CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF THE
NORTH ALABAMA TOURNAMENT ANGLERS (NATA)
2023
ARTICLE I - Name and Purpose
SECTION 1. Name
This organization shall be called the North Alabama Tournament Anglers (NATA), hereafter referred to as the Club.
SECTION 2. Purpose
The purpose is threefold:
1. To provide a means by which Club members can improve their angling skills and knowledge; and
2. To provide a means by which the sport of bass fishing can be enjoyed in a friendly, competitive, and sportsman-like manner; and
3. To promote participation in the Alabama Bass Federation activities at the local, state, and national levels.
ARTICLE II - Membership
SECTION 1. Eligibility
1. Membership in the Club is open to persons 18 years of age or older.
2. Members under the age of 18 will be under the direct supervision of a family member and will need to have a liability wavier on file and signed by the legal guardian
SECTION 2. Requirements for Membership
To be a member of the Club, a person shall:
1. Voluntarily express a genuine interest in membership, as determined by the officers.
2. Pay annual membership dues (as determined by the Board of Directors) prior to the beginning of the tournament year, or before participating in the draw meeting for any club tournament. NATA membership dues must be paid in advance of entering the draw. No joining at the ramp the morning of a club tournament is permitted.
3. Abide by all Club rules and conduct their self in a sportsman-like manner at all
Club functions.
SECTION 3. Removal of Membership
Members that do not meet the requirements for membership may be recommended, by any member, for judgment of “not in good standing”. Upon such a recommendation, a two-thirds vote of the membership present at a pre-tournament meeting will be required to place the member in a “not in good standing” status. Such members shall be notified in writing by the Club Secretary. After a period of thirty days, any member “not in good standing” may be recommended for dismissal from the Club by any member in good standing. Such a recommendation may be made at any pre-tournament meeting. A two- thirds majority vote of the membership present at such a meeting will result in the dismissal of the member from the Club. If the dismissal motion is defeated, or is not called for, at the first pre-tournament meeting after the 30-day waiting period, the member shall return to the status of “good standing”.
ARTICLE III - Club Officers
SECTION 1. Officers
Officers of the Club shall be:
1. President - shall preside over all Club meetings and direct all official business. He shall appoint all unelected committees and serve as an ex-official member of all committees.
2. Vice President - shall assist the President in all of his duties and act for the President in his absence. The Vice President will serve as the Tournament Director for all Club tournaments and will be responsible for all publicity.
3. Secretary - shall maintain complete and accurate minutes of all meetings, shall maintain an accurate account of all points awarded to each member, and shall maintain all tournament records.
4. Treasurer - shall maintain the Club’s finances, accounts, and financial statements.
SECTION 2. Elections
1. Election of officers can occur during an annual Organization Meeting and or social event. Election of officers shall result from a simple majority vote of the members present. Proxy votes, in writing, will be permitted. Only members in good standing are permitted to vote in Club elections.
2. In the event an elected office becomes vacant, nominations will be taken and a special election held at any pre-tournament meeting.
SECTION 3. Terms of Office
1. All elected officers will serve terms of one year. Newly elected officers will assume the duties of their elected position immediately following the conclusion of the current year’s annual awards banquet and will relinquish them at the conclusion of the following year’s annual awards banquet.
2. As an exception, officers who are elected to fill a vacancy through a special election, as described above, will serve only the remaining portion of the one-year term from the date of their election until conclusion of the next annual awards banquet.
SECTION 4. Grievance Committee
1. There shall be a Grievance Committee consisting of three members in good standing. These members will be elected at an annual Organizational Meeting and or social event In the event a member of the Grievance Committee cannot be present at any session called, an alternate will be appointed by the Officers present.
2. The Grievance Committee shall resolve all disputes or conflicts arising as a result of the interpretation of these bylaws by means of a simple majority vote. Additionally,
the Grievance Committee shall accept petitions for specific exceptions to these bylaws on a case-by-case basis. The ruling of the Grievance Committee is final and without appeal or recourse.
3. When present at tournaments, members of the Grievance Committee shall assist with Club tournament weigh-in activities.
SECTION 5. Board of Directors
The officers and the elected members of the grievance committee will comprise the Board of Directors. The purpose of the Board of Directors is to handle all club business. Any business requiring a vote carries with a simple majority of the Board
members present.
SECTION 6. Facebook
The president will appoint a Facebook manager for the year. Any member that wishes to help with the club’s Facebook page may ask to assist the Facebook manager. However, it is the Facebook manager’s responsibility to coordinate and approve all changes to the Facebook page.
SECTION 7. Discretionary Budget
1. The officers of the Club shall have a maximum budget of $50 to be used for Club purposes at their discretion. Any use of these funds will be reported to the Board at the next scheduled Board meeting after the expenditure.
2. After receiving a report from the officers on the utilization of the discretionary funds, the Club may replenish the budget to a maximum of $50 with a majority vote of the members present.
ARTICLE IV - Meetings
SECTION 1. Pre-Tournament Meetings
Pre-Tournament meetings will be scheduled for a day during the week preceding each Club tournament, normally the Monday prior. The purpose of this meeting is to read the minutes from any Board meetings since the last meeting, talk about issues concerning the club, news that is happening in the fishing industry, how to tips, perform the tournament draw, and vote on times. For 2023, we have 3 scheduled Pre-Tournament Meetings, the Monday prior to the 1st (2/20 Wilson), 5th (5/15 Smith) & Classic (10/30) tournaments – meeting at Dave & Buster’s at 5:30p.
SECTION 2. Board Meetings
The Board meetings will be scheduled by the Board with 1 weeks’ notice to the membership. Any member is welcome to attend the Board meetings.
SECTION 3. Annual Organization Meeting
The Board of Directors will schedule the annual Organization Meeting after the end of the season. The purpose of this meeting is to elect officers for the next tournament season.
SECTION 4. Special Meetings
Special meetings may also be required. These will be scheduled and conducted at the call of any elected officer of the Club.
SECTION 5. Annual Schedule Meeting
The Board of Directors will schedule the next year’s Schedule Meeting during the Board of Directors annual Organization Meeting for the purpose of to discuss the schedule for the next tournament season with the general membership.
ARTICLE V - Tournaments
SECTION 1. Tournament Director
The Vice President will serve as Tournament Director and will coordinate and supervise all aspects of Club tournaments. The Tournament Director may call on the Grievance Committee to serve as A Tournament Committee to assist him in tournament duties such as weigh-ins and courtesy measurements.
SECTION 2. Regularly Scheduled Tournaments
The Board of Directors shall jointly develop the tournament schedule. After appropriate discussion and modification, the schedule will be voted on and approved by a simple majority vote of the Board of Directors. If conflicts arise during the year with scheduled tournament dates, the Board of Directors has the authority to make changes to the dates. Scheduled launch sites and times cannot be changed after the pre-tournament meeting except for circumstances beyond the clubs control. (ex. A launch ramp closed for repair or a large tournament using the ramp at the same time)
1. The Tournament Director has final decision.
2. Tournament cancellation decisions will typically be made at the ramp, at the originally scheduled time. If weather is forecasted to make fishing conditions unsafe then BOD will make all attempts to reach the club members by phone to inform them of a tournament cancellation. The Tournament Director shall have the final decision on tournament cancellations.
3. All tournaments will be designated as DRAW tournaments. At the meeting prior to the scheduled tournament, a draw will be made to determine pairings for that tournament. In cases where someone was not paired in the drawing, that person may either fish alone or find a partner to fish with for that tournament without being charged a guest pass
4. Tournament Fees are as follows:
1. Standard entry fee will be $30 subject to the regular club holdback – Standard fee includes the big fish fee and the tournament placement entry fee for one angler with a 3 fish limit.
a. Boater / Non-boater:
(Guest Passes, Family Passes, Regular Draw Pairing)
$60 combined entry fee ($55 if fishing alone). This includes the big fish fee for two anglers, regular club holdback, tournament placement entry fees for two anglers and 3 fish limit per angler / 6 if fishing alone.
b.. Boater without partner:
(Must have entered the draw. Did not draw partner or use Guest or Family Pass)
$55 entry fee. This includes the big fish fee, the regular club holdback, and tournament placement entry fees for two anglers. 6 fish limit.
Unpaired boaters must elect an option and announce it to the tournament director prior to the tournament blast off or default to Boater without partner, 3-fish limit.
Unpaired boaters in this case has the option to either fish alone or can bring a guest without being charged the usage of a guest pass. Fees will be in accordance with para. A
At weigh-in, you must clearly present two separate groups of fish. You must clearly state which group will be considered for AOY points and big fish, and the other group will be combined with the first group for tournament placement purposes only.
c. Boater without partner:
(Must have entered the draw. Did not draw partner or use Guest or Family Pass)
$10 entry fee. This includes the big fish fee and $5 for the club.
The boater will be competing for the big fish cash prize and for AOY points, but
not for the tournament placement cash prizes. 3- fish limit
4. In the event that there are more non-boaters than boaters in the draw, the unpaired non-boaters will have the option to find a boat / boater, but will not be charged a guest pass. If the non-boater is unable to find a boat / boater for the tournament and is therefore unable to fish the tournament, they will be automatically paired with boater(s) in the drawn first at the next tournament draw meeting.
SECTION 3. Tournament Passes
1. Each member will be allowed 4 Guest Passes per tournament year. If a member went unpaired at a tournament draw and chose to fish with a non-member or member, it
will not count against their guest passes. Any member, who is not in the Draw and decides to fish a tournament, either alone or with a buddy, will use a guest pass. It will be up to the Club Secretary to maintain records that show each member’s usage of
guest passes.
2. Each member will be allowed to use a guest pass to fish with a prospective member. In the event the prospective member joins the Club, the sponsoring member will not be charged with using that guest pass.
3. Any member may fish with a family member (spouse, sibling, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, in-laws, niece/nephew) without being charged with the use of a guest pass. This must be done at the pre-tournament meeting immediately preceding the tournament.
4. In the event that a guest or family member does withdraw and there was an unpaired non boater member. That boater should make an attempt to contact the unpaired member to ensure every effort is made for the opportunity for them to be able to fish. This will result in the member NOT being charged a guest pass. If a Family Pass was declared and the family members does not participate then that club member will be charged a Guest Pass and can participate IAW para a. above
5. All guests must be identified by name for future reference to be able to get your guest pass back if the guest joins the club at a later date.
SECTION 4. Placement Prizes
The following scheme will be used for all regular season Club tournaments:
19 Boats and Less:
FIRST Place 45%
SECOND Place 30%
THIRD Place 15%
TOTAL 90%
20 Boats or More
FIRST Place 40% SECOND Place 25% THIRD Place 15%
FORTH Place 10%
TOTAL 90%
Ten percent (10%) will be retained by the Club to help defray expenses. Payouts for a tournament may be changed by a two-thirds majority vote of all members present at a meeting prior to the tournament. All placement prizes are awarded to the boat/team
based on the combined weight of the fish weighed by the boat/team. The Big Fish pot is incorporated in the tournament entry fee and is a 100% pay back of all moneys collected. Big fish will be determined by the actual weight of a measuring fish (dead fish cannot be weighed for big fish). Late penalties will not apply to big fish determination. In the event that an error is made at the ramp all payouts remain final.
SECTION 5. NATA Point System
The following system will be utilized to award points and weight to Club members competing in regular season Club tournaments who compete without disqualification:
1. All fish will be weighed in pounds and fractions of pounds. Each boat/team member is responsible for his/her own fish. Fish will be weighed on an individual angler basis
with the total boat/team weight being the basis for tournament placement determination.
2. The angler with the highest individual weight will receive 25 points with each place thereafter receiving one point less. In the event of a tie, all “tied” anglers will receive the average of the points for their positions. For example, if there was a tie between the
two anglers with the highest weight, 25 and 24 are averaged to give each angler 24.5 points. An angler must weigh-in at least one fish to receive a point or points.
3. Weight will also be maintained for all anglers in each tournament based on their catch.
4. For tournaments with multiple weigh-ins (2 day tournaments), weights will be totaled for day 1 and day 2 but points will be awarded as per above.
5. The Club will use the following system to determine its Angler (Boater) of the Year (AOY) and the Co-Angler (Non-Boater) of the Year (CAOY) rankings:
a. Points and weights will be documented and tracked in separate columns for each member. Both columns will be sorted accordingly.
b. Members will be ranked by their highest position from the point column. Ties in the point column will be broken by awarding the contestant with the highest weight with the higher AOY / CAOY position.
c. All club members fishing a club tournament will receive 5 participation points regardless of amount fished weighed in. These points will be added to the club members total after the tournament points are awarded. It will be up to the Club Secretary to maintain records that show each member’s weight and point total.
Example of standings after several tournaments:
( ) indicates Angler of the Year ranking
SECTION 6. The John Coyle Harrison Memorial Classic
The Club will hold one additional tournament at the end of the regular season known as the “John Coyle Harrison Memorial Classic”. The guidelines for this tournament are located in Attachment 2 of these by-laws. Any changes voted on by the Board of Directors go into effect at the same time all by-law changes go in to effect per Article IX. Subsequent changes to the guidelines may be made at pre-tournament meeting preceding the Classic with a two-thirds majority vote of the members present.
SECTION 7. Brent Wyant & Gary Woods Memorial Open Tournament.
The Club may sponsor Open Team Tournaments. Such committees, as necessary, will be appointed to accomplish this sponsorship.
SECTION 8. Tournament Rules
All Club tournaments will be governed by a set of Tournament Rules (Attachment 1). Changes to the rules may be made at any Board meeting with a majority vote of the members present.
ARTICLE VI- Awards
SECTION 1. Award Categories
The following awards/designations will be made annually to Club members. These will normally be presented at a banquet/dinner organized by the Awards Committee and conducted at the conclusion of the tournament year.
1. Angler of the Year - This award will consist of either a cash prize, a suitable trophy, Embroidery for a Jacket (jacket at winner’s expense), or a Cabela’s Gift Card (winner’s discretion) and will be presented at the completion of each tournament year. Angler of the Year award will be presented to the Club member having the
Name
Weight
AOY Rank
Brauer, Denny
Nixon, Larry Clunn, Rick Fritts, David VanDam, Kevin Yelas, Jay Davis, Mark
Cochran, George
Bitter, Jim
Cook, Ken
30-3
28-9
27-6
25-2
20-0
17-7
12-12
11-4
10-1
9-8
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
most points in the NATA Point System.
2. Co-Angler of the Year- This award will consist of a cash prize and a suitable trophy and will be presented at the completion of each tournament year. Co-Angler of the Year award will be presented to the Club member having the most points in the NATA Point System.
3. Big Fish Award - This award will consist of a cash prize and a suitable trophy or plaque which will be presented at the completion of each tournament year. Big Fish Award will be presented to the Club member catching the biggest (by weight) fish during a regular season Club tournament.
4. Classic Winner - This award will consist of a cash prize and a suitable plaque or trophy.
5. Classic Runner Up - This award will consist of a cash prize.
6. Five AOY Runners-up - A suitable plaque or trophy will be awarded to the top five runners-up in the Angler of the Year rankings.
7. Two CO-Angler Runners-up- A suitable Plaque or trophy will be awarded to the top two runners-up in the Co-Angler of the year rankings.
SECTION 2. Cash Payout
After all club expenses have been paid the following percentages will be used to determine the cash payout of remaining funds.
1.
Angler Year
20%
2.
Co-Angler Year
10%
3.
Big Fish
10%
4.
Classic Champ
10%
5.
Classic Runner Up
5%
ARTICLE VII - Special
SECTION 1. Disbursement of Club Funds
Disbursement of Club moneys will be in accordance with this Constitution and By-laws. Any disbursement not specifically addressed by this document must be authorized by the Board at a scheduled Board meeting and approved by a majority vote of the Board members present.
SECTION 2. Excess Treasury Funds
The Club will carry over a sufficient balance in the treasury at the end of the tournament year to pay for the club insurance for the following year. After all expenses
have been paid, any excess money can be used by the awards committee to pay for draw prizes and other expenses for the annual Awards Banquet/Dinner.
SECTION 3. Fundraising
The club may participate in no more than two fundraising events per year. If the club wishes to sponsor a club fundraising event it will need to be presented to the general membership for approval and it will be the responsibility of the club BOD to organize the volunteers necessary to run the event. Any funds generated will be put into the club treasury.
SECTION 4. Annual Awards Banquet/Dinner
An awards banquet/dinner will be held at the conclusion of the tournament year for the express purpose of honoring those Club members that demonstrated their excellent fishing abilities, specifically the Angler of the Year, Co-Angler of the Year, Big Fish Award, the Top Five Runners-up in the AOY standings, the Top 2 Runners-up in the CAOY standings, the John Coyle Harrison Memorial Classic Champion and the Classic runner-up. The awards banquet/dinner will be organized and conducted by the Awards Committee. Merchandise to be used as draw prizes at the awards banquet/dinner will be solicited from sponsors, fishing supply vendors and/or purchased with the funds listed in Article VII, Section 2.
SECTION 5. Unexpected expenses
In the event that the club runs into unexpected expenses, the Board of Directors can call for an assessment of the membership to cover the expense.
ARTICLE VIII – Alabama Bass Federation Chapter
SECTION 1. Federation Sponsorship
The Club will sponsor a Chapter of the Alabama Bass Federation for the purpose of promoting participation in bass fishing and for the activities endorsed by the Alabama Federation at the State and National levels. A Federation Point-of-Contact will be appointed by the President to be responsible for all communications, transactions, and correspondences with the Alabama Bass Federation.
SECTION 2. Federation Membership
Club members wishing to participate in the Alabama Federation Chapter can do so on an individual basis. The club Federation Point-of-Contact will ensure their names are listed on the federation roster. Membership fees for the Alabama Federation will be the responsibility of the sole individual wishing to participate in the federation. Dues for the federation can be paid to the club treasurer by December 15th who will send in one payment for those members.
ARTICLE IX - Changes to the Constitution and Bylaws
Any changes to the Constitution and Bylaws will be coordinated and approved by the Board of Directors for presentation to the membership at the annual Organizational Meeting and will remain in effect throughout the following tournament year. This is not to be confused with petition for changes IAW Article III, section 4.
ARTICLE X – Lifetime Members
There may be rare occasions where an individual has contributed so significantly to the welfare of the Club, to the sport of bass fishing, and the preservation of our resources, that the BOD (by a unanimous vote) can entitle an individual to lifetime membership in the Club.
Current Lifetime Members
Sam Smith
Jerry Dunn
ATTACHMENT 1
Tournament Rules
The following rules apply to all Club tournaments:
1. All participants must be legally licensed to fish, and, if operating the boat during the tournament, must meet all the state and club requirements of a boat operator, in the State where the tournament takes place.
2.All boats must possess the state required safety equipment. Kill switches will be tethered to the boat operator IAW Alabama State Law and contestants will wear life jackets whenever the boat is on plane. As a safety precaution it is recommended that each contestant attach a sound device to their life jacket in the event they become ejected from the vessel to allow for alerting your where a bouts, especially when fishing at night.
3. Alcoholic beverages may not be consumed by any contestant during official tournament fishing hours. Violation will result in automatic disqualification.
4. The creel limit will be three (3) largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass group in aggregate, each of which is at least twelve (12) or fifteen (15) inches in length measured in accordance with state law or club direction for each contestant. If these limits are not in compliance with regulations for any specific tournament site, the Tournament Director will advise the membership of the specific rules that will apply. Upon catching the 4th fish, an angler must cull before resuming fishing.
5.All fish will be considered “officially submitted” upon transfer from the weigh-in carry bag to the weigh-in (mesh) bag. The Tournament Director will then perform any necessary measurements for short fish using the “Golden Rule”. Any angler can request a courtesy measurement prior to submitting their catch for “official weighing”. Courtesy measurements will be conducted prior to removing fish from the weigh in carry bag.
6.An eight-ounce penalty (0.50) will be imposed for every dead fish presented at weigh in. No angler will be allowed to weigh in more than one dead fish per limit.
7.. Any contestant presenting “short fish” will lose the short fish and be penalized one (1) pound. Any contestant presenting two (2) short fish will be disqualified. The Tournament Director will, at his discretion, measure a fish if it appears to be short. Any contestant presenting more than a full limit of fish to be weighed will be penalized 1 pound and have his/her catch culled starting with the biggest fish.
8. All contestants must be present for weigh-in at the announced time unless approved by the Tournament Director. A penalty of one (1) pound per minute per contestant will be assessed for any late boat/team. Any boat/team more
than fifteen minutes late for weigh-in will be disqualified and will lose all participation points. In the event that a boat/team must quit the tournament early, that team must either call or text one of the BOD members or have a note left on one of the remaining Club vehicles so that all members can be accounted for. In the event of no notification the club will start by call the boater/team to make sure they are safe and are off the water or start the process of contacting the marine police for a search and rescue of the lost boat / team.
9. The Tournament Director shall designate the weigh-in location, and procedures.
10. Catch and release is mandatory. Dead fish will be collected and placed in a cooler at the weigh in. All fish must be handled to ensure their survival. Fish presented for weigh in must be kept in a water filled bag, you may use your own bag or one provided by the club, when they are transported to the scales.
11. Any angler wishing to keep a fish as a trophy will present their catch to the grievance committee who will rule on if the catch is deemed or considered a trophy. If the committee agrees their catch is worthy of being a trophy, then the angler can keep their catch. If the committee feels that it is not worthy of being a trophy then the angler will release their catch immediately. Rulings will be the decision of the grievance committee and are finial.
12. The use of nets for fish transportation is expressly prohibited and will result in automatic disqualification.
13. Ties for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or “big fish” will result in a pooling of the available money for the contested prize and a splitting of the prize.
14. Only one rod per contestant may be in used at any one time. Other rods may be rigged and ready for use. Only casting, spin-casting, or spinning reels may be used.
15. Only artificial lures/baits, to include pork rind, may be used. Live baits or prepared baits are not allowed. Lures must be cast and retrieved – trolling / longlining is prohibited during tournaments. Baits with multiple hooks (a.k.a. Alabama Rig) are permitted IAW State and local lake laws.
16. A boat/team may not fish within fifty yards of any other Club tournament boat/team unless the two parties are in agreement to allow each team to fish within the close proximity. Grievances to this violation can only be filed by the encroached party. No third-party grievances may be filed.
17. Good sportsmanship is expected of all contestants. Disorderly conduct will result in for disqualification. Complaints must be made to the Tournament Director within fifteen (15) minutes of the conclusion of weigh-in. Decisions are FINAL.
18. Boat/team members are responsible for arriving at an equitable agreement
for expenses and fishing locations.
19. Communication (cell phones calls, text messaging etc…) between contestants during tournament hours for the purpose of locating and/or catching fish is prohibited.
20. For night tournaments the lake will be off limits the entire day of the scheduled night tournament.
21. Normal entry fees for all Club tournaments will be $30.00 per person, with
$5.00 of that being designated for the Big Fish pot.
22. All entry fees and intentions are to be made at the pre-tournament meeting or at the boat ramp no later than 15 minutes before blast off. If a member is running late and has not paid they must contact a member of the BOD to let them know their intentions (Calcutta entry, fishing with a partner) to participate in that tournament.
23. The Club, and Club Officers, shall not be held liable for any property damage and/or injury, to include death that may occur during a Club tournament or function. Participant Release of liability forms are required to be on file with the club secretary.
24. In the event of a rule violation or disqualification, as determined by the Tournament Director, is contested, the Grievance Committee will be called into session to resolve the issue prior to the final disbursement of funds and points.
25. A dead fish cannot be weighed in for Big Fish.
26. All day tournaments are safelight to 3p unless changed due to weather or some unforeseen incident.
ATTACHMENT 2
The John Coyle Harrison Memorial Classic Guidelines
The Club will hold a tournament designated as the “Classic” defined as follows:
1. The Classic will be a ONE DAY event for the following members:
- The twelve highest ranked Club members based on the AOY standings.
- Any member who individually placed first (earning 25 points) in a regular Club tournament and participates in a minimum of 5 tournaments .
- Any member having participated in at least 5 of 10 regular season tournaments. If a non-boating member does not draw a boater in a regular season tournament, and is unable to find a boater to fish with and, therefore, cannot fish the tournament, the member will receive credit for fishing the tournament for purposes of Classic qualification. If a member has paid for a tournament and can’t attend, they may roll it over to another tournament or they can count it towards qualifying for the Classic (1 time). Likewise, if a tournament date is rescheduled (after the draw) due to circumstances beyond the Club's control (e.g., weather), and this causes a member to be unable to fish on the rescheduled date, the member shall receive credit for fishing the tournament for purposes of Classic qualification. In addition, any member that has paid the entry for a tournament and is unable to fish said event, and subsequently uses that ‘missed event’ as their lowest dropped tournament finish, may also use the ‘missed’ event towards the 5 tournaments needed for qualification into the Classic.
2. The Classic is a solo event where the qualifiers may, at their discretion, fish alone or with another club member (i.e. qualified Non Boater). Any non-boater who qualifies for the Classic will be responsible for borrowing a boat for their use, fishing with a guest of their choice, a club member who has a boat, or pairing with a qualifying member boater.
3. A pre-tournament meeting will be held before the Classic to determine the lake, ramp, and tournament times. To determine the location, each Classic qualifier should make every effort to be present to submit their lake of choice into a ‘pool’ and the lake will be drawn from the collection. Proxy votes will be allowed. The chosen lake will be off-limits to all participants until the Classic begins on the following Saturday morning. The lakes are restricted to those used during the tournament year and must be within a 150 mile radius of downtown Huntsville.
4. The Classic tournament ramp and times will be determined by majority vote of members present. The Classic blast-off order will be set in order of the final AOY standings.
5. The limit for Classic qualifiers will be five (5) bass that measure at least twelve (12) or fifteen (15) inches in accordance with state regulations and or club direction for each participating contestant.
6. No fish caught during the Classic will be eligible for the annual Big Fish competition.
7. All other Club rules will apply.
8. In all matters of dispute that cannot be settled IAW these bylaws, the Tournament Director’s decision is FINAL.
9. A tie in weight will be broken by the angler’s big fish weight. Subsequent ties are broken by next biggest fish and so on.