AT THE HELM BY PRESIDENT LEPEAK

Transcription

1 President s Message AT THE HELM BY PRESIDENT LEPEAK A warm hello to all the Steelheaders of The Thumb Chapter of the Michigan Steelheaders. I bet all you Snowbirds are loving this warmer than usual summer up here this year, just remember to take all this hot stuff back with you when go South this winter! As we roll into August our club activities are slowing down a bit. We have Lady's night on August 16th and nomination and election of officers and board members for the next two monthly meetings. Less activities means one thing to me "More Time To Fish". We as a group have worked hard and accomplished a lot this year. To everyone involved by your time or buying raffle tickets to support the Club - Thank You. Fishing this year in our neck of the Lake has been pretty good so far. Just enough Walleyes to keep you going back again for a few more, but not so easy that you pop a limit in one or two hours every trip. Lakers seem to be coming at the usual catch rate so far, along with more than normal Pinks this year. But the Real Surprise this year has been some realy nice Perch coming out of Lake Huron down by Port Sanilac, and not just for a day here and a day there, nice steady real Perch fishing. To quote director Brandon Stanton, "I felt like a kid at Christmas time yanking Jumbo Perch" during our Veterans Fishing Day in July! Another Eye-popper were the Big Ol colored-up Hooked Jawed Brown Trout coming out of Harbor Beach! Again not just one here and one there, a real Brown Trout fishery on a fairly regular basis out where we target Walleyes this time of the Year. Get out in 50 to 70 feet of water South of Harbor Beach and watch a sunrise and crank in a few Browns. Remember, don't keep those browns a secret, tell everybody including the creel census worker about this good Brown fishery we have. This is so important if we want the DNR to go back to stocking larger Browns in the fall again. This stocking worked and we need to start it up again. Mort Neff once said, "There's no point in picking apart other programs, there are many things you can find wrong with the world. The key is to find what works, and repeat it, build on it. Don't even waste time talking about things that don't work." Well said my friend. Steelhead fishing has been real steady all season so far. They try to hide but with all those boats with Thumb Steelheader decals on them out on the prowl, they don't stay hidden for long! Our Steelhead remind me of small Tarpin when they hit a Hi-line trolling at close to 4mph. Normally we yell "Fish-on" and "There he is, a hundred yards behind the boat 5 feet in the air" all in one quick sentence! And last but not least, have you had Big Kings try to rip your rods out of your boat like they have in mine? Well enough of that, people are going to think I work for the Harbor Beach Chamber of Commerce, but I don't, just telling it like it is. This is election time, a time when you will see politicians out working for your vote. This the best time to speak your mind and give them a polite earful of what we expect of them if they want Steelheaders votes! I can give you a few speaking topics. 1. We want some general fund money to help fund the Fisheries Division of the DNR. Our sportsman's license money has carried the freight too long for all kinds of projects that EVERYBODY uses and benefits from. Towns August, 2012 and businesses are making Millions off the fish WE paid to raise in hatcherys. Share some of their collected tax money with us in order to keep our fishery alive and well. 2. Keep the heat on whoever needs it and keep Aisian Carp out of our Great Lakes. We can start by investing in better patrols to keep LIVE CARP from coming into Michigan in the backs of trucks. 3. Properly fund and add more people who oversee the ballast water in the ships plying the Great Lakes. We do not need, nor do we want, any more invasive species in our Lakes. Don't be shy, now is the time to talk up and then vote! To end this article I want to hit on a subject that was a real home run this year in our organization, The Warriors Fishing Day on July 22nd out of Harbor Beach. I always thought there isn't much you can say to a Vet but thank-you for your service. Well let me tell you, Board member Kevin Ramsey took it to the next level this year by spearheading this new project for us. Taking it upon himself to speak at numerous meetings around the Thumb he was able to round up boat Captains and their boats, and the ever needed funding to pull off this project. Kevin never took no for an answer. Alot of people helped Kevin in this endeavor, but as I have learned over the years you need a good leader to keep things on track and moving forward. The Vets loved it. Blue skies, flat water and good fishing along with a nice picnic lunch afterward in a Free Country, truly a Great Day In America! To all our service members, we owe you alot. Tight lines and I hope to see you out on our own piece of heaven right here on earth, Lake Huron. It is critical that all fishermen return tagged fish. See instructions at all cleaning stations in the area. Sept. 20 Oct. 18 Upcoming Events Regular Regular

2 MSSFA STATE BOARD MEETING June 27th, 2012 Most of the meeting was devoted to an open discussion with the newly appointed MDNR Fisheries Chief Jim Dexter. Review of Jim's years with the DNR and his experience in Wild Life management. Along with the appointment of Jim Dexter, Mr. Rodney Stokes was appointed by the Governor to special advisor to help our cities to become more "Vibrant and inviting by enhancing their existing resources". The governor also names Keith Creagh as the new DNR director and Jamie Clover Adams as MDARD director. Rumors have it, that some of these appointments are being changed. Dr. Merkel can explain it better then I can. The only fact that came out of the discussion was that Jim was going to put together a "Strategic plan" for the lakes by getting all of his people together and requesting input from the general public. Whatever that means. Rumors have it that Jim is a good guy and easy to work with. Let's hope it's not some of the same old same old. A question was asked about Sr. license cost and or the elimination of Sr. licenses. The facts are, that it is not necessary that a senior buy a special license but has the option to purchase a regular license if they so desire. If individual license are purchased instead of a package, the DNR will receive more federal funds. A financial report was presented quickly and approved. Nothing earth shattering. Jack R. Noble Non Traditional Fish Boil The measurements and procedures are simple. For every gallon of water, use a half cup of canning salt. For every diner, use two potatoes, one onion and up to ¼ pound of fish. Lake trout is the traditional choice. Leave the skin on to hold the fish together. Or use chunked fillets of any salmonid. Now take small red potatoes and cut a small slice from each so they absorb more flavor. Do the same to medium yellow onions. Peel but leave whole. One gallon of water or less is usually sufficient. Stir the salt into the water and bring to a rapid boil. Start timing ingredients when the water is boiling. Add the potatoes and boil for about 12 minutes. Add the onions and boil for six minutes longer. Finally, add the fish and boil for 10 more minutes. Many optional items can make their way into the pot, such as carrots, celery, sweet corn and garlic cloves. Some cooks add seafood seasoning, bay leaves, peppercorns or other herbs in a cheesecloth package. Up to now, the fish boil is relatively low in fat. This is remedied once you plate the whole mess by slopping it with massive amounts of melted butter. A squirt of lemon juice is optional. Kids Fishing Day BY RICH HARP from Huron Daily Tribune HARBOR BEACH The Children s Fishing Derby took place last Saturday, July 28, 2012 at Water Works Park in Harbor Beach. Nineteen boats, 46 kids, and numerous volunteers showed for the annual event, sponsored by the local Thumb Chapters Steelheaders Association. Tim Burton said the fishing outing for local kids started nearly two decades ago when he and some fishing captains asked the question, What can we do for the kids? The answer was unanimous. Let s take them fishing. Bettty Burton said her records showed the event was 15 years old. Local fishing captains made the event an annual thing for the kids and it kept growing. This year, our group took out 46 kids, Tim Burton said. The group of captains eventually turned the event over to the Thumb Chapter of the Michigan Steelheaders. Present at the event was Steve Lepeak of Port Austin, president of the Thumb Chapter Michigan Steelheaders.. Taking this on takes a lot of effort, Lepeak said. One person does the most to put it on and that s Annette Smith. Lepeak said each child got a fishing rod and reel as part of the day s event. They also received a goodie bag and a luncheon after the fishing was over. Ms Smith raises most of the fundraising for the gifts and in honor of her service, the Thumb Chapters Michigan Steelheaders gave her a framed certificate of appreciation. Lepeak also praised the fishing captains who took the children out. He said a boat captain can use between $50 and $100 in gas for fishing and hauling the boat to Harbor Beach to take the youngsters fishing. They did it for the kids and the community, he said. Steelheader Art Farden spearheads the gift giving for the event. He owns Let s Go Fishing in Harbor Beach. He furnished all the fishing rods and reels at cost to the Steelheaders. Farden would like to give others the credit. He said between 70 and 80 businesses and individuals donated gifts and cash for the day s event. He was especially grateful to the Harbor Beach Recreation Department, which gave the Steelheaders free docking on Saturday and Sunday. They re really a big help to us and we re very appreciative, he said. This year s event was called short due to rough water and winds. Nonetheless, nice coolers of fish were caught by the youngsters in about three hours. Steelhead, brown trout and huge bass were taken. Mike Bailey has been a volunteer for the event for about 13 years. He has taken the youngsters on his boat and has helped on other boats. One of the weirdest things I ever heard happened today, he said. Bailey said the fishing line broke when someone was trying to land a fish. While reeling in the cannonball line, they realized the fishing line was wrapped around it. The fish was barely hooked on the line release, he said. The crew had to hand over hand the fishing line onto the boat. When the ordeal was over, a nice brown trout was landed for the young fisherwoman. Who caught the biggest fish? The honor went to Miss Barnes of Harbor Beach.

3 Pig Roast Thanks Grant, Great job! Two of the 3 winners were present at the pig roast. $1000 went to Mike Zakrzewski (left), $300 went to Jerry Krage, and $200 went to Shirley Kolish (right). Please take a look at your address block on the back of this newsletter. Just above your name is the date that your membership will expire. If your dues are coming up in the next quarter, please reduce our mailing cost by filling out the form below and sending it along with a check for $30 to our membership chairman at: Tom Smith 1580 Deckerville Rd. Snover, MI

4 Veterans Enjoy a Day of Fishing Thanks to Thumb Chapter On Sunday July 22nd, the Thumb Chapter of the Michigan Steelheaders held their first annual Warrior Charter, a free day of fishing for local Veterans. The event turned out to be a great success, filling all participating Vets with nice fish, great food, and a ton of fun. Boaters launched Sunday morning around 6:00 am and convened for a meet and greet with the Veterans at 6:30, where local merchants provided us with coffee and cookies for our orientation. We had friends and family with golf carts giving Veterans a ride down to their assigned boats where they left the Marina with the Coast Guard honoring their service as they posted at the North Gap of the harbor. It was a true spectacle. Twenty-four boats donated their time to assist in the program, coming from all reaches of Michigan. One boat came all the way from Columbiaville, Michigan to help honor our Veterans! Forty-six Veterans of all ages came to fish, our youngest Vet being 23, while our most seasoned Vet being 88 years old. A few fishermen (and women) helping were already docked at nearby ports, so Veterans were transported from Harbor Beach to those ports and after fishing were brought back for the luncheon. We met back at a pavilion near the Harbor Beach Marina for a luncheon at 1:00 pm, where our support staff provided us with a fantastic meal of brats, hotdogs, numerous salads, chips, drinks and desserts. We ate and reminisced of the catch while creating great friendships and sharing in the stories told by guest speaker and local outdoorsman Pastor Jerry Sutton. Pastor Sutton is a hunting and fishing enthusiast who loves promoting the great bond between our natural habitats and our family and friends. Gift bags that were filled with donated prizes of all sorts were handed out to each Veteran that participated, as well as their very own Warrior Charter ball cap to go with it. The vast number of smiles and tears of joy made the work involved seem miniscule, and were a definite motivation to enlarge next year s event to get more Veterans out fishing with us. I cannot explain the amount of respect that I hold for those who served. Veterans have set any selfishness aside as they went to serve their country. Leaving the people and things they loved was their price to give assurance to the freedoms we hold today. Taking one day of the year to show them the thrills we find on the water is not nearly enough to pay them back for all they have done, but it is a great start. With the success and response we had to this year s Veterans fishing outing, it is a guarantee that we will continue on with another event each year to come. I hope to spread the word so that we gain the support and local boaters needed to take out around 100 Veterans next year. There are well over 2500 Veterans in the Thumb and it is time for us to let them know that we still care for them and that we would love to spend some time with them on the water. Harbor Beach s local citizens and merchants, as well as those from surrounding communities, gave us the support we needed to turn the key on this first year event. The generous funding, food, and prizes, along with members of the Thumb Area Steelheaders and their families, made it all possible and will not be forgotten for what they have done. I know the cause is near to all of our hearts and I cannot thank those enough who have made this possible. If you would like to learn more about this year s Warrior Charter, or are interested in next year s program, please contact me via at krramsey@svsu.edu, or call (989) (please call after 6:00 pm). Thank you again to those who have served, as well as those who support them, Kevin Ramsey, Board Member, Thumb Area Steelheaders Kevin Ramsey (right) did a wonderful job organizing the event. Lt. to Rt. Harold Susalla, Leanard Rice & the oldest vet (88) is Dennis Essenmacher. They fished aboard The Prior Commitment

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6 Temp-Return Service Requested Ausust, 2012 Take a Kid Fishing! A. J. Lewis & Ezra Henry aboard Hangloose on Kids Day. OFFICERS Steve Lepeak (2012) President (989) Grant Sadler (2012) Vice President (989) Jerry Lawrence (2021) Secretary (989) Phillip Allen (2012) Treasurer (989) BOARD OF DIRECTORS Douglass Vatter (989) Tom Smith (810) Brandon Stanton (989) Kevin Ramsey (989) Ken Merckel (989) STATE REPRESENTATIVE Jack Noble (989) CHAIRMEN OF CLUB COMMITTEES Tom Smith Membership & Refreshment Chairman (810) Kevin Ramsey Veterans Fishing Day Chairman (989) Jerry Lawrence Net Pen Chairman (989) Grant Sadler Pig Roast Chairman (989) Doug Vatter Pig Roast Co-Chairman (989) Jerry Lawrence Newsletter Chairman (989) Steve Schwab Newsletter Co-Chairman (989) Art Farden Kids Fishing Day Chairman (989) Jerry Lawrence Kids Fishing Day Co-Chairman (989) Kevin Ramsey Pig Roast 50/50 Raffle Chairman (989) Cherie Lepeak Meeting Door Prize Chairwoman (989) Emily Nutty 50/50 Raffle Chairwoman (989) Steve Schwab Club Website Chairman (989) Check Out Our New Website! Visit Sign up for delivery of this newsletter! Meetings are held the 3 rd Thursday of the month at the Ubly Fox Hunters Club on M-19, two miles south of M Board of Directors 6:30 PM and Regular meeting comes to 7:30