Woodland Creek Community Center 6729 Pacific Avenue SE, Lacey, WA 98503
Club News and Current Events
April 2024
The April meeting will be on Thursday April 11 due to a scheduling conflict at the Lacey Community Center. The speakers will be Martin Chen on fishing Riffe Lake and Jason Dunham on rockfish and lingcod fishing. Also, if you haven’t paid your dues by the end of the April meeting you will be removed from our mailing list and we will cancel your subscription to the Reel News.
The highlight of the March meeting was the election of the officers for the next year. We went into the meeting with no candidate for the office of President. Fortunately, at the meeting Jason Dunham agreed to run for the office and was elected unanimously. We also elected Jason Anderson to the office of Vice President, Jonathon Farney to the office of Treasurer, and Ed Kinkopf and Steve Cummings to be Board Members. We are still looking for someone to assume the duties of Secretary.
We started our annual kids fishing events season in late March at Cabela’s fish pond. This was a two day event and we were grateful that seventeen members contributed their time to allow over 350 kids an opportunity to catch a fish. We have several events on the calendar during the next three months. We appreciate all of those who volunteer to make these events possible.
The first of these events will be on Saturday April 13 at the Tenino Kids Fishing clinic. This is an indoor event that is an opportunity to do actual teaching about fishing techniques, not only to 60+ kids but also to the parents that will be there. Topics to be discussed during the clinic are things like jig and fly tying, rod building and repair, making spinners, rigging hard beads, rigging soft beads and worms, tying knots and leaders, casting, rigging for bass, rigging hardware, rigging bobbers, rigging for trolling, along with a bait curing station where they will be curing eggs and prawns. There will also have a speech about fishing etiquette and safety, and towards the end of the clinic the most fun part is a casting competition with the kids casting to hula hoops to win prizes like rods and reels and tackle and other prizes. The event will be held in the multipurpose room (gym) of Tenino Elementary just off of old 99 as you come into town. It is 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM, Saturday April 13. They will appreciate any volunteers that can give them a hand.
The next event is the annual Lacey Family Kid’s Fish-in on Saturday April 20. This is our opportunity to give up to 500 kids a chance to catch a fish in Long’s Pond and to take home a fishing rod and reel. It is a weeklong event that starts on Monday April 15 with a work party to assemble the 500 rods we will be donating beginning at 5:00 PM at the White house (it is the white building on Long’s Pond south of the Community Center Building). We will have soda and pizza for those who volunteer. The next need for volunteers will be on Friday morning April 19 at 8:00 AM to assist in placing the net in Long’s Pond and taking delivery of the fish. On the day of the event we will need volunteers to arrive by 6:30 AM to help get everything set up for the first group of kids that will arrive at 8:00 AM. It will be a long day and we will have sandwiches and snacks for those who volunteer.
Our next three events begin on May 11 when we will be at Columbus Park on Black Lake with our fish pond. This will be followed on June 5 when we will take fish pond to Mason Lake near Shelton to give the Shelton School District Special Needs Kids a chance to catch a fish. Just as a comment this is in my mind the most rewarding of all the kids fishing events we do. Finally, Cabela’s has asked us to provide volunteers for another youth fishing event in mid June. More information on each of these events will be forthcoming.
A couple of reminders. First, if you already done it you need to send last year’s catch record into WDFW even if you didn’t mark anything on it. And, second you need to renew your license before you go fishing or clamming.
Allen Morrow
Welcome to March 2024.
We have several events up coming this month. The first is the election of new officers at the meeting on March 7. At this meeting we will elect a president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and two board members. We need candidates for each of these offices. The most significant office we need to fill is the presidency. Martin Chen has served in this position for the past two years, but cannot continue on as our by-laws limit the president to a maximum term of two years. So, we need someone who has not served as president for two years to step up and take on this role. This position does not require a significant amount of time and the newly elected president will have the assistance and advise of the previous president who will remain a member of the board of directors. We also need a candidate for one of the two board member positions.
The current Board of Directors are not certain what will happen to the club if no one agrees to assume the duties of the president. Our by-laws appear to require us to have a president so does that mean that if we don’t have one the club ceases to exist. It would be unfortunate if that is the case and the club simply fades away. It is my hope that someone will contact Martin Chen (360 490-3383 or marchen101@aol.com) or me (360 866-0189 or ramorrow@pacifier.com) and agree to assume this role.
There are a number of upcoming events on the calendar. The first is the general meeting on Thursday March 7. One item on the agenda is the election discussed above. The speaker will be Blake Smith from the Puyallup Tribe who will discuss their salmon restoration and enhancement programs. We will also have the customary raffle and membership drawing which you have to be present to win. Jeff Miller missed the chance to take home $50.00 last month so the pot will be $100.00 this month.
We are trying to put together a black mouth outing on either March 9 or 16 in Marine Area 11 or 13. This outing is dependent on weather and in the case of Area 11 whether it is still open for salmon fishing. More information on this event will be available at the meeting on March 7.
The next event in March will be at Cabela’s on March 23 and 24. They will be hosting a kid’s fishing event and have asked if we could provide some volunteers to help the kids. They will provide lunch for those who agree to help. Volunteers are asked to be there from around 10:30 to 4:30 each day. Cabela’s would like to have a rough count on the number of volunteers so they can make sure to have enough lunches. There will be a signup sheet at the March meeting or you can contact me at 360 866-0189 if you are interested.
April appears to be very busy month for the club. We have a couple of events that will require volunteers. The first a fishing clinic for kids at the Tenino Elementary School on April 13. At the clinic there will be 15 different learning stations in school gym where they will teaching different things like jig and fly tying, rod building and repair, making spinners, rigging hard beads, rigging soft beads and worms, tying knots and leaders, casting, rigging for bass, rigging hardware, rigging bobbers, rigging for trolling, along with a bait curing station where we will be curing eggs and prawns. There will also be a speech about fishing etiquette and safety, and towards the end of the clinic the most fun part is a casting competition where the kids will be casting to hula hoops to win prizes like rods and reels and tackle and prizes that we get donated and demo during the clinic.
The next April event will be the annual Lacey Family Kids-In Fish-in at Longs Pond on April 20. This promises to be a great event. We will need all the help we can get to ensure that it is a success starting with rod assembly on Monday April 15 beginning at 5:00 PM at the White House (adjacent to the Lacey Community Center). Pizza will be provided for dinner. We also will need a few volunteers to help put the net and fish in the pond on the morning of Friday April 19 beginning at 8:00 AM. Finally, we will need as many volunteers as we can get to help the kids fish on Saturday April 20 beginning at 6:30, but if you can’t make the early morning time help will be appreciated throughout the day.
The next event will be on May 13 at Columbus Park on Black Lake on Saturday May 11. We will have the pond at this event and give kids 8 and younger a chance in most cases to catch their first fish. We will need volunteers for this event beginning at 9:00 AM on May 9 to set up and fill the pond and on Saturday May 11 to help the kids fish beginning at 8:30 AM and ending around 5:00 PM. More information regarding this event will be forthcoming.
Our April meeting date has been changed to Thursday April 11 due to a scheduling conflict at the Lacey Community Center. Just a reminder that if you haven’t paid your 2024 dues you need to do so before the end of the meeting on April 11. If you don’t pay up by then you will be removed from our membership role and will no longer get the Reel News and our shared email messages.
Finally, I am attaching our current boat share list. If you aren’t on it and would like to be please let me know at 360 866-0189 ramorrow@pacifier.com or sign up at the March meeting.
Allen Morrow
Past President, SSPSA
South Sound Chapter – January 2024
Martin F Chen - President
THE FEBRUARY MEETING DATE HAS BEEN CHANGED TO THURSDAY FEBRUARY 8 BEGINNING AT 7:00 PM AT THE LACEY COMMUNITY CENTER.
We started the new year with an excellent discussion by Jason Dunbar, Jason Anderson and Dennis Popple on how they fish the Columbia and Cowlitz rivers. Although their comments were primarily focused on fishing from a boat many of their ideas could also be used by those of us who fish those and other rivers from the bank. It is great to see our members sharing their knowledge and expertise.
This is one advantage to club membership. Which brings to the forefront that now is the time to pay your dues if you haven’t already. Unfortunately, due to increasing costs we have had to increase the annual dues from $35 to $40. Jonathon Farney, our treasurer, recently reported that we have 29 members who have already paid their 2024 dues, so thank you for being proactive! A couple members (you know who you are) were unaware of the increase to $40 and need to settle up if possible. You can mail a check to the club PO Box 1002, Olympia, WA 98507 or Jonathon’s home address 7106 Puget Beach Rd NE Olympia WA 98516 or bring cash/check to a meeting. We are working on adding a card reader and online payment options for the future, but those are not yet available. If your dues isn’t paid by the first of April you will be removed from the membership list.
In last month’s newsletter, I pointed out that hosting kid’s fishing events was one of our club’s most important activities. We had agreed to host four events in 2024, but needed someone to coordinate each one. I want to thank Dennis Popple for stepping up and agreeing to take on this role for the Lacey Family Fish-in on April 20. Although Dennis is the coordinator, he can’t do it all alone and will need lots of volunteer support as the event nears.
We do have a couple of other kid’s fishing events coming up for those who might be interested. In each case we are simply being asked to provide volunteers to help kids fish on the sponsoring organization’s pond. The first is an event sponsored by WDFW at Vance Ponds in Elma on February 17. They will have their fish tank and a portion of the pond netted off and stocked with surplus Steelhead. We did this a couple of years ago and it was a blast seeing a 5 year old catch a 10# steelhead on a 3 foot rod. More information regarding the time of the event will be sent later.
The second event will be at Cabela’s on March 23 and 24 in conjunction with their annual opening of fishing season promotion. Again, we are simply being asked to provide volunteers to help the kids catch a trout in their pond. In the past Cabela’s has provided Breakfast and lunch to the volunteers. I would like to encourage Members to take part in this event as we are currently asking them for a grant to cover the cost of the Lacey Family Fish-in. In the past we have received grants of $5,000 and $2,000 and are asking for $5,000 this year.
Our next meeting will be February 8 at the Lacey Community Center at 7 pm. Scott Stelzner, Fisheries Biologist from the Squaxin Tribe will talk about their net pen release Coho program. We will have club logo hats and t-shirts for sale. Steve May missed the January meeting and an opportunity to win $50.00 in the membership drawing. The amount will be increased to $100 for the February meeting. Don’t miss it.
Finally, we will be electing new officers at the March meeting and are seeking candidates for these offices:
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
2 Board Members
If you are interested in any of these positions please let me or Martin Chen know.
South Sound Chapter – December 2023
Martin F Chen - President
THE JANUARY 4THMEETING WILL BE AT CABELA’S IN THE SECOND FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM. THE MEETING WILL START AT 6:30 AS WE HAVE TO LEAVE THE ROOM NO LATER THAN 8:30. THE SPEAKERS WILL BE A PANEL OF MEMBERS TALKING ABOUT FISHING IN LOCAL RIVERS.
As 2023 came to an end the Board of Directors at its December meeting began to make plans for 2024. We are facing some trying times as our membership and participation in activities has steadily decreased in the past year. As a result, we are faced with making some difficult decisions. For example, we unanimously voted to have only one banquet in 2024. Traditionally, we have had a seafood banquet in the Spring (Summer last year) and a holiday banquet in December. After noticing the limited attendance at these events we decided to do away with the seafood banquet, but to continue to have the holiday event perhaps adding salmon to the menu along with turkey and ham.
The Board continues to try to find ways to encourage members to become more involved in our club’s activities. An activity that seems to always attract members is a introduce a kid to fishing event. We have four events scheduled during 2024, but are still looking for individuals to step up and help us organize each one. Those events are the annual Kid’s Fish-in at Long’s Pond in April, the Columbus Park Kid’s fishing event at Black Lake in May, the annual Shelton School District Special Needs Kids fishing event at Mason Lake in June and the Rods and Reels Fish Expo in June. If you are interested in any or all of these events please let Martin Chen or any board member know.
We have historically had member outings such as clam digs, surf perch fishing, crabbing and lake fishing outings. Most of these outings were set up by Mike Silvers our outing coordinator. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us. We need someone to come forward and take on that responsibility. It doesn’t take a significant amount of time and I am sure you will find a number of our members will be happy to help you out. Again, if you are interested please let Martin Chen or any board member know.
With that in mind we are trying to determine what kind of outings will attract member participation. We have come up with a list of possible outings and would appreciate feed back on which ones you think we should consider or if there are other possibilities. The list of possibilities as of now is:
1. Razor Clam digs
2. Steamer Clam/Geoduck digs
3. Surf Perch fishing trip
4. Crabbing outings to Willipa Bay
5. Blackmouth fishing trip in Area 13
6. Flounder fishing trip in Area 13
7. Rockfish trip to Westport
8. Shad trip to the Columbia
9. Squid trip
10. Lake fishing trip to Riffe Lake or other local lakes
Please reply to this email letting us know if you interested in any or all of these events.
There are a couple of events that will take place in 2024. One is the annual Member and Guest Derby in August. We will need someone to help organize the derby. The other event is the annual Garage Sale in July. The garage sale has been a significant source of income for the club. In recent years we have earned around $7,000 each year at the sale. This is enough money to enable us to purchase over 600 rods and reels to give to the kids at the Fish-in. We have fortunate to be able to have the sale at Mike Silvers home. That is no longer an option. We need a new site for the sale and will welcome any suggestions or solutions.
The Board would also appreciate feedback on what topics you want to hear about at our meetings. As pointed about above the January speakers will share their knowledge about fishing in local rivers. The speaker in February will be the Squaxin Island Tribal biologist who will talk about their Coho net pen program. We need your help in finding speaker for the other 10 months. Let us know what you want.
Finally, we will be electing new officers at the March meeting and are seeking candidates for these offices:
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
2 Board Members
If you are interested in any of these positions please let me or Martin Chen know.
South Sound Chapter – November 2023
Martin F Chen - President
2023 is quickly coming to an end, but the club still has several potential outings as you can see on the attached calendar. There will be sign up lists at the November 2nd meeting to gauge interest. The Board of Directors continues to try to find opportunities for us to get together and enjoy the great outdoors but also the companionship of each other. Unfortunately, based on the limited involvement of club members at the last couple of events it appears we are not selecting the right kinds of events. We have traditionally planned on razor clam digs, chum fishing and crab outings in the Fall and early winter. Is this what you want? Do you have any other ideas for outings we might consider? If so please let me, Martin Chen or let any Board member know. I am attaching a list of current Board members with their contact information.
Our next significant event is the annual Holiday Party. It will be on will be on Thursday December 7 at the Lacey Community Center. This will be a pot luck with the club furnishing turkey and ham and the rest of the meal by the attendees. This as a family event so plan to bring them or friends that might enjoy a night out. There will be a raffle with prizes aimed at all age groups and activities. We will need volunteers for various duties. There will be a sign-up list at the November 2nd meeting.
Our club like any club depends on individuals willing to volunteer their time and energy to allow it to function. We have been fortunate over the years to have two people Dee Glenn and Mike Silvers who have pretty much been the kingpins that kept us alive. Unfortunately, they are no longer available. We need new individuals to step up and take their place. Positions like club secretary, outings coordinator and Kid’s Fish-in and other kids fishing events coordinator are currently unfilled and need to be filled soon. For example, planning for the Lacey Family Fish-in and a kid’s fishing event at Columbus Park are already underway. Also, although it is a way off we need candidates for President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer and 3 Board members for our annual meeting in March 2024. If you are interested in any of these duties or positions please let me or Martin Chen know.
Our next meeting will be Thursday November 2 beginning at 7:00 PM at the Lacey Community Center. The speaker will be Justin Wong, Cut Plug Charters. He will talk about light tackle fishing techniques for salmon, ling cod and other bottom fish throughout Puget Sound. He also charters in Area 13 for Black mouth in the winter months and will share some of his knowledge of that fishery.
Subject: Re: The Comanager Hatchery Policy passed!!!
Thank you, Ron, for all your work and in developing the tribal alliances that got the job done.
Wouldn’t it be nice to develop a comprehensive integrated hatchery program that might get us out from under the expenses of the MSF fisheries and use such a program to expand natural spawning populations.
Dave
On Fri, Oct 27, 2023 at 5:31 PM rgarner755@aol.com<rgarner755@aol.com> wrote:
We won the comanager hatchery vote!!!!!!!!!! . Melanie Rowland, Tim Ragen, and Lorna Smith did their best to derail and stop the vote. They tried to say they still had more questions on the day of the vote!!! This has been going on for two years and they should have asked any questions during all of the meetings or followed up themselves.
It is not up to the commission to stop all processes with newer members but up to the members to catch up. If their questions were not answered, that is on them for not doing their due diligence as a commissioner.
We won the vote 6-3 as we anticipated and Rowland, Ragen, and Smith voted no while Anderson, Baker, Linville, Parker, Myers, and Lehmkuhl voted yes.
Thank you commissioners for moving forward on this historic vote! Now the tribes and state can work together as required by law! WE WON! THANK YOU TO ALL!
Special thanks to our tribal friends and WDFW, its staff and commissioners. This was a victory by all!
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Our club's bylaws require us to elect these officers, president, vice president, secretary/treasurer and two board members, at the March meeting. The purpose of this email to solicit candidates for these essential positions. The very survival of the South Sound Chapter Puget Sound Anglers is dependent upon members of the club stepping up and taking on one of these positions.
This year the most critical position is secretary/treasurer. Dee Glenn, who has graciously served in this position for twenty years has decided to retire effective March 31, 2023. She has agreed to serve jointly with the person elected at the March meeting for up to one year to provide the necessary training. If no one is elected to the position at the March meeting the club will almost surely die because we will have nobody to do what she does to keep us functioning. If you are interested in taking on her duties, but need more information, please give Dee a call at 360 491 0431.
Please let me know at ramorrow@pacifier.com or 360 866 0189 if you are interested in any of these positions.
Allen Morrow
Chair Nominating Committee
South Sound Chapter – April 2023
Martin F Chen - President
We began our annual give a “kid an opportunity to catch a fish season” with a two-day event at Cabela’s during which many of our members gave up part of their weekend to help 300 kids catch a trout. This was just the start of our kid fishing programs for the year. We have two events planned for the month of April beginning with Kids-In at Longs Pond on April 15. This promises to be a great event. Over 450 kids have been registered as of the end of March. We will need all the help we can get to ensure that it is a success starting with rod assembly on Monday April 10 beginning at 5:00 PM at the White House (adjacent to the Lacey Community Center). Pizza will be provided for dinner. We also will need a few volunteers to help put the net and fish in the pond on the morning of Friday April 14 beginning at 8:00 AM. Finally, we will need as many volunteers as we can get to help the kids fish on Saturday April 15 beginning at 6:30, but if you can’t make the early morning time help will be appreciated throughout the day. The next event will be on April 29 at Columbus Park on Black Lake. More information regarding this event will be forthcoming.
The weather in March and WDFW river closures weren’t very conducive for fishing activities, but some of us did manage to get out. We had a local bottom fishing trip (flatfish) March 4, but success was somewhat limited by bad weather. Several members had successful outings to the Cowlitz and Columbia rivers, but reports were few and far between. We were finally able to have a combination clam dig and surf perch outing to Grayland on the 26thafter getting reports that the clams were readily available and big. Seven of us were able get our clam limits, the surf perch didn’t cooperate.
On March 25, we held our annual club boat show and safety inspection event at Swan Town Marina. Thirteen members brought their boats to show off and get inspected by Viki Sharp of the United States Power Squadron. Viki reported that all 13 boats passed and received a decal indicating that fact which can keep you from being subject to an additional inspection at a boat launch or on the water. She attributes this success rate to the fact that we are all concerned about our safety when enjoying being on the water. If you couldn’t make the event and would like to have your boat inspected she will come to your home or meet you somewhere in the local area. If you are interested call her at 360 866-7134 to make an appointment. Let her know that you are a PSA member.
In recent weeks the apparent position of PSA’s State Board regarding the use of gill nets in the mainstream of the Columbia River has caused concern for many of our members. I have been advised that at this point the need for a formal discussion of this issue by all members of our Chapter will be on agenda of our April board meeting on the 19th with the intent to organize a debate by both sides of the issue at our May general meeting if possible. Hopefully, this will result in a decision by our Chapter that can be used in future years.
If you haven’t paid your 2023 dues you need to do so before the end of the meeting on April 6. If you don’t pay up by then you will be removed from our membership roles and will no longer get the Reel News and our shared email messages.
Our next general meeting will be on Thursday April 6 beginning at 7:00. The speaker will be a WDFW biologist on the topic of crab populations and fishing opportunities in Puget Sound. We have a number of other future events as you can see on the attached calendar.
Finally, we are entering the fishing season for many of us. Last year we initiated a list of those with boats who might want to find a partner and those without boats who might want to go out with someone. I am attaching what I believe is the current list in word format. If you would like to be added to either category or I missed you please let me know at ramorrow@pacifier.com.
South Sound Chapter – March 2023
Martin F Chen - President
February has come and gone. The month began with a very informative presentation by Jason Morgan from the Northwest Straits foundation on their efforts to locate and remove derelict nets and crab pots from Puget Sound. We had high hopes that we would be able to have a couple of clam digs and surf perch outings but the weather gods put a damper on those efforts.
We are now entering the busiest time of our year. There are a lot of events on the attached calendar during March and April that require active volunteer participation. Perhaps the most critical of these events will occur on Thursday March 2 when we elect officers for the upcoming year at our annual meeting. This year we will elect a President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer and two board members. All of these positions are important for the continued operation of our club, but this year the need to elect a new Secretary/Treasurer is paramount. Dee Glenn, who has held this office for over 20 years, has announced that she plans to retire effective June 1. We currently have candidates for all these positions other than Secretary/Treasurer. We currently have around 110 members and It is essential that someone within that group will step up and take on that role. If you are interested but need more information regarding the duties please call Dee at 360 491-0431 or me at 360 866-0189.
Outings, Events and Announcements