President's Report

by Rich Esposito

(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association February 2000 Newsletter)

I’d like to take this opportunity to give those of you who do not know me a brief summary of my qualifications. I’ve spent the last four years as an officer of the Fish Hawks Saltwater Fishing Club, one as vice president and three as club president. I was also my club’s representative to the JCAA for six years. During the last three years I stood as 2^nd vice president of the JCAA. I chaired this year’s Sportsman of the Year Award Dinner / Dance and helped out with the Governor’s Fluke Tournament. And if all that wasn’t enough, I have been a member of the Berkley Striper Club for five years. Needless to say, I feel I bring a great deal of experience to the table and am smart enough to realize that what is needed here is a total team effort and not just to rely on the same members to do the work year after year. I invite all the club reps to step up and introduce yourselves to me.  If you can’t attend the meetings, feel free to call me either at home or at the JCAA office, and you can find both phone numbers in this publication. We need your support now.

There are also two new officers this Year and one officer other officer has change his title. I wish to thank Mark Taylor for staying on the JCAA Board as first 1^st Vice-President.  I wish to welcome Tom Siciliano as 2^nd Vice-President and Paula Emond as Corresponding Secretary.  I really have a great group of officers to help this year and I am looking forward to it.

The Outdoor Sportsman Show was held at the Raritan Center on Jan. 11^th thru the 14^th. I’d like to say a word of thanks to those members who donated their time with the setup and manning of the booth during the four days. Special thanks go out to Mark Taylor for all the effort he exerted in making this successful venture for us. We sold many of the High Roller Raffle Tickets, as well as a good deal of hats and tee shirts. It is so important to keep our organization visible to the recreational fisherman because we now are a force to be reckoned with. There’s probably a minimum of one million or so voters that fish, a number that surely will make the politicians sit up and take notice.

We are looking for help manning the JCAA booth at the upcoming Atlantic City Sportsman Show. Any member interested in donating some of his or her time, please call either Mark Taylor, who again is coordinating the schedule, or leave a message at the office and someone will get back to you. The show will be held on Jan. 26^th thru the 28^th at the Atlantic City Convention Center.

The High Roller Raffle got off to a flying start at the Raritan Show, thanks to the efforts of Al Marantz, who was responsible for having the tickets printed. The drawing will be held on April 24^th, 2001 at the Brick Municipal Building at 8:00 pm. I would like the club reps to make sure they obtain an ample supply of tickets to bring back to your respective clubs and have your members make the effort to get these out to as many local businesses and organizations. This year’s prize list totals $2995.00, and for two bucks a ticket it certainly is a good value.

The public hearing on the New Jersey Menhaden Regulations will be held on Feb. 20^th, 2001 at 7:00 pm in Stockton College’s A wing Lecture hall. It is of extreme importance to have a good turnout for the meeting, as I’m sure the commercials will, to show your support for the changes to the regulations. Len Fantasia and his committee has put forth a great deal of effort for many years to take measures to protect the bunker stocks from over harvesting within our state waters, and this may be the final step. Let’s not have all that time and effort go to waste, so please make every effort to attend.

This was announced at the JCAA Board Meeting

It is important that the transition team in Washington focus their time and energy on candidates who are seriously interested in new jobs.  In order to save them some time, Tom Fote has announced that he has not interest in consideration for Director of the National Marine Fisheries Service or Director of Region 2 of EPA.  Put your pens and pencils down.  We don’t need a groundswell of support.  Mr. Fote commented that his commitments to JCAA and the NJ State Federation of Sportsmens Clubs are so time consuming that he cannot consider another appointment at this time.