Meeting Minutes- October 17th, 2024 - 7pm
Atlantic County Library – Hammonton, NJ
Meeting was called to order at 7:08pm with the following anglers in attendance: Dennis Robinson,
Jason Scott, Vic Carapucci, Mark Sowers, Bill Bentliff, Josh Mazzeo, John Goss, Alex Bronsky, and
guest angler Harold Eckett.
​
Alex Bronsky, Vice President:
2024 SJKBFC Classic Results
- Congratulations to Layne Ell for his victory in the 2024 SJKBFC Classic, which took place
across Lake Lenape and Alloway Lake! We discussed the fishing conditions and results at
Lenape and Alloway. Tough fishing especially on Alloway.
Opening/Interest for Club President
- We still have an opening for Club President. If anyone has interest in this important role
please let the Executive Board know.
Banquet Planning
ï‚· Location/Time: Alpha Gun Club (Atco), Sat. Nov 2 nd 4:00pm
ï‚· Headcount (Members + Guests)
o Alex will send out a GroupMe to get a headcount shortly after this meeting.
ï‚· Food (Catering/Pizza? Must consider budget)
o Discussion was had surrounding food for the banquet. Members brought up how much
extra food is usually left over after the banquet, and there seems to be a lot of waste.
Likewise, there is the extra expense for each angler buying food to prepare for the
club.
o It was settled that instead of a potluck, we will cater pizza and desserts.
o If members WANT to bring food they still can.
ï‚· Set-Up/Break-Down Volunteers
o Set Up: Mark, Dennis, Vic, Alex
o Break Down: We will ask for break-down volunteers on GroupMe after a headcount is
established. Breakdown should be quicker considering we aren’t doing a potluck.
ï‚· Awards + Trophies + Jackets Ordered
ï‚· Lure Exchange Reminder
o Anglers can bring a bag of new, unopened lures totaling no more than $25. Anglers
who bring a bag of lures for the exchange can then take a bag of lures on the way out
of the banquet.
ï‚· Door Prizes
o Layne will be taking care of door prizes.
ï‚· Gifts for Wives/Partners/Guests – Who is Purchasing?
o Must get banquet headcount to establish how many gifts we need.
o GroupMe post will establish headcount, then we will consult wives/girlfriends for ideas.
ï‚· MC for Event
Alex to MC.. Alex to connect w/ Layne for run of show.
2025 Lake Selection
- Thank you to anglers for submitting their Top 5 lakes to Alex/John. We first established
available dates for the schedule, then went through all of the submitted lakes in order
from most submissions to least. After thorough discussion, the following lakes will be on
the 2025 SJKBFC schedule (assuming no insurmountable conflicts or unknown issues with
the lakes): Rainbow, Alloway, Union, Lenape, Carnegie, Assunpink, Audrey, Farrington,
Menantico, Newton, Mirror, Prospertown, Sunset, Cooper, SCRAMBLE.
- New for this season, we are establishing a “SCRAMBLE” tournament as one of our 15
scheduled tournaments. Final details to be established in subsequent meetings, but in
summary we will all meet at a central location on tournament morning (or the night prior),
then anglers can CHOOSE which lake they want to fish for Saturday’s tournament. All
anglers will need to then return to the central location by a certain time to submit fish for
scoring. No need for TourneyX, FishingChaos, etc.
- The 2025 SJKBFC Classic will take place across Audrey (Day 1) and Union (Day 2).
Matt Zappile and Anthony Coco, Tournament Directors:
- No report.
John Goss, Secretary:
- Reminder that this meeting and the Banquet are going to 2025 attendance/2025 Classic
qualification.
- John to handle ordering food for the Banquet.
Layne Ell, Interim Treasurer:
2024 Balance: $3,061 (2023 Balance was $3,156 on this date)
- Expected Balance after Banquet = $400-$500
- With a surplus of expected balance, it was decided we have room to order food for the
banquet.
Alex Bronsky, Social Media Director:
a. No report.
Meeting was adjourned at 8:49pm.
Meeting Minutes- September 5th, 2024 - 7pm
​
Atlantic County Library – Hammonton, NJ
Meeting was called to order at 7:06pm with the following member anglers in attendance – Tony
Turin, John Goss, Don Mills, Dennis Robinson, Mark Sowers, Bil Bentliff, Megan McCafferty, Daniel
Rodriguez, Daniel Rodriguez Jr, Victor Carapucci. Also guest angler Harold Eckett Jr was in
attendance.
Greg Rappaport, President:
Opening/Interest for Club President
- We have an opening for Club President. This is obviously an important responsibility for the
club, and if anyone is interested please consider running for the position. If you have any
questions please reach out to Greg or Layne.
2024 Banquet Planning (Banquet is Nov. 2 nd )
- Discussion was held surrounding the banquet and what tasks need to be completed. We still
have one more meeting (10/17) before the banquet, but many of these need to get in motion
before that meeting.
- Food: Secretary will coordinate with club members. If you have an idea what you’d like to
bring, or for example want to bring the same dish as last year, please let John know. 314-315-
7121 or email john.goss15@gmail.com . John will be reaching out to the club and individual
members as we build out the list.
- Set-Up/Clean-Up Volunteers: We strongly encourage members not involved in banquet
planning to volunteer to help set-up and clean-up the banquet. Layne and Michelle did a ton
of this work in year’s past and the exec board doesn’t feel this should be shouldered by the
President and/or two people. The more who volunteer, the quicker it will go. We greatly
appreciate the help. Easy way to get involved if you’re looking at exec board next year.
- Medals: Discussion was had around the qualifications needed to win a medal this year. There
was discussion in previous meetings to change the min. requirement from 200 inches to Top
10 anglers in AOY standings. However, there is confusion on whether a vote actually took
place. Anglers in the meeting did not recall a vote taking place to change to Top 10 AOY, and
thus the discussion was tabled. As of now, the previous year’s qualifications remain.
- Awards Budget: We discussed a $ amount to spend on trophies/awards. Motion was made
to spend the same as previous year ($500). Motion was 2 nd ’d and approved unanimously.
- Lure Exchange: We will once again run the Lure Exchange/Pollyanna exchange at the
banquet. How it works: Buy a maximum of $25 (hard cap) worth of lures and place into a gift
bag. If you participate by bringing a bag of lures, you get to then take a bag as you leave the
banquet.
- Door Prizes/Gifts for Wives/Partners/Guests: Vote was taken on $ amount to spend for
Door Prizes as well as gifts for wives/partners/guests. Motion was made to spend the same as
last year ($1200), was seconded, and unanimously approved.
- 10 Year Jackets: We have the contact for 10-Year jackets and will order jackets for those
who qualify this year. We do have anglers qualifying so this will be a fun celebration.
​
2024 SJKBFC Classic
- We discussed qualification requirements for the 2024 Classic, as well as Championship Belts.
We need to order one more belt and have the contact information for where to get it.
Alex Bronsky, Vice President:
Club Records Format + Updates: Alex is going to update the club records with a new format and
the most recent information soon.
Matt Zappile and Anthony Coco, Tournament Directors:
Lake Nockamixon Details: We discussed the final details for Lake Nockamixon tournament.
John Goss, Secretary
The following anglers still have outstanding forms: Branson Schute, Chris Upchurch, Jon
Caselnova, Ryan Hannah, Ole Hernandez, Cole McCafferty, Matt Martin. If you turned in
your form to Greg and/or think this is incorrect please let me know. I will gladly email you a blank
form which you can complete and return back to me.
Layne Ell, Interim Treasurer:
Current balance of $3,240.94. Good spot overall very similar YoY.
Alex Bronsky, Social Media Director:
No report.
Meeting adjourned at 7:31pm
​
​
Meeting Minutes - August 1st, 2024 - 7pm
Atlantic County Library – Hammonton, NJ
Greg Rappaport, President:
VP Position
ï‚· Alex Bronsky was nominated, seconded, and voted in as VP. Alex was previously voted in
as VP earlier this year and was voted in tonight to resume his position. Congratulations,
Alex. We thank Mark Sowers for serving in the interim.
​
South Jersey Youth Outdoor Day
ï‚· Thanks to Layne, Danny Sr., Danny Jr., Jim, Megan, Neil and Greg (plus his family) for
volunteering at SJYOD. Over 250 kids attended which was a terrific showing, the fishing
area was full the entire time.
​
Attendance Update for Classic
ï‚· Current anglers qualified for the 2024 SJKBFC Classic are Bill, Dennis, Greg, John, Matt Z,
Neil, and Bob. Alex is also qualified as the 2023 Classic Winner.
ï‚· The following individuals are very close to qualification…
o Victor (needs 2 more tournaments)
o Danny Sr and Danny Jr (Need one more meeting each)
​
Ike Foundation Kayak Tournament
ï‚· 9/28/2024 on the Susquehanna. See the Ike Foundation’s website for details and
registration link. The tournament IS allowing FFS this year.
​
2024 Banquet
ï‚· Set for 11/2/2024 at 4pm at the Atco Gun Club
ï‚· Greg and Alex will coordinate the event.
ï‚· John will coordinate attendance and food.
Mark Sowers, Interim Vice President:
ï‚· No report…. Alex is returning as VP.
Matt Zappile and Anthony Coco, Tournament Directors:
Lake Nockamixon Items
Unlimited Pre-Fishing
ï‚· A vote was taken to allow for unlimited pre-fishing for the Nockamixon tournament. This
vote passed. There is unlimited prefishing for Nockamixon.
PA Fishing License and Launch Permit
o A PA Fishing License and Launch Permit are BOTH REQUIRED for any angler
wishing to fish Nockamixon.
Instructions for Obtaining the PA Fishing License and Launch Permit
1. Visit huntfish.pa.gov
2. Click “Create an Account” on the righthand side (if you already have an account, sign in and
proceed to step 6)
3. Enter your information and create an account.
4. Go to your email you provided for the account and click “Complete Registration” in the
“Complete Account Setup” email HuntFishPA should have sent you. Create your password.
5. Sign-in to your account from the homepage.
6. Once signed in, click the orange “Buy Licenses/Permits” button on the left-hand side.
7. Click “LAUNCH PERMIT 1 YEAR UNPOWERED BOAT” then Add to Cart
8. Enter the information for your kayak (serial number is not required) and proceed
9. Click “Keep Shopping” on right hand side
10. Click orange “Fish” button at top of screen
11. You have options for which license you would like to buy.
a. If you only wish to fish the day of the tournament, choose TOURIST ONE DAY
LICENSE…
b. If you want to pre-fish then you’ll need the Tourist 3 day or 7 day fishing license, or
annual fishing license.
12. Enter any applicable dates you will fish (Nockamixon tournament is Sept. 7 th )
13. Checkout.
They will send you your license/permit in the mail but will also email you a temporary license/permit.
Take a screenshot and you can use these if you ordered your license/permit too late leading up to the
tournament.
Check-In/Check-Out Location(s) + Launch Location(s)
ï‚· We discussed Lake Nockamixon requirements for the tournament related to check-in, and
use of multiple ramps. The following was decided and is hereby in effect for Nockamixon:
ï‚· Check in will be from 5:30am-6:00am at the TOHICKON BOAT LAUNCH
ï‚· After check in, anglers can drive to whichever boat launch they would like. Anglers can
enter the water before 6:30am but CANNOT leave the ramp area or start fishing (just like
normal tournament rules)
ï‚· All anglers MUST be back at the Tohickon launch at 2:30pm for check out. All
normal penalty/disqualification rules related to late arrival will apply.
Info Sheet + Other
ï‚· Greg asked Alex to put together an information sheet for the Nockamixon tournament due
to its uniqueness and the fact it’s an OPEN tournament. We want all anglers to be very
clear on the rules.
ï‚· DO NOT park on the grass at Nockamixon. They will serve tickets. There is plenty of
parking at Tohickon.
​
Rule Change
ï‚· Matt motioned for a rule change preventing anglers from counting the same fish twice in a
tournament (even if it was caught two separate times). Currently there isn’t a rule
prohibiting this, and anglers can count the same fish when caught two different times.
Members voiced concerns about targeting bedding fish in future tournaments, particularly
if we fish further north in a future tournament with bedding smallmouth, and especially if
we have OPEN tournaments in these environments.
ï‚· Members asked for clarification that if an angler unknowingly submitted the same fish
twice (after it was caught on two separate occasions by the angler), that the angler would
not be penalized, rather one of the catches would be ruled ineligible. Matt confirmed, and
suggested Tournament Directors should allow for a different catch (e.g. a culled keeper) to
be submitted in its place.
ï‚· Matt motioned for a vote, it was seconded, and the motion passed by vote 5-4.
ï‚· The new rule states (Tournament Directors to insert specific language here and onto
website once finalized)
John Goss, Secretary
ï‚· The following anglers still have forms outstanding: Branson Schute, Chris Upchurch,
Jon Caselnova, Ryan Hannah, Ole Hernandez, Cole McCafferty, Matt Martin. If
you turned in your form to Greg and/or think this is incorrect please let me know.
ï‚· I will gladly email you a blank form which you can complete and return back to me.
Layne Ell, Interim Treasurer:
ï‚· Greg stepped in for Layne with Treasury update. We are currently at a balance of
$2,955.94. This is about $250 above where we were at this time last year, so we are in a
good place.
Alex Bronsky, Social Media Director:
ï‚· Social Media Update
o Will post Nockamixon items to social pages.
ï‚· Weather Report
Meeting adjourned at 7:58pm.
​
Meeting Minutes - June 6th, 2024 - 7pm
Atlantic County Library – Hammonton, NJ
1. Greg Rappaport, President:
Meeting was called to order at 7:03pm by Greg with the following anglers in attendance: John Goss,
Greg Rappaport, Tony Turin, Megan McCafferty, Matt Zappile, Dennis Robinson, Layne Ell, Jason
Scott, Chris Castro
Greg and the club welcomed the new members to SJKBFC – welcome Megan McCaffery, Cole
McCafferty, Ben Bullaro, Chris Castro, and Matthew Martin! Membership is now closed as we are at 33
members and 5 AM’s.
Attendance Update: Reminder that members need to fish a minimum of 5 tournaments and 4
regular club non-tournament events, which may include, meetings, clean up, and other events
sanctioned by the club, in order to maintain membership in good standing with the SJKBFC and
compete for all club awards. With the exception of the Lunker Award, because “a lunker is a lunker “.
Tournament Recording: Union report submitted.
​
Pre-Fishing/Off-Limits (Tournament Rule Revision 6.6.24 #1): Club held earnest discussion
around SJKBFC anglers who fish tournament lakes <5 days before the tournament but then don’t fish
the tournament itself. Our existing rule only states an angler who fishes a tournament lake <5 days
before a tournament is disqualified from that tournament. Discussion took place to make sure
regardless of intent to fish the tournament this rule is followed out of respect to SJKBFC anglers who
are going to fish the tournament.
Discussion began around penalty for breaking this rule. Motion was proposed that penalty is
immediately having club membership revoked for breaking this rule and banned from future
membership:
(Tournament Rules Revision 6/6/24 #1): “If an angler is confirmed and verified by the Tournament
Directors and/or a member of the executive board to have been on a tournament body of water <5
days before said tournament, regardless of angler’s intent to fish the tournament, angler’s club
membership will be revoked and angler is banned from future membership”.
The Motion passed 8-1. Tournament Rule has been updated.
​
100-Foot Rule Discussion: Discussion was had surrounding the “100’ Rule” due to recent violation.
Tournament Rule: “Anglers must stay at least 100’ from any participating angler’s vessel, unless the
angler that is approached, agrees to allow the approaching angler permission to be within the 100’”.
​
Violation of tournament rule(s) may lead to disqualification from the tournament. The club held a
discussion around the rule, and who is ultimately responsible for enforcing this rule, and how to
approach changing the tournament rules. It is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to always communicate
with anglers on the water. Over-communication > under-communication.
(Tournament Rules Revision 6/6/24 #2): Associated with the above 100-Foot Rule discussion, Greg
motioned for the following tournament rule revision… “Any accusation of violation(s) of any
Tournament Rules must be levied immediately at the scheduled end of the tournament time with the
Tournament Directors or alternate executives responsible to have an effect on the outcome of that
tournament standings. Violations of any tournament rules may result in disqualification as determined
by the Tournament Directors first, or if needed, by identified alternates (Executive Board).
Motion passed unanimously 9-0. Tournament Rule has been updated.
Tournament Rules Discussion Part 3: Discussion held around Tournament Rules regarding check-
in times and late anglers.
Tournament Rule: “A minimum of 30 minutes prior to tournament commencing each tournament
participant will check in with the Tournament Director(s)… Members arriving late must contact the
Tournament Director 30 prior to the start of the tournament. At that point directions will be given to
you so that you will be able to fish”.
It came to the Executive Board’s attention there were late-arriving anglers allowed to fish recent
tournament(s) who hadn’t checked in or notified Tournament Directors prior to 30 minutes before the
tournament. This was a mistake. This rule will be strictly enforced moving forward by the
Tournament Directors. If you are going to be late, notify the TD’s BEFORE the 30-minute
deadline.
Matt Zappile: 609-579-8762
Anthony Coco: 609-674-6236
The exec board will also do better to post the location of the ramp before the tournament to clear any
confusion so anglers arrive on time.
Tournament Rule Discussion Part 4: Discussion held around the rule against taking your kayak
out of the water and placing it on your vehicle.
Tournament Rule: “Once a vessel has left the water during a tournament it may not re-enter the
water. The vessel is out of the water if it is on the trailer, car-topped, or loaded into or on a truck or
any vehicle.”
Anglers need to contact the Tournament Directors if they feel loading their kayak onto a vehicle is
necessary, whether for safety reasons or for the security of your kayak. Tournament Directors will
work with the angler to accommodate.
South Jersey Youth Outdoor Day: Greg recently attending a meeting for South Jersey Youth
Outdoor Day. YOD was moved up from its original date August 10 th to July 20 th (same day as our
Carasaljo tournament). Greg notified them it was a conflict for us and our schedule was made last
season, but unfortunately the program date will not change. We are thus exploring moving our
Carasaljo tournament from 7/20 to the following weekend on 7/27.
A motion was brought by Layne, and then passed unanimously 9-0 to move Carasaljo from 7/20 to
7/27. Carasaljo tournament is hereby rescheduled to JULY 27 TH .
Mothership Report: Layne gave report… Cooper River parking lot closed, should be open by end of
June. Updated ramp and parking.
Every year we donate to the Mothership scholarship fund, which provides 3-4 scholarships $500 a
piece for high school students going to college that are studying anything related to
outdoor/wildlife/biology. Mothership received over 40 resumes from students applying for those
scholarships. All of the Mothership clubs donate to this, and we haven’t made our donation yet. Layne
motioned a $100 donation to the scholarship fund. Motion was passed unanimously. There will be a
BBQ at Thundergust Park on July 17 th at 5pm for anglers to attend, where scholarship winners will be
also in attendance.
Audrey Clean Up Day: The club sponsors Lake Audrey and associated trash clean up. Tentative
date was Sat 7/27 or Sun 7/28 for Audrey clean up day. Since Carasaljo tournament is now 7/27
there is a conflict for clean up day. We are tabling rescheduling the Audrey Clean Up Day for now.
Between the rescheduled Youth Outdoor day and Carasaljo tournament we need to work out a couple
scheduling issues before we can finalize a new date.
Stickers, Troughs, and Identifiers: We are low on identifiers, troughs, and stickers. We have
three troughs and will likely order more before the OPEN tournaments in September. Greg motioned
to order $20-$30 worth of new identifiers. Motion passed unanimously. Greg motioned to order 30
ketch boards for future tournaments. Motion was not seconded. Greg motioned to order ~100
SJKBFC stickers. Motion was not seconded until we figure out a price. Secretary will work on sticker
pricing.
SJKBFC Apparel: Greg reminded the club we have our online apparel shop. There’s some great stuff
on there and sales! https://apparelnow.com/sjkbfc-apparel
2. Matt Zappile and Anthony Coco, Tournament Directors:
No report
3. John Goss, Secretary:
Outanding Forms: The following members have outstanding forms: Branson Schute, Chris
Upchurch, Jon Caselnova, Ryan Hannah, Ole Hernandez, Danny Rodriguez Jr, Cole
McCafferty, Matt Martin. Secretary will bring blank forms to tournaments for members to
complete, or contact me at John.Goss15@gmail.com and I can send them electronically.
4. Marc Pyontek, Treasurer:
No report
5. Alex Bronsky, Social Media:
No report
Meeting was adjourned at 8:43pm.
​
Meeting Minutes – April 4, 2023 – 7pm
Atlantic County Library – Hammonton, NJ
The meeting was called to order at 7pm with the following members present: Greg Rappaport, Mark Sowers, Dennis Robinson, Tony Turin, Neil Tomarchio, Fred Tomarchio, Chris Upchurch, Daniel Rodriguez, Sr., Tom Mills, Ryan Hannah, Anthony Coco, Jason Scott, Bill Bentliff, Bob Gheysens, Josh Mazzeo and Alex Bronsky.
No associate members were present. Open anglers present included: Daniel Rodriguez, Jr.
Reports were provided from the agenda as follows:
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Greg Rappaport, President:
Greg provided an update on the current Executive Board reviewing its officers. Mark Sowers is now Interim Vice President until a new VP is nominated and elected. Alex Bronsky will remain Social Media Director, also until a new Social Media Director is identified and elected. Marc Pyontek has agreed to continue as Treasurer until a new Treasurer is elected.
Greg provided an update on SJKBFC’s membership. All five Associate slots are filled at this time. Theses individuals are Jake Coucoules, Neils Clemenson, Oleadys “Ole” Hernandez, Sean Place and Stu Cohen. There were two members in non-paid status up to this meeting – Branson Shute and Chris Upchurch. Chris Upchurch attended this meeting and paid his dues timely, while Ryan Hannah called Branson Shute and agreed to pay Branson’s dues for him after confirming his intention to remain a member. With 27 paid-in-full members, there are now three full member slots open at this time. Greg also reviewed the list of guest anglers who attended the first open event of the year at Kirkwood on 3/30/2024, and provided the club a reminder of our recent By-Law change addressing the filling of open slots with those open anglers who simultaneously become qualified and express interest in club membership, pending member vote, naturally.
Greg inquired if it is possible to get the club’s membership application and waiver forms on the SJKBFC website, sjkbfc.com. It appears this may be possible, but more information is needed as to what our current hosting site allows. Dennis Robinson agreed to research this and report back to the club for further action. If the club is unable to provide hyperlinks to these forms on the website, it was agreed that we can change FB to reflect the forms are available by contacting the club President or Secretary.
Greg reviewed the 2023 Classic qualifiers from last year including Greg, Jason, Layne, Alex, Dennis, Fred, Mark, Bob, Sean, Don, Marc, Neil, Tom, Tony, Anthony, Daniel and Sarge. There was then a discussion about the weather forecasted for the weekend (April 6 and April 7) and whether any issues needed to be discussed. This discussion resulted in no changes to the 2023 Classic Tournament as originally scheduled, with Lake Audrey being on Saturday, 4/6 and Mirror Lake being on 4/7.
Following this a motion was fielded from Mark Sowers to change the time of the Rainbow tournament scheduled to occur on 4/13/2024 from 9am-3pm. The change in time proposed was for 7am-1pm. This motion was seconded (Danny Sr.), and voted on by the club, passing unanimously. Alex agreed to change this on FaceBook, while Greg agreed to ask Layne to change the Website as he has admin status.
Greg provided an update on 2024 Attendance, encouraging all members in attendance to review their status using the Excel spreadsheet Greg provided for review.
Greg reminded the club that Lake Audrey is the lake the club sponsors. A clean up has not been done for some time in the wake of the Covid-19 Pandemic, so dates were discussed to hold a clean-up an fun-fishing day. Two dates were discussed, Saturday, July 27 and/or Sunday, July 28, both from 7am-1pm, and dependent on no conflicts being identified using the official conflicts list.
-
Matt Zappile and Anthony Coco, Tournament Directors:
Anthony Coco reported to the club for both him and Matt Zapp that the first preseason tournament on Kirkwood on Saturday, 3/30/2024 went off well both from an attendance perspective and from an organizational one as well. He said everything was recorded and reviewed appropriately. He reported the sale of four Ketch boards for $120.00 that has since been deposited. Following this, the winning baits of second-place holder Dennis were reviewed. Dennis hit the bass hard with crankbaits and a lipless rattle-trap as well. Dennis reported that first place holder Matt Zapp used crankbaits most of the day as well, including a lipless to get his limit. Cole and Matt Martin were not present to review their winning baits.
-
John Goss, Secretary:
No report
-
Marc Pyontek, Treasurer:
Greg provided the Treasurer report in lieu of Marc in his absence. Earlier that day Greg had obtained the information from Marc including the club’s current balance of $1,655.94 less $100 in the dues received tonight for Chris Upchurch and Branson Shute, making the club’s total balance $1,755.94. Last year this time the club held $1,347.- for a net gain of approximately $409.-. The Kirkwood tournament brought in $285.- ($165.- profit for the club and $120.- for Ketch boards).
-
Alex Bronsky, Social Media Director:
Alex provided an update on the upcoming weather for the 2023 Classic Tournament as well as what to expect in the upcoming month, including a warm-up with lots of rain expected.
Upcoming Events:
-
Classic 2023 Day 1 on Lake Audrey – Saturday, April 6, 2024 – 9am-3pm
-
Classic 2023 Day 2 on Mirror Lake – Sunday, April 7, 2024 – 9am-3pm
-
Rainbow Lake (Members Only) – Saturday, April 13, 2024 – 7am-1pm
-
Prospertown Lake (OPEN) – Saturday, April 20, 2024 – 6am-noon
-
Lake Lenape (OPEN) – Saturday, May 4, 2024 – 7:30am-2:30pm
The meeting was adjourned at 7:55pm with a seconded motion approved unanimously.
Next Meeting Thursday 6/6/2023 @ 7pm at Hammonton Library
Meeting Recap – March 7, 2024 – 7pm
Atlantic County Library – Hammonton, NJ
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Greg Rappaport, President:
Meeting was called to order at 7:02pm by Greg with the following anglers in attendance: John Goss, Tony Turin, Anthony Coco, Greg Rappaport, Robert Gheysens, Jason Scott, Thomas Mills, Don Mills, Mark Sowers, Victor Carapucci, Josh Mazzeo, Matthew Zappile, Bill Bentliff, Layne Ell, Dennis Robinson
The club held a Moment of Silence for Sarge. Sarge loved fishing, and his passion for the sport was noted at his memorial service which Greg and Dennis attended. He will be missed dearly. Rest easy, Sarge.
Congratulations to Jake on his Bassmaster Kayak Series win at Lake Murray! Jake has made rounds on various podcasts detailing his win, and chronicled the tournament on his YouTube channel (@jcfishingwrld). Awesome job winning the blue trophy.
Membership Update: We have three open membership spots. We have strong guest interest right now, and with several OPEN tournaments early in the year we expect these spots to fill quickly. We have no Associate slots available.
VP and Social Media Director positions are open. Alex will graciously continue supporting social media, but if anyone is interested or knows someone interested, please let the exec committee know and come prepared to field a motion to consider candidate(s) in the next meeting.
Mark Sowers volunteered to be interim VP until a permanent VP is elected. Greg motioned Mark to be interim VP. Mark was unanimously elected as interim VP w/ a vote of 15-0.
No Treasurer vote tonight. TBD with possible update next meeting.
Mothership Report: SJBCA Bass Bowl will be on the Susquehanna River on Sunday, October 13. More info on SJBCA.org.
Layne awarded Dennis with the SJBCA 2023 Angler Excellence Trophy for Largest Bass by Length to Dennis for his CLUB RECORD 23.25” bass caught last spring. Congrats Dennis!
Carasaljo Update: After visiting Carasaljo, Layne shared the walking path previously in question is at the very back of the lake and does NOT impede any fishable area. Its intended purpose is to prevent people from taking watercraft to a sensitive wildlife area, but one that is <1 ft deep or without standing water at all. All fishing is accessible, bridge will not impede tournament. Carasaljo is a “go”.
2023 SJKBFC CLASSIC Day 1: Mark Sowers demands asks kindly for presents for his 75th Birthday which is the same day.
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Matt Zappile and Anthony Coco, Tournament Directors:
Tournament Directors emphasize cut-off to check in is 30-minutes before the start of tournament. Call/Text a Member fishing in the tournament (preferably Matt/Anthony also) PRIOR to the 30-minute cutoff if you are running late. You can also additionally post in the GroupMe. A member will need to submit your tournament money to the TD’s for you BEFORE the 30-minute cutoff. This provides the TD’s time to breakdown the check-in area and prepare their own kayaks. You can still start fishing late, but the TD”s must know how many anglers are fishing and have your funds accounted for prior to 30-minutes before tournament start.
Tournament rules are going to be updated based on the live imaging vote from previous meeting. These will be publicized before the preseason tournament to ensure awareness of the most current rules.
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John Goss, Secretary:
Outstanding Forms (Branson, Chris, Evan, Fred, Jim, John C, Ryan, Ole, Stu). Please email John.Goss15@gmail.com and I can send you forms electronically.
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Marc Pyontek, Treasurer:
Unpaids (Brandon, Chris, Stu)
Meeting was adjourned at 7:44pm.
Upcoming Events:
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Kirkwood Lake (Pre-Season OPEN Tourney) – Saturday, March 30, 2024 – 9:00am – 3:00pm
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2023 CLASSIC Day 1 – Audrey - Saturday, April 6, 2024 – 9:00am – 3:00pm
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2023 CLASSIC Day 2 – Mirror – Sunday, April 7, 2024 – 9:00am – 3:00pm
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Rainbow Lake (Members Only) - Saturday, April 13 – 9:00am – 3:00pm
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Prospertown Lake (OPEN) - Saturday, April 20 – 6:00am – 12:00pm
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Lake Lenape (OPEN) – Saturday, May 4 – 7:30am – 2:30pm
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Union Lake (OPEN) – Saturday, June 1 – 6:00am – 1:00pm
Next Meeting Thursday 4/4/2024 @ 7pm at Hammonton Library
Meeting Minutes – February 1, 2024 – 7pm
Hammonton Library
The meeting was called to order at 7pm with the following members present: Anthony Coco, Daniel Rodriguez Sr., Sean Place, Matthew Zappile, Jake Coucoules, Alan Bender, Tom Mills, Joshua Mazzeo, Mark Sowers, Don Mills, Neil Tomarchio, John Goss, Bill Bentliff, Layne Ell, Bob Gheysens, Tony Turin, Alex Bronsky, Dennis Robinson, Marc Pyontek, Greg Rappaport, Victor Carapucci and Sarge Stone.
Associate members: Neils Clemenson.
Open anglers: Daniel Rodriguez, Jr.
Reports were provided from the agenda as follows:
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Layne Ell, President:
Layne provided a statement at the beginning of the meeting regarding his decision to step down as Club President, the current state of the SJKBFC and the club’s future. The Club is presently in a very good state, with full membership and potential openings if any full members wish to become associate members. Layne discussed the roots of the Club as being grounded in its members and the close relationships they share, their skills as anglers, willingness to share and help others grow and develop, and an open, evolving viewpoint that will lead the Club into the future given an ever-changing KBF landscape.
Layne then asked those unpaid individuals to pay their 2024 dues to Mark Pyontek. Bill Bentliff, Don Mills and Tom Mills all paid their dues, leaving only Branson Shute, Chris Upchurch and Fred Tomarchio those members who have not yet paid. Neil stated his father Fred was in Florida, but verified his interest in participating this year, and that he would be paying. Associate member Stu Cohen needs to pay as well.
Greg provided all with 2024 membership paperwork including membership applications, waivers and website info forms to complete. Some brought their own forms printed out and completed in advance. At this point forms are still needed from the following individuals: Branson Shute, Chris Upchurch, Evan Post, Fred Tomarchio, Jason Scott, Jim Dick, John Casalnova, Ole Hernandez, Ryan Hannah and Stu Cohen
Members not presently in good standing were reviewed and voted on as is required by our By-Laws in this (February) meeting. Layne explained that all members must have a minimum of four meetings/events and at five fished tournaments to be in good standing. All members were voted back in with a motion that was seconded. Members voted back in included Alan Bender, Branson Shute, Chris Upchurch, Evan Place, Jake Coucoules, Jim Dick, Matt Zappile and Ole Hernandez.
Layne then reviewed the status of our Club’s current associate members. Larry Shute will not be returning, so with Stu Cohen and Neils Clemenson, there are three vacancies available. Jake Coucoules requested associate membership as did Sean Place. This leaves one spot open for an associate member.
With the Club’s total membership presently being at 31 and with Jake and Sean both taking associate membership positions, the club now has one opening for a full member. Open anglers (guests) can fish three open tournaments, request membership, and be voted in.
Layne reviewed the 2024 schedule and indicated that all permits (WMAs included) have been approved and permits received. For our one tournament on Lake Nockamixon (Pennsylvania) on 9/7/2024 the no pre-fishing rule will likely be waived, pending review at next month’s Tournament Director’s meeting. Layne discussed someone arranging for any cabins if folks are interested in staying a night or two and fishing more days. Lastly, Layne discussed those in attendance arranging a BBQ if folks are interested.
Layne provided an update from the Mothership (South Jersey Bass Club Associate or SJBCA). Layne has been voted in as VP #2. Rashawn Lewis is the new President. SJBCA Fisherman’s Flea Market is scheduled on 3/2/2024 from 8am - 1pm. Anyone interested in renting a table to sell stuff may do so for $20.-. See Layne for details if interested. Finally, Layne thanked all members who brought in lures to donate for the tackle-box raffles. A lot was donated. Thank you! 😊
South Jersey Youth Outdoor Day will occur this year on 8/17/2024. Layne reported the SJBCA needs someone to take charge of the fishing component with meetings that will take place on Tuesday nights leading up to event. Greg Rappaport and Mark Sowers both agreed to lead this, while Danny Rodrigues (who attended this past year with his son) agreed to attend again this year, and will bring his kayak. We will need additional volunteers for this event as well, and attendance will count toward your meetings both for membership standing and for the 2024 Classic.
Layne reviewed one other event, the Palmyra Fire Dept Flea Market occurring on 2/11/2024. He also reported that the NJ Fish and Wildlife February meeting will not happen, but may be scheduled for a Spring, 2024 meeting.
Last, but not least, Layne offered the Club’s congratulations to Danny and Neil for taking 1st place in two winter league events! Great job gents.
Layne then led the club in Annual Club Elections as required by our By-Laws. He reviewed that this year (unlike past years) there is a lot of movement with many folks vacating their current position. Layne is stepping down as President. Mark is stepping down as Vice President. Both have served the Club for well over a decade, and we thank them for their service. Greg is stepping down from the Secretary role he has held since 2019. Dennis has expressed his wish to vacate the position of TD#1 he has filled for some time now as well, and it was also mentioned that Jason is interested in moving from his existing TD#2 position to the position of Treasurer, that Marc Pyontek has agreed to vacate next month.
Elections of officers were then held with each office being nominated and accepted, followed by an official motion being made with a second. Executive officers voted in were as follows:
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President – Greg Rappaport
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VP – Alex Bronsky
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TD #1 – Matt Zappile
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TD #2 – Anthony Coco
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Secretary – John Goss
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Treasurer – Marc Pyontek
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Social Media Director – Alex Bronsky
NOTE: Social Media Director was “officially” vacated by Alex who moved to VP. The membership was asked if there was interest, but there was none. Alex having just served in this role requested to fill this role as well (by motion seconded and voted in), provided he only gets one vote on the Executive Board. With only six executive board members now, any tie would go to the Vice President (Alex) per our By-Laws.
Congratulations to the new officers!!!
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Vice President: Past (Mark Sowers) had no report. Incoming (Alex Bronsky) expressed his excitement about starting the new role and working with the Club.
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Tournament Directors (New & Old):
Forward Facing / 360 / Active Target / Livescope sonar was discussed at length. Layne and Greg both led what was a very hearty discussion with both favorable position and opposing ones as well. A motion was made to eliminate all electronics. This motion was seconded; however, the vote failed at only 8 of 21 members present (noting Sarge leaving early and Jake assuming a non-voting associate membership).
More discussion ensued with many diverse opinions being voiced including those pertaining to each technology itself, to the environment, to catch-and-release issues, angler skill and ability both with technology and without, cost, foundations of the club, the limits of the technology itself, and more.
A second motion was made that forward facing sonar with live imaging (i.e., LiveScope, Active Target, and similar) not be permitted in tournaments. With a second, the motion was put to a vote that passed 11 to 8. It is noted that with this vote – as worded – 360 technology is still permitted (i.e., has not been addressed at this time.) 360 technology may be discussed and addressed at a future meeting if members wish to bring it up.
A third (extraneous) motion was made and seconded regarding new fish measuring rules for 2024 that align the Club with KBF standards: The motion stated that only “hand and identifier” are permitted in pictures, nothing else (no fish grips, no leashes, no hooks). Also the mouth must be closed, eyes cannot be covered, and the hand cannot be under gill plate. Following the second there was much discussion, and all members agreed that more information is needed, to include visuals that the new Tournament Directors Matt and Anthony agreed to prepare for an upcoming meeting were the maker of that motion in agreement to withdrew his motion. The motion was withdrawn, and it will be made again at the March Tournament Director’s meeting, again allowing for more preparation time for TDs to prepare motion with pictures and details.
As an additional point, Layne ensure all members that these new rules voted on tonight will be in effect for the 2024 Season, and will not be in effect for the upcoming 2023 Classic.
Sean Place requested to be an associate member at this point in the meeting, and Greg agreed to note and make this change.
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Secretary (New & Old):
There were no reports from either Greg or John, but Greg said he will still collect the 2024 Forms from those members who still need to submit them: Branson Shute, Chris Upchurch, Evan Post, Fred Tomarchio, Jason Scott, Jim Dick, John Casalnova, Ryan Hannah and Stu Cohen.
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Treasurer:
Marc reported the club’s balance presently at $1,047.40. Last year the Club was at $1,089.64 at this same point in time. Marc reported that this year’s dues increase helped level things out.
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Social Media Director:
There was no updated for social media at this time, but Alex stated he still plans on a robust offering for 2024 with pictures, videos, social media posts and more. Alex (trained in meteorology gave the Club the official 2024 weather outlook that in the Spring appears to include a lot of rain in addition to an early Spring.
Upcoming Events:
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Palmyra Fire Department Flea Market – Saturday, February 11, 2024 – in Palmyra, NJ
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SJBCA Fisherman’s Flea Market – Saturday, March 2, 2024 – 8am-1pm in Millville, NJ
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Kirkwood Lake (OPEN) Pre-season Tourney – Saturday, March 30, 2024 – 9am-3pm
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Classic 2023 Day 1 on Lake Audrey – Saturday, April 6, 2024 – 9am-3pm
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Classic 2023 Day 2 on Mirror Lake – Sunday, April 7, 2024 – 9am-3pm
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Rainbow Lake (Members Only) – Saturday, April 13, 2024 – 9am-3pm
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Prospertown Lake (OPEN) – Saturday, April 20, 2024 – 6am-noon
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Lake Lenape (OPEN) – Saturday, May 4, 2024 – 7:30am-2:30pm
Next (Tournament Director’s) Meeting 3/7/2024 @ 7pm at Hammonton Library
The meeting was adjourned at 9:05pm.