Thinking Of Joining A Bass Club

[Chance Rhoads]

Looking for some do's and don't's of joining bass clubs, I don't own a boat, didn't know if bass clubs took people that do not own a boat? Or how it all works, any advice would be great.  Thanks

[Bluebasser86]

I've never heard of one that doesn't take nonboaters. Look around a little at different clubs and find one that fits your schedule and wants the best and try to talk to a couple members to get a feel for the club. If you decide to join, when you start fishing tournaments there's a few things I'd suggest. Owning and maintaining a boat is expensive, offer you boater some gas money. I always asked mine if they had a number in mind. If they didn't, I'd usually offer $50-$100 depending on how far the drive was and how much running we did. It may sound like a lot but you can burn that in a day just in the boat if you run a lot. Don't go overboard with the gear, bring what you need, but keep it reasonable. I never brought more than 6 combos and 1 bag that contained 6 3700 boxes and all the plastics I needed. Be careful about tracking mud/dirt into the boat, stepping on seats, spilling drinks, smacking the motor while casting, basically, try not to beat the guys stuff up. Learn to back a trailer if you don't know how, it makes everyone's life easier. Try to keep an imaginary line through the middle of the boat and don't cast in front of it unless your boater says it's okay. I've had guys invite me into the front of the boat, but some won't want you to cast past the midpoint of the boat. Help out with prepping and reloading the boat. Some guys will even bring their boater lunch. I've never gone that far but I've had guys bring me lunch when they fished with me out of mine and it's very appreciated. Make sure to have fun and pay attention to what your boater is doing. I learned so much from fishing in a bass club and just paying attention to what my boater was doing, it really sped up the learning curve for me. 

[Chance Rhoads]

Thanks for the advice