CLUB BY-LAWS
Policies & Procedures

Nature Coast Anglers, Inc.
Club By-Laws

Purpose:
To further each members’ overall knowledge of fishing and places to fish through education and club activities, and to offer a framework for members to develop friendships with other members who share the same interest.

Membership:
To be a member in good standing and be afforded the privileges of membership to include participating in club activities and voting rights, a person must be current with their membership dues.
All prospective members will complete an application and submit it with the Waiver to the Membership Committee.

Meetings:
General membership meetings will be held once a month. All meetings are open to non-members by invitation only.

Dues:
Membership dues are required to be paid by the conclusion of the January meeting to maintain active membership.
Prospective members’ dues must be paid with submission of their Application and Waiver. The annual dues will be set by the membership.

Officers:
The  officers will be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Activities Chairman, Program Chairman, Fishing Chairman, and Membership Chairman. Terms will be for one year. All officers will assume their duties at the conclusion of the meeting at which they were elected.

Amending the Bylaws:
Resolutions to amend the bylaws may be presented at any general meeting by any member. Upon the approval of the Executive Committee, a vote will be held at the next regularly scheduled meeting and will require a two-thirds majority of members present to pass.

Nature Coast Angler Policies and Procedures

(Amended 2025)

I.                CRITERIA FOR MEMBERSHIP
II.               APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
III.              LIABILITY AND WAIVER OF CLAIMS FORM
IV.             GUIDES CLAUSE
V.              ANNUAL DUES
VI.             ORDER OF BUSINESS
VII.            PERPETUAL TROPHIES
VIII.           CLUB WEB SITE  

CRITERIA FOR MEMBERSHIP

Members must:
1.   Be 21 years of age or older.
2.   Have a valid Florida fishing license.
3.   Have their own fishing equipment, rods, reels, etc.
4.   Be enthusiastic about fishing and display good sportsmanship.
5.   Agree to participate in club activities, be willing to serve on committees as needed and contribute to the club’s overall success.
6.   Abide by current Florida saltwater fishing regulations as well as club tournament rules. 

The Executive Committee will rule on exemptions to requirements on an individual basis and will reserve the right to terminate membership for behavior deemed not becoming to the Club.

To apply for membership with Nature Coast Anglers, a completed application and waiver of liability must be obtained from the club Membership Committee or the club website and completed in full.
Annual dues amount must accompany the completed application/signed waiver and be submitted to the Membership Committee.

Note: Membership application consists of items II and III

II APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP TO NATURE COAST ANGLERS

(See Membership Application)

III LIABILITY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND WAIVER OF CLAIMS

IV GUIDE CLAUSE
Active Professional Guides will be accepted into the club “dues free”, with the provision that they give at least one seminar per year at a club meeting if asked to do so. They are not counted as part of the “regular” membership but are in a separate category. They cannot hold office and have no voting rights. Any member who is a licensed captain or guide for hire, shall not be allowed to compete in any club fishing tournament that awards prizes. Licensed captains or guides may not accompany an active member entered in any club fishing tournament.

V ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES
Any prospective member accepted for membership at any time within the last quarter of any year, at the Executive Board’s discretion, may be charged a reduced rate for the remainder of that year.
Prospective members’ dues must be paid with submission of their completed application.
Dues for the following years shall be established by the club membership.

VI ORDER OF BUSINESS
The Order of Business Nature Coast Anglers will use to conduct its business at regularly scheduled meetings is as follows:

1. Meeting called to Order
2. Speaker, Program
3. Fishing Report
4. Committee Reports
   • Treasurer
   • Secretary
   • Membership Chair
   • Guests, New Members
   • Program Chair
   • Activity Chair
   • Fishing Chair
   • Executive Committee
5. Old Business
6. New Business
7. Announcements
8. Craftsman Corner
9. Adjournment

It shall be at the discretion of the President to determine the program order.

VII PERPETUAL TROPHIES
The Nature Coast Angler webpage, www.naturecoastangler.com, shall have a page honoring and acknowledging our founder Bob Buning, all Board Presidents, all Nature Coast Anglers of the Year, plus all Nature Coast Angler Silver Hook members. Silver Hook designation is a dues-free honor for members who have been with our club fifteen years or more.

VIII CLUB WEBSITE
Nature Coast Anglers will create and maintain a club web site.

1. The Executive committee will appoint a web-master to set up and maintain the web site.
2. The Executive Committee will appoint at least one assistant web-master.
3. The webmaster is the only club member permitted to enter data or make deletions on the web site. He does so at the direction of the club President or with Executive Committee Approval.
4. The assistant webmaster(s) may only enter data with the web-master’s permission or when the webmaster is unavailable.
5. The website shall contain a copy of our club’s mission statement, Bylaws, Policies and Procedures, Tournament schedule, Species list, Member application form and Waiver form, Perpetual Awards, and any other information deemed pertinent by the Executive Board Committee.

IX ELECTIONS :
Elections for officers will be held at the December general membership meeting of each year. Nominations will be held at the November meeting.
Officers will be elected by a simple majority vote. In the event no candidate receives a majority vote, a second vote between the two leading candidates will be held with the person receiving the simple majority vote declared the winner. In the event any office becomes vacated, it shall be filled by a special election, called at the next scheduled meeting or meetings thereafter until the vacancy is filled. All members in good standing are eligible to hold office.

X VOTING RIGHTS
All members in good standing are eligible to vote at general meetings. Proxy voting shall be allowed for the general election only.
A written proxy must be delivered to the Secretary prior to the general election in order to be valid.

XI OFFICERS DUTIES

• Duties of the President:
  It shall be the duty of the President to set an agenda for all general meetings and to conduct those meetings in an orderly fashion while maintaining the overall purpose of the club and its by-laws.
• Duties of the Secretary:
  The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the general meeting, assuring the accuracy of dates, times, and events. The Secretary shall also maintain the club directory. Information shall be distributed to the membership in a timely fashion. E-mail is the club’s primary form of communication. If at any time it becomes necessary for the Secretary to vacate his office, they shall turn over to the President, Vice President, or incoming Secretary all records to include, but not be limited to:
  (1) minutes of the general membership meetings,
  (2) minutes of the Executive Committee meetings
  (3) copy of the club roster
• Duties of the Treasurer:
  The Treasurer shall receive all money coming into the club and keep an accurate record of all receipts and expenditures.
  All financial records will be available for examination at the monthly general meeting.
  Upon the expiration of the Treasurer’s term, all money and records are to be turned over to his successor.
• Duties of the Vice President:
  It shall be the duty of the Vice President, upon approval and confirmation by the Executive Committee, to fill any office, which shall become vacant until such time the office is filled by a Special Election.
  At the direction of the President, the Vice President may be assigned additional duties as the need arises.
• Duties of the Fishing Chairman:
  It shall be the duty of the Fishing Chairman to plan all Tournaments, administer the weigh-ins, determine winners, and e-mail results to the Secretary for distribution to membership.
  A current listing of the tournaments members have participated in, their points, and the point standings in each tournament category shall be kept.
  The Fishing Chairman shall also determine the species for tournaments and present it to the Executive Committee for prior approval. The Chairman, at their discretion, may select volunteers to assist in carrying out his duties.
• Duties of the Activities Chairman:
  It shall be duty of the Activities Chairman, or Co-Chairmen, to plan club outings, picnics, and special events.
  Prior to execution and presentation to the membership, the Chairman or Co-Chairmen, shall present their proposed plans to the Executive Committee for evaluation and final determination. The Chairman may select volunteers to assist in carrying out duties.
  The Activities Chairman will keep records and notes and form a checklist for all activities to turn over to his successor.
• Duties of the Program Chairman:
  It shall be the duty of the Program Chairman to secure guest speakers or otherwise arrange for monthly programs designed to improve member’s knowledge and expertise in all aspects of the sport of fishing.
  Prior to execution and presentation to the membership, the Chairman shall present proposed plans to the Executive Committee for evaluation and final determination.
  At the Chairman’s discretion, volunteers may be selected to assist in carrying out duties.
  A list of speakers with contact information and comments should be recorded and edited to have a comprehensive record of speakers to share with the subsequent Program Chairman.
• Duties of the Membership Chairman:
  The duty of the Membership Chairman is to keep an accurate database of the NCA Membership, those who are in good standing as well as those whose membership has lapsed.
  The Chairman shall greet guests and potential new members at each meeting. The Chairman shall accept applications and dues from new members and from those who are renewing. The chair shall transfer all monies collected at each meeting to the NCA Treasurer. After each meeting, a list of new members shall be given to the Executive Committee. A separate list of guests shall be kept and recorded. A complete roster shall be forwarded to the Executive Committee monthly. An abbreviated roster (name plus phone number) shall be sent to the NCA membership on a timely basis.
  

• Duties of the Executive Committee:
  The Executive Committee shall consist of all elected officers and Committee Chairs.
  They will meet as needed to develop future agendas, set the direction and objectives of the club, set policies and procedures, and make decisions on the acceptance of new members.
  It shall be the duty of each member to support decisions concerning proposals or motions arrived at by a majority vote, or greater, of the members, provided a quorum of the committee members are present for the vote. Minutes should be taken.

XII AMENDING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:
Policies and Procedures will be established and maintained, in writing, by the Executive Committee, and will be available to the membership.
Any member may call for a vote of the membership to change any policy or procedure with two-thirds majority vote.

Club Tournaments

1. Only active NCA members in good standing can participate in club tournaments. No guests or guides permitted on any craft participating in a club tournament.
2. Any participant checking in at the designated weigh-in spot on time will be a legal participant in the tournament.
3. Anglers may launch boats at any location and fish any area they wish. Start time is after 12:01 a.m. the day of the tournament. Weigh-ins will be held at MacRae’s at 3:00 p.m. unless otherwise specified. No fish will be accepted after designated weigh-in time. All participants in line at weigh in time will be allowed to weigh their catch.
4. Fish may be taken by rod and reel only, using live, cut, or artificial bait.
5. The length of all fish will be measured for legality and then weighed. Only one legal fish per targeted species may be entered in the tournament. Only one place will be awarded to any one angler per species. If more than one member has a fish of the same weight and species, equal points will be given to each individual. This pertains to first, second, and third place.

   Current Florida Saltwater Fishing Regulations will govern legal bag and size limits. FWC regulations for measuring fish are as follows:
   Fish regulated by fork length are measured from the tip of the jaw or tip of the snout with closed mouth to the center of the fork in the tail;
   Fish regulated by total length are measured from the tip of the jaw or tip of the snout with closed mouth to the farthest tip of the tail with the tail compressed.

6. Points will be awarded to the first three places for targeted species.  First place – 15 points Second place – 10 points  Third place – 5 points
   Grand Slam – 20 bonus points for a legal snook, sea trout, and redfish weighed in when snook are in season.

   Redfish, trout, and snook points will also be added to an Inshore Category.

7. No entry fee is required to fish in tournaments.
8. In the event of inclement weather, each individual angler should decide if they can fish safely given the weather conditions and their level of boat handling skill. If the tournament is cancelled, the Fishing Chairman will e-mail members of the cancellation by 6:00 pm the night before.
9. For record keeping purposes, members will be required to sign an attendance sheet at the weigh-in.
10. A member bringing a fish to a tournament weigh-in that has been altered in any way will automatically lose their membership in the Nature Coast Anglers.
11. NCA Memorial Two-Person Team Tournament:

    Two person teams, both must be NCA members. Trout and Redfish only.
    Team members must fish out of the same boat. This is a boaters-only tournament.

    All qualifiers from each team tournament will advance to the team fish-off.
    Teams who qualified during the first tournament need not weigh-in fish at the second tournament.

    All qualifying teams will compete in the final fish-off. Date to be determined.

    The winning team will be determined on the basis of total weight of legal fish they have weighed in at the fish-off. No more than two legal trout and one legal redfish per team. Only one trout over 19” may be weighed in by each team.

    In the final team fish-off, members will be required to fish with the partner they qualified with in either the first or second tournament.

    In the event that one of the partners is unable to compete in the finals, the remaining partner can fish alone and will be permitted to weigh-in two legal Trout and one legal Redfish.

    Awards for first and second place will be presented at the annual award banquet.

12. Angler of the Year and Inshore Angler of the Year
    Will be the member with the most accumulated net tournament points in each category. In case of a tie, there will be a fish-off as defined by the Fishing Chairman to determine the winner. Recognition will be noted also for second and third place finishers. The Executive Committee, with recommendations from the Fishing Chairman, can denote additional awards.
    Angler of the Year is not eligible to win Inshore Angler of the Year and vice versa. You may win awards in only one category.