Club Tournament Rules and Regulations:

Amended by DBM membership on  4/12/23

1. SCOPE

The following are the rules for tournaments conducted by the Denver Bassmasters (DBM.)

2. TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE:

A tournament committee shall consist of the DBM Tournament Director and all Club Officers and Board Members present. Each member of the committee will have the ability to cast one vote on each matter brought before it with the Tournament Director only voting in the event of a tie. Only those committee members who are present will vote on tournament related issues during the actual conduct of any given tournament.

In the event of a rule violation, the Tournament Director may impose such sanctions as deemed appropriate, including, without limitation, disqualification, forfeiture of prizes, entry fee, and prohibition from participation in subsequent DBM tournaments. The decision of the judges and tournament officials shall be final in all matters.

3. PARTICIPANTS AND ELIGIBILITY:

Tournaments are open to members of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society and DBM members who are 16 years of age or older. Proof of age to the satisfaction of tournament officials is the responsibility of the potential competitor. As of April 1, 2009, by majority the club voted to allow persons aged 16 to be DBM members on a member’s recommendation and case-by-case vote. During the official practice and competition days of any DBM tournament no contestant may operate a boat unless the contestant has submitted documented proof of a minimum of $300,000 boating liability insurance to the DBM Tournament Director. This documented proof must show effective and expiration dates and must be received on or before the application deadline. A properly completed and signed official entry form and entrance fee must be received by the DBM Tournament Director on or before the application deadline date. The Tournament Director reserves the right to extend the acceptance date. Insufficient notice of cancellation prior to the start of a tournament can result in forfeiture of entry fee.

4. REGISTRATION:

You must be fully registered with DBM prior to the draw. This includes completing  the online application found on the website complete with all information, including a  current BASS #. You must also be acknowledged by the Treasurer as paid.

You must have registered, and paid for, a tournament before the draw. If the Secretary or Tournament Director does not acknowledge your written entry form and the Treasurer does not acknowledge payment at the draw, you are automatically excluded from the draw. Please do not wait to enter using a paper form at the draw. Register online prior to the draw
  

5. PAIRINGS FOR TOURNAMENTS

A draw will be scheduled at least 7 days before each tournament. It will be a random pairing of a boater with a co angler for the entire field. You will not be paired with the same person during each calendar year. This is the primary person you will travel to and from the tournament, fish with at the tournament, and will share all expenses with. For two day tournaments, you will be assigned a new pairing the second day but you will only fish together on day 2, not share any expenses.

A “draw out” is someone who has been entered in the draw but was not paired up. It could be a boater or co angler. Switching from a boater to a non boater, or vice versa, does not qualify for being “drawn out” If a draw out cannot be paired, they will be automatically given boat 1 position in the next tournament they enter.
 
For any entries after the draw, you will be waitlisted. A week before the tournament, the entrants not paired will be assigned partners using the following order of priority..

• Draw outs

• Entrants from the draw who lose their partner due to a de-commit

• Waitlist entrants

Waitlist entrants do not get the privilege of priority in the next tournament if they are not paired.
 
If you pull out of a tournament after the draw, a valid reason must be given to return your entry fee. The other party affected will be entitled to their entry fee being returned. The BOD has final determination of valid reason.
 
Reminder that costs are to be shared. Boater is responsible for  reporting at the end of the trip. The co angler is responsible for settling up immediately at the conclusion of the event.  If you have not settled up, you are restricted from any further events until resolved.
 
If  a non-refundable expense is incurred, and a last-minute cancellation is made, the cancelling party may still be required to cover a portion of the non-refundable expense. We will leave it up to the parties to reach an agreement. If one cannot be reached, the parties should notify the BOD to hear both sides and propose a solution. Both parties will be restricted from participating in any DBM events until a compromise is reached.
 
One cancellation after a draw is a warning. Two cancellations over two seasons, after a draw, and you can only be on the waitlist for the next 12 month

6. PRE-TOURNAMENT PRACTICE:

The tournament waters shall be off-limits to all competitors commencing at 30 minutes after sunset on the Sunday prior to the first day of practice or competition day. The exact dates and times of the tournament and off-limit period must be obtained from the Tournament Director. It is the responsibility of the competitor to know and observe these dates. Exception may be given by the Tournament Director for special events. I.E. Youth events. During the official practice period or tournament, a competitor may not have the assistance or advice of anyone for the purposes of locating bass, nor may enter the tournament waters during the off-limits period, a professional guide, state or wildlife agency employee, or any person deemed a local expert on these waters by the Tournament Director unless he is a contestant in the tournament. Each competitor agrees to report any violations of these rules to a tournament official. The failure to report violations or suggestions to violate these rules or false verification of weight-in forms will be cause for disqualification.

7. SAFETY:

Safe boat conduct must be observed at all times by the tournament competitors. During the official practice and tournament each competitor is required to provide and wear a Coast Guard approved chest-type life preserver. This preserver must be worn any time the combustion engine is operating. This preserver must be strapped, snapped, or zippered securely and maintained in that condition until the competitor reaches his fishing location and the combustion engine is shut off. Violation of this rule shall be reason for disqualification. The Tournament Director has the right to delay or cancel the start of an official tournament day because of bad weather or other factors that would endanger the safety of the competitors. Tournament waters may also be restricted due to bad weather or other conditions.

8. SPORTSMANSHIP:

Competitors in DBM tournaments are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety, and conservation. Any infraction of these fundamental sporting principles may be deemed cause for disqualification. Use of alcohol or drugs (other than those purchased over the counter or prescribed by a licensed physician) by any competitor during the official practice or tournament will not be tolerated and shall be cause for immediate disqualification from this and all subsequent DBM tournaments. Maximum courtesy must be practiced at all times, especially with regard to boating and angling in the vicinity of non-competitors who may be on the tournament waters. Any act of a competitor which reflects unfavorably upon DBM’s efforts to promote fisheries conservation, clean waters, and courtesy shall be reason for disqualification. No alcoholic beverages or other stimulants or depressants shall be allowed in a boat during official practice or competitor days or in the weigh-in area. No competitor will be allowed to have alcoholic beverages, during travel to and from the tournament, at the launch ramp for pre launch, during the tournament, or post launch and results. Violators can be subject to disqualification from the event or suspension from club events

Chemical substance addiction or abuse, conviction of a felony or other crimes involving moral turpitude, or other conduct reflecting unfavorably on DBM’s efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship and compliance with tournament rules shall be grounds for rejecting any application for participation and disqualification.

During the official competition days of the tournament a competitor may not make cell calls for the purpose of locating or catching fish on tournament waters. Cell phones may be used for emergencies. Competitors are allowed to call lockmasters for locking purposes only. Competitors are allowed to use smart phones for global maps, weather, power generation, tidal charts, notes, etc., however using smart phones during competition to log into daily tournament blogs or social media is not permitted.

If a member is disqualified due to section 7 of the tournament rules, the tournament committee shall meet and discuss the findings with both the boater and the non-boater. If the infraction was a result of only one member, the tournament committee shall make a recommendation to the tournament director that only the one member be disqualified.

9. TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT:

Only artificial lures may be used. No live bait or prepared bait will be permitted with the exception of pork strips, rinds, etc. Only one casting, spin-casting, or spinning rod (8 foot maximum length from the butt of the handle to rod tip) and reel may be used at any one time. All other types are prohibited. Other rigs as specified above may be in the boat ready for use, however only one is permitted in use at any given time. All bass must be caught alive and in a conventional sporting manner. Snagging or snatching bass on spawning beds is prohibited. Landing nets are allowed but no gaffs may be used to boat fish nor be permitted in the boat at any time.

10. BOAT AND MOTOR:

For the Safety of all contestants, all boats must be equipped with some type of operable ignition kill switch. This ignition kill device must be attached to the drives body any time the combustion engine is operating. Any time the combustion engine is operating and in gear there must be a driver in the drivers seat and in full control of the boat. Fishing boats may be used that are 15 feet or more in length and legally powered by an outboard motor with a horsepower rating of 50 HP or greater. Unless on a wakeless or an electric motor only lake, then the boat can be powered by an electric motor. Must still be 15 feet, sea worthy and be approved by Tournament Director. A small electric trolling motor may be used for slow maneuvering. However, trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited. All bladder tanks and any other type of auxiliary gas tanks that are not installed by the boat manufacturer are prohibited. Additional gas tanks that are factory options and installed by a manufacturers authorized dealer are legal. Boats not having factory installed gas tanks that meet U.S.C.G. regulations. Gas tanks must be properly secured or strapped in a boat. No barges or similar cumbersome craft will be permitted. No boat equipped with stick steering shall be permitted to be used either during practice or competitor by any contestant.

Maximum horsepower for all outboard engines used in official practice and competition shall not exceed the horsepower limitations set by the U.S. Coast Guard (U.S.C.G.) in their ruling of Nov. 1, 1972. When required, each boat must have a U.S.C.G. horsepower rating plate attached to the boat by the manufacturer. Any boat manufactured prior to Nov. 1, 1972 must adhere to that rating set by the U.S.C.G. for similar boats. Falsifying information on the entry forms or altering the horsepower rating numbers on the motor is cause for immediate disqualification.

11. BASIC BOAT EQUIPMENT:

Every boat must have all required U.S.C.G. Safety equipment. In addition, it must have a functional bilge pump and properly aerated live well space to adequately maintain alive a limit catch of bass by both fishermen using the boat. The Tournament Director shall have sole responsibility for determining whether aeration and capacity is proper and adequate.

12. BOAT INSPECTION:

Each boat may be subject, prior to each days’ start, a pre-launch inspection by a designated tournament official.

13. BOAT OPERATION AND EXPENSE:

A full discussion must be held between the two boat partners prior to a morning departure as to the schedule of boat operations. This schedule must permit each  the opportunity to fish their  scheduled waters an equal number of hours. . Any contestant, who in the opinion of the tournament officials operates the boat in such a manner as to impair his partner shall be disqualified.

The following is the responsibilities and obligations of each party.

Boater Responsibilities and Obligations:                                    

-           Provide boat and tow vehicle
-           Carry $300K of liability insurance
-           Planning and scheduling of the trip
-           Boat licensing and insurance
-           ANS stamps and park entry fees, if applicable
-           Accounting of all expenses, with receipts
-           Grant permission of non-boater on the front platform
-           Option of waiving any non-boater fees
-           Final accounting of non-boater portion of expense

Non-Boater Responsibilities and Obligations:
-    Assistance in prepping and launching the boat
                Tell the boater if you are not comfortable launching/retrieving the boat
-    ½ of the trip expense. Includes…
                Boat & tow vehicle gas
                ANS and entry fees, if applicable
                Overnight accommodations, if applicable
-       $30 per day, including pre-fish, for the boat
-       Assistance in clean up and securing the boat
-       100% liability for any damage caused by the non-boater to the boat or tow vehicle

14. PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS:

Tournament waters shall be established by the Tournament Director for each tournament. Each competitor must obtain this information from the Tournament Director. Fishing on tournament water is permitted anywhere except within 50 yards of any marina gas pump or within 50 yards of another competitors’ boat who was anchored first with the trolling motor up and secured in a fixed position. No anchored boat shall permit selected boats within that 50 yards minimum to the exclusion of other contestants’ boats. Any area within the designated tournament waters posted as off-limits or no fishing by the governing agencies shall be off-limits. Also, the bass release area established by the Tournament Director will be off-limits and announced at the tournament briefing. If a contestant misses the briefing, it is their responsibility to obtain this information. All angling must be done from the boat.

15. CONTESTANTS MUST REMAIN IN BOAT:

Contestants must not depart the boat to land fish. Boats must remain in tournament waters during the tournament days. Contestants must leave and return to the official checkpoint by boat. Both competitors must remain in the boat at all times except in case of dire emergency. In such emergency, competitors may be removed from their boat to a boat operated by other competitors or a rescue boat. Partners must remain together at all times, in sight of each other and each others’ catch under the conditions sited above in order for that day catch to be counted. This applies only to dire emergency situations. Trailering of boats during tournament hours is prohibited unless at the direction of the tournament officials.

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

16. OFFICIAL CHECKPOINT:

There shall be only one launch and check-in area for each competition day and these will be identified at the tournament briefing. All boats MUST check-in with the launch official.

17. SCORING:

Tournament standing and awards will be determined by either the pound and ounce weight (if a weigh tournament) or by points (if a card tournament) of each competitors’ catch during the competition days of the tournament.. Partners must visually verify and initial each others catch. Only largemouth, spotted or smallmouth bass will be weighed. The limit shall be 5 bass in the aggregate per day unless the prevailing state limit is less than 5 at which time the daily limit will be announced at the tournament briefing. Any deviation from this limit necessary to observe local regulations will be announced at the tournament briefing. Only bass measuring at or greater than the size limit on a “Golden Rule Weigh Board” for a live weigh tournament or weighed on the club provided scales  for  a card tournament will be recorded.

The following penalties apply to DBM tournaments ( if applicable )

1)    Late arrival past designated check in point and time – 1 lb per minute

2)    Presenting an undersized fish for weigh in – 1 lb + weight of fish

3)    Presenting a dead fish for weigh in – 4 oz. No culling dead fish during the tournament

4)    Failure to sign catch card before submitting to the tournament director – No weight will be recorded for both the boater and co-angler

Once a competitors’ catch of card has been turned over to the Tournament Director, no other fish can be added or subtracted. Any bass that appears to have been mangled, mauled or other wise altered will be weighed at the discretion of the Tournament Director.

In the case of a tie for first place, the tie will be broken by the largest bass. If there is still a tie, the second largest will be compared until the tie is broken.\. In the case of a tie other than 1st place, points and awards will be combined and split evenly.

Each competitor who weighs a legal bass and places in a given tournament shall receive YEAR END POINTS on the following basis. 100 for first place, 99for second place, 98 for third place, etc. Competitors who do not weigh-in fish will receive 25 points.

18. YEAR  END AWARDS:

There are three awards in each DBM calendar season

Angler of the Year ( AOY )
Rookie of the Year ( ROY )
Top 10 ( T10 )

For each regular season tournament + Megabucks, points are awarded to each angler based on finish. The member with the highest 4 tournament point total is AOY. The member with the highest point total, and is participating in their first calendar year with DBM, is ROY

In addition, the Top 10 finishers in AOY points for each year are given the option of having their dues paid for the next year or reimbursed for a DBM branded fishing jersey.

Ties in points are broken by the highest single finish between the two anglers. If there is a tie for the first event, it will be the second single finish, and so on, until the tie is broken.

To be eligible for AOY, ROY, or Top 10, you must have participated in a charitable event during the course of the calendar year. This includes any DBM Juniors Events, American Warriors, Cast for Kids, Ft Carson Kids Days, etc. You must register your participation with a BOD member.

19. MEGABUCKS

At the end of each season, the last tournament is designated as Megabucks. This is a AOY points earning tournament. To enter Megabucks, you must qualify under the following guidelines

1)   Enter three tournaments during the calendar year

2)   Enter two tournaments + pay for a entry into a third

An allocation will be taken from all prior tournaments during the calendar year and added to the Megabucks prize pool.

20. PROTESTS:

All protests must be presented in writing to the Tournament Director within 30 minutes of the end of the official tournament day. All formal protests will be acted upon by the Tournament Director at the tournament. All involved parties will be interviewed by the Tournament Director. A competitor who is charged with a rule violation or protest may appeal the Tournament Director decision by:

A. Immediately notifying the Tournament Director of wish to appeal. The Tournament Director will then convene a Tournament Committee made up of all Club Officers and Board Members present at that tournament.

B. All parties involved will separately state their case to the Tournament Committee in person.

C. The Tournament Committee will discuss then vote on the appeal. The Tournament Director will only vote in the case of a tie. The decision of the Tournament Committee is final.

21. PATCHES AND SIGNAGE:

DBM encourages the use of patches, logos, and other signage to promote sponsors and supporters.

22. GENERAL CONDITIONS:

None of the above rules shall prohibit a properly designated tournament official from approaching or boarding any competitors boat at any time during the pre-fish or competition days.

The Non-Boater's Guide to Tournaments

By Nick Toman

 If you're reading this article, chances are you're just beginning to fish tournaments, have your first tournament in the near future, or are curious about joining a club or association. You are probably a bit unsure about what to do, what to bring, what to wear, et cetera. No one wants to be the worried outsider prior to ooze-off, so here's a guide to help you get started and feel confident and comfortable on the water.

Finding a Tournament Appropriate to Your Interests

Most of us have already found a group of anglers we are comfortable fishing with, but for those who have not, here's a quick rundown. This step is far more important than most may think. If your first few tournament experiences are with a group of "hardcore" anglers and you are looking to just learn a bit and get on water once a month, chances are, you'll be turned off before you give tournaments a chance. Conversely, there are many leagues where it's more about meeting at Sammy's for a sandwich after the tournament, and people are very laid back - for those of us who are more competitive and really want to learn a lot, these anglers do not compose the group you'll want to join.
  The best advice I can give you is to email the club presidents or tournament managers and simply ask what their philosophy embodies. A simple Web search will turn up many clubs in your area ranging from local dealership tournaments, to BASS Federation, to American Bass Anglers draw trail, to the Wal-Mart BFL and EverStart Pro-Am events.
  If you are looking for an occasional tournament and are after more fun than competition, I'd stick with local tournaments run by boat dealers, bait shops, lure manufacturers and the like. The American Bass Anglers is a bit more competitive, but still embodies the philosophy of the "weekend angler." This is a true draw format where you will compete against both non-boaters and boaters alike. These tend to be smaller tourneys ranging from 10 to 50 boats. Chances are you can find an ABA division near you (http://www.americanbassanglers.com).
  The Wal-Mart BFL tour is a Pro-Am, meaning you will only compete against other "amateurs" (non-boaters). These are great learning events once you are on the boat, but the hustle and bustle of a large tournament can be a turn-off of these events; often times, there will be a full 200 boat field, meaning 400 total anglers. As a first tournament, it can be a bit overwhelming. Additionally, these events are geographically sparse and require a lot of travel (see http://www.flwoutdoors.com for locations).
  BASS Federation events have the most variance between a laid back and a hardcore composition of anglers - you really need to call club directors regarding their respective clubs. To obtain a list of BASS clubs, visit your state's Federation website via http://www.bassmasters.com.

What Fishing Equipment Should I Bring?

The most important advice I can give you regarding equipment, is that you must always remember you are fishing out of another individual's boat. Chances are their boat cost them thousands of dollars and they DO NOT want to see it messy, cluttered, and treated poorly by someone they hardly know.
  With that in mind, you still have a job to do, namely catch bass. In terms of rods, I'd recommend no more than five. The number of rods is highly conditional: if you use only spinning gear, I'd only bring 3-4 rods. If you prefer to use casting outfits, 5 is plenty. Most boaters will allow you to use the rear pole ties; these ties typically hold about 4 rods comfortably (you can usually squeeze in 5 however). You do not want to be running across the lake without your rods tied down, or laying loose - you will lose your equipment, damage the boat, or worse yet, injure yourself with unsecured equipment.
  In terms of rod types, personally I try to use 4 utility rods and 1 flipping/pitching stick. Keep it mind factors such as high wind, dense cover, water clarity, and methods such as fishing wood versus deep water finesse fishing. Ultimately these factors will pick your rods for you. 

  In terms of tackle, again adapt to the type of lake or river you are fishing. Personally, I tend to check Web postings and reports prior to an outing. If you post a question on a message board regarding what lures to use and explaining that you're new to the tournament scene, someone will help you out. A better idea is to call a local baitshop.

   We all know what it's like to bring 2 gigantic tackle boxes onto a boat and pick and choose all day long. Unfortunately, in tournaments, this is an ill-advised luxury. I would recommend a simple soft-sided tackle system that can fit 3-4 tackle trays. Make sure one tackle tray can handle several spinnerbait/buzzbaits as these lures often create the most headache in storing.

   Bring the lures you have the most confidence throwing! Be sure you bring a decent assortment of diving, floating, suspending crankba