PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Even though we have been caught in winter’s grip – I am sure all of us have been thinking about warm weather and fishing on the big lake and the inland waters.  Our Spring Meeting on April 23 will help you gear up for the upcoming season.  Do you have tackle you want to sell or are you looking for tackle?  We will have our swap meet and social hour starting at 6 p.m. A short meeting will start at 7 p.m. followed by our program.  You will have an opportunity to hear about the status of the fishery from our Sea Grant Agent Dan O’Keefe.  Willis Kerridge, Thunder Duck Charters, will then share tips and tricks for increasing your catch. 

We have started preparations for the 2008 Net Pen project.  We are slated to receive 175,000 Chinook salmon this year. Steve VanPelt has offered the use of his business in Spring Lake for mending and general net pen maintenance.  The date is Saturday, April 5.  If you want to help out – meet us there at 9:30 a.m. We appreciate Steve’s offer. The past several years the crew has had to work outside repairing the nets. We still need to set up a date for putting the nets in the water – which is dependent on when we will be receiving the fish.  If you want to help out with the placement of the nets or be on hand when the fish arrive – contact Mary Jane Belter (chapter secretary) at 842-0877 or mjbelter@altelco.net.  We will then notify you once the dates have been set.  For 2008, we will have the pens in a location closer to Chinook Pier due to the reconstruction of the docks at the municipal marina.