2025 MB Heritage Club Rules- 3/20/25

 

Club Email- MBheritageclub@gmail.com

 

1. General Information:

 

M.B. Heritage Club is a team format. There will be no changing of partners between teams and substitutions will be allowed. Can only have one substitute a team per tournament. Any substitute will be required to pay the $25 Membership Fee prior to participation in any M.B. Heritage Club tournament and must submit a waiver before the tournament.

You may fish alone, but are encouraged to have a partner. There will be no entry fee discounts for single anglers.

Membership and Entry fees will not be refunded after May 1 of the tournament year.

We encourage co-ed and parent/child teams and are a female and youth friendly trail. All members will treat other members as peers and with respect. 

Lakes will be selected by the tournament director. There will be annual reviews of lakes where members can submit new lakes for the club to fish.

Any water that is navigable by boat is open to fishing on tournament day unless the tournament director has placed an off limit designation on that portion of water. There shall not be fishing inside designated off limit areas. There is no getting out of your boat to gain access to waters. You may get out of your boat to get your boat back into main waters.

All anglers will wear a USCG approved flotation vest, jacket or belt while the outboard motor is running and drivers must wear a kill switch when operating the watercraft. NO EXCEPTIONS!

All boats used in any M.B. Heritage Club tournaments must provide proof of liability insurance for at least $100,000 per incident. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Boats used in any M.B. Heritage Club event will not have an outboard motor that exceeds the USCG rating placard on the boat. 

All state and federal laws will be followed at all times. Violation of any law, whether cited by law enforcement or not, will be grounds for disqualification.

Persons under the age of 16 must fish with a parent or guardian.

 

2. Tournament Day

 

Tournament hours are 6:30 AM - 2:30 PM.

You must arrive at the ramp for inspection no later than 6:15 AM. Being late to the tournament will result in a $20.00 fine per team, fine refusal will result in a disqualification for that tournament.

The Big Fish pot will be paid out to the top 2 places. In the event of a tie for first big fish, the total pot will be split between the two teams. If there is a tie for second big fish, the money for second big fish will be split between the tied teams.

 

M.B. Heritage Club highly suggests all teams to identify their Big Bass with a clip or cull tag. Team must be quick and efficient while choosing their Big Bass. Failure to be fast and efficient will result in no fish being weighed for Big Fish or tie-breaker. There will be no weighing of multiple fish to determine big bass. 

 

All bass must be releasable. Discolored light pink/gray gills or dead fish will occur a dead fish penalty per dead fish. Dead fish penalty will be deducted from your total weight for the tournament; -.25lb per dead fish. Dead fish will not be weighed for big bass.  

 

It is the Weightmaster's decision to determine dead fish penalty and speed/efficiency while weighing in. The Weightmaster's decisions are final.

Take off numbers will be drawn at the landing using numbered chips. Teams need to draw their numbers before 6:15am to allow adequate for blast off.  First come, First pick.

Take-off duties will be performed by the team that has the last draw number for that tournament.

 

The team with the last draw boat number is required to be the official check in team to weigh in. If possible, please take a picture/video of any team that is late to weigh in area, this will provide the tournament director with a timestamp of possible penalties.

 

Being late to weigh-in will be the loss of one pound of fish for every minute late. After 15 minutes, the team will not be allowed to weigh in and will be disqualified for the day. You must transport your fish to the check in with the boat that you started the tournament day in.

Boat inspections (Live wells) will be done the morning of the tournament prior to take-off. If you are late to the tournament you MUST find the tournament director on the water to check in before fishing.

All tournament boats may be marked with a colored ribbon, to be tied on the trolling motor. This ribbon is not to be removed for the duration of the tournament, if used. Not all tournaments will utilize ribbons. 

Off limits begins 6:00 PM the Friday night before the tournament. Anyone found fishing tournament waters the day of the tournament, prior to the start, will be disqualified.

6 bass limit (largemouth or smallmouth) 12" minimum. Winner will be determined by highest weight of 6 bass. 

 

Once your fish are in the weighmasters tub, there are no additions.

Bringing in a fish under the 12-inch minimum will cost you your biggest fish, and the short fish.

Must not have more than one (1) tournament limit of fish in possession at the 2:30pm check in. Any team that has more than 6 fish at the end of the tournament will be disqualified.

All fish will be released live after weigh-in. All boats used in club tournament must have a good working live well capable of supporting a tournament limit of fish.

Any dead fish must be taken off-site by the anglers who brought it to the scales. Do not place dead fish in the garbage, lake or anywhere else. We must be good ambassadors for our sport. You may give the fish to non-tournament anglers that may be fishing nearby if they so desire.

Fishing marked water: A team is allowed only one marker in the water at a time. The marker allows that team casting distance around their marker without interference (approx. 100 feet). Markers must not block water way, channel or other navigable water. 

 

Do not crowd other anglers, particularly if they are not fishing the tournament. All boats will maintain a 100-foot buffer from each other.

 

If a boat (tournament or otherwise) is working up a line, do not “hopscotch” them or drop down and fish in front of them. Respect your fellow anglers.

Ties will be broken by:
    1.) Weight of largest bass. 2.) Number of bass (6 max). 3.) Coin flip.

Any team not fishing the tournament day and/or not checking in at weigh-in will not receive any points for the tournament.

Final point standings will be based on your best 4 out of 5 tournaments.

Any protest made must be made within 10 minutes of weigh-in.

No live bait.

No alcoholic beverages allowed in the boat during tournament hours. 

 

Communication between teams during tournament hours via cell phone, texting, radio is prohibited, except in the event of an emergency. Violation of this will result in disqualification of both teams.

Tournament director decisions are final. 

 

3. Championship

 

The top 50% of all teams will be eligible for the Championship (e.g.: top 5 based on 10 total teams). 

The Championship waters will be available for pre-fishing following the last point’s tournament until a designated time prior to the Tournament. Beginning that day at sundown, the lake will be off limits for the days prior to the tournament.

 

We will be paying out everyone that makes the Championship tournament.
 

There will be no substitutions for the Championship. The original team members are the only ones allowed to fish this tournament. If a team member cannot fish, the remaining team member may still fish solo.

 

4. Pop Up Tournament

 

The Pop Up tournament will follow a similar rule structure to the regular season.

 

The lake will be announced on Tuesday Morning the week of the tournament.

 

Lake is off-limits until tournament start

 

SUBSTITUTES. If a team member cannot fish, the remaining team member may still fish solo or find a new partner for the tournament. Sub must sign the club waiver form, pay $25 dollar entry fee, and you MUST notify Jack by the end of the day Monday before the tournament weekend..

 

No points, 100% payout, $150 entry. We will pay out 6 places for a full field.

 

If you will not be attending, please notify us so we don't wait for you tournament morning.