I really cannot believe that I am writing this for the May/June newsletter. Winter hung on so long this year that it seems Spring has come and is going by in a flash. Heck, I cut my grass for the 1st time just this week (not that it did not need it much earlier, but between rain & fishing I didn't have a chance). However, once the grips of Old Man Winter let go, the fishing around the lake has gotten pretty good - and as we enter the spawn season I am hearing reports of large numbers being caught down-lake in their "spawning grounds" (caught a few myself this weekend). 

Spring is always a busy time for the Club. I am not going to try and touch on everything here as the key events are covered elsewhere in this newsletter. However, know that we definitely need your assistance and support in various events - and with all we have going on, there is an event that should be interesting and attractive to everyone. 

I want to personally thank the many new members which have joined the Club in the last few months. I am excited to see the increase in our membership - as well as a solid return of our existing members for 2015. To that point, your Club's leadership team wants to hear from you on what you want to see from the Club - last month a Survey was distributed to solicit that input. If you've already responded - thank you! If you haven't, please do so by the May meeting. Remember, if you submit your name/contact info with the survey, or turn in your form directly to a member of the Club leadership team at the May meeting, you will receive a $5 credit to the Ship's Store... and what better timing given all the new items becoming available in the store in May. 

I hope that you are getting a chance to get out there and enjoy the wonderful fishery that we have - and I thank each of you for your participation and support of the Club as we all work to ensure we have this great resource to enjoy for decades to come! 

Fish On! - Mike Ward

Will someone please tell Spring to hurry up and get here? This past month has been tough and I am going through major fishing withdrawals - I've only been out once this month the 1st weekend of February, but the weather has prevented it since - could not even drop my boat to run the motor this past weekend due to the couple of inches of ice below it. 

This time of year makes one yearn even more for the days when the water starts to warm and the fish begin to feed more aggressively. Hopefully with the lengthening days we will not be far away. However, lack of time on the water has given me a chance to do spend some time on other things. Recently taking on the President role in the Club, I have felt it important to reach out to some of our long-time members and get their perspectives on the Club today, but also get a better understanding of the Club's history and the challenges we've faced together in the past. I look forward to continuing these discussions and welcome input and feedback from all our members - new and old. I'd like to specifically thank Mike Snead for providing me with his insights, but more so for helping to connect me with an important person in the SMSC's history - Rex Smith. Thanks to Mike, I had the opportunity a few weeks back to enjoy lunch with Mike & Rex (thanks again for picking up the tab Mike!) and get a crash course on a lot of the history of the Club. Some of this I already knew - a lot I did not. What proved even more valuable was Rex loaning me 20+ years of SMSC Newsletters - talk about an incredible resource and snapshot into the Club's history! I've had a chance to work my way through a lot of those old newsletters - and there is a treasure trove of information buried in there - years of fishing tips / articles - but more importantly it captures the reasons why the Club was originally founded and the challenges we faced along the way as it focused on our core values of preservation & care of the striper fishery.

It also reminded me that, as they say, "It's a small world" - I ran across pictures & contributed articles from someone which I have come to know & respect from y interactions on a striper-related discussion forum - Ezell Cox - an accomplished striper fisherman & guide on TN. Seeing his contributions and reading of the cooperation which the SMSC & TSBA had on common issues facing our respective fisheries was refreshing - and reminds me that while we focus on SML, we have friends and supporters outside our waters - and hopefully they have supporters in us as well. 

As I mentioned in the last newsletter and at our Club meetings, a primary focus from the Board and myself in 2015 is surrounding membership - and working to ensure that the Club is something that has value for our existing and potential members. Your feedback is critical to this effort. In order to help gather feedback, we are going to be distributing a survey touching on a variety of areas of the Club, and I ask that you take a few minutes to provide your valuable input. Feel free to add any additional thoughts or concerns which you desire - this survey will be anonymous so make your thoughts and concerns heard - the Club's leadership cannot address issues or concerns if we are not aware of them. Let's work together to continue to build the best Club possible to ensure we remain a relevant voice when it comes to the protection of our fishery. 

Fish On! - Mike Ward

Well, first I guess I should say "Hi" - for those that did not have the opportunity to attend our Christmas Party in which our new 2015 officers were introduced, Joel Janecek decided to not take on a 2nd term as Club President and I agreed to step into his shoes. I first want to thank Joel for his leadership over the last two years - as those that have come before him know, it can be a thankless task. 

As we move into the New Year, we have some existing faces in new roles and one new face on the Club's Board of Directors. Bruce Brenholdt was elected to the Board in November and has agreed to take the position of Secretary. He's filling this slot as Andre' Peery is taking the 1st Vice President position which I vacated. Finally, Walter Potucek was "promoted" from 3rd VP to 2nd Vice President. Rick Boettcher & Joe Prinzinger continue to share the Treasurer and Asst. Treasurer roles and Joe Wolf holds an at-large Board seat. We are still looking to fill one more seat - so if you feel that tug on your line - its probably the fish telling you to step up and serve on the Board - any of the Board members or myself would be happy to talk with you about the opportunity. 

As I come into the President role I see a few key focuses for the Club in 2015. My key focus in 2015 will be working with Board and our members to guide the Club to our core principles of protection of the fishery, education of members and the general public on all things related to the striped bass fishery and that we continue to contribute to the community to which we live and play - all while enjoying the fellowship of our fellow Club members. I also want all members to know they can reach out to myself or any Board member with thoughts, feedback, suggestions or concerns - we want to ensure we hear from you - and what you want to see from the Striper Club. 

My second priority, and one that is equally as important - is to work with our Club to help stem the of decline in membership within the Club. We have been loosing membership over the last several years now at what has been approaching a concerning rate. If we are to have a Club which can be relavent to the community, VDGIF and other entities around the Lake, it is important that we turn this trend and increase our roster again. To do so, I plan to work with our Board and our Members to ensure that we have a Club which our existing members desire to be a part of - that the Club represents something which they believe in and will support. We then need to also ensure we find ways to attract new members to our Club - so that they can help us in our mission to ensure we have the best striper fishery that can exist at SML today and for many, many years in the future. Accomplishing this goal is one that will require all of our effort - your input on what we can do better as a Club is vital - but so is our assistance in getting the word out about the Club - asking your friends / neighbors or fishing buddies if they would like to come visit a meeting or activity and see what we are all about. 

Any finally - I want to ensure that all members of the Club are enjoying time on the water and becoming better fisherman and women in the process. I will be looking to a number of you that have many years of time under your belt to help share your fishing knowledge to others. We are after all a fishing club and ultimately we all want to catch more fish and perhaps top our own personal bests. I am excited about what 2015 has in store for the Club and an honored with the trust that the Club and the Board have place in me to help lead this group. As I have said many times before, this Club is not about one person or just a few - but rather it is all of us - and this Club is what you, the members, want it to be. Let's make it the best it can be in 2015 and beyond! 

Fish On! - Mike Ward

"Rockober" is finally here - the season many of us wait for all Summer. It means the lake has returned to our hands from the wake-boarders and jet-skis, and that the fish are moving shallow and hopefully with a hungry appetite. It is a time that live-bait and artificial fishermen both await - bigger fish are looking for big bait to fill their stomachs and there are often surface breaks just waiting for a top-water plug to be tossed their way. Get out and enjoy it while you can. 

This is the last newsletter of 2014 - hard to believe another year has almost come and gone. Hopefully you have received this and are reading it before our November Club meeting. Later in this newsletter you will find details on our annual Christmas Party - but the catch is the sign-up deadline is at our November meeting. This is always a fun even and a chance to socialize with other Club members and their spouses, to enjoy a good meal and have a chance at a nice door-prize. Where else can you get an dinner and evening of fun out for $10/person - don't miss out. 

On a less positive note - you may have noticed a missing event in the Events listing above. The decision was made by the Tournament Committee and Board of Directors to cancel the November Member-Guest tournament. This decision was made due to declining participation in the past few events to the point that we were not likely to break-even with the event. For those in the tournament series, results will be calculated from the best 4 of 5 events. The Tournament Committee was very disappointed in having to come to this decision as they tried to put on a series of events that were based on inputs of what the general membership said they wanted for tournaments. However, based on the lack of on-going participation it appears it is time again to regroup and reset. Please pass along your thoughts and suggestions for a tournament model that you would be interested in participating in - these are put on for our Membership and we want you to participate. 

Fish On! - Mike Ward

This is a sad time that calls to mind the recent tragedy on Smith Mountain Lake. Ronald Lemons and James McCulloch, bass fishermen known to some of you, both passed away as a result of a night time boating accident. Our thoughts and prayers go to their families.

The companion tragedy is that this type of accident is avoidable. Safety, Safety, Safety. Many of us chase stripers at night which is the most dangerous time to be out on the water. Reduced speed, proper lighting, constant vigilance, and wearing life jackets will all go a long way to accident prevention. I implore all of you to think and act SAFETY when fishing and boating at night, or during any times of reduced visibility. 

Well, the summer is winding down for the stripers. This has been an unusual year so far. Despite being summer I’ve had some good days on the water. The trick, of course, was to find the schools. I found them near the mouths of Betty’s and Becky’s creeks, which is more like May/June than July/August. But they were there. The fish will soon be in transition to fall patterns, and the unusual spring/summer patterns may mean some difference in the fall patterns. I can only suggest that in the hunt you keep flexible and explore different techniques and locations. 

And November elections are fast approaching. So far, no one has stepped forward to join the elections committee and no one has stepped forward to volunteer running for election. This is truly a sad state of affairs. YOUR club is “run” by volunteers who donate very little time to keep the club moving. Many of you have already served on the board and feel that you have done your part. So what. Perhaps its time for a second round of participation. If you have done it before, then its that much easier to do it again. 

See you out on the water! 
Joel

The Heat is ON!!! But I don’t mean the fishing. I’ve been out a few times and times are tough. The fish are sparse where they should be. I’ve been around Betty’s and Becky’s and only boated a couple small fish. I mark them but can’t get them to bite. I even tried bait if you can believe that. Kathy F had some good hauls down by the dam but that is about over now. I didn’t run down there yet because of the questionable weather. But I keep trying and that’s a lot of the fun.What is hot is the weather. And that sparks reminders of hot weather safety. You should take the time to get familiar with the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. It’s very important to stay hydrated too. 

This past month I had the pleasure of presenting a $100 donation, on behalf of the Club, to Bob Phipps from the Friends of the State Park for the Aspiring Anglers Youth Fishing Tournament. Andre' Peery and I also had the chance to participate in a Youth Fishing Workshop hosted by Chris Dunnavant from DGIF and a group of members and their spouses assisted with the Bedford Youth Fishing Clinic. These are all important ways that the Club works to educate and involve our youth in the sport of fishing - and to hopefully instill a long-lived love of the outdoors in these young children. 

Finally, I want to close by bringing to your attention the special meeting regarding Membership which will be held at 5pm on Friday, July 11th - before our normal Club meeting at 7pm. This special session is being dedicated to discuss the issue of declining Club membership and to solicit and explore ideas on how we can recruit and encourage new members into the Club, as well as what the existing membership is looking to see from the Club to ensure their on-going and active participation. This is an important discussion regarding the future of the Club and we hope that you can join us. 

Until then... See you out on the water! 
Joel

Spring at last, Spring at last…. I am overjoyed that the winter is over and spring has finally sprung. It’s still a bit chilly some mornings but I can get by that just fine. I haven’t been out a whole lot lately but I know the fish are out there somewhere. They’re a little hard to find sometimes but I am still getting a few. I also get to try all the new “toys” I’ve accumulated over the winter.Spring is also a time of renewal and a good time to renew commitments to our club. The club still needs some help on several committees and activities. If you want to be entertained, then buy a movie ticket. If you want a club that is dynamic, informative and productive, then join in the fun. Most activities take little effort so helping in more than one is no problem since they are spread out through the year.Speaking of fun activities, if you missed this year’s Freedom Alliance event you missed a good time. Everyone I know of caught some fish and our veterans had a great time. See Mike’s summary elsewhere in this issue. I was helping with Rudy Fry and our vets caught fish both days with the second day topped off with a plump 34” caught on a small pistol-grip bass rod. That was a riot with the line tangled under the boat, another line snagged on the bottom and two other board lines and a down line to clear. Real chaos. 

See you out on the water - Joel 

I wonder if all of you are as tired of Winter as I am. This has been a cold one as amply reflected by the cooler than normal water temperatures and, of course, the snow. Fortunately I can sense Spring coming very soon. The only saving factor of this past arctic season has been attending a few sports and outdoors shows. Its just enough to keep the blood warm and inspire some new ideas. While visiting family in Chicago-land, I also got to visit some tackle stores that I used to haunt when I lived up there. Its amazing the different tackle goods you discover in different regions of the country. I’ve accumulated a big bag of new goodies to try this year. Reports on them to follow.

Between the weather and weeks of illness I finally got on the water recently after a two month dry spell. Two months seems like a very long time but luckily I had spent some time keeping the boat and tackle in top condition and ready to go at a moments notice. The tricky part was remembering all the little details to prepare for a day on the lake. Maybe a neat little checklist would help. It felt great to be out on the water again even if the fish didn’t cooperate.

I also want to remind everyone that our club is a club. A club can be loosely defined as a group of people organized to share a common purpose or interest. Our club is “organized” in order to legally exist. Your board of directors manage the “business” of that organization. The board members are not teachers, lecturers, or entertainers. The value and wealth of the club comes from the sharing of our common interest and that sharing comes in the way of participation. In all the clubs and meetings I’ve attended through many years I have yet to hear a member comment that had no value. We’re all ordinary folks and friends so jump up and through your two cents in. I can’t wait…

Later
Joel

I hope everyone had as good a time at our Christmas dinner as I had. Kudos to Rick and his helpers. And thanks to everyone who brought deserts. Good friends, good food and good times...

Now that 2013 has wound down and Spring is only a faint promise, it’s a good time to perform some routine maintenance on boats and tackle.Some of us still fish through the Winter but acceptable weather days are fewer in number so there’s always plenty of time to spare. Here are just a few things to look for. Boat: check all wiring and connectors for corrosion, check all the pumps for smooth operation and free from dirt and crud, check all the nuts and bolts for secure fitting, keep the gas tank full and use stabilizer, lubricate anything that moves. Trailer: lights, wiring and connectors, grease the wheel bearings, tire condition and inflation, winch cable, grease the winch parts/gears, all accessible nuts and bolts.Tackle checklist: line condition on all reels, rod guides, replace snaps, swivels and terminal hardware, retie all knots, lure hooks and split rings,condition and proper operation of all reels. It’s a good time to inspect all the stuff you may have on the boat. Is there anything you didn’t use last season? It’s a good time to clean house and get ready for the next swap night at the club. I’m sure there’s more that can be done but these ideas should get you started.

And don’t forget Winter safety. A dip in the water in July may be refreshing but it can be deadly in the next few months.

Now that we are starting 2014, I appeal to your generous nature to give a little of your time as a committee member. The Club has many ways that you can contribute.

Thanks
Joel

The leaves are falling and there’s a nip in the air at dawn. Fall is a great time to be out on the lake fishing. The fall tree colors add a special touch. Almost all the “fun” boaters are gone leaving a peaceful lake for us fisher-people. Soon some of them will be gone too for hunting season. Sometimes I feel like I have the lake all to myself. With the thermocline gone and the water temperature fairly uniform top to bottom, the fish could be anywhere, and they certainly are. I’ve been finding them above AND below the bridge. Soon they should begin to really school up and move upstream. The cooler temps also mean more top water activity, always exciting events. Soon the birds should also be here.And please don’t forget safety on the water. The cool air temperature and cool water can be very dangerous if you happen to fall in, which as we know is all too common. Wear that life jacket. It’s something you can live with.But more important than color, fish and fall are the upcoming elections for the Board of Directors. As I have mentioned before, there are several vacancies to be filled. Don’t be bashful and don’t be shy. Acting as a member of the board is fun and very satisfying. It is the best way to participate in the club and have you ideas and voice heard. If anyone has a question about the board or just wants to talk one-on-one, please give me a call, 708-209-6858.Also, as we approach the end of the year, it is always nice to get together with fellow members and their significant others at our annual Christmas Party. The RSVP deadline is rapidly approaching and we hope that you will be able to join us for this evening.Joe