By-Laws
Article 1 Name and Purpose
Article 1 Section 1 Name
A. This club shall be named "Hillsgrove RI Bass Anglers."
B. Named after the Hillsgrove Neighborhood EST. 1867 in Warwick, RI.
Article 1 Section 2 Purpose
A. To provide a friendly, educational environment to help promote the competitive sport of freshwater Bass Fishing.
Article 2 Membership
Article 2 Section 1 Number of Members
A. This club shall begin with and maintain atleast 6 Full Status club members.
Article 2 Section 2 Full Status Membership
A. Must be 18 years or older.
B. Proof of RI Fishing license.
C. Must be a current member of B.A.S.S, or become a member within 30 days of acceptance. All members must maintain this qualification.
D. Dues - $80.00 per year, includes $30.00 National dues, $25.00 B.A.S.S Membership, and $25.00 towards the Club Treasury.
E. Boater or Non-Boater.
F. Must attend a club meeting prior to fishing the next club tournament, please view our schedule for upcoming club meeting dates, times and locations.
G. All members must be in good standing with the RI Bass Federation State Chapter.
H. All members must attend a minimum of 4 out of 5 club tournaments to be eligible for the Angler of the Year award. Please see Article 4 Section 2 for details.
Article 2 Section 3 Associate Membership
A. Must be 18 years or older
B. Proof of RI Fishing license.
C. Dues - Free, Club Tournament fees still apply
D. Boater or Non-Boater.
E. May only fish club tournaments and participate in club events. Associate members are not eligible for B.A.S.S. Nation or RI Bass Federation events; such as the annual RI Bass Federation State Qualifying Tournament.
F. Must attend a club meeting prior to fishing the next club tournament, please view our schedule for upcoming club meeting dates, times and locations.
G. All members must be in good standing with the RI Bass Federation State Chapter.
H. All members must attend a minimum of 4 out of 5 club tournaments to be eligible for the Angler of the Year award. Please see Article 4 Section 2 for details.
Article 2 Section 4 Removal of Membership
A. Failure to pay dues.
B. Any action that would reflect dishonor and disgrace on the chapter and/or B.A.S.S. Nation.
Article 3 Tournaments
Article 3 Section 1 Club Tournaments
A. (5) Annual Club Tournaments, (1) Club Open and (4) Individual Tournaments.
B. All fish must be of the RI State legal limit, all fish must be (12) inches or more in length to be counted.
C. $40.00 Tournament fee per angler, though tournament fees may vary. All members are asked to register as individuals or teams under "Tournament Trail Registration" by the registration deadline to hold your spot for each event. Please view our Tournament Trail for more information in regards to registration, entry fees, and payments.
E. Participants may be boaters & non-boaters, singles or teams. Teams must consist of no more than (2) anglers consisting of (1) Boater, and (1) Non-Boater or (2) Boaters utilizing (1) vessel.
F. Random pairing of Non-Boaters with boaters on tournament day if teams are not formed prior.
G. Winner takes all, teams split 50/50.
H. (5) Fish limit for singles & teams.
I. Total combined weight per individual angler or team will determined placement.
J. $10.00 Big Fish contest (Cash Optional) Will become available an hour before each tournament, this is an individual contest, all cash will go to the Angler who catches the biggest bass per club tournament.
K. In an event a tournament has to be rescheduled or an alternate location be used, all members will be notified by the Tournament Director and will be informed of the change. (Date; Time; Location)
L. All Anglers who cannot attend a club tournament must contact the Tournament Director 48 hours in advance or will forfeit their entry fee if paid in advance.
Article 3 Section 2 Club Tournament Rules
A. Anglers may not form a team with the same member for more than 2 consecutive club tournaments or more than 3 times annually.
B. All anglers must show proof of RI Fishing License before fishing all tournaments.
C. Any angler or team over a (5) fish limit will be disqualified.
D. Any angler or team with fish under the state legal limit (12) inches in length, will be disqualified.
E. Trolling motors may be used for maneuvering, but trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited.
F. Artificial lures only, live or prepared bait is prohibited.
G. All anglers must only have one active rod in the water at any given time, 2 rods in total for teams. Those that have more than 1 - 2 active rods will be disqualified.
H. All anglers and teams must be at the launch ramp as tournament time expires, those who are not will be penalized (4) ounces per minute, deducted from the total weight. Any angler more than 20 minutes late will lose credit for that days weight.
I. All fish caught must be ALIVE and capable of a safe release, those that are not will be deducted from an anglers total combined weight, and the angler will be penalized (6) ounces off of their total weight.
J. Large mouth & Small mouth Bass Only, other species will not be weighed.
K. The club Tournament Director will serve as the Official Weigh Master and will take all official measurements, and has the final say in all tournament matters.
Article 4 Stats, Standings, and Awards
Article 4 Section 1 Standings
A. Placement in the standings will be determined by total weight accrued throughout the season.
B. The angler with the most total weight by September of each year will be nominated for the Angler of the Year Award, Please see Article 4 Section 2.
C. In the event of a tie in the standings, the first tie breaker will be number of club tournaments attended for the season (Atleast 4 out of 5) and the 2nd tie breaker will be number of legal fish caught throughout the entire season (see standings). The 3rd tie breaker will be a coin flip (Heads or Tails).
E. All anglers will be individualized on the club "standings" anglers who choose to fish tournaments as teams will inherit all combined stats, but all stats will be displayed individually. There may also be two winning anglers per club tournament if both anglers reside on the same team.
Article 4 Section 2 Awards
A. Individual Club Tournament Win - Cash prize, winner takes all teams split 50/50.
B. Angler of the Year Award - Dubbed the "Chester E. Barker Award," consideration will be based on total combined weight per year, Anglers must also meet the tournament attendence requirement. Winners of the Angler of the Year award will receive, a completely paid for, Full Status Membership for the following season, as well as the "Chester E. Barker" Trophy.
C. Big Fish Contest - Offered to all full status and associate members, this contest will become available an hour before each tournament, and end once the tournament begins. There will be a $10.00 optional cash buy-in, winner of the biggest fish caught takes the pot.
Article 5 Club Officers
Article 5 Section 1 Club Officers & Duties
A. President - Schedules and presides over all club meetings, directs all official club business and supervises all club functions.
B. Vice President - Assists the President, and presides in his absence.
C. Tournament Director - In charge of all club tournaments, enforces all tournament rules & regulations, serves as the official weigh master and measures all tournament fish, and presents all tournament results to the club Secretary.
D. Secretary - Maintains accurate minutes of all club meetings, as well as maintains and submits an accurate roster to B.A.S.S. anually as well as when new members join. Keeps records of all fishing statistics.
E. Treasurer - Collect and disburse all monies. Maintain accurate financial records and present a current balance report at each regular meeting.
