By-Laws

BY-LAWS OF THE SOUTH FLORIDA BASS RATTLERS Last updated 2/20/26

ARTICLE I: NAME AND PURPOSE

SECTION 1. NAME

This unincorporated fraternal Club shall be called the “SOUTH FLORIDA BASS RATTLERS”.

SECTION 2. PURPOSE

.       Stimulate public awareness of bass fishing as a major sport. 

.       Support our state conservation departments by practicing and promoting full adherence to and enforcement of all regulations pertaining to conservation, wildlife, water quality and boating.

.       Improve our bass angling skills through friendly exchanges of bass catching techniques and ideas.

.       Promote and encourage youth fishing and a love for this great recreation. 

.       Function as a dynamic and effective link with all other clubs.

SECTION 3.  RESTRICTIONS

The Club shall be non-political, non-partisan.

It shall not engage in any form of collective bargaining on behalf of either its members or others.

SECTION 4.  ANNUAL TOURNAMENT YEAR

       The Club’s annual, tournament year shall be 12 months, beginning January 1 and ending December 31. (Amended December 2011)

ARTICLE  II:  MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1.  REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP

       To become a member, a person shall:

a.   Express a genuine interest in Club membership during the submission of a verbal application.

b.   Possess a current Florida fishing license and a current driver license.

c.   Be recommended  by a Club member who, himself, is in good standing with the club.

d.   During the probationary period, the applicant must fish on three different occasions with two different members. (Amended March 2022)

e.   All new members have up to 5 months to fish those 3 times in order to be voted into the club as a full member.

f.   A secret ballot will be taken, and membership will require approval by three-quarters of a quorum.

g.   Boat requirements are 17 feet minimum length and a motor of not less than 25 HP (Amended January 2022). In addition to all required Coast Guard equipment, an electric trolling motor and a “kill” switch will be required. The boat must be equipped with an operating live well. The South Florida Bass Rattlers suggest that boats have a recirculating (aeration) pump. If boats are not equipped with a recirculating live well, the live well pump must have a timing device. (Amended July 2022)

h.   Minimum member age will be eighteen.  (Amended December 2011)

i.   The Associate Member status has been eliminated. Effective March 2022, there are only 2 classes: Members and Guests.

j.  On June 14, 2006 the membership voted to remove the maximum number of members allowable. However, at no time shall the ratio of boaters to non-boaters be lower than 60% to 40%.

k.   New members will be given a copy of the By-Laws as soon as their membership is approved.The By-Laws shall also be posted on the Club’s website.

l. Non-boater fees are $50 for single day tournaments, and $100.00 for multi-day tournaments. This fee is to be collected by the boater before the boat leaves the docks in the morning.

SECTION 2.  MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

a.   The monthly dues have been raised to $25 (because they now include the Lunker Pot fee), payable at each monthly meeting. (Amended January 2018)

b.   All dues are non-refundable.

SECTION 3.  SUSPENSION FOR NON-PAYMENT OF DUES

a.   Membership will be automatically suspended if any member falls 90 days or more in arrears. (Amended December 2011)

b.   Suspended Members with three months of unpaid dues are not eligible for either awards or tournament points.

ARTICLE III:  VACANCIES, OFFICERS, ELECTIONS & ELIGIBILITY

SECTION 1.  OFFICERS OF THE CLUB AND DUTIES

a.   President:  Presides at all club meetings, distributes meeting notes, maintains the Club’s website.

b.   Vice President:  Will take charge in the absence of the President.   

b.  Treasurer:  Will collect all monies, make cash pay-outs and give reports of the balance at each meeting.  If the President, V. President and Secretary are not present, the Treasurer will preside at Club meetings.

c.   Tournament Director:  The TD will select the date, time and locations of all monthly tournaments. He will publish a proposed list for each coming year in advance and give everyone ample time to make suggested changes. Once the next year’s schedule is approved, only a unanimous vote can change a date. He determines the start & stop times for all tournaments. The TD will pull and distribute necessary fishing permits from the State website. He will make lodging and room arrangements for away tourneys. He collects and distributes the $5 big bass pot money each month. The TD presides over weigh-ins, keeps accurate records, and publishes the monthly results of standings in our spreadsheet. If the other officers are absent, the Tournament Director will preside at the monthly meetings. The Tournament Director is exempt from paying dues in exchange for all this work.

  e.   Assistant Tournament Director:  The Assistant Tournament Director will be selected by the

Tournament Director to assist with any or all T. D. duties.  If all of the above officers are absent from a meeting, the Assistant Tournament Director will preside. 

SECTION 2.  ELECTIONS

The officers shall be nominated in November and elected by the general assembly at a regular club meeting during the month of December.  Newly elected officers are to start their function at the January meeting. 

SECTION 3.  ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE

Each paid-up member in good standing is entitled to one vote, including club officers, except for    the President, who will vote only when a tie-vote exists.  Regardless of the number of members in attendance at any meeting, a simple majority is all that is now required to render a decision.

SECTION 4.  TERM OF OFFICE

a.   The term of office is for one year, which shall begin the first meeting in January and end on the                                last meeting in December. (Amended December 2011)

b.   Term limits have now been removed. (Amended December 2011)

SECTION 5.  ELIGIBILITY FOR HOLDING OFFICE

         To be eligible for an office, a member must have:

a.   Been a member for six months.

b.   Attended at least three-fourths of the club meeting within that period and three-fourth of club functions. NOTE: Since Covid became a new word in our vocabulary, regular formal meetings have been suspended in favor of impromptu meetings held immediately after each tournament weigh-in.

c.   Shown an active interest in all functions.

ARTICLE IV:  METHOD OF AMENDING THE BY-LAWS

SECTION 1.  AMENDING THE BY-LAWS

       The incoming officers will periodically review the By-Laws and all proposed amendments.

All changes require a vote of the general club members present.  Approved amendments will be made available to all the members to add to their copy of the By-Laws and published on the Club’s website. (Amended March 2022)

ARTICLE V:  REMOVAL OF MEMBERSHIP STATUS

SECTION 1.  REMOVAL OF MEMBERSHIP STATUS

       A member shall be dropped from the membership roll for the following reasons:

a.   Failure to pay dues as required in Article II, Section 3.a.

b.   Any word, action or omission that reflects dishonor or disgrace on this club which will be determined by three-fourths vote of general membership.

c.   Disorderly conduct, especially if under the influence of drugs or alcohol, during a meeting shall be asked to leave the meeting.  Use of illegal drugs or alcohol during any club tournament function is strictly prohibited.  Tournament activities begin the morning of the tournament and end after weigh-in, unless otherwise determined by the Tournament Director.

ARTICLE VI:  GENERAL MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1.  MEETINGS

ARTICLE III, SECTION 5 Item b now details our temporary meetings procedures. Until further notice, meetings will be held after tournament weigh-ins.

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ARTICLE VII:  TOURNAMENT RULES

SECTION 1.  ARRANGING FISHING PARTNERS

a. A drawing of the fishing partners will be arranged prior to the tournament by the Tournament Director and may only be changed in an emergency. The emergency must be cleared through the Tournament Director.

b. If any member fails to show up at a tournament without prior notification of just cause, that member is subject to disciplinary action, including dismissal from the club.  The member must also pay the Tournament expenses for that tournament. The final decision for any disciplinary action must be voted on by the club membership.

c. Members with a medical/physical condition can advise the club officials if they do not wish to fish as a swing boat (boater only).  It will be the responsibility of the member to advise officials prior to the tournament or tournament draw.

d. Under no circumstances shall a non-member bump a member from fishing in any tournament. The hierarchy for determining availability of space for any tournament is 1-member, 2-guest. Associate Member status has been discontinued. (Amended March 2022)

SECTION 2.  EXPENSE FEES

a.   The expense fees paid by the non-boater to the boater are $50 for all 1-day tournaments, $100.00 for all multi-day tournaments.

b.   The non-boater shall pay the expense fee before the boat leaves the dock.

c.   Pre-fishing expense will be arranged strictly between the individuals.

d.   Members 90 days in arrears (owes money or unfulfilled obligation) will not be eligible for a tournament, per Article II, Section 3 b.

e.   During multi-day away tournaments, if the angler stays one night at the resort/fish camp, he becomes liable for the full amount for the weekend.

SECTION 3.  BOAT OPERATIONS

a. Boaters must operate their boats in a safe manner at all times.

b.   Occupants must wear an approved life vest while the boat is on plane.

c.   Occupant must not stand in the boat or sit in a fishing chair while the boat is on plane.

d.   Boats can be taken out of the water before a weigh-in with the permission of the Tournament Director.

e.   During regular monthly tournaments, the launch order will be determined by a random drawing. During multi-day away tournaments launch order for the first launch is determined by random draw. After that, your standing in that month’s tourney determines your launch order. Highest position in a duo determines launch order. (For example, if boater is currently in 6th place in that tourney and his non-boating partner is in 1st place, that boat will launch first.)

f. Kill switches must be physically attached to either the boat operator’s person or worn life jacket.

SECTION 4.  WEIGH-IN RULES, POINT SYSTEM, PENALTIES & AWARDS

a.     If the location of a single daytime tournament site is north of Sawgrass Recreation, weigh-in will be NO LATER than 3:00 PM.  During the months of July, August & September, tournament weigh-ins will be at 1:00 PM.

b.     There will be a one pound penalty assessed for each minute that a member is late for the weigh-in.  Disqualification will occur after 15 minutes.  The official time will be determined by the Tournament Director. 

c.     Members whose boats have mechanical problems and cannot make the weigh-in time, may give their fish to any other tournament boater to be weighed-in without penalty.  

d.     There will be a maximum of five (5) fish brought to the scale. The penalty for bringing in more than five fish will be forfeiture of the largest bass’s weight. The Club now allows up to 2 Peacock Bass to be included in their bag. (Amended August 2021)

e.     A three (3) fish bag limit may be mandated in accordance with state laws. (At Istokpoga for example.)

f.   An 8 ounce (.5 lb) dead fish penalty for each dead bass from the total weight of fish presented for weigh-in. Fish must be able to swim on its own. A dead fish is eligible to be considered for big bass, after the .5 lb penalty has been assessed.

g.     Fish shall be brought up to the scales in plastic bags filled with sufficient water.

h.         Scoring will be determined by the scoring system adopted in 2009 and presented here in ATTACHMENT 1.

i.       The first, second and third place winners shall receive $40, $30 & $20 respectively.

j.       Unless stated prior to the tournament, each tournament shall have a Big Fish Pot of $5 (Five) dollars per person. If you wish to NOT participate in that month’s big bass pot, you must declare this BEFORE the tournament begins. Otherwise, you will be expected to contribute your $5 towards the pot at the beginning of the day.

k.     Any guest fishing a tournament shall be eligible for only the big fish award.

l.      In case of a tie, the winner will be determined by the total amount of fish weighed in.  If there is still a tie, the winner will be determined by the weight of each person’s largest fish.

m.    Whenever possible, First and Second Place anglers cannot fish together in the last tournament of the year.

n.     The tournament winners shall report to the membership at the next meeting where and how they fished.

o.     There is no longer any cash incentive to attend monthly meetings. The $3/person raffle has been eliminated. The only standing incentive to attend meetings is voting privileges. If you are not present at meetings to vote, you cannot participate in whatever decision(s) are reached. (Amended January 2018)

p.     Weigh-in times will be determined by tournament exemption and/or majority vote of members.

q.     Angler of the Year will be determined at the end of the year. The scoring system for the A.O.Y. is outlined in ATTACHMENT 1. (6/30/10)

r.         The Lunker Pot is a cash award given to the Member who catches the biggest fish of the year. This pot is not to be confused with the voluntary big bass pot paid for and collected each month. Guests are eligible to participate in the monthly big bass pot, but not the Lunker Pot.   

Only Members are eligible to participate in this award. Each member will contribute $5 per month to this fund and participation is not voluntary. The $5 will be added to the monthly dues, which now stand at $25 per month and must be paid BEFORE each tournament in order to be eligible to win. The entire pot will be distributed to the Member who catches the biggest fish of the year after the December tournament. If a Member misses tournaments, they must make up the missed months fees in addition to the current month’s fees BEFORE they can be eligible to have any fish caught count towards the Lunker Pot. To prevent any possible confusion, this example is offered: A Member fishes the January, February and March tourneys to start off the year, then misses the next 4 tournaments. He then comes back in August to fish with us again. In order to allow any of his fish catches to count towards the Lunker Pot, he must pay up for the months April, May, June, July AND August BEFORE that tournament begins! (This clarification added March 2022)

SECTION 5.  BAITS AND TACKLE

a.   Only artificial lures may be used.  No live baits or prepared baits will be permitted with the

   exception of pork strips, rinds, etc.

b. Only one casting, spin-casting or spinning rod or reel may be used at any one time.  All other

types such as cane poles or fly rods are prohibited from being used or being in the boat.  Other rigs of the allowed types specified above may be in the boat, but only one may be used (in the water) at any given time.  All bass must be caught live and in a conventional, sporting manner.

ARTICLE VIII:  GENERAL RULES

SECTION 1.  ANNUAL AWARDS

a  The annual pay-outs have been changed as follows:

- The Top 6 Anglers at the end of the year will now each receive a $100 bonus in addition to any other winnings they may be eligible for.

- We have added a $50 cash prize for the biggest bag of the year.

- We have eliminated the cash prize for Co-Angler of the Year

- We have consolidated the 1st place money into the AOY winnings. These are no longer 2 separate prizes

- After the cash prizes for Big Bass, Top 6, and Big Bag have been paid out, the remaining monies will be distributed to the 1st, 2nd & 3rd place anglers via 50%, 30% & 20% splits. However, we will always leave a minimum of $100 in the Treasury going into the new year.

- The Treasurer is now also exempt from paying regular dues, as is the Tournament Director.  (All these changes were amended January 2018)

ATTACHMENT 1

SCORING SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING ANGLER OF THE YEAR

All members in good standing will be eligible to participate in the Angler of the Year competition. A sample monthly scoring sheet is attached for reference (ATTACHMENT 2 BELOW). The scoring system is based on awarding base points for placement in each monthly tournament, plus bonus points which are given for various incentives. The first place angler always receives 50 base points, 2nd place receives 48, 3rd gets 46, and so on. If you reference the sample sheet now, we will analyze each column from left to right.

“Fished?” -  If you fished, a “1” goes in here. If not, a “0”.

“Fish Caught” -  Total number of fish caught.

“Dead Fish” -  Total number of dead fish.

“Live Releases” -  Total number of live releases.

“Big Fish” -  Only the largest fish of the tourney are listed here. The biggest is usually in BOLD print.

“Gross Weight” -  Your total gross weight, not including any penalties.

“Penalty” -  Total penalty for dead fish (.5 pounds per fish), and/or late weigh-in.

“Net Weight This Tourney” -  Total net weight, which is your gross weight less any penalties.

“Tournament Base Points” -  Tournament base points. (50 for 1st, 48 for 2nd, 46 for 3rd, etc.) If an angler who fishes 75% of all tournaments misses a tournament, he now receives 2 points less than the last place angler in that month, instead of 0 points. (6/30/10)

“Top 3 Bonus” -  1st place gets a 4 point bonus, 2nd place gets 3 pts, 3rd place gets 2 pts. (6/30/2010)

“Big Fish Bonus” -  You get an additional 5 point bonus for catching the tourney’s biggest bass.

“Limit Bonus” -  You get an additional 3 point bonus for catching a limit.

“5 lbs or + Bonus” -  If you catch a 5 pounder or bigger, you get an additional 2 points per pound, rounded up. (Example: if you catch a 6.7 pound bass, you get 14 bonus points.)

“Live Release Bonus” -  You get 1 bonus point for every live release.

“Total Monthly Points” -  Total monthly points =  base points + any bonuses you earned - penalties.

”Yearly Overall Weight” -  Yearly overall weight, self explanatory.

Attachment 2