April Meeting Notes, Jeff Cox resigns to go national, Skip Johnson new president

[djkimmel]

Some notes from the April 17, 2011 annual TBF of Michigan presidents' meeting.

Jeff Cox announced he was resigning effective today after being voted in as a TBF Inc board member. He will be the Northern rep and also plans on assisting with TBF Inc conservation work including, hopefully changing the Michigan bass season following along with the work TBF Inc did in helping Wisconsin work on ridding themselves of the no-cull bass regulation.

TBF of Michigan secretary Skip Johnson was nominated and accepted the position of TBF of Mi president effective immediately. He asked to be called president cast n blast instead of president Skip.

YOUTH
TBF Jr State Championship will be Saturday, June 11 at Pontiac Lake from the MDNR access site. Actual times still to be announced. Youth anglers must get their entry in by May 15 to fish. We need the junior anglers to sign up and boater volunteers. Email youth director Brian Belevender for entry information, details and to volunteer - bbelevender@yahoo.com

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Adult state championship is Saturday, June 4th at Houghton Lake launching out of the South Shore MDNR ramp. Trailered weigh in planned. Some weigh in specifics are still subject to change.

Entry fee is $100 with $15 of each entry going towards 1st and 2nd big bass. Entry deadline is May 31, 2011.

The Friday evening pre-tournament meeting is mandatory. The Houghton Lake visitor's bureau is providing a full catered meal after.

Saturday boat check will be from 5am until 6:15pm. You must have your boat checked in the parking lot before launching. If you arrive later than 6:15am, it will be your responsibility to find a TBF board member at or in their boat before you start fishing. They will not be waiting for you.

Boats will launch at 6:30am.

1st flight (up to 39 boats) will check in at 2:30pm.

There will be an 8 ounce dead bass penalty. At this time, culling a dead bass is not allowed. If you get a ticket during the event, you may not be immediately dq'd but if the ticket is upheld and you made the state team, you will lose your spot. Depending on timing - if before the official roster turn-in time (to TBF Inc) the next angler in tournament standings order will move up. After the official roster is turned in, NO CHANGES can be made to the roster by TBF of Michigan. The open team spot must be filled by the alternate or then the board members present at the divisional championship.

These are TBF Inc requirements, not TBF of Michigan that apply to any change in the state team up to and including fishing a short team if several team members cancel after the roster deadline. TBF of Michigan will post the roster deadline time this year for the clubs to be aware of and does not turn in the state team roster until the last possible moment in case of any last minute changes to the state team.

This year's state championship team will qualify as the 2012 state team traveling to Wisconsin next September, possibly to fish the LaCrosse area - tba.

TBF OPENS
There are two regular TBF opens and a championship event this year. $150 entry fee per open tournament per team. Each team must also pay a $30 non-refundable team registration fee that goes towards the championship payout. If you fish any event with a different person, you become a new team and must pay the $30 team fee again.

The $150 tournament entry for the two regular opens is paid out 100% at each event.

If you sign up at any event, there is an additional $15 late fee that goes to the state team. All other money goes to the open events.

May 29 on Muskegon Lake is the first open with about 47 teams registered so far.
July 17 is the second Lake St. Clair open with about 49 teams registered so far.

Top 50% of the finishers qualifies to fish the championship event at Coldwater Chain on October 8-9, 2011. There is a $75 entry per team at this event. Coldwater chamber donated money generously and a flat screen TV to be given out as incentive, and is providing a meal for the event.

Bonus money includes the team that catches the overall highest total weight from all events fished gets $2,000. Highest finishing team with both TBF members gets a $1,000 prize.

MEMBERSHIP
Per Dennis Beltz, TBF of Michigan is at around 150 members with additional club rosters turned in today. It is important to belong. If you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem (that is from me personally thinking about things like the bass season for example).

TBF Inc should be printing out about 17,000 or more member cards next week and getting them out to member clubs as soon as possible. You will no longer get a new card each year, but just a sticker to add to your card.

Jeff Cox announced that FLW Outdoors has said they will give anyone a one-time pass if you need to say you are a TBF member to fish an event but don't have your TBF member number / card yet. Call FLW Outdoors and talk to them to get taken care of.

[djkimmel]

OTHER TOURNAMENT STUFF
The amount is not known yet, but all Ranger Cup money available to TBF of Michigan will go to the highest eligible state championship finisher. Some of the TBF divisionals will be taped this year and shown on the FLW Outdoors show. BFL's will be taped and available on the Internet.

After a suggestion from Jeff Cox, motion by Dennis Beltz - 2nd by Dan Kimmel - starting in 2012, $2 from every TBF tournament entry will go into a conservation fund to help TBF improve their conservation work.

Any walleye clubs out there, you can get great liability insurance like the bass clubs have for your club at a low cost by joining The Walleye Federation (TWF) similar to TBF, but dues are only $50 per member - $15 to TWF national and $35 to FLW Outdoors so you will get the FLW walleye magazine.

HIGH SCHOOL FISHING
Apparently, there will be a high school fishing state championship the next 3 years in a row at Whitmore Lake in Whitemore Lake Michigan due to a contract recently signed with TBF Inc (national). These events are run by the national office - youth director Mark Gintert - and TBF of Michigan is not directly involved or responsible.

No dates or other details available at this time. You can also check HighSchoolFishing.org - the student angler federation official website - for details that are available so far, or to register now for the event. Online tournament registration is now open for all SAF State Championships at http://register.highschoolfishing.org. These are team events that will require 2 team members and a coach/boat captain who will be driving your boat. You will need all of their information in order to register.

There is an additional 'High School World Finals' event on Lake Dardanelle in Russelville Arkansas 7/18/2011 - 7/23/2011 that any high school student can fish - you do not have to qualify through your state championship to fish this event. If you do not fish a state championship first, you will just have to pay a $25 entry fee for this event. There is no entry fee for active student angler federation members.

Winners can expect college scholarships, prizes and an invitation to fish the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing National Championship out of a custom wrapped Ranger boat!

EMAIL BLASTS AVAILABLE
If your club has a color ad available for a club tournament event, they can send it to TBF Inc and TBF will do an email blast to members within the appropriate distance from the event for you for free. Ranger dealers can also get this service for their events. Also, if you or your club has a human interest story, please contact TBF Inc because they have a writer and 4 whole pages in FLW Outdoors magazine to fill.

MEMBER BONUSES
Ranger Boats voucher program is back again! If you are a TBF member and you buy a new Ranger Boat TELL THE DEALER!!! You get a $300 clothing certificate and free Ranger Owners Group including Ranger Cup eligibility while getting your TBF of Michigan federation a $125 contribution that is much needed for growing and improving. Visit www.rangerbonusvoucher.com for details or ask your Ranger Boats dealer.

There's a similar program available for new Evinrude outboard purchases and repowering, along with a state champion reward program. Please visit bassfederation.com or ask your local dealer for details. There is also a free bonus program available through the new Cabelas sponsorship of TBF - Cabelas Angler Cash.

For information on Berkley product discounts and other products available to TBF members only in limited quantity, visit the TBF store for details. This for members only and you will have to login with your TBF member info.

I think that is most of the stuff covered at the meeting. Get those memberships and entries in.

[Skip Johnson]

Dan it looks like you got much more than "some" of the notes.
Thank you very much for taking the time to be so detailed in taking notes and posting what is happening with TBF of Mi, it is very important for TBF members as well as non members to see what's going on and your doing a great job doing that.

I had just a days notice that Jeff was standing down and moving to Nationals and to say the least I was shocked and not thrilled about it, Jeff has worked quite hard for TBF to grow and be a better organization, to say that I can fill Jeff's shoes is something I will not do but I will do my best to keep TBF of Mi moving forward and I plan on continuing Jeff's plans.
Jeff and I are close friends and he has assured me he will still be very involved, he is able to do this through "The Past Presidents Committee" so don't count him out just because he is not on the TBF of Mi board, it is in my hopes that past President Dennis Beltz will lend me some assistance as well, both of these men are great assets to TBF of Mi.

Something I must ask all who read this is please join TBF or similar organizations.
We must be united as fisherman for the greater good of the sport and for our children to enjoy the sport in their future.

To protect our rights as fisherman and be good stewards of Mother Nature we must be members of organizations such as TBF, in this political society and legal system individual voices go UN heard and eventually silent but large organizations such as TBF and FLW can not be ignored.

There are several large organizations working diligently to take away our rights and freedoms, the only way to combat them is to stand as tall as them.
TBF and FLW have partnered up to protect our rights and freedoms, we need all of you to please join, you don't have to do anything more than that to be a part of protecting your rights.

I joined TBF of Mi for one reason and that is to be a part of protecting what we love, I can fish a tournament just about any day of the week without being a TBF or FLW member and honestly if I was not as passionate as I am about protecting our fishing rights I would not be a member of anything and Id be fishing right now instead of typing this.

I'm not online often so I apologize if I miss a TBF topic, if anyone would like to contact me my cell # is 810-531-2191 and my email is castnblastskip@gmail.com

Skip Johnson
TBF of Mi President

[1javelin]

Congrats Skip!

1jav

[djkimmel]

Skip, I sure do appreciate that you put your money where you mouth is.

As we move towards getting back on the bass season issue, I hope to make a big push to get more people actively involved and COUNTED.

[ROI Outdoors]

PRESIDENT SKIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Goals for the New President for 2011 are as follows:

1. Grow membership to over 500 members

2. Obtain 3 boats to give away for the year

3. Gain 3 New National TBF Sponsors (wait that's Jeff's new goal!)

GO PRESIDENT SKIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[djkimmel]

Luke, looking at my notes, I don't see you as in attendance? Do you have a signed note?

[ROI Outdoors]

Luke, looking at my notes, I don't see you as in attendance? Do you have a signed note?

I had a Dr.'s note.......J. "National Board" Cox will verify.

[MBell]

Luke was busy ruining some crankbaits with nail polish.   
-Matt

[djkimmel]

Jack Cahn is president. I think Skip is vice president.

I have not talked to Jeff about the bass season. I've been too busy trying to get enough work to pay bills to take on anything else. I do not know what Jeff has been doing since I did not personally have the time available to start something new right now. I hope to at some point but right now, I can't do it.

[djkimmel]

I do hope to get back at it. I think the time is about right again to work on improving the bass season - probably not to where some would like it but more legal fishing opportunity always sounds good to me.