Rules

Welcome!! Welcome!! Welcome!!

We will do our best to make a fun, interesting and exciting fishing club. Just like any other new club we will experience some growing pains as we get bigger. The current rules, regulations, and guidelines are a great starting point. As we move forward we can talk and modify to meet our goal of a friendly bass club.

Thanks so much,

Shawn Wheeler

President

Boat and Safety Requirements

Boats maxed horse power may not exceed 60 HP. Electric motors only also accepted.

The boat must be legally registered.

Members must obtain ramp permits before to entering the tournament.

All boats must meet minimum state, federal, and Coast Guard requirements for operation.

All club members are expected to obey all applicable Florida boating or fishing and wildlife statutes, laws, and rules. Boats must carry proper safety equipment as required for their particular vessel.

All boats must have working live wells. All boats will have to meet minimum requirements for a live well, insulated cooler with aeration/ water circulation or both, size requirement must be 54 quarts or larger.

All club members will follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation.

All anglers participating in club tournaments will have Coast Guard approved life vests at the start of the tournaments, before the can proceed out to fish. All children 12 years of age and younger are required to wear life jackets at all times while in a boat fishing tournaments.

Anglers must obey all posted signs on water ways.

All electronics are acceptable.

WEATHER CONDITIONS:

Members are allowed to leave the boat and seek safe shelter in bad weather where danger may be imminent.

Tournament officials have the right to delay, shorten or cancel the start of an official tournament day because of bad weather or other factors that would endanger the safety of the competitors

Team Rules

The initial cost to join the fishing club is ten dollars ($10.00) per person. And are renewed yearly at the beginning of each season.

When joining, club members will declare their status: one or a two-man team. If a team loses a member they may choose a new team member, any one-man team may add a partner at any time. Any added partner will have to join club as a new member and new member fees and requirements will apply.

Member's must fish at least four (4) regular season tournaments to be eligible to fish the end of season classic fish off. Active club members will have to wait until the following season to pair up as partners.

Tackle and Equipment

Club members may use only artificial lures as bait. No "live bait" or "prepared bait" will be permitted, with the exception of pork strips, rinds, etc.

Only one casting or spin-casting or spinning rod (maximum length eight feet) and one reel may be used by an angler at a time. Other similar types of rigs may be in the boat, ready for use, however only one (1) rig is permitted to be used at a time.

There is no "Strolling", "Trolling", or "Long Lining" permitted in any tournaments. Any team using this method will be disqualified.

The use of "grippers" to land a fish is prohibited.

The use of landing nets is permitted.

Meetings

Meetings should be attended by all members. In order make OUR club a great fishing resource for everyone it will take a small effort, but the return will be tenfold. Meetings will generally go over how to improve and support what we love, fishing.

Most club decisions will be decided by majority vote, providing there are at least 51% of the members present. However, if a decision is needed immediately the club members present will vote on a decision.

There is no penalty for missing meetings however it is a prime opportunity for members to express their opinions and help the club grow.

Meetings are usually scheduled at the end of the season. But other meetings may occur throughout the season.

For attending meetings 10 Points will be awarded towards the AOY standings.

General:

The club will hold tournaments approximately once a month for six to eight months, the length of one season. At the end of each season there will be a classic fish off.

Tournament entry fees are $40.00 per boat, payouts are determined by number of entrants. For each tournament, a percentage of the entry fees will be added to the Classic fund. No member shall hold any money back for personal profit or gain. There will also be an big bass pot ($5 of each entry fee) which will be paid back 100% at each tournament.

If a team shows up late for a tournament, they must adhere to all starting rules. (Find another club boat, present empty live well and give appropriate tournament fees at the time they are eligible to start fishing.)

All fishing must be done from the boat. Areas that are posted off limit and areas closed to the public will be deemed off limits to all club members.

Missed Tournament Rule

An angler/team may miss only two regular season tournaments without any penalties. After missing their second tournament they must pay the entry fee for each tournament missed in our to participate in the classic.

TOURNAMENT TIME

Tournaments will start at safe light in the morning and end at 2:00 pm. Summer Series tournaments will start at safe light and will end at 11:30 am. Boat Numbers will be provide for launching at tournaments with 10 or more boats. These boat numbers will be used for weigh in as well. If a team comes in beyond the weigh-in time period, the angler/team will be disqualified.

Boat numbers must be given to the weigh master for check in by 2pm or team will be disqualified. If no number is provided back to weigh master that team will be disqualified

FISH REGULATIONS:

Only Largemouth, Smallmouth, Spotted, Red Eyes, Shoal, and Suwannee Bass will be weighed.

The official tournament length for bass shall be no less than twelve (12) inches, unless the state limit is different, in which case the state limit will prevail. Only bass described above that measure twelve (12) inches or more in length on an "Official Golden Rule" with mouth closed and tail pinched will be weighed. Any fish under twelve (12) inches in length will be cause for disqualification for that teams weigh in. No courtesy measurements will be permitted at the weigh-in station.

Weight is allowed a one time challenge. Once is re-weighed no changes will be allowed or accepted.

A fish that appears to have been mangled, mashed, mauled, or otherwise altered may, at the Tournament Officials Discretion, not be weighed in and anglers will be disqualified.

The culling of a "dead" fish is strictly prohibited.

Dead fish will be determined at the weigh-in station by the tournament officials. For the purpose of this rule only, a "Dead Fish" will be considered any fish that is not moving. Once a decision is made it is final and no changes will be made For each legal dead fish presented at weigh-in , the team will be penalized a half pound (.50 LB).

*** Anglers who bring in (5) five dead fish will be disqualified.

*** Big bass must be alive. No dead fish will be counted towards BIG BASS

TOURNAMENT WINNERS:

The tournament limit for each boat shall be five (5) bass. A club member may not have more that the tournament limit of bass in the "Live well" at any given time during the tournament.

The overall weight of each team’s catch during the tournament shall determine the tournaments result.

If no fish are caught at any tournament the money for the tournament will go into the classic fish off pot.

All live wells will be checked at the beginning of the tournament. All boats are subject to random compartmental search.

Angler Of the Year (AOY) Points:

The Angler(s) Of the Year will be determined by the most amount of points earned through out the season.

Each Angler Will accumulate points for every event attended.

50 points earned for attending an event

150 points for first place and 5 points deducted for each place after. (1st - 150, 2nd - 145, 3rd - 140)

5 point bonus for winning big bass.

Those members who attend the season meeting will be awarded 10 points towards AOY standings.

AOY points will include the best 8 tournaments out of the 9 regulator season tournaments.

TOURNAMENT ETIQUETTE

The goal of the Bassin Buddies Orlando is to be a fun, interesting and exciting fishing club. We understand that it is a competition but we ask out members to please be courteous and treat other anglers as you would want to be treated.

We ask that anglers not pre-fish the day before an event. Though we cant enforce this rule we appreciate the efforts of those who respect this unwritten rule.

TIE BREAKERS:

In the event of a tie big bass will determine first place. all other positions the prize will be split evenly.

CONSERVATION:

Conservation and safety is the primary concern of Bassin Buddies Orlando Tournaments. Adequate live wells are mandatory on each boat and must provide adequate aeration to maintain fish in good condition.

CONSERVATION:

All boats will have to meet minimum requirements for a live well, Insulated cooler with aeration or water circulation, or both. Minimum size of live well will be 54 quart or larger

Do not kill your catch! A competitor should make every effort to maintain the welfare of thier catch throughout the tournament day.

Each competitor is expected to keep their bass alive by use of a properly aerated live well.

All bass must be caught alive, and in a conventional sporting manner. A competitor who is guilty of "snatching" or "snagging" fish on spawning bed will have their days catch disqualified. Bass must be hooked inside of the mouth to be counted as a legal fish.

VIOLATIONS:

Penalties for rules violations may include the following:

Disqualification from the tournament in question

Disqualification from future BBO events, which may be from a specific number of events, a specific period of time, or may be a lifetime disqualification.

Club History

Bassin Buddies Orlando was founded by John Lewalski in 2012. His vision was to create a club tailored to the needs of small craft anglers. He had a passion and excitement for fishing that he wanted to share with others. It was the passion and excitement that caused him to create a club unlike any other club. His ideas were based on clean, fun, friendly competition, the thought of a group of buddies getting together to go fishing.

As the club grows we continue to carry on these ideas. We are a group of anglers who just love to get together and fish. It’s not about winning its just about catching and presenting fish!