By-Laws

​ROGUE VALLEY BASS CLUB
Official Handbook/By-Laws
Last Revised: 1-7-2023 
This handbook is to serve as a guideline for club operation procedures.
Rules are subject to change at any time by a majority vote of club membership. If you have any questions please present them at the next club meeting.
RVBC meets the first Tuesday of every month at 6:30PM. Current meeting location is Abby's Pizza, White City, OR.
CLUB WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK:
Website: www.roguevalleybass.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rvbcbass
ARTICLE AND PURPOSE
ARTICLE:
It is the foundation of this club to share a common desire among anglers in the pursuit of warm water Game Fish (Bass etc.). We will strive to enhance ourselves in fellowship, and camaraderie with each other and the community. We will attempt to preserve the future of our sport by our support, and participation in conservation of our warm water fish and their habitat.
PURPOSE:
1.) To stimulate public awareness of Bass and warm water fishing as a major community sport.
2.) To bring into light the importance of “Catch and Release” fishing on major species of fish. 3.) To offer our State Agencies our information and organized physical, moral, and political support.
4.) To promote full adherence to all conservation codes and to lobby for adequate water standards.
5.) To bring attention to potential criminal wrong doing associated​​ with our sport.
6.) To enhance our angling skills, promote and encourage youth fishing through organized activities.
7.) To promote fishing and outdoor activities as a means of support for family and community. 8.) To accommodate the competitive nature among anglers by way of contests (bass tournaments).

BY LAWS
MEMBERSHIP
There shall be no limitation on the number of members in RVBC unless a limitation is added to these Bylaws by majority vote of all active members and amendment.
REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP
1. Prospective member voluntarily expresses a genuine interest in club membership.
2. Prospective member has read, understands and agrees to adhere to our Article, Purpose, and Bylaws.
3. Prospective member agrees to make every attempt to participate in club activities, tournaments, and meetings,
4. Prospective member agrees to promote and participate in positive relationships with fellow members, and not allow inappropriate, rude, illegal or unsafe behavior to take place at any time during our club activities.
5. Prospective member agrees to be a willing participant of “Catch and Release Only” Bass fishing.
6. New Membership will not become active until the New Member has paid dues, and provided the information as is needed by the club officers, ie: contact info and boat insurance policy information (if participating as a boater).
MEMBERSHIP DUES
RVBC Fees:
Family Plus – 50.00 (immediate family and non-boater extended family).

Family – $40.00 (immediate family members in household)
Individual – $35.00
Tournament Entry – $25.00 per person
Optional Big Fish Tournament – $10.00 per boat
Optional Big Fish yearly buy-in – $10.00 per person

Optional 6-pound club – $25.00 per person

CLUB ASSETS
The following items are owned by the club:
• Bank account
• Weigh Scale
• Weigh in bags with mesh liners
• Tournament banners
• Website and Facebook page
TOURNAMENT RULES
1. Entry Fees: The entry fee of $25 per person or $50.00 per boat team per day with an optional Big Fish Pot of $10 per boat (1 or 2 fisherman) per day must be paid before the blastoff on tournament morning. There will be two SEPERATE tournaments per weekend, one Saturday, and one Sunday. No refunds will be given unless agreed upon by tournament committee. Any non-refunded monies will carry over to the next points tournament.
2. Participants: Any paid member in good standing. Legal age required by the state of to purchase an Oregon fishing license must pay all his/her dues.
3. Sportsmanship: Any contestant who displays poor sportsmanship, intoxication, violation of these rules, or violation of Oregon fish and game laws will be disqualified.
4. Safety: The use of or possession of Alcoholic beverages or recreational drugs is not permitted at any time during a Rogue Valley Bass Club tournament. Safe boating procedures and conduct must be observed at all times by all contestants. All contestants must have the USCG Approved life vest on and fastened when the outboard (gas) engine is running. All other USCG safety requirements will be observed. Any boat equipped with a tethered “kill switch” shall have it in use / attached to the driver when the boat is in motion utilizing the outboard (gas) engine. Anchor light will be turned on in night tournaments, and all navigation lights must be on from blast off to the first fishing spot in any club tournament. All contestants should have the phone number of the Tournament Director and Club Officers available to call in the event of emergency or boat break down that might prevent making it to weigh in on time.
5. Tournament Teams: All RVBC tournaments are Team Tournaments 1 or 2 persons per team.
6. Tackle: Only artificial lures may be used. No prepared or live bait is permitted except Pork style strips or rinds. Only rods and reels are permitted. Any number of rods may be in the boat but only one rod may be in use per participant at any given time as per Oregon Fishing Regulations.
7. Permitted Fishing Waters: All water accessible by boat except the following; 50 yards of another tournament boat predetermined by the “first come” rule, waters posted by state and local agencies and private postings recognized by the club. Contestants may fish along with another boat but maintain the 50 yard minimum distance apart. Private posting on the tournament waters will be announced at the pre-tournament meeting at the ramp.
Boats may not be trailered during tournament hours to another location.
8. Fishing Hours: To be announced at the club meeting before the tournament. Contestants must check in no less than 20 minutes prior to blast off for boat safety and live well check by a tournament official to compete. 
9. Pre-Tournament Meeting: There will be a pre-tournament meeting on the water 10 minutes before blast off time. The blast off time is to be announced at the club meeting prior to the tournament. This meeting is for last minute safety briefing, water hazard updates, and time coordination with the Tournament Director. Any contestants late for blast off shall locate a tournament official (call him, or find him on the water) to have live well checked and be briefed, before fishing, or any fish caught will not qualify at weigh in.
10. Teams: All teams of fishermen must remain together in the boat throughout the tournament hours and cannot leave the boat to push into a fishing spot. It is allowed for one or both to leave the boat to push free from obstructions, be it trees, brush or bottom, so long as it does not allow them access to a fishing area that would not have been available without doing this. It is also permissible for one or both fishermen to leave a boat for using the restroom, or for the purpose of mechanical repairs to the boat.
11. Penalties: Contestants who are not in the official checkpoint area for weigh in at the tournaments end will be disqualified.
A 1 lb. penalty and loss of short fish will be assessed for any fish weighed in that is under the minimum length. A .25 lb penalty will be assessed for any fish that is deemed to be dead by the T D.
12. Any contestant that weighs in more than the maximum bag limit of 5 Bass, will be penalized the weight of their biggest fish. This fish will not be allowed for BIG FISH purposes. You are not allowed to cull fish at the weigh in.
13. Any fish that is suspected of being “enhanced or altered” in some way to make it weigh more, will be held aside. At the end of weigh in this suspect fish will be inspected by the Tournament Director and two other Club officials. If it is determined by these officials that the weight of the fish has been altered by artificial means the team is disqualified and both members of the team will be subject to punitive actions.
14. Live wells: An aerated containment large enough to sufficiently support a team’s daily catch is a requirement for all tournament boats entered. Portable live wells are permitted as long as they are fully functional for the purpose intended.
15. Bag Limits: The bag limit is 5 fish in the boat at one time for two contestants. No more than two contestants will be fishing at a time from a single boat. All club events are team format where single or both anglers work together to catch a single 5 fish limit. All tournament fish to be weighed in must be 12 inches in length in Oregon and  in California or longer as determined by a belly board. No culling of dead fish at any time is allowed. Culling of live fish (releasing smaller fish / keeping the bigger 5 fish) may be done during a tournament, but not at weigh in site or at the time of weigh in.
16. Weigh ins: The weigh ins are conducted by the TD and any other member that wishes to assist. One-person records and the other handles the scale. Every effort will be made to keep this fair to all members. The weights will only be taken by the Clubs scale. If a contestant wishes to challenge the weight they are given they must speak up at the time of weight. If a contestant wishes to weigh a fish for BIG FISH, that contestant must choose only one fish from his bag to weigh for BIG FISH. This one fish only will be weighed separately for this purpose. After the weigh in all fish must be released away from the weigh in site.
17. Ties: The tie breaker will be the largest single bass among the two tied contestants. In the event of a tie for BIG FISH the two contestants will have to share the winnings, and both score same points.
18. Complaints / Challenges: Any complaints or challenges about the results, or other contestant’s behaviors during the tournament must be must be given to the TD or Club President directly after the tournament. The Tournament Director and/or President along with TWO other club officers will rule on the complaint in a timely fashion and their decision will be final. If it is agreed that a contestant or team has violated the Tournament Rules of the club, or is in violation of Oregon Fishing Regulations, or USCG regulations, that TEAM will be disqualified for the tournament. Any future complaints against one of these members for the same violation could result in further punitive actions.
19. Damage, Theft or Injuries: If any of these occur, they are the sole responsibilities of the individual. “Rogue Valley Bass Club and its Officials” will not be held responsible for any damage to property, theft of property or personal injury that might occur during a club tournament. All members with boats are required to carry $300,000 minimum of liability insurance and documented proof of this must be provided upon joining RVBC and with each year’s membership renewal dues. All members are expected to act safely. All members who own boats are expected to obey the USCG safe boating regulations, Accidents can happen when fishing, and it is expected all members understand this and enter tournaments knowing this.
20. Mechanical Breakdowns: In the event a contestant experiences mechanical failure on a boat it is that team’s responsibility to be at the weigh in on time. Common procedure is to fish your way back to the weigh in site, and then remain in that area until weigh in. Call the tournament director or another tournament official if you are unable to make it safely back to weigh in site and help will be sent to you after weigh in, unless your situation is emergent in nature. If another contestant chooses to assist you during the tournament, this is a courtesy and not a tournament requirement. It is still the responsibility of all contestants to make the weigh in on time to not be penalized. In this case another boat may but is not required to take in your fish to be weighed in as long as you make the cut off time, one angler from the team must be present to weigh in fish.
If for any reason a contestant must leave the fishing waters before the weigh in time, it is required of them to call the Tournament Director or another club officer to notify them you are leaving the area. In the spirit of good club sportsmanship, you should still try to come to the weigh in even if you did not catch any fish.

21. Prefish cut off at all lakes will be on the Sunday before the Tournament. ( no fishing on the week days of the week just prior to a Tournament.)

ANGLER OF THE YEAR (AOY)
The points members earned at each of the years tournaments will be totaled towards an Angler of The Year award. These are accumulated individual points from the start of the year and accumulated throughout the season. Established teams that fished the entire tournament season togethernot missing one single event or fishing any events with another fisherman will be the same score and take up one spot. If a team member makes all of the tournaments but does not fish one event with his or her typical team member their pointsfor AOY and theTOC will then be separated, resulting in each member taking their own spot in the points race. No angler will receive Tournament Points in a Tournament they did not fish.

There will be 2 separate Angler of the Year Awards, one for Saturday and one for Sunday. Points will be based off tournament weights, the angler with the highest weight after all tournament totals have been totaled up will be awarded Angler of the Year for either Saturday or Sunday.
The winner of Angler of The Year will receive a trophy at our annual banquet.
TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS (TOC)
The Tournament of Champions is an end of the year tournament fished in October after the tournament regular season has concluded. The Top 10 fishermen on Saturday and Sunday in the AOY points race are invited to participate in this event. This means that ONLY the top 10

 fishermen from each day can fish this event. In the event of a member that is in the top 10 cannot make the tournament there will be one less boat in the tournament and it will not be filled by someone that did not make the final top 10 in points. The same rules require to qualify as they do in the AOY race. Established teams that fished the entire tournament season together not missing one single event or fishing any events with another fisherman will be the same score and take up one spot in this tournament. If a team member makes all of the tournaments but does not fish one event with his or her typical team member their points for qualifying for the TOC will then be separated, resulting in each member taking their own spot in the tournament. Any 2 TOC Qualifiers may fish together in the TOC.
Fisherman that qualify for this event do not pay any entry fees and fish for a bigger pot from money that was raised by the club throughout the season. This tournament unlike the rest of the season is a two-day combined weigh-in from Saturday and Sunday. The tournament pays 3 spots and may award trophies up to 5 places without pay for 4th and 5th place. Pre-fishing for this event will be cut off the Sunday prior to the tournament at sundown.

Fisherman that did not qualify for this event are welcome to fish in a Second Flight if they have fished at least half of the regular season tournament schedule. The club will set aside $50 for the second flight pot and each fisherman fishing must pay the typical tournament entry fees. The second flight blasts off after the first flight and has its own separate weigh in after the first flight for their separate pot. There must be at least 3 participating boats to have a second flight.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE MEETING
The club schedule will be determined in December of the previous year or January of the same year. The club will vote on the locations of the tournament for each month, but it is up to the board to decide the dates within that particular month.
CANCELLATION OR RESCHEDULING OF TOURNAMENTS
Once the club tournament schedule is voted in for the year, no location or date changes are allowed to be made. The only exception to this is when it concerns to the safety of club members. This could be due to weather, travel impediments, etc... It will be up to the discretion of the club president to make the final call on this. Changes in venue should be made no sooner than three days prior to an event when it concerns to unknown weather.
CLUB OFFICERS AND DUTIES
President:
• Presides over all meetings
• Directs all official business
• Supervise all club functions
• Schedules times and locations of club meetings
• Responsible for making sure all bi-law and club polices are followed
• Assists with setting up club tournaments and open tournament(s)
• Conduct tournament entry procedure at club meeting prior to each tournament
• Responsible for obtaining awards such as trophies, etc.
• Responsible for making decisions on tournament relocation and cancellation for safety purposes
• In the event of a tie President casts the tie breaking vote
Vice President:
• Assists President at all meetings

• Directs all official business
• Supervise club functions
• Assist with setting up club tournaments and open tournament(s)
• Assists tournament directors at club tournaments
Secretary:
• Records all meeting minutes
• Maintain membership roster
• Maintain Membership renewal records
• Maintain accurate and up to date AOY point standings
Treasurer:
• Collect tournament entry fees at meeting prior to events
• Maintain record of big fish pot
• Maintain accurate financial records and report at each meeting
• Maintain receipts and records of all purchasing
• Disburse monies owed after each tournament
Tournament Director: 
• Prepare a report of each tournament at the following meeting
• Report tournament schedules to state agencies such as ODFW and state police
• Obtaining permits for tournaments when necessary such as club open events
• Reporting tournament results as required to state agencies
• Conduct tournament weigh in
• Responsible for making sure the club scale shows up at every tournament

Members at Large: (1 or 2 members)
• Sit in on all meetings and board events and casts a vote
• Do any duties asked by the President or fill requirements deemed at the start of the year.
• Must be able and willing to fill in or take over any officer’s position on any given day or take over for the remainder of the year.
*All board members can fulfill the duties of another member in their absence
Election and Eligibility:
Club officers will be voted on during the regular club meeting in December. If you wish to run for a club office position, make a nomination for yourself during the October or November regular club meetings. You must be a member for a minimum of 2 years in good standing before you are eligible for a club officer position. Voting will happen in December for positions that have more than one candidate. Each club member in good standing will be allowed a single vote for each position voted on. Office terms last for one full year. They will begin at the December meeting when elections are made and end the following December at the next election.