CFUMC 4:19 Bass Club Rules

Rules for 4:19 Bass Club

2024 Rules

1. PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY
4:19 Bass tournaments are open only to current members of 4:19 Bass who are 12 years of age or older. If angler is less than 18 years of age, he MUST be accompanied by his parent or guardian. All tournament anglers must have a valid fishing license and abide by all state boating and fishing laws and all boaters must have liability insurance on their boat. A $25 annual membership fee will be due before an angler is allowed to fish his first tournament.

2. ANGLER CODE OF CONDUCT
Anglers participating in any 4:19 Bass event shall conduct themselves in a manner that reflects a follower of Christ and shall use their best efforts to demonstrate professionalism and integrity. Illegal drugs, alcohol, and profanity are prohibited. Competitors in 4:19 Bass tournaments are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, and safety.

3. TACKLE, EQUIPMENT, & FISHING METHODS
The use of a landing net is allowed. Only artificial lures may be used - no “live bait” or “prepared bait”. Only one rod and reel may be used at any one time. All bass must be caught in a conventional sporting manner. Anyone guilty of snatching or snagging visible fish will have their catch disqualified. When fishing for bedding bass, all bass must be hooked inside the mouth. The use of the Alabama or Umbrella Rig is allowed in 4:19 Bass tournaments, however, it, or any other lure, may NOT be trolled.

4. SAFETY
Fishing from an open boat in itself is inherently dangerous, and as a result 4:19 Bass seeks to limit those hazards with reasonable safety rules.

   i.) Safe boat conduct must be observed at all times by competitors. Both boater and co-angler must wear a fastened U.S. Coast Guard approved personal flotation device while the combustion engine is running and in gear and driver must have a kill switch attached while engine is running.
   ii.) Tournament officials may delay, shorten, restrict tournament waters, or cancel a tournament because of bad weather or other factors that would endanger the safety of the competitors.
   iii.) Competitors are allowed to leave the boat and seek safe shelter in bad weather when danger may be imminent.

5. FISH LIMIT & SPECIFICATIONS
Five (5) fish limit per angler (Boater & Co-Angler) (Largemouth & Spotted bass only). 12” minimum length (mouth closed on Golden Rule) on all fish, unless lake has a different length restriction, in which case the lake restriction takes precedence. If a fish does NOT reach minimum length, that fish will not be weighed, and competitor receives a one (1) pound penalty.

6. BOAT OPERATION & EXPENSE
In view of the large expense involved in operating and maintaining a tournament bass boat, the co-angler partner is highly encouraged to share the cost of gas and oil for the competition day, with a MINIMUM of $15.

7. PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS
Specifically any water within boundaries posted “Off-Limits” or “No Fishing” by state or federal agencies will be OFF-LIMITS. All angling must be done from the boat. No fishing within 50 yards of another 4:19 Bass competitor.

8. DEAD BASS PENALTY
A penalty of 8 ounces (.50 pounds) for each dead fish will be assessed and deducted from the total day’s weight. In the event the anglers' big fish is dead, a penalty of 8 ounces (.50 pounds) will be deducted from the big fish total weight. The Tournament Director or his designees shall have sole authority to assess dead fish penalties and for assessing penalty weight.

9. LATE PENALTY
Competitors who are not in the official checkpoint area at the appointed time shall be penalized at the rate of one (1) pound for each minute they are late. Penalty will be deducted from the total weight of their catch that day, including any weight to be counted toward a “big bass award”. Any competitor more than 15 minutes late shall lose all credit for that day's catch.

10. PAIRING OF COMPETITORS
4:19 Bass tournaments are Boater/Co-Angler format and pairings are randomly drawn each tournament by computer draw. Drawing (Boater/Co-angler) precedence is established by date of sign up. The same boater & co-angler may NOT fish together in back to back tournaments. In the event there are more boaters than co-anglers, anglers could be paired in a boater-boater pairing. If there are more co-anglers than boaters, some co-anglers may not get to fish, but will be given first priority at the next tournament.

11. TOURNAMENT ENTRY FEES
Entry fee is $30 per person (for both Boaters and Co-Anglers and includes Big Fish entry). $20 for that tournament, $5 for Big Fish, and $5 from each person’s entry fee will be held in escrow to help fund the Classic. You are not obligated to pay an entry fee, but you only share in the winnings if entry fee is paid. Payout for tournaments is 100% (of the $20 entry) for 2-4 boats. 62%, 38% for 5-8 boats, and 50%, 30%, 20% for 9 boats or more.

12. TIEBREAKERS
Ties will be broken using the following criteria:
   • Largest number of legal fished weighed.
   • Largest number of legal live fish weighed.
If the tie is not broken by applying the foregoing procedures, place monies will be split evenly.

13. ANGLER OF THE YEAR POINTS SYSTEM AND QUALIFICATIONS
This is a TEAM tournament that accrues INDIVIDUAL points. Both Boater & Co-Angler get the same amount of points for their place finished, so our AOY could be a Boater OR Co-Angler. Any angler disqualified from an event will not receive points for the tournament. Monthly Tournaments are worth 100 points to the winners. Points will be awarded in 5 point decreasing increments (100-1st, 95-2nd, 90-3rd, etc.). Our October tournament will be a “Super Tournament” worth 150 points and points for this tournament will be awarded in 10 point decreasing increments (150-1st, 140-2nd, 130-3rd, etc.).
**Boater & Co-Angler combine for their best 5 fish limit.
**Contestants not weighing fish will receive 25 points.
**5 points will be awarded for meeting attendance.
**Only points from your best 7 tournaments will be calculated.

14. CLASSIC QUALIFICATIONS
You must fish at least 5 tournaments to qualify for the Classic.

15. WAIVER AND RELEASE
As a condition of participation in 4:19 Bass tournaments, competitors must sign a waiver, releasing First Methodist Church, Methodist Men, 4:19 Bass, and any of it’s members of liability for any accidents.