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ATTENTION PBM ANGLERS: Here is an update summary for September 1-30, 2020:

1. Regular Club Meetings: PBM will meet again on September 21, at 1730. See below for details. 2. Board of Directors Meetings: September 14. No meetings set for October and November, yet. 3. Regular Tournaments: Our next club tournament is September 26, on Alamo Lake. See below for details. 4. Tournament Rules: In June, the Board asked the Tournament Committee, chaired by Dan Wolters, to explore

whether the rules for our fall tournaments should be revised because of COVID-19- and Coronavirus-related (temporary) issues. No action reported as yet but maybe at the September 21 club meeting.

5. Tournament Fact Sheets, Lake Maps, Maps of Camping Areas: Due to apparent lack of member interest, I will no longer produce these documents for our tournaments.

6. Committee Reports: The Board of Directors and the Open and Conservation committees were the only ones to submit reports for this period. See below for summaries of actions on significant agenda items.

Please let me know if you have questions or concerns about this information. BIG NEWS

PBM Will Finally Meet Again (Hopefully) The club will meet on September 21. Please come at 1700 to pay your dues if you are joining and/or (see below) your Alamo Entry Fee, pay into the Alamo Side-Pots AND to help set up the FREE FISH-FRY DINNER, complete with trimmings and non-alcoholic beverages (water and sodas). Warning: to eat and drink, YOU MUST CONTACT Curtis DeLaGrange by September 20, so he can plan for enough food and beverages for everyone. Curtis’ email address and phone number are listed on your members list. The LOCATION for the September 21 meeting will be: Key Impact sales, 2328 W Royal Palm Rd, Suite 1, Phoenix AZ 85021. Basically, that is just east of I-17 (Black Canyon Hwy) and Northern Ave, north off Northern on 23rd Ave. NOTE: we are still subject to the vagaries of evolving CV/COVID-19 guidance from CDC/AZ/Maricopa County, so keep yourself apprised of any governmental actions that might affect this meeting. Better Yet, PBM Will Fish Again! Our next club tournament is September 26, at Alamo Lake, from Safe Light until 3:00 pm. The Entry Fee is our usual $50/angler, plus a mandatory $70 Nonboater Fee that helps compensate Boaters for boat expenses. The Entry Fee includes the $5/angler Big Fish Pot. The 5-lber and Goon Fish Side-Pots are cumulative; you must be paid up-to-date to participate. Both are $5/tournament, including all tournaments since the Side-Pot was last won. The Goon Fish was won in our last regular tournament, so it will restart at Alamo at $0. But the 5-lber Side-Pot sits at a healthy $770 and will be even higher at Alamo when competing anglers pay their fees into it. With great participation, the 5-lber could surpass $1000 at Alamo! Most members are camping in or as close as possible to Cholla C-36 Loop. Contrary to what the Alamo Lake State Parks website says, campsites in Campground C are still available and the blue-green algae bloom that

Phoenix Bass Masters, Inc. (phoenixbassmasters.com)

([email protected]) (602.377.1694)

Near-Monthly Newsletter

August 2020

Editor: Terry B. Johnson

Phoenix Bass Masters, Inc. August 2020 Near-Monthly PBM Newsletter Page 2 of 7

FileName PBM Newsletter.202008.Final.docx

made the lake a stinky, boat-trashing mess earlier this Summer is already greatly diminished and should be (fingers crossed!) all but gone by tournament day. The good news: blue-green algae do not cause the devastating fish-kills that golden algae do. Some members will pre-fish and they and other club members or guests who are there on Friday night should count on visiting the Teke/Nanette Ballesteros Cosmetic Pool Repairs camp in site C-36 for free home-made carnitas. BYOB! The Draw for this tournament will be held at the September 21 club meeting (see above). Let’s have a record participation and a great draw. The 2020 Open The PM 2020 Open on August 1 at Bartlett Lake was a huge success. The number of teams and the revenue generated were our best ever! Kudos to Open Director Curtis DeLaGrange and all who assisted him in planning and holding this event. The 2020 Open photos are posted on our website, so I won’t include them in the Newsletter. Many captions lack angler names. If you can fill in any, let me know at [email protected]. Many thanks to our 18 Club Sponsors, who supported the event by donating operating funds to the club and/or prizes for the Open raffle. Eight Sponsors attended the event: 5150 Plastics, AZ Barbeque Catering, Big Fish Bullies, Cosmetic Pool Repairs, ES Advisement LLC, M&D Weights & Baits and Monterey Bass Company. One Sponsor fished in the Open and even cashed a check: Big Fish Bullies – 10th Place for BFB Co-Owner Justin Seay and his backseater Estefan Ballesteros, a PBM member proudly wearing his PBM jersey. Congratulations to the big winners at the Open: Dylan Steniker and Alex Palumbo, who took 1st place Total Weight (9.68 lb) and 3rd Place Big Fish (4.37 lb) in the 3-bass tournament. Dylan and Alex won a total of $1,827 plus a $200 Gift Certificate to Phoenix Fishing Supply that was donated by Sponsor Cosmetic Pool Repairs.

Check out our website for the Open Results and the photos taken by Daniel J. Wolters, Jr. and Wayne Kukral. DEALS and DISCOUNTS from PBM SPONSORS!!

Dues-paid PBM members (only!) get deals or discounts from the following PBM Sponsors: • 5150 Plastics: website https://5150plastics.com/. The discount code is phxbass. • AZ Barbeque Catering: website, https://azbarbequecatering.com/. No discount code but order online

or call (602) 363-5196 to place an order and identify yourself as a PBM member. • Big Fish Bullies: website https://www.bigfishbullies.com/. Discount code is phoenixbassmasters.



• Voodoo ActiveWear: website Voodoo ActiveWear. The new 2020-21 PBM jerseys, hoodies and heavyweight hoodies look fantastic and are available on the Voodoo website. No code is needed, as your name will be checked against our members list before your $10/item discount is applied.

If you visit a Sponsor, say thanks and pick up their business cards, brochures or stickers for your friends. It’s not a discount or a deal but here is YOUR chance to help one of PBM’s charities: Fisher House Foundation. Through September 15, you can visit Jolly Time Popcorn to cast a vote for Fisher House in their campaign to support our troops. The top prize is $9,857 to the winning charity. You do not have to make a purchase to vote and you can vote more than once. [I voted 3 times before I was shut down]. Fisher House is in the lead right now but it's a close race. Please vote now and vote often! Thanks for voting, for forwarding the link to your friends, and most of all to Fisher House Foundation for their work to ensure that America’s military veterans get the ongoing healthcare they need. TESTING THE WATERS No fishing articles were received from members this month, so I will run the one below, from President Mark Figueroa about the 2020 Open. [Note: At his request, this article was translated from Pedroish into English] I got to Bartlett on Friday at 7 pm, with my trusty Utility Trailer, to start setting up our center of operations. The Ballesteros family and a few other hardy souls were already there. Did I mention that it was Hotter out there than a Well Diggers Ass???!!! The upside: I could cook my world-famous burritos on the pavement! My Assistant Troublemaker, Randy Bean, could not be there this time but, fortunately, Man Bun (Estefan Ballesteros) and others helped me unload and set up everything. It was a tough night, not getting to sleep until 11:30 pm and then waking up at 2 am [Note: Mark, poor baby! Should readers shed a sympathy tear at this moment?]. Registration began at 3:00 am and went well. After livewell checks, the record 51 competing boats were launched and at 5:00 am the Open was on! After the start, Craig Rafferty, Tim Rafferty, Scott Brown, Chris Smith and Myself went out to do some shore fishing. I caught a nice 2+ bass on a Green Pumpkin 5150 Plastics Worm. I gave Craig a few of the worms because he said he had never used them before (shame on you, Craig!). On his first cast, Bam!!! He caught one. Then the fun started, with the HEAT really cranking up about 9:30 am, while we finished preparing for the boats to return. A few came in early because of the heat. We used a drive-thru Weigh-In to help maintain Social Distancing in accordance with State and Maricopa County Guidance. The drive-thru worked really well! Then it was time to award checks and hold our raffles. We did really well with those, but did I mention that it was HOTTER THAN HELL? Thanks to all our Sponsors for making this Open a success. Special thanks to Cosmetic Pool Repairs for donating a $200 Gift Certificate to Phoenix Fishing Supply for the Total Weight winners, which was not mentioned when the winners came up for their payoff. My BAD!!! Thanks to ALL THE PBM MEMBERS THAT CAME OUT TO HELP MAKE THIS EVENT A HUGE SUCCESS!! Finally, special thanks to Paul Bowen and PBM Sponsor Monterey Bass Company for everything they did to Make the Open Great Again! As the last “surviving” PBM Founding Member, Paul generously donates his time, skills and MBC equipment for each Open. It’s just not possible to say thank you well enough to Paul! Pedro 2021, out!



REPORTS: BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND COMMITTEES The information in this section is just a summary of the discussions held and the actions taken by the respective PBM group. In some cases, a full report (when one has been provided by group leader), may already have been disseminated to all members. For more details, or to discuss a given subject, please contact the PBM member who heads the group of interest. Board of Directors The Board met a few times during the Summer, mainly to react to information from the Marketing, Open and Tournament committees. August 24 was the most recent meeting, which is summarized below:

1. Next meeting: September 14, 5:30 pm, Key Impact Sales and Systems, 2328 W royal Pam Rd, Ste 1. 2. Agendas: Keep them as concise as possible. Draw better distinctions between issues that require

Board attention and those that should be left to a committee or for a general membership meeting. All Board members should help build and cover the agendas.

3. Sponsorship Categories: Henceforth, these categories (Major, Minor, Associate) will be used only for internal discussions and not referenced publicly.

4. Conservation Committee (Chair Terry B. Johnson): First meeting was on August 17. Outcomes: a. Explore construction and use of a portable table-top display for tournaments and special events. b. When the 2021 tournament schedule is set, plan a lake clean-up for an appropriate setting c. C.A.S.T. for Kids: Coordinate with the new AZ Coordinator this group to identify opportunities for

PBM presence and participation. The AZ Coordinator is pondering possible events for this Fall, as well as the “usual” March event at Lake Pleasant but no dates have been set.

d. Explore the possibility of collaborating with AZGFD on a fishing clinic at an urban lake. Game and Fish would do the planning and marketing and PBM would be a work force.

e. Explore PBM hosting a Charity Tournament in 2021 to support our charities, which currently are C.A.S.T. for Kids and Fisher House Foundation. Consider making it a Friends & Family event, or a fish-off with one or more other bass clubs. Much committee work to be done on this concept!

f. Develop a publicly available fact sheet for agency or agencies that anglers should contact to report known or potential violations of laws and regulations pertaining to wildlife, fishing and hunting, water quality. Limit club participation to disseminating the information, rather than actually trying to police such problems. There is too much risk and liability in acting like enforcement agents.

g. Next meeting: October 19. Contact the Committee Chair to become active in this committee. 5. Marketing Committee (Chair Monty Siren): President Figueroa will discuss some topics pertaining to

this committee with the current Chair. 6. Open Committee (Chair Curtis DeLaGrange): August 4 meeting for post-mortem on the 2020 Open.

a. Lots went right and very little went wrong. Just about every competitor voicing an opinion had nothing but good things to say about all aspects of the event. No animals or anglers were harmed.

b. A record number of boats participated (51) and record revenues were generated by the entries, Goon Fish Side-Pot, 50:50 Cash Raffle and Prizes Raffle. The revenues put our bank account at a record high of more than $8000. [This great news was also the Treasurer’s report.]

c. The Open results and display-worthy photos have been posted to our website and referenced on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

d. Thank-you letters have been sent to every one of our 18 Sponsors for their support. e. The 2021 Open will be at Alamo Lake, on November 13, 2021. Cooler weather, no permit required

and “Too Much Bartlett” were primary factors in the decision. Further, the Group Area will provide more room for communal camping, Sponsor displays and hopefully an AZ Barbeque Catering fest!

f. A detailed list of action items was developed for the committee to tackle this year, to make the 2021 Open the best one ever.



7. Social Media Committees: Our Administrators have been adjusted, as follows: a. Website: Terry B. Johnson, with Clayton Sikes as a backup pending his return from a real-world

demanding assignment at work. b. Facebook: Terry B. Johnson. c. Instagram: Cory Cottew.

8. Tournament Committee (Chair Dan Wolters, Sr.): This committee met twice this summer. a. A tentative (expanded!!) schedule was crafted for 2021 (see below). The dates for USFS lakes are

contingent upon USFS approving permits for those lakes on those dates. USFS is not expected to announce its permit decisions until November 1. But, the dates for lakes that do not require a USFS permit (Alamo, Martinez, Pleasant).

b. The committee opted not to include any 1.5-day tournaments in 2021. [Note: very disappointing!] c. Information on insurance renewal for 2021 has been requested from our agent, Jeff Mabry. Jeff is

working on it but suggests not renewing until the USFS lake dates are solidified. Jeff also says the night tournaments on the expanded schedule are not a problem, in terms of coverage.

d. A Weigh-in Team will be assembled before the September 26 tournament. Members will be asked to participate so members with existing PBM responsibilities will not be taxed further. Cosmetic Pool Repairs Sponsors Teke and Nanette Ballesteros have volunteered to work in this Team and will be contacted by the Committee Chair, but additional assistance will be needed, especially from Nonboaters. Weigh-in accommodations are being considered that would speed up boat-trailering for anglers with Weigh-in responsibilities. Contact the Chair if you are willing to commit to joining the Team, whether for a specific tournament or all tournaments.

e. The September 21 meeting will provide CV/COVID-19 guidance for the September 26 tournament. f. In light of our excellent bank balance, the Board tentatively approved (pending the Treasurer’s

review of final costs) a list of weigh-in related equipment to be purchased, with additional necessary equipment and supplies to be donated or otherwise provided by willing members. This move would help us prepare for the inevitability that Paul Bowen will eventually retire from or sell the Monterey Bass Company, lock-stock-and-barrel.

g. Side-Pots: In the September 21 meeting, the Board will AGAIN review the tournament payout rules to clear up any misunderstandings about who wins how much. Members are again encouraged to read the By-Laws and the Tournament Rules carefully before opining about them. We spent about 8 months developing and approving them in open club sessions. They are what the CLUB wanted; there was no attempt to write either document to please an individual member. Consideration of possible revisions is not scheduled until Summer-Fall 2021!

Phoenix Bass Masters Tournament Schedule for 2021. *Indicates final date pending November 1 issuance of a USFS permit. Schedule revised: August 27, 2020. Month Date(s) Full Moon Location Ramp Comment January 16 28 Pleasant 10-Lane 1-Day Daytime February 20 27 Martinez Fisher’s Landing 1-Day Daytime March 13 28 Alamo Cholla 1-Day Daytime April 24 26 Havasu Cattail Cove 1-Day Daytime May *15, 8 26 Roosevelt Windy Hill 1-Day Daytime June *26, 19 24 Bartlett Jojoba Night 3-Fish July 24 23 Pleasant Marina North Night 3-Fish August *21, 14 22 Canyon Palo Verde Night 3-Fish September *11, 18 20 Apache Burnt Corral 1-Day Daytime October *16, 9 20 Canyon Palo Verde 1-Day Daytime November 13 19 Alamo Cholla *2021 Open (daytime)



TOURNAMENT RESULTS: WINNING and WHINING WAYS Note: We did not have a club tournament in August, so there are no results to report. Wait for September! SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS BECAUSE THEY SURE SUPPORT US! We all have lots of options for where we buy fishing tackle but right at the top of our lists should be our wonderful PBM Sponsors, which include, in alphabetical order: 5150 Plastics; Agave Psychiatry; A&M Graphics; AZ Barbeque Catering; Big Fish Bullies; Canyon Coolers; DD26 Fishing; ES Advisement, LLC; Lucas Oil Marine Products; M&D Baits & Weights; Monterey Bass Company; RE/MAX-Rafferty; RoboJunkie Boat Detail, LLC; Sportsman’s Warehouse; Tactical Bassin’; The Home Depot; Voodoo ActiveWear.

Justin Seay (left), co-owner of PBM Sponsor Big Fish Bullies, and his PBM Member backseater, Estefan “Man Bun” Ballesteros, took 10th place in the 2020 Open and they could not have been happier to win a check. Congratulations, guys!

PBM members fish hard and often they fish very well. They rely on fishing tackle and boat equipment from PBM Sponsors to get the job done. Other PBM Sponsors sell sun-protection apparel to keep us safer from skin cancer, the bane of anglers everywhere. Still others sell nice homes to visit while we are not on the water, tools for tinkering at home and away, camping equipment, food for our bellies or even offer a little professional therapy if the fish drive us too crazy. Many thanks to our Sponsors, one and all!

PHOENIX BASS MASTERS MEMBERS ARE PROUD TO CONTRIBUTE TO WORTHY CAUSES

C.A.S.T. for Kids is a national charity that lets disadvantaged kids experience a day on the lake. In 2020, 18 PBM members and five PBM Sponsors from Big Fish Bullies, ES Advisement, LLC and M&D Weights & Baits proudly participated in a C.A.S.T. for Kids’ day on Lake Pleasant. We presented this great organization with a well-deserved donation check from PBM. Some of us were boat captains for our own or a borrowed bass boat, others helped set up or take down the event equipment and all of us had a fantastic time. The kids did, too! Fisher House Foundation is widely recognized as the most effective national charity helping America’s military veterans and their families. Much of its emphasis is on caring for and providing proximal temporary housing for veterans (and their families) who are undergoing prolonged treatment for injuries incurred while protecting America. They served us all; now we all should serve them! This is PBM’s first year supporting Fisher House.



IN CLOSING Help us make 2020 a great year for Phoenix Bass Masters! Join the best club in Arizona and bring a friend or 2 with you. Boaters, nonboaters and guests are welcome BUT every boat in our tournaments MUST have at least 1 club member aboard. Adults (16 and older) may only guest fish in 1 tournament per calendar year.

For more information on Phoenix Bass Masters, go to www.phoenixbassmasters.com Our public Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/phoenixbassmasters/

For information on Phoenix Junior Bassmasters, go to https://www.phxjuniorbassmasters.com/

Bass Fishing Clubs are all about Youth, Conservation, Tournaments and Fun!

AMERICA IS THE LAND OF THE FREE ------ BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE SUPPORT the TROOPS and FIRST RESPONDERS who protect us

50% of bass anglers truly believe this. Hey, PBM members, let’s be safe out there!

The rest of them are liars.

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Phoenix Bass Masters, Inc.phoenixbassmasters.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/PBM-Newslet… · Phoenix Bass Masters, Inc. August 2020 Near-Monthly PBM Newsletter Page 2 of 7 FileName