B.A.S.S. Nation of Virginia
REGION III
BY-LAWS
The B.A.S.S. Nation of Virginia
Tournament Rules and Regulations will govern the conduct of Region III
tournaments. The membership of the Region has added the following additional
rules that govern the regional tournaments.
1. NUMBER OF
TOURNAMENTS
1.1 There will be six
qualifying Region tournaments each year as recommended by the membership and
approved by the club representative of Region III.
2. PARTICIPATION
2.1 Region tournaments will be
open to all active members of clubs in Region III. As voted Region 6, Youth and
College angler?s who are current members of B.A.S.S. Nation of Virginia.
3. TOURNAMENT
SUPERVISION AND COMMITTEE
3.1 The tournament will be
supervised by the Region III tournament Director, who will be elected by the
members of Region III.
3.2 The Region Tournament
Director will be Responsible for keeping accurate records for all Region III
tournaments.
3.3 Each club in Region III
will be responsible for assisting the Tournament Director during the launch and
weigh-in at the Region III tournaments on a rotating basis. The Tournament
Director will announce the list for the year prior to the start of the
tournament season. The host club for each tournament must provide at
least two club members to assist.
Should the host club be unable
to fulfill their duties the Tournament Director will appoint personnel to
assists with the tournament.
4. TOURNAMENT
RULES
4.1 Boat launch order will be
determined by the order in which each team registers for that specific
tournament.
4.2 The rules of the B.A.S.S.
Federation Nation of Virginia will be strictly adhered to and these special
tournament rules of Region III. Any infraction of these rules will result in
disqualification.
4.3 No live bait is to be used
and only fish with one rod and reel at a time, and all fishing
is to be done from the boat only. There will be no trolling, multi rigged baits
on a line, no Alabama rigs are allowed.
4.4 All Region III members are
entitled to fish tournaments with any other Region III member or by themselves.
4.5 A limit of FIVE fish
per boat (all alive), will be returned to the river or lake. In the case of a
trophy fish the angler will have the option to return the fish to that body of
water.
4.6 Fish size- 12-inch minimum
unless specified differently by state regulations on all rivers. Lake rules
apply otherwise; Lake Rules consist of (2) 12 inch per person,
otherwise 14-inch minimum size limit. Each individual is responsible for
verifying this prior to start of tournament.
4.7 Returning late for weigh-in
will result in a ONE POUND per minute penalty after TEN minutes
the team is disqualified.
4.8 Dead fish weighed in will result in a FOUR OUNCE penalty
for each dead fish presented at scale. If Big Fish is the dead fish four
ounces will be deducted from that fish?s weight for the tournament.
4.9 At least one fish may be
measured out of each team's catch
4.10 Any short fish will result
in the loss of that fish plus the team's heaviest fish.
4.11 There will be no culling (exchanging one fish for another) or
returning any fish to the water after the team has checked in with the Check In
Boat.
4.12 There will be no
re-measuring of fish at the weigh-in location.
4.13 All fish become the
property of the Tournament Committee as soon as you reach the Check In Boat.
4.14 The Tournament Committee
reserves the right to check live wells at any time.
4.15 No Fishing within 50 yards
of an anchored boat or power pole in place. (The trolling motor must
be in the "up" position).
4.16 No casting into tournament
waters prior to the start or passing check-in and while the weigh-in is under
way.
4.17 Live wells and kill
switches must be in working order.
4.18 A Coast Guard approved
coat or vest with kill switch attached must be worn at all times when the
outboard motor is running.
4.19 Ease off will be
accomplished as stated DO NOT GET ON PLANE until well clear of
the starter boat or you will be disqualified.
4.20 You are responsible for
the wake of your boat and any damage it may cause.
4.21 Safety will be the
judgment of each individual agreed upon by the Tournament Committee, The Region
III board of directors and the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation of Virginia.
4.22 Please put litter in its
place (in the trashcan).
4.23 There will be no alcoholic
beverages in the possession of any of the competitors in their boat, during
tournament hours, beginning with registration and continuing until the awards
are distributed; nor will any alcoholic beverages be consumed by any of the
competitors or staff during the above-stated timeframe. Violation of this rule
will result in immediate disqualification from the tournament.
4.24 Protest must be filled out
in writing a reasonable time or 30 minutes from the time of completion of the
tournament weigh-in. Forms are available from the Region Director, The Region
Tournament Director or the Tournament Committee.
4.25 Violation of any of the
above rules or other acts of unsportsmanlike conduct, as determined by the
Region Tournament Committee, may be cause for disqualification.
4.26 There may be a polygraph
test given at any or all tournaments. If failed or inconclusive (see
section 13.2).
4.27 Should a competitor?s boat break down that competitor will be
allowed to bring his fish to the weight in site in another competitors boat.
Catch must be separated and verified check in time is still enforced and
penalties will still be enforced for late check in.
5. ENTRY FEES AND
PAYBACK
5.1 The entry fee for all participants
will be $100.00 per event. This fee applies whether fishing alone or
with a partner
5.1- A This may change, with
the approval of the membership.
5.2 Region III will retain 20%
of the tournament fees for the following uses:
5.2-A At the discretion of the
membership, awards may be presented to the top three teams at the end of the
tournament season with funds derived from the entry
fees.
5.3-B
Operating Expenses:
(a)
Region III operating expenses
(b)
Support the Region III Team in the Fall
Classic
5.3-C Payback will be 80% with
the remaining 20% as stated above. The Region III payback schedule will be
used. We will pay back 1 in 5. A payout schedule will be
provided at every tournament.
5.4-D All monies not awarded at
the Region III tournament, as a result of not enough fish being caught to pay
back all of the finishing positions that would be paid in accordance with the
Region III payback schedule, shall be retained by the Region III and such sums
shall be used for the team sent by Region III to the Fall Classic.
6. ANNUAL BIG FISH POT
6.1 The Region will hold an
annual Big Fish Pot for the Largest Bass caught during Region Tournaments.
6.2 Entry fee will be $10.00
per person annually. The Annual Big Fish Pot is optional.
6.3 Entry
fees to be paid to Region Treasurer.
6.4 The Annual Big Fish
Pot must be paid prior to the start of the tournament.
6.5 Minimum weight to win the Big Fish Pot will be 8 lbs.
6.6 Should the fish be weighted in dead the dead fish penalty will
be deducted from the fish?s weight prior to scoring the weight for Big Fish of
the year. Example: Fish weights 8 lbs. but it is dead the weight scored will be
7.75 lbs. This fish would not meet minimum weight to win the Big Fish Pot.
6.7 Region Treasurer will
maintain a list of all members in the big fish pot.
6.8 After the first year the entry fee for the Annual Big Fish Pot
for a member who did not enter the previous year or years will be $10.00 for
every year they didn?t participate in Big Fish. New members will pay $10.00 per person, if the
pot was broken the year before. If the
pot rolls over New Members will pay $20.00 to buy in the first year of their
membership.
7. INDIVIDUAL
SCORING
7.1 Individual points will be
awarded based on the actual total weight and points derived from the finish and
based on a 200-point system.
7.2 The 200-point system scoring system
for each event and the Classic will be as follows:
200 points to 1st
place
199 points to 2nd
place
198 points to 3rd place
197 points to 4th place
196 points to 5th
place
195 points to 6th place
and so on in 1-point
increments. In the event that a team or angler does not weigh-in a
fish he or she will receive the next consecutive point. In the event of a tie
or more than one person or team does not weigh-in fish each person or team will
get the same amount of points for that place.
7.3 The lowest tournament total
for each participant will be dropped at the end of the tournament
season. The results will show the best five tournaments of the
six-tournament season.
8. REGISTRATION
8.1 At the team?s
time of registration; teams will draw or be given the next available boat
number. This is also the same for the any registrations the morning of the
tournament. The cut off for registration will be 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE START OF THE
TOURNAMENT. In
an event that a team is late they must contact the tournament committee or a
member of the region board to get an exception to fish the
tournament. Once the team reaches the tournament location the team
must locate and be checked by another tournament boat that is not from their
club prior to starting their fishing day.
9. SAFETY
9.1 The B.A.S.S. Nation of
Virginia rules for safety apply, including boat owner?s insurance requirements.
Boater Safety course required if applicable.
10. TOURNAMENT HOURS
10.1 Tournament hours will be
announced by the Tournament Director upon the announcement of the upcoming
seasons tournament schedule.
11. STATE FALL CLASSIC TOURNAMENT
11.1 The top finishers after all tournaments have been completed will
represent Region III in the State Fall Classic as decided by the Region each year,
whether to pay for 10 men or women. If only 10 men or women go, then any member
may join the team at their own expense, i.e., entry fees, rooms, meals, and
etc. It is their responsibility to let the Region Director know if they wish to
join the team.
11.2 Boaters and Non-Boaters
will be determined by order of finish in Region III Tournament final standings.
11.3 The Region III Team will
receive funds from Region III, in the amount of the tournament entry fee.
11.4 At the region meeting
following the conclusion of the Region III tournament season, the list of
available contenders will be announced. The next region meeting all anglers that commit to fishing the
Fall Classic will be required to pay the Fall Classic entry fees at that time.
If the boaters attend the Fall Classic, they will receive their full entry fee
back. If the non-boater attends the Fall Classic, they will receive
their entry fee back minus $50.00 gas fee for the boaters. In the
event that an angler does not attend the Fall Classic their entry fee will
become the property of Region III. If for any reason that the angler
cannot attend the event due to an extenuating circumstance, he may present that
to the Region III board for a consideration to be refunded.
11.5 Only an even number of men
can be on the team with the minimum number of men will be determined by the
B.A.S.S. Nation of Virginia Board of Directors.
11.6 The Region Director will
ultimately be responsible for the team.
11.7 In the case of a tie for
year ending points the first tie breaker will be the total number of fish
weighed in for the year. The second tie breaker will be the biggest fish
weighed in for the year.
11.8 At the conclusion of the Fall Classic qualified teams will have
one week to inform the Region Director of there intent to participate in the
State Team Shoot Out.
12. TIE BREAKERS
12.1 The number of fish will be
the first tiebreaker. Big Fish will be the second tiebreaker. Should
this not be an alternative then both teams will be given the same number of
points for the highest position and the payback for that position will be
split.
13. PROTEST AND FRAUD
13.1 Protest must be announced
to the Tournament Director and then must be filed in writing within a
responsible period of time and not longer than 30 minutes from the time of the
completion of the tournament weigh-in on the day of the tournament. Forms are
available from the Region Director, the Region Tournament Director or a member
of the Tournament Committee.
13.2 Upon inquiry, should any
tournament participant be found guilty of fraud or cheating during the
tournament, the angler will be subject to one or all of the following:
13.2-A Disqualified from Region
III sanctioned events for the period of the year, as of that day.
13.2-B Disqualified from
participating in Region III sanctioned events for a period greater than one
year, as of that day.
13.2-C Disqualified from
participating in Region III sanctioned events for a lifetime, as of that day.
13.2-D All points accumulated
at that point will be forfeited for any of the above.
13.3 This rule is not intended
to supersede or deny Region III the right to pursue criminal and/or civil
action or abdication of the (guilty) party from the B.A.S.S. Nation of
Virginia.
13.4 The final determination
between cheating and rules infraction will be the sole responsibility and at
the discretion of the Region officers, polygraph examiner or both.
13.5 Region III rules regarding
proper protest procedures remain functional and shall not be circumvented
except in extreme cases.
13.6 All competitors of
sanctioned tournaments held by Region III of the B.A.S.S. Nation of Virginia
will be subject to polygraph examination by a licensed examiner at the
direction of the Region III Tournament Committee is defined as the duly
appointed body for conducting Region III tournaments, to include Region III
officers.
13.6-A Selection of those to be
examined will be at random by the direction of the Tournament Director.
13.6-B Results by licensed
examiner along with the rulings of the Tournament Committee are final.
13.6-C Findings, along with any
refusal to submit to polygraph examination by the direction of the Tournament
Committee, will be grounds for disqualification in accordance with Section
13.2, or other disciplinary actions deemed to be appropriate.
13.6-D This section will be reviewed
on an annual basis and a determination will be made if the program will
continue.
14. RULES
INTERPRETATION
14.1 Enforcement and
interpretation of all tournament rules shall be the responsibility of the
Region III officers. The intent of all such rules, and/or situations not
specifically addressed by such rules, will be interpreted and acted on by the
Region III officers. All decisions will be final. Rules not covered in the
document will be referred to the B.A.S.S. Nation of Virginia By-laws and
Tournament Rules.
15. REGION OFFICALS
15.1 The Region III Director
will be elected from the membership of the Region III chapters.
15.1-A The Director shall be a
member in good standings with the B.A.S.S. Nation of Virginia and B.A.S.S
and the chapter he belongs to.
15.1-B The Election shall be
held in November of each odd number year. Nominations shall be held at the
October meeting of that year.
15.1-C Election shall be by
secret ballot, if more than one individual has been nominated for that office.
If only one person in nominated, then at the November meeting, the Secretary
shall cast a unanimous ballot for that individual.
15.1-D The membership shall
elect a Secretary, a Tournament Committee, Treasurer, Youth Director,
Conservation Director, and a Region Assistant Director. There
election time and length in office will coincide with the Region Director.
15.1-E The Director shall
conduct monthly meetings of the Region III chapters at a site determined by the
Director and approved by the membership.
15.1-F The Director shall
report to the membership at the monthly meetings his activities for the
previous month. He shall disseminate all information pertinent to the
membership and their activities.
15.1-G The Assistant Director
shall fill in for the Director as necessary and as required by the Director.
15.1-H The Secretary shall be
responsible for the minutes of each meeting, making a copy available at each
succeeding meeting for the membership. He or she shall report to the Director.
15.1-I The Tournament Director
shall be responsible for the proper operation of the Region III tournaments. TD
shall be responsible for nominating clubs to assist with Region Tournaments.
Each chapter within the Region shall be responsible for assisting the
Tournament Director when necessary. TD shall be responsible for presenting to
the membership at large a proposed tournament schedule for the upcoming year no
later than October of each year. Tournament dates shall not conflict with state
activity dates. TD shall conduct a Tournament Committee meeting of the whole
prior to the October meeting to obtain input from the members. TD shall keep
accurate records of all results from the Region Tournaments which will be
available at the meeting following each tournament and will be posted on the
Region III website as soon after the tournament as possible. The Tournament
Director shall report to the Region Director.
15.1-J The Youth Director shall
conduct and oversee all Region Youth activities. YD will work in partnership
with the Youth Director for the sponsoring club for the yearly Youth Day event
in June of each year. YD will be responsible for holding a Casting Kids event
each year in partnership with the sponsoring club for the Casting Kids event. YD
shall assist the State Youth Director when called upon and will report directly
to the Region Director.
15.1-K The Conservation Director
shall oversee all Region III conservation activities. CD shall coordinate a
yearly Conservation event of his choice in conjunction with the Department of
Game and Inland Fisheries. CD shall assist the state Conservation
Director when called upon and will report directly to the Region Director.
15.2 The term of office for all
Region III Board Members shall be consistent with the By-laws set forth by the
B.A.S.S. Nation of Virginia. The term shall be for a period of two years for each
election cycle.
16. PARTICIPATION BY
REGION CHAPTERS
(DEFINITION
OF GOOD STANDINGS)
16.1 A chapter in good standing
in the Region shall have met the following qualifications:
16.1-A Participated in 50% of
the Region III meetings
16.1-B Participated in 50% 0f
the Region III tournament
16.1-C Participated in June
Youth Event. Each Club must send two members to this event.
16.1-D Participate in any other
function agreed upon by the body at large.
16.2 Each chapter must provide
the Region III Director and the Region Youth Director the name of a chapter
youth director.
16.3 These requirements must be
satisfied in order for the chapters to participate in the annual
State-Sponsored Chapter Team Tournament and Mr. Bass Tournament.
16.4 Members of Region Chapters
must be on the current roster supplied by the State Secretary/Treasurer and
must be current in their dues to the State and National organizations.
16.5 Members who leave State-Sponsored
tournaments without officially informing the State Tournament Staff will not be
allowed to fish State Tournaments for the remainder of the year of the
infraction, but also the following year. In addition, those members will also
be suspended from participating in Region Tournaments for one year from the
date of the infraction.
16.6 When Region III is the
host Region for Mr. BASS or the Fall Classic Tournaments, one person from each
club is to be present to work the tournament both days of competition. If not,
that club or clubs will be ineligible to fish both Mr. BASS and the Chapter
teams the following year.
17. ANNUAL DUES AND
CHAPTER ROSTERS
17.1 Each Chapter shall be
required to submit to the B.A.S.S. Nation of Virginia annual dues upon Receipt
of billing.
17.2 Chapter rosters shall be
updated with the most up-to-date information available as soon as possible each
time they are distributed by B.A.S.S.
17.3 Failure to complete the
rosters on time will result in members not being qualified to participate in
the annual State Qualifying Tournaments.
Copyright
Region lll B.A.S.S. Nation of Virginia
©2019