HUB CITY BASSMASTERS

Monthly Newsletter

“LONG CASTS AND SHORT STRIKES”

February 2010

FEBRUARY CLUB MEETING – 6 PM FRIDAY THE 5^TH. AZTECAS

    CONGRATULATIONS to our 2009 awardees’;

Angler of the year:  Michael Smith                         Heaviest Stringer of year: Michael Smith (22.79Lbs)

Runner up Angler of the Year:  John Fountain     1^st Quarter Best Angler: Greg Prince

Non Boater of the Year:  Matt McLoud                   2^nd Quarter Best Angler: Jeff Knight

Big Bass of the Year: Matt McLoud (8.22Lbs)        3^rd Quarter Best Angler: Michael Smith

Sportsman of the Year: Jack Bell                              4^th Quarter Best Angler: Michael Smith

    Well Done and richly deserved guys. As I sat through the banquet, my memories of those events seemed as clear as the day they happened. Michael unloading that big bag at Seminole, Matt and that behemoth at Hurricane, John and his constant and consistent limits, especially at Eufaula, and that 2^nd quarter run by Jeff throwing the frog. Wow what a year it was and I feel so grateful and blessed to have been a part of it. What a great turnout for the evening and I sure hope everyone had as good as time as I did. A special Thanks to Jeff for getting all the awards done, You ROCK buddy.

    Thank you all for voting me as your Sportsman of the Year for 2009. I am truly humbled and honored. I have to echo Rodney’s words from the previous year; the award is my Angler of the year, big bass, big stringer and all quarters award. It lets me know that I was a Club Member, I participated, I helped, and I contributed.  I am very proud and again I THANK YOU graciously.

    The 2010 Tournament rules were approved with the proposed changes and accepted. I have forwarded the clean copy to Bob to be placed on the web site as well as e-mailed a copy to each individual. I received some very positive concerns over the proposed rules but no one made a proposal for change. As I stated at the meeting, these rules can be amended at any time during the year and YES we will be on the lookout for people not wearing their life jackets and a practice of bringing dead fish to the scales. Get your aerators fixed and operable, wear your life vest.

    I would also like to THANK Azteca Restaurant for allowing us to meet at their establishment at “NO COST” to the club. Reserving the back room could have gone for as high as $500.00. They treat us well at our monthly meetings, they seem to enjoy us, I would hope that when you’re hungry for Mexican food, you give them consideration and tell them THANKS for what they do for the Hub City Bass Masters.

    We went as far as June in selecting this year’s tournament schedule. We tried to look at every option and other tournament series that we were aware of to try and deconflict. I hope we did a good job. Impossible to please everyone but we tried. I am sure Bob will have those sites and dates posted ASAP if not already on the web page. If you are fishing another trail and our club schedule collides you’ll just have to make a choice.

    If you recall from the last newsletter, I sent everyone a copy of the Proposal for the Long term Management of Black Bass. Swede has since sent copies of the Tournament Creel Survey form that they would like us to fill out and submit after our tournaments. I feel we should make every effort to do this and have made enough copies to have at each of our Florida tournaments. I have also attached a copy for this newsletter so that you can see what kind of data that they are looking for. I still have a few questions and will get them answered before our deer point tournament but looks as though we take most of the data anyway. What I am not sure of from looking at the form is if they want individual results or club results,, i.e.; using the integrity and honesty system, reporting all the short fish and legal fish that you may have caught and culled during a tournament day. I’ll find out.. To do this properly, weigh ins may take a little longer so please be patient. Remember, it’s for the future well being of our beloved sport. (Swede gave us a good brief yesterday while waiting for safe light, I’ll reemphasis at the February meeting and try to figure out a way to get everyone’s data after or during weigh ins and make it as painless as possible.) 

   BPS KIDS CASTING EVENT.   We have been invited to participate in the Bass Pro Shops kids casting event again this year in concert with our local sister bass clubs. The date has been set for Saturday the 27^th of March in conjunction with BPS’s annual boat show. As you all know, this is a very worthwhile event, tons of fun and brings good community recognition to our club. Please put this date on your calendar and bring the wife and kids out for the day. Mom can shop for you something special, the kids can participate and we anglers can relish in the satisfaction that we are helping our youth with a first step toward fishing.

CONGRATULATIONS to our January Tournament Winners at Seminole. A little less than favorable conditions but could have been much worse. With the main lake and Hooch “Georgia Clay Red” and debris floating everywhere, I am thankful we had nobody tear anything up. And as always, someone finds the fish. Great job guys. It was good medicine to be back together for 2010 sharing fun and fellowship and it sure looks like we may be off to a great year.

1^st Place – Kevin “Swede” Olen – 17.50 lbs.                   2^nd Place – Larry “Stretch” Gaines – 13.86 lbs.

3^rd Place – Michael “KVD Jr.” Smith – 11.52 lbs            4^th Place – Craig Brandonberg – 10.34 lbs

5^th Place – Jeff Knight – 9.49 lbs                                        6^th Place – Greg Prince – 5.92 lbs

Big Fish – Swede – 6.14 lbs

    I received some very positive feedback on the newsletter. Remember that I want it to be the clubs newsletter so if you have or want to provide input it is very much appreciated. It can be on anything relative to our club and sport of bass fishing, buy/sell or trade, new products, boat woes, bad or good products you have tried, upcoming tournaments, sales on the internet, whatever you want to share with fellow club members.

    ARE YOU READY??? – It’s time to GO and get em, have you – checked those trailer lights, wheel bearings, tire pressure, good tire tread, spare tire, fix-a-flat, trailer hitch ball good and tight, aerators and recyclers, bilge pump, running lights, life jacket serviceable, fishing license current, water in batteries and charged, battery terminals clean and tight, oil tank full, Sta-bile marine gas treatment, lower unit oil, throw flotation, horn/warning signals, paddle, jumper cables, tow rope, boat registration, spare trolling motor prop, prop wrench, live well fish treatment products, anchor, fuses, boat tool kit, first aid kit, extra sun glasses, extra wheel bearings, trailer jack, extra bulbs, wire connectors, zip ties, spare boat keys, landing net not dry rotted, weigh in bag, fish cull tags, flashlight, sun screen, chap stick, Allergy meds, bug spray, plug knocker, de-hooker/needle nose pliers, extra plugs for boat, live well and cooler, boat Insurance card, rain gear, dry clothes, maps, fish locaters/GPS cards, emergency call numbers  and of course – Vienne’s/sardines, water, gator aid and saltines for self survival.

    If you don’t already know, DEER POINT LAKE is currently in a draw down to try and have the cold weather aid in vegetation control. As cold as it was in January, I think it probably worked. I contacted Allen Courtney from the Bay County Bass Club to try and get a feel for what this draw down does and how it affects the fishing. Also boat launching difficulties. His response was fishing improves, bass are more concentrated, makes sense. How much they decide to draw down determines the difficulty in launching, there is no known amount that they will draw out. As for running, be careful especially up north and stay in the channels as always. You may see some things that will surprise you or scare you from past trips. Bottom line is, we are scheduled to fish on the 27^th of February there. The drawdown will be over but the lake may not be back to full pool by that time. If you should go over to prefish, please send out to everyone a report on launching conditions, hazards etc. LATEST WORD,, Launching OK just be real careful for prop blow out holes.. Not much to tie up to and may have to walk from boat to boat after launch or ferry truck backers to boats.. I’ll be headed over next weekend (hopefully) and will send out a report.

    BASS MASTERS CLASSIC: If you have never attended one, a great opportunity this month. I have personally attended five and have had the time of my life at each. Other than the cost of your hotel and food, all the attractions to include the daily launch and weigh INS are FREE. Every boat, lure, fishing tackle manufacture is there in force with all the new goodies and plenty of people to explain and show them to you. Free seminars from the Pro’s and plenty of opportunities to cash in on some really good closeout deals on tackle and gear.. Take the family and enjoy. If anyone knows they are going, PLEASE drop me a line. I’m looking for a favor.

    I tried calling over to Leon Brook Hines Lake in Alabama to find out when they will open for the year and could get no answer. Went to their web site and it indicates that they are open year round now and only closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Can anyone confirm this??? For those who know where it’s at,, a honey hole, usually clear water, trolling motors only and plenty big fish. Easy access, close to home and facilities for the ladies. My wife loves it over there. Try cat fishing sometime for something new, there are some monsters and 1lb plus shell cracker are common place. Check out their web site and photo gallery. I’ll see you there on some down days from our schedule…

FEBRUARY TOURNAMENTS:

LATE REMINDER – FEDERATION NATION QUALIFIER – JANUARY 30^TH – WHITE CITY

PRE TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION AND MEETING AT HONEYVILLE PARK COMMUNITY BUILDING

6^th – Media Bass – Individual Southeast Division -Lake Seminole – Big Jims Resort

                                 Team North Florida Division – Blackwater – Carpenters Park

6^th - Winter Trail Bass Circuit – White City

13^th – Media Bass Hooch Division – Lake Seminole – Big Jims Resort

19-21 - Bass Masters Classic – Lay Lake – Birmingham Al.

21^st – ABA District 114 – Lake Seminole – Seminole Lodge

27^th – Hub City Bass Masters – Deer Point – High Point Landing /Alternate: Talquin

           Bay County Bass Club – Deer Point –High Point Landing

           Seminole Bass Masters – Seminole lodge

           Extreme Bass Team – Talquin - Whippoorwill

27-28^th – Florida Bass Federation 1^st Qualifier – Lake Okeechobee

MOON PHASES FOR FEBRUARY:

New Moon - 2/14/2010 – 02:52 AM                  Full Moon – 2/28/2010 – 16:38 PM

NOTICE: This is the last newsletter that I will send to the old roster of members. Starting next month, only paid up members for 2010 will receive the newsletter.