Berrien Bass Busters
About Us
Berrien Bass Busters (BBB) was formed in Berrien County in 1979. The club has members from most counties in Southwest Michigan including Berrien, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Van Buren and Allegan counties and a member from northern Indiana.
Purpose
In general, the BBB has the same purposes as other bass clubs, namely enjoyment, fellowship, friendly competition, exchange of fishing ideas, conservation, promotion of bass fishing as a major sport, and responding to threats to the quality of bass fishing and bass fishing waters and the future of the sport.
Members practice catch and release fishing, both during tournaments and spare-time fishing. This approach maintains the population of reproductive size bass and provides more fish for others to catch. All members are expected to use proper methods of caring for and handling bass from hooking to release.
Membership
General
The members of BBB have a wide variety of occupations and include some retirees. Members can be boat owners or non-boat owners, but all are interested in fishing for bass and protecting this great game fish and its waters for fishermen of future generations. Berrien Bass Busters provides equal opportunity for all persons regardless of race, religion, sex, height, weight, marital status, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or disability.
Dues
The annual dues for each BBB member is fifty dollars ($60.00). These dues are payable by a new member at the time of joining BBB and at the October meeting thereafter. To join the Lunker Club (Big Bass for the Year), members pay five dollars ($10.00) at the time of joining or by the April meeting thereafter. At the year-end Awards Banquet, the total amount collected from members of the Lunker Club is awarded to the member who catches the largest bass during a club tournament.
Prospective Members
Prospective members are asked to read this “About Us” document, the “BBB Constitution and By-Laws” and the “Tournament Rules” document located on the Berrien Bass Busters website. If interested, reach out to the contacts listed in the BBB website to discuss the process of becoming a member. Typically, the process involves filling out an application, which is on the BBB website and coming to one of our General Membership Meetings. At the meeting, we get to know you and you get to know us. A sponsor, which is a current club member in good standing, is a plus, but is not required to join the club. After this, if there is still interest in joining, the membership will make its recommendation by motion on the floor followed by a vote by the general membership on accepting or rejecting the recommendation.
Organization
Meetings:
Regular meetings of the BBB are held on the second Monday of each month at the Main Street Pub in Mattawan. The meetings are open to the public and all are cordially invited to attend. The meetings generally consist of old and new business, committee reports, safety topics and discussion of club related topics and events. There shall be at least six (6) meetings per year.
Officers:
The officers of the BBB include President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, who make up the Executive Board and are elected annually.
Committees:
Committees within BBB may be formed to address membership, youth, and social activities. Members may volunteer for any of these committees or the President, who is an ex-official member of each committee, may appoint them. Committees may be appointed as needed by the President.
Activities:
Activities primarily consist of the monthly general membership meetings, tournaments and the annual awards banquet which ends the year. We have also given seminars and have held tackle swap meets in the past. Tackle swap meets are normally attended by members and friends. Tournaments (see “Tournament Rule” document) are the glue that holds the club together. Tournament sites and dates are selected by the membership and schedules prepared for review by the club. At the meeting prior to each tournament, pairings of boaters and non-boaters are made by blind draw. Many times, the boater and non-boater usually travel together to the tournament site sharing fuel, accommodations, and other expenses. The non-boater provides a minimum fee paid directly to their boater. This fee is to defray the costs associated with transport and operation (see the “Tournament Rules” document for non-boater fees and costs). The tournament entry fee and tournament big bass fee is determined by the membership on an annual basis. The number and locations of tournaments for the upcoming year are usually determined at the December meeting. Typically, our tournament trail consists of a combination of “local” and “away” lakes. “Away” lakes are usually within 4 hours drive of Kalamazoo.
By-Laws and Tournaments
Berrien Bass Busters Tournament Rules