N EWSLETTER
A P R I L 1 , 2 01 4
Presidents Corner:
It’s Saturday night, the 22nd, a week from now, the end of the first day of
our Havasu tournament has come and gone,………. hope I did good.
The San Diego Council of Bass Clubs Tournament of Champions has
also come and gone. Inder Lopez, our Champion had them scared, just
one bite away….. Inder stayed after it all day and finished a hard fought
5th place. It was great to have a bunch of Bassmasters there to cheer on
our champ.
The tournament was well run, with Ramona completing the BBQ chores,
and Terry Chenowth doing weigh masters duties and a great job as MC.
Well done Inder………
A brief note about a San Diego Bassmaster friend, Ben Massey has been an Honorary Lifetime member for a
long time. Ben has had a history of being a very active and proud club member. Leaving the roster of general
membership back in the day, and being selected as Honorary Lifetime, indicates how Ben was regarded just
by the club not letting him get completely away. Ben recently expressed an interest in becoming an active
member. Ben was pre-fished by Greg Gardner, but at the end of the day Ben realized his health limitations
would prevent him from competing as he would like in the points year and elected to withdraw. To this day
Ben considers himself a Bassmaster and will always be welcome. We will hear more in Membership report
about this but I wanted Ben to know we will always consider him as a valued friend of the Bassmasters.
During the last board meeting there was a discussion about the presence of the large go fast Havasu type
boats or any large vessel on our depleting water ways. I must admit it could be a fun ride in one of those
things but from the front of a bass boat one of them bearing down on you between the narrowing shores of El
Cap can be a bit intimidating. We will bring this concern to the attention of the Council and suggest a limit to
length or horsepower on our lakes particularly during the low water times for safety concerns. Also it was
noticed that all newly registered boats did not display the Qugga Stickers. We will request a calcification on
this regulation.
The Council is there for us to communicate our concerns on any level with-in our fishing world and will have
answers for us. Don’t hesitate to discuss any issue with a board member that should be brought to the
attention of the San Diego Council of Bass Clubs.
Recently a member, while pulling a swim bait along, snagged a device off the bottom of an El Cap cove. This
thing caused a bit of excitement around campus for a little while. There is a yellow rope tied to a lite weight
snow tire chain with a pair of pyramid type weights on the other end. Attached to the side of the chain are four
fish clips, like you would find on the other end of a culling ball. The knee jerk reaction was a cheating device
had been discovered. It was later pointed out this was probably an elaborate lure retriever to go after the
expensive side swimmers or some such bait. Either way, the overall reaction was very positive in the fact, if
indeed one choose to deceive us in our sport it would not be tolerated and we would likely put that lone oak
tree down in that lonesome valley to use. I will say I was relieved to hear it was probably something other than
a cheating deal, I prefer to believe that just wouldn’t happen.
Depending when you see this, I wish you all a safe trip to Havasu and a fun tournament or I hope you all had a
safe and fun tournament.
…….here’s to a tic of a six
See ya at the meeting
Ron Overman
VICE PRESIDENT ~GREG GARDNER
A wise man once said, “It is better to go to Havasu than to travel the mundane roads of everyday life and not
ever get a bite from a hard-fighting smallmouth.” That’s a very old saying that got its start… Actually, I just
made that up. Maybe I’ll write a whole book of poetry – naw, I’d rather just go fishing! Havasu should be fun!
Myself and Zoé are looking forward to it so much. Clear your minds and just go fishing and you will have a
good time. The best piece of advice I can give you is: if you are not catching fish, move and try something
different. There is so much water on that lake and the River. Somebody is catching them somewhere, if you
are not – move.
Upcoming event: On April 19th we will have our Family Tournament on Lake Murray. Ed Marr is organizing that
one, so you know it will be fun. Everyone is welcome for the tournament and the BBQ afterward. What could
be better than a day of fishing with your family and finish it off with the best burgers and dogs in town? Answer
– Nothing! If you have questions, Ed will answer them at the April meeting, or you can call him (or me) any
time.
See you at Havasu!
Greg Gardner
TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR – TERRY CHENOWTH
Hello Bassmasters,
Havasu, now that was an interesting trip. Most of us spent basically
four days there. Now how much can go wrong in four days. You
would think not much, but I compiled a list of just the things I
heard about or saw. Two trailer tires, two trolling motors, some batteries, two trailer fenders, two outboards, one live well
“blown out”, two trips to a phoenix veterinarian, one sick angler and I am sure there were some more that didn’t get
reported. A fun few days. But still most of us caught fish and are ready to go back.
Let’s get to the results. Our Lake Havasu champion is Ed Byrd. Ed weighed in ten bass that went 31.99 pounds and a big
bass of 6.01lbs. Second Place was Bud Brant with 31.00 pounds and the heaviest of his ten bass was 3.76lbs. Jason
Wilson brought in a double limit that totaled 30.62 pounds. Josh Rhodes had the day one big bass at 4.38 pounds and
chose to take the $180.00 for his bass. It was a good that Josh didn’t let it ride because several anglers beat that fish with
Inder Lopez beating them all with a 6.47lb largemouth to take the big bass of the tournament. Congratulations to all of
you for a great tournament.
I would like you all to give me about thirty seconds. No, not just to read this paragraph. But thirty seconds of your
concentration at the scales during weigh-in. A bunch of you are making the same mistakes and this slows the weigh-in
down and frustrates the weigh team. We all want the results done quickly and accurately. So let’s go over what is
expected from you. As you leave your boat with your fish bagged have your weigh slip filled out and easy to get to. Have
your big bass, and only your big bass marked with a cull tag. Don’t ask at the scale which one looks biggest, that’s your
decision. When you get to the scale hand over your weigh slip and tell that person how many bass you brought to the
scale. Next put the bag on the table and hold it open so the next person can use both hands to get the fish out. Listen to the
weights and remember to take your yellow copy before you walk away. Pictures, hopefully you caught a nice bag or a big
bass and we all want pictures of them. Just do it away from the table so the next angler can get their bass weighed. One of
our by-laws and a tournament rule talks about conservation taking care of our fish as much as possible. Don’t pose for a
picture holding all of your fish up by the cull tags. That’s not good for the bass and looks bad to those watching. Okay it
took a bit longer than thirty seconds to read this. But if we all follow a few rules and pay attention to what we are doing
and what’s happening at the scales the quicker our fish will get back in the water and in better shape. THANKS
No Problem…. I’m on fish,
Terry Chenowth
From the Treasurer’s Desk:
Well the Lake Havasu tournament is over and I hope everyone has made it
home safely. Lake Havasu did not disappoint (many) this year putting out
some impressive limits for many people. I unfortunately was not in that
category; however, many of the names that did well remain the same.
Congratulations to Ed Byrd on the win, Bud, I am back, for second, and
Jason Wilson for third. Lake Havasu also exacted her pound of flesh from a
number of different people in the form of motor issues, blown tires, and a
blown out live well for two of the serious contenders. Is it just me or is that a
first?
Again, we are in good shape financially. For the most part everyone has been keeping current on their dues. Thank you
goes out to Jeff Manning for running the raffle which generated $40.00 for the general fund last meeting. The revolver,
which has been tapped late last year by Scott Ashley and again this year by Nick Meyer at the El Capitan tournament had
a payable balance as of the last meeting of $95.00. A couple of people made a run at it at Lake Havasu but I do not
believe anyone was able to grab the brass ring with a fish over 7 lbs.
I want to say Thank You very much to Dave Mack for putting up (with) 6 of his fellow Bassmasters for 4-5 days in his
new Lake Havasu home. It is a very nice place. With Dave living out at the lake and with his potential free time, once the
current check list is completed, I am sure he will be a very difficult force to overcome the next time we are out there.
Also, I would like to thank Mike Baird, Mike Lupo and Cesar Diosdado for helping me out with a blown tire on the way
out to the lake.
Finally, I want to mention very good customer service that I received at the Discount Tire in Lake Havasu. While we
often hear about people that have had very bad experiences at businesses, I have to tell this story. I had two tires on my
trailer that had been bought at Discount Tire. These tires were sold within the last couple of years and did not have a
brand name. They simply said trailer service. This is the brand of tire I had on that had a catastrophic failure on the way
out to the lake. The tire was changed out and we made it to the lake. This was also the same brand that blew out on the
way home from Otay late last year. Others in the San Diego Bassmasters have also had issues with this brand of tire.
When I told the guy at Discount Tire what happened, not only did they change out the destroyed tire with a new Carlisle
tire, they removed and replaced the last No Name Brand tire on the trailer with a new Carlisle tire, at no additional cost to
me. I have to tell you that getting rid of that last tire gave me great peace of mind for the drive home.
See you on the water,
Frank
MEMBERSHIP CHAIRMAN
April 2014
James Bogin requested to become a member of the San Diego Bassmasters. James was pre-fished by Greg Gardner
3/12/14. Greg reported back to the SDBM full board on the time spent pre-fishing with James. Greg was very impressed
with James fishing skills and open and friendly personality. Greg feels James Bogin will make a great addition to the San
Diego Bassmaster. All Board members voted in favor of moving forward with the process. James will be eligible to be
tournament pre-fished during the Lake Otay tournament April 12th 2014
2014 San Diego Bassmasters
Active Members 2014:
49
Inactive ~ Tim Hilliker ~ Marshall Bubel ~ Dave Mack ~ Adam East
Our newest Inactive 2014 ~ Ken Louis
Lifetime Members ~ Doris Cook ~ Les Mar ~ Harold Stephens ~ Lee Chapman ~ Jim Davis
Family Members ~ Cheryl Byrd ~ Regina Seaberg ~ Cody Billock
Honorary Members ~ Larry Bottroff ~ Donalea Brant ~ Jim Cavanaugh ~ Mary Gray ~ Ben Massey ~
Regina Seaberg ~ Kathy Stephens ~ Don Williams ~ Linda Williams
At-Large Members ~ Bobby Forman ~ Brandon Hoffman ~ Kevin Kerr ~ Rowan Stone ~ Mark Thomas
Friends ~ Debe Crippen ~ Chris Mineo
Prospective members ~ James Bogin
San Diego Bassmasters is a club where members work together and help others out where we can. If you witness
outstanding sportsmanship above and beyond the norm bring it to the attention of the Board members.
Regina Seaberg
San Diego Bassmasters General Meeting
March 4, 2014
President Ron OvermanCalled the March 4, 2014 SDBM General Meeting to order at 7PM at Oakdale Retirement
Community in La Mesa, and a Bassmaster greeting was held.
Asked our guest James Bogan to introduce himself. He liked the the club website and facebook. Former
Navy. An LA Dodger fan. We can give him a Padres hat if he joins club.
Sonny presented 315 dollars in coins for big fish to Nick. The big fish jackpot was zeroed out. First to get a
7lber wins jackpot or a percentage of it. You can call or tell sonny to put you in and collect at the next
meeting.
Bass council$5000 for hall of fame, $14000 Wally Ox fund.
Board wants to participate in charity functions and members wanted approval from membership and board
agreed to the suggestion. SDBM wanted to suggest a scholarship program or a more direct benefit to the
clubs. Not much discussion on better prizes for TOC and top 6. NBW had to reschedule their tourney on
account of the TOC. Should not be an issue for SDBM. Ramona bass food and terry to chair weigh in and
do a booklet for the TOC. We need to bring a raffle gift as a club. Ronnie will draw for Inder’s starting spot
and he will let Inder know.
Ronnie reminded backseaters to read the rules to gain an understanding of how the club runs and become
familiar with the responsibility of being a backseater/helping out the boater.
Vice President Greg GardnerPreliminary Events SummaryDate
Event
Location
Organizer
TBD
Day at the Range Shooting
South Bay Rod and Gun Club
Juan Collins
Apr 19th
Family Tournament
Lake Murray
Greg G/ Ed Marr
Jun 15th
Lunch at Café after the shooting
Picnic
Santee Lakes on the Island
Lynn Brown
Greg G/ Joe D cooking volunteers
th
Bunco
Curtis’ House in Lakeside
Vicki Becker
Location confirmed
th
Dec 7
Banquet
TBD
Greg G
2014
Meeting Raffle/Drinks
Oak Dale Retirement Community
Jeff M/ Scott B
Aug 9
The club may have a fun tournament at el cap to assist the TOC representative.
Chili cook off Jennifer won congrats. Turnout was a little light but all had a great time. Thanks to all who
helped out. It was a group effort.
Day at the Range This was cancelled on account of rain. Stay tuned for the update. Maybe April or May.
Juan will let us know.
Family Tournament Passed a sign up sheet for the tournament. Everyone is welcome weigh in at noon.
Bring friends. BBQ after the tourney.
Bassmaster Clothes UpdateShort sleeve and long sleeve and hats cotton poly blend with a pocket same design as before and hats with
SDBM logo. Also a jersey in white not in blue- being offered. Sign up sheet for people who want items.
Please pay first when you order and specify colors-white blue gray tan black. Costs are $25 for long sleeve
$15 for short sleeve, and $40-50 for a jersey. Hats are 15 bucks. Ryan is going to place the order this week
of the 4th.
Thanks to Ronnie for snacks and Scott for the drinks. Ed and Cesar will bring snacks next meeting. Thanks
guys.
Membership Regina Seaberg–
GuestsJames Bogan
49 active, 2 prospective
1 person to renew bass membership
Provided unwritten rules and updated rooster
Anyone used website or need any help posting Regina can help
Dave Mack became a reactived member.
A vote was taken to reactivate Terry Foreman and was unanimous in favor.
The club is now full with 50 members.
Treasurer: Frank Neugebauer
Current balance $4400 in checking account all is paid up
96 bucks raised chili
80 dollars for raffle last meeting
Tournament Director: Terry Chenowth Havasu Tourney the 28 and 29th of March. Club got our permits and the canopy reserved at Windsor for our
weigh ins. 20 boaters and 16 backseaters signed up. Cloward and Carpenter were still looking for a place to
stay. Dave Patrick may be fishing alone. Terry brought a paper with emergency contact numbers, and
weigh slips for members. 3:00 weigh in. PreMeeting at tackle store at 6:15 in the parking lot on Thursday.
Draw was done at the break, and launch order was announced. Release boat was $5 per person per day.
But maybe it is $5 per boat. Terry has to check on that. Remember Havasu can get rough out and spring
break will be going on. Only 2 hooks on Alabama rig at Havasu.
February 8th El Cap Points Tournament details – Fun day , an 8lb fish caught by Ernie.
3rd place was Greg Gardner who fished with Cesar and had a great time. Jigs, wacky worms, trig worms.
2nd place was Josh Rhodes 14.04lbs fished with Zoe. Prefished the day before and found a jig bite. They
beat up that one spot all day long. They caught 15 fish. 1st place was Nick with 4 fish for 16.15lbs and big
fish with 9.46 Fished with Dave S. Fished dshot and cbait. Nic thanked Dave for his cbait retriever.
Caught the big one in 3-5 feet of water in the back of the lake and he thought it was a catfish, but it was a
bass!
Break taken at 8:00 Meeting Restarted at 8:20
Secretary: Brent Benish–
No comments or questions
Newsletter/Facebook/Website: Inder Lopez–
No comments or questions
SDBM Meeting Guest SpeakerThere was no guest speaker for the March meeting
Respectfully Submitted,
Brent BigBass Benish-Records
FISH TALES - By: Doris Cook
KIDS’ FISHING DAY AT LAKE MURRAY!
Ron Overman, Greg Gardner and Jim Putney volunteered to assist Bill VanWulven
of Barnacle Bills Bait and Tackle, with his Kids Fishing Class at their annual fishing
day at Lake Murray on Sunday, March 23. Twenty-four kids showed up at 6:00
A.M. for a morning of fishing instructions, fishing from a boat, and pizza following at 11:00 A.M. Each kid was
provided with a rod and reel combination and Fishin’ Musician t-shirts, which they were allowed to take home.
Jim and Ron were fortunate to have a 13 year old boy, Shawn and his sister Hope, part of a set of quadruplets,
in the boat with them. Hope was an excellent bed fisherperson and was able to catch some off their nests for a
total of four fish. Shawn caught two fish and had claims to the biggest one. Jim said they were two of the
nicest kids he’s ever seen, very polite and appreciative, restoring his faith in youth. Ron provided most of the
entertainment and kept everyone laughing. Greg furnished his boat to take out a couple of the fishermen, who
caught two fish each to skunk Greg. Boats were also provided by members of Bill’s club the Roadrangers, as
well as some of the other San Diego Council of Bass Clubs’ fishermen. Bill loves working with kids and
teaching them to fish in his classes, which he provides each year.
ANOTHER BACKSEAT FILLED!
Larry Ward will be fishing in the backseat as he recently sold his boat to a fisherman from Clairemont. He sold
it because, right now, he needs to focus more on some other things in his life and that someday he hopes to buy
another boat. He said it was a happy and a sad day! He plans to keep fishing tournaments, but from the
backseat. Larry also said he has a bunch of tackle that he’s going to sell and anyone who is interested should
just give him a call. Good luck, Larry!
NEW WHEELS!
This will be the final trip to Lake Havasu for Greg and Zoé Gardner’s 2003 F-250 Ford pick-up truck, as they
will have a 2014 F-250 waiting for them when they return. They wanted exactly the same model, color and
equipment on the new truck as they had on the old one. After a good local and state-wide search, one was
located at the Ford factory, so it is currently enroot, with an expected arrival date of March 27th. There are a
few items to be added prior to delivery. Should you know anyone looking for an excellent used 2003 F-250 the
Gardeners will have one for sale. It has a 210 motor with 120,000 miles on the speedometer, a short bed with a
super cab, 4-wheel drive FX-4 off road package as well as a tow package. Greg has had it serviced as
recommended and has all the service records. Give Greg or Zoé a call at (619) 390-5240 for further
information.
THANK YOU, TERRY!
President Jim Putney and the San Diego Council of Bass Clubs would like to thank Terry Chenowth and his
weigh team for the excellent job they did on the weigh-in for the Tournament of Champions held at El Capitan
on Saturday and Sunday, March 15 & 16. Terry also ran the draw for start positions at the March meeting of
the San Diego Council of Bass Clubs as well as putting together the TOC program. Ramona Bass Anglers
barbecued hot dogs and hamburgers, served with all the condiments, beans, macaroni and potato salads as well
as nachos with jalapenos. Bill vanWulven and Jim Putney were in charge of the raffle and prizes. Thanks to all
the members who came out to support our Fisherman of the Year, Inder Lopez who finished fifth out of the 16
participants, with a total weight of 24.42 pounds. All but one fisherman managed to catch double limits both
days with only .07 lbs. between first and second place. Michael McLernon of North County Bass Anglers won
the event with 28.57 pounds followed by Andy Morita of So. California Bassmasters with 28.50, topped with
the tournament big fish of 6.44 lbs.
We had the best collection from any of the SDBC functions for the Crisis House. Canned goods, clothing,
money, etc. amounted to $1800.00 in value.
BROKEN BOW, HERE SHE COMES!
Donna Hoffman will be flying to Broken Bow, Nebraska the week of April 1st to visit Brandon and to help him
move into his newly purchased home there. He loves his job with BD & Company and plans to stay there for a
few years; therefore decided to purchase a home. It is a three bedroom, one bath, with a beautiful newly
remodeled kitchen as well as other upgrades throughout. Brandon has currently been working on getting one of
the robots, used in the production of blood test tubes, certified and will be happy to get some time off after
numerous hours of overtime. His engineering buddy from NAU will be moving down from Denver to start his
job with BD & Company on April 14th. Wish I could go too!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY & ANNIVERSARIES!
The only members celebrating a birthday this month are: Cesar Diosdado and in-active member, Adam East,
both on April 12th.
Gene and Jessica Estabrook will be married for nine years on April 24th.
Enjoy your special days!
Should you have information you would like to share in “Fish Tales” please send it to Doris Cook at
mscooker@cox.net or phone (619) 462-4708.
HAPPY EASTER TO EVERYONE!!!
Lake Havasu Winners and
Big Fish of the Tournament!
Profile: Cesar Diosdado
I was born in Brownsville Texas on October 27, 1953. As a young child we moved to
Key West Florida due to my father being transferred when he worked for the
government as a Customs Agent for the Treasury Department. I learned later in life
that this was his cover as he worked for the C.I.A. This was during the time of the
Cuban missile crisis. These were exciting times for me as a young teenager. We had a
base radio in the house that was used by my father for his work. I was authorized to
use the radio to contact him when he received phone calls of importance. This was
my first introduction into the world of law enforcement and the intrigue that went
with the job. These formative years galvanized my quest to eventually land a job in
law enforcement. We left Key West in 1968 and moved to Yuma Arizona for two years
where my father transitioned to the Agent in Charge of Customs at the port of entry
in San Diego.
In 1970, my father transferred to San Diego to a bigger office at the port of entry as
the Asst. Agent in Charge, which later became what is now called the Drug Enforcement Agency. I have lived in San
Diego ever since that time. I graduated from Bonita Vista High School in 1972, received an A.S. degree in Criminal Justice
from Southwestern College in 1974 and a B.S. degree from San Diego State University in 1977.
I actually started fishing when I was nine years old in Key West, Florida. I was surrounded by salt water and taught
myself to fish in the canals of the neighborhood where I lived. Fishing was fantastic in these waters. I did not start fishing
for Bass until 1970 off the banks of Otay as a teenager and later on rental boats. I learned from all the Bassmasters I
have fished with since entering in the club in 1993. I was pre-fished by David Yaggie. He was a great man with great
patience.
The largest fish I ever caught was a 50 pound King Salmon or Chinook in
Tidewater, Oregon off the Alsea River. The largest bass to date has
sadly only been a 5 pound bass which I caught while fishing with Daryl
Crippen, another great man in this club. I would have to say that Lake
Havasu is my favorite. The scenery is very tranquil and I enjoy the
camaraderie of my fellow Bassmasters. My favorite lure for fishing
salmon in Oregon is called a Buzz Bomb. It is hard metal lure fished in a
jigging fashion. For bass, I vacillate between a Texas rig and drop shot.
It’s hard to pick a favorite. I own a 19 foot Champion, 200 hp
My wife, Brandie, and I have been married for 13 years this coming
August. I have two children from a previous marriage. My son Chris is
32 years old and my Daughter Mary Allison Dunsmore is 28, married
and has one child Jason 13 months. Jason is the apple of my eye at this point.
I retired from the San Diego Sheriff’s Department as Lieutenant in 2009 after 31 years of service. My last duty station
was as the Field Lieutenant for the civil division of the San
Diego Courts. This division is in charge of the warrant detail,
evictions, and all the duties associated with court orders.
My second love as a hobby is that of hunting for deer and elk
out of state, primarily in Colorado.
I never served in the military. I was in the last year of the
lottery for the draft in 1972 and with my number of 325; it was
not in the cards for me to serve.
******
Note from Cheryl Byrd:
Thanks to Cesar for writing his profile in the first person. I apologize for not including his statistics and history with the
Club but I forgot to bring the necessary documents with me to Havasu. I will include that data next month.