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President and Secretary – Clint Waters Vice President – Bob Watson Legislative Committee – Charles Hutchinson Treasurer – Charles Hutchinson Membership Committee – Bob Geisler Club Fishing Tournaments Committee – Chuck Prahl and Jesse Maffuid MSSA Tournament Committee – Bob Granados and Ken Barwick Crab Feast and Raffles Committee – Jim Kubista and Norman Bell Guest Speakers – Clint Waters Club Fishing Trips – Bob Watson Webmaster – Curt Brandt Flea Market – Chuck Prahl
The MSSA is working to provide a unified voice to preserve and protect the rights, traditions and the future of recreational fishing. NO UNITY – NO VOICE – NO FISH! What a strange Spring Rockfish Trophy season! Cool temperatures and winds plus the slot limit has made for a very unusual season so far. When the season opened we were catching large fish with sea lise on them which meant there were fish still coming from the ocean. I believe a lot of fish were up the rivers waiting for warmer water temperatures so they could spawn. About 70% of the fish we caught were in the slot limit and had to be put back hopefully to live another day. On Friday, opening day of the MSSA Spring Tournament, we had three large Rockfish that measured 45 inches to 42 inches with a total weight of 97 pounds, the largest being 36˝ pounds. These fish last year would have been in the money. There are much larger fish being caught this year. The largest fish weighed in the MSSA Tournament was 48.65 pounds, 2nd-45.50, 3rd-45.25, 4th-45.15, 5th-45.00, 6th-44.00, 7th-43.05, 8th -42.50, 9th 41.35-10th-41.20; Those are some very large fish. On Saturday of the Tournament we caught a fair amount of fish but every fish was in the slot limit, 41 to 36 inches had to go back into the water. There are some Hardhead fish being caught and I’ve had reports of a few Trout caught. Be at the meeting and we’ll find out where and what fish are being caught.
ROD AND REEL FISHING COMBO RAFFLE
At our May meeting we will be drawing a winner of our rod and reel fishing combo. The winner gets his choice of a spinning, level wind, or trolling fishing combo. If you haven’t bought or sold any raffle tickets, please do so, for the proceeds support your fishing club, plus you could win a great fishing outfit.
MEETING ATTENDANCE DRAWING
Also at our May meeting we will be giving away $100.00 for attending meetings. When you attend a meeting you get a ticket to sign or you get ten tickets if you sign up a new member. We draw for winners at our May and November meetings and you have to be at the meeting to be a winner. We will have two winners at each meeting of $50.00 to each winner. This is appreciation to those who attend our monthly meetings.
BLACKWATER YOUTH FISHING DERBY
On June 2nd, Blackwater Refuge will hold its annual youth fishing derby. They need volunteers to help with this program. If you can help, contact Maggie Briggs at 410-901-6124.
CCA KIDS’ FISHING TOURNAMENT
On June 9th, the CCA will have a kids’ fishing tournament from 9 to 12 on the Talbot side of the old Choptank River Bridge. Our Chapter helped out last year and they need volunteers for this year. If you can help, contact Jay Hartford at 410-476-5961.
Our Fishing Club needs to get a kids’ tournament together and make use of the Choptank River fishing pier. Anyone interested in putting this together, contact me (Clint) or bring it up at the meeting.
GUEST SPEAKERS
At our May meeting, we will have two speakers both talking about Menhaden. Jim Price will report on the studies that he and Dr. Anthony Overton have just completed on Rockfish and the importance of Menhaden to their diet. Jim and his research group have checked the stomach of over 1000 Rockfish along the coast and in the Chesapeake Bay. Jim will have pictures of healthy and sick Rockfish. This is a very important study to show the importance of Menhaden to Rockfish and their importance to the Bay area.
H. Bruce Franklin is our 2nd speaker. He is the author of a new book just out called “The Most Important Fish In The Sea.” This book covers the complete history of Menhaden from the early explorers to present day. I’m half way through reading his book and find it worth reading with information on Menhaden that I never knew. It’s mind boggling to see how many Menhaden we had to how few we now have. The importance of Menhaden not only to our Bay area but to the ocean will be shown by H. Bruce Franklin.
The purse seine reduction industry as Omego Protein has devastated the Menhaden to near collapse. Menhaden is too important as food to other fish and their filtration process is too important to cleaner water to let this fishery collapse.
This is a meeting you don’t want to miss.
See you at the meeting or on the water.
Clint |
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