2026 QCBC Tournament Rules

1.) ELIGIBILITY: All tournament participants must be paid members of the Quad City Bass Club for the current year. Yearly dues must be paid by the end of the monthly membership meeting prior to the first tournament of the year that the member wishes to fish. All participants must be a minimum of 9 years old. At least one person in the boat has to be 18 years old. They also have to fish with a parent or legal guardian. Others they can fish with are parents, stepparents, grandparents or step grandparents, brother, sister, or aunt or uncle in order to fish a Quad City Bass Club sponsored tournament. All participants must sign a release waiver before fishing each tournament, and those fishing with a minor will have to have a signed consent form signed before they will be allowed to fish.

2.) TYPE OF TACKLE: Only artificial lures may be used. No “live bait” is permitted.

3.) BOAT AND MOTOR: Any type of boat and motor may be used. Each team must fishcfrom the same boat. If trouble occurs, a different boat may be used on the second day. You must finish day 1 with the same boat you started the daycwith. A different boat may be used on the second day. All boats must have a working LiveWell.

4.) PERMITTED FISHING LOCATIONS: Fishing is allowed anywhere in the river or lake that can be reached by normal boating operation. No trailering of boats will be allowed once the tournament has started. No fishing is allowed after the weigh in on the first day until the start of the second day of the tournament. 

5.) PENALTIES: Contestants who are not at the check in or on time for the weigh in shall not be allowed to weigh in. Contestants are responsible for getting their numbers in on time. If your chip isn’t in the can at the designated weigh in time you will be disqualified for that day. If a team brings more than 5 fish to the scale that will result in a disqualification for that day of the tournament. 

6.) SCORING: Total weight determines the final tournament standings. Each team must bring their own catch to the weigh in. In case of a breakdown you can bring your fish to the scale in another contestant’s boat, but one member of that team must accompany their fish. All fish will be measured on a flat board at the weigh in site. Measurement of all fish will only be done by a designated member of the Fish Committee. Any team weighing a fish shorter than the established limit (see limit rule further in this document) will have the weight of that fish deducted from their days total legal weight. Each dead fish will cause .40 lbs. to be deducted from the total legal weight. No dead fish will be eligible for a big bass award. Ties split equally. Any boat receiving a citation from the DNR or any other law enforcement agency during tournament hours will be disqualified from that day of the tournament. 

7.) PROTESTS: Contestants may protest to any member of the Fish Committee. All protests must be made before the first bag of fish is weighed. 

8.) TIES: The heaviest bass per team will break ties for total weight. The contestants must select the bass in their catch to be weighed as big bass. Weigh in officials will not be responsible for the big fish selection. Each team must have a marker on their big fish before they are handed to the person bumping fish. If there is no marker on the big fish the “bump person” will determine that teams big fish. 

9.) ENTRY FEES: The entry fee for a one-day tournament is $80.00. This includes $5.00 per boat for big fish for the tournament, $5.00 to the fish committee, $5.00 to the prize fund for the “Classic”, and $5.00 to go for paying for permits from the DNR. The entry fee for a two-day tournament will be $100.00. This includes $5.00 for big fish for each day and also the other fees included in the one-day tournament fee. The entry fee must be paid as a team. The entry fee is refundable if the contestants cannot blast off to start the tournament on a one-day tournament or the first day of a two-day tournament. Entry fees are payable only in cash. 

10.) PRIZES AND EXPENSES: Prize money will distributed as follows, after the deductions in rule # 9 are withheld. 

PAYBACK WILL BE AS FOLLOWS:

1-10 BOATS 3 PLACES 50 – 30 – 20%

11-15 BOATS 4 PLACES 46 – 27 – 16 – 11%

16-25 BOATS 5 PLACES 34 – 24 – 19 – 14 – 9%

26 OR MORE 6 PLACES 33 – 23 – 18 – 13 – 8 – 5%

11. TOURNAMENT HOURS AND CHECK IN: Tournament hours will be set by the fish committee. The Fish Committee reserves the right to alter the tournament hours on the day of the tournament due to weather conditions. Morning check-in is one hour before the start of the tournament at a site chosen by the Fish Committee. A drawing will be held during the morning check in to determine tournament starting positions. Failure to check in will result in disqualification. Evening check-in is at a time and site previously designated by the Fish Committee. The weigh-in starts 15 minutes after the check in time. Boats missing the draw for the 2ndday will go to the end of the line and will go after the blast off boat. Blast off on the second day will be reversed from day one with the blast off boat on day one being the first to go on day two. If your running lights are not working properly, you will go last after the blast off boat.

12. TOURNAMENT TAKE OFF: Boats will depart in numerical order from a designated starting point. Kill switches and running lights must be used at every blast off. 

13. SPORTSMANSHIP: All fishing will be done at least 50 feet away from other tournament boats. Sportsmanship courtesy and conversation are required from participants, from their arrival to departure. Participants are responsible for their individual behavior and any violations will be dealt with according to the bylaws of the Quad City Bass Club.

14. POINTS: Contestants gather points from all tournaments fished. Points for Fisherman of the Year will be accumulated from all tournaments fished with the lowest tournament point total of the year thrown out. Points are awarded as follows: 1stplace-50 pts, 2nd-49 pts, and so on with each place dropping one point. All other boats entered will receive 1 point whether they weigh-in any fish or not. Ties in points are decided by the total weight of fish weighed in by a contestant and his partners throughout the year. Contestants must blast off for the tournament to received points towards Fisherman of the Year. 

15. FISHING PARTNERS: Members may choose their own partners.

16. LAWS: The laws of the state in which the tournament is being held govern the catch and length limits. Length limits for Mississippi River tournaments will always be a minimum of 14 inches, unless otherwise stated. There will be a 6 fish limit per boat at all tournaments. If a team brings more than 5 fish to the scale that team will be disqualified for that day of the tournament. There to be no culling at the ramp. The fish committee has the right to check all live wells at the ramp.

17. SAFETY: Life jackets must be worn at the blast off. After blast off you must also wear your PFD whenever your boat is on plane. It is not required if you are at idle speed. Functional kill switches are mandatory equipment on boats with motors larger than 35 H.P. Kill switches and running lights must be used during the blast off. Coast Guard required safety equipment is mandatory for each boat. No alcoholic beverages shall be consumed by the contestants during tournament hours.

18. BIG BASS PLAQUES: Plaques will be awarded at the annual Awards Banquet for the biggest bass caught during tournaments for that year.

19. CLAIM WAIVER. Persons fishing in a tournament sponsored by the Quad City Bass Club, Inc. will automatically waive and release the Club from all claims, injuries, and / or damages incurred during the participation in said events. Waivers must be signed before you are allowed to fish said tournament. 

20. RULES INTERPRETATION: Rule interpretations shall be the exclusive right of the Fish Committee and their decisions shall be final. It is the responsibility of each member to know the rules.

21. “CLASSIC” QUALIFICATION: In order to qualify for the “Classic” tournament, there must be one member of each team who has fished at least 3 tournaments or have one tournament counted for reasons determined by the fish committee. The other member of the team must have fished at least one tournament during the season. Any boat that doesn’t have both partners qualified for the “Classic” will pay an extra $50.00 with their entry fee. 

22. OPEN TOURNAMENTS: The His / Hers tournaments, The Tug, and the 4-Man will be open tournaments and will not be points tournaments, however they will qualify as a tournament fished for the Classic qualification. You will still need to fish one Points tournaments to qualify for the Classic and be a current member of the club to fish the Classic.

23. INSURANCE: It is the responsibility of each boat owner to have their own insurance on their boats. 

24. CULLING BALLS: Culling balls with the puncture type clips are no longer allowed. If you bring a fish to the scale with the puncture type clip you will be given a warning. The second time will result in a 1-pound penalty.

REV. 3/26 You can download the rules from the Downloadable Documents page