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April 15, 2014 - Scholarship Applications Due By May 1
High school seniors who are interested in applying for the SJBCA's $500 college scholarship are reminded that the deadline for submission of applications & supporting materials is May 1. This scholarship is available to students in southern/central NJ, southeastern PA and northern DE who are entering a college degree program that may one day benefit fishermen (eg, fisheries management, marine biology, environmental science, etc). More details on this program are available on our Scholarship Information page.
March 24, 2014- How to Earn SJBCA Apparel
The Association has a couple of different ways you can earn free SJBCA apparel. The first way is by earning "participation points". If you volunteer to work at an event or as a member of a committee, you earn a point. If you serve as an Association officer you earn multiple points. After accumulating ten points, you'll receive a personalized light SJBCA fishing jacket. After another fifty points you receive a heavier-duty SJBCA fishing jacket. Other awards follow each additional fifty points accumulated. A second way you can earn apparel is by volunteering at our major events. (These same events also earn you participation points.) Working at two events will get you a nice SJBCA hat and volunteering at four events gets you an embroidered SJBCA staff shirt. Click here for photos of these items. If you have any questions about these program or want a current report on how many points you've accumulated, please contact Fred Lentz.
March 3, 2014- Another Club Joins SJBCA
At our March member meeting, Swimming River Junior Bassmasters joined the Association. They are a junior chapter affiliated with Swimming River Bassmasters and have members ages 11 to 18. As part of an arrangement approved by our members, this junior chapter had their SJBCA dues waived for the year. We'll also be supporting them with fishing equipment & tackle donations.
| March
3, 2014- Another
Successsful Flea
Market Despite some bitter cold temperatures to start off the day, about 400 customers passed through the doors at our annual Fishermen's Flea Market in Millville on March 1. We also had a record number of vendor tables. The winner of our fully stocked freshwater tackle box raffle was Ray Panaro and the saltwater tackle box was won by Natasha. The SJBCA sincerely thanks all of the fishermen, vendors and volunteers who helped make this year's event another success. Click here for some photos from the event. |
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February 27, 2014- Flea Market Preparations Finalized
Fishermen's Flea Market committee members Carmen Bersani and Joe Hoban have reported that preparations for this year's event on March 1 are being finalized. All available vendor tables have been rented. The event will be held at its usual location -- the Millville Elks Lodge. For more details click here.
February 20, 2014 - Flats Wins Bass Bowl Vote
Club delegates at the February member meeting voted for the Susquehanna Flats (launching from Anchor Marina on the North East River) as the site of this year's Bass Bowl on October 19.
February 20, 2014 - 33rd Club Joins SJBCA
At our February member meeting, Backwoods Bassers joined the Association. This new club was founded by Coty Camp, son of past SJBCA president Brian Camp. Welcome guys!
| February
20, 2014 - Follow-up on Scholarship Winner Ryan Risher, the 2008 recipient of our annual college scholarship, provided an update on his current whereabouts since graduating from Washington College. He reports "I'm currently in grad school in Arkansas and will be doing research on the Red River attempting to correlate near-shore fish densities to endangered birds' nesting success". A full-size photo of Ryan "on the job" in an earlier wildlife assignment in South Dakota is posted in our Scholarship Winners section. |
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February 5, 2014 - Reminder: Permits Required for Tourneys in Maryland
This is a reminder that the Maryland Department of Natural Resources requires that tournament hosts apply for a permit for all bass tournaments held in that state. Technically the permit is only required for tourneys that have at least ten boats, but DNR would prefer that all hosts get the permit so that they can capture more complete tournament results. The permits are free and can be obtained using an online registration form available at... http://dnrweb.dnr.state.md.us/fish/tournament/register2.asp .
February 4, 2014 - Formation of Youth Chapters Encouraged
As part of its objective to encourage youth involvement in fishing, the SJBCA encourages bass clubs to form youth chapters so that pre-teens & teens can get a taste of the bass tournament experience. The SJBCA member clubs approved a waiver of annual dues for any youth chapter that joins the Association this year. In addition, we have some donated equipment and tackle that can be passed along to any such chapters if needed. Interested clubs should contact Fred Lentz for more details.
February 4, 2014 - Annual Awards to be Presented on Feb 19
Recipients of our annual fishing excellence and youth activity awards will be presented with plaques at our February 19 meeting. The winners of the 2013 Bass Bowl and BB lunker winner will also be given their awards. In addition, five SJBCA jackets will be presented. The award winners' names have been posted in the Awards Photos section of this website.
January 17, 2014- Bass Bowl Locations Nominated
At our January member meeting, club delegates nominated several possible locations for this year's Bass Bowl tournament. Those locations are: Candlewood Lake, CT; Carnegie Lake, NJ; Nanticoke River, MD/DE; Susquehanna Flats/North East River, MD; and Union Lake, NJ. A vote on the location will take place at the February member meeting. This year's Bass Bowl is being held on Sunday, October 19.
January 17, 2014- Officers Re-elected
At the January member meeting, all SJBCA officer positions that were up for election were retained by the incumbents. Re-elected were: Fred Lentz, President; Rob Kunze, 2nd Vice President; Steve Steinmetz, Tournament Director; Gary Corliss, Treasurer; Carmen Bersani, Director; and Mike Graham, Director.
| December
18, 2013 - Food Spread at
December Meeting Our December member meeting featured our annual free food spread. The spread included cold cuts for sandwiches, salads, chips, pasta, ribs and beverages. Thanks to those who contributed. |
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December 18, 2013 - Two New Clubs Admitted to SJBCA
At the December member meeting, two new clubs joined the Association. We welcome South Jersey Pond Hoppers and New Breed Sportsman Club.
December 14, 2013 - Submissions for Annual Awards Needed
At the December and January member meetings, the SJBCA secretary will be accepting nominations for our fishing excellence and youth activity awards for 2013. Nomination forms are available from the secretary. Details on past winners are listed in the Annual Awards section of this website. Plaques will be presented to the winners at the February member meeting. As always, you can't win if your club doesn't submit its nomination form.
November 20, 2013 - Tournament Picks at November Meeting
Our annual tournament date/location pick process took place at the November member meeting. At this meeting, clubs in good standing (4 or more meetings attended in 2013) chose dates & locations for 2014 open buddy tournaments and club tournaments at NJ WMA lakes. This was also the first date that member clubs could submit tournament schedules for 2014. This information was incorporated into the initial version of the combined tournament schedule (aka "Conflict List") and conflicts are currently being worked out by the clubs.
October 13, 2013 - Tidewater Takes Bass Bowl
On a day when the bite was pretty tough for most anglers, all three boats for Tidewater Bassers brought in decent bags of fish and allowed them to win this year's Bass Bowl at the Potomac River by a wide margin. Click here for detailed results and photos. These were the final club standings:
1. Tidewater Bassers -- 17 bass / 28.64 lbs
2. Delaware River Fisherman's Assoc. -- 10 bass / 15.99 lbs
3. Kickin Bass Fishing Club -- 5 bass / 11.77 lbs
4. S.J. Hawg Hunters -- 3 bass / 6.37 lbs
5. Pine Cone Anglers -- 3 bass / 6.00 lbs
6. S.J. Reel Burners -- 2 bass / 5.58 lbs
Thanks to everyone who participated and especially to those who helped out with the event.
October 4, 2013 - Volunteers Needed for Youth Fishing Event
Volunteers are needed for an upcoming youth fishing event. The HarvestFest/Trailblazer scout event is being held on Saturday, October 19, at Pine Hill Scout Reservation. Anyone interested in helping out with the pond fishing activity at this event should contact Chick Bay of Delaware River Fishermen's Assoc (let Fred know if you need his contact info). Click here for details on the event. Click here for directions. [NOTE: This event was going to be moved to the Camden waterfront for 2013 but that is not going to happen.]
October 4, 2013 - Bass Bowl Planning Finalized
This year's Bass Bowl will take place at the Potomac River in Maryland on Sunday, October 13 (7 am to 3 pm). We'll be launching out of the free Marshall Hall boat ramp. (The Smallwood State Park ramp will be closed for a triathalon on the weekend of the Bass Bowl.) The address of Marshall Hall ramp is 1005 Marshall Hall Road, Bryans Road, MD 20616. Bass Bowl details, directions, rules, etc will be discussed at the pre-tournament meeting on October 9. Clubs that have qualified to participate in the Bass Bowl should send a representative to the pre-tournament meeting. They need to have the names of their six-person team*, paired by boat, and their entry fee money (cash). *All six members of a club's team must be listed on the latest roster submitted to the SJBCA secretary by the July meeting.
August 23, 2013 - Mirror Lake Boat Ramp Fee Imposed
We learned that Pemberton Township has imposed an annual boat launch ramp fee for township-owned lakes, including Mirror Lake. The fee is $25.00 per calendar year for NJ residents ($20.00 for seniors) and $50.00 per year for out-of-state boaters ($40.00 for seniors). The ramp is free for township residents. Click here for details and the ramp sticker application on their township website.
August 23, 2013 - Best Youth Outdoor Day Ever
This year's South Jersey Youth Outdoor Day on August 17 saw 194 kids & their parents enjoy great weather and a wide variety of outdoor sports. The SJBCA hosted several fishing-related activities including pond fishing, target casting and bass fishing trips on the Salem Canal. We also gave away t-shirts, fishing tackle and magazines. We had a record 18 fishing volunteers come out to help and three bass boats doing the trips on the Canal. Thanks to everyone who helped out. Photos from the event will be posted on the event website at www.sjyouthoutdoorday.org .
| July
17, 2013 - Barbecue Meeting
& Scholarship Presentation Our annual barbecue meeting was held at the Thundergust Picnic Area at Parvin State Park on July 17. Free hot dogs, burgers, ribs (thanks BN06) and cold beverages were served. One of our two college scholarship recipients, Samantha Zelinksi, was in attendance with her father Dave. Click here to see photos from the meeting. |
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| June
16, 2013 - Cannon &
Ludwick Take Union Tourney Ted Cannon & Van Ludwick took first place in the SJBCA's annual open buddy tournament at Union Lake on Fathers Day. Their five-bass limit weighed 11.73 lbs. Their 4.16 lb kicker fish also took the overall lunker prize. 45 teams participated. Detailed results & photos are available here. Thanks to everyone who showed up to fish and to those who helped out with the registration & weigh-in. Also, a big thanks to those sponsors who made donations towards the event: Sandpiper Motel, Vineland Roofing, |
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| June
14, 2013 - Union Lake
Clean-up A group of volunteers conducted a clean-up of the Union Lake parking lot, ramp area and entrance road on June 14. This was in advance of the SJBCA's open buddy tournament there the following Sunday. Despite steady rain throughout the project, we managed to complete the task. Thanks to all of the guys who showed up to help out! |
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June 3, 2013 - Scholarship Winners Announced
The SJBCA's scholarship committee is pleased to announce that we are awarding TWO scholarships this year. The winners are: Brandon Hudik of Bordentown High School and Samantha Zelinski of Ocean City High School. They each will be receiving $500 and an invitation to our July 17 meeting at Parvin State Park (Thundergust Picnic Area).
May 17, 2013 - Union Lake - Fathers Day Buddy Tournament Finalized
Plans have been finalized for our annual open buddy tournament at Union Lake on Sunday, June 16 (Fathers Day), from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm. This has always been a well attended tournament. The entry fee is $60.00 per team. This tournament will again feature the special Sandpiper Motel morning largemouth lunker prize (entries submitted prior to 10 am) and the Vineland Roofing smallmouth lunker prize. There will also be a raffle held with prizes from Bait N' Hook tackle shop, Precision Tackle, Doc Irv Custom Baits and others. One change for this year's tournament is a reduction in the fish limit from 7 bass to 5 bass, allowing solo competitors to legally bring in a tournament limit. Click here for a printable copy of the front & back of the entry form. Volunteers are needed to help out with this tournament in the morning and/or afternoon. For more details on this tournament contact SJBCA tournament director Steve Steinmetz at 609-868-4216.
April 4, 2013 - Mid-Atlantic Youth Anglers Announces HS Championships
The Mid-Atlantic Youth Anglers & Outdoors Program announced that the FLW/TBF/Student Angler Federation high school bass fishing championship tournament for the states of NJ, PA, DE & MD will be held on Saturday, July 27. The location of the tournament is the Upper Chesapeake, launching from Elk Neck State Park. Any interested high school student can participate. Click here for more details on a flyer. Also check out www.highschoolfishing.com.
March 20, 2013 - Paperwork Needed to Fish Wilson
We received clarification that a "use agreement" needs to be signed and submitted prior to tournaments held at Wilson Lake in Scotland Run Park (Clayton area). The contact for scheduling your tournament and obtaining the paperwork is Terry Dalton, Recreation Supervisor, at 856-881-0845.
| March
15, 2013 - Fish Habitat
Project Completed at Audrey The South Jersey Kayak Bass Fishing Club held a club project on March 9 to place fish habitat structures in Lake Audrey. Approximately 100 Christmas trees were used. For photos from this project and general information about this lake check out our Lake Audrey page. |
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| March
2, 2013 - Fishermen's Flea Market a Success Our annual fishermen's flea market saw a record number of vendor tables and a pretty good crowd of over 350 paying adults (kids 14 & under get in free). The winners of our tackle box raffles were: freshwater = Mitch Smith; saltwater = Lenny Wagner. Thanks to all of the vendors, customers and volunteers who showed up to make this a great event. To continue supporting our flea market vendors in the future, check out the links to their websites on our Flea Market page. Photos from this year's flea market are posted on our Flea Market Photos page. |
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| February
20, 2013 - Annual Awards Presented Recipients of our annual fishing excellence and youth activity awards were presented with plaques at our February meeting. The winners of the 2012 Bass Bowl and BB lunker winner were also given their awards. Photos from the presentation ceremony have been posted in the Awards Photos section of this website. |
February 20, 2013 - Potomac Selected as Site of 2013 Bass Bowl
In a close vote, the Potomac River was selected by members as the location of this year's Bass Bowl on October 13. (Union Lake was a close second in the voting.) The launch site will likely be Smallwood State Park on Mattawoman Creek, unless a larger event forces us to use a different ramp. More details to come.
February 20, 2013 - Vendor Tables for Annual Flea Market Sold Out
Our Fishermen's Flea Market organizing committee announced at the February member meeting that all available vendor tables for this year's event have been rented and that we'll even need to reconfigure the floorplan a bit to fit all of the rented tables in. Sounds like a great event is in store for us.
February 20, 2013 - By-Laws Change Approved
At the February meeting the membership approved a by-laws change that requires regular members to be in "good standing" as of the November member meeting in order to participate in the tournament pick process. Updated copies of the complete by-laws and standing rules will be provided to all clubs in the near future.
February 20, 2013 - Permits Now Required for Tourneys in Maryland
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources now requires that tournament hosts apply for a permit for all bass tournaments held in that state. Technically the permit is only required for tourneys that have at least ten boats, but DNR would prefer that all hosts get the permit so that they can capture more complete tournament results. The permits are free and can be obtained using an online registration form available at... http://dnrweb.dnr.state.md.us/fish/tournament/register2.asp .
| February
20, 2013 - Dave Golden Speaks at Member Meeting Dave Golden, Regional Superintendent for the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife's Bureau of Land Management spoke at our February member meeting. He gave updates on recent and planned projects at a variety of NJ Wildlife Management Area properties. He also answered questions from the audience. Among many topics, he mentioned that the State had acquired Stevens Lake in the Tuckahoe area and that they are scouting out South Jersey sand quarries to see if any may be suitable for acquiring & turning into productive fishing ponds. |
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January 16, 2013 - 2012 Fishing Excellence and Youth Activity Award Winners Announced
Final submissions were accepted at the January member meeting for our 2012 fishing excellence and youth activity awards. In order to win these awards a club has to have submitted a nomination form by the beginning of the January meeting. (Full details on the award rules are listed on the nomination form.) Plaques will be presented to the award winners, and the Bass Bowl winning team & lunker winner, at the February member meeting. The award winners for 2012 are:
Heaviest Lunker -- Mark Edmeads, South Jersey Hawg Hunters, Bargaintown Lake, 6.66 lbs.
Heaviest 3-Bass Limit (Lunker Lake) -- Jay Niessan, South Jersey Hook This, Lake Assunpink, 9.45 lbs.
Heaviest 5-Bass Limit -- Mike Pfancook, Swimming River Bassmasters, Lake Champlain (NY), 21.75 lbs.
Heaviest 6-Bass Limit (Lunker Lake) -- Zeke Zellman & Wade Schoonover, South Jersey Hawg Hunters, Lake Assunpink, 8.85lbs.
Heaviest 10-Bass Limit -- Reno Regalbuto & Joe Tobolski, 4th Ward Bass Anglers, North East River (MD), 28.80 lbs.
Major Youth Activity -- Kickin Bass Fishing Club, "Woodbury Heights, Glen Lake, Kids Fishing Derby".
January 16, 2013 - Bass Bowl Locations Nominated
Candidates for the location of the 2013 Bass Bowl were nominated at the January member meeting. The proposed locations are: Beltzville Lake (PA), Conowingo Lake (MD/PA), Marsh Creek Lake (PA), Nanticoke River (MD/DE), Potomac River (MD) and Union Lake (NJ). A vote on the official location will be conducted at the February member meeting. Each club with voting rights (regular members) will get one vote (by secret ballot).
January 16, 2013 - Standing Rules Changes Made &ammp; By-Laws Change Proposed
At our January member meeting, member clubs approved some changes to our Standing Rules and heard a "first reading" of a proposed By-Laws revision. The Standing Rules have been revised to require that regular member clubs be in good standing (at least four meetings attended during the award year) in order to participate in the annual Fishing Excellence and Youth Activity awards. Also, a new award category was added for 2013 for the Heaviest Five-Bass Limit Caught in a Buddy Tournament (club or open buddy). The complete lists of rules for the annual awards are available on the award nomination forms.
A first reading was conducted for a proposed revision to the Association's by-laws. This revision requires that regular member clubs be in good standing (have attended at least four member meetings in the current year) in order to participate in the tournament pick process at the November meeting. That November meeting will count towards the total number of meetings. A vote on this by-laws revision will be conducted at the February member meeting.
January 16, 2013 - Flea Market Preparation Underwaay
At our January member meeting the committee members reported that planning for our annual Fishermen's Flea Market (March 2) is well underway. Approximately 20 vendor tables have been rented so far. Anyone interested in renting a vendor table, or who needs more info on this event, can check out our Flea Market page. Volunteers will be needed to help out with the event that day.
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