Section 1. - Officers and Executive Committee

A. President
Presides over all meetings and directs all official business. Appoints and directs all committee functions. Assist other officer ’s in their duties, as required.
B. Vice President
Assumes all responsibilities of the President in the President’s absence. Responsible for all public relations and publicity. Assist other officer’s in their duties, as required.
C. Club Secretary
Maintains accurate minutes of all business and meetings. Assist other officer's in their duties, as required.
D. Treasurer
Maintains club bank account, responsible for all club funds, collects all fees, responsible for tournament pay-outs and maintains accurate reports on the club account. The Treasurer also purchases all club trophies, plaques and plates. Assist other officer’s in their duties, as required.
E. Tournament Director 
Directs all matters pertaining to Club tournaments. Including: the start of the regular tournaments, tournament weigh-ins, tournament exemptions (passes these out at the meeting prior to a tournament), maintains tournament records, attendance records, and report results and standings to the members at meetings. The tournament director has final call on violations and disqualifications. Assist other officer’s in their duties, as required
F. Executive Committee 
Consists of the Club Officers and is the governing body for the Club’s By-Laws.

Section 2. – Elections

A. The election of officers will be held annually at the regular meeting during the month of November. Elections will be by a simple majority of the members present at that meeting. The election of each officer will be held separately, in order listed above. The new officers will take office on the first meeting of the new tournament year.

Section 3. - Meetings

A. Regular meetings will be held on the second Thursday @ 7:30 PM of every month at such place designated by the Club Officers. There are no meetings during August and December.

Section 4. - Membership and Dues

A. Dues: Dues for membership will be $24.00 per year, in advance. Dues for new members who join after the January tournament will be pro-rated at $2.00 per month, for months left in the year.
B. Refunds: No Refunds
C. Boater/Non-boater Ratio: The club will maintain a Ratio of 1 to 1 for boat owners to non-boat owners. New non-boat owners will not be allowed to join the club unless the ratio can be met.

Section 5. - Removal From Membership

A. Removal from membership must be by two-thirds vote of the Club membership present at the meeting when the vote occurs.
B. Removal from Club membership may be for the following:

1. Any un-sportsmanlike conduct will be grounds for dismissal,
2. Missing three consecutive club functions may be grounds for dismissal.
3. Any member who misses three consecutive club functions and cannot be contacted by club officials will be removed from active standing and removed from the club point standings.

Section 6. - Tournaments

A. Tournament Schedule:  Regular tournaments will be held as follows:

• 10 Regular season tournaments: Jan, Feb, Mar x 2, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Sept, Oct
• Club “Classic” Tournament will be held in November.
• All tournaments will be held on the last Saturday of every month except:
• March will have two tournaments - The first Sat after the Mar club meeting (the first Saturday after the second Thursday) and the last Saturday of the month
• November classic will be held on the first Sat after the Nov club meeting (the first Saturday after the second Thursday)
• No tournaments will be held in August or December
• Club 2-Day tournaments (Sat/Sun)
• April -- held on the last Sat/Sun of April
• November -- Classic will be held on the first Sat/Sun after the Nov club meeting
• If a tournament falls on or near a holiday, the tournament may be reset by a majority vote of the members present at the meeting when the change is sought.

B. Tournament Fees: The tournament entry fee for all participants whether members or guest, will be $25.00. A $5.00 big bass, per day, entry fee is also required if the person desires to be included in the big bass pot. Payment is required at the meeting prior to the tournament. Since there are two tournaments in March payment for the February and first March tournament will be due at the February meeting. If a member cannot attend the meeting and desires to fish in the tournament he must notify a club officer prior to the meeting and make payments prior to the tournament. Ideally he would give the money to someone else attending the meeting to pay for him.
C. Failure to Participate: If a member and/or member’s guest fails to participate after being drawn out, that member will be considered a “NO SHOW” for the tournament. To receive a refund for your tournament entry fee, members must call a club officer prior to the tournament launch if they can’t make a tournament. Otherwise they forfeit their entry fee.
D. Leaving a Tournament: In the event that a participant in any tournament wishes to or must leave the tournament waters and will not be at the weigh-in, that participant must communicate his departure prior to departing. If the participant is a boater and his paired non- boater desires to continue to fish, the boater must make arrangements to put that non-boater into another boat to continue the tournament or provide some other way for the non-boater to continue the tournament. Fish caught, by departing individual, may be weighed in by another member in another boat if possible. The weight and length will be recorded and fish released.
E. Black Bass Only: Only large mouth black bass will be weighed in. Exceptions will be at the discretion of the tournament director prior to the tournament.
F. Possession limit: The limit for weigh-in purposes, will be five fish per day, or governed by the state laws of that which covers the body of water that is being fished. If in possession of more than five fish the member will forfeit his largest two fish at the weigh-in.
G. Minimum length: Minimum length for weigh-in will be 14 inches unless dictated by state law for that body of water. This can be overridden by the use of exemption cards. Length will be measured from the closed mouth of the longest point of the tip of the tail on a “golden rule”. Failure to meet the minimum length will result in the loss of the largest and smallest fish. 
H. Courtesy Checks: One fish may receive a courtesy check if requested to the tournament director prior to putting the fish in the weigh in bucket. Courtesy checks will not be granted for dead fish.
I. Penalties for dead fish: 1st dead fish — 4 oz., 2nd dead fish — 10 oz., 3rd dead fish — 18 oz., 4th dead fish — 28 oz., 5th dead fish — 40 oz. The Tournament Director will determine dead fish. This penalty will be deducted from the total weight for the day. All live fish will be released after weigh-in, and all dead fish will be removed from the lake.
J. Launch/Weigh In Time: Tournaments will last from safe daylight until 3:00 p.m. The Tournament Director will determine “safe daylight.”  During "summer months" (June and July) the tournament will last from safe daylight until 2:00 p.m. Weigh-in times may be changed by a majority vote prior to launch.
K. Pre-fishing: Pre-fishing the tournament lake is permitted up to 12:00 midnight of the Friday preceding the tournament date. The lake will be off limits to all members and guests fishing the tournament from 12:00 A.M. Saturday, to the start time of the tournament. A violation of this rule may result in dismissal from the Club.
L. Bait: Only artificial bait may be used with conventional casting, spinning, fly, or flipping rods. Only one rod may be in use at anytime by each contestant. Any exception to theses rules will be at the discretion of the Tournament Director.
M. Trolling: Trolling is not permitted with primary boat motor (gas).
N. Alcohol: No alcoholic beverages will be consumed during tournament hours. Tournament hours are considered to be from the time you arrive at the ramp till the time everyone has weighed in their fish. Violation of this rule will be disqualification from the tournament. Please refer to current Florida State Laws for further information.
O. Safety: Life jackets must be worn when on-plane. Also a kill switch must be connected to the driver while on plane, if the boat is equipped with one.
P. Late Arrivals: All members that are going to be late to a tournament and are still planning on fishing that tournament must contact another club member prior to blast-off to inform them of their planned participation and receive weigh-in times.
Q. Start Location: All members must blast-off from the same location - as directed by the Tournament Director.
R. Shotgun Start: Before safe light, all boats must meet at a designated spot on the water with the Tournament Director (this spot will be determined by the TD). The TD will then determine safe light and the start of the tournament. When released by the TD to start fishing - all boats may blast off together and must proceed safely.
S: Rule Violations: Failure to follow any of the above tournament rules will result in disqualification, multiple violations may result in removal from the club. The tournament director has final call on violations and disqualifications.

Section 7- Tournament Lake and Official Site

A. The selection of the tournament waters will be by the following method:

1. Jan/Feb Selection: At the November meeting, the first two bodies of water to be fished for the following year's monthly tournaments will be selected (Jan and Feb), with the second body designated the alternate lake in the event any unforeseen circumstances causes the first lake to be un-fishable. The selection process will be done using the majority vote by members present at this meeting.
2. Remaining Lake Selection: At each subsequent meeting, an additional lake will be chosen for the following month's tournament.
3. Classic Selection: The exception to this selection method will be for the Classic in November. That lake will be selected at the September meeting to allow enough time for lodging reservations.
4. Restrictions: No one body of water will be fished more than twice in a tournament year or any two consecutive months. This rule does not apply to the back-up waters.
5. Launch Sites: Launch sites and imposed water boundaries will be decided on during the meeting preceding the tournament.

Section 8- Partners

A.  Partner Pairing

• There are no partner restrictions.
• Any club member may fish with any other club member.
• Two boat owners (boaters) may fish together as long as there are enough boats for all non-boat owners (non-boaters).
• If there are non-boaters that have not made arrangements with a boater they will be paired up with available boaters (by draw) in the meeting prior to the tournament.
• After all partners are paired; the remaining boaters may fish alone in their own boat

B. Boater Availability: If a boater is unsure of their availability on the tournament day, they will be paired at the meeting prior to the tournament. If the boater is unable to fish, the tournament director will make arrangements to pair the effected non-boater with another boater.
D. Not Enough Boaters: If there are more non-boaters than available boaters, then the non-boaters will be prioritized based upon seniority in the club.

• If two or more non-boaters have the same seniority, a coin toss will determine who will fish that tournament.
• After that point, they will be selected upon a rotational basis.

E. Minors: A minor (child under the age of 18) that is a member must fish with their parent or guardian that is a member.
F. Non-Boater Fees: All non-boaters will pay $25.00 to the boater they are fishing with to defer the operating expenses for the tournament.

Section 9 - Guest

A. Requirements: If a member desires to bring a guest to a tournament and there are sufficient boats for all non-boater members who are fishing that particular tournament: the member will be allowed to bring the guest. The guests name is to be given and entry fee paid at the meeting prior to that tournament.
B. Restrictions: Each member may bring two guests in a tournament year. If a member brings a guest to fish any given tournament and the guest joins the Club, then that member is allowed another guest.
C. No-Shows: If a member is drawn out with a guest and that member does not bring the guest, that member loses one guest privilege for the year.

Section 10- Scoring and Tournament Pay Back

A. Pay Back: 65% of all tournament entry fees will be available for pay back.
B. Point Standings: Annual point standings will be determined by a point per ounce weighed in at the tournaments (less penalty points), plus 10 points per meeting attended and 10 points per tournament fished.

• Awards shall be determined by the pound and ounce weight of the catch of each member during tournament hours (less penalties). 
• Only active members in good standing will be listed in the points standings.

C.  Late for Weigh-In: Contestants who are not at official weigh-in site at the appointed time shall be penalized at the rate of ten ounces per minute to be deducted from the total weight of the catch for the day of that person. Any contestant who is more than 15 minutes late shall lose all credit for the catch for the day unless the lateness is due to breakdown, as determined by the Tournament Director, no penalty will be assessed. 
E. Number of Places: The number of places paid back per tournament will be based on the total number of contestants fishing.
      (1) With less than 15 contestants, the pay back will be three places. The pay off will be based on 50%, 30%, and 20%.
      (2) With 15 or more contestants, the pay back will be five places. The pay off will be based on 45%, 25%, 15%, 10%, and 5%.
F. Unfilled Payback: In the event there is any unfilled pay back place the monies due for that place(s) will remain with the Club.

Section 11- Awards

A. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place Trophies - Annual points standings winners will receive a trophy with their name, ranking, and year at the November meeting.
B. Big Bass Trophy - The current member who catches the largest bass of the year will receive a trophy at the November meeting. 
C. Club Plaque - Club Plaques will be awarded when a member places in a tournament. One Plaque per member will be awarded. A second plaque (or third and so on) will be awarded to a member when he or she fills the first plaque with plates. (Twelve plates can be placed on a plaque then another plaque will be awarded.)
D. Tournament Plates - Tournament Plates will be awarded after each tournament for placing in the tournament and for big bass. These are small engraved gold plates that will be attached to the Club Plaque described above.
E. Only Active Members Receive Awards - To receive a club award (plaques, plates) you must be an active member in good standing. Also, to be eligible for year end awards (trophies) you must be an active member when the award is presented in November.

Section 12 - Annual Classic

A. Tournament Date: An annual classic tournament shall be held each year in November as a two-day tournament. 

• The first day will be from safe daylight to 3:00P.M., unless voted on by a majority vote prior to launch.
• The second day will be from safe daylight to 12:00P.M. (noon), unless voted on by a majority vote prior to launch.

B. Eligibility: All current members shall be contestants in the classic if they have fished at least six tournaments during the tournament year. 
C. Buy-In: Members that have not met the six tournament requirements may buy into the classic. The cost will be $25 per tournament that brings them to the minimum of six. These fees are to be paid to the treasurer no later than the November meeting. 
D. Big Bass Buy-In: Those that are eligible for the classic may fish for Big Bass. Fees are $5.00 per day.
E. Partner Pairing: Non-boaters who have not selected a boater for the classic will be paired at the October meeting.
F. Lake Selection: The body of water for the classic shall be selected by a majority vote, at the September meeting. The water chosen for the classic site will be governed by the same By-Laws as a regular tournament for pre-fishing, and state laws. 
G. Payout: Payout shall be five places regardless of the number of participants. Pay out will be the same as Section 10-E. Classic payouts will be based on the balance of the Club’s funds after all debts have been cleared. The club treasury will maintain $100 to carry over to the next year. 

Section 13 - Changes to the By-Laws 

A. The By-Laws may be changed only at the November meeting, by a motion and second from the floor or by an executive committee, if it is in the best interest of the Club.