Held our Club's Annual Banquet on Saturday.......

Three of us formed the club back in 1991 and have consistently maintained a membership of 60 over the period. Being located just outside Washington, DC, we turn over about 30 percent of our membership each year and yet, it remains stable. Had 54 members and guests show up Saturday night for socializing, awards presentations, installation of officers for 2017, games and raffles. Top prizes were two top-of-the-line Lew's combos worth $350-$400 each. Lots of tickets sold. Since we are organized as a club and are not interested in filing tax returns, we empty the treasury at the end of the year by: using whatever funds are left to purchase gift cards to Tackle Warehouse for all members attending the banquet.

Over the past 25 years, we have held at least 18 bass tournaments and 4-5 social outings per year. All our events have the same theme and mission: FUN, EDUCATION AND CAMARADERIE. Men, women and kids are all welcome and the competition is basically for bragging rights. Everyone is required to divulge lure and pattern they used for each weighed fish. Summer tournaments are Catch, Photo and Release. Social outings are events held on private waters, saltwater and, in one case, by invitation. Every Labor Day Weekend, we all are invited to stay at a good friend's home on a tidal river, just 5 miles from the Chesapeake Bay. About eight miles in the other direction is a brackish water swamp, just loaded with redfish, stripers, bass, catfish, pickerel, bowfin, crappie, yellow and white perch, northern snakehead and sunfish.

In addition to our fishing, we try to give back to the community by holding two Kid's Fishing Derbies per year. These derbies are open to all kids, ages 0-15, at no charge. The derbies are funded with 50% of each tournament fee as a donation to the 501c3 foundation that runs the derbies. The attendance at the derbies has gone from 27 in 1991 to over 350 in 2015 and 2016. We have had to ally ourselves with another club in order to have enough people to assist the kids when fishing. We are lucky to have a local county park with a 28 acre lake as a co-sponsor. The manager of the park is dedicated to making sure these kids continue to come to the park. The event is organized as a family event and we frequently have more adults than kids. After the fishing is over at noon, the kids are served a light lunch (Hot Dog, Chips, piece of fruit and water) while the fishing results are tabulated. A short fishing seminar is then given, generally featuring our local Conservation Officers (Game Wardens). Then, the awards ceremony takes place. The top ten winners in each of two age categories are brought up in front of the assembled group to be praised and given some items of fishing tackle, according to their standings. The winner of each age group category is given a suitably sized tackle box, loaded with everything we can get in it; lures, terminal tackle, tools, etc., a rod/reel combo, landing net and minnow bucket. After these youngsters receive their prizes, all the kids in attendance are given "Goodie Bags" filled with small items of fishing tackle, suitable for use by the kids and family members at times other than the derbies. A typical "Goodie Bag" will contain: bobbers, sinkers, snelled hooks, casting plugs, Beetle spins, assorted plastic grubs and fishing literature. If local merchants have small giveaways, we include them as well.

It has been a great ride, but age and cancer have gotten to the three founders of the club, making it imperative that we pass the torch to younger members in order to insure the continuity of the club. That process has been in process for the past few months and was concluded at the banquet. This year will be a year of training the new directors and officers, after which we will revert to being ordinary members, just fishing for fun.

Charlie T........

 

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