New Blood, Rising Numbers, Old Battles, Showdown,
and a Return of an old favorite!

I'm sure the title of this month's edition carries with it some bit of intrigue but it is these cliché's that summarize what's going on in the club at this juncture.  I'd like to explain my thoughts on each and what impact I think it has on the club going forward

New Blood

At the last meeting, Jason Mordhorst was elected to be the Tournament Director for the 2008 season.  Jason has some big shoes to fill after Nick Albano's 3 year tenure.  Simply put, Jason is "new blood" and a welcomed fresh face to the Executive Committee.  He is a guy who is passionate about competitive fishing but is also the first to jump in and hang with guys or bust a few chops.  His attitude towards the club epitomizes what it means to be a member of the Bergen Bassmasters.  I'm sure Jason will select a strong committee to assist him in his duties and he has the wonderful opportunity to learn from Nick over the next few month's to help prepare for what always is a challenging role.  I wish Jason the best of luck and he has my pledge of full support

Rising Numbers

We recently held our annual Open Buddy Night tournament and despite the threat of thunderstorms, we had a fantastic turn out of 30 teams!  Sometimes I wonder if we're advertising enough but I think the event advertises itself as half the field were repeat participants.  Considering that we usually get only a handful of actual Bergen boats, word is spreading about how well run this event is and next year, I fully expect us to attract 35-40 boats!  Thanks again goes out to Nick for putting the event together and to Terry, Rich Gerken, and Bob Murphy who stepped up, along with a few others who helped out.   

Old Battles

Well, this is always a touchy subject.  Seems there are stirrings out there about Metro Bass, our secondary club within the Federation.  The discussion seems to come up each year about disbanding the club but it always stays afloat somehow.  I think at this point, we need to put this to rest for a while and agree that Metro will continue to remain an option for club members.  Now, considering last year's discussion regarding financially backing the Bergen Team, the board will be evaluating some ideas on how to better accommodate both concepts.

Showdown

Wow!  The standings are tight!  Pat vanWettering has been quite consistent this year and for that reason, he's sitting atop the leader board.  Not far back and also separated by only a few points are Stinky Steve, Ice Cream Andy Karcich (whatever that means), and myself.  Eric Lehmann and John Hayden round out the top 6 still within striking distance.  Rich Gerken, Alvin Walters, and John Ernest, despite missing the first event, have been on fire since and are quickly gaining ground.  The Connecticut River can be very, very humbling so the standings can get topsy turvy after that event.  Regardless, we are heading towards a showdown!

Return of an Old Favorite. 

No, I am not referring to Ironman Logan who fished the night event after missing Sacandaga...I am referring to the upcoming Classic on Lake Champlain out of Ticonderoga!  I don't know any club member who can attest to not liking that place.  It offers up a variety of fishing styles and we've seen 15 pound plus bags of smallies come in as well as a few six pound largemouth.  No doubt "slop fishing" will again play a part and that always has Jason Mordhorst a favorite but Pat Van Wettering, John Hayden, and others have been spent a lot of time up there getting to know the waters.  Dinner at Eddie's Restaurant is always a great time and despite the fact they can never get our bill's straight, the Super 8 Motel is an absolutely beautiful place to stay.  I am certainly looking forward to it. 

So, these are our hot topics for the month of August, not to mention our annual raffle. By the way...SELL THOSE TICKETS!!!!   Before we know it, the Classic will be here and we'll be looking at the final event and preparing for the awards dinner.  To all members, I say keep up the great work!

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