Letter from TABC President, Ed Calderone
June14,2010
TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF BASS CLUBS
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
To all members of the Texas Association of Bass Clubs:
Over the past several weeks I have personally received e-mails and calls from many of you expressing concern over us having our State Tournament on Falcon Lake. After much though and I might add a lot of prayer, on Saturday the 12th we had a board meeting in Lufkin and have came to the following conclusion:
- It is just not safe to have a tournament at this time on Falcon Lake
- The information about pirates is NOT baloney, but for the most part true and I cannot place any member of TABC in jeopardy.
As most of you know, in order for us to put on a tournament requires several month or preparation and many dollars. However, this year will be somewhat of and exception. So here goes.
In order for us to move the tournament, we have lost support from the local chamber of commerce we would have received from Zapata as we did last year from Lufkin. However we believe that we can still have a great tournament. This year’s State Tournament will be held on CHOKE CANYON on the same weekend that we would have been at Falcon. Registration will be held at Calliham Park on Friday night just as we always do with captain’s meeting to follow. Tournament will go out of Calliham’s boat ramp with weigh-in at the top of the ramp on both days. There will be no Saturday evening meal. After weigh-in on Saturday contestants are allowed to leave and they are on their own. On Sunday after weigh-in, while waiting on tournament results, there will be some sort of meal for the fishermen so they will not have to stop on their way home for food. This year there will not be Tee Shirts given out unless we can find sponsors to completely pay for them nor will there be caps unless we can find sponsors for them. There will still be goodie bags for all contestants. We still have our national sponsors Minn Kota, American Rodsmiths, Yeti, and they have still given us prizes for our people.
Now comes the bad news, some of you know what Eagle Ford Shale is and some of you do not. For information this is oil and gas boom in the area around Three Rivers and what this means is that room are going to be hard to find. There are still a few in the Three Rivers area but most of you will have to travel as far a Pleasanton or George West or Beeville to find lodging. I urge you to consider the Cabanas in the State Park or camping areas and there is Choke Canyon Lodge between Three Rivers and the boat ramp. In the next few days our web page will have every motel/hotel we can find and their numbers.
For now, this is all of the information I can give you. I know that the guy who said you can please some of the people some of the time, and most of the people most of the time, but you can’t please them all wasn’t thinking about a bass tournament, but I know it applies here. Your board members fretted over this for weeks and this was a very difficult decision for us to make but we believe that we have made the right choice.
In closing I would personally like to thank Speedy Collette and James and Tom Benedele at Falcon Lake Tackle for helping us set up at Falcon and I hope everything works out so we can maybe go their next year or certainly soon. It is unfortunate that we can not go there this year. Most of all I would like to thank my staff for their input and loyalty to us all. If there are questions or comments, please call or e-mail us.
Regards to you all
Ed Calderone
President TABC
A letter from the President
I think I have finally figured it out. Obama has made it difficult for anyone who has President attached to his / her name.
Over the past several weeks I have been bombarded with questions and negative responses about TABC. Several e-mails have been generated from more than one club commenting on the status of TABC and just what TABC is doing, and just how is TABC spending all of that money we are getting from the clubs etc. You know—the same questions I guess we get every year when someone from some club didn’t make their top eight and they wonder out loud why the club is even associated with TABC. After all that $20.00 we give to be a member of TABC is just being wasted.
When I hear this, I run the gambit of emotions from the heck with this, I’m not getting paid enough to take all this stuff to perhaps I should take a deep breath, ask the good Lord for guidance in my choice of words and emotion and do my best to explain my thoughts. SO---HERE THEY ARE.
As most of you know, the Texas Association of Bass Clubs is the longest running and oldest organization of its type in the State of Texas and I’m not so sure the entire United States. We have been in business for 39 consecutive years and I would think this stands for something. I joined TABC in its second year of existence and after years of paying dues, finally bit the bullet and became a LIFE MEMBER. To date there are some 50 individuals who are life members and to my knowledge there has been only 5 honorary life members issued. As President, I have followed such esteemed people as Dr. Bud Wright, Randi Wayland, Bill Bales, Jerry Gold, and let’s not forget Dr. Bill Sheldon. Each as made his / her mark on the organization and I would be remiss if I didn’t remind you that there was a time when the Angelina River was black from chemicals dumped by the local paper mill. Ed Parten, Randi Wayland, and Lindy Ellison made many trips to Austin and Nacogdoches to meet with the then TNRCC to follow-up on our lawsuit against the paper mill. We won, and the mill was shut down. Today, and for many years Sam Rayburn has been the greatest fisheries in all of East Texas. And remember Lake Conroe’s grass carp fiasco. While we didn’t win that one, we certainly made our presence felt at the Parks and Wildlife offices. We did win Lake Austin and kept the TPW from putting 60,000 grass carp into what is now considered a great recreational lake, reducing the number to just over 6,000. Over the years we have helped to build two handicap piers. One on Lake Nacogdoches and one on Lake LBJ. Our friend from the Austin Bass Club Jake Jakubowsky still works as a volunteer on the Robin Hood Park area on LBJ. TABC was instrumental in getting 300,000 fingerling bass brought to LBJ two years in a row. Since I have become President, we have instituted a scholarship program for TABC member’s families and have given out $3.500 in scholarships over the past three years. We have donated to the troops in Iraq, the wounded warrior’s outings, Boysville, Handicap Children fishing events and this year we donated to a FFA project involving aquaculture.
Those of you, who are blessed to fish the lakes in South Texas regularly, can thank TABC for Choke Canyon and the fisheries it is. The Corps of Engineers had plans to completely eliminate any timber in Choke Canyon and had not TABC stepped in we would be fishing a slick bottomed lake near Three Rivers. More money wasted, huh?
On top of that we have held four state tournaments since I have been elected and last year was the first year we received any financial help from anyone in putting on a tournament. But the fishermen and women didn’t miss a thing at any of those tournaments. Where do you think the $2,400 for meals came from on Falcon or the Trophies on Falcon, or the Trophies on Belton? Some of you who are just wondering out loud if we are worth being part of sure have short memories. We stretch $20.00 further than most can do. And for the first time in probably 10 years we are starting a year with a few dollars in the bank and a contract for the State Tournament. We have an outstanding new web page, we no longer give papa caps to be a member, we have updated our logo, and we are being received by the clubs we are visiting with respect and dignity. In other words, the board members of which any of you are welcome to be a part of, have high hopes for our 2010 year. And then the e-mails come wondering what we are doing and if you are getting your $20.00 worth. Shame on you. We are still the best and I believe most honest, hard working bunch of individuals you have ever been honored to be part of. If you were at the State Tournament the last two years, you know we have released alive over 97% of our catch. We have provided the fishermen, equipment and knowledge to ensure our ability to release alive our catch, thus helping ensure the future on our tournament lakes. No other organization in the U.S. can make this claim. Most take yet give little back. Yes we have worked hard and I believe we have already achieved success. We have no intention of stopping here.
This year we are adding a youth tournament circuit for those 10 to 17 years old to see if what you and I have enjoyed for so many years can be handed off to the next generation. I ask you: Do we want to hand off a sport that is in great shape or do we want those following us to wonder just why we do what we do.
In closing, my job is available to any of you out there who want it; however no one is beating down the door to get it. I am sure every director and officer on the board would welcome help from any of you. I hope I have gotten through to some of you. This is not Ed Calderone’s organization, it’s yours. That’s why it is called the Texas Association of BASS CLUBS. I am merely elected to make those hard decisions no one else is willing to make. If you are, then please come be part of this board. You and your club are what this is about. Our sport is what this is about. Our youth is what this is about. I encourage each of you to be a part of it. I appreciate you all, and wish you nothing but success in the future. I hope each club continued success.
Good Fishing
Ed Calderone
President
2009 WOW
Well, as everyone knows another State Tournament has come and gone and all I can say is WOW. I came home from it and returned to work expecting to receive at least 100 e-mails in response to how the tournament was ran, how the weigh-in was ran, how the banquet was ran---you get the idea. However, I only received about three and they were all relatively positive as to the tournament.
I think we found out that there was little "home field advantage" in our sport, and that it really was about how good your fishermen and women were. I am exited for River City and Mr. & Ms. Clubs and I truly believe they understand that this is a team event.
As I start on this let me say that the folks in Lufkin and the No Name Bass Club out did their selves on this one. And I believe this tournament will set the bar as to how the other State Tournaments have to be ran, Take off went very smoothly and weigh-in went off without much of a hitch thanks to Dave Cole, Robert Rose, and Doug Black. Overall, I give us a solid "A" on this one.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the following people. Mr. Lonnie Stanley who has agreed to take on a role with the organization as a national sponsor along with Ms. Kim Smith & Mr. Bob Brown of American Rodsmiths who have and continue to be our steady National Sponsors. Not to be left out Mr. Tommy Hagler of Hag’s Tornado Baits donated an ample supply of Tornado Soft Plastics to put in our ditty bags for the fishermen. My hope is that we have Tornado Baits on board as a sponsor for many years to come. A couple of you went home with a new YETI cooler which was given to us for our raffle. I hope you enjoy your new YETI as much as I have enjoyed mine.
And speaking of raffle, ours was a resounding success. Many thanks to you who participated and a big "Great Job" to Ralph Looney our raffle guy. Each year Ralph single handily takes on the responsibility of the raffle and each year he just gets better and better. Great Job Ralph!!!!!
I would be remiss without thanking my staff who as always makes me look like I know what I am doing. I promise you that without Debbie Black, we would not have had a tournament, let alone one this good. She led the way with many hours of work behind the scenes putting everything in order so chaos appeared to be smooth. She was the voice of TABC for many months leading up to the tournament. Allen and Glenda Summers, Director, Treasurer and above all friends has been the sold rock for me to lean on and to always get sound advice. I appreciate them both so much. Already mentioned above for the tournament but standing tall for TABC Dave Cole, Robert Rose and Doug Black: Workhorses all. They have been the strength of the organization as we struggle for another year. My right arm, Ed Parten "Mr. Steady" and my advisors Ms Randi and Mr. Frank continue to offer sage advice for this organization to continue to grow. New this year is Chuck Sharp from the East who just worked his hinny off to make this tournament a success and lets not forget my friend Bernie who just about wore himself out to make this tournament a success. To all of these my heartfelt "THANK YOU" without you all I would be nothing. I do so appreciate and love you for your hard work.
In closing, I need to remind you that we have an open meeting scheduled for Cabela’s in Buda on the 1st of Nov. At this meeting we will be discussing our tournament agenda for our three youth tournaments to be held in 2010, and to nominate and set up for election of new officers. Now is the time for you people to become active in this organization. We need people to be on our board and yes even to be President. Please step up and be part of us. I hope to see each of you there.
Again, I have enjoyed being your President for another year and look forward to the New Year and what it brings.
Faithfully yours,
Ed Calderone
President TABC
