Team Walleye 2011

Just a quick note to all Team Walleye members. I always hate to do this
around the holiday season, but this is the time every year that I get the
letter from Brindley's Harbor Resort. You should be getting the letter from me soon. They send this each year asking for deposits for the comming year.

This is routine for all resort operations, because it gives them added capital
for off season renovations, and cash flow.

Well we have to do what we have to do. So as in the letter you receive I will
apprieciate your deposits when due.

Thanks guy's,
Ron

Team Walleye 2010 Wrap Up

Hey Guys, Another good opener! We didn't catch the huge numbers of large
fish as we did last year, but we caught a good amount of fish across the size
range. If you study the chart you can see that we should be assured good
year classes for our future openers.

I would like to thank everyone for all your help to make this another great opener. A special thanks to Mark M. for his intense planning and purchasing
of all our food and extras. Mark starts his planning and purchases months
before our trip. Also to Dave for being our Team Walleye spokesman and commentator for our trip, and for being our bait guy, acquiring the much needed shiner minnows essensial to our success over the last few openers.

This Blog will go into hibernation for the summer, but come December when
I get our letter from Brindley's we will start getting ready for the 2011 Opener.

Feel free to contact me, I can e-mail you any of our charts, photos, or worksheets from the trip.

Thanks again to all.

Ready to Go!

2009 group photo.

I'm done blogging for now, because I'm starting to pack for the Opener.

See all you guy's on Friday!

Lodging Over the Years

Just thought I'd give you guy's an overview of where we have stayed over the years and why we have made a home for our opener where we are now.

The first seven years really didn't qualify as lodging because we camped those years. whether it be pop-up campers, camper trailers, truck campers, or sleeping

in the back of a pickup under a topper.

We started out in '74 at Hiawatha Beach Resort in Steamboat Bay, but the lure of the big part of Leech Lake had us make a move to Pine Point for the next Opener.Still camping we chose a resort with a campground, Acorn Hill Resort. We had six good years at Acorn Hill. At the end of that stint we rented our first

cabin there being tired of the whole camping deal. It was a lot more comfortable

and if bad weather came by it was even better shelter.

The only problem at Acorn Hill was that they only had docks for our boats. Being exposed to the elements caused problems when the wind was coming in to the

Resort. In 1982 it was so bad that we needed to load up our boat at a neighboring resort with a sheltered harbor.

That resort was Brindley's Harbor. We immediately asked if they had any openings.

That next year was our first at Brindley's, 27 years ago.

Staying in many different cabins at Brindley's, we always had our eye on #14. Cabin #14 was big, with room for a dozen guys or more. Finally in 1986 we acquired cabin 14 and Team Walleye exploded. We got

bigger and developed our current organization that has continued till the present.

Even when Leech Lake fishing took a drastic downturn a few years ago, the

quality of our accommodations, and service of our hosts didn't make any of us

to even think of making a change.

Having a sheltered harbor for our boats is one

of the greatest pluses for our group.

And the unsurpassed dock service, fish cleaning and

packaging of all fish.

In past years we crammed ourselves in, sleeping in

a full size bed with another guy (not good). Over the

last few years we have matured and realized the importance of personal comfort.

Each member deserves his own bed and space.

This year we have five cabins in close proximity to each other, this ensures a

comfortable experience for all. Yet we still have our cabin 14 as a gathering point

and base of operations.

Be Prepared for the Opener!

Be ready for the opener

with official Team Walleye

wallpaper for your laptop

or desktop computer, and your

cell phone.

It helps us all get into the

groove for our upcomming trip.

You can download the image

to the left here as your computer wallpaper.

For your cell phone you will get the our 2010 logo that is displayed at the top

left of this blog. You will need to text me "logo" and I will reply back to you the

logo picture. My number is on the TW letter I sent you, or you can get it from another member. I can also e-mail the wallpaper to you.

My favorite lure, and my most successful opener.

Any one of us will tell you what their favorite lure for the

Leech Lake Opener is, and I think most of them will say the

simple jig.

Over the past 36 years the jig has been my number one presentation.

Twenty years ago a new product hit the market, the Color-C-Lector.

Being a gadget guy by nature it intrigued me, so I bought one. I even

saw an In-Fisherman TV show where they where using the new

devise successfully.

Well I got into preparation for the opener full bore. Working for a sign company I had access to

unlimited amounts and colors of paints. During the weeks preceding the opener I painted almost

a hundred jigs of different colors, and color combinations. My wife wasn't to crazy to find me

baking these jigs in our oven.

When I dropped the Color-C-Lector probe over the side of the boat on opening morning it

read maroon and black, so I used a maroon and black two toned jig.

It worked, and I took the trophy that year.

Now over the years the performance of that device is questionable.

I still have it and it still works.

Since then I have developed my favorite colors for Leech Lake.

I like using the two/three tone colored jigs that are available anywhere

now. Chartrues/green/orange on sunny days, and the same colors

with black on cloudy days or at night. I also have always used a plastic twister tail or grub

on my jigs, in a complimentary color. I like to think that this gives a little more attraction and

bite softness to the lure. This year I will be trying some Berkley Gulp trailers.

Ok, getting to my personal best Opener. The last two years have been incredible, and I hope

this year will be better. Back in 1995 we were all fishing off Pine Point on Saturday morning

and what I've been told was a mud line that formed off the point. We killed them, I caught a

4.5, 5.0 and 5.5 in short order. As a group we had are limit by noon an Saturday the opening

day. The front came through Saturday afternoon and the fishing just shut down for the rest of the weekend.

I ended up with the Trophy, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, and all the cash.

Let's hope this 2010 Opener can be as good or better.

I'm Pumped

We are just a month away from the

2010 Opener. Every year at this time

I start getting excited because for me this annual trip is the highpoint of my year, and kind of a kickoff for the summer. I have already dusted off all of my fishing rods and reels, stripped off the old line, and trying to decide what brand of line to refill those reels with.

Over the years I have made a checklist for myself for the Opener.

I worry that I may forget something.

Other members do the same thing.

This year Team Walleye has grown by about 25%, so I thought I would share with you my checklist. Some new members might get a benefit from it. I'm showing it here as a JPEG file

so if you wish you can just right click on it and "save picture as" and download and print.

I'll probably start getting things together this weekend, and start making a shopping list of things to get.

Shiner Issues?

The go to bait in the last 5 years or so has been the spot tailed shiner. Past shortages have prompted Team Walleye to buy our bait for opener through a good friend of ours. This has assured us a good supply of bait through at least Monday. Last year we purchased a couple of large 30 gallon Bait Tamers for our minnow stash which has resulted in a marked improvement over our previous minnow holding cage. This year with 24 guys in the group we are thinking about up to 4 gallons of shiners will be needed. That's a lot of minnows.

One of the issues we need to think about is the water temperature. A check with my friend Bill, who we arrange the purchase of the bait, I have learned that the shiner harvest is pretty much over with! In the past couple of years it has been questionable as to the ability to get shiners with the late ice outs as shiners are harvested from the large lakes in Minnesota. This year with ice out 3 - 4 weeks ahead of schedule, the shiner harvest is already over with. A bumper crop, the challenge is for the wholesalers to keep them alive and viable till May 15th. A normal to late spring assures water temps in the mid 40's to low 50's however this year we could be pushing the mid to high 50's. That assumes this beautiful weather continues. High 50's could pose a problem with assuring out minnows will survive both the 2 hour trip from Mille Lacs as well as the temperature change going from cooler well water to the elevated temperature that may exist in the harbor at Brindley's. It may force us to keep our stash of bait in the main lake this year. Time will tell and we will call Tim at Brindleys and find out what the water temp is in the harbor. If too high we will have to make an adjustment as 4 gallons of shiners represents a substantial investment to lose within an hour of unloading. This is one of the aspects of all the planning needed to assure that our opener at Leech is a success.

Written by Team Walleye correspondent, Dave Anderson

Leech Lake Ice Out!

Well, it looks as though the ice should be out at Leech lake by Monday, April 5th for possibly the earliest ice out date in recorded history. You can view the ice out progress on Modis , a satellite site that displays the days current views of our part of the country, and is perfect for tracking ice conditions. An interesting feature of this site is you can look at almost any date back about 3 years or so. Just 2 years ago the opener was on May 10th, 2008, the ice did not officially go out until that Sunday the 11th. There were a number of resorts that were iced in and could not launch boats. Here is a picture of the bay on the north side of Pine Point that was very iced in on Saturday morning. It was very interesting to fish at the edge of the ice and catching fish. What was more unusual was the fact that the fishing was quite incredible. In years past it seemed like the cold water only brought out the smaller males. 2008 was just the opposite. With water temperatures in the low 40's warming to the mid 40"s by Monday, the big hawgs had the feedbag on. Shattering the Big Fish record, Matt Taylor nailed this beautiful 27.5 incher, the largest to be put on the trophy to that date. Many large fish over 25 inches were caught and released and marked the definite comeback for walleye fishing on Leech. With ice out so early this year, it could be interesting to figure out where the big fish will be. The past 2 years have been relatively cold and we have had no problems finding big fish. Of course this flies in the face of the traditional thoughts that the big females go rest for a few weeks after spawn before they begin feeding. This year you can expect the walleyes to spawn possibly by the end of this week into next week. This would put opener at least 4 weeks after the spawn. All indications should point to a great opener however it would be hard to argue the last 2 years success with water temperatures at around 45. Maybe we will really be in for the mother lode this year!!

The 2010 opener will be the latest it can possibly be. There are 2 things about this year's opener that I am sure many of the Team Walleye members are looking forward too. First of all opener will be on the 3rd Sunday in May, which means Mother's Day will not occur on the same weekend. This will make the wives much more happier for sure! The second potential is that we may experience short sleeve weather, something that has eluded us for many years. The trees will be well on their way to full leaf out, certainly an different environment for sure. Either way, it is shaping up to be a great opener.

Written by Team Walleye correspondent, Dave Anderson

Articles From The Old Website

Back in 2007 we had a website, teamwalleye.org. That was great, but as the
"blog" has evolved to almost the same thing, why pay for a website when a blog is free.

The following is a republishing of a three part series that Dave originally wrote for that website. It outlines Leech Lake structure, and the fishing meathods that have been most successful for us these past Openers.

January/February 2007
It’s mid-January and we are 4 months away from the opener at Brindley’s Harbor, Leech lake, MN. Ice fishing is in full swing after an extended period of warm weather. I have been fishing Mille Lacs quite a bit with some pretty impressive results. Although the perch bite is somewhat on the slow side, the walleye bite has been excellent. The magic hour before sunset seems to be key to success.

Early reports show that Leech Lake should really be putting out a good number of fish from the 2005 year class. These fish have demonstrated phenomenal growth and indications are that there will be plenty of fish in the 13 – 14 inch range. This could really make the Points Challenge interesting. In addition, the number of larger fish in the lake is very high. The 2006 tourney saw excellent numbers of larger fish caught and released.

Speaking of the 2006 Tourney, I would like to spend a moment to discuss the winning tactic used to capture the Big Fish award. 99% of all fish are caught using live minnows either on a jig head or live bait rig such as a Lindy Rig. The typical presentation consists of dragging these rigs over relatively snag free flats and points such as Pine Point, Little Hardwoods, Goose Island, and Snakepit Flats. It is hard to argue with this tactic when the walleyes are schooled in those areas however the presentation becomes more difficult if the walleyes are located along the rocky areas of Leech such as Big Hardwoods Point, Ottertail, Duck Point, and Stoney Point. Also, when fishing a large area where walleyes are scattered, slow drift may severely limit the amount of area you can effectively cover, reducing your overall catch. This was apparent during the last segment of the 2006 tourney. John and I had decided to fish Stoney Point and the large rock reef that projects into the lake. Within 30 minutes we had a nice 21” fish and the next ½ hour put another 20 incher. Although encouraging, we were getting hung up quite often and the dying wind slowed our travel to a crawl. It was obvious that the fish were there but if we could not cover water faster, we may only settle for another 1 or 2 fish. Sensing an opportunity, we dispensed with our standard jig and minnows, switching to a #7 shad rap trolling pattern. This allowed us to effectively cover more water without the fear of constant snagging. Within 50 feet we had our first walleye on the new presentation. In the next hour we boated another 4 walleyes, 3 rock bass, and the biggest northern caught in years. This doesn’t even account for the 2 fish lost at the boat. The change in strategy rewarded us with 6 walleyes including the largest of the Tourney, 24.5 inches. Do not be afraid to experiment, it could be your ticket to the largest walleye this year!

Next month: Trolling tactics and strategies.

March/April 2007
Last month we explored the winning tactic used to secure the Big fish Trophy for 2006. As promised, this month we will venture further into the realm of trolling for walleye.
When we discuss trolling for walleye it can be broken down into two main strategies, live bait and crank baits.

Live bait trolling usually means pulling rigs such as Lindy Rigs, Spinner Rigs, Floaters, and jigs. When the wind is calm on Leech, this is the most popular live bait presentation. The usual bait of choice is the spot tailed shiner; however fatheads, rainbows, leeches, or crawlers can also be used. Leech Lake presentations rarely require snell lengths over 3 feet, however when fishing water less than 5 feet, you might consider a longer length, up to 10 feet. Don’t be afraid to experiment with your presentation. Adding a small nickel hammered spinner can really make the difference in a tough bite situation. Because we seldom fish deeper than 14 feet, a ¼ oz sliding weight is plenty to keep your rig near the bottom. Although the usual presentation is slow, don’t be afraid to vary your speed if the bite is tough. If the area you are fishing is rocky, try using a bottom bouncer instead of a typical sliding sinker. Hold the rod tip high and you should be able to effectively cover the area without getting snagged in the rocks. Back trolling live bait rigs in the evening can be very productive, especially in the shallow shorelines along Pine Point. Long line your rigs, at least 75 feet in the 3 – 5 foot depth range right next to shore and you may be rewarded with a limit of post spawn walleyes still using the shallows.

Crank bait trolling is an effective but seldom used technique during the Leech Lake opener. There are 2 types of crank baits to consider. They include the long narrow minnow imitators like the original Rapala and the Smithwick Rattlin Rouge, or the shad type crank baits including Rapala’s Shad Rap and the Wally Diver. Shiners tend to be the forage of choice on Leech Lake and “matching the hatch” only makes sense. The Silver Shad Rap is an excellent choice if you are crankin for the first time. A #5 is a good choice for depths to 7 feet and a #7 will run to 10 feet. One characteristic of Shad Raps is their tendency to bounce over the rocks, with their diving lips “ticking” the bottom. This creates additional noise which can really sound the dinner bell. Shad Raps occasionally get snagged but are easily freed. Fish the 3 – 7 foot areas at sunset to take advantage of the evening shallow water walleye movement. Start out with a #7 and if you seem to get hung up too much switch to a #5. Don’t be afraid to hug the shoreline and go shallow. Excellent areas include Big Hardwoods, Ottertail, Goose Island, Pine Point (especially at the point), Stoney Point, and any other rock/gravel shoreline that challenge traditional live bait rigging. Don’t overlook the use of small in-line planar boards to get your crank bait away from the boat and closer to shore. This can be a deadly presentation when the water is calm and you are concerned about spooking shallow water fish with your boat. This technique also helps to scatter the lines to cover more water.

So, if the fish seem scattered and you want to try something new, grab a Shad Rap and start trolling. You just might end up with the trophy this year!

Next month we will explore the traditional fishing hotspots on Leech and look at some new areas.
May 2007
Leech Lake is a very diverse body of water which identifies itself as a premier walleye lake in Minnesota. From rocky shorelines to windswept points, there are always opportunities to find active fish in a number of classic locations on Leech. We will explore those locations, discuss the specific structure, and offer ideas which could influence your fishing success.

Perhaps the best know of these locations are the windswept points located throughout the lake. Areas such as Pine Point, Ottertail, Big and Little Hardwoods, Stoney Point, and Duck Point are excellent examples of areas that are subjected to the effects of the wind and waves. Wind and waves tend to concentrate baitfish, reduce water clarity (light penetration) and create currents within the structure. These factors play a role in concentrating schools of walleye. One important factor is that most points are also adjacent to prime spawning areas. After spawn, walleyes tend to hang near the shallow structure next to these spawning areas. These points often have large 8 – 12 foot flat areas which are ideal for post spawn walleyes. In some situations like large wave conditions, a mud line will actually form on these points creating an ideal location to target walleyes. A bright chartreuse colored jig/minnow becomes an excellent presentation as you enter the mud line.

Another prime area during opener can be the large pre-emergent flat areas near the shorelines. West Goose Flats, Star Point and Steamboat Bay are excellent examples of this type of structure. Walleyes tend to scatter in these areas after spawning and are often on the prowl. These areas also hold good populations of northern pike and perch. Again dragging Lindy Rigs and minnow tipped jigs tend to be the main presentation. These areas produce well when the water temperature is warmer, say 55 degrees.

When fishing gets real tough, one of the go to spots is Snake Pit Flats. This is a deeper area where large females tend to hang out right after the spawn. Look for the some of the steeper drop off areas to begin your presentation. The name Snake Pit Flats lives up to its name. The northern pike bite can be excellent in this area with some very nice fish coming out of the deeper water.

Rocky shorelines, points and reefs offer another specific type of structure for locating old marble eyes. These areas tend to be the spot on the spot as part of another structure like Stoney Point, Ottertail Point and Goose Island. Rock areas are generally found closer to shore and near the first drop off. The rocks can prove difficult to fish but one can be successful using bottom bouncers, vertical jigging techniques as well as trolling crankbaits (covered last month). In addition to these areas are stand alone rock structures like Submarine Reef. Although somewhat farther from our base camp, Submarine Reef offers excellent lake sucker fishing, especially on a calm clear day. Thousands of fish engulf the reef and can provide an excellent alternative that might just save your day. Throw a crawfish colored crankbait and hang on!

There are countless areas in Leech Lake to fish. Do not be afraid to venture out and explore. Who knows, you may just discover the next new hot spot for Team Walleye!

Quiz from the Early Years

Hi guys,

I was organizing some of our old files and thought that I would share with you

a Team Walleye history and trivia quiz from a few years back. When we started

this annual trip we all averaged 19-21 years old. We may have been a little naive

or inexperienced (or just stupid). But over the years we all matured, and Team

Walleye has evolved into a very organized Opener.

Following are excerpts from that quiz. Answers are at the bottom of the post.

1. Renowned Leech Lake guide Al Moss gave regular Friday night seminars

at Brindley's. What points did he devote the most time to?

a. Fishing hot spots

b. This seasons tested hot lures and rigs

c. Weather trends and likely fish locations

d. Boating safety and who died on the lake last year

2. Ron E. brought his 15' Alumacraft the first four years. What unfortunate

predicaments befelt this boat?

a. Ran out of gas in the middle of Leech lake

b. Dead battery, pull started 40hp Johnson all weekend

c. Sank at landing

d. All of the above

3. Over the years Gary U. has lost something off the back of a boat.

What was it?

a. His hat

b. His rod and reel

c. His 25hp Johnson Outboard Motor

d. All of the above

4. Ack...Ack...Ack..Refers to?

a. Reaction to Huey H.'s handpicked mushrooms

b. Doug M. tossing cookies behind the camper

c. Pull starting that damn motor again

d. Giving Acorn Hills dog our pork chop bones

5. What is the Leech Lake terminology for specialized walleye congregation

to a specific area of the lake?

a. Localization

b. Point structure relationship

c. Seasonal depth analogies

d. Funneling in

All answers are "D"

For the new guys

Hey Guys,

Two posts in one night, who would of thought,

just wanted to give some notes for the new members that may have checked out this blog.

Thanks for your deposit. Most resorts as well as Brindley's ask for a large deposit. They use this to make off-season improvements. Over the years we have observed that our resort has

always made regular and appreciated improvements to our accomidations.

Organizing a large trip like this can be very complicated, but over the last 36 years we have

evolved a managment system that has made the whole process work almost invisably.

The deposit process always starts in December. As the trip grows closer other details are

completed. Each year as a tradition we order custom embroidered hats, as well as other

trip comemberatives. Our food guy Mark M. starts his shopping in January, getting deals

as they come.

Included in your trip fees:

All meals, supplies, snacks

Lodging

All Bait

Fuel (limited)

Mics. (Ice, etc.)

Tips (Dock help)

Fish Cleaning (Brindley's cleans and packages all fish)

Covered Harbor Slips

For the first 20 years we included the beer for the whole group, but tastes have changed.

You need to bring your own casual beverage of choice. We will supply coffee, milk, Juice, etc.

The mid-day bloody mary is quite popular.

The only other added expence is the Big Fish Contest, have an extra $10 for this.

Let me know if you have any questions

Also check the post after this one.

TW Update Big changes

Hey Guys,

Sorry for the lag time in getting a new post here. We are determined to do a weekly update here

as time is starting to tick down to our next opener.

Our deposit has been confirmed by Brindley's, and some big changes have taken place over the last month, mainly with additions to Team Walleye.

First off, besides our regulars; Andy, Pete, Dave, Steve, Ron, Ron, Troy, Brad, Adam, Mark, Ryan, Jack, Mark, and Matt. Returning after a years absence Jared, and cumming again after

their rookie year James, Henry, and Mike. New members for 2010 include Dave's other brother

John, Andy's friend Eric, and a couple of more guys from Wisconsin, Kevin and John. Also, Jeremy from the last two openers has since joined the Marines, but a new Mike will be replacing

him. This puts us at 23 members for the upcoming opener, a historic high.

As a result of our growth we will have one more boat (Kevin) and also we have reserved

Cabin 6. (Nobody wants to sleep on the floor) This brings our "Team Walleye Compound"

to include cabins 5,6,11,12,&14.

Due to popular requests we will be making Sunday Dinner a fish fry. Dave is planning on bringing

his King Kooker back again this year and we plan to make full use of it.

Lets hope we can supply plenty of fish for that.

On that note, many of you know that Dave had heart surgery on 3/1. Me and Mark M. visited

Dave at the hospital last Saturday just as he got news he was being released that afternoon.

He was in good spirits and well on his way to recovery, another 4 weeks.

A good Minnesotan always plans ahead as not to conflict with the Fishing Opener!

Introduction to Leech Lake

Hello,

For all you new Team Walleye members, and even some of you older folks, here is an article I wrote for our website a few years back. Look for some new posts in the future. Thanks, Dave

Leech Lake is a very diverse body of water which identifies itself as a premier walleye lake in Minnesota. From rocky shorelines to windswept points, there are always opportunities to find active fish in a number of classic locations on Leech. We will explore those locations, discuss the specific structure, and offer ideas which could influence your fishing success.

Perhaps the best know of these locations are the windswept points located throughout the lake. Areas such as Pine Point, Ottertail, Big and Little Hardwoods, Stoney Point, and Duck Point are excellent examples of areas that are subjected to the effects of the wind and waves. Wind and waves tend to concentrate baitfish, reduce water clarity (light penetration) and create currents within the structure. These factors play a role in concentrating schools of walleye. One important factor is that most points are also adjacent to prime spawning areas. After spawn, walleyes tend to hang near the shallow structure next to these spawning areas. These points often have large 8 – 12 foot flat areas which are ideal for post spawn walleyes. In some situations like large wave conditions, a mud line will actually form on these points creating an ideal location to target walleyes. A bright chartreuse colored jig/minnow becomes an excellent presentation as you enter the mud line.

Another prime area during opener can be the large pre-emergent flat areas near the shorelines. West Goose Flats, Star Point and Steamboat Bay are excellent examples of this type of structure. Walleyes tend to scatter in these areas after spawning and are often on the prowl. These areas also hold good populations of northern pike and perch. Again dragging Lindy Rigs and minnow tipped jigs tend to be the main presentation. These areas produce well when the water temperature is warmer, say 55 degrees.

When fishing gets real tough, one of the go to spots is Snake Pit Flats. This is a deeper area where large females tend to hang out right after the spawn. Look for the some of the steeper drop off areas to begin your presentation. The name Snake Pit Flats lives up to its name. The northern pike bite can be excellent in this area with some very nice fish coming out of the deeper water.

Rocky shorelines, points and reefs offer another specific type of structure for locating old marble eyes. These areas tend to be the spot on the spot as part of another structure like Stoney Point, Ottertail Point and Goose Island. Rock areas are generally found closer to shore and near the first drop off. The rocks can prove difficult to fish but one can be successful using bottom bouncers, vertical jigging techniques as well as trolling crankbaits (covered last month). In addition to these areas are stand alone rock structures like Submarine Reef. Although somewhat farther from our base camp, Submarine Reef offers excellent lake sucker fishing, especially on a calm clear day. Thousands of fish engulf the reef and can provide an excellent alternative that might just save your day. Throw a crawfish colored crankbait and hang on!

There are countless areas in Leech Lake to fish. Do not be afraid to venture out and explore. Who knows, you may just discover the next new hot spot for Team Walleye!

Another Year Another Opener

Hey Guy's

We're back again for 2010. I'm hoping to be more diligent in keeping this blog updated on a regular schedule.

I'm quite sure that I had posted the 2009 Opener final results, some pic's, and a catch graph.

But they are not here. I will collect those items , and post them here in the near future.

I have had some deposits come in, and am expecting the rest by months end. We will be adding

a few more members, and having some return members attending. I will keep you all posted here on a weekly basis.

I also have arranged to have some guest member contributions to this blog with some helpful tips and insights that we all can use this upcoming Opener.

Thank you all for your help and support over the past 36 years and in the future.

Ron