.

27.  Boats are allowed to lock through the dam to fish a different body of water other than any exception noted on Tournament Schedule.

28.  LMBS is an amateur club.  No member or guest can be a professional fisherman or derive any part of his or her income as a professional.  An individual’s acceptance into the club shall be voted on by the membership.  LMBC reserves the right to deny acceptance into the club for any reason the membership deems appropriate.  A member can be Grand fathered in as a Pro who was a member of the club the prior 5 years before getting their Pro Card.

29.  FISH OFF – The top 10 teams as determined by points standings will qualify for the fish off.  Any team that fishes at least 8 scheduled club sanctioned tournaments automatically qualifies to be in the fish off.  In the event a team member is unable to fish the fish off, the remaining team member must fish alone.  No guests or non—qualified club members can participate in the fish off.  Number of boats paid out at fish off will be half of the field for the fish off.  Example: 24 boats fish will pay back 12 places.

 

 

NEW RULE: #2, #3, and #25 approved Jan. 12, 1999

RULES VOTED ON AND APPROVED JAN. 12, 1999

RULE #28 revised Jan. 14, 2003

RULE # 20 revised March 20, 2005

RULE #21 & #22 revised Jan. 10, 2012

RULE #29 revised Jan. 9, 2007