Club Tournament Rules

Summerville Bassmasters Tournament Rules

Effective – September 1, 2025

Rule 1. These Tournament Rules shall be permanent and part of the Summerville Bassmasters Constitution/By-Laws, and can be amended only under established procedures (Article IV).

Rule 2. The tournament year will run from September 1st through August 30th. There will normally be one club tournament each month, unless waived by the Board of Directors. The Tournament Chairman, assisted by the Board of Directors, will supervise all functions of club tournaments, including any disqualifying actions.

Rule 3. Entry fees for the club tournaments will be $45.00 for club members and $10.00 for guests. Out of each member’s $45.00 entry fee: $20.00 goes to Summerville Bassmasters general fund, $5 to the Big Fish pool, and $20.00 goes to prize money. Prize money is to be paid out as follows:

First Place- $150 Second Place – $75 Third Place – $50

Big Fish pool Total members fishing x $5 each.

Out of each guest’s $10.00 entry fee: $5.00 goes to Summerville Bassmasters general fund and $5.00 goes to the Big Fish pool. Guest are only eligible to win the Big Fish pool .

Rule 4. The point system will be used for club member tournament standings and awards with 50 points awarded for First Place, 49 for Second, 48 for Third, etc. For a 12 tournament year, only the best 10 finishes (two drops) are to be used in Point Totals for the Tournament Year).10 points for participation in the tournament will be awarded to each member who fishes and does not weigh in a fish. In the event of ties for the top three places, the largest fish will determine the winner of the highest place. If a tie still results, each of the competitors involved will get points for the highest position in contention, Price money will be added together for the 2 places and split equally (Example: Two anglers with 15-15 strings and 3-7 largest fish are contending for Second Place, each would receive 1/2 of Second & Third Place money, in this case $125 split equally). Each angler will receive 49 points (there would be no Third-Place finisher in the tournament). Ties for Big Fish will result in a split of the Big Fish pool. Ties for other places in a tournament, regardless of largest fish, will result in the award of points for that position to the competitors involved and deletion of the appropriate following positions.

Qualification for the Six Man Team Tournament and the District 6 Fish-Off will be based on points standing at the end of the tournament year. The Club will pay the entry fees for a participating Six Man Team and the District 6 Fish-Off team. Each Six Man angler will receive $150 for expenses from the General fund.

Club Championship – All members in Good Standing will be eligible to fish the Club Championship, but only the Top 10 finishers will be paid.

Rule 5. Largemouth black bass and members of the same subspecies will be the only fish counted. Tournament limit is five (5) fish per participant. Minimum length of fish to be weighed is to be in compliance with state and club regulations. You may not have more than the state legal limit in your possession at any time. You must cull to the legal limit prior to making another cast. During the tournament, fish may be culled as to size. Dead or injured fish cannot be culled, and must be presented at the scales as part of your 5 fish creel. Fish are to be measured with the mouth closed. The tail may be manipulated in any manner to reach the minimum length requirement. Any fish presented for weigh-in which does not meet State and club regulations will be culled, plus the largest fish will be culled from the stringer. If there is a questionable size fish, you must ask for it to be measured prior to officially presenting the fish for weigh-in. Courtesy measures prior to weigh in is allowed. Only non-puncture type cull tags, beams, and scales are allowed.

Any fish presented for weigh-in which appears to have been mangled, mashed, or otherwise altered, or caught under suspicious circumstances, will be weighed and credited only at the discretion of the Tournament Chairman. A penalty of 4 ounces per fish will be deducted for each fish not released alive. An appointed member of the Tournament Committee will be the final judge of live fish in questionable cases. After fish have been presented for weigh-in, weight declared and number of live fish (if released) noted, the adjusted weight is final.

There will be a 1-lb. per minute penalty for every minute late for weigh-in. Competitors over 15 minutes late for weigh-in will be disqualified, but will still receive credit for fishing. In case of mechanical breakdowns, any tournament boat which tows in another competitor shall not be liable for late penalties or disqualification. If a tournament boat becomes or is rendered useless, the competitor(s) may send or bring his or her fish to weigh-in with another participant by water in another tournament boat.

  1. All fish presented for weigh-in become the property of the Summerville Bassmasters until weigh-in is completed and verified. Upon completion of the weigh-in, any fish not released may be distributed among the tournament participants at the discretion of the Tournament Committee.
  2. Any protest must be submitted, in writing on the form provided by the Club Secretary, to a member of the Tournament Committee within thirty minutes of the completion of weigh-in. All decisions in the case of protests will be made by the Tournament Committee and will be final.

Rule 6. Tournament Hours are to be from Safe Light until 3:00, Tournaments during June, July, and August will be Safe Light until 1:00. All boats must depart and return to the designated launch/weigh-in site by water while engaged in the tournament. It shall be the responsibility of the Tournament Chairman to ensure that all competitors are checked in, entryfee is paid, and registered in the tournament log prior to the beginning of the tournament.

In cases where a competitor is unable to make the starting time, it is the responsibility of the individual to make sure that he is entered in the log. At the end of the tournament or when leaving early, each individual competitor is responsible for ensuring that he is checked out of the log. Failure to check-out, and the resulting confusion caused by searching for a missing boat, will result in disqualification from that tournament and the following tournament.

All live-wells are subject to inspection by the Tournament Committee prior to launch. Competitors who miss the starting time are required to find two club members to inspect their live-wells prior to commencement of fishing or face disqualification. Competitors who have previously arranged a late start time with the Tournament Chairman, because of work requirements, are exempt from this requirement.

In the interest of safety, trailering will be allowed only in the cases of severe, adverse weather conditions. The Tournament Chairman, the Safety Coordinator, and the President (or Vice-President in any above absence) will agree by simple majority that conditions warrant trailering, and determine actions to be taken. This is to be decided at the scheduled launch location and time as voted upon by the General Membership at the first yearly Business Meeting. Once voted on and published, tournament venues shall not be changed except as provided for above. Cases will be treated on an individual basis and non-allowance of trailering will result in the disqualification of the competitors involved.

Rule 7. Boating rules and regulations of the South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Department will be observed at all times. Competitors in Summerville Bassmasters tournaments are expected to follow and maintain high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety, and conservation. Safe boating conduct and practices must be followed by competitors at all times.

Each competitor is required to wear a Coast Guard approved, chest-type life preserver at all times when the boat is on plane, or as required by local law. The preserver must be zipped, strapped, or snapped securely, and maintained in that condition until such time as the prime power source of the boat is shut off.

General boating and fishing courtesy and safety must be practiced at all times with due regard for the rights of non-competitors and people engaged in other water activities.

Rule 8. No boat will fish within 50 yards of another tournament boat without permission. No competitor, either anchored or holding on a hole or drop, who allows another tournament boat to fish within his 50-yard circle may then exclude other tournament boats from that circle.

Rule 9. Only artificial lures may be used. Multiple bait rigs (Alabama, Donkey/ Double Fluke, Topwater with Dropper) may be used during club tournaments. No live or prepared bait will be permitted (with the exception of pork rind strips, frogs, etc.). Only casting, spin-cast, spinning, or fly rods and reels may be used. All other types are prohibited. All bass must be caught in a conventional, sporting manner from the boat. Use of landing nets is permitted and encouraged. No trolling, bank fishing, or wading permitted.

Rule 10. Drinking of alcoholic beverages prior to or during a tournament will not be condoned. Drunkenness by any competitor during a tournament will not be tolerated and shall be grounds for immediate disqualification and censure by the club.

Rule 11. A violation of any of the rules shall be grounds for disqualification. All decisions regarding any facet of the tournament and its conduct will be made by the Tournament Committee and all decisions of the committee are final.

Rule 12. Participants in Summerville Bassmasters tournaments enter at their own risk. Club officials, committee members, and any other persons connected directly or indirectly with the tournament shall be exempt from any liability for loss, damage, harm or injury suffered to any participant, their companions, boats, or equipment which may occur during a tournament.

Rule 13. Annual awards will be made at the annual “Mr. Bass” banquet and will be based on the overall finishing standings at the end of the tournament year. The awards are as follows:

First Place: “Mr. Bass” Plaque (plus other awards as determined by the Board of Directors).

Second thru Sixth Places: Plaques.

Sportsman of the Year: Plaque (Selected by the Board of Directors).

Lunker of the Year: Plaque (Awarded to the member catching the largest bass in a club tournament during the year).

Rule 14. Rule 14 Lunker Award – As a Lunker Award, the club will pay a maximum of $200 towards the replica mounting of a Largemouth bass over 10lbs (Smallmouth over 6) which is caught by an active member in good standing during a sanctioned club tournament.

JD Dendy – President

September 1, 2025

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