HUB CITY BASSMASTERS

Monthly Newsletter

“LONG CASTS AND SHORT STRIKES”

APRIL 2010

APRIL CLUB MEETING – 6 PM FRIDAY THE 2nd – AZTECAS

    ANOTHER FANTASTIC turn out for our March meeting. I did not get a head count but I think that’s the most members and family that I have seen ever. I want to personally THANK everyone for making the meetings a part of your club activities and especially for including your families. It’s what we are about and what we want to be. Again THANKS, and let’s keep it going.

    Congratulations to Wink Pennington on becoming the Hub City Bass Masters first official “Honorary Life Member”. As stated before, Wink has been with the club from the very beginning and has provided a tremendous amount of service to our club and its members. Well done Wink and THANK YOU for all that you do. NOW, we need to get you back on the water.

    Holy Cow, was that a great tournament at Deer Point or what?? At least for most of you anyway. LOL.  I could not get over the quality and healthy appearance of the fish that were caught and weighed in. Vivid colors and markings. AWSOME, and what a great job of taking care of your catch guys. No dead fish penalties.  CONGRATULATIONS to Wesley Ard for his first place finish and Big Fish award, a “HOG” at 7.80 pounds. And putting up a close challenge, there was Craig Brandenberg with a whopping 7.32 pound bass. So cool. Here were the Top six standings:

1^st Place – Wesley Ard - 16.74 Lbs.                             2^nd Place – Michael Smith – 14.56 Lbs.

3^rd Place – Ken Jordan – 12.96 Lbs.                             4^th Place – Craig Brandenberg – 11.16 Lbs.

5^th Place – Jace Hilton – 8.56 Lbs.                                 6^th Place – Randy Thacker – 7.26 Lbs.

Big Fish – Wesley Ard – 7.80 Lbs.

    We continue to grow as a club with new and potential new members. Let’s all make Jerry Jackson and Jerry Tate feel welcome and hope that they find us to their liking. Hope to see you guys back with us in April and out on the water with us soon.

    If you didn’t know already, Ken Jordan has been in the hospital this past month undergoing surgery for cancer. The last word I got was that he was recovering well. Keep Ken in your thoughts and prayers and lets all wish Ken a speedy recovery so he can get back out on the water with us.

    I hope everyone has the 27^th of this month (March), marked on their calendar to help out with the Kids Casting Event at Bass Pro Shops in Destin. Again this will be a joint effort with Twin Cities Bass Club and is rounded up by Tony Biggot. We need to arrive around 09:30 to do a little set up and then be ready to start accepting contestants from 10:00 till 2:00 PM.  We also will need to get our club banner assembled which I will bring. Always a lot of fun and you will have plenty of time to do a little shopping for some of the store specials that Bass Pro will have going on. Wear your club shirts and bring your family.

    We only had (3) members respond to the survey for the club web site. I have forwarded those surveys to Bob and Michael for their consideration and I will assume that everyone else is satisfied. Bob has done a fantastic job of getting the site all cleaned up and updated. It really looks good. Thanks a million Bob for your efforts. I know it takes up a lot of your personal time.

    The first quarter of the year is already over. I don’t like to be an A--, however, rules are rules. If you have not paid your Federation or Club dues by now, your fish and weights WILL NOT COUNT towards the year starting with our April tournament at Black Creek until they are paid. Nuff said.

    We want to get the rest of the tournament sites and dates nailed down for the year as good as possible this next meeting. Please have your tournament schedules with you so we can try and alleviate as many conflicts as we possibly can. Again, everyone may not be satisfied but we will do our best.

    I am going to attend a meeting the 30^th with all the county bass clubs to try and pick a date and location for the county top 6 fish off. I will pass all info at the April meeting. Anybody have a site preference??

    Our March tournament at Lake Talquin turned out to be another Michael Smith show. Conditions were pretty rough with the wind and waves and I am so glad that everyone completed with limited damage to boats and equipment. Several rods and reels lost and several transducers broken off on stumps etc. . . A perfect example of why you should have everyone’s cell phone loaded into yours in case you get in trouble or have a break down. Man did the wind blow. Congratulations to those who found them. Roy and I fished for two days with only one bite.  Roy said my guiding ability sucked and he told me not to buy any business cards,,, so I won’t. LOL,LOL,LOL

1^st Place – Michael Smith – 26.94 Lbs.                           2^nd Place – Bob Miles – 9.90 Lbs

3^rd Place -- Jace Hilton – 8.07 Lbs.                                 4^th Place – Larry “Stretch” Gaines – 7.64 Lbs.

5^th Place – Bill Spencer – 7.20 Lbs                                  6^th Place – Jason Hayes – 6.84 Lbs

Big Fish – Michael Smith – 10.66 Lbs

    Just got word that Jeff Knight took 2^nd place non-boater with over 18 Lbs and Michael Smith took 3^rd place non-boater with over 16 Lbs at the Florida Bass Federation Nation qualifier at Lake Seminole on the 20^th. Michael took big fish pot – Non Boater with one over 6Lbs. and Kevin “Swede” Oleen with big fish on the boater side with one over 7.5 Lbs. Bob tells me we were well represented at the qualifier with at least 9 of our club members participating. Way to go guys and Congratulations. The Hub City Bass Masters are coming to the front in the Pan Handle.

    I know that most if not all of us have fished at Black Creek. Just a reminder, ramp is not in the best of shape. Be careful.

    Congratulations to Michael Smith, 1^st Quarter 2010 point’s leader. Well done Michael.

     APRIL TOURNAMENTS

3^rd – Media Bass – Florida North Division – Team – Black Creek—Black Creek Lodge

         Winter Bass Classic – White City

          Talquin Open – Lake Talquin – Ingram’s Marina

10^th – Hub City Bass Masters – Black Creek – Black creek lodge – Freeport

           2^nd Annual Apalachicola River Club Championship, White City

11^th – Media Bass – Eufaula Division – Team – Lake Eufaula – Lakepointe Park

17^th – Seminole Bass Masters – Lake Seminole—Seminole Lodge

17^th - 18^th – Florida Bass Federation- 3^rd Qualifier—St. John’s River, Jacksonville Fl.

18^th – Media Bass – Florida Panhandle Division – Team – Lake Talquin – Ingram’s Marina

           ABA District 114 – Lake Seminole, Seminole Lodge

24^th – Media Bass – Southeast Division – Individuals – Lake Seminole – Big Jim’s resort

           Leon County Sheriffs Annual Open – Lake Talquin, Williams Landing

            Bay County Bass Club – Deer Point, High Point Landing

25^th – Media Bass – Seminole Division – Team – Lake Seminole – Big Jim’s Resort

       MOON PHASES FOR APRIL

New Moon -  4/14/2010 – 12:29                                  Full Moon – 4/28/2010 –12:18