CASTAIC

 

 

 BASS CLUB

 

 

 

BY-LAWS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Purpose:  Competitive sport and harmony among members.

 

Members of the Castaic Bass Club will strive for better bass fishing now and in the future by practicing catch and release of live bass whenever possible. 

 

Members will help conserve natural resources by abiding with all State Fish and Game regulations as well as lake rules and water pollution standards.

 

 

Monthly Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month.

 

Monthly tournaments are normally held on the Sunday following the monthly meeting.

 

Tournament dates are subject to change when conflicting with holidays or other special events.

 

 

 

Castaic Bass Club, Castaic, Ca.

Michael Iljin (661) 263-3216

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

                                                                                                                        Page

Introduction                                                                                                                                          1

 

Table of Contents                                                                                                                                 2

 

Membership Eligibility and Requirements                                                                                               3

            Eligibility                                                                                                                                   3

            Membership Categories & Age Requirements                                                                           3

            Legal Guardianship of Junior Members                                                                                      3

            Membership Maximum                                                                                                             3

 

Membership Responsibilities                                                                                                                 4

            Dues and Fees                                                                                                                          4

            Leave of Absence                                                                                                                     4

            Monthly Meeting                                                                                                                      5

            Probation/Disqualification/Rules Infractions                                                                                5

 

Officers & Executive Board                                                                                                                  6

            Officers                                                                                                                                    6

            Election and Term                                                                                                                     6

            Duties                                                                                                                                       6

            The Executive Board                                                                                                                7

            Removal of Officers                                                                                                                  7

 

Angler of the Year                                                                                                                                8

            Who, How and What                                                                                                               8

            Points                                                                                                                                       8

            Bonus Points                                                                                                                            8

 

Fiberglass Mounts                                                                                                                                9

 

Tournament Lake Sites                                                                                                                         9

 

Safety and Boat Insurance                                                                                                                    9

            Safety                                                                                                                                       9

            Inspections                                                                                                                               10

            Non-Boaters                                                                                                                            10

            Insurance                                                                                                                                  10

 

Changes to the By-Laws                                                                                                                       10

 

Appendix A-Tournament Rules                                                                                                             11-13

 

 

(2)

 

 

MEMBERSHIP ELIGIBILITY AND REQUIREMENTS

 

 

1.         ELIGIBILITY

 

ANYONE, subject to the following, who has an interest in the pleasures of fishing for Bass is eligible for membership in the CASTAIC BASS CLUB.

 

2.          MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES & AGE REQUIREMENTS

 

ADULTS will be a minimum of 18 years of age.

 

JUNIOR MEMBERS will be a minimum of 14 years of age.  JUNIOR MEMBERS are allowed to participate in all club activities allowed by law except hold the position of President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer and be a member of the Executive Board.  When pairings are done it must be with the consent of the boater.

 

 

3.   LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP IF JUNIOR MEMBERS

 

In the event the family ADULT member is unable to participate in a club tournament or activity, it will be the responsibility of the JUNIOR member to have his parents provide in writing to the club a “Temporary LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP” for the tournament or activity. 

 

The written “TEMPORARY LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP” from the parents of the JUNIOR Member will provide temporary legal guardianship to any ADULT member paired with the junior member.  This “TEMPORARY LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP” will authorize any medical attention, if needed.  The written “Temporary Legal GUARDIANSHIP” will also release from any and all liability the Club and its members.

 

In addition to the “Temporary Legal GUARDIANSHIP” An insurance or medical care card must be provided to the member paired with the JUNIOR member prior to the involvement of the JUNIOR Member in any Club activity.

 

 

4.   MEMBERSHIP MAXIMUM

 

There will a maximum of 50 active members at any one time.

 

Boater members must be in an equal or higher ratio than Non-Boater members to insure even pairing for each tournament.

 

 

 

 

 

(3)

 

MEMBERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

 

1.   Dues and Fees

 

The membership year will run from January through November.  All members will pay the following dues or fees: 

 

Annual Dues-$25-payable upon joining the club in January, reduced to $15 if joining in July 1 or later.

A.  Monthly dues-$10.00 each month, not including the month of joining.  All fees are due at the monthly club meeting.  Members must pay their dues before tournament day!

B.   Monthly tournament fees-$10.00 for each tournament fished.  $5 big fish option is available for interested members.

C.  Non-boaters are required to pay their boater fishing partner the following minimum amounts to cover their share of boat operation expenses.

 

Castaic Lake:                           $25.00

Piru Lake:                                 $30.00

Pyramid Lake:                          $30.00

Casitas Lake:                            $35.00

Cachuma Lake:                        $50.00       As of 2007 Schedule

 

All members’ dues must be paid and kept in good standing.  Failure to meet these requirements will prohibit participation in club functions and voting at monthly meetings.

 

If any member is unable to attend the monthly meetings, it is their responsibility to either send their dues, and tournament fees with another member to the meeting or send the dues and fees to a board member.

 

Late tournament entries will be allowed by calling the President and payment of fees.  The President will do their best to accommodate the late entry and pair them with another member. 

 

If a member fails to pay all outstanding monthly dues and tournament fees prior to a tournament, they will not be allowed to fish in that tournament.  NO EXCEPTIONS!

 

A member, upon giving advanced notice to the President or Secretary of the club, may take a leave of absence of up to six months from the club and not be responsible for the monthly dues during this leave.  During a leave of absence a member may not participate in any tournaments or vote at meetings.  Reinstatement to active membership may take place at any time during the leave of absence by payment of the current months dues.  A subsequent leave of absence will not be granted until six months after reinstatement.

 

 

 

(4)

2.         MONTHLY MEETINGS AND TOURNAMENTS

 

There will be a general membership meeting on the 2nd Thursday of each month, January through November, for all members to discuss club news and upcoming tournaments.

 

The meeting will start promptly at 7:00 PM.

 

Meeting Business will go in this order:

 

Introductions of members and welcoming of new members.

Introduction of speaker.

Treasurer and Committee reports

New Business and Announcements

 

Monthly tournaments are normally held on the Sunday immediately following the monthly meeting, unless there is a conflict with a holiday or other special event.

 

Prior to the launch of every tournament the President will conduct a meeting to confirm the official time, confirm weigh-in time and location, and other pertinent tournament details.

 

3.   PROBATION/DISQUALIFICATION/RULES INFRACTIONS

 

Any member who is absents from two consecutive meetings without notifying a board member will be placed on probation.  The Secretary will notify the member of the probation by letter.  If a third meeting is missed, that member will automatically be dropped from the club roster and will be notified.

 

Any member may be placed on probation or be voted out of the club for unruly behavior or rule infractions.  A vote will be made by the executive board.  The affected member or members shall have the right and opportunity to state their case to the Executive Board prior to the Board voting on probation or dismissal.

 

In fairness to all members it is the duty of all members to not allow infractions of the rules.  A member who knows about a fishing partner’s rules infraction and does nothing to correct the situation, or fails to bring it the the attention of a Board Member prior to the finish of the weigh-in or other appropriate time, may also be disqualified or voted out of the club by the Executive Board.

 

Any member will be dismissed from the club permanently, if it is that member’s second offense.  Such action will be by the Executive Board. 

 

All probation and dismissal actions by the Executive Board shall be made known to the affected members by letter.

 

 

(5)

OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE BOARD

 

1,             OFFICERS

The Officers will be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Weigh Master.

 

2.           ELECTION AND TERM

 

The Officers will be elected for a term of one year by the members in attendance at the November Meeting and will assume office at the installation banquet held in December.  Only members who are current in their dues and tournament fees will be eligible to vote.

 

3.             DUTIES

The duties of the Officers are as follows:

 

                President – the President is responsible for the overall operating of the club.

The President is responsible for the overall running of the meetings and functions.

The President shall appoint all committees and committee chairs.

Additionally the President is responsible for the Club’s adherence to the By-Laws.

 

Vice President – the Vice President’s function is to assist the President in the performance of his duties.

The Vice President is to stand-in for the President in his absence.

The Vice President also holds the title of Tournament Director and is responsible for the operation of the club’s tournaments.

                Duties as Tournament Director include:

1.             The equitable pairings of Boaters and Non-boaters in a process agreed upon by the members.

2.             The adherence to Tournament Rules.

3.             Holding a pre-launch meeting to make announcements, make sure all anglers are paired up, and adjust scales and to ensure adherence to previously agreed upon launch time.

 

Treasurer – the Treasurer is responsible for the financial functioning of the Club.

                The Treasurer’s duties include collecting of dues and fees, paying bills, proper administration of accounts and reporting the financial of the Club to the members.

                The Treasurer will assist the Secretary with correspondence regarding financial matters.

 

Secretary – the Secretary is responsible for keeping the affairs of the Club in order.  This includes the timely keeping of the minutes of the meetings and necessary correspondence to operate the club.

 

                Weigh Master – the Weigh Master is responsible for the checking in of all boats and anglers and the collection of weight slips at a tournament’s conclusion.

                The Weigh Master will assist the Tournament Director in calculating and adjusting weights and determining the results of each tournament.

 

The weigh master is the initial recipient of notices of any rules infractions and will immediately report such a notice to the Tournament Director and the Executive Board for action.

 

The President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer will have the power to sign checks and be listed appropriately on accounts to do so.

 

 

 

(6)       

THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

 

The Executive Board will consist of the Officers of the Club.  The Executive Board will hold a minimum of one meeting every quarter unless special circumstances call for any extra meeting to be called by the President.

 

5.         REMOVAL OF OFFICERS

 

An officer may be removed from office by a motion being made and seconded at a general meeting.  Written notice will be sent to all active members at least 15 days prior to the next scheduled monthly meeting advising them of the motion.  A vote on the motion will be made at the next scheduled monthly meeting.  A majority vote of the members present at the monthly meeting is necessary to approve the motion to remove the officer. 

 

If the motion is approved, nominations to fill the vacant position will be held immediately and a vote taken.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(7)

ANGLER OF THE YEAR

 

1.   WHO, HOW AND WHAT

 

Upon completion of the regular tournament season in October, the member with the highest number of tournament points will be declared the “ANGLER OF THE YEAR.”  An angler’s best seven finishes out of the ten-tournament schedule will be counted toward their year-end total.  This is of great advantage to anglers who cannot fish all ten tournaments but still want to be in competitive points race.

 

Effective in 1997 the Angler of the Year will receive from the club a jacket with the club logo and their name.  The jacket will be presented at the annual awards banquet.

 

2.   POINTS

Tournament points are as follows:

 

1st  =          100                              10th      =          69

2nd  =          95                                11th      =          68

3rd  =          90                                12th      =          67

4th  =          87                                13th      =          66

5th  =          84                                14th      =          65

6th  =          81                                15th      =          64

7th  =          78                                16th      =          63

8th  =          75                                17th      =          62

9th  =          72                                18th      =          61

 

And so on….

 

Any member that fishes a tournament and does not catch a “keeper” fish will receive 10 “show-up” points.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(8)

FIBERGLASS MOUNTS

 

Members catching the heaviest three (3) fish over ten (10) pounds in any of the club’s tournaments during a calendar year will receive a fiberglass mount of the fish at the Christmas Party, provided enough funds are available.

 

TOURNAMENT LAKE SITES

 

At the conclusion of each tournament season, the President shall appoint a Tournament Lake Site Committee of volunteers to determine the monthly tournament sites for the upcoming year.

 

The committee shall consist of no more than 6 members.

 

 

The committee will report their site selections to the President as soon as possible after the committee meeting.  This will help to expedite the securing of tournament and Lake Permits for the following season.

 

Any two-day tournament lake sites must be within a seven hour one way drive from Castaic.

 

 

SAFETY AND BOAT INSURANCE

 

1.         SAFETY

 

All boat owners must meet all Coast Guard rules:

A.        Life vests and a floatable cushion device with 50’ of rope attached.       

B.         A working fire extinguisher on board all boats over 14’ in length.

C.        Working bow and stern lights must be turned on prior to and after safe light conditions while on the water.      

D.        Some type of devise such as a whistle, horn, or a red flare for any distress or emergency situation.                                        

E.         Oars or paddles in case of emergency.

F.         No boats will be allowed to be used if the motor horsepower exceeds the B.I.A. rating of manufacturer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(9)

2.         INSPECTIONS

 

Yearly inspections or when accepted for membership will be made by the Executive Board to insure that all boats are safe for all members.  Boats no up to safety codes will not be allowed at any club tournament or function.

 

 

3.         NON-BOATERS

 

Non-boaters are responsible for their own life vest and must bring it to all club tournaments or on the water functions.  Non-boaters are responsible for sharing the boaters’ expenses as described elsewhere in the By-Laws.

 

 

4.         INSURANCE

 

All boat owners must have current liability and medical coverage on their boat at all times.  This policy must cover not only the boat owner and his fishing partner or partners but any other party involved in a possible accident.  Proof of insurance will be required at each January meeting.  Proof of insurance shall be given to the Secretary.

 

 

The club will maintain a $1,000,000 liability policy insuring the club the members.  This policy will be excess of the insurance the members are required to carry.

 

 

 

CHANGES TO THE BY-LAWS

 

Changes can be made to this By-Laws by any member submitting a written motion to change at any regularly scheduled monthly meeting.  If the motion receives a second, a vote on the motion will be held at the next regularly scheduled monthly meeting.  A copy of the proposed change should be included in the Newsletter mailed to all members preceding the meeting at which the motion will be voted on. 

 

It is strongly urged that any talk of By-Law changes take place in October or November.  This will give the club more time throughout the year to concentrate on fishing related items, guest speakers, and etcetera. We know through experience that less talk about By-Laws and more talk about fishing will encourage more camaraderie among all members.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(10)

 

 

APPENDIX A

 

MONTHLY TOURNAMENT RULES

 

Because of our commitment to “catch and release,” all tournaments, unless otherwise agreed upon before the start of a tournament, will be fished in adherence to the following rules.  Violations will result in disqualification and no points being awarded to the offending parties.

 

1.         While fishing any club tournament all club members must have in their possession a valid fishing license or lake permit for the state and lake upon which they are fishing.

 

2.         Club members must comply with All Lake Rules and posted signs while fishing a tournament or at any other club function.

 

3.         All club members who are using their boat during a club tournament must comply will all Coast Guard safety equipment regulations.  All boats must have on board approved life vests and a fire extinguisher.  (See Safety section of the By-Laws).  Life

Vests must be worn when the large engine is powering the boat.   

 

4.         It will be the President’s responsibility to determine what is “safe light” or launch time.  This must be done at the time of the partner drawing.  It must be declared and understood by all.  Anyone launching or leaving a designated area before that established time will be disqualified.  If the President deems it necessary to change “safe light” or launch time, it is his sole responsibility to inform all participating members prior to launching.

 

5.         The President will do whatever is possible to have no more than two anglers per boat.  Assigning of a third angler by the President will be equitable.

 

6.         All state and local laws, rules and regulations will apply to each tournament.  These will be strictly enforced.

 

7.         All tournaments will be draw options for partners.  Drawing will be done openly by the weigh master at the general meeting proceeding the.

 

8.         All tournaments, excluding the June “challenge tournament” will be a shared weight format.  Partners in the same boat will work together for their best total catch. 

 

9.         Single “odd man” boat owners may fish only if there is no one else to be paired with if their boat has been properly inspected for fish, live bait and safety violations. The president at his discretion may place non-member on a boat to force a pairing.    Their fish are to be weighed by another member.

 

 

(11)

10.       Absolutely no alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs will be allowed on any boat during a tournament. 

 

11.       While a tournament is in progress, no member may disembark his or her boat to gain access to an area that cannot be safely reached by boat for fishing.

 

12.       No member may get out of his or her boat unless there is an emergency or a nature call develops.

 

13.       If any member has an emergency or requires assistance, stop your fishing and help, putting safety first.

 

14.       Should a boat owner become ill during a tournament, the remaining members will invite the partner to fish.  However, should that boat owner recover and later decide to fish, every effort MUST be made to find his partner before returning to fish.  If the partner cannot be located then a Board Member must inspect the live well before returning to fish.

 

15.       No member may go ashore for lunch or snack and after their lunch resume fishing.

 

16.       No fishing will be allowed from shore, but is is allowed in Dock and Marina area, as long as this conforms to lake regulations.

 

17.       All boats must be a minimum of 25 yards from other boats while fishing unless agreed upon by the affected members.

 

18.       A marker buoy may be used to secure a hot spot and other boats must be a minimum of 75’ from the buoy.  Boats using a marker buoy must fish within 75’ of the buoy or remove the buoy.

 

19.       The club will practice catch and release at all times. 

 

20.       Live bait is strictly prohibited at any tournament.  Only artificial lures are allowed.  Any use of live bait during tournament fishing will result in immediate disqualification and can result in expulsion from the club.

 

21.       Any member of the club may fish only one rod at a time.

 

22.       Disqualification means no “show up” points for that tournament.

 

23.       Trolling is prohibited using gasoline engine.

 

24.       Only largemouth, small mouth, or spotted bass are allowed at the weigh in for    weight.

 

25.       Guests may fish once without joining providing tournaments are paid and upon   approval of the president.

(12)

26.       Each boat must contain some kind of a measuring devise.  The official club measuring devise at the weigh in will be a “Will E Go” flat board. 

 

27.       All fish will be weighed alive at the end of the tournament on official club scales.  A .2lb penalty will be assessed for a dead bass.  Weighing in a short fish will result in a loss of the short fish’ weight AND a one pound penalty.  During the annual challenge tournament, each fish is to be weighed on a digital scale and then verified by a member in that boat from another club.

 

28.       Each bass must be a minimum of 13” measured from open mouth to open or fanned tail tip.  State of Lake Rules supercede club minimum size limit and bag limit.

 

29.       Only the five heaviest fish count unless otherwise stated.

 

30.       No member may have in their possession at any time more than the state or local lake limits number of bass unless they are “culling” a fresh caught bass.

 

31.       Any member deliberately injuring any size bass in a tournament will be disqualified and could be suspended from the club.

 

32.       Late comers to the tournament receive no extra time to fish.

 

33.       Weigh-in time and location and time will be set and confirmed prior to launch.

 

34.       Any boat that is late to the weigh-in will be disqualified at the discretion of the    president.

 

35.       There will not be any off limits prior to tournaments.

 

36.       The largest fish will break ties.  Decisions of the Weigh master will be final.

 

37.       Any protests or rules infractions must be reported to the Weigh master before the          weigh-in is over.  The weigh master will then gather the Executive Board for a           ruling.  The Executive Board ruling will be made as soon as a decision is made.

 

38.       Top 5 Placed anglers will not fish together during the final two points

            Tournaments

 

39.       Two new members should never fish together.

 

40.       New member may be paired up with member who introduced them to club during new member’s first tournament only

A final note…

Members who work club fundraisers, such as the Love Ride and Night Tournament BBQ’s, will receive $3 off their annual dues for each fundraiser worked.  This is just a little token of appreciation from the club for all the hard work you do throughout the season beginning January 2004.

(13)