GENERAL CONDUCT:
A. Each person joining the Striped Bass Conservation Coalition (SBCC) will be expected to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects the wholesome image of the organization.  While the tournaments are highly competitive in nature, good sportsmanship must be paramount at all times. Members are expected to be role models.  This is a family oriented organization.

B. At no time shall any boat captains or crew make verbal or written contracts that effect the splitting or receiving of a percentage of a tournament prize or purse and/or Calcutta with another team or boat entered into the same event or the tournament trail itself. This practice sends the wrong message to newcomers and members not fishing on sponsored teams.  Failure to conform will result in the immediate forfeiture of all points for the season for all boats and members involved.

C. Captain’s are responsible for their crew or team members during all aspects of an event.

D. Demeaning another member’s character or heritage will not be tolerated. 

E. Verbal or threatening behavior and public confrontations while participating in an SBCC competition is unacceptable.

F. Any member putting the welfare of the SBCC and the general membership at risk with sponsors, potential sponsors, or pending sponsors, may be suspended.  The Board of Directors must review and determine the final status of any member’s privileges.  See the section on Disqualification and Reinstatement for appropriate procedure and actions required.

UNDERSTANDING THE SBCC RULES:
It is the responsibility of all SBCC members to familiarize themselves with all the rules and regulations of this association and upon joining the association agree to abide by said rules and regulations.  Members also agree by joining said association, that all decisions of the SBCC Board of Directors and/or the SBCC management are final.

PUBLICITY AND LIABILITY RELEASE:
By registering as a member of the Striped Bass Conservation Coalition, Inc., the member consents to the use, without payment or restrictions, of any photographs and his or her name in which the member, his crew, and/or boat appears for any purpose whatsoever. The member further releases the Striped Bass Conservation Coalition, Inc., its officers, directors, board of trustees members, committee members, plus sponsors from and liability for libel, slander, loss, damage, negligence, injury, and/or death suffered by any member, family, crew, boat and/or other persons which may occur during the term of membership.

TOURNAMENT & MEMBERSHIP DISQUALIFICATION / REINSTATEMENT:
When joining the Striped Bass Conservation Coalition, SBCC members understand that all sanctioned tournaments belong to the tournament host organization, and by such, agree to abide by the tournament hosts rules and to accept the decisions of the tournament rules authority of the various tournament hosts.  It is the responsibility of the SBCC member to obtain and understand tournament rules.  Any angler disqualified from an SBCC tournament because of a rule violation, regardless of the severity of the violation, no member aboard the boat will receive points for that tournament.  If a violation is of the magnitude that it could cause SBCC membership privileges to be in jeopardy, the situation will be brought before the SBCC Board of Directors (BOD).  Any member having membership privileges revoked will be disqualified from winning any prizes for the season including those prizes the member may have qualified for prior to the infraction.  Any member with membership privileges revoked can petition to the SBCC BOD for reinstatement, in writing.  In all cases, the decision of the SBCC BOD will be final.  The SBCC has the right to refuse association membership to any person or persons.

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND/OR ILLEGAL DRUGS PROHIBITED:
The use of alcoholic beverages during a tournament is strongly discouraged by the management of the SBCC.  Anglers/Members are expected to practice good sportsmanship and because of the families fishing with us, are expected to set good examples.  Abuse will cause disqualification.  Members smoking, drinking, or wearing clothing that is deemed too dirty and/or inappropriate, or person’s not wearing shirts, during picture taking or video taping will not have their photo used in the SBCC magazine, nor in the SBCC TV show.

VHF RADIO:
Members are asked to practice common sense when using their VHF radio. Bad language with children possibly listening, poor sportsmanship, and the demeaning of other anglers on the radio may result in points not counting for that event, frequent abuse could result in expulsion from the association.

CONSERVATION:
The SBCC promotes the goal of “Responsible Catch-and-Release” to improve the size structure of the striped bass population, while simultaneously promoting the “Selective Catch-and-Keep” of fish during the periods when live release of larger stripers is impractical.  To accomplish this goal, the SBCC will continue to develop and promote the live release of tournament quality striped bass caught during tournaments when practical.  Each and every SBCC member is encouraged to practice and set examples of good conservation. On those few fisheries where natural reproduction has been documented, the SBCC suggests that as a minimum, take only the fish that will be weighted and release the smaller fish carefully to grow and re-produce.  The effectiveness of this can be increased with the use of a striper tube or other similar device. 

The SBCC strongly recommend that all fish that are killed during a tournament and brought to the scales for weigh-in, are treated with the respect and care they deserve.  These fish gave all they had to the fight with the angler.  Therefore, the SBCC requires that all fish killed for tournament purposes, be kept from the eyes of the general public by being transported to and from the tournament weigh-in in a cooler or other appropriate container. The SBCC Competition members shall not carry their fish in nets and other open devices. 

No SBCC Angler shall unnecessarily kill a Striped Bass/Rockfish during a tournament unless said fish is intended to be weighed in or used for table fare.