Updated 2/19/2026
To determine the top angler at each individual tournament, determine an Angler of the Year (AOY), determine a Lunker award winner, and determine eligibility for the SJKBFC Classic. Awards are also given for the Most Improved Angler and, if applicable, for the Rookie of the Year.
SJKBFC is a Catch, Measure, Photograph, and Immediately Release Organization.
Each tournament competitor will measure each fish as caught. The angler will take a picture of the catch, from above the fish center, see website SJKBFC.COM, pictures that clearly demonstrate the position of the entire fish on the device. Fish will immediately be released. Pictures should be shot at high resolution to enable judges to zoom in for detailed analysis. Photos that do not clearly show the proper positioning of the fish on the Trough, and the clear length of the fish measurement, will not be considered valid and will be excluded.
Multiple pictures of a single fish must be deleted immediately. Multiple pictures of the same fish presented at check-in will result in the disqualification of the participant and possible club sanctions.
Each event will have a specific format, launch time, and finish time, designated launch site, and fishing boundaries.
Scoring will be done by the assigned Tournament Directors.
Tournament Directors’ decisions concerning scoring and protests of any kind will be final.
Tournament lakes are “OFF LIMITS” to all members and guests 5 days preceding an SJKBFC tournament. If an angler is confirmed and verified by the Tournament Directors (and/or Executive Officer Designee) to have been on the tournament lake within the 5 days of the start of a tournament – regardless of the angler’s intent to fish the tournament – the angler will be disqualified, the angler’s club membership will be revoked, and the angler will be banned from future membership. This includes all anglers – guests and members, whether they fish the tournament in question or not! “Off Limits” is defined as:
When taking pictures of scorable bass, here are several rules/tips to follow:
When taking a photo of a scorable bass, there are several rules to follow:
If you happen to have a special day, a 5 fish limit is our method of determining a winner. The largest 5 fish limit (by total length) wins the tournament. In rare instances, a 4 fish limit is sometimes larger than a 5 fish limit, and the angler with the largest total of inches would win. If no limits are caught, the angler with the most cumulative inches at the end of the tournament would win. Sometimes 2 fish win tournaments!
If you happen to be on fire and catch more than 5 scorable bass, an angler may “cull” smaller fish photos and replace them with larger fish photos.
Penalties and DQ’s: A 2″ Penalty will be applied to rule infractions with incorrectly placed fish on boards, and is up to the discretion of the TD’s. If the fish is upside down, or the mouth of the fish is not touching the front of the ketch-board, a 2″ penalty will be applied. If the mouth of a fish is not touching the front of the board, and measures 12″, the fish is not 12″ anyway and will be DQ’d. If you cannot see the front of the fish (mouth/head), or the identifier is not present in the photo, the fish will be DQ’d.
Any accusation of violation(s) of any of the tournament rules must be levied immediately at the scheduled end of the tournament time to one or both Tournament Directors (or alternate executive designee) to have an effect on the outcome of that tournament’s standings. Any accusation levied must be made in person prior to the announcement of the results of that tournament. An angler may not levy any accusation once the results are announced. Violation(s) of any tournament rules may result in disqualification as determined by the Tournament Directors first, or if needed, by the Executive Board.
Any protests involved with any tournament procedures or outcomes must be filed immediately upon occurrence or upon discovery.
Any participant found guilty of cheating in a tournament will be disqualified from that tournament, forfeit any and all prizes +/or prize money from that tournament, and, if a member of the Club, be subject to any further actions as deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee.
Unintentional infractions of the rules will be decided on a case-by-case basis by the members of the executive committee.
The winner of the tournament will be the angler with the largest total length of his longest five (5) fish.
In the event of a tie, the angler with the longest single fish will be the winner. If there is still a tie, the judging will proceed to the second-longest fish, the third-longest fish, etc.
An additional end-of-season tournament, the “SJKBFC CLASSIC” will be scheduled annually. See bylaws for eligibility.
The winner of this tournament will earn an award separate from any other club award. The results of this “CLASSIC” will not apply towards any other annual club awards.
Tournament winners will receive the appropriate prize for that tournament. Total prize money for each tournament’s winner will be 50% of that tournament’s regular entry fees collected.
Payout is always 3 places paid, regardless of # of entrants, and a 50/30/20 split.
With the new tournament fee of $25 for members, the extra $5 required will now be split as follows: $1 for each place (1st, 2nd, 3rd) and $2 for the club (60/40) split. The $2 club money will be used to purchase prizes for select tournaments throughout the season. These prizes will be decided on by the club and handed out after tournaments via a raffle, eligible to all participating anglers.
There is an additional, optional $5 miscellaneous pot for each tournament. This payout is 100% to the largest miscellaneous fish.
In addition, 25% of each tournament’s regular entry fees collected will be paid out as a “Lunker” prize to the competitor with the largest single qualifying bass.
With guest fees of $40, after 3 opens, a guest angler will only owe $5 for their membership fee. $25 goes to the club/tournament, and the other $15 goes towards their membership fee.
If there is no winner – “if no qualifying fish are caught in a tournament, 100% of entry fees go to the Club”. There is no lunker awarded.
If there is one (1) winner, it’s a winner-takes-all of the eligible winnings.
If there is a first and second place, third place winnings are split 50/50 with the first place winner and the second place winner.
Payouts will be presented to the winners at the end of the tournaments.
All tournament participants are eligible to compete for prizes for that tournament. Only SJKBFC members will accumulate points toward the annual club awards.
Guests may only fish in any tournament not designated as “Members Only”.
Any Guest being accepted for membership during the year will have any points accumulated during tournaments fished that year, as a Guest, applied toward annual club awards.
Guests will earn winning tournament proceeds the same as members.
Anglers, including Guests, are responsible for understanding the tournament rules and point structure. It is the responsibility of ALL participants to read, understand, and abide by all Tournament rules and the Angler of the Year rules.
No angler, club member, or guest may knowingly bring another angler to fish the event’s body of water during any club tournament unless that angler is actually participating in that tournament. This applies to anglers of any age.
All anglers participate at their own risk.
Tournament officials, club members, volunteers, sponsors, individuals, and any others directly or indirectly involved in this or any other SJKBFC organized tournament or event, are exempt from liability from loss, damage, injury, negligence, or harm to any entrant, their companions or other participants, their vessels, equipment, supplies, or any other personal property, whether on the water or land.
Observe safe boating measures at all times. Every angler is expected to follow all U.S. Coast Guard regulations.
SJKBFC mandates that a U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD be worn at all times while on the water.
Any angler not wearing a PFD during an SJKBFC tournament will be disqualified from the competition.
The use of cell phones is allowed.
The use of landing nets is permitted.
Non-Members arriving late, past the designated check-in time, will not be allowed to compete in that tournament.
Members arriving late must contact the Tournament Director 30 prior to the start of the tournament. At that point, directions will be given to you so that you will be able to fish.
If a participant is late for the assigned tournament end time inside the predetermined return area at check-in, he/she will be penalized against his total length of catch as follows:
At the official end of the tournament lines must be instantly reeled in and no additional casts made. Any fish caught after the official end of the tournament will not count. Casting after the official end of the tournament will result in a full disqualification.
A participant leaving the tournament site for any reason prior to the end time must first notify another participating vessel. Leave his or her camera, with fish caught, with a participating member to be reviewed by tournament directors at the end of the tournament.
A participant leaving the tournament and returning for any reason must notify a Tournament Director (or designee) both prior to leaving and immediately upon return.
Once a vessel has left the water during a tournament, it may not re-enter the water. The vessel is out of the water if it is on the trailer, car-topped, or loaded into or on a truck or any vehicle.
Anglers must stay at least 100’ from any participating angler’s vessel, unless the angler that is approached agrees to allow the approaching angler permission to be within the 100’ rule.
Anglers drifting and fishing must give right of way to anchored vessels.
All fish must be caught via hook and line. Only one line may be in the water at any time. Line must be hand-controlled (No trolling allowed). The number of hooks allowed and fishing rigs or lures, will be governed by the state in which we are competing.
Only artificial baits and lures are permissible. Pork rind baits are permitted. No live bait of any kind permitted.
Anglers may not put lines in the water prior to launching at the scheduled start time on the day of a tournament.
Anglers cannot submit the same fish caught twice or more during the spawning season (March 15th-June 15th). Any fish caught twice after the spawning season may be counted towards competition as long as the fish was caught fairly. This is rare, but it happens.
Fish attractants applied to artificial baits are permissible.
No chumming is allowed.
No craft except kayaks or canoes, paddling, pedaling, or motorized by electric motor, will be allowed. Only one person per vessel is permissible.
All vessels must comply with all State and Federal operation and safety laws and regulations.
All anglers must comply with all existing State and Federal Fish and Game laws and regulations.
All angling must be done from the vessel. No participant is allowed to leave his/her craft to land a fish, whether it be into the water or onto land. No fishing while standing (except in the vessel) or wading is allowed.
If, in the course of a tournament, an angler must leave his/her vessel for any reason, no rods or other equipment shall accompany them out of the vessel, except at the launch area to exchange rods from their vehicle.
SJKBFC does not allow any angler to use any live imaging electronics during tournaments; for example, Live Scope, Active Target, and Live Target are prohibited. If you are found to be using any live imagine you will be disqualified, and your membership status will be reviewed by the executive staff for possible termination. All other types of sonar, including 360 imaging, are permitted during tournaments (amended 3/7/2024).
If any tournament site has to be changed due to uncontrollable circumstances, alternate site locations might be set as needed by the Tournament Director(s). Start and end times are also subject to change at the discretion of the Tournament director(s).
Anyone wishing to continue fishing after the tournament ends will first notify the Tournament Director, so we do not have to search for you later.
The Membership Code of Conduct will be governed by the SJKBFC Bylaws.