Select the date of the newsletter below or scroll down to the newsletter desired.
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The club’s annual awards banquet will be held at the Winter Haven Nautical Club on Friday, December 5, 2008. We will begin the cocktail hour at 6:30 pm (come earlier if you wish) with the meal being served about 7:30 pm. Hopefully, you have already made your reservations for the banquet. We have a good crowd coming but can probably squeeze in a few more. Call me (863-224-4050) or Jim Rose (863-668-9306) if you have any questions.
Officers for 2009 have been elected. The officers will assume their positions in January but planning for has begun and proposals will be discussed at the next few meetings. Please make plans to attend the meetings as many important decisions are made in December. Your officers are:
President Lamar Middleton
Vice President for Activities Hoss Houmard
Vice President for Fund-Raising Scott Daley
Secretary Val Valachovic
Treasurer Jim Sturdevant
Tournament Director Jim Rose
After considering the tournament survey and after the discussion at the last club meeting, the Tournament Committee has a schedule for next year. Some minor tweaking of the schedule may be necessary for ramps, etc. but the schedule is below. Several tournaments had to be scheduled at atypical times due to holidays, the Federation schedule and the BFL Gator Division schedule. Please note the dates for the draw meetings.
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Date(s) |
Location |
Ramp |
Draw Meeting |
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1/11/2009 |
South Winter Haven Chain |
Lake Shipp |
1/6/2009 |
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1/31/2009 & 2/1/2009 |
Okeechobee |
Clewiston |
1/20/2009 |
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3/8/2009 |
Crooked Lake |
Bob's Landing |
3/3/2009 |
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3/28-29/2009 |
Harris Chain |
Buzzard Beach |
3/17/2009 |
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5/3/2009 |
Kissimmee Chain |
Camp Lester |
4/21/2009 |
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6/7/2009 |
Clermont Chain |
TBD |
6/2/2009 |
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7/12/2009 |
Kissimmee Chain |
Camp Lester |
7/7/2009 |
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8/9/2009 |
Crooked Lake |
Bob's Landing |
8/4/2009 |
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9/13/2009 |
Kissimmee Chain |
Camp Lester |
9/1/2009 |
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10/10-11/2009 |
Istokpoga |
Trail's End |
10/6/2009 |
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Classic |
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11/7-8/2009 |
Kissimmee Chain |
Camp Lester |
n/a |
Several proposals have been made for changes in tournament rules or procedures for next year. These will be further discussed and votes taken on these proposals in the December meetings and/or the first January meeting. Decisions made at these meetings will affect everyone. Please plan to attend the meetings and make your voice heard. Brief descriptions of the proposals are below.
· A proposal was made to change the weigh-in time for September tournaments to 2:00 pm. An amendment to this proposal was offered that would also make the weigh-in time for the first day of two-day tournaments 4:00 pm.
· A proposal was made to formally write in our procedures how the big bass pot is currently done, i.e. paying 70% for the first big bass and 30% for second big bass with the full pot awarded for first big bass if no one weighs a second fish for big bass. An amendment was proposed that would have the full big bass pot paid for the first big bass.
· A proposal was made to allow members to enter a tournament late twice a year as a boater.
· A proposal was made to write in our procedures the practice of including associate members (members who reside in Florida only part of the year) in the year-end payback.
· Several proposals were discussed to change the procedure by which a member qualifies for the classic tournament. No motions were made. Discussions were held about allowing a member to be considered as fishing a tournament if the entry fee was paid. This led to discussions on requiring the entry fee to be paid before the tournament, limiting the number of times this can be done, limiting this to the first five tournaments of the year and allowing a member in the top twenty in the year-end standings to fish the classic provided they fished half the tournaments and attended half the meetings, etc. Methods of allowing associate members to fish in the classic without meeting the other current requirements were discussed. We will resume discussions at the first December meeting.
One of my goals for next year is to ensure that as many members as possible actively participate in the decision-making process and that all members are fully informed of all club activities. In order to effectively communicate with the club members I must have current contact information. This includes phone numbers, email addresses and mailing addresses. You will have the opportunity to inform the club of changes in your contact information at each meeting. You can also contact me directly with the changes.
Lamar Middleton
144 Chaucer Lane, Winter Haven, FL 33884
home 863-325-8061: cell 863-224-4050: email LMFlorida@aol.com
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Our first tournament for 2009 will be held on the South Winter Haven Chain January 11. The draw meeting for the tournament will be January 6. I hope to see all of you at the meeting and the tournament. Boaters should bring proof of insurance to the draw meeting.
Our second meeting of 2009 will also be a draw meeting. We will draw for the January 31-February 1 tournament on Lake Okeechobee at our meeting on January 20. We’ve also invited Bob Kostrzewa to this meeting to talk with us about the Federation tournament trail.
The shirts that many of us bought last year were done by Bob’s company, Key West Enterprises. Bob will also talk with us about the shirts, caps and t-shirts at the January 20 meeting. He will be prepared to take orders.
As indicated above, we have two draw meetings in January. This is necessary due to the scheduling of tournaments to avoid conflicts with holidays, Federation tournaments and BFL Gator Division tournaments. There are other atypical draw meetings so everyone should check the tournament schedule and note the dates of the draw meetings. The tournament schedule was included in the previous newsletter and is on the club website – http://lunkerlovers.com. Copies will be available at the meetings.
Everyone who has not already done so should make their reservations for the Okeechobee tournament as soon as possible. It’s also not too early to make reservations for March 28-29 tournament on the Harris Chain.
Interest has been expressed by several members in resuming the couples tournaments. There is also interest in having a club picnic in conjunction with a youth tournament like the one we did in 2007 where the kids fish in boats. Another activity in which there appears to be significant interest is the Polk County Youth Fishing Tournament that we sponsored in 2008. I have put together a draft calendar that includes these activities as well as the annual awards banquet. The draft calendar is on the club website. It is also included in this newsletter for those who receive it through the Post Office. We will discuss these activities and the dates/locations for them at the January 6 meeting.
The changes adopted in our tournament rules/procedures have been incorporated in the appropriate documents and these documents are now on the club website. Hard copies will be available at the January 6 meeting for those who need them.
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Congratulations to Colby Cotterill who won the first tournament he fished with the Lunker Lovers! Colby had a limit of 18.56 pounds anchored by the big bass of the tournament (8.44 pounds) at our tournament this past weekend on the South Winter Haven Chain. Mike Childers finished second with 16.56 pounds and had the only limit in the tournament other than Colby’s. Scott Daley’s four fish were good for third place at 12.06 pounds. With the forty members we had competing in the tournament, we pay five places. Jimmie Davis was fourth with 7.44 pounds and I finished fifth with 6.75 pounds.
Our digital scales crapped out during the open tournament we held on January 3 so we used the backup mechanical scales for the January tournament. These scales weigh in pounds and ounces but the weights, above, have been converted to decimal pounds to be consistent with the weights we will use when the digital scales have been repaired.
Our next tournament will be January 31 and February 1 on Lake Okeechobee. Reports from Okeechobee indicate that the water is relatively low so please exercise the appropriate caution during practice and during the tournament. We’ve heard that the fishing has been tough on the Big O but some recent tournament weights have been impressive. Make plans to fish this tournament on one of the world’s finest bass fisheries. The draw meeting is next Tuesday, January 20, 2009.
We will also have Bob Kostrzewa at the January 20 meeting. Bob, and perhaps some others, will tell us about the Federation Tournament System and other Federation programs. Bob will also talk with us about shirts, caps, etc. and will be prepared to take orders.
We will have a representative from Rapala at our meeting on February 17 to give us a presentation on their new line of soft baits called Trigger X. The presentation is supposed to be 15-20 minutes in length and they will have some samples to distribute.
The club briefly discussed the calendar for the year at the January 6 meeting. We will be having two youth tournaments, one like we did in 2007 where the kids fish out of boats and the Polk County Youth Fishing Tournament like we did last year at Saddle Creek. We will combine the youth boat tournament with a club picnic for everyone. We will also have couples tournaments this year. We will most likely fish four of these tournaments during the better weather months. We also discussed a date for the banquet. The draft calendar is on the club website and was mailed in the last newsletter to those who receive the newsletter through the Post Office. Some of the dates will likely be changed at the January 20 meeting.
I’m looking forward to returning to Okeechobee again this year after we took a couple of years off due to the water conditions. We always have a great time on the lake and I hope that all of you will join us in the tournament.
Lamar Middleton
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Everyone needs to make their reservations for the Harris Chain tournament as soon as possible. We have a group rate of $79/night for two people at the Inn on the Green in Tavares. Efficiencies will be $10 more. Tell them that you want the group rate for the Winter Haven Lunker Lovers. There is a 7-day cancellation policy. The address is 700 E. Burleigh Blvd., Tavares, FL and the phone numbers are 800-935-2935 or 352-343-6373. This motel in on highway 441 about 3 miles from the ramp. It has electric outlets available in the parking lot and they have security cameras. I have some phone numbers on other motels in the area. Call me if you want this information.
The club will sponsor a picnic and youth boat tournament on Eagle Lake April 25. We will formally adopt procedures for the tournament at a later date but there will likely be 4 categories organized by ages 0-16 with those in the youngest category fishing for any species with any bait and those in the oldest category fishing under our club rules. The kids will fish from boats. The picnic, which will begin after a noon weigh-in and presentation of awards, is for all club members. Expect more details as the date approaches, but I hope everyone will make plans to attend.
We will have a representative from Rapala at our next meeting, February 27, 2009. They are promoting a new line of soft baits with attractant called TriggerX. They promised to bring samples to distribute to us so make plans to be at the meeting.
Fishing was tough on Okeechobee this past weekend with the Saturday competition cancelled due to the wind conditions. With water temps plummeting, we had only 3 contestants catching a fish on Sunday. Congratulations to our winner, Van Soles, who had 3 fish and a total weight of 4.41 pounds. Keith Sturdevant had 1 fish weighing 4.38 pounds giving him both 2nd place and big bass. Jimmy Lynn, Jr. brought a 0.84-pound fish to the scales to take 3rd place. Our next tournament will be on Crooked Lake March 8 with a draw meeting on March 3.
The club did a great job last year collecting aluminum cans and other recyclable metals. We donated $1,000 to make Christmas a better time for some children in foster care. With the price we can get for recycled metal down dramatically this year, we need to redouble our efforts in this project. Please collect and bring to the meetings all the recyclable metal you can find. Call Hoss Houmard if you have questions about what can be recycled.
Scott Daley has organized a raffle for a $300 WalMart gift card. It is hoped that each member will sell at least $20 in tickets. The drawing for the winning ticket will be held at our meeting on March 17. You can pick up tickets at the next meeting or you can call Scott or me to get them if you can’t be at the meeting or just want them earlier.
We have some club brochures available to give to prospective new members or to place in bait shops, boat dealerships, etc. These will be available at the meetings or you can call me to pick some up if you can put these in some place that might attract new members for the club.
Lamar Middleton
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Our next meeting, 3/17/2009, will be a draw meeting for the Harris Chain tournament. The tournament will be March 28-29, 2009 out of Buzzard Beach. Information on reservations was included in last month’s newsletter. Give me a call (863-224-4050) or email me (lmflorida@aol.com) if you need this information resent or if you need additional information.
We will also have the drawing for the Walmart gift card raffle at next week’s meeting. Make sure to bring the tickets you have sold and the money collected. Call me or Scott Daley if you need more tickets or if you can’t attend the meeting and you need to send the tickets that you have sold.
Congratulations to Jimmie Davis on his impressive win on Crooked Lake last weekend! There were lots of low-weight limits but Jimmie’s weighed 15.21 pounds and was good enough to claim first place. Mike Childers finished second with 12.63 pounds. Colby Cotterill continues to impress everyone! Colby had 11.67 pounds to take third place. Joey Cissell had only four fish but took big bass honors with a largemouth weighing 5.80 pounds. Joey also had a total weight of 10.85 pounds and claimed fourth place. Sixteen of the thirty-six participants in this tournament brought limits to the scales.
April will be a busy month for the club. We have a garage sale and couples tournament scheduled in addition to our boat youth tournament/club picnic. The garage sale will be held April 11 at Cypress Gardens Automotive, 3001 Cypress Gardens Road. The key to success for the sale is having lots of merchandise available. Fishing equipment will sell quickly (frequently to other club members) but anything sells. Take some time between now and the sale to set aside clothing, household items, tools, etc. to donate to the sale. Hoss Houmard will have his trailer at the April 7 meeting to accept donated items or you can bring your items to the sale site on April 11. Call me or Hoss if you need to make other arrangements to bring sale items. We also need display tables for the sale.
Our first couples tournament of the year will be held April 19 on Eagle Lake. We will fish from safe daylight until noon. We will get together for lunch after the tournament at a restaurant chosen by the tournament participants. In these tournaments, the men fish against the men and the women fish against the women. Procedures for the couples tournament will be available at the meetings and are on the club website, http://lunkerlovers.com. Select the link for “Bylaws and Procedures” on the home page.
Our boat youth tournament will be held in conjunction with a club picnic on April 25, 2009. It will be on Eagle Lake. Kids through age 16 can participate in the various age categories. A link to the procedures we have used in the past for this tournament is on the home page of the club website and these procedures will be available at the meetings. The kids will fish out of boats provided by club members or other individuals associated with the club. Everyone is invited to the weigh-in and the club picnic that follows. More details will be available at a later date. We will need a tentative count of the kids who will participate by the April 7 meeting and a near-definite count by the April 21 meeting. The early count is necessary as we will provide prizes and trophies for all the kids who participate.
Copies of these newsletters are archived on the club website and there is a link to the newsletters on the home page.
Lamar Middleton
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The club has a very busy schedule in April even though we do not fish a regular tournament in the month. Our next regular club tournament will be May 3 on the Kissimmee Chain out of Camp Lester. The draw meeting for this tournament is on April 21, 2009.
We will have our garage sale on April 11 at Cypress Gardens Automotive, 3001 Cypress Gardens Road. This is the same location that we used last year. You can bring your items for sale to the location at safe daylight on the 11th. You can also bring the items to the meeting on April 7 if you can’t make it to the sale. We’ll probably close up shop around noon. Hoss Houmard needs members to help with the sale and we also need tables. We’ll have coffee and lots of stimulating conversation for those who help with the sale, so make plans to be there.
We will have our first couples tournament of the year at Eagle Lake on Sunday, April 19, 2009. We’ll fish from safe daylight until noon. The competition in the couples tournaments is split with the men competing against the men and the women fishing against the women. Entry fee is $10 per person plus $2 for big bass. The big bass pot is combined for all competitors. We will get together for fellowship and lunch after the tournament. You can pay your entry at the ramp.
Our Youth Boat Tournament/Club Picnic will be held Saturday, April 25, 2009 on Eagle Lake. The kids fish out of boats with four divisions, by age, for kids up to age 16. There are different rules for the four divisions with the youngest fishing for any species and competing by count of the fish and the oldest fishing under club rules for bass. You can check the club website, http://lunkerlovers.com, for the specifics on each division or you can pick up a copy or the rules at a meeting. We’ll fish from safe daylight until noon. The count/weighin of the fish and the picnic will be held at Joey Cissell’s place on Eagle Lake. The picnic is for all club members and their guests. We will have trophies and prizes for all the kids who fish. We therefore need to have a fairly accurate count of the participants at the next club meeting, 4/7/2009, and an accurate count by the 4/21/2009 meeting. We will also need to have a count of the adults who will be there for the picnic. There is no charge for the tournament or the picnic.
David Glenn caught the biggest bass in our Harris Chain Tournament at 8.37 pounds. This helped to push his two-day total to 25.52 pounds, good enough for first place. Bill Bierbaugh had 23.54 pounds for second place. Mike Childers had boat problems that kept him from weighing in any fish on the second day but he had 17.62 pounds the first day and claimed third place honors. I took fourth place with 16.48 pounds.
The water level on the Clermont Chain is too low to fish safely and effectively. As this is not expected to improve before June, the tournament scheduled on the Clermont Chain for June 7, 2009 has been changed to the Kissimmee Chain.
Lamar Middleton
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Much has happened in the club since the last newsletter! Thanks to the efforts of Joey Cissell, the members of the Kill Zone Archery Club, Jim Sturdevant, Bill Folds and many others in the club, we had twenty kids fishing in our youth tournament with approximately seventy-five members, family and friends enjoying the club picnic following the tournament. Articles, with pictures, about the event appeared in both the News Chief and The Ledger newspapers.
We have fished two couples tournaments so far this year. Louella Bierbaugh won the women’s division on Eagle Lake, 4/19/2009, with 4.78 lbs. Jimmy Davis’ daughter, Leanne Davis, took second place honors with 3.26 lbs. Bill Jost (5.63) and Huck Pewitt (5.42) won first and second place, respectively, in the men’s division. Diane Pewitt won the women’s division in our 5/17/2009 couples tournament on Crooked Lake with 3.23 lbs. Louella finished second with 2.75 lbs. Ed Palmer (5.14) finished first in the men’s division with Huck Pewitt (5.09) in second place. Standings, schedule, pictures, etc. for these tournament can be found on the club website – http://lunkerlovers.com. The next couples tournament will be held June 14, 2009 on the Kissimmee Chain out of Camp Lester.
Colby Cotterill won our May tournament on the Kissimmee Chain with 13.33 lbs. Huck Pewitt finished a very close second with 13.31 lbs. I came in third with 12.30 lbs and Bob Lane finished fourth with 10.22 lbs. We had to move this tournament to Port Hatchineha to avoid conflicting with a very large tournament coming out of Camp Mack. Thanks to David Glenn for helping everyone with parking our trucks and trailers. I’m afraid that conflicts with other tournaments will continue to be a problem with the number of tournaments increasing. This problem may become especially acute as it’s difficult to fish many lakes due to the low water. Let’s pray for more rain.
Our garage sale was a huge success thanks to Vice President Bob Houmard and to David Glenn. David donated lots of fishing tackle and it sold very well. We earned $585.05 at the garage sale. We then sold some of the left-over items at the next club meeting and made $109 more. Thanks to all the club members who donated items and/or worked the sale.
Our next club tournament will be June 7, 2009 on the Kissimmee Chain out of Camp Lester. With the rain we’ve received (water is flowing now), this could be a great tournament. Make plans to participate. The draw meeting is June 2, 2009.
We’ve now completed half our regular tournament schedule. Mike Childers is in first place (57.18 lbs) followed by Bill Bierbaugh (45.00), David Glenn (43.78), Lamar Middleton (43.57), Colby Cotterill (43.56) and Huck Pewitt (38.01). Rounding out the top ten are Van Soles, Jimmie Davis, Roy Tedder and Jim Sturdevant. There are three tied for first place in the Mr. Bass race. Mike Childers, Bill Bierbaugh and Lamar Middleton have each caught a total of twenty fish in the five tournaments to date. Van Soles has eighteen fish and David Glenn has seventeen.
Lamar Middleton
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We will have a very important program at our next club meeting on July 7, 2009. County Commissioner Jean Reed and Dave Hupp will be there to discuss construction and maintenance of boat ramps in Polk County. Commissioner Reed was instrumental in obtaining Port Hatchineha for public use and has been a strong supporter of providing access to the many lakes in Polk County. Dave Hupp is a strong citizen activist in our community and serves on an advisory group that provides input into decisions about boat ramps. They will discuss funding for ramps, the processes through which decisions are made and how we can have input into the process. They will also answer our questions. Make plans to be at the July 7 meeting if you have in mind a lake that could use a ramp, a ramp that is in need of maintenance or repair or any other questions/recommendations along these lines.
Joey Cissell and Christina Sankus have invited all club members to their wedding on July 3, 2009 at 5:00 pm. The wedding will be held at Joey’s house on Eagle Lake. The address is 6248 Crystal Beach Road, Winter Haven, FL 33880. This is where we held the weighin and picnic for the last two youth boat tournaments.
The July 7 meeting will also be a draw meeting for our July 12 tournament on the Kissimmee Chain out of Camp Lester. The remainder of our tournament schedule is below. Another date to remember is December 4, 2009 – the date of our annual awards banquet.
August 9 – Crooked Lake, Bob’s Landing
September 13 – Kissimmee Chain, Camp Lester
October 10-11 – Lake Istokpoga, Trail’s End
November 7-8 – Classic, Kissimmee Chain, Camp Lester
Colby Cotterill continued his hot streak June 7 on the Kissimmee Chain by securing his second consecutive win and his third win of the year. Colby had 17.07 pounds to lead all anglers and also had big bass for the tournament at 6.49 pounds. Jimmie Davis finished second with 14.90 pounds. Bill Folds had 12.53 pounds for third and I finished fourth with 9.42 pounds.
Cheryl Whitaker finished first in the women’s division of our latest couples tournament, June 14, on the Kissimmee Chain. Cheryl had 2.42 pounds. Diane Pewitt finished second with 2.35 lbs and Sara Pewitt was third with 1.90 pounds. Jody Pewitt led the men’s division with 6.18 pounds followed by Bill Jost (6.08 pounds) and Bill Bierbaugh (5.84 pounds). Jody had big bass for the tournament at 3.32 pounds. Nook Gatto and his wife, Jan, along with Joe Markovitz and his wife, Diane, joined those of us who got together for lunch after the weighin. Our next couples tournament will be September 27 on the Kissimmee Chain out of Camp Lester. The September tournament will complete the couples tournament schedule.
Our Polk County Youth Fishing Tournament is scheduled for September 12. Jim Stricklin is organizing this tournament and will need help from all of us to make it as successful as possible. We will need help on the day of the tournament, help in securing sponsors and help advertising the tournament. Jim will have more specific information at our club meetings.
Lamar Middleton
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Mike Childers increased his lead in the Angler-of-the-Year standings by taking first place in our July tournament on the Kissimmee Chain. Mike brought a total of 13.14 pounds to the scales which included big bass for the tournament at 6.59 pounds. I finished second with 12.27 pounds. Doug Csont, fishing only his second Lunker Lovers tournament, placed third with 10.81 pounds. Bob Lane had 8.58 pounds for fourth place.
The top six in the Angler-of-the-Year standings are Mike Childers, 74.90 pounds; Lamar Middleton, 65.26 pounds; Colby Cotterill, 60.63 pounds; Jimmie Davis, 53.97 pounds; Bill Bierbaugh, 49.87 pounds; and Huck Pewitt, 49.59 pounds. It currently takes at least 24.22 pounds to be in the top twenty.
We have three more qualifying tournaments before our classic tournament. There are two ways to qualify for the classic tournament. You will qualify if you fish at least eight of the ten qualifying tournaments. You can also qualify for the classic by finishing in the top twenty of the year-end standings while also fishing at least seventy percent of the qualifying tournaments held this year subsequent to your date of membership. Check the Classic Tournament Procedures on the club website, http://lunkerlovers.com, or request a hard copy of the procedures for more information.
The First Annual Jerry's Kids Catch-A-Cure Bass Tournament will be held on the Kissimmee Chain out of Camp Mack on August 2, 2009. This is hosted by the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 1779 with all proceeds to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Lucky Wells is coordinating the tournament. There is a guaranteed $1,000 first place prize and an entry fee of $120 which includes big bass and the ramp fee. Contact Lucky at 863-221-9466 for more information.
Our next tournament will be August 9, 2009 on Crooked Lake out of Bob's Landing. The draw meeting for this tournament will be August 4, 2009. See the website for a map showing a route to Bob's Landing. A link to the map is on the tournament schedule page. Please keep in mind during the tournament and during practice that power loading and power off-loading are not allowed at Bob's Landing. You may find access to the lake via the public ramp on the south end of Crooked Lake difficult to impossible as the water level is still low on the lake.
Other items on the Lunker Lovers calendar include our September 12 Polk County Youth Tournament. Our club tournament in September will be held on the Kissimmee Chain on the 13th. We also have our last couples tournament of the year September 17 on the Kissimmee Chain. Our last qualifying tournament will be on Lake Istokpoga October 10-11 with the classic tournament November 7-8 on the Kissimmee Chain. Our annual awards banquet will be December 4. Make plans to participate in all these activities.
Lamar Middleton
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Our next tournament will be on the Kissimmee Chain out of Camp Lester September 13, 2009. If you missed the draw meeting last night, remember that you can enter a tournament late, as a boater or noboater, twice a year. You must call the tournament director, Jim Rose (863-698-8472), no later than the Friday before the tournament in order to enter (Thursday for a two-day tournament). Call me if you can't contact Jim. My home phone is 863-325-8061 and my cell number is 863-224-4050.
Our second annual Polk County Youth Tournament is on track for September 12, 2009 - the Saturday before the September club tournament mentioned above . We will host the tournament at Simmers-Young Park. The park is located on Hwy 542 between Winter Haven and Lakeland next to Auburndale Speedway. Jim Stricklin and his team have been working diligently to see that everything is ready for the event. Thanks to all who have helped so far. We will need as many members as possible to be there on the day of the tournament. Come at safe daylight, about 6:30 am, to help set up. We'll start the registration at 7:30 with the competition running from 9:00 am until 11:00 am. We should be through with the presentation of awards around noon. I expect that we will be able to complete the cleanup and be ready to leave shortly after 1:00 pm. We will need members to help with the setup, registration, fish counting, safety, presentation of awards, cleanup, etc. Call Jim Stricklin (863-537-0732) or me if you have any questions. We have received support for the youth tournament from Winn-Dixie, Wal-Mart, Publix, and Frito-Lay.
We also have good news on sponsors for the club. Hoppy's Marine & Sports Center, which has sponsored our club for many years, has agreed to continue the relationship. Be sure to check with Hoppy's if you are thinking of buying a boat. Also see them for service on your boat, outboard motor oil, marine accessories, etc. Other sponsors that VP Scott Daley has secured are McGee Tire in Winter Haven and John Dial's Omega Business Solutions. Support our sponsors when you can and tell them that you appreciate what they are doing for our club.
The club's annual awards banquet is scheduled for Friday, December 4, 2009. We decided at last night's meeting that we would have ribs and chicken for the meal and that club members would bring desserts. We will be using the same caterer that has provided the meal for the last few years. Details of the banquet will be available later. Make sure the date is on your calendar.
Colby Cotterill won first place and took big bass honors in the club's August tournament on Crooked Lake. Colby had 12.99 pounds total with the big bass weighing 4.07 pounds. Mike Childers finished second with 11.45 pounds. Jim Rose took third place with 9.57 pounds and Bob Lane was fourth with 8.76 pounds. Mike Childers (86.35 pounds) still has a 12.73 pound lead in the year standings over Colby Cotterill. Rounding out the top ten are, respectively, Lamar Middleton, Jimmie Davis, Huck Pewitt, Bill Bierbaugh, David Glenn, Van Soles, Scott Daley and Jim Sturdevant.
Lamar Middleton
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Many important decisions will be made by the club at the November and December meetings. Officers will be elected, the tournament schedule for next year will be discussed and any changes in tournament rules/procedures for next year will be determined. With this in mind, a committee will be formed to study and recommend changes in the bylaws, rules or procedures. This committee is to complete its work by the end of October and report to the club at the November 3 meeting. Please let me know, by Tuesday, September 22, if you are interested in serving on this committee. The committee will be appointed on Wednesday, September 23 and begin its work the following week. The club can adopt, reject or modify any of this committee's recommendations. Also, any club member can propose a change in bylaws, rules or procedures.
Officers for next year will be elected at the November 3 meeting. Nominations for officers will be made at both October meetings. Nominations can also be made at the November 3 meeting. Please consider serving your club as an officer next year and/or encouraging others to serve.
We will conduct a survey on preferences for next year's tournament schedule at the October 20 meeting. The survey form will also be mailed and available online for those not at the October 20 meeting. We will discuss the lakes to be included on the survey at the October 6 meeting so that all lakes of interest to club members will be listed on the survey form. Results of the survey will be available at the November 3 meeting and we will hold a general discussion on the tournament schedule at that time. Next year's tournament committee is to have a tentative schedule available for discussion at the November 17 meeting. After considering the results of the survey and the discussion at the November 17 meeting, the tournament committee is to present its final tournament schedule to the club at the December 1 meeting.
Remember that our annual awards banquet will be held Friday, December 4, 2009. We will have a meal of ribs and chicken. Members are asked to bring desserts. Most likely, we will have a social hour beginning around 6:30 pm with the meal served around 7:30 pm. More details will be available later.
A representative from the Guardian Ad Litem program will be at our October 20 meeting to accept our donation to the program. This donation is funded by our recycling program. Remember to bring all the recyclable material you have to the October 6 meeting so that the proceeds from its sale can be included in the donation.
Hoss Houmard is organizing the meals at Istokpoga again this year. He will need a relatively accurate count of the number who will eat on Friday night and those who will eat on Saturday night. We can get this count at the October 6 meeting. Give Hoss (or me) a call with the information if you can't attend the meeting.
Congratulations to Chip Burton on his impressive performance in our September tournament on Kissimmee. Chip had 21.54 pounds to take 1st place. Mike Childers had 17.74 pounds for 2nd which included big bass for the tournament (and the year so far) at 8.59 pounds. Jim Rose had a late day rally to bring 16.93 pounds to the scales and claim 3rd place. Colby Cotterill had 11.77 pounds for 4th place.
Good Fishing,
Lamar Middleton
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The nomination process for electing next year's officers began at our October 6 meeting. Those nominated were Lucky Wells, president; Hoss Houmard, VP for activities; Jerry Rayburn, VP for fund-raising; Bob Lane, tournament director; Ed Palmer, secretary and Jim Sturdevant, treasurer. Additional nominations can be made at the October 20 meeting. The election will be held at the November 3 meeting. Nominations can also be made at the November 3 meeting before the election is conducted.
The committee appointed to review the bylaws, rules and procedures has begun its work. The members of the committee are Bill Bierbaugh, Scott Daley, Ron Falzarano, Hoss Houmard, Lamar Middleton, Nick Nigg, Jim Rose and Jim Sturdevant. Nick is the chairman of the committee. This committee will present its report at the November 3 meeting. You can contact any of the members if you have an issue you wish considered. Also, any member can propose a change at the November and December meetings.
Make sure to have Friday, December 4 on your calendar as that is the date of our annual awards banquet. Additional details for the banquet will be available at a later date.
John Dial made a strong showing on the first day of our October tournament on Lake Istokpoga. John led the tournament with 10.73 pounds Saturday. He then followed up on Sunday with another three-fish limit weighing 14.48 pounds. With the participation weight, John's total was 27.21 pounds. His limit on Sunday included an 8.95-pound largemouth that was big bass not only for the tournament but for the year. I finished second with19.89 pounds, just 0.30 pounds ahead of third-place Jimmie Davis. Jimmie had second big bass for the tournament at 8.07 pounds. Mike Childers finished fourth with 16.00 pounds.
Our classic tournament will be held on the Kissimmee Chain out of Camp Lester on November 7-8. Congratulations to those who qualified for the classic: Bill Bierbaugh, Chip Burton, Mike Childers, Colby Cotterill, Doug Csont, Scott Daley, Jimmie Davis, John Dial, Jack Dixon, Bill Folds, Hoss Houmard, Bob Lane, Joe Markovitz, Lamar Middleton, Nick Nigg, Ed Palmer, Huck Pewitt, Jerry Rayburn, Jim Rose, Van Soles, Jim Stricklin, Jim Sturdevant, Keith Sturdevant, Roy Tedder, Val Valachovic, and Lucky Wells. Those who finished in the top twenty in the year-end standings who had fished 70% of the tournaments subsequent to their 2009 date of membership qualified as did those who fished eight tournaments. Please contact me if you are not listed above and believe that you qualified for the classic so that any errors can be rectified.
Classic Procedure 6 states "Each contestant in the Classic tournament will have the option of fishing alone or pairing with another consenting contestant, if possible. Noboaters may fish with a boater observer approved by the Tournament Committee. However, pairings will be determined by the Tournament committee, if necessary, to ensure that all who qualify have the opportunity to fish."
Please attend all the meetings for the remainder of the year as many important decisions will be made at the November and December meetings.
Good Fishing,
Lamar Middleton
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Our annual awards banquet will be held Friday, December 4, 2009 at the Winter Haven Nautical Club. The event will begin at 6:00 pm with the meal served at 7:30 pm. The cost is $20 per person and can be paid at the banquet. We do need to provide the caterer with a count of those attending. Please let us know at the November 17 meeting if you will be attending. You can also call me (863-224-4050) to make reservations.
Our officers for next year have been elected. Lucky Wells will serve as president with Bob Houmard continuing at VP for activities. Jerry Rayburn will be the VP for fund-raising, Ed Palmer is the secretary and Jim Sturdevant will continue to be our treasurer. Nick Nigg is the 2010 tournament director.
Congratulations to Colby Cotterill on winning the club's 2009 classic tournament this past weekend on the Kissimmee Chain. In what is probably the closest finish in classic history, Colby's 19.96 pounds put him only 0.23 pounds ahead of Jimmie Davis' 19.72 pounds. Van Soles finished a close third with 19.42 pounds. Jimmie Davis had big bass at 4.27 pounds. Joe Markovitz (15.95 pounds) and Val Valachovic (15.73 pounds) also made strong showings in the tournament, finishing 4th and 5th.
Several proposals for changes in bylaws, rules or procedures were presented at our last meeting. We will begin voting on these at our November 17 meeting. The proposals can be seen on the club website, http://lunkerlovers.com, and copies will be available at the meeting. You may also contact me if you do not have internet access and want to read a copy before the meeting.
Nick Nigg's tournament committee met last night to draft a 2010 tournament schedule. This schedule, below, will be presented at the November 17 meeting and finalized prior to the December 1 meeting.
§ January 10, Crooked Lake
§ February 7, Kissimmee Chain
§ March 6-7, Harris Chain
§ April 11, Lake Istokpoga
§ May 1-2, Kissimmee Chain*
§ June 5-6, Lake Okeechobee
§ July 11, Lake Toho (only)
§ August 8, Kissimmee Chain
§ September 5, East Lake Toho
§ October 9-10, Istokpoga
§ November 6-7, Classic Tournament on the Kissimmee Chain
*For the May tournament on the Kissimmee Chain, contestants must turn left coming into the river out of Camp Lester and fish those waters one day. The other day they must turn right coming into the river out of Camp Lester and fish those waters.
Many important decisions will be made at the next two meetings. Please make plans to attend these meetings and to also attend the banquet.
Good Fishing,
Lamar Middleton
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There is a change in the way that FLW dues are to be paid for year 2010 and beyond. FLW dues for Federation members (all of us) are to be paid through the club. Also, FLW dues will be $35 per year and will cover one calendar year, January through December. Therefore, your 2010 dues will be $25 for Lunker Lovers, $30 Federation ($15 state, $15 national) and $35 for FLW - a grand total of $90. If your current FLW membership expires later than December 31, 2009, the FLW dues will be prorated. Jim Stricklin has the information on the members in this situation and he will resolve any issues that may arise. FLW's contribution to the Federation is calculated from the members of record on January 1, 2010. Therefore, we need to have the membership paid and get our report to the Federation no later than December 31, 2009. Please pay your dues as soon as possible.
The ramps have been chosen for our 2010 tournament schedule as indicated below. Also, the date of our "September" tournament has been changed to August 29 to avoid conflicts with the Labor Day holiday and a BFL Gator Division tournament.
§ January 10, Crooked Lake - Bob's Landing
§ February 7, Kissimmee Chain - Camp Lester
§ March 6-7, Harris Chain - Buzzard Beach
§ April 11, Lake Istokpoga - Istokpoga Park
§ May 1-2, Kissimmee Chain* - Camp Lester
§ June 5-6, Lake Okeechobee - Okeetantie
§ July 11, Lake Toho (only) - SouthPort
§ August 8, Kissimmee Chain - Camp Lester
§ August 29, East Lake Toho - East Lake Fish Camp
§ October 9-10, Istokpoga - Trail's End
§ November 6-7, Classic Tournament on the Kissimmee Chain out of Camp Lester
*For the May tournament on the Kissimmee Chain, contestants must turn left coming into the river out of Camp Lester and fish those waters one day. The other day they must turn right coming into the river out of Camp Lester and fish those waters.
Numerous changes to bylaws, tournament rules and procedures were approved at the November 17 meeting. These changes are reflected in the documents on the club website, http://lunkerlovers.com, and copies of the revised documents will be made available at club meetings. Many of the changes are clarifications of language and conform to past practices. Some of the provisions approved are new. Tournament rules 3, 4, 8, 14 and 20 were modified. Tournament rule 25 was added and the rule previously numbered 25 is now numbered 26. Tournament procedure 9 was modified and tournament procedures 13, 14 and 15 were added. Classic procedure 2 was deleted with the remaining procedures renumbered. Article VI,1(b) of the constitution was modified.
I hope to see everyone at the banquet on December 4, 2009.
Good Fishing,
Lamar Middleton