The Bass Federation Conservation Directors form four advisory teams

As was previously reported in the July edition of FLW Outdoors, The Bass Federation Conservation Directors formed four advisory teams to help meet the needs our resources and to support our membership. The teams formed during the TBF National Championship presented by the National Guard in Branson, Mo. are focused on media, legislative, education and conservation project development. Each team consists of at least one state conservation director from each region. Although there is activity in most of the areas, the legislative team would like to update TBF members and others on the steps we are taking to monitor important issues, the actions that are needed to prepare us to be better informed and be ready to respond as rapidly and efficiently as we can when necessary.

The major issue for all fishermen and fisheries biologist is the need for clean water and access to the same. There are two major activities that we need to monitor; the increased demand for water and possible legislation that could affect our waters.

As the urban population continues to explode across the Nation, many cities and states will not have sufficient water resources for the increased demand. Presently, the Oklahoma Attorney General is asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the North Texas water district that claims it has the right to buy billions of gallons of water in Oklahoma. Oklahoma has a moratorium on out-of-state water sales. San Antonio, Texas is proposing a pipeline from the Gulf of Mexico to supply water to that urban area with the continued pressure placed on the Edwards Aquifer, the major supply for that area. You can be sure these same types of issues are going on in most of your regions as well. Although we do not have a clear solution to the problem, we need to make sure our lakes, rivers and streams are not compromised by restrictions on the fishing, boating or other recreational uses. We also need to continue to closely monitor Federal legislation on water and water rights.

The challenges we face is how do we organize, keep everyone informed and at the same time respond to our elected officials in a fast and efficient manner. There are several things we can do and some are already in progress.

Presently we have developed several partnerships with other like-minded organizations, similar to the one we have with FLW Outdoors. Our plan is to continue adding more organizations that share the same focus on conservation issues and have established over site on federal legislative issues. These partnerships will help keep us better informed on important issues; they also add a greater voice to the concerns of TBF members during any legislative process. To increase the focus of individual state issues, we are identifying contacts in the various state fisheries/DNR divisions. The fisheries department in our states should be our first line of communication concerning issues that affect local/state waters. As always anyone having questions, needing help with an issue or finding a local contact in your area can contact the National TBF office.

The key to responding on conservation issues is the development of state/club response networks. TBF state federations are developing email contacts in every club. The clubs will be asked to develop an email process directly to their local members. On a much broader scale, TBF headquarters already has the ability to issue a call to action, via our national email blast system helping us activate our more than 30,000 TBF members in a matter of hours. For those who are not current TBF members, we invite you to join TBF for there is power in numbers and one more person can make a difference. Member or not please fill free to interface with a local club or our National Conservation office to stay informed and available to help in support of issues as they come up. All of these are important elements in keeping our lakes, rivers and streams available for access and continuing to improve the quality of our fisheries.

The goal of the TBF Conservation Directors is to “Save Our Fisheries Together”. These are four simple words; however we must work together with our partners, TBF members, fisheries professionals, and individuals to meet the challenges in the future so there will be clean fishable water available, not only for us, but for those generations to come.

Don Linder

Oklahoma Bass

Jim Gildea Is The Eastern Division Champion, Vermont Wins Third Eastern Division Championship Team Title In Four Years

16 Eastern Division anglers advance to the 2010 TBF Federation National Championship, Presented by The National Guard.

Weston Massachusetts angler Jim Gildea showed why he is a “big stick” in the eastern division as he propelled himself to the top of the Eastern Division standings at just the right time….on the final day.

Gildea’s three day total of 46 pounds and 5 ounces was nearly five pounds ahead of Canadian angler Dr. Alvin Tung’s final weight of 41-08 who finished second, both of these anglers made their jump to the top on the final day. Gildea’s fish came while “junk” fishing, Gildea was scrambling from fish to fish and throwing “just about everything”, he said. Most of his fish came off or near the river channel buoys on the south end of Lake Champlain. The affable Gildea is no stranger to the leaderboard in the new England circuits, but a TBF Eastern Division Champion title is something he was thrilled to have and something no one can ever take away from him, this year in 2009, he is the very best there is in the Eastern Division. Not only does Gildea win the division champions title and plaque, he is on his way to the 2010 TBF Federation, National Championship, presented by the National Guard the week of April 19th in Knoxville, TN. He also would up with the Castrol Maximum Performer Bonus Cash Award and the Ranger Cup bonus money in this event.

The first two days, Tung fished smallmouth and did ok but was not getting the weight he needed, the final day he switched to targeting largemouth with one Nories NF60 Frog , it paid off in a big way as his final day bag of 19-15 was the biggest of the event and pushed his total to 41-08. Only two ounces back at 41-06 is New York’s Tim Post, Post led his team from wire to wire during the event he also weighted in his biggest bag on the final day that weighed 14-15. Rounding out the top five was Vermont’s Todd Burnelle 40-11 and Maine’s Eric Guimond with 39-11.

In the team standings it was Vermont! Massachusetts led the first day and New Hampshire the second but the Vermont team also took the lead on the final day. Vermont has won three of the last four years of division champions titles. New Hampshire was the defending champions however, the Vermont team wanted the Division Cup back in Vermont, they worked together as a team and they went and got it by a margin of nearly 40 pounds.

Applebaum still leads, New Hampshire overtakes Massachusetts

September 17, 2009, Ticonderoga, NY – The second of the three competition days of the 2009 TBF Eastern Division Championship closed out today with everyone moving in the standings and the New Hampshire squad rallying their team to a total of 241 pounds and 1 ounce, enough to overtake the day 1 leaders from Massachusetts who now sits in second at 237-02. Vermont drops one place as well to third with 234-07, Rhode Island made the biggest jump from 7th to fourth ( 189-09). New York had 184-09 and moved up one to fifth, the TBF Canadian Bass Anglers Federation, from Ontario moved up from eighth to sixth with 182-05. Connecticut dropped two places from fifth to seventh and ended up one ounce behind Ontario, 182-04 and four pounds back sits Maine at 178-04. So with everyone changing places today tomorrow final day will be big in determining the division champs, no one has a lock on it now.

Competition is tight!

In the individual overall race and the races for the 16 TBF Federation national Champions spots that are up for grab Matt Applebaum, continued his roll today adding 16 pounds and 1 ounce, the day’s biggest bag to land keep him in the top spot with 33-07. Applebaum says he is “on a bunch of fish” and excitedly exclaimed that”it is about time.” If his fish will hold out for one more day he will be tough to beat but it certainly is not a runaway as Massachusetts angler Jim Gildea is less than two pounds behind him and anchoring the Massachusetts team with 31-08, while New Hampshire’s Brian Morin is locked in at third with 29-13. Gerard Ling form Ontario, weighed in another 14 plus pounds bag today to hold down the fourth place spot with a weight of 29 pounds even. Other state leaders are; Tim Post still leads the New York team with a two day weight of 26-07 (tied at 10th overall) but his team mate Jim Jeffries has closed the gap to within 5 ounces. (26-02, 13th overall), for Connecticut Scott Janus (25-08, 15th overall) still leads that team even as the Connecticut team slid in the standings today and he has competition less than a pound behind him as well in team mate John Gillies, (24-04 18th place overall.) Ed Forbes leads the Maine group with 24-01, 19th overall, his closest competition for a spot in the TBF Federation National Championship is Keith Aucoin at 23-07 (21st place overall). It took 22-12 to lead the Rhode Island team and that honor goes to Leo Bevelaqua, who sits in 26th place overall, like every other leader he has an angler right behind him in his state and that would be Rhode Island big stick Johnny Nee. Nee is in 29th overall and 1-02 behind Bevelaqua with 21-10. Remember the top angler from each TBF state advances as a boater to the 2010 TBF Federation National Championship, Presented by the National Guard, but the second place angler is far from being left out; they will advance as the co-angler to the same event.

Final day weigh in begins at the city of Ticonderoga city boat ramp at 3:00pm EST, it is free to the public.

Massachusetts Leads the team standings, Matthew Applebaum from Vermont is the individual overall leader

Ticonderoga, NY – September 16, 2009- Ninety-six championship anglers from 7 TBF state federations and one Canadian provincial federation converged on Lake Champlain at Ticonderoga New York this week to compete in the 2009 TBF Eastern Division Championship.

The city of Ticonderoga rolled out the red carpet for the TBF anglers and made them feel right at home. Many of the anglers have been here for a week or more and some of the local businesses are already calling them by name! It is really a beautiful place and full of history, if you ever want to go to a place that treats you “like home” where you can learn some about our history and catch some very nice fish in the process…..Ticonderoga is your destination.

TBF anglers caught 49 limits of bass today out of the Champlain waters and a total of 362 fish. The Champlain Fish were HUNGRY! It was a good day!

This event is a “two in one” championship event where we track two sets of standings. All money is paid out based on where each 12 person state team finishes and a collective group…that’s one standing. Then, the top two anglers from each state advance to the 2010 TBF Federation National Championship, presented by the National Guard, the top angler as the boater and the second place angler as a co-angler, so 16 will advance from this event.

In the state standings, Massachusetts leads! The squad from Massachusetts hovered near the top all during the weigh-in but the final few bags weighed pushed them over the top with a team weight of 129 pounds and 12 ounces. It is not, however a runaway. Vermont is right behind them with 127-10, New Hampshire sits in third at 123-13, so only six pounds separate’s the top three teams. Maine and Connecticut are in fifth and sixth with 101-05 and 90-09 respectively. While New York – 84-05, Rhode Island – 82-14 and Canada – 80-06 rounds out the field. Two more days to go, 12 anglers per team fishing….. this deal is still wide open and a long way from done.

In the race for the division champion’s title and the Castrol Maximum Performer award bonus Vermont’s Matthew Applebaum has a three ounce lead over Massachusetts Angler Ed Soule. 17.06 vs 17.03

Jim Gildea, another Massachusetts big stick is breathing down their necks and holding down the third place spot with 16.15. Fourth place and the Connecticut team lead belong to Scott Janus who brought in a 16.11 bag. John Coloutti from Castleton, VT rounds out the top five with 15.05.

Other state leaders are Bruce Acox, he is 7th overall and leads New Hampshire with 15.04, Eric Guimond is in eight overall and leads the Maine state team he weighed in 14.13. The Canadian Bass Anglers Federation, TBF newest International Federation is here attending their first divisional. Their team leader is Gerard Ling, he is tied for eighth overall with 14.13. New York’s leader is Tim Post, Tim was the second angler to weigh in today, and he posted a weight of 13.14, which was good enough to hold the New York lead for the entire day. Rhode Island angler Ronald Bestwick anchors his team with 10.01.