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2005     2004     2003     2002     2001

December 28, 2005 - WMA Permit Fee Waived Again (with clarification)
Per our recent contact with Chris Smith of the NJDFW, the $17.00 fee for permits for tournaments at NJ Wildlife Management Area lakes has been waived again for the 2006 season.  You must still obtain a permit for each tournament you plan to hold at a WMA lake, but there is no fee associated with it.

December 21, 2005 - New Club Joins SJBCA

Riverside Bass Club joined the Association at our November meeting.  Check out the Member Club Profiles section of our website for more details on this new club.  Any other clubs interested in joining the Association can contact Fred Lentz.

November 6, 2005 - SJBCA Volunteers Work at Lake Audrey
A "work party" hosted by the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife was held at Lake Audrey on Sunday, November 6. Lake Audrey is a 125 acre lake located between Millville and Mauricetown that was recently acquired by the State.  The lake does not currently support fish life, due to an inadequate pH level and lack of fish-holding structure.  Volunteers representing four SJBCA clubs (4th Ward Bass Anglers,  Five Alive Bassmasters, South Jersey Hawg Hunters and Tidewater Bassers) participated.  The SJBCA volunteers built and placed fish structures in the lake.  They also cleared brush to improve the makeshift ramp area.  In total, they placed 12 to 15 structures in the lake (until they ran out of concrete blocks to weight the structures down with).  The next work party has been scheduled for Sunday, December 4, from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon.  For more information on this ongoing project, contact NJDFW employee Lee Widjeskog at 856-785-0455.  [Photos from this work party will be posted in the near future.]

October 16, 2005 - CCBM Wins Bass Bowl

Cumberland County Bassmasters won this year's SJBCA Bass Bowl with sixteen bass for an incredible  42.34 lbs.  Their total was anchored by a ten-bass limit brought in by Roy Henry and Jerrod Lloyd that weighed 29.26 lbs.  Roy also took lunker with a 4.92 lb bass.  Tidewater Bassers took second place with six bass totaling 16.40 lbs.  Fifteen clubs participated in this event.  Click here for full results of the tournament.  Photos will be posted in the near future.  If anyone who attended the event has pictures that they can send or loan to us for posting on this website, it would be appreciated.

September 21, 2005 - Coast Guard Auxiliary Speaks at SJBCA Meeting

Representatives of the Gloucester County US Coast Guard Auxiliary flotilla spoke at our September member meeting.  Among the topics they covered were their availability for boating safety & navigation classes and free boat safety inspections.  They gave out free brochures and safety whistles.  Anyone interested in more information can contact Steve Roth (email Fred Lentz for details on how to contact Steve).  They emphasized that there are many local USCGA flotillas (chapters) in New Jersey that all offer the same services.

September 18, 2005 - Sportsmen's Jamboree Raffle Winner Announced

The SJBCA had a booth at this year's Sportsmen's Jamboree in Millville.  As usual, we provided information about our organization and gave away free magazines, brochures and pencils.  A fundraiser we held at this event was the raffle of a fully stocked tackle box. The clubs that donated towards the prize were:  Bucketmouth Brigade, Cumberland County Bassmasters, Happy Hooker Bassers, South Jersey Hawg Hunters and South Point Bassers.  The raffle winner was Jason Belfi of the Milmay/Dorothy area.

September 13, 2005 - State Announces Plans for Lake Audrey

Lee Widjeskog of the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife stated that he will be scheduling volunteer "work parties" at Lake Audrey.  Lake Audrey is a 125 acre lake located between Millville and Mauricetown (8747 Ferry Road, Commercial Twp) that was acquired by the State recently.  The lake does not currently support fish life, due to an inadequate pH level, lack of fish-holding structure and lack of vegetation.  The Cumberland County chapter of the NJ Federation of Sportsmen's clubs recently received a monetary grant for improving the lake from the Cumberland County Improvement Authority.  At upcoming work parties, volunteers will be placing fish structures in the lake, adding adding pulverized limestone to the water and cutting down a few shoreline trees.  Lee is looking for volunteers for these work parties.  You must fill out a State volunteer worker application before you can begin working (for insurance purposes).  On work party days, boaters will be permitted to use their outboard motors.  For more details on this project, contact Lee at 856-785-0455.

Also, Lee spoke at our September member meeting and provided updates on the status of several other lakes.  Click here for more details.

August 20, 2005 - SJ Youth Outdoor Day a Big Hit Again

Almost 150 kids and their parents had a great time at the annual South Jersey Youth Outdoor Day on Saturday, August 20 at the Salem County Sportsmen's Club.  The SJBCA is one of seven outdoor organizations that co-host the event.  The families that attended enjoyed fishing in the lake, shooting a variety of firearms (with expert instruction), archery, flycasting & fly-tying, taxidermy & decoy-carving demonstrations, numerous booths and a free hot dog & beverage lunch.  The SJBCA had a lot of takers for its rod & reel loaner program.  We also gave away bobbers, hooks, plastic worms, fishing magazines & brochures, and some really nice door prizes.  Photos from this year's event will be posted on the SJYOD web site soon.  Thanks to the four SJBCA volunteers who helped make this event a successful one - Fred Lentz (SJYOD committee member & treasurer), Rick Lentz, Scott Bowen & Mark "MTF" Farley (with assistance from Al Franchetta & wife MaryAnne).

July 20, 2005 - Parvin SP Meeting Goes Well
Our second annual July barbecue meeting went very well.  Our featured speaker was ranger Mike Cascioli from the host location, Parvin State Park.  He talked about recent & upcoming activities at the park and thanked us for our donation to their recent kids fishing derby.  Our normal meeting business followed.  A free barbecue dinner was cooked by SJBCA food coordinator Mike Graham.

July 12, 2005 - New Ramp Coming to Salem Canal
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported today that a settlement has been reached between the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and E.I. duPont de Nemours & Co (aka Dupont) regarding the company's contamination of groundwater in eight sites around the state.  As part of the settlement, Dupont must "construct a 15-foot-wide boat ramp with an access road and parking to enhance recreational opportunities".  As mentioned previously on this web site, it is expected that the new ramp will be constructed near where Rt. 540 crosses the Salem Creek

June 19, 2005 - SJBCA Buddy Tournament Goes Well
Forty-seven teams participated in our annual Union Lake buddy bass tournament this year.  The tournament was won by John Hoffman and Kirt Hewitt with a seven bass limit for 16.14 lbs.  The "NJ Angler Magazine" morning lunker award was won by Jack Taylor with a 4.46 lb bass.  The overall lunker winner was Kim Stretch with a 5.56 lb bass.  The top five finishing teams and lunker winners received cash prizes.  The top three finishing teams and lunker winners also won plaques.  For complete results of the tournament and some photos, click here.

June 6, 2005 - Scholarship Winner Announced

The SJBCA Scholarship Selection Committee announced that the winner of our new scholarship program is Kathleen Crum of Vineland High School in Vineland, NJ.  Kathleen, an honor student at VHS, received $500 from the SJBCA to help with her college expenses.  In the Fall semester, she will be entering Florida International University (Miami, FL) to pursue a degree in biology with emphasis on environmental studies.

May 18, 2005 - Widjeskog Gives Lake Update

Lee Widjeskog of the Land Management bureau of the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife attended our May meeting and gave an informal update on the status of projects at various lakes in South Jersey.  Click here for details on his presentation.

May 15, 2005 - SJBCA Clubs Score Big in Federation Team Tourney

A couple of SJBCA clubs that are also members of the NJ B.A.S.S. Federation had a lot of success in the Federation's six-man team tournament at the Potomac River on May 8.  Garden State Bassmasters finished in 2nd place with 67.08 lbs and Five Alive Bassmasters finished in 3rd place with 59.78 lbs.  Other SJBCA member clubs participating were: Cumberland County Bassmasters, 13th place, 41.10 lbs; Bucketmouth Brigade, 14th place, 39.14 lbs; Rising Sun Bassmasters, 22nd place, 24.92 lbs; and Bass Squad, 28th place, 20.72 lbs.

April 14, 2005 - Mirror Lake Rules Clarified

As the result of an incident that occurred when one of our member clubs was fishing Mirror Lake recently, we sought clarification about the rules regarding fishing near the public docks.  We were told by a Pemberton Township official that "there are no local ordinances or codes that prohibit people from fishing near our docks".  However, fishermen are advised to be courteous and avoid fishing near the public beach and docks when that area is open to the public (Memorial Day to Labor Day) and people are using those facilities.

April 4, 2005 - SJBCA Contributes to Kids Fishing Derbies

Following approval votes at the March member meeting, the SJBCA made monetary donations towards two local kids fishing derbies.  One is the Annual Kids Fishing Derby, to be held on May 15 at Parvin State Park, is hosted by the park staff.  The other is the annual "Get Hooked on Fishing, Not Drugs" tournament, to be held in June at South Vineland Park, is hosted by Vineland Police Dept in conjunction with the Vineland Recreation Dept.  Everyone who has taken part in the SJBCA's fundraising efforts (Fishermen's Flea Market, Union Lake Buddy Tournament, Tackle Box Raffles, etc.) can be proud that they helped contribute to these worthwhile youth events.

March 16, 2005 - Carnegie Lake Info Announced

At the March SJBCA member meeting, it was announced that information had been obtained about the status of Carnegie Lake on the Princeton University campus.  Apparently changes were made to the parking area at some point that significantly limit the number of vehicles that can be parked there.  Also, the college now requires liability insurance in the amount of $2 million (in addition to obtaining official permission from the college) in order to host a public tournament there.  Apparently neither of these items impact smaller, informal club tournaments at that location.  Click here to see parking area photos on the Swimming River Bassmasters' website.

March 8, 2005 - NJDFW Asks for Feedback on Parvin

State fisheries biologist Chris Smith has requested that bass clubs voluntarily submit to him results of any tournaments they hold at Parvin Lake.  This data will allow him to include statistical data on this "lunker bass program" lake with the other data he has been accumulating for several years.  The same tournament report as used for WMA tournaments can be used for this purpose.  A summary of the statistics that Chris has gathered on the WMA tournaments will be made available to the public soon.

March 5, 2005 - Flea Market Breaks All Previous Records
This year's Fishermen's Flea Market was, by a wide margin, our best ever.  This year's event had 60+ vendor tables and 500+ paying customers (not counting kids under 14).  About a dozen kids participated in our kids casting event.  The raffle of a fully stocked tackle box was won by Al Franchetta Sr.  The SJBCA thanks all of the vendors, customers and volunteers who made this an extremely successfully event.

February 26, 2005 - NJDFW to Waive WMA Permit Fees

At the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife's public forum held at the Salem County Sportsmen's Club, Freshwater Fisheries Bureau Chief Lisa Barno announced that they were taking action to waive the $17.00 WMA tournament permit fee for this year.   While there are a variety of reasons for this decision, the biggest is the lack of a fee for other groups that make similar use of WMA facilities (no use of a building, no use of utilities, no extra clean up required afterward, etc).  Assuming all goes as expected, a process will be put into place to refund permit fee money to those organizations that have already submitted their applications.  Please note that, although the fee is being waived for this year, the fee requirement is still in the regulations.  Also, it will still be necessary for organizations to apply for WMA tournament permits and to promptly file a report of tournament results afterward.  The SJBCA had been pushing strongly for the elimination of this permit fee, but also has supported continuing the permit issuance process and the results reporting.  The permit process helps with the coordination of various groups' use of the WMA facilities and the tournament results reporting helps with fisheries management in those lakes.  Click here for the webmaster's notes from this forum.
 
It is important to note that the State representatives who hosted the meeting clearly noticed the excellent representation of the SJBCA at the meeting, including four of our officers and delegates from at least ten of our clubs.
 
February 15, 2004 - New Classified Ads Section

A new free classified ads section has been added to the SJBCA website.  If any members of SJBCA clubs have boats or other fishing-related items they're looking to sell, they can pass the information along to the webmaster.  (The webmaster reserves the right to edit or refuse any ad submitted and the SJBCA accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of the ads, quality of the items advertised or the honesty of the sellers.)

February 3, 2005 - Lake Status Updates
The webmaster of this site visited NJDFW land management employee Lee Widjeskog at his office in Millville.  The visit included a tour of the newly acquired 120 acre Lake Audrey behind his office and updates on a few other lake facilities.  Click here to see more details in the "Ask the NJDFW" section of this website.

January 19, 2005 - Annual Award Winners Announced
Final submissions were accepted for our 2004 fishing excellence & youth activity awards.  The winners are (also listed in the Annual Awards section):

Heaviest Lunker -- Gene Cardaci, Happy Hooker Bassers, RRainbow Lake, 6 lbs 4 oz.
Heaviest 3-Bass Limit (trophy bass lake) -- Bill Cadle, South Point Bassers, Lake Assunpink, 8 lbs 6 oz.
Heaviest 5-Bass Limit -- Jeff Caldarulo, Cumberland County Bassmasters, Rainbow Lake, 12.99 lbs.
Heaviest 6-Bass Limit (trophy bass lake) -- None.
Heaviest 10 Bass Limit -- Butch Backus & Bill Vota, South Point Bassers, Davis Mill Pond, 18 lbs 0 oz.
Major Youth Activity -- None.
Minor Youth Activity -- Tri-State Bass Assassins.

These individuals, along with the Bass Bowl winning team and lunker winner, were presented with plaques at the February meeting.

January 19, 2005 - New SJBCA Officers Elected
At the January member meeting, the following new SJBCA officers were elected:
1st Vice President (2 yrs) -- Charles DeGaetano (previously Director 1),
Secretary (2 yrs) -- Al Franchetta,
Treasurer (1 yr) -- Greg Carter (incumbent),
Tournament Director (1 yr) -- Steve Steinmetz (incumbent),
Director 1 (1 yr) -- Fred Lentz (previously Secretary),
Director 2 (1 yr) -- Mike Graham (incumbent).
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December 14, 2004 - SJBCA Scholarship Program Announced
The new SJBCA Scholarship Program, approved by our membership at the September meeting, is now officially announced.  This $500.00 scholarship is for high school seniors who are entering college in pursuit of a degree that is likely to benefit fishermen, such as fisheries management, environmental science, etc.  Applications will be accepted up until May 1 and the winner will be announced by June 1.  Click here for more details on the program and the application form.

November 29, 2004 - WMA Lake List Updated
Chris Smith of the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife clarified recently that Elmer Lake in Elmer is a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) lake, which may require a tournament permit ($17.00) if you hold a club or open tournament there (with more than four boats or more than nine fishermen). A final decision on the permit requirement for Elmer should be reached shortly.  (The issue is the lack of a  usable public launch and parking facilities at the lake.)  Here's the complete WMA lake list: 
Lake Assunpink                            Menantico Ponds
Clarks Pond                                  Pemberton Lake
Colliers Mill (Turn Mill) Pond         Prospertown Lake
Columbia Lake                              Rainbow Lake
Delaware Lake                              Rising Sun Lake
DOD Lake                                    Round Valley Reservoir
Elmer Lake                                    Shaws Mill Pond
Green Turtle Pond                         Stone Tavern Lake
Maple Lake                                   Union Lake
Maskells Mill Pond                       

October 17, 2004 - Bucketmouth Takes Bass Bowl

Frequent winners Bucketmouth Brigade won the Bass Bowl again this year with an impressive seventeen bass for 29 lbs 7.5 oz, on a day that was tough fishing for most of the other clubs.  Click here for detailed results of the tournament.  If anyone who attended the event has pictures that they can send or loan to us for posting on this website, it would be appreciated.

October 12, 2004 - Spinning Rods Needed for Loaner Program
The SJBCA has a collection of rod & reel combos which we loan out at kids fishing events.  The collection is made up of equipment the SJBCA purchased and equipment donated by some of our members (especially Jim Harper & Charles DeGaetano).  We have some donated spinning reels without rods, so we are looking for a few two-piece rods for our collection.  If you can help, contact Fred Lentz.

September 19, 2004 - Sportsmen's Jamboree Goes Well
The SJBCA had a booth at the South Jersey Sportsmen's Jamboree in Millville.  We raffled off a fully stocked tackle box, including a Dick's Sporting Goods gift card.  The winner of the raffle was Barry Moore of the Millville area (ticket #214719).  Thanks to everyone who bought tickets to support our activities. 

The clubs that donated toward the tacklebox were:
Atlantic County Bass Anglers                  Bass Squad 
Bucketmouth Brigade Bassin Team         Cedarwater Bassmasters 
Cumberland County Bassmasters            Five Alive Bassmasters 
4th Ward Bass Anglers                             Happy Hooker Bassers 
Hook One in South Jersey                        Midwest Sportsman 
Pine Cone Anglers                                     Rising Sun Bassmasters 
South Jersey Hawg Hunters                     South Point Bassers 
Top Rod Bassmasters

August 28, 2004 - WMA Tournament Report Reminder
All clubs are reminded that, following any tournament you fish at a designated NJ Wildlife Management Area lake, you must submit a tournament summary report to the State (Chris Smith) within two weeks.  Chris recently sent us a list of the delinquent reports and it included over 20 reports not submitted by at least seven of our clubs.  If your club has not yet submitted one or more of its reports, please get them in as soon as possible.

August 21, 2004 - Another Great Youth Outdoor Day!
The 5th annual South Jersey Youth Outdoor Day saw over 150 kids and 100 parents attend, despite overcast skies and a couple of showers.  This kids fishing, target-shooting and archery event is held in Salem County every year.  The South Jersey Bass Club Association is one of seven co-hosts of this event.

The SJBCA had a booth at which we gave away bobbers, hooks, plastic worms, various fishing magazines, SJBCA pencils, knot-tying cards, SJBCA brochures and bubble gum (why not?).  We also ran a rod/reel loaner program  which many kids took advantage of.  In addition, we had a few bass boats on display for the kids to climb on and ask questions about.  Some of our volunteers took turns walking around the fishing pond, seeing if any of the kids or their parents needed help (the pond fishing is non-competitive).  The SJBCA also donated items to be given away as door prizes.  They included five rod/reel combos, five tackle boxes and several other nice fishing-related items.  A couple of the winners of our donated door prizes came over to our booth to thank us in person.  (Hopefully, we're developing some future bass club members.)

The primary people who manned the SJBCA booth and helped out with our activities were:  Rick Lentz, Al Franchetta, Maryanne Franchetta and Fred Lentz.  Several other members of South Jersey Hawg Hunters, Cumberland County Bassmasters and Atlantic County Bass Anglers were in attendance as well.  For more information on the South Jersey Youth Outdoor Day check out the event website at www.geocities.com/outdoorday.  Photos from this year's event have been posted.

August 9, 2004 - Iaconelli Touts Benefits of Bass Clubs
In an article he wrote for the "Hook, Line and Sinker" column in the Courier Post, pro bass angler Michael Iaconelli detailed many of the benefits of being a bass club member.  He recommended the SJBCA as a source for finding a club.  Click here to see the whole article.

July 21, 2004 - Meeting at Parvin Goes Well
The first SJBCA member meeting ever to be held at an alternate location was a success.  Our July meeting was held at the Parvin State Park beach/picnic area.  A free barbecue (coordinated by Mike Graham) was provided to the twenty-one attendees.  See photos from the event in our Photo Gallery section.

June 20, 2004 - Big Turnout at SJBCA Buddy Tournament
Fifty-four teams entered our annual buddy tournament at Union Lake.  Fishing conditions were extremely tough and only one team managed to bring in a seven bass limit.  Click here for detailed results.

Club Members May Participate in DRFA Events
We were recently informed that, as part of the reciprocal membership we have with the Delaware River Fishermen's Association, we can have two SJBCA club members fish at each of the DRFA events.  The DRFA holds events at which anglers attempt to catch the largest of a particular species of fish.  Upcoming events are:  May 22 (smallmouth event, launching from Yardley, Pa), June 19 (catfish event, launching from West Deptford, NJ), and July 17 (largemouth event, launching from Frankford Arsenal, Pa).  The first two anglers who make arrangements to participate may fish the event without charge.  For more information or to arrange to participate, contact Pete Antoniewicz at 609-466-7719.  Information on their tournaments is available at www.drfishermen.com.

March 29, 2004 - Teen Angler Organization Comes to SJ
The non-profit national Teen Angler organization is starting several fishing clubs in New Jersey middle schools and high schools and hoping the program will take hold and expand in the near future.  Teen Angler clubs are organized by volunteer adults who provide a structured, long term program in fishing education, aquatic stewardship and what kids love most, fishing.  Click here for the full story passed along by the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife.

March 20, 2004 - Fishermen's Flea Market a Big Success
This year's "Fishermen's Flea Market" was a definite success.  We had approximately 35 vendors (almost 60 tables) and 350 paying customers, not counting kids under 14.  About 25 kids participated in our kids' casting event and all won prizes.  The winner of our "fully stocked tackle box" raffle was Phillip Han.  The new location at the Vineland Moose Lodge worked out real well.  Click here for a list of the vendors who participated and a list of the kids who participated in our Kid's Casting Event.  If anyone receives feedback on things we did especially well or could have done better, please pass that feedback along.  We want to continue our tradition of making this annual event "Bigger & Better Every Year".

February 18, 2004 - Youth Activity Grant Program Implemented
A new program has been put into place where clubs that host fishing-related events for kids can apply for a small cash donation from the SJBCA to help fund their events.  A grant of up to $100 will be made for "major" youth activities and up to $50 for "minor" youth activities (according to the definitions used for our youth activity awards).  Clubs wishing to receive such a grant should make their request at an SJBCA member meeting.

January 25, 2004 - SJBCA Officers Appear on Radio Show
On Sunday morning, January 25, SJBCA secretary Fred Lentz and director Charles DeGaetano appeared on the "Fishing with Millville Mike" show on Vineland radio station WVLT (92.1 FM).  They were on the show to talk about the Association and its upcoming Fishermen's Flea Market.  Click here for photos.  The show, with host Mike Wydra, airs every Sunday morning from 11:00 am to noon.

January 21, 2004 - Annual Award Winners Announced
Final submissions were accepted for our 2003 fishing excellence & youth activity awards.  The winners are (also listed in the Annual Awards section):
Heaviest Lunker -- Pete Antoniewicz, Delaware River Fishermen's Assoc, Susquehanna Flats (Bass Bowl), 6.60 lbs.
Heaviest 3-Bass Limit (trophy bass lake) -- Joe Cubernot, South Point Bassers, Parvin Lake, 9.38 lbs.
Heaviest 5-Bass Limit -- Mike Poli, Rising Sun Bassmasters, Deal Lake, 19 lbs 1 oz.
Heaviest 6-Bass Limit (trophy bass lake) -- Bill Vota & Butch Backus, South Point Bassers, Parvin Lake, 18.09 lbs.
Heaviest 10 Bass Limit -- Steve Steinmetz & Rick Phelan, Rising Sun Bassmasters, Susquehanna Flats (Bass Bowl), 25 lbs 2 oz.
Major Youth Activity -- Rising Sun Bassmasters, Kids Fishing Derby at Mill Dam Park
Minor Youth Activity -- Tri-State Bass Assassins, Fathers Day Children's Tournament at Village Dock.

These individuals, along with the Bass Bowl winning team and lunker winner, were presented with plaques at the February meeting.

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December 12, 2003 - New Regs for Noxontown Lake?
Per information recently posted on a local bass fishing website, new regulations are being imposed by the owners of Noxontown Lake in Delaware.  In addition to these new, more strict rules, a clarification of the existing rules is also provided.  Click here for the text of that posting.

December 3, 2003 - NJDEP Responds to WMA Permit Fee Issue
We received a response to our request for the elimination or reduction of the WMA fishing tournament permit fee from NJDEP commissioner Bradley Campbell.  The response, forwarded to us by local assemblyman Jeff Van Drew (who supports our viewpoint), lists several reasons for keeping the fee in place.  Most of those reasons are, at best, disputable and, at worst, blatantly untrue.  For more details on this issue and the text of Campbell's response, see the Issues section of this website.

November 19, 2003 - Reminders to SJBCA Member Clubs
Member clubs are reminded that it is very important that they send a representative to every SJBCA meeting.  Several times this year we didn't have a quorum present (at least ten clubs) at our meetings and could not conduct our normal business.  Our organization's by-laws state that, in order for a club to be a member in good standing (and participate in the annual Bass Bowl), it must attend a minimum of four meetings during the year.
In addition, clubs are reminded to contact our Secretary, Fred Lentz, whenever they plan to make a change to their tournament schedule.  They should not assume that a date/location is available just because it appears that way on the latest version of the Conflict List that they have.  We had several avoidable conflicts during the 2003 season due to clubs making incorrect assumptions.

October 21, 2003 - Van Drew Supports WMA Fee Elimination
In early October the SJBCA contacted South Jersey assemblyman Jeff Van Drew about our opposition to the permit fee for utilizing Wildlife Management Area lakes for bass tournaments.  In late October we received his support on the issue and notification that he had requested input on the matter from NJDEP Commissioner Bradley Campbell.  For more information on this issue, see the Issues section of this website.

October 19, 2003 - Rising Sun Takes Bass Bowl
The Rising Sun Bassmasters club overcame a day of strong winds and picked up an impressive Bass Bowl win at the Susquehanna Flats.  Team members Rick Phelan, Steve Steinmetz, Mike Poli, Jason Tuttas, Jim Rossell and Ron Smith weighted in twenty-one bass for a record 48.95 lbs.  They beat the second place Bucketmouth Brigade team by more than fourteen pounds.  The winning 6.60 lb lunker (another record) was brought in by Pete Antoniewicz of the Delaware River Fishermen's Association.  The members of the winning team and the lunker winner will receive plaques at our February awards meeting.  Click here for detailed results & photos.  The final standings were:
Club                    Bass     Total Weight
1.  Rising Sun Bassmasters          21                    48.95
2.  Bucketmouth Brigade             16                    34.15
3.  Hook One in SJ                      20                   32.90
4.  Tidewater Bassers                  14                    29.55
5.  Top Rod Bassmasters             15                   28.55
6.  Del River Fishermen's Assoc.   12                   26.80
7.  Atlantic County Bass Anglers  10                   19.65
8.  SJ Hawg Hunters                    11                   16.50
9.  4th Ward Bass Anglers           10                   15.05
10. Bass Squad                             6                   10.70
11. Barrington R&R                      5                     9.70
12. Pine Cone Anglers                  4                     7.40
13. Tri-State Bass Assassins         3                     4.85
14. Garden State Bassmasters       0                     0.00

September 17, 2003 - SJBCA Votes to Oppose State Actions
At its September meeting, the SJBCA voted to oppose two actions being pursued by the State government.  One action is the State congress proposing the revamp the Fish & Game Council.  The other is the NJ Department of Environmental Protection proposing the breach the dam at Atco Lake in Waterford Twp.  Details on these actions and the SJBCA's positions can be found in the Issues section of this website.  For the latest information from the Friends of Atco Lake, check out their website at www.atcolake.com.

August 16, 2003 - Youth Outdoor Day Better Than Ever
This year's South Jersey Youth Outdoor Day, co-hosted by the SJBCA, was bigger and better than ever.  One hundred thirteen kids attended, along with 72 parents and about 30 volunteer workers.  The kids enjoyed pond fishing, a variety of target-shooting events, door prizes and a free lunch.  At the SJBCA booth we gave away free fishing tackle and fishing magazines.  We also hosted a bassboat display and monitored the pond fishing.  For the first time, we conducted a rod & reel loaner program.  This was very successful, as most of our fifteen loaner combos were in use throughout the day.  Thanks to the five members of the South Jersey Hawg Hunters bass club, who volunteered to help out with this event.  Also, thanks to The New Jersey Angler magazine and Bass Club Digest magazine for their donations.

June 22, 2003 - June Buddy Tournament A Big Success
Our annual buddy tournament held at Union Lake was a big success this year.  Despite weather reports predicting rain, not a drop fell during the tournament.  Forty-nine teams were entered.  The tournament was won by the team of John Taylor and Joe Taylor with a seven bass limit for 14.95 lbs.  The special $100.00 New Jersey Angler Magazine Morning Lunker Award went to the team of Bill Jakymczuk and Mike Simms for their 4.02 lb bass weighed in before the 10:00 am cut-off time.  The overall lunker award was won by Greg Stetch and Nelson Hares for their 4.82 lb bass.  Click here for complete results and photos (posted on 7/15/03).  The event also featured free copies of The New Jersey Angler magazine provided by the publisher.  Bobby's Hot Dogs provided refreshments after the event.

May 23, 2003 - NJ Angler to Sponsor Lunker Award
In a continuing show of support for South Jersey bass fishermen, Bill Donovan, owner/publisher of The New Jersey Angler magazine, announced that his publication will sponsor the special morning lunker prize at the SJBCA's June 22 buddy tournament at Union Lake.  The participant who weighs in the heaviest bass before 10:00 a.m. will win a $100.00 prize, courtesy of the magazine, as well as a nice plaque.

May 21, 2003 - Lee Widjeskog Provides Lake Updates
Lee Widjeskog of the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife attended our May meeting and provided an update on improvements made (and planned) at various South Jersey lakes.  Click here for the details.

April 24, 2003 - Good News on Malaga Lake Access
A discussion with the Franklin Township Tax Assessors office revealed that the boaters and fishermen can, in fact, access this lake from the western shoreline.  More details on this issue and an aerial photograph/diagram can be found in the Issues section of this website.

March 13, 2003 - Sunset Lake Information Received
The Bridgeton Recreation Department was contacted to see if arrangements could be made to coordinate the SJBCA's "Conflict List" with their list of reservations for the facilities at Piney Point picnic area (the location of the Sunset Lake boat ramp).  In discussing this possibility with a representative of the department, we were told that it would not be feasible for them to coordinate their schedule with ours on an ongoing basis.  However, they suggested that clubs call their department during the week before their tournament and find out if anyone has the picnic area facilities reserved on the club's planned tournament date.  The recreation dept can be reached by dialing 856-455-3230 and following the menu options.  Clubs that plan to use the picnic area facilities (e.g., for a public buddy tournament) must get a permit from the recreation department.  Permits for reserving the entire picnic area, including the boat ramp, must be obtained at least two weeks in advance and cost $75.00 (as of 2003).

March 1, 2003 - Fishermen's Flea Market a Big Success
This year's fishermen's flea market was attended by approximately one hundred more paying adults than last year.  Most of the vendors reported excellent sales.  Jim Koch of Lilliston Marine and Lilliston Marine itself were presented with plaques in recognition of their strong support for our event over the years.  Our raffle of a fully stocked tackle box and trolling motor was also a success.  The raffle winners were:  Tackle box -- Walt Harris; Trolling Motor -- Newell "Porky" Forvour.  The clubs and individuals who donated toward the raffle were:  Cedarwater Bassmasters, Delaware River Fishermen's Assoc, 4th Ward Bass Anglers, Happy Hooker Bassers, Midwest Sportsman NJ Div 2, Pine Cone Anglers, Rising Sun Bassmasters, South Jersey Hawg Hunters, South Point Bassers, Tidewater Bassers, Top Rod Bassmasters, Tri-State Bass Assassins and Jim Harper.  Check out the Photo Gallery for photos from the event.

January 15, 2003 - Award Winners for 2002 Announced
Final submissions were accepted for our 2002 fishing excellence awards.  The winners are (also listed in the Annual Awards section):
Heaviest Lunker -- Al Davis, Tri-State Bass Assassins, Salem Canal, 6 lbs 8 oz.
Heaviest 3-Bass Limit (trophy bass lake) -- Rick Phelan, Rising Sun Bassmasters, Parvin Lake, 5 lbs 13 oz.
Heaviest 5-Bass Limit -- Bob Russell, Tidewater Bassers, Rainbow Lake, 17.05 lbs.
Heaviest 6-Bass Limit (trophy bass lake) -- Newell "Porky" Forvour & Dan Bradbury, Pine Cone Anglers, Lake Assunpink, 14 lbs 11 oz.
Heaviest 10 Bass Limit -- Ron Smith & Mike Poli, Rising Sun Bassmasters, Merrill Creek, Reservoir, 24 lbs 15.5 oz.

These individuals, along with the Bass Bowl winning team and lunker winner, were presented with plaques at the February meeting.  Check out the Photo Gallery for pictures from the presentations.

January 15, 2003 - 2002 Youth Activity Award Winner
Our Minor Youth Activity Award for 2002 was won by Tri-State Bass Assassins for their Fathers' Day Children's Tournament.  For this event, each club member uses his boat to take a child out fishing for four hours on a particular lake.  The children can use any type of bait/lure and catch any species of fish (up to five).  The winning child receives a plaque and all of the participants receive gifts. The tournament is followed by a barbecue for all of the children and their families.  For hosting this award winning event, Tri-State will receive an award plaque and $25.00 cash prize at the February meeting.

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December 18, 2002 - Leo Watson Honored by SJBCA
Local pro bass angler Leo Watson was presented with a plaque at the Association's December meeting for his dedicated service to our organization.  Leo has attended our Fishermen's Flea Market, helped out with our booth at the Sportsmen's Jamboree, and spent the entire day working with kids at our South Jersey Youth Outdoor Day.  In addition, he has served as a featured speaker at several of our monthly meetings.  (See photo in Photo Gallery.)

December 18, 2002 - NJ Angler Staff Renews Commitment
Bill Donovan (owner/publisher) and Curt Bobzin (freshwater editor) of "The New Jersey Angler" magazine attended our December meeting and emphasized their magazine's commitment to bass fishing and bass clubs.  They stated that they are very willing to provide coverage of local bass club news and tournament results (with photographs).  Clubs can e-mail any material they'd like published directly to Curt at Curtfish@aol.com.  (Photograph files should be high resolution -- at least 300 DPI.   JPG and BMP format are both acceptable.)  The magazine's general e-mail address is Anglermag@comcast.net.  (See photo in Photo Gallery.)

October 20, 2002 - Bucketmouth Wins Bass Bowl Again
Frequent Bass Bowl winners, Bucketmouth Brigade Bassin Team, won again this year.  Anchored by a 7 bass, 17 lb 0.5 oz, bag brought in by Roy Henry and Eric Woodward, they took first place with a total of 28 lbs 11.5 lbs. That weight was almost double the total of the second place Tri-State Bass Assassins team.  The lunker winner was a 4 lb 15 oz bass weighed in by Dave Albertson of the 4th Ward Bass Anglers. Click here for the full detailed results.

September 18, 2002 - Widjeskog Gives Update on SJ Lakes
Lee Widjeskog, who leads the facilities improvements at State-maintained lakes in South Jersey, spoke at the September meeting.  He gave updates on what's going on at many lakes.  Click here for details on what he said.

August 4, 2002 - Candlewood Lake (CT) Homeowners Want Bass Tournament Anglers More Tightly Controlled
A group of lakefront property owners, called the Candlewood Lake Authority, has lodged complaints against bass tournament fishermen and wants the number of tournaments there to be limited.  Their biggest complaints relate to boaters exceeding the lake's 45 mph speed limit and the noise emitted by large bass boat motors.  Click here for the article from Danbury's "The News-Times".

March 29, 2002 - NJDFW Responds to SJBCA Request for WMA Fee Elimination (Sort of)
The association received a response to its 12/10/01 letter to the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife requesting the elimination of the $17.00 fee for obtaining a tournament permit for Wildlife Management Areas (see November 21 article below).  Unfortunately, their response did not address the issue of the fee.  Instead, it pointed out the benefits of the permits and the reporting of WMA tournament results -- both of which the association supports.  The association will now pursue this issue through political avenues.

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November 21, 2001 - SJBCA Votes to Oppose WMA Permit Fees
The member clubs of the SJBCA voted unanimously to submit a request to the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife to eliminate the $17.00 fee for obtaining a permit to hold an open or club tournament at a WMA area.  The association feels that the fee is unwarranted in light of all of the other licenses and registrations that tournament fishermen must purchase each year.  As it is, tournament organizers are required to file reports on the results of their WMA tournaments, which benefits the State in its fisheries management efforts.  This issue is especially important as the State continues to add lakes to its list of WMA's.  Some association members also noted that hunters can make use of some WMA areas and permits are not required for their activities.  (But we do not want this issue "resolved" by requiring hunters to purchase WMA permits.)
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