1. PARTICIPANTS & ELIGIBILITY: The club tournaments of the Chickasha Bassmasters are open to bonifide members and their guest. This is a team format. You may however fish by yourself. Each team is allowed ONE substitute and ONE guest. The guest can only fish ONE tournament before he or she must become a member.  (Exception: for 2 tournaments same weekend, a guest may fish both days without joining)  A substitute may be used as many times as needed however a team can only have ONE SUBSTITUTE FOR THE YEAR.

2. MEMBERSHIP & ENTRIES: Chickasha Bassmasters is a chapter of the Oklahoma Bass Federation. Members of Chickasha Bassmasters must be a member of FLW Outdoors as well. The annual dues per person are $60.00. This pays all membership dues: Chickasha Bassmasters, The Bass Federation & FLW Outdoors. This is for one calendar year (Jan 1 through Dec 31). This membership allows you to fish in all club tournaments and participate in all Oklahoma Bass Federation/TBF events. The entry fee into Chickasha Bassmasters tournaments is $50 per team/boat and an optional $10 Big Bass pot. Payout is 80% paying 4 places. The remaining 20% is for club expenses. Big Bass payout is 100%. All entry fees will be taken at the ramp and must be in the hands of tournament officials prior to the start of the tournament. Championship tournament entries: $100/team – 100% payout. Entries may be mailed in before a tournament – postmarked 10 days before the tournament.

3. LATE ENTRIES: Late entrants must check-in with a paid participant before fishing. The late entrants must have their livewells checked. They must also specify whether or not they are participating in the big bass jackpot. Any late fees must be paid prior to the beginning of the weigh-in.

4. TRAILERING and TOURNAMENT TIMES:  Trailering will be allowed at all tournaments. There will be start/stop fishing time.  You can put on the water and go to your spot, but not start fishing until pre-determined time. Then you have 15 minutes to check-in after the stop time.  Anyone found to be fishing during this 15 minutes or arrive at check-in late, this will mean automatic disqualification and your catch will not count.  i.e. – If the stop time is 3pm, you must stop fishing at 3pm and be checked in by 3:15pm.

4. SAFETY: Each boat must have the required Coast Guard safety equipment pertaining to his/her boat. Safe boating conduct must be observed at all times. Each competitor is required to wear a Coast Guard approved chest type life preserver. This preserver must be worn anytime the combustion engine is going more than 5MPH. Each boat must be equipped with a kill switch to the combustion engine.

5. SPORTSMANSHIP: Members of and competitors in tournaments or any other activities that are held or sponsored by the Chickasha Bassmasters, are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety, and conservation. NO alcoholic beverages will be permitted during tournament hours. Competitors will observe due courtesy to non-tournament fishermen that happen to be on the lake during the tournament.

6. TACKLE & EQUIPMENT: Only artificial lures may be used. No live bait or prepared bait will be used with the exception of pork rind strips. Only one rod may be used at one time. Others may be rigged and in the boat ready to use. Electric motors may be used for slow maneuvering, but trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited.

7. PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS: Fishing is permitted anywhere on the tournament waters except within 50 yards of another fisherman that is anchored with the trolling motor up and off limit water designated by either lake officials or tournament officials. All angling must be done from a boat and contestants MAY NOT leave the boat to land fish. The boat must remain on tournament waters throughout the tournament hours. Competitors must leave and return to the official checkpoint by boat. Trailering of boats during tournament hours is prohibited unless designated prior to start of tournament. It is ok to put your boat on the trailer before you weigh in.

8. OFFICIAL CHECKPOINT: There shall be only one official checkpoint for checkout in the morning and check-in the afternoon. This point will be designated at the club meeting before the tournament.

9. SCORING: Winners shall be determined by the total weight. Only largemouth, smallmouth, and Kentucky (spotted) bass will be weighed. The limit of each team shall be five (5) fish. Only one (1) 22” or longer fish per team allowed on lakes that limit anglers to one (1) fish over 22”. Only bass described above which measure ten (10) inches or more in length, unless otherwise specified by state or lake regulations, shall be weighed. Any fish appearing to be frozen, mangled, mashed, or otherwise altered to the tournament officials will not be weighed. All fish will be measured on a Gator Grip Golden Rule.

10. DON’T KILL YOUR CATCH: All boats must be equipped with a livewell and working aerator pumps. Every effort will be taken to release all bass back to the water alive. Eight (8) ounces (.5lbs) will be deducted for each dead fish weighed in.

Going along with suggestions from the Oklahoma Wildlife Department, tournament officials have the right to shorten the number of hours and/or creel limits if deemed necessary.

All fish will be brought to scales in weigh in bag with water in it. Only bags owned by Chickasha Bassmasters are allowed at weigh-ins. Please do not use your own bags.

11. LATE PENALTY: Competitors not at the official check-in point at the prescribed time will be penalized at the rate of eight (8) ounces (.50lbs) per minute. Any competitor that is 15 minutes late shall lose all credit for the days catch. There shall be NO EXCUSES for tardiness.

12. TIES: The following will break ties: (1) Number of fish caught; (2) Largest fish caught; (3) Toss of a coin.

13. TOP 6 QUALIFYING: To qualify for the Oklahoma TBF/FLW Top 6 Tournament in September, you must be a current member of TBF/FLW and Chickasha Bassmasters and fish at least five (5) out of seven (7) qualifying tournaments to qualify for the Top 6 Team. The top three teams will make up the top six if one member of the team cannot go then the next team in order of finish will be asked and a decision between the team members must be made on who gets to go.

14. PROTEST: Any contestant may protest the eligibility of any fish or any other contestant. Protest may also be filed against individuals believed to have violated these tournament rules. All protests must be filed with the tournament director. The tournament director and club officials will make a prompt decision. This decision will be final. No protest will be considered after fifteen minutes have elapsed from the time that the last fish was weighed.

15. TOURNAMENT CHANGES: Club Officers will make any and all tournament changes deemed necessary.

Failure to follow any of the above rules will be grounds for immediate disqualification.

GENERAL: The Chickasha Bassmasters Club, its officials and sponsors are not responsible for any accidents, claims, injuries, and/or damage that may arise. If a conflict arises which is not specifically addressed occurs, a decision will be make by the tournament officials. Decisions of tournament officials will be final. None of the rules prohibit a properly designated tournament official from approaching or boarding a competitor’s boat at any time.