‘WELCOME LETTER’

 

 

 

Welcome to the South Central Michigan Bass Casters.  This bass club was founded in 1973, with only five members.  Since then, this club has grown to be the largest in the state of Michigan.  The club was originally organized for the purpose of bringing men together to share the interest of bass fishing, exchange ideas and experiences regarding bass fishing, to learn more about bass fishing, and to help preserve the sport of bass fishing.  Originally, the club met twice each month either at a local body shop, or at the Wolf Lake Marina.  Today, women provide an important part of the organization, and are very active in every aspect of the operations of the club. We now meet once each month (except in November when we hold our annual awards banquet).  Upon it’s founding, the club fished tournaments on mostly local lakes (in and around Jackson).  Today, due to the size of the club and due to desires to fish larger bodies of water, the club fishes pretty much all over the State of Michigan.  A couple of times a year (depending on the desire of the club’s members) the club schedules two tournaments on one weekend at out-of-town destinations.  During these weekends, the club camps together and hosts a large family cookout.  These “family weekends” have turned out to be one of the most popular events of the year.  It’s not uncommon to see a competitive game of volleyball occur, and dozens of people seated around a campfire at these events.

 

The South Central Michigan Bass Casters is not only known for fishing tournaments. It’s also is known for having strong ties in the community, and for doing much charitable work.  The club hosts an Annual Spring Open Charity Tournament; an Annual Big Brothers and Sisters picnic / fishing outing; and annually conducts numerous ‘Casting Kids’ competitions (which are sponsored by B.A.S.S.).  In the past the club has also partaken in seminars given to the Boy Scouts of Jackson, the Department of Aging, and a couple of the local schools.  The club has even hosted a “Junk Tournament” on Michigan Center Lake – where trash was removed from the lake and prizes were awarded for the most trash brought to shore.  Volunteerism has become a huge part of this club, and without members willing to volunteer their time, the club cannot possibly continue its involvement in so many community-based activities.  Currently (2004), the club is in the process of establishing its own scholarship fund, with goal of being able to aid future college students once the fund becomes large enough.

 

 

In the year 1996, the South Central Michigan Bass Casters sponsored the founding of a ‘Junior Bass Club’, known as the South Central Michigan Junior Bass Club.  The junior club has become an intertwined part of the adult club, partaking and helping in many of the community functions the adult club participates in.  Additionally, the junior club holds approximately six of their own tournaments each summer.  The tournaments normally are held on weekday nights and last three hours.  The adult club provides the boats and boat drivers for the junior bassers, and mentors the juniors during the tournaments.  The junior club is administered by its own board of directors made up from its own membership, with a volunteer ‘Senior Advisor’ from the adult club’s membership. 

 

The tournaments our club fishes now days (though more competitive than ever before) are designed to be easy-going and friendly, however, all rules are enforced.  Cash prizes are paid out to the top finishers the day of each tournament.  Additionally, the top five finishers of each tournament are awarded with plaques/trophies at the annual awards banquet each year.  Also at the end of each tournament season, the angler who accumulates the most weight for the year is crowned as Mr. BASS for the year.  The top ten anglers each year get to compete in an exclusive “Classic Tournament”, where each angler is recognized and rewarded at the awards banquet, and the winner of the classic is named the “Classic Champion”.

 

Another reason for trying to finish in the top of the standings each years, is that the top finishers have the opportunity to compete on our “State Fish-Off Team” (must be a member of the State B.A.S.S. Federation, and National B.A.S.S. Federation) at the Annual State Championship, where more than 250 fishermen and women from around the state compete for twelve opportunities to advance to the Northern Regional Federation Tournament (held on a rotating basis in one of nine northern states, or Canada).  More information on the Northern Regional and the Nation Federation Tournaments are available from the club’s Secretary/Treasurer.  Membership in the Michigan B.A.S.S. Chapter Federation, and the National B.A.S.S. Federation, can only be acquired through a ‘local bass club’, such as the South Central Michigan Bass Casters.        

 

 

Please remember:    

Friends first – Fishing later

And the only dumb questions are those not asked