Club Policies & Procedures of the Cen-Tex Bass Hunters
1. Club meetings will be held the first Monday of each month at 7 p.m. Any changes to the dates and times of the meeting shall be voted on and approved by the club membership. The meeting facility will be notified of any and all changes.
2. Club tournaments will be held the weekend following the club meetings. If there any changes, the exact tournament dates and times will be announced on the club’s Facebook/Website/E-Mail and Text. All members must confirm with tournament director to ensure they were notified. Tournament locations will be voted on 3 months prior thus allowing members to pre-fish the lakes at their discretion. Members may nominate only eligible lakes for the vote. The second place lake in the vote will be considered the alternate location. The tournament director has sole discretion to change to the alternate location in the event of flooding, large tournament conflict, and any safety concerns. Lake eligibility will be as follows:
1-Day Tournaments lakes must be within 125 Air-Mile Radius of Belton, Texas. (Map with eligible lakes will be available at all club meetings)
2-Day tournaments, lakes must be within the confines of the state of Texas.
3. To allow for maximum participation, club tournaments or club events will not be held on dates of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) events held in Texas, nor on the annual Fishing for Freedom tournament, and BASS Nation State/Regional Tournaments. Other tournaments held in the state of Texas such as TTT, TTZ, Bass Champs, Texas Boat World Team Trail, and TUFF Man Team Trail are considered as “Optional” and in no way will conflict with the clubs scheduled tournaments.
NOTES: In the event no club members plan to fish said tournaments or events, the club at its discretion may schedule club events during these dates. In the event a conflicting tournament decreases the number of boater participants to a level that impacts participation for the clubs non-boaters, the club has the option to reschedule the monthly tournament.
4. All tournaments will be based upon a “Draw System”, with the exception of a prospective member who must fish with a member of the board for their first club tournament, which would be in the best interest of the club. This will be left up the Board of Directors to place prospective members in the draw. This will only be done on a case by case basis.
5. It shall be the responsibility of the fishing partners to mutually agree on a basis for sharing any and all tournament expenses, including but not limited to gas and operating expense, and lodging. Non-Boaters are to be responsible for ½ the truck and boat gas expense, as well as half off any lodging expense. In the event the boater leaves early to pre-fish the tournament lake and the Non-Boater comes later, the Non-Boater must still reimburse the Boater for ½ the vehicle gas for the complete round trip, regardless if the Non-Boater rides in the vehicle or not. The Non-Boater will not be held responsible for ½ the boat gas for any Pre-Fishing period for which he is not present. Non-Boaters who travel by themselves or with someone other than their partner, are responsible for their own travel expenses. In the event the Non-Boater travels with someone other than their partner they should agree on sharing of expenses. If a Non-Boater elects to drive their own vehicle, they MUST STILL PAY ½ THE VEHICLE OPERATING COST TO THE BOATER PARTNER.
6. Boat operation will follow B.A.S.S. Nation State Championship format and rules. The Non-Boater will not be allowed to operate the front of the boat without the permission of the boater. However, in the name of “Good Sportsmanship, boater should work with their non-boater partners on areas to fish.
7. During one day tournaments, all members will launch from the same boat ramp. There will be “NO” trailering allowed. During two-day tournaments, trailering may be allowed at the “Tournament Directors” discretion. Any changes or deviations of this rule will be addressed, handled and decided by the “Tournament Director” and his advisory board.
8. It is understood that emergencies do happen. It is up to each member to notify his/her partner and the Tournament Director NO LESS than 24-Hours prior to fishing times if they are unable to fish. This will allow other arrangements to be made so that the partner will be able to fish.
9. To be considered eligible to fish the monthly tournament, members must be present at the meeting prior to the tournament or they must contact the Tournament Director or other Board Member prior to the start of the meeting. This will allow your name to be placed in the draw for boat partners. If contact is not made as stated above, that member will not be allowed to fish in that month’s tournament.
10. In the event a member is unable to determine that they will be able to fish a tournament, that person will be considered a "Holdout", and will be automatically considered a Non-Boater. If there is another boater who has not drawn a partner, any Holdouts that decide they will fish will be considered that boaters partner. If there are two boaters who Holdout and both decide to fish, the first one to call the tournament director will be considered the boater and the other the non-boater, provided they both agree. IF no agreement can be made, both boaters shall be allowed to utilize their own boats.
11. All past club dues and tournament fees shall be paid prior to members receiving tournament points.
12. For the safety of all members, all Coast Guard Regulations, Federal, State and local laws will be observed at all times. All members MUST wear an approved type 3 PFD when the main engine is running. As per new Texas state law, the operator must have an operational engine kill switch attached to their person at any time the boat is under way. The only exception is when “UNDER AN IMMEDIATE” danger and/or safety concern. As per BASS Nation rules, any violation of regulation, rule, and/or law will be grounds for disqualification from the tournament.
13. No more than 2 members will fish from the same boat, unless the club is short boats for non-boaters. Every effort will be made to enable all members the opportunity to fish.
14. Concerning fishing distance from an anchored and/or trolling boat. The Texas B.A.S.S. Nation rule will apply, which is 50 feet from any other contestant with a trolling motor deployed in the water and 100 feet from any other contestant using an actual anchor whether the trolling motor is down or not. Also, every member will use the utmost courtesy as it pertains to other “Member” and “Non-Member” boats on the water. Proper tournament
“Fishing Etiquette” will be observed at ALL times. WE ARE STEWARDS OF OUR SPORT AND SHOULD ALWAYS ACT ACCORDINGLY!
15. No more than 5 Bass per angler shall be in procession at any time as per state regulations, and only 5 bass will be brought to the scales to be weighed for points. Each member may only weigh fish they caught themselves. There shall be no pooling or sharing of fish. Only largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, Guadalupe bass 14” long or longer will be weighed or marked on paper during “Paper” tournaments. There are lakes with greater minimum length limits, the club will announce and observe those length limits set by Texas state regulations when actual scales are used on these lakes. On paper tournaments, contestants MUST mark their top 5 fish (14 inches or Over) BEFORE WEIGH-IN. Once weigh-in sheets have been turned in, culling will NOT be allowed. As per B.A.S.S. NATION rules, if over the limit is presented for weigh-in or marked on paper, that’s days catch will NOT be allowed!
16. Weigh-in must be made on club approved scales and by an approved Weigh- Master. Fish may be weighed-in early for emergency reasons and witnessed by another club member. The Board of Directors will determine the validity of the emergency prior to entering points in the clubs standings. Record of catches must be kept on a ledger provided by the club. The cut-off time for the tournament weigh-in shall be strictly enforced; however, break downs do occur and assistance may be required from other club members to recover a non-operational boat. Should this situation occur, neither boat will be penalized for a late weigh-in. It is highly recommended that the fish be brought to the scales first and recover the broken down boat afterwards so other anglers are not inconvenienced.
17. Anglers that are being paired should be able to assist one another in case of an emergency. If the Board of Directors feels that the angler pairing is unsafe, a new pairing will occur.
18. At the end of the year, the six (6) members who earned the most points for the year shall be recognized at a special function of the club, at this function the "Top 6" shall be presented a plaque recognizing their accomplishments. Two additional awards will be presented to the member catching the largest fish of the year and an award to the member with the heaviest stringer of the year. Additional prizes may be awarded at the discretion of the Board for of Directors.
19. The club may sponsor the "Top 6" or their alternates to state level tournaments each year. The “Top 6” members may petition the board at any time to represent the club in any state level sanctioned tournament. Any sponsorship or participation in the name of Cen-Tex Bass Hunters must be approved by the Board of Directors prior to fishing such a tournament. In order to accommodate the “Top 6” team the club may have its club 2 day tournament on the state championship lake the weekend prior to the first official day of practice.
20. The “Tournament Director” will be responsible for the weighing and measuring of all bass. All bass must be 14” long or longer when measured on the club’s official measuring board which will be the “Check-It-Stik”. The board shall be placed on a flat horizontal surface and fish then measured as per “STATE STANDARD” (Mouth closed, tail pinched). As per B.A.S.S. Nation rules, any fish presented to be weighed, which falls short of required minimum legal length will not be allowed for weighing and the entire days catch disqualified. All boaters “Should” have a Check-It-Stik on board their boats to allow members to ensure
their catch is of legal size to possess. The clubs Check-It-Stik will be available to measure fish prior to entering the weigh-in line.
21. CULLING OF DEAD fish is against Texas state law and is PROHIBITED. As per B.A.S.S. Nation Rules, each dead legal fish presented for weigh-in will be penalized 8oz from the total creel for that days catch.
22. During paper tournaments both anglers will measure and annotate on paper together to ensure size and fish species. This teamwork will help avoid mishaps with scoring.
23. No ice is to be used except to cool water. Any fish determined to be “ICED” will not be weighed and the angler may, after board determination, can be disqualified!
24. Fish weighed must be caught within tournament hours, on artificial bait only, while fishing from a boat on tournament waters, and In-Accordance-With Texas state wildlife regulations, and other regulatory authorities. Trolling with the main gasoline engine will not be allowed. However, electric trolling motors shall be used for boat operation while fishing.
25. The tournament hours set will be strictly observed. You must check in with the tournament director prior to cut-off time. Any angler coming to the weigh-in location (within the launch area buoys) late will incur a 1 pound penalty for every minute up to 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, anglers will forfeit their entire day's catch. KEEP YOUR FISH IN YOUR LIVE WELL UNTIL THE WEIGH-MASTER CALLS FOR YOUR FISH. With exception of an emergency, you must be present at the weigh-in location for your fish to be weighed. During paper tournaments, a partner may bring your sheet to weigh-in. In the event the Tournament Director is not present, all duties and liabilities then become the President's responsibility.
26. In the event you must leave prior to weigh-in, arrive late to a tournament, or decide to forfeit, you must make every effort to inform the Tournament Director or another board member as soon as possible. This requirement is so that every member is accounted for prior to the club departing the lake.
27. Any and all tournament protests must be presented to the “Tournament Director” IN WRITING no later than 15 MINUTES after weigh-in has concluded. It shall be the protestor’s responsibility to inform the “Tournament Director” of any dispute as soon as possible to prevent anyone or the “Tournament Director” himself from leaving the event unknowing of a protest in progress.
28. Tournaments will no longer be on a Team basis but rather on an “Individual” basis. There will be two categories (Boater & Non-Boater). Members will be responsible for determining which category the member will compete in for each tournament. In the event a member who has chosen one category but must compete in another category due to mechanical failure for instance, the member’s category will also change. Boaters who do not draw a partner will no longer receive a “Ghost” partner.
29. For the Tournament ONLY, there will be three (3) awards per category, (1st, 2nd, 3rd Boater/1st, 2nd, 3rd Non-Boater).
30. Although Boaters and Non-Boaters on the same boat are not competing against each other for the tournament, they are competing against each other for the Year End Standings. Boaters will never disadvantage a Non-Boater in an attempt to prevent a Non-Boater from catching fish. This will be considered Unsportsmanlike conduct and will result in the Boater being disqualified from the tournament.
31. Both the “Heavy Stringer” and “Big Bass” side pots are OPTIONAL and are not required to participate in the tournament. Each side pot is $10 and will be paid back 100% at each tournament.
NOTE: Bass brought to the scales for actual weight during a paper tournament take precedent over “paper weight” for award of the Big Bass side pot.
32. To further enhance competition within the club a “NEW” points system will be adopted. Points will be awarded as follows:
1. 50 Points for 1st—49 points for 2nd---48 points for 3rd---47 for 4th---etc. Contestants who fish but do not bring fish to the scales will receive and share the points for the last place for that day (i.e. 15 anglers weigh fish, 5 do not----those 5 will ALL receive 35 points). Two (2) Bonus points will be awarded the angler who weighs the largest bass of the tournament day. One (1) point will be awarded for each fish caught and released alive. To be considered alive, the fish must swim away on its own. Dead fish will incur an 8 OZ deduction before points are totaled.
2. Each member will be awarded additional points for the following: Five (5) points for meeting attendance. One (1) Point each for WEARING a shirt and hat displaying the club’s logo at the club meetings and during the regular club tournaments.
NOTE: Directors do not receive points for directors meetings!
33. The club’s annual “Big Bass” and “Heavy Stringer” awards will be given only if fish is caught legally and brought to the scales for an actual weight. The “Big Bass” award or “Heavy Stringer” award will not be awarded from a “paper weight”.
34. Being a member of B.A.S.S. is a requirement of this club. Points for club standings will only be counted when all membership dues are paid and member in “Good Standing” with the club. In addition, in order to qualify and to fish the Texas B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, you must be a member in good standing with the club. If you need to know when your B.A.S.S. membership expires, contact the club Treasurer for information.
35. As per Texas B.A.S.S. Nation rules, to qualify for the Texas B.A.S.S. Nation State Championship, ALL members must participate in at least 4 conservation/club events per year. Example: We have up to 18 events throughout the year. Boat Show is 1 point per day. Youth tournament can be as many as 4 events. Club open tournaments are 2 events (1 point each). Conservation is possibly 2 events. Trash pick-up is up to 4 events. The Board of Directors reserves the right to make changes to get maximum club participation in aforementioned events.
36. No alcohol may be consumed at any time during club tournament hours! This includes in the boat on and off the water. Violators will be disqualified!
37. No member may fish with a bass guide that has received any method of compensation within 30 days of an official club tournament event, or on the actual tournament date on the designated tournament lake.
38. All members of the club are allowed to bring a guest of their choice two (2) times per year to any club tournament.
Exceptions are:
1. Upon drawing for tournament partners, all club members who have declared to fish shall be paired with available boaters, PRIOR to allowing anyone to bring a guest. (Members take precedence over guests)
2. Non-Boaters may bring guests on two-day tournaments, as long as all members are paired and a boat is available. Guests must also pay for their own lodging and half the boater’s expenses for the trip.
3. Club members will not be allowed to fish with a guest they fish with on a regular basis.
4. Club members will not be allowed to fish with a guest that is a guide or other individual that may have inside knowledge on the tournament lake, this is so not to provide an unfair advantage to an angler. This will be looked at on a case by case base by the Board of Directors.
39. The CEN-TEX BASS HUNTERS shall be open to the general public for new members. The Board of Directors shall have the right to grant Honorary Memberships.
These policies and procedures are not meant to replace nor take away from the Constitution and By-Laws. They are guidelines and sometimes flexible depending on extenuating circumstances. Any deviations from these policies and procedures must be presented and permission granted by the Board of Directors. If you have questions concerning these policies, ask a board member for clarification. If any dispute arises with these policies and procedures, please bring it before the Board of Directors at any Board meeting. This does not include tournament disputes; refer to Rule# 27 in the event of a tournament dispute.
ESTABLISHED 02/26/79
REVISED 07/24/89, REVISED 02/12/96, REVISED 06/12/98, REVISED 01/20/99
REVISED 05/03/99, REVISED 11/01/99, REVISED 01/03/00, REVISED 08/02/04
REVISED 09/05/06, REVISED 01/10/07, REVISED 02/02/09, REVISED 12/30/16
REVISED 10/2017, REVISED 10/2019, REVISED 10/2020, REVISED 10/2022,
REVISED 10/2024.