Martha's Vineyard Surfcasters Association P.O. Box 3053 Edgartown, MA 02539 www.mvsurfcasters.org March 2018 Newsletter Hello Surfcasters! Sping has arrived. Yippee! Is everyone as excited and happy as I am? It s almost time to start fishing again (for those of us who do not go ice fishing). I hope to see all, or many, of you out on the shores this spring, landing lots of big fish and having a great time doing what we love. Support our MVSA Scholarship fundraiser: The MVSA annual used tackle sale will be held Saturday, May 26 of Memorial Day weekend. All monies raised go toward the MVSA scholarships for graduating high school seniors. (Photo courtesy Peter Johnson) President Don needs our help to collect more rods, reels, nets, waders, and bigger type items. If you can t make it to one of our Monday night meetings to drop off your donations, please call Don (203) 240-0730 to arrange a time and place to drop off. Please bring your Tackle Sale donations to our next meetings: April 2 or May 7!
Derby History It s been fun reading through the list of MVSA member accomplishments in the MV Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby over the last twenty-eight years. Huge THANKS to Ron Domurat for compiling all the info. If you find any missing info, inaccuracies, or typos, please let us know. We d love to get this list as complete as possible, and we need your help to do it. Since1989, the MVSA has had 23 Grand Leaders and 3 Grand Prize winners. This month, check out the impressive accomplishments of: Karen Altieri (who recently joined), Peter Hermann (who got left off earlier, sorry Peter), David Nash, Abby O Connell, Jack A. O Connell, Frank O Rourke, Patrick Paquette, Scott Patterson, Ralph Peckham, Kathi Pogoda, and Steph Pond. Martha s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, 1989-2017 Karen Altieri 2015 All Tackle Shore Bluefish, 1 st (Grand Leader) Peter Herrmann 1993 All Tackle Boat False Albacore, 2nd David Nash 1993 All Tackle Shore False Albacore, 2nd 2002 Fly Rod Shore Bonito, 3 rd 2009 Roberto Germani Memorial Flyrod Catch & Release Award 2010 Flyrod Shore Striped Bass, 3 rd 2014 Arnold Spofford Memorial Award, Shore Bonito 2017 Roberto Germani Memorial Catch & Release, False Albacore 2017 Flyrod Shore False Albacore, 1 st Abby O Connell 2010 Junior All Tackle Shore Bluefish, 3rd 2012 Junior All Tackle Shore Bluefish. 3rd 2014 Junior All Tackle Shore Bluefish, 1st Junior All Tackle Shore False Albacore, 3rd Jack A. O Connell 2015 Jr. All Tackle Shore Bluefish, 1st 2016 Jr. All Tackle Shore Bluefish, 2nd 2016 Jr. Top Rod Award 2017 Cutler Bike Shop Award 2017 Jr. All Tackle Shore Bluefish, 1st
Frank O Rourke 1985 Non-Resident Shore Bluefish, 1st 2003 Flyrod Shore Bluefish, 3rd 2016 Howie Leonard Memorial Award, Senior Shore False Albacore 2016 All Tackle Shore False Albacore, 2nd Patrick Paquette 2016 Roberto Germani Flyrod Catch & Release Award Scott Patterson 2005 Flyrod Shore False Albacore, 1 st 2007 Flyrod Shore False Albacore, 1st 2008 Flyrod Shore False Albacore, 1 st 2010 Flyrod Boat Bonito, 1 st 2010 Flyrod Boat False Albacore, 3rd 2010 Roberto Germani Catch & Release Award Ralph Peckham 1999 All tackle Shore Bluefish, 3rd 2008 All Tackle Shore Bluefish, 1st 2009 All Tackle Shore Bluefish, 3 rd 2013 James P. Catlow Award, largest Shore Bluefish Caught by a Male Resident 2013 All Tackle Shore Bluefish, 1st. (Grand Leader) Kathi Pogoda 2005 Shore False Albacore, 2nd 2010 Howie Leonard Memorial Award, Senior Shore False Albacore 2011 Howie Leonard Memorial Award, Senior Shore False Albacore 2011 All Tackle Shore False Albacore, 3 rd 2012 Arnold Spofford Memorial Award, Senior Shore Bonito 2017 Howie Leonard Memorial Award, Senior Shore False Albacore Steph Pond 2015 Flyrod Shore Striped Bass, 1 st 2016 Flyrod Shore Bluefish, 1 st 2016 Flyrod Shore False Albacore, 3rd 2017 Flyrod Shore Bluefish, 2nd **Corrections If any of these stats are incorrect, please let me, Lisa, or Ron Domurat know. We want to keep the best Derby records we can for the Club. We appreciate your help and understanding.
Kathi Pogoda slammin the Albies! Stef Pond with his winning Striped Bass in 2015. Definitely not a bluefish, but Ralph Peckham still landed the largest fish. David Nash with a winning False Albacore on the fly at the Lighthouse.
Meeting Wrap-Up: What You Missed or Forgot 1. Our next meeting is April 2. Nelson Sigelman will be with us, talking about his new book, his fishing column, and the secret places he fishes. (Hmmmm, maybe not the last bit.) Be there! 2. The MVSA Fishing Tag Sale/Fundraiser will be in May again this year. Don needs donations rods, reels, waders, nets, plugs, whatever fishing gear/stuff you have to give, please bring to the next meeting. We raised $2,000 last year for the scholarship fund, and Don wants to hit that goal again this year. Bring what you have to every meeting, or let Don know and he can pick it up. Don does not need any more fishing line. 3. Yearly dues are. Cost is $30 for the year, whether you re paying for an individual, senior, or family. You can pay at the April meeting or mail your check in (Call President Don). 4. Don is going to order MVSA reusable shopping bags. They will cost about $13 each. He is ordering a sample bag for us to decide on the final color options. 5. Don will be attending the Rhode Island Fishing show. He will purchase prize plugs from Ron McKee and Peter Johnson for the Club at the Expo. 6. We talked about having a yearly photo contest (not pictures of fish). Possibly doing a calendar. We will discuss this idea further at the next meeting. 7. Peter Johnson noted that we need a new theme for our booth at this year s Ag Fair. Kathi Pogoda suggested: Where Are You Now for past scholarship winners. She is going to look into that. 8. We have a MVSA Facebook Page. It is private, for group notices. If you d like to join the group, please send President Don a friend request and he will add you. 9. Spring fishing will soon be upon us. Our yearly First Bass/First Bluefish contest is officially open. Call President Don the day you land your first catch to record your fish. First bass wins a Ron McKee plug. First blue wins a Roberts Lure. 10. Janet Messineo brought up our need for new line boxes at the beaches. President Don is going to make five (5) new boxes out of PVC pipe. Once the boxes are made, we ll ask for Club volunteers to maintain the boxes. 11. Don is going to reach out to Bret Stearns to speak at one of our meetings.
12. Upcoming meeting speakers: April- Nelson Sigelman; May Peter from Larry s Tackle Shop 13. On April 21 there is a Beach Clean-up at Left Fork from 10-12. Please attend. 14. On April 29, there will be a Beach Grass Planting at Lobsterville. Please consider attending and helping out. We can all pitch in to protect our beloved beaches and represent MVSA. We ll have more information in the coming months. 15. Cuttyhunk Fishing Trip MVSA is heading back to Cuttyhunk in June. We ll go midweek when it s cheaper and less crowded. We depart Tuesday, June 12 and return on Thursday, June 14. If you re interested, let Don know or sign up at the Banquet. Cost will be $325, which will include a golf cart for our club members to share. Bring your deposit check to the April meeting!! 16. The 2018 Island Cup will be contested on Nantucket this year. Mark your calendars for Friday, June 15 through Sunday, June 17. Victor will be sharing more info at the Banquet.
Routine Rod Maintenance - Ron Domurat Ron gave a great presentation on routine rod maintenance. While it sounds simple, of course we all clean our rods after fishing, but Ron not only took us through the basics, and he also gave us some helpful hints. - Spray your rod down with fresh water and let it sit, out of the sun, through the day. - Spray your reel with water from a spray bottle, then wipe it down with a lint-free rag. - Spray your clean reel with WD-40, keeping the line protected. - Back off your drag when storing your rod. - Keep your rod inside, but do NOT lean the rod against a wall so the tip is resting on the wall. - At the end of the season, take your reels off for a thorough cleaning. -At the end of the season Ron cleans his rods with warm water, vinegar, and baking soda. He ll then take an Armor-All wipe and wipe down the whole rod, running the wipe through the guides too. - Use a toothbrush on the reel seat, and wipe it down with a lint-free cloth. - Check your guides throughout the season, using pantyhose to check for catches. - Most reel companies will clean your reel for a fee. - Never, Never, Never lay your rod and reel in the sand! - Do not leave your rods out in the daylight.
Calendar of Events April 2 April 9 April 14-15 April 21 April 29 May 7 Monthly Meeting Edgartown Rod and Gun Club 7 PM Nelson Sigelman, Speaker Annual Hunter Safety Course Annual Hunter Safety Course Beach Clean-up, Left Fork, 10 AM - Noon Beach Grass Planting Lobsterville Beach 9 AM 3 PM Monthly Meeting Edgartown Rod and Gun Club 7 PM Larry s Tackle Shop: New Gear Presentation May 26 Used Tackle Sale Scholarship Fundraiser (Rain date, May 27) June 12-14 June 15-17 July 14 Cuttyhunk Fishing Trip Island Cup on Nantucket this year Annual Beach Picnic