Bayou Bandit Bass Club: Tournaments are open to all to fish single, or as a team, providing the person operating the combustion engine is 18 years old or older. In the team category, one person must choose to be captain. In the event of a team splitting up, the AOY points earned stays with the captain. Once registered and a tournament has been fished, you can't add a partner and fish a tournament for AOY points. On days when you choose to only fish for the pot, you may fish with any club member or immediate child (ex. son, daughter, grandchild;) who also is not competing for points. Members are required to conduct themselves in a friendly manner. Disrespect and disruption among club members and during club activities will not be tolerated. A warning will be giving, then after you will be subject to the board for removal and membership revoked with no refund. Any violations to this rule, will having your BBBC membership terminated. All anglers required by law to possess a fishing license must hold a valid fishing license. Applications will be accepted online or in person.
Check-in/Flight times: Tournament directors will determine check-in and flight times per location and entries. Typically, safe-light til 3pm. Delays for weather can occur. A pound per minute up to five minutes will be assessed for late penalty. Launch Fees: All launch fees are assumed by the member.
Safety: Safe boating conduct must always be observed. Each competitor is required to wear a Coast Guard approved personal floatation device, securely fastened, always while the boat is being propelled by the combustion engine. Furthermore, a kill switch must be fastened to the driver any time the combustion engine is propelling the boat. Failure to do so is grounds for disqualification of the offending team’s catch. Running lights must be operational and turned on at the blast-off or idling out of each tournament. Each competitor ‘s boat must be equipped with a live well system capable of keeping a tournament limit of bass alive. NO surface drives, jet drives, or inboard engines allowed.
Sportsmanship: All Competitors are expected to show courtesy to other competitors and non-competitors alike. Drunkenness will not be tolerated. Any contestant who displays poor sportsmanship, violates these rules, or violates the Fish and Game laws of the State of Louisiana can be disqualified. Each competitor is expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, and conservation. No competitor may fish within 50 yards of any other boat which is anchored with the trolling motor up. Furthermore, no competitor may fish within 25 yards of any other boat without the other boater’s permission. Permission may not be granted to any competitor at the exclusion of any other competitor. No hole sitting by a non-competitor or by another competitor, to aid a tournament participant will be allowed. Violators will have their catch disqualified. Be courteous to all on the water, remember not everyone is a tournament fisher!
Fishing: All fishing must be done with artificial lures only. Pork is permitted. Only one rod and reel may be used at a time by contestants. All fish must be caught in a legal and sporting manner during tournament hours from tournament waters. Contestants may not use any communication or video device for the sole purpose of locating or catching bass during tournament hours. Hole-Sitting by or for entrants is not allowed. No fishing is allowed within 50 yards of any manmade structure of the host marina. Contestants may not leave the boat to gain access to fishing waters. All fishing must be in waters accessible from the main body of water.
Scoring: A limit of 5 bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted bass) may be weighed in. Ties: Largest bass weighed shall decide a tie. Number of fish weighed shall decide ties after big fish. Total weight will decide a tie for Big Bass. Minimum lengths will be set at the discretion of the division director but at no time will be less than the legal limit. Lengths will be measured with mouth closed. A short fish or slot fish brought to the scales will not be weighed and will result in a 1-pound penalty. Dead fish will be penalized .25 (1/4) pound. The dead fish penalty will also apply to any fish weighed as a Big Fish if that fish is dead. The penalty for possessing more than 5 fish, bringing more than 5 fish to the scales, or culling at the ramp will be 1 pound. That 1 pound will be deducted from the total weight of the individuals best 5 fish. In the event of a break-down while on the water, you can have your fish "ride-in" with another member. Tournament director must be notified via call or text before the 3:00 check-in. Weigh-in will be on a first come first serve basis. Once fish have been presented to a tournament official to be weighed-in all fish become the property of the Bayou Bandit Bass Club and no additional fish may be brought to the scales. Bags will be limited in order to avoid a bottleneck at the weigh-in tanks. Competitors not weighing any fish are still required to check in with tournament officials in order to account for all members. All fish to be return to tournament location waters after weigh-in. You will be eligible to fish both weekends for the tournaments pot. Points will be awarded towards AOY by tournament placing, however you must specify which weekend will be your points tournament before fishing or no points will be awarded for the month. If a weekend has to be cancelled for safety concerns, all AOY points for that month will be invalid.
Points System: The point system will begin at 100 and will drop two points after first place and a point per place therafter. Anglers that don't weigh in fish will receive last place points minus 10. We will drop 3 out of the 10 tournaments, counting only the best 7 for AOY!
Example: 1st 100 pts
2nd 98
3rd 97
4th 96
No fish 96 -10 pts
MUST FISH 6 TOURNAMENT MONTHS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE CLASSIC!
Ties for AOY points will be settled by total weight for the year.
Boundaries: Boundaries will be set in place by tournament directors’ discretion for certain locations. Permitted Fishing Water: All creeks, canals, and navigable waterways that are open to the PUBLIC shall be permitted fishing waters. Waters that are posted (off limits, no fishing, no trespassing and private property) by the State or Local authorities or any posted water where the public is not allowed is off limits to all competitors. You cannot cross any of the above listed water to gain access to open or public fishing water. NO Communication devices of any kind can be used between competitors during tournament hours to locate or acquire fish.
Late Check-in Penalties: Competitors whose Chip is not on the Check-In Board at the end of their Flight’s check-in time will be assessed a 1-pound penalty for each minute they are late up until 5 minutes, then they will be disqualified.
Upon entering this fishing tournament, contestants release Bayou Bandits Bass officials and sponsors from liability of accidents, damages, losses or thefts. Rules are subject to change at Tournament Directors discretion to provide a fair tournament, Contestants are responsible for knowing and understanding these rules. Any violations to these rules, will be caused for having your BBBT membership terminated.
All Protest must be done before fish are brought to the scales!
$110 per tournament ( $10 towards big bass 100% payback. 20% of each pot goes into the club. 10% Classic pot, 10% AOY Payout)