**Amended by DBM Board on 10/28/25
Denver Bassmasters Club Rules and Regulations:
The following are the rules for tournaments conducted by the Denver Bassmasters Chapter 812 (DBM.)
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 people 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 an entry fee. All participants must have a Boater Safety Card in their possession. This applies to anyone who might need to start the big motor. A liability form must be completed by all participants prior to the tournament start. This is completed annually and tracked by the Tournament Director.
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 B.A.S.S. #. 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 entry form and the Treasurer does not acknowledge payment at the drawing, you are automatically excluded from the drawing, no exceptions. Register online prior to the draw.
5. PAIRINGS FOR TOURNAMENTS
A draw will be scheduled for 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 sharing 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 co-angler, or vice versa, does not qualify for being “drawn out” If a draw outs 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.
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.
Remember 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, 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.
Cancellations due to legitimate family emergencies or illness may be approved by the Tournament Director and do not count as unauthorized cancellations. However, cancellations due to financial hardship or lack of funds are considered unauthorized cancellations. One unauthorized cancellation after a drawing is a warning. Two unauthorized cancellations over two seasons, after a draw, results in the member being restricted to the waitlist for the next 12 months.
6. PRE-TOURNAMENT PRACTICE:
The tournament waters shall be off-limits to all competitors commencing at 30 minutes after sunset on 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. Exceptions 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.
Safe boat conduct must be always observed 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 the 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.
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 always practiced, especially regarding 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 grounds 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 or use alcoholic beverages, marijuana, or non-prescription stimulants during travel to and from the tournament, at the launch ramp for pre-launch activities, during the tournament, or post-tournament weigh-in and results announcemen.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 one member be disqualified.
Only artificial lures may be used. No live bait or prepared baits. Basically what it's telling you to do.ait will be permitted except for pork strips, rinds, etc. Only one casting, spin-casting, or spinning rod (10-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.
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 driver’s 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, seaworthy and be approved by the Tournament Director. A small electric trolling motor may be used for slow maneuvering. However, trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited, unless approved by the Tournament Director. In the event a boat's main motor becomes inoperable, the Tournament Director has the authority to permit the competitor to fish using the electric trolling motor. 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 manufacturer 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 competition 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 the cause for immediate disqualification. The Maximum hp rating for DBM tournaments is 250 HP.
11. BASIC BOAT EQUIPMENT:
Every boat must have all required U.S.C.G. safety equipment, including Coast Guard approved life jackets, fire extinguishers (for applicable fuel systems), sound-producing devices, navigation lights, and throwable flotation devices, as well as properly secured gas tanks that meet U.S.C.G. regulations and a U.S.C.G. horsepower rating plate attached by the manufacturer. In addition, each boat 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 the aeration and capacity is proper and adequate.
Each boat may be subject, prior to each day’s start, to 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 are 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
Boat & tow vehicle gas
ANS and entry fees, if applicable
***Overnight accommodations, if applicable
$20 per day, including pre-fish, for the boat. Optional at the boater’s decision
Assistance in cleaning up and securing the boat
100% liability for any damage caused by the non-boater to the boat or tow vehicle
Out-of-State Tournament Accommodations:
For out-of-state tournaments, any female boater or female co-angler shall have their own separate hotel room. Denver Bassmasters may authorize partial reimbursement for the other participant's lodging expenses when a female boater or female co-angler requires a separate room, at the sole discretion of the Tournament Director and Board of Directors.
For any other participant (boater or co-angler) who chooses to have separate accommodations, that participant must pay the other participant half of their hotel room cost.
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 competitor’s boat who was spot locked first. 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 always remain in the boat except in case of dire emergency. In such an emergency, competitors may be removed from their boat to a boat operated by other competitors or a rescue boat. Partners must always remain together, in sight of each other and each other’s catch under the conditions stated above in order for that day's catch to be counted. This applies only to dire emergency situations. Trailering 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.
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.
Tournament standing and awards will be determined by either the pound and ounce weight (if a weight tournament) or by points (if a card tournament) of each competitor’s catch during the competition days of the tournament. Partners must visually verify and initial each other’s 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)
Late arrival past designated check in point and time – 1 lb. per minute
Presenting an undersized fish for weigh-in – 1 lb. + weight of fish during live weigh-ins.
Presenting a dead fish for weigh-in – 4 oz. No culling dead fish during the tournament or during live weigh-ins.
If a catch is less than a pound, a clear and concise zero must be put in front of the decimal point (example: 0.75 oz.). Failure to do so will result in loss of catch.
All fish on a catch card must be initiated by both participants in the boat or by another angler in the tournament. If another boat weighs the fish, the fish is immediately returned to the lake at that time.
Failure to sign the catch card before submitting to the tournament director – No weight will be recorded for either the boater or co-angler. Both the boater and co-angler must sign the card after it has been reviewed by both participants.
In the case where a boater is fishing solo, legal fish must be weighed in by other tournament participants. State laws must be followed.
Once a competitor’s 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 otherwise 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 fish will receive 25 points.
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 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.
At the end of each season, the last tournament is designated as Megabucks. This is an 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.
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 parties involved 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 the vote on the appeal. The Tournament Director will only vote in the case of a tie. The decision of the Tournament Committee is final.
DBM encourages the use of patches, logos, and other signage to promote sponsors and supporters.
None of the above rules should prohibit a properly designated tournament official from approaching or boarding any competitor's boat at any time during the pre-fish or competition days.
Read and understand all Tournament Rules and Regulations prior to entering.
Tournaments are a draw format. The draw will be at the club meeting prior to the event, when possible, otherwise it will be a zoom call draw. Each boater's and non-boater's name are put in separate hats and drawn as "partners". If a boater or non-boater is drawn out for a tournament, they are given priority for the next tournament. All efforts will be made to minimize draw-outs. Phone.
For regular scheduled tournaments, your individual fish weight counts. The fish is weighed on a club provided hand scale at the time of catch and verified by the co-angler. The weight is recorded on a card with the 5 heaviest fish counting as your score. Some special events, like Opens or State Team events, may be held as live weigh-ins and will be announced in advance.
For all tournaments, you will travel to and from with the person drawn. Travel costs are split between partners. This includes truck gas, boat gas, lodging (if required), park fees, etc. and is generally discussed prior to leaving. In addition, there is a $20 per day fee paid by the non-boater to the boater to cover boat cost, maintenance, and insurance. For 2-day tournaments, you will be paired up with a different boater on the second day, but all costs will be reconciled with your travel partner. If a non-boater has not settled all money matters from the previous tournament, they will not be eligible to fish the upcoming tournament until those costs have been settled with their previous boater.
During tournament day, the non-boater is given the opportunity to choose the water fished during one half of the day (Boater chooses which half of the day they want control). If the non-boater is operating the tow vehicle or boat at any time, and damage occurs by the non-boater, it is the financial responsibility of the non-boater to resolve.
Entry Fee – 1 Day Tournament: Out-of-state tournaments are $50 per person. In-state tournaments held at Colorado State Parks are $55 per person due to the additional $5 per person Colorado State Parks access fee. A 3% service charge will be added to credit card payments.
Entry Fee – 2 Day Tournament: Out-of-state tournaments are $100 per person. In-state tournaments held at Colorado State Parks are $110 per person due to the additional $5 per person Colorado State Parks access fee per day ($10 total for 2 days). A 3% service charge will be added to credit card payments.
As part of the entry fee, the following is paid to the qualifying entrants at the conclusion of the tournament.
- Top finishers. Minimum top 3 with amount contingent on # of entrants.
- Boat weight. Highest total collective weight by boat.
- Big Bass. Highest single fish weight caught during the tournament.
The goal is to have fun and learn something while competing against fellow anglers!
For more information contact:
Howard Binkley - Tournament Director DBM
(720) 375-4270
bink9085@gmail.com
