Club Bylaws

South Austin Bass Club - Established 1983

South Austin Bass Club Bylaws

Last Update January 2026

Article I: Purpose

A. To have a simple organization dedicated to the enjoyment of bass fishing, to learn different fishing techniques of lakes in Central Texas, and to compete for prize money in tournament fishing.

Article II: Membership

A. Annual dues are $25.00 per year, renewable each January.

B. Dues paid for new members joining the club in October will count for the following membership year.

C. A person must be 18 or older to join the club, except with a signed parental release.

1. Guests younger than 18 years old fishing with a non-family member must provide a "Release from Liability Statement" signed by a parent or legal guardian. The release will be kept on file for a minimum of 12 months.

D. Annual dues fund club infrastructure including scales, the website (saustinbc.com), and other operational needs.

Member Benefits

E. Members are entitled to:

1. Vote on club polls (bylaw changes, officer elections, tournament locations, and other club matters)

2. Collect Big Bass pot winnings if on the boat that weighs in the tournament big bass

Article III: Officers

A. Officers will consist of:

1. President/Secretary

2. Treasurer

3. Weighmaster

4. Assistant Weighmaster

B. All positions will be nominated and confirmed by member vote via the club website in December of each year.

C. Officer terms are 1 (one) year.

D. Changes and special provisions regarding tournaments may be made by a majority of officers (3 of 4) if necessary. Officers will communicate changes to members in a timely manner via the club website.

E. Cancellation of a tournament due to severe weather or unforeseen circumstances may be instituted by a decision of 3 or more officers.

F. In the event of an officer vacancy, a replacement will be nominated and confirmed by member vote via the club website.

Article IV: Tournaments

Schedule

A. The club will fish on the last Sunday of each month (except May, November and December - due to holidays).

1. Exceptions may be made for conflicts with holidays or other bass tournaments.

2. Changes will be posted on the club website as early as possible.

3. There is a club calendar that will show when tournament events are, and the upcoming tournaments will be posted on the site.

Tournament Waters

B. The club will only fish lakes and rivers that are open to the public.

C. The club may fish any public water within a 150-mile radius. Waters exceeding 150 miles require a 2-day (Saturday & Sunday) tournament.

D. Tournament lakes, hours, and weigh-in locations will be voted on by members via the club website.

E. Teams may launch at any legal ramp and trailer to weigh-in.

F. There is no limit to how many times a lake can be fished during a tournament year.

Tournament Format

G. All tournaments are team tournaments with a "pick your own partner" format.

H. The tournament limit is 5 (five) fish per boat.

Paper Tournaments

I. Paper Tournaments are tournaments where fish are measured instead of weighed.

1. Fish are measured and recorded on a chart, verified by the non-boater.

2. At weigh-in the total stringer weight is determined from a length to weight conversion chart for your longest 5 (five) fish.

3. The club will provide paper charts when paper tournaments are fished.

4. The actual weighed weight will be used to determine Big Bass and the paper weight will be used for the stringer weight and does not count for the Heavy Stringer of the Year Award.

5. Boater must have an accurate measuring board in the boat.

6. The club chart has 1/2 (one-half) inch increments. Fish must be at least 12 (twelve) inches to record on the chart.

7. Fish must be measured in accordance with Article VII: Section K - Item 1.

8. Only fish shorter or longer than the slot limit can be kept and brought to weigh-in. Only 1 (one) fish over the slot limit may be brought to weigh-in for the Big Bass Award.

9. If an angler fishes a paper tournament solo, they can opt to Catch, Photo, Release (CPR) - where the photo of the fish must be measured according to the rules above, and contain an identifier for each fish (i.e. a number, color or something to differentiate fish).

Article V: Tournament Fees

A. Entry fee is $50.00 per boat, due no later than weigh-in.

B. Breakdown of $50.00 Entry Fee:

1. Tournament Pot:

i. First Place: $20.00

ii. Second Place: $14.00

iii. Third Place: $8.00

2. Big Bass Pot: $8.00

C. 100% of entry fees are paid back to tournament winners.

D. Big Bass Pot is paid to the boat with the heaviest bass caught at the tournament over 5 (five) pounds.

1. If no bass over 5 pounds is weighed in, the Big Bass pot rolls over to the next tournament.

2. Only members are eligible for the Big Bass pot. At least one angler on the boat must be a member to collect.

E. Members fishing tournament waters during tournament hours are responsible for entry fees whether they show up for weigh-in or not.

Article VI: Guests

A. A guest may fish with a member or with another guest.

B. A guest may fish up to 2 (two) tournaments within the same calendar year without becoming a member.

C. After fishing as a guest 2 times, they must pay the annual membership fee before fishing their 3rd tournament of the calendar year.

D. Teams comprised of two guests are not eligible to collect Big Bass pot winnings.

Article VII: Tournament Rules

A. All federal, state, and local laws must be observed. Illegal acts may result in disqualification.

B. A team member who violates Texas Game or Boating Laws will be disqualified and their fish will not be counted.

C. Protests must be presented to an officer within 30 minutes of the tournament end time.

Team Rules

D. Team members must fish from the same boat.

E. A team consists of up to 2 anglers.

F. A team may consist of 1 angler.

Fishing Rules

G. Only one rod may be actively fished at a time per angler.

H. Boats must have a properly aerated livewell to maintain fish health.

I. Only artificial baits may be used. Pork rind is permitted.

J. Only legal-sized Largemouth, Smallmouth, or Spotted Bass are eligible for weigh-in.

1. Spotted/Guadalupe Bass must be 12 inches in length.

2. Anglers are responsible for knowing individual lake regulations.

K. Any fish at weigh-in short of legal limit makes the team subject to disqualification.

1. Fish must be measured on a flat board with a perpendicular end. Fish must be placed flat on the board with mouth closed and pressed against the perpendicular end. Tail may be manipulated to determine maximum length. Tip of tail must touch the line for the minimum length. If a fish measures anywhere between the 1/2 (one-half) inch mark you must record the shorter length.

2. If unsure of a fish's measurement, an officer can be asked to courtesy check (measure) the fish prior to weigh-in. If the fish is short, it may be released and not counted.

L. Tournament lake is off limits for fishing 12 hours prior to tournament start time.

M. Dead fish penalty is 1/4 (one-quarter) pound per dead fish.

N. No trolling with gas engine is allowed.

O. You may not make your first cast until the designated start time.

Weigh-In Rules

P. Weigh-ins will be held lakeside when possible for live release of fish.

Q. Tournament anglers must be inside the buoys at the weigh-in location by the end time of the tournament. Teams not at idle speed inside the buoys by end time or trailered into the parking area will be disqualified.

1. The boat(s) with the Weighmaster & Assistant Weighmaster may start 15 minutes prior to the tournament start time, and MUST stop 15 minutes before the scheduled tournament end time, to allow them to setup the scales for weigh-in.

R. Weigh-in will begin 15 minutes (or as soon as practically possible) after the tournament end time.

S. Fish must be presented in a water-holding bag (no nets).

T. Hard Luck Clause: If a team experiences mechanical issues or circumstances outside their control, they may call an officer before the tournament end time for a grace period or assistance.

Conduct

U. Any team may be disqualified for a violation of rules or unsportsmanlike conduct by a vote of the officers present.

V. Club members are expected to conduct themselves with proper respect to other members and abide by principles of honesty and fair play. Disciplinary matters will be reported to the President, who will confer with officers. Their decision is final.

Tiebreakers

W. In case of a tie, the following tiebreakers will be used:

1. The team with the largest single fish.

2. If a tie remains, a coin flip will determine the winner.

Article VIII: End of Year Awards

A. End of year awards will be presented for:

1. Big Bass of the Year - Awarded to the team that weighed the heaviest single bass of all tournaments during the year (must be over 5 pounds).

2. Heavy Stringer of the Year - Awarded to the team that weighed the heaviest 5-fish limit during the year.

Article IX: Communications and Voting

A. All club communications will be conducted through the club website at saustinbc.com.

B. All voting (bylaw changes, officer elections, tournament locations, and other club matters) will be conducted online through the club website.

C. Only members in good standing (dues paid) may vote.

D. Voting procedures:

1. Polls will be posted on the club website with clear open and close dates.

2. Results will be determined by majority vote of participating members.

3. In case of a tie, the President will cast the deciding vote.

Article X: Amendment to Bylaws

A. To revise any rules or bylaws:

1. A proposal is submitted to the President (email, text or post-tournament in-person).

2. The proposal will be posted on the club website for member review.

3. After a review period of at least 7 days, the proposal will be put to a vote on the club website.

4. If passed by majority vote, the bylaws will be updated and posted to the club website.

Revision History

Revision	Action Taken	Reviewers/Approvers
December 2022	Changed Bylaws to new format and added approved bylaw changes	R. Bunce, E. Vasquez, H. Fleming, E. Cole, J. Rumsey
March 2023	Updated Article VII to add a review period for any Bylaw changes	Updated by R. Bunce, Voted and passed at 3/6/23 Club meeting
July 2023	Updated Appendix A regarding lake voting process and determining primary lake	Updated by R. Bunce, Voted and passed at 6/5/23 Club meeting
December 2024	Updated Article IV.C.d to remove limit on # of times a lake can be fished in a Calendar year	Updated by R. Bunce, Voted and passed at 12/16/24 Club meeting
January 2026	Major revision: Team format adoption - Simplified officers (8 to 4), team-based 5-fish limit per boat, $50 entry fee with 100% payout, eliminated individual tracking/points/AOY, all operations moved online	Voted and passed via club website poll January 2026