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Our year-end banquet will be held August 26, 2006 at the Winter Haven Nautical Club. We’ll have chicken and pulled pork for the meal. Soft drinks will be provided, but you’ll need to bring your own alcoholic beverages. There will be a cocktail hour starting at 6:00 pm with the meal served around 7:00 pm. The cost is $15 per person and can be paid the night of the banquet. Call Bill Folds (307-3065, cell 651-4113), Jim Rose (668-9306, cell 698-8472) or me (224-4050) to make your reservations.

The club calendar for the remainder of 2006 has been determined except for the details on one of the tournaments.

We’ve made several changes in our Club tournament rules, procedures, etc. in the past two months. The Club’s website, http://hometown.aol.com/lunkrlovr, has been revised to reflect these changes. The website now also contains the Club’s calendar. Procedures for our couples’ tournaments, discussed below, are on the site. Check this out and let me know if you find any errors or have suggestions for improving the website.

We will have various informational programs for the meetings starting in September. The program for the September 5 meeting will be a discussion of the Club’s tournament rules, tournament procedures, year-end awards, qualification for the classic tournament, bylaws, etc. The recent changes will be emphasized but we will also include items that may not be well-known. We don’t want anyone to be disqualified in a tournament or be unable to fish a tournament because they were not aware of a rule or procedure. Copies of all the pertinent documents will be available at the meeting in addition to being on the website.

Our meeting next week, 9/5/2006 will be a draw meeting for the 9/10/2006 tournament on Crooked Lake. We will also have a short program on Lunker Lovers rules and procedures with an emphasis on those that might be unique to this club. We’ll also discuss the changes made this summer. All members, both new members and those who’ve been in the club for over twenty years, can benefit from and contribute to this program. Please make plans to fish the tournament and attend the meeting.

Our program for the meeting of 10/3/2006 will feature Mike Childers discussing structure fishing. We will have a representative from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at our meeting on 11/7/2006 to discuss the studies done on the effect of slot limits with an emphasis on Walk-in-the-Water. Please let me know if you have ideas for programs you believe will interest and benefit the Club.

We require that all boaters carry at least $100,000 insurance. Please bring your proof of insurance to the meeting next week. Club dues should also be paid. Dues paid this summer or in September cover your membership through 2007.

It is probably true at any given time that the contact information (phone number, email, address, spouse’s name, etc.) the Club keeps on the members is incorrect for two or more members. You will be asked to check and verify your information at each meeting when you sign in. I also encourage you to contact me (863-224-4050, lmflorida@aol.com) any time your information changes.

Our first Couples Tournament will be held next Sunday, October 1, 2006. We’ll fish out of the Southport ramp on Lake Toho from safe daylight till noon. We’ll get together after weigh-in for lunch – probably at Sonny’s in Haines City. Entry is $10 per person with the men fishing against the men and the women fishing against the women. There is a combined big bass pot with a $2 entry. Make plans to join us!

Our next regular club tournament will also be out of the Southport ramp on October 8, 2006. This is a Kissimmee Chain tournament so you can go south through the locks if you choose to do so. Participation in the Crooked Lake tournament was disappointing and I hope that we will have a good turnout in October. In addition to a desire to have all members actively participate in the club activities, the club needs the income from these tournaments to meet expenses.

Our meeting next week, October 3, 2006, will be a draw meeting for the October tournament. We’ll also have a program on structure fishing led by Mike Childers. Mike’s performance in club tournaments the last few years is ample evidence that he is quite adept at finding and catching fish. Mike has also demonstrated an unusual willingness to share information with the club. I’m looking forward to his discussion and hope that you will be there for the program.

We’ll have a club yard sale in the latter part of October. Jim Rose will make the necessary arrangements and announce the date at the October 3 meeting. Start going through your fishing equipment and other items that you might donate to the club for this sale. Clothing, especially children’s clothing, sells well as do dishes, furniture and other household items, tools, etc.

We have a tentative schedule for the Federation tournaments. There are numerous conflicts with the usual times we fish our tournaments. We currently schedule around all the Federation qualifying tournaments, even those in North Florida in which very few of our members participate. At the last club meeting we discussed scheduling around only the southern (usually Okeechobee) and central (usually Kissimmee or Harris chains) qualifiers. Those who do fish one of the other qualifiers in conflict with a club tournament could count the Federation tournament as a club tournament for qualifying for our classic tournament. Such a change can only be made in November or December but a straw vote of those at the meeting indicated strong support for this proposal.

Our next tournament will be November 5, 2006 on the Kissimmee Chain out of Camp Lester. Draw for this tournament will be at the second October meeting – 10/17/06. Contact me (224-4050) or Jimmy Lynn (318-1424) if you want to fish the tournament but can’t attend the draw meeting.

The club will have its garage sale on October 28, 2006 at Cypress Gardens Automotive, 3001 Cypress Gardens Road, Winter Haven. Call me if you need directions. Bring your items for sale to that location at safe daylight on the 28^th . If you can’t bring them that morning, bring them to the draw meeting next week or call Jim Rose (698-8472) to make arrangements. We also need as many club members as possible to help with the sale.

The Tournament Committee has what is hopefully a final tournament schedule for 2007 using the tentative information we have on the Federation and BFL schedules. The schedule is included with this newsletter. We will begin in January to count tournaments and meeting attendance for credit toward classic qualification, year-end awards and the year-end payback. Realize that you also earn tickets for the items we give away to members at the year-end banquet for tournament participation, meeting attendance, participation in the turkey shoots and participation in any other club function such as the garage sale, kids’ tournament, open tournaments, etc.

Roy Tedder left his black/blue tail worm in his tackle box during our tournament on the Kissimmee Chain yesterday but still managed to catch one of only two limits brought to the scales. Roy had a total weight of 12.90 pounds to capture first place. Roy also had big bass for the tournament at 4.45 pounds. Dan Ayars had the other limit and took second place with 9.84 pounds. Huck Pewitt caught four fish for a total weight of 9.42 pounds and third place.

Sponsors for next year’s awards have been secured. Hoppy’s Marine and Sport Center is the sponsor for Angler-of-the-Year with a $300 prize and Trophy. Cecil Hock’s State Farm Insurance agency sponsors the Mr. Bass award with a $300 prize. David Glenn’s R & D Tackle sponsors the Rookie-of-the-Year award with a $100 prize. Charlie Sherrard’s Repo Depo will sponsor the Don Pearson Memorial Classic Tournament with $300 to be added to the payback. With entry fees, the amount we contribute each tournament to the classic payback and Charlie’s generous sponsorship, the first place winner in the classic will take home close to $1,000. Make sure that you say thanks to these sponsors and patronize their businesses whenever possible.

The annual Christmas party will be December 16, 2006 at the Winter Haven Nautical Club. The fellowship will begin around 11:00 AM. We’ll eat a meal of hotdogs and hamburgers around 1:30 PM with the activities beginning shortly thereafter. Santa Claus will be there for the kids. Please bring a wrapped gift for each child in attendance and make sure that the child’s name is on it. We will not have an adult gift exchange.

The cost is for the Christmas party is $10 for adults or teenagers, with children 12 or younger free. The ladies are asked to bring a dessert and we are to bring our own adult beverages. We will need to have a count of those attending. You can sign up at one of the meetings before the event. If you can’t be at a meeting, you can call Jim Rose (home 863-668-9306, cell 863-698-8472) or me (863-224-4050 home/cell).

We now have the complete 2007 schedules for the BFL Gator Division and the Federation. The BFL tournament on the Kissimmee Chain out of Camp Mack on May 5, 2007 conflicts with our currently scheduled two-day tournament on May 5-6, 2007 out of Camp Lester. Most likely, our two-day tournament on May 5-6 will be changed to a one-day tournament. We could then convert one of our one-day tournaments to a two-day tournament or leave the schedule with two two-day tournaments. The Tournament Committee will resolve this conflict in the near future and announce their decision.

Roy Tedder needed only two fish this past weekend to claim his second consecutive victory in a Lunker Lovers tournament. Roy had a total of 5.26 pounds. Daryll Patisaul’s 4.15 pounds fish won him both big bass for the tournament and second place. Cecil Hock caught a fish weighing 2.22 pounds and took third place. The rest of the club caught a total of four fish.

The tough conditions for our tournament on the Kissimmee Chain this past Sunday reminded me of a couple of other Lunker Lovers tournaments fished under similar conditions. Robert Johnson won our tournament on Lake Toho in January, 1988 with two fish (caught on Rat-L-Traps) while the rest of the club caught a total of 7 fish. Most of us also remember the January, 2001 tournament on Lake Parker won by Ron Falzarano with 1 fish. Appropriately, Ron’s fish weighed 1 pound, 1 ounce.

Our regular tournament schedule will begin with the January 7, 2007 tournament on the Winter Haven Chain. This will be the first tournament that counts for the year-end standings and payback. It also counts for Classic Tournament qualification. I hope to see all of you at the January tournament and at the Christmas party.

Please make plans to attend the annual Christmas party December 16, 2006 at the Winter Haven Nautical Club. The fellowship will begin around 11:00 AM. We’ll eat a meal of hotdogs and hamburgers around 1:30 PM with the activities beginning shortly thereafter. Santa Claus will be there for the kids. Please bring a wrapped gift for each child in attendance and make sure that the child’s name is on it. We will not have an adult gift exchange.

The cost is for the Christmas party is $10 for adults or teenagers, with children 12 or younger free. The ladies are asked to bring a dessert and we are to bring our own adult beverages. You can sign up at the meeting next week, December 5, 2006, or you can call Jim Rose (home 863-668-9306, cell 863-698-8472) or me (863-224-4050 home/cell). You can pay at the event.

The Tournament Committee has decided to change the May two-day tournament to a one-day event in order to resolve the conflict with the BFL tournament on the Kissimmee Chain on May 5, 2007. The June tournament will be two days. Therefore, our May tournament will be held May 6, 2007 and the June tournament will be June 2-3, 2007. Our tournament schedule is now complete for 2007 and is included in this newsletter for those who receive the newsletter by U.S. mail. Those with internet access can see the complete schedule on the club web site. Copies will also be available at the meetings.

Note that our first tournament in the 2007 schedule will be held on the South Winter Haven Chain on January 7 out of the old Lake Shipp ramp. This tournament will count for the year-end standings, the year-end payback and for qualifying for the classic tournament. Please make plans to participate. The draw meeting will be January 2.

Bill Pouder from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission will be at our meeting on January 2 to talk about the effects of the slot limit, with emphasis on the status of Lake Walk-in-the-Water. I know that we will find Bill’s presentation informative and interesting. We will have an opportunity to ask questions.

I want to thank Mike Childers and David Glenn for their excellent presentations to the club. Mike shared his expertise on structure fishing at our October 3 meeting. David discussed how he uses hard baits (crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, hard jerkbaits) at the November 7 meeting. I think we all picked up some pointers from them. I know that I did! I hope to have similar programs at each draw meeting in 2007. Let me know if you have a suggestion for a program or if you would like to make one of the presentations.

Our meeting of January 2, 2007 will be a draw meeting for the South Winter Haven Chain tournament to be held January 7 out of the old Lake Shipp ramp. Make plans to attend the meeting and participate in the tournament. In addition to the tournament entry fee, club dues ($25) and Federation dues ($30) must be paid in order to fish in the tournament. Dues you paid in August or September of 2006 are good through 2007.

We will have a representative from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will be at our meeting on January 2 to speak with us about the slot limit and other measures taken to improve fishing, with an emphasis on what has been done and will be done on Walk-in-Water. I’m sure that you’ll find this to be an interesting and informative program. This program will be given at the beginning of our meeting.

We will also discuss briefly our calendar of events for 2007 at the January 2 meeting. The tournament schedule has been finalized, but dates for our spring picnic, youth tournament, couples tournaments and banquet are still to be determined. You will find a draft calendar on the club website if you wish to see what has been proposed.

I want to thank all those who helped make the Christmas Party a success. One of those who made contributions is Jim Rose who organized the party and arranged to have coupons for free McDonald’s Happy Meals as prizes for the kids’ competitions. Ryan Houmard did a great job as Santa Claus and also contributed part of the rental cost for the red suit. Jimmy & Lynn Lynn did their usual outstanding work as chefs. Liz Middleton contributed the pealed shrimp that we all enjoyed. Joey Cissell provided the horseshoes.

Our spring picnic in 2007 will have a format similar to the Christmas Party with activities for the kids and for the adults. Please provide your input in the decisions for the picnic so that we can have maximum attendance.

There are plans to have programs at one meeting each month in 2007. February’s program will be a discussion of flipping. We will discuss equipment, technique, locations, etc. In March, Nick Nigg and Jerry Rayburn will team up to discuss what we need to be doing to protect ourselves from the sun and heat while we fish. Let me know if you have a topic or topics you would like to see presented or if you have a topic you would like to present.

The draw meeting for the February 4 tournament on the Kissimmee Chain will be January 16, 2007. Similarly, the draw for the March 3-4 on Okeechobee will be February 20, the draw for the April 1 tournament on Big Marian will be March 20 and the draw for the June 2-3 tournament on the Kissimmee Chain will be May 15. These unusual draw times are the result of altering our usual tournament dates to avoid conflicts with either a Federation or BFL tournament as required by the procedures adopted by the club.

The turnout for our January tournament on the South Winter Haven Chain was the best since January of 1990! We had 43 members sign up for the tournament with 42 actually competing. The club experienced a spike in membership in the 1988-1989 and 1989-1990 schedules when we fished a split format (boaters against boaters and no-boaters against no-boaters). Membership declined as the novelty of the format wore off and then leveled off to about 31 participants per tournament. Thanks to all who participated last weekend and a special thank-you to those who brought new members into the club.

Speaking of new members, please make a special effort to make our new members feel at home in the club. We welcome Scottie Allen, Frank Bynum, Scott Daley, Jimmie Davis, Bob “Hoss” Houmard, Dave Kriebel, Jody Pewitt and Joel Stokka to the Lunker Lovers. Each fished their first tournament with us last Sunday and one of them took home a check.

Van Soles caught the only hawg willing to bite last Sunday and combined her with two other fish to take top honors on the South Winter Haven Chain. Van had 12.55 pounds to take first place and 8.44 pounds on his kicker to also take big bass honors. Mike Childers had one of three limits caught and a total of 11.45 pounds to claim second place. New member Scott Daley’s limit, even with one fish dead, gave him a net weight of 10.79 pounds and third place. Allen Prince had the other limit and 10.53 pounds for fourth place. With 40 or more contestants, we also award a fifth place. Lucky Wells claimed this position with 8.75 pounds. All these weight totals include the one-pound per day awarded to each participant in a tournament.

We’ve added some activities to our 2007 calendar. We’ll have a spring picnic April 14 and a youth tournament on May 19. Couples tournaments have also been scheduled for April 29 and September 30. Expect to have a club garage sale some time in February.

The March 3-4 tournament on Lake Okeechobee has been moved to the Harris Chain due to dangerously low water conditions on the Big O. We will launch out of Hickory Point. The draw meeting for this tournament will be February 20. Many of the club members will be staying at the Palace Hotel (352-429-2163) which is at the intersection of highways 27 and 19 north of Clermont. The Palace is about 10 miles from the ramp.

We have a couple of fund-raising events coming up in the near future. We’ll have a garage sale on March 17 at a location to be determined. Please begin setting aside items that you can donate to the sale. Also, contact Jim Rose (668-9306, cell 698-8472) if you have access to a location that would be good for our sale. We’ll have a raffle for a Bass Pro gift certificate in April. Details will be available at a later date. Each member is expected to sell 25 tickets for this fundraiser.

Thanks to Lucky Wells for arranging to have a representative from Key West Enterprises at our next club meeting (2/20/2007) to show their embroidered bass shirts. This is Bob Kostrzewa’s company for those who know Bob from the Federation. The shirts will have a logo on the back, a logo on the front and your name. Short sleeve shirts (Columbia Bonehead) will cost about $72 with the long-sleeved version costing $3 more. Bring your checkbook or cash to place your order at the meeting.

David Glenn used a Rat-L-Trap to take top honors in our February tournament on the Kissimmee Chain. David had 16.19 pounds which included a 6.25 pound fish. Jim Rose used a spinnerbait to take second with 15.81 pounds. Jim’s best fish weighed 5.56 pounds. Allen Prince brought 12.25 pounds to the scales for third place. Jimmie Davis, fishing his second Lunker Lovers tournament, had 12.00 pounds for fourth and Jimmy Lynn, Jr. had 11.25 pounds for fifth place. Jimmy Lynn, Sr. caught only one fish but took big bass honors at 6.31 pounds.

Joann and Leo Cosce provided chili for the club after the tournament. The chili was especially good on a cool day. Make sure that you express the club’s and your appreciation to Leo and Joann for all they do for the club and its members. Keep our sponsors in mind when making your purchases. Hoppy’s Marine and Sport Center has sponsored the club for many years. David Glenn’s R & D Tackle, Cecil Hock’s State Farm Insurance agency, and Charlie Sherrard’s Repo Depo are our other sponsors.

The Club garage sale will be this Saturday, 3/17/2007, at Cypress Gardens Automotive on Cypress Gardens Road. The sale will run from safe daylight until around noon. We need items to sell and we need members to work at the sale. Bring your items to the site on Saturday morning. It is best if you have the items already priced. If you have items, but can’t be there on Saturday, call me (224-4050) or Jim Rose (698-8472) to make arrangements.

Our club picnic will be held at the Winter Haven Nautical Club on April 14. We will also have a youth tournament on May 19. Kids up through age 16 can participate. We will have various divisions by age, with the youngest fishing for any type of fish with any equipment/bait and the oldest fishing for bass with artificial bait. All participants will fish from boats and there will be prizes/trophies in each division. Some of us who do not have children at home will make our boats available. Details on both events will be available at a later date.

Our meeting next week, 3/20/2007, will be a draw meeting for the Big Marian tournament. Dr. Jerry Rayburn and Dr. Nick Nigg will combine to present a program on the dangers posed to anglers by the Florida heat and sun and the methods we can use to protect ourselves. I’m sure that we will all find the program interesting and useful.

Many of us ordered club shirts from Key West Enterprises at the 2/20/2007 meeting. We’ve also ordered club caps from the same company. The caps will be available for sale at $15 each. The price of the shirts will vary according to type, but what most of us ordered (Columbia Bonefish, short-sleeved, embroidered) cost $68 each. I can give you the contact information if you are interested in ordering a shirt.

Other than poor conditions at the motel where we stayed, I think that everyone had a great time at the Harris Chain tournament. Van Soles overcame some boat problems with a little help from his Lunker Lovers friends and had solid weights both days to take first place. Van had a fish of at least 7 pounds each day and a total weight of 25.56 pounds. Chip Burton took second with 24.81 pounds, thanks to his ability to make an adjustment on the second day when his first-day fish quit on him. Chip had a 7.38 pound fish on the first day. Jim Sturdevant had big fish for the tournament with an 8.13-pound largemouth, finishing third with 21.63 pounds. Mike Childers was the only contestant who brought a limit to the scales both days. He finished tied for fourth with Jimmie Davis at 19.63 pounds. Jimmie had a 6.56-pound fish on the first day, which was one of seven fish over 6 pounds caught in the tournament.

The Club’s spring picnic will be held at the Winter Haven Nautical Club on April 14, 2007. We will have games for the kids and adults along with some good food and fellowship. A picnic meal of hamburgers and hotdogs will be served around 1:00 pm. The cost is $10 for adults (paid at the event) with no charge for the children. I will be calling all the club members to get an accurate count. If I miss you, please call me (863-224-4050) or Jim Rose (863-698-8472) to let us know you’re coming.

We’ll be having our youth tournament on Eagle Lake May 19, 2007. We will start from the public ramp about 7:00 am. Don’t worry if you’re a little late for takeoff. Details of the various age categories will be available at the meetings, on the club website and at takeoff. Any child through age 16 is eligible to fish. They will be fishing from club members’ boats although bank fishing is okay. Some of the club members without children at home will make their boats available as necessary to accommodate as many kids as possible. Joey Cissell has volunteered his home on Eagle Lake for the noon weighin and meal to follow. Bill Folds is soliciting prizes for the winners in each category and Jim Sturdevant is arranging for the trophies. As each contestant will receive a trophy, we will need a count on the number of participants rather quickly in order to have the trophies ready. Please let us know how many kids you will be bringing to the tournament by the April 17 meeting if at all possible. We’ll also get some extra trophies for last minute additions but we need our count to be as accurate as possible.

Low water conditions on Big Marian seemed to puzzle everyone except David Glenn. David’s partner, Scottie Allen, had the only limit in the tournament to take first place with 8.95 pounds. Dave Kriebel caught but one fish but he made it count. Dave’s 6.49 lunker took big bass honors and second place. Roy Tedder had three fish and a total of 5.79 pounds for third place. David Glenn finished a close fourth with 5.74 pounds. Paul Greco also had only one fish but finished fifth with 5.44 pounds.

Our next tournament will be May 6, 2007 on the Kissimmee Chain out of Camp Lester. The draw meeting will be May 1. Make plans to participate.

We’ll have our first couples’ tournament of the year on the Kissimmee Chain out of Camp Lester on April 29, 2007. The men will compete against the men while the women compete against the women. We’ll take off at safe daylight and fish until noon. Entry fee is $10 each plus $2 big bass with the big bass pot combined for men and women. Most of us will get together for lunch and more fellowship after the tournament.

Dick Whitaker has invited all club members to his wedding with Cheryl Alderman. They will marry at the Galloway Assembly of God Church (4405 N. Galloway Rd, Lakeland) on May 12 at 1:00 pm. The reception will follow immediately after the wedding at the banquet room of the Bramble Ridge Golf Course (2505 Bramble Ridge Drive, Lakeland). There will be beer, plenty of food and a deejay.

You can reach the church by taking Galloway Road (west) off Highway 98 North past Sam’s or by taking Kathleen Road north from Highway 92 and turning north on Galloway Road. For the reception, turn east on Bramble Ridge Drive off Lakeland Highlands Road just south of the intersection of Lakeland Highlands Road and the Polk Parkway (Highway 570).

We have discovered that our insurance through The Bass Federation requires that all boaters have a minimum of $300,000 liability insurance on their boats. The Club voted at its meeting on April 17, 2007 to comply with this requirement by the June tournament. Members are to provide the Club with a copy of the declarations page on their policy by that time. Fortunately, everyone I’ve spoken with so far has that amount of coverage. It usually shows up as $100,000/$300,000 for the liability. If you currently have lower liability limits, the cost to convert to the higher limits should be minimal. Please call me (863-224-4050) if you have any questions.

We’ll have our Youth Tournament May 19, 2007 on Eagle Lake. We’ll launch at the public ramp and fish from safe daylight until noon. The weigh-in, meal and presentation of trophies/prizes will be at Joey Cissell’s house on Eagle Lake. Joey’s address is 6248 Crystal Beach Rd, Winter Haven, FL 33880 for those who wish to drive there for the noon festivities. We’ll need to get a count at the May 15 meeting of the number and age of the children fishing and the number of adults/children that will be eating with us.

Many of you will remember the great time we had when the Club provided boats for a tournament fished by Vietnam veterans attending a reunion of Jim Town’s army unit. We’ll be doing that again on June 16, 2007 on Lake Toho. Each participating Club member will be taking two of the vets fishing and the Club will receive $50 per contestant. We’ll need as many as fifteen boats for this so please consider participating.

Bob Lane took top honors last Sunday at our tournament on the Kissimmee Chain. Bob had a limit weighing 10.26 pounds. Steve Gorrell had big bass for the tournament at 6.42 pounds. That fish, combined with two others, gave Steve a weight of 10.20 pounds and second place. Third and fourth place were decided by Larry Ogden’s dead fish. Larry lost 0.25 pounds for the dead fish and ended with 9.24 pounds for fourth place. I had 9.29 pounds for third place.

Our next tournament will be a two-day tournament on the Kissimmee Chain out of Camp Lester on June 2-3, 2007. Make plans to participate.

The club members did a great job of selling tickets for our Bass Pro Gift Card giveaway. Butch Bringger took top honors for selling the most tickets and received a gift card for his efforts. Steve Gorrell and Bill Folds also received gift cards for their efforts. Thanks to Jim Rose for a great job organizing this most successful fundraiser.

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We have changed the ramp for the July tournament on Crooked Lake. We will launch at the public ramp on the south end of the lake. A map to this ramp has been posted on the club website. Follow the link on the tournament schedule page. The map will also be available at the draw meeting on July 3 and directions are below. We will have to idle out to the main lake through the cut. There are posts marking the old creek bed. Make sure that you stay tight to the posts and keep them on your right when you travel from the small lake, where the ramp is located, to the big lake. Call me if you have any questions (863-224-4050).

To get to the ramp, go south on highway 27. Approximately 10.3 miles south of the intersection of 27 and 60 you will turn left (east) on highway 630A. Turn left (north) on Keen Road approximately 0.9 miles from 27. You’ll travel about 0.5 mile on Keen Road to the ramp.

Daryll Patisaul won the June tournament on Kissimmee. Daryl had 12.13 pounds. Mike Childers brought the only limit to the scales and finished second with 9.04 pounds. Jim Towns finished third with 8.76 pounds. Jim also had big bass for the tournament at 5.55 pounds. Chip Burton finished fourth with 7.38 pounds.

Our youth tournament was a huge success with eleven kids participating. Huck Pewitt’s grandson, Mason Rovira, took top honors in the 6-9 year category. Mason had 11.60 pounds anchored by a 7.57-pound largemouth. Scott Tanner’s son, Gavin, won the 0-5 age category with 18 fish. Cody Pewitt, Jody’s son, had 5.25 pounds to take the 10-12 age category. Cody caught a 3.58-pound fish. Thanks to all who made this possible.

We had eleven member participating in the tournament for the Vietnam veterans attending the 2007 reunion of Company E, 2/3, 199^th Light Infantry Brigade. This is the second time our club has participated in the vets’ tournament and we all had a great time. This activity also added $1,100 to the club treasury. The club and the veterans appreciate those who provided boats.

We had six boats participating in the Future Farmers of America tournament on Lake Pierce last Thursday. Thanks to those who participated. We also need to provide as many boats as possible for another FFA tournament on July 11. This is a Wednesday, precluding many of us from participating, but I hope that everyone who can will volunteer.

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We will have a representative from the Department of Environmental Protection at our next meeting, August 7, 2007, to discuss the state program for spraying aquatic vegetation. It is important that we have a good turnout for the meeting in order that we can all be informed on this program and so that we can effectively express our concerns about the perceived problems in the program. We will also discuss methods by which we can communicate our concerns and recommendations to those who make the decisions regarding this program. This will also be a draw meeting for our Kissimmee tournament to be held out of Camp Lester on August 12, 2007.

Jim Rose has announced another raffle for a $500 Bass Pro gift card. The number of tickets sold in this raffle will be restricted to one-thousand, thus improving your chancees of winning. The tickets will be available at the meetings between now and the drawing which will occur at the first September meeting. Contact Jim (863-698-8472) if you need tickets and cannot pick them up at a meeting.

Huck Pewitt used skill, patience and persistence to claim top honors at our Crooked Lake tournament this month. Huck had a limit weighing 12.61 pounds that also included big bass for the tournament at 6.65 pounds. Huck’ weight moved into sixth place in the year standings. Van Soles increased his lead in the year standings with 12.33 pounds, good for second place in the tournament. Dan Ayars returned from Pennsylvania to fish his first tournament of the year and brought 11.94 pounds to the scales. Dan finished third. David Glenn had 11.77 pounds for fourth place and Jim Rose’s limit of 11.71 pounds put him in fifth place.

We are monitoring the water levels at Walk-in-Water and Istokpoga to determine if we will be able to fish these lakes in September and October, respectively. We should be okay if the rains continue.

In addition to the tournaments, we have several events on the club calendar for the rest of the year. We will have a club picnic at the Nautical Club on September 23. Our couples’ tournament will be on Lake Istokpoga (water level permitting) on September 30. You can call Trail’s End (888-603-9209) if you wish to stay all or part of that weekend at the fish camp. Our awards banquet will be December 7, 2007 at the Nautical Club. Details on these activities will be available at a later date.

We had four boats participating in the Future Farmers of America tournament on Lake Pierce on July 11. Thanks to those who participated.

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September Tournament Changed: The September tournament has been changed to Lake Toho (only) due to low water conditions at Walk-in-Water. We will launch out of the Southport ramp on September 9. Draw for the tournament will be at the September 4 meeting.

We will also draw for the $500 Bass Pro raffle at the first September meeting. Contact me (224-4050) or Jim Rose (698-8472) if you need to get some tickets to sell. You’ll also be able to buy tickets at the meeting.

Our program on the aquatic week spraying at last night’s meeting was very informative. Danielle Sobczak, the DEP’s regional biologist, indicated that hydrilla, hyacinths and water lettuce were the only species that were supposed to be targeted. There are some exceptions such as cattails becoming a monoculture (only species present). She indicated that we should contact her when we saw what could be violations of the intent of the control program. The club decided that we would collect information on inappropriate spraying when we observed such. We’ll collect this information after each tournament and at each meeting. I will communicate this to her and she will check on our concerns. We’ll need to be very specific about the location and nature of the problem. GPS coordinates of the location would be great if we can get them.

It was hot and the fishing was tough for our August tournament on the Kissimmee Chain with the weights reflecting the difficult conditions. I managed to catch one of the two limits brought the scales and took first place with 11.67 pounds. Scott Daley had the other limit and finished second with 8.48 pounds. Ty Houmard had 7.34 pounds to claim third place. Dave Kriebel was close behind Ty, finishing fourth with 7.04 pounds after losing 0.25 pounds for a dead fish. Val Valachovic had a 5.12 largemouth for big bass.

We are monitoring the water conditions on Istokpoga looking forward to the October tournament. There is enough water down there now to float the boats and it is anticipated that we will be able to fish the year-ending two-day tournament on Istokpoga October 6-7. We also have plans to get together for a meal and fellowship at Trail’s End during the tournament. Make plans to participate.

Other upcoming Lunker Lovers events include the club picnic on September 23, the classic tournament on October 27-28 and the annual awards banquet on December 7. Put these on your calendar.

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Our club picnic will be held on Sunday September 23, 2007 at the Winter Haven Nautical Club. Festivities will begin around 11:00 am. The meal will be hamburgers, hot dogs, etc. and we’ll have games for adults and kids. The cost will be $10 for each adult with no charge for children age twelve or younger. We will need to get an approximate count at Tuesday’s meeting. Call me (863-224-4050) or Jim Rose (863-698-8472) if you plan to attend but will not be at the meeting. You will need to bring your own alcoholic beverages.

We have one tournament left before the classic. We’ll be fishing on Lake Istokpoga October 6-7, 2007 out of Trail’s End. We’ll have a meal at Trail’s End on Friday evening and Saturday evening for all who want to participate. Details of the meals will be discussed at our draw meeting on October 2, 2007.

I’ve had several questions concerning qualifications for the classic tournament. You automatically qualify for the classic if you fish eight tournaments. A second way to qualify is to finish in the top twenty in the year-end standings and also meet the participation requirements. The participation requirements are met if you fish 70% of the tournaments or if you both fish half the tournaments and attend half the meetings. For members who join during the year, these percentages apply to the tournaments and meetings subsequent to their membership date.

We caught a good number of fish during the Toho tournament although the weights were light. Results are below.

Don’t forget our club sponsors when you’re deciding where you do business. Hoppy’s Marine & Sports Center, David Glenn’s R & D Bait and Tackle in Lakeland, Cecil Hock’s State Farm Insurance Agency, Camp Lester, and Charlie Sherrard’s Repo Depo Quality Used Mobile Homes all contribute to making our club better.

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We finished our schedule of qualifying tournaments for 2007 with a two-day on Lake Istokpoga plagued by high winds. No one was able to catch a limit both days but Dan Ayars overcame the tough conditions to bring in an 8.15-pound fish on the second day. This gave Dan a total of 15.00 pounds and first place for the tournament. Jody Pewitt finished second with 13.50 pounds. Ty Houmard was third with 11.70 pounds while Jimmy Lynn, Jr. had 11.20 pounds for fourth. It’s also noteworthy that Ryan Houmard had a limit on the second day.

Even with less-than-ideal conditions, we all had a great time with the meals and fellowship on Friday and Saturday nights. Gary and Janice Albin at Trail’s End were great hosts for us and were very helpful in granting late checkouts and with assisting some who had equipment problems. Jimmy Lynn, Sr. did his usual great job as official chef for the club! Thanks to all who brought the food and made this one of our most memorable club events.

Our next event will be the classic tournament on the Kissimmee Chain out of Camp Lester on October 27-28, 2007. Everyone who fished eight or more tournaments qualifies for the classic. In addition, Steve Gorrell qualified for the classic by finishing in the top twenty in the year standings and fishing 70% of the tournaments. Call me if you have any questions about your status for the classic. (863-224-4050)

Each contestant in the Classic tournament will have the option of fishing alone or pairing with another consenting contestant. Noboaters may fish with a boater observer approved by the Tournament Committee. However, pairings will be determined by the Tournament committee, if necessary, to ensure that all who qualify have the opportunity to fish.

We will nominate officers for 2008 at the next two meetings with the election being held at the first November meeting. Any changes in tournament rules or procedures are made in November or December. Attendance at meetings usually falls off when the tournament schedule is complete. This is unfortunate in that the decisions that greatly influence the club’s success in the next year will be made at these meetings. Please be at the meetings and actively participate in the making of these decisions.

Our awards banquet will be Friday, December 7, 2007. Please put this on your calendar and join us in celebrating a successful year and kicking off a better year for 2008.

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Our annual awards banquet will be held at the Winter Haven Nautical Club on Friday, December 7, 2007. The social hour will begin at 6:00 pm with the meal served around 7:00 pm. You will have a choice of prime rib or chicken for the meal. We will have drawings for door prizes throughout the night. This year we are returning to the tradition of having door prizes for the women as well as the men. The banquet is an adult event and we ask that you not bring children. Please make plans to attend!

We will need to get a count of those attending by the next meeting, November 20, 2007. You can call me (863-224-4050) or Jim Rose (863-698-8472) if you cannot be at the meeting. The cost is $25 per person which can be paid at the meeting or at the banquet. You will need to indicate if you want the prime rib or the chicken.

The first Tuesday in January, 2008 falls on new year’s day. As this does not appear to be the best time for a meeting, January’s first meeting will be held on Thursday, January 3, 2008. This will be a draw meeting for the January tournament, so mark this on your calendar and make plans to be there.

Almost everyone fishing in this year’s classic tournament caught good numbers of small fish but had a tough time getting a quality bite. Jimmie Davis was the exception. Jimmie caught only 5 fish on Saturday but had big fish for the tournament at 4.94 pounds. His 5 fish weighed 14.14 pounds. Jimmie’s 4 fish on Sunday weighed 13.05 pounds and included big fish for the day at 4.87 pounds. Jimmie’s winning total of 27.19 pounds was comfortably above the rest of the pack. John Dial was one of two contestants who brought a limit to the scales both days and finished second with 16.91 pounds. I also had a limit both days and finished 0.58 pounds behind John for third place. Let’s hope all those small fish we caught this year grow enough to be legal next year.

Officers for next year were elected at our first November meeting. The 2008 officers are: Jack Dixon, President 2008; Hoss Houmard, Vice President for Activities; Mike Childers Vice President for Fund-Raising; Jim Sturdevant, Treasurer; Ryan Houmard, Secretary; and Bob Lane, Tournament Director.

Our sponsors help to make ours a better club. Make sure you let them know that you appreciate their support and consider doing business with them. Our sponsors are: Hoppy’s Marine & Sports Center, Angler-of-the-Year; Cecil Hock’s State Farm Insurance Agency, Mr. Bass; Charlie Sherrard’s Repo Depo, Don Pearson Memorial Classic Tournament; and David Glenn’s R & D Tackle, Rookie-of-the-Year.