President's Report

(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association November 2008 Newsletter)

Important – General Meeting Location Change

We will NOT be having our October 28th meeting at our regular location in Brick because there are major renovations going on at this municipal complex and that includes our regular meeting room. In the interim, we will have our October 28th meeting at the JCAA Office located at 1201 Route 37 East, Suite 9, in Toms River. The JCAA office can be easily found by looking for a Saturn car dealership while driving East on Route 37. Make the first right after the Saturn dealer and the JCAA office is immediately on your left. Walk up the stairs to our second floor office. If you take the Parkway, take exit #82 for Route 37 East and the JCAA office is about 2 to 3 miles away on your right side. The number for the JCAA office is (732) 506-6565. We were only recently informed of this development or we would have given you a better advance notice. If you need additional information or directions, call me at (732) 656-0139.

17th Annual Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament, Island Beach State Park, October 5th

It was a very beautiful day for a surf tournament with a nice breeze. Governor Corzine came by early in the morning to greet the anglers on the beach. However, the fish decided that they were going to enjoy the day too and decided not to bite. It was one of the slowest fishing days since the tournament was started 16 years ago with only 27 eligible fish caught and with pesky bergals in super abundance. However, it did not dampen the spirits of the 900 participants who enjoyed the day with their families and friends. I handed out prizes to the winners and really enjoyed seeing the smiles on their faces! What made me really laugh is when one young boy won a raffle prize and pulled the next winning ticket that turned out to be his brother! Those two boys had such big grins on their faces that made them look like they won Fort Knox! We are looking forward to next year’s Governor’s Surf Tournament!

Operations Manager Update

I placed ads for our new Operations Manager position in the Asbury Park Press, the Star Ledger, the New York Times and The Fisherman to run on every Sunday until October 19th. So far the response to these ads has been very positive with many resumes showing the type of person we are looking for. We have a cut-off date of October 25th for the receipt of all resumes. On October 30th, we will sort through all of the resumes and narrow down those that we want to have an interview with on the tentative dates of November 21st and November 22nd. In the interim before our interviews, we plan to send follow-up questions and check the credentials of the applicants. There has been a lot of effort going into this entire process so that we can get the best person on JCAA’s staff. I will continue to update you on the progress of our bringing the new JCAA Operations Manager on board. It you are interested in applying go to our web page for that information.

JCAA Dinner Dance

Will be held at the Crystal Point Yacht Club on November 16th starting at 4:00 p.m. with good food and many prizes to be won at our great Dark Horse. This is a good opportunity to rub elbows with your fishing buddies and dance with your sweetie to the sounds of our DJ. More information on the dinner follows in our newsletter on the dinner, but come on out to support your JCAA and have fun while doing it!

Elections

We are still looking for individuals to step up and be nominated for the positions of President and First Vice President of the JCAA. These are very important positions and we need dedicated individuals to recreational fishing to fill them. Also, don’t forget that you also have dedicated members on the JCAA Board to assist you and we all work together as a team to advance our agenda for recreational anglers.

Donations to the JCAA

Time is moving very fast and before you know it, we will be welcoming in year 2009. The end of the year also ushers in strategies on lowering your 2008 taxes by various financial moves including giving special contributions to non-profit or charitable organizations. Consider giving a financial gift to the JCAA since it is a non-profit entity and your contribution is tax deductible. Your contribution also goes to a good cause since the JCAA is dedicated to promote and protect all anglers who fish in New Jersey.

Sportsperson of the Year Nomination

Last Call – At our dinner dance, we recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to our sport. So far we have received 3 nominations from our member clubs. Those nominations and short bios are below. If your club wants to nominate someone that deserves this type of honor you can bring that nomination to the JCAA General meeting and make that nomination from the floor. Please bring a short bio of that individual to read at our General Meeting. We will then vote on nominee and select the 2008 Sportsperson of the year!

Berkeley Striper Club Nominates Paul Harris for JCAA Sportsperson of the Year

Berkeley Striper Club nominates Paul Harris for Sportsperson of the year. He joined N.J.B.B.A in 1968 and Board of Directors in the 70s and again for the last 8 years. He has been coordinator of Courtesy Patrol #3 for the past 3 years. He has volunteered to help teach a fishing clinic in the summer at I.B.S.P for the past 5 years. He is on the committee for the youth fishing tournament (Hooked on Fishing). He is a volunteer to teach Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts fishing and safety so they can get their fishing merit badges. He is a volunteer to teach fishing to the becoming an out door woman program. He is a Member of Berkeley Striper Club and Delegate to United Mobile Sport Fishing Association for the Berkeley Striper club. He has organized beach clean-ups at I.B.S.P. He has worked the Somerset Fishing Show promoting mobile sport fishing. He is chairperson for Hunting and Fishing day (taking challenged people fishing on the beach ). He is also a volunteer to take disabled vets fishing twice a year. He has received N J volunteer of the year award for 2005. He is a delegate to A.S.A.C for the N.J.B.B.A. He has also volunteered for many committees for all of the above clubs and associations and is behind the scenes in fighting for fishing rights and open beaches.

Manasquan Fishing Club Is Proud To Nominate Dr. Pat Donnelly for the JCAA Sportsperson of the Year

Pat has been a member of the Manasquan Fishing Club since 1983 and served as President from 1987-1989. He also served as the Tournament Chairman from 198 - 2004.

Pat has been a member of the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council since 2001 where he has chaired the Black Sea Bass, Tautog and Reef Committees. He was an advisor to the council from 1998 - 2001 and is a member of the TRAC Artifical Reef Committee.

In addition he has been an advisor to the Tautog Committee from 1994-2005 and also chaired the Advisory Panel from 1996-2001.

As a member of the Jersey Coast Anglers Association he served as Vice President in 1999 and 2000. He also chaired the Reef, Tautog and Habitat committees. He has been the Fluke Tournament Award Ceremony MC and the JCAA Dinner Dance MC for the past few years. Pat and his wife Deanna live in Brick with their three children.

Salt Water Anglers of Bergen County Nominates Al Lorenzo for Sportsperson of the Year

Since it was founded in 1937, the Salt Water Anglers of Bergen County have been taking out orphans/disadvantaged children on an annual fishing trip. While many of its club members have chaired the committee for this event over time, club member Al Lorenzo has been doing it for 27 years! He charters the boat for the event and does all of the preparation for the trip which includes all of the refreshments, contacting the orphanages, giving them directions, and making sure that all goes well on the fishing trip for the children. For over 27 years, Al has brought joy and happiness to untold numbers of children who need one day in their lives for sure fun and enjoyment. Al has been a club member for 43 years! For all of his tireless efforts in bringing joy to disadvantaged youths over 27 years, the Salt Water Anglers of Bergen County nominates Al Lorenzo for the JCAA’S prestigious Sportsperson of the Year award!

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