The original Wintzell’s Oyster house is an historic landmark located in the equally historic 300-year-old port city of Mobile, AL.  It has been open for over 75 years and is known far and wide for its oysters – “fried, stewed or nude.”

“From the time I was a kid heading to the Coast or New Orleans, I always made a stop at Wintzell’s,” says Scott.  “Their gumbo and bread pudding are the best inside or outside of New Orleans.  And that’s just for starters.  We’ve got a Wintzell’s now in my hometown of Montgomery.  I’ll make a lunch out of their grilled oysters and fried green tomatoes with crawfish sauce.”

The Pittsburgh restaurant, located at 530 Bruceton Avenue, Pleasant Hills, PA, will be the first outside Alabama and Scott thinks the city is a great choice.  “I’ll be in the store on opening day, May 14, between the hours of 2:00 – 4:00 signing some books and I hope I get to meet a lot of Pennsylvania bass fishermen and hunters.  And, if you’re affiliated with a B.A.S.S. Federation or club, Wintzell’s has a complimentary cup of their world famous gumbo for you.  You guys come, or like we say in the South, y’all come.”

Pa Bass Federation Nation, Inc. Members. 

     It is time to change the guard .  Ben Bilott will be your new president as of Jan 1, 2013.  I know you will give Ben the ultimate loyal support you have shown me during my tenure as president.

     In my opinion, the Federation is in as good a position as ever to move  forward to bigger and better accomplishments and it is my absolute belief that Ben and the re-aligned executive board will take us there.

     My undying gratitude and thanks goes to the Executive Board and Directors that I had the privilege of working with.  They made it all happen.

     The Pa Bass Federation Nation, Inc. will have a new name as of Jan 1, 2013.  We will be known as B.A.S.S. Nation, which will encompass not only us but all affiliated bass clubs.  There are more changes coming and I trust that you will embrace these changes coming and will make our organization stronger and friendlier than ever.  We have come a long way since 2006 and there is no way to go but up with allegiance to your new officers.

     In closing, I am thanking each and every one of you for your support and help again, with a special thanks to my Executive Board.

     Wishing you and all your families happy holidays and a healthy and prosperous New Year.

Sincerely

Jim Delesandro

FYI-Letter from our state conservation director Jim Cardillo to B.A.S.S National Conservation Director Noreen Clough.

Noreen,

The Pa. Federation has taken great steps in reviewing and reorganizing our infrastructure after the debilitating events of the past. We continue to rebuild in every facet of the organization. As Conservation Director, I am relatively new to B.A.S.S. and have so much more to learn. I will continue to establish better methods of education and communicate the importance of conservation in what we do as an organization. 

The July 7 & 8 State tournament in Erie certainly did not have the desired results. Although I was not present at this event, I have learned that several factors contributed to the less than desirable conclusion.

Beginning with bass season on Lake Erie, which opens on June 15^th, there’s no predicting the weather when the tournaments are scheduled so far in advance when the permit application is filed. The actual weather was 89 degrees.

The clear majority of the fish that were lost were Smallmouth. They were predominately caught outside of the bay and from deeper cooler water.  This required the optimum care with handling, temperature control, timing, fizzing, rejuvenation additives, and weigh-in procedures. The slightest deviation from optimum care at any phase would have negative impact on the fish survival rates.

I have discussed this event with several key members of the Pa. Federation and

serious discussions will continue to determine ways to avoid remotely similar tournament endings. There are always ways of improving every phase of our tournament activities. Initial discussions have included:

1. 79% release rate, under the circumstances, is still unacceptable. Weigh-in procedures that focus solely on the welfare of the fish, and not the anglers, will improve.
2. Member instruction on the basic care in handling fish (i.e. hook set, hook removal, bringing the fish on board, tagging, live well conditions, weigh-in care, etc) will continue on our web site, at pre-tournament meetings, and at quarterly State meetings.

      3.  The avoidance of summer tournaments on Lake Erie.

4. Limiting the Erie tournaments to inside the bay, and not permitting access to the

deeper water outside the bay lake when temperatures are excessive.

As unfortunate as this event was, it will be used as a reminder that we cannot take for granted the normal routines that are used during any given tournament. Each event will have extenuating circumstances that will require adjustments in the many procedures that make up a tournament. Every member that takes part in any related event has the responsibility to do their very best to insure that the fish leave their possession in better health than before their capture. Although all of the lost fish were given to those who appreciated them for food, we will use this occurrence as the impetus to improve.  

Please see the links below to Bassmaster.com for the new Certificate of Insurance request form.  We have changed insurance brokers (the insurance company is the same) so the old AON form and contacts will no longer work.

 Please get this information out to your clubs.

 Thanks,

 Don

PDF link:

http://www.bassmaster.com/sites/default/files/imce/BASS-COI-RequestForm-20120927.pdf

http://www.bassmaster.com/tips/manage-federation-club

B.A.S.S. Opens Registration for Unique Bassmaster Marshal Program

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. members will have an exclusive opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the world’s best bass anglers as registration for the Bassmaster Elite Series Marshal program opens this month for the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series season (see schedule below). The program gives members a unique glimpse into the world of the pros as they spend tournament days on the water, observing as the fishermen employ strategies and special tactics to bring in the biggest catches during the eight-tournament Bassmaster Elite Series season.

“The Bassmaster marshal program’s popularity has grown immensely since its inception,” said Trip Weldon, B.A.S.S. tournament director. “Imagine getting eight hours of one-on-one, on-the-water classroom instruction from the best bass anglers in the world. Bassmaster Elite Series pros have embraced the program, and they are willing to share a wealth of information that is sure to help their marshals become better anglers once they return home.”

Marshal registration for B.A.S.S Federation Nation and Life members opens Sept. 25 at 9 a.m. CST for online applications and Sept. 27 at 9 a.m. CST for phone applications. All B.A.S.S. members can register online Oct. 2 beginning at 9 a.m. CST and by phone Oct. 4 at 9 a.m. CST.

According to Weldon, scoring a marshal slot can be a challenge as B.A.S.S. members play a beat-the-clock game to submit their entries to serve as marshals for their favorite tournament locations.

“We have many serious and dedicated fans, and some tournaments have all marshal spots filled within 15 minutes of registration opening,” Weldon said.

Before each event, participating marshals attend a registration and briefing by B.A.S.S. officials, who provide them with copies of Bassmaster tournament rules. The marshals’ familiarity with the rules helps ensure the integrity of the highest level of professional fishing. Marshals, who must be at least 16 years old to participate, are randomly paired with Elite Series pros.

Marshals will also have the opportunity while on the water to operate BASSTrakk, a cell-phone-based scoring technology, which broadcasts data to the Bassmaster.com website, allowing fans to follow up-to-the-minute tournament action as Elite anglers battle it out for the top prize of $100,000.

All Elite Series marshals participate on the first two days of Elite Series competition, and some are selected to observe the pros on Day 3 or Day 4.

B.A.S.S. members who are interested in becoming marshals can register at www.Bassmaster.com/marshal or by calling 877-BASSUSA. The enrollment fee is $125, which includes an exclusive Bassmaster marshal shirt and hat.

About B.A.S.S.

For more than 40 years, B.A.S.S. has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and an expansive tournament structure while connecting directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.

The Bassmaster brand and its multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications —Bassmaster Magazine and B.A.S.S. Times — comprehensive website Bassmaster.com and ESPN2 and Outdoor Channel television programming,Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, Cabela’s B.A.S.S. Federation Nation events and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.

B.A.S.S. offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members and remains focused on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala.

-30-

Media Contact: Cara Clark, 205-313-0955, cclark@bassmaster.com, or Dave Precht, 205-313-0931, dprecht@bassmaster.com