SJHH Club News 2013 to 2015

Club News

(As of 1/1/2016)

(click on year to jump to news for a particular year)
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(click on lake name to go to detailed tournament results)

Hawg Hunters Take 6th in Bass Bowl - 10/18/2015
In the SJBCA's annual club-against-club Bass Bowl braggin' rights tournament at the North East River, some clubs found good quantities of fish and others struggled to find any. Our club was somewhere in the middle, finding a few keepers, but not enough to contend for the win. Our club total weight of 14.57 lbs included Zeke Zellman & Jason Yu's three bass for 5.31 lbs, Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers' two bass for 5.19 lbs and Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth's one bass for 4.07 lbs. We finished in sixth place out of twelve clubs. The first place team, Tidewater Bassers, had twenty-two bass for 42.98 lbs. Click here for full results on the SJBCA website.

Lentz & Nemeth Take Classic by Razor-Thin Margin; Also Take Championship - 10/11/2015
After sitting in sixth place after Day 1 of this year's Hawg Hunters Classic, Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth changed their luck by bringing in a five-bass limit on Day 2 at DOD Lake to take the win. Their 6.62 lb bag at DOD gave them a total weight of 7.80 lbs, just edging out Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers who weighed in three DOD bass for 4.96 lbs and had a total of 7.77 lbs. Scott Bowen & Pat Bowen had three bass for 3.43 lbs at DOD to give them a total of 4.71 lbs and third place. Bill Duckardt took the Day 2 lunker prize with a 2.39 lb bass. Fred & Joe finished as the champion team for the year. Their seven tournament wins during the season helped them accumulate a new club record total of 219 points for the year.

Hawg Hunters Classic Lakes & Dates Adjusted; Duckardt & Summers Lead After Day 1 - 10/3/2015
Due to high wind conditions, Day 1 of our Classic was moved from DOD Lake to Salem Canal. Day 2 was switched to Sunday, October 11, at DOD Lake.

Six teams came out to battle windy, muddy, high water conditions on Day 1 of our Hawg Hunters Classic. Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers brought in two keepers for 2.81 lbs, including Orie's 1.70 lb Day 1 lunker winner. Sean Summers & Adam Satanoff had two bass for 2.41 lbs. Zeke Zellman & Jason Yu weighed one bass for 1.68 lbs. All six teams weighed in keepers; a total of eight bass were weighed in.

Not Too Bad at Stewart Lake - 9/26/2015
Although no five-bass limits were brought in, there were some decent bass weighed in at Stewart Lake, our last club tournament prior to the Hawg Hunters Classic. Zeke Zellman, fishing solo, took the win with four bass that weighed 6.13 lbs. That win moved his team very close to second place in the overall point standings. Jim Miller & Andrew White had two solid bass for 5.41 lbs to take second place. Jim's 3.09 lb fish took the lunker prize. Dave Lloyd & sub partner Kyle Beggs edged out two other teams for third place with three bass for 4.43 lbs. (Joe Nemeth & Fred Lentz were .05 of a pound behind with three bass for 4.38 lbs and Scott Bowen & Pat Bowen had three bass for 4.21 lbs.) Nine teams participated in the tourney and weighed in a total of 19 bass for 29.86 lbs.

Club Member Hosting Union Lake Open Buddy Tournament on Oct 17 - 9/21/2015
For anyone interested, club member Jenn Stubbins will be hosting a benefit open buddy tournament at Union Lake on Saturday, October 17. Times are 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Entry fee is $60.00, including lunker pool. The tourney is being held to help out her brother Michael who has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and needs help paying for his medical costs. See Jenn or Al Franchetta for more info. Email Fred Lentz if you need Jenn's contact info.

Usual Small Ones at Hammonton Lake - 9/19/2015
As expected, Hammonton Lake provided lots of fishing action but all small fish. Rod Blomdahl got a late start to his tournament season, but made it pay off. Rod and his wife Kelly brought in a winning five-bass limit that weighed 5.92 lbs. They also took lunker with a 1.92 lb bass that barely edged out Sean Summers' 1.90 lb lunker entry. Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth took second with a limit that weighed 4.96 lbs. Al Franchetta & Jenn Stubbins had four keepers for 4.81 lbs to finish in 3rd place. Seven club teams and one guest team fishing the tournament and brought in 22 bass for 24.14 lbs (1.10 lb average).

Bargaintown Gives Up Another Good One - 9/12/2015
In many years, Bargaintown Lake gives up a good lunker winner at our annual September tournament there and this year was no exception. Sean Summers weighed in a nice 5.69 lb fish which took the lunker prize and is our heaviest lunker winner of the year so far. Zeke Zellman & Jason Yu took first place with a five-bass limit that weighed 10.37 lbs. Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth kept their strong season going by taking second place with a limit that weighed 9.59 lbs. Sean's lunker winner helped he and sub partner Adam Satanoff take third place with three bass for 8.55 lbs. Nine teams participated in the tourney and weighed in a total of 28 keepers for 52.21 lbs (a 1.86 lb average). The tourney was followed by our annual club barbecue at Chris & Jessica Oeser's home.

Only Small Ones at East Creek - 8/29/2015
Although a lot of bass were weighed in at our East Creek Pond tournament, not very many were over a pound or so. Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth took their sixth win of the year with a limit that weighed 6.48 lbs. Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers weighed in five bass for 5.96 lbs to take second place. Their bag included Duck's 1.60 lb lunker winner. Dave Lloyd and sub-partner Kyle Beggs brought in a limit that weighed 5.35 lbs to finish in third place. Ten teams participated in the tourney. They weighed in a total of 33 bass for 36.59 lbs.

Lots of Bass at Malaga - 8/22/2015
With a reputation for being a bit stingy and producing mostly small bass, it was surprising that Malaga Lake came through in a big way for us this year. Ten teams plus one guest team fished the tournament and a total of 42 bass for 73.06 lbs were weighed in. Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth took their fifth win of the year with a limit weighing 9.65 lbs. Close behind them was Al Franchetta & Jenn Stubbins with their limit for 9.37 lbs, which included Jenn's 2.79 lb lunker winner. In third place were Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers with five for 8.96 lbs.

Oeser & Merlock Take Second Win at Union Evening Tourney - 8/8/2015
Although none of the eight participating teams were able to bring in a limit at our Union Lake evening tournament, Chris Oeser & Ken Merlock found enough of the right fish to take the win with a three-bass bag weighing 5.98 lbs. That was their second win in the past four tournaments. Dave Lloyd & Mario Circone weighed in four bass for 5.43 lbs to take second place. Zeke Zellman & Jason Yu finished in third place with three bass for 4.69 lbs. Andrew White took the lunker prize with his 2.90 lb bass. The seven teams weighed in a total of 15 keepers.

So-so Action at Rainbow - 8/1/2015
A bright sunny calm day at Rainbow Lake seemed to make the bass a bit sluggish, especially in the main lake. Scott Bowen & Pat Bowen brought in four keepers weighing 7.12 lbs to take the win. Dave Lloyd & Mario Circone had three bass for 5.56 lbs to take second. Zeke Zellman's 3.11 lb lunker winner helped him and partner Jason Yu finish in third with two for 4.33 lbs. They were followed very closely by Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth with 4.27 lbs and Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers with 4.17 lbs. Eight teams participated and a total of 17 keepers were weighed in.

Scramble Kinda Sucked This Year - 7/25/2015
At this year's edition of our annual two-pond Scramble format tournament, keeper bass were hard to come by at both locations. For the first segment at Clarks Pond, only ten bass were weighed in by the ten teams that participated. It got worse at Shaws Mill Pond where only eight keepers were weighed in. Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers took the win with a total of five bass for 7.29 lbs. Bill Duckardt took the lunker prizes at both lakes with a 1.61 lb fish and a 1.94 lb fish. Zeke Zellman & Jason Yu finished in second with a total of four bass for 4.08 lbs. Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth took third place with two bass for 2.20 lbs.
UPDATE: Following the tournament, after some discussion, the lunker winner for the Shaws Mill Pond portion was changed to Zeke Zellman with a 1.97 lb bass (which had been recorded as .97 lbs)

Record-setting Bag at Wilson - 7/18/2015
Our tournaments at Wilson Lake are usually either hit or miss. Apparently this year was a hit. Chris Oeser & Ken Merlock brought in a five-bass limit that weighed 11.63 lbs. Their bag was anchored by Chris's 5.32 lb lunker winner. That five-bass limit and lunker were both club records for this location. Dave Lloyd & Mario Circone took second with a five-bass limit weighing 9.49 lbs. Sean Summers & sub-partner Chadston Gibbs weighed in three bass for 6.97 lbs to finish in third. Eight teams participated. A total of 26 bass were weighed in for 44.79 lbs (1.72 lb average).

July 18th Tourney Moved to Wilson Lake - 7/11/2015
Due to problems with parking and heavy vegetation at Newton lake, our July 18th tourney has been switched to Wilson Lake. Times will be 6:00 AM to 12:00 Noon (assuming the gate is opened in time to get the tourney started by 6:00 AM).

Another Good Quantity of Fish at the Canal - 7/11/2015
Our tournament at Salem Canal saw four five-bass limits brought in and three four-bass bags. The nine participating teams weighed in a total of 33 bass. Joe Nemeth & Fred Lentz's hot streak continued as they brought in a limit weighing 9.16 lbs to take the win. They edged out Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers who had a limit for 9.03 lbs. Jim Miller & Andrew White took third place with a four bass bag that weighed 8.07 lbs thanks to Andrew's 4.00 lb lunker winner. The weigh-in was followed by Greg Lentz's annual hot dog lunch. Thanks Greg!

Small Crowd, Lots of Fish at DOD - 6/27/2015
Forecasts for thunderstorms kept the field down to only seven boats at DOD Lake, but there turned out to be just a few drizzles during the day. Zeke Zellman, fishing solo, broke two club records for this lake with a five-bass limit that weighed 9.40 lbs and a lunker winner that weighed 4.81 lbs. Sean Summers and sub-partner Chadston Gibbs took second with a limit that weighed 5.79 lbs. Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth were only .08 lbs behind them with a limit weighing 5.71 lbs. The seven teams weighed in a total of 25 bass for 31.76 lbs.

Keepers Hard to Come by at Assunpink - 6/20/2015
Despite what seemed like pretty good fishing conditions, the bigger bass were reluctant to bite at this year's Lake Assunpink tourney. Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth put together a four-bass bag, which included Fred's 3.25 lb lunker entry, for a total of 9.27 lbs. That was good enough to take their third win in our first six tournaments. Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers took second with a three-bass bag weighing 6.85 lbs. Jim Miller and sub partner Andrew White finished in third place with two bass for 4.20 lbs. Scott Bowen won the lunker prize with his 3.39 lb bass. Ten teams participated and 13 keepers were weighed in.

Club Trip 2015 - Potomac River, MD - 6/7/2015
Three boats attended this year's club fishing/camping trip to Mattawoman Creek on the Potomac River in Maryland. The weather and fishing were a bit of a challenge, but all in all it was a great time. Click on the location link to go to results and photos from the trip.

Bargaintown a Bit Stingy to Most Teams - 4/11/2015
Most teams found the bass fishing conditions a lot tougher than usual at Bargaintown Lake. This was our first time fishing here in the spring and, unfortunately, it was under post-front conditions. Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers were able to overcome the sluggish fishing and cull their way to a 9.83 lb limit to take the win. Joe Nemeth & Fred Lentz finished in second with a two-bass 4.21 lb bag that included Joe's 2.64 lb lunker winner (his third lunker win in our first five tournaments). Jim Miller & Mike Miller Jr took third with their two keepers for 3.47 lbs (just edging out Pat Childs & Damian Childs who had 3.28 lbs). Ten teams participated in the tournament. Only fourteen bass were weighed in.

Warmer But a Lot Windier at Newton - 4/4/2015
Eight teams came out to battle very windy conditions at Newton Lake. Joe Nemeth continued his hot season by matching partner Fred Lentz's one keeper with four very nice fish. Their 13.88 lb bag took the win and included Joe's 4.35 lb lunker winner. Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers extended their successful start to the season by bringing in a limit that weighed 7.51 lbs, good enough for second place. Sean Summers & Larry Summers had four keepers for 6.60 lbs to take third place. A total of nineteen bass were weighed in for 35.36 lbs.

Cold Spring Continues at Wilson - 3/28/2015
Our third tournament of the season, at Wilson Lake, saw more cold temperatures to go with some windy conditions. Not a lot of bass were weighed in, but it was a lot more exciting than our last tourney here (in 2013) which saw one small keeper bass weighed in. This time around, Zeke Zellman fishing solo took the win with two bass for 6.47 lbs, anchored by a lunker winning 4.83 lb fish. That was a new lunker record for this lake, breaking a record from 2004. Scott Bowen & sub partner Pat Bowen brought in three keepers for 5.07 lbs to take second. Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers had four bass for 4.94 lbs for third place. Nine teams participated in the tournament and weighed in a total of 13 bass.

Two Good Bags at Rainbow - 3/21/2015
After having one good bag brought in at our Union tourney, our Rainbow Lake tournament featured two bags over ten pounds. Sean Summers and sub partner Adam Satanoff took the win with four bass for 10.53 lbs, including Sean's 4.09 lunker winner. Bill Duckardt and Orie Summers took second with a five-bass limit weighing exactly 10 lbs. Joe Nemeth and Fred Lentz finished in third with Joes's 3.45 lb bass. Seven teams participated in the tourney which saw cold air temperatures in the morning (after a snowstorm the prior day) and the sun peaking through the clouds by the end of the tourney. We followed the weigh-in with a parking lot and shoreline line clean-up, as Rainbow is our club's adopted lake.

Rainy Start to the Season at Union - 3/14/2015
The decision on whether to hold our first tournament came down to the wire as much of Union Lake was still ice covered as of midday Friday. But in the afternoon, the ice broke up and a GO decision was made for Saturday. Tournament day saw a steady rain all day up until weigh-in time when it turned to a light drizzle. The day also featured some nippy temperatures and a stiff breeze. Club member Joe Nemeth had the hot hand as he reeled in the 4.64 lb lunker winner and two other solid bass to go with partner Fred Lentz's one bass. The total weight of their four bass was 11.92 lbs. Bill Duckardt, fishing solo, brought in three bass for 4.95 lbs to take second. Dave Lloyd and partner Mario Circone brought in one solid keeper for 2.10 lbs. Eight teams participated in our opening tourney.

Club Get-Together & Pre-Season Meeting Held - 1/17/2015
We held a combined end-of-the-season get-together and pre-season meeting on Saturday, January 17. The party was held at the home of Larry Summers (& Sean Summers). Some of the highlights were: we finalized our 2015 tournament schedule (now posted on the Schedule/Results page), we will keep the same officers for another season, one of our annual award plaques was presented (with the other to be presented during the season), and teams declared their members & paid their 2015 dues. Thanks to the Summers for hosting the party and to all of those who contributed food & beverages to the event.

Former Member Passes Away - 12/28/2014
Former South Jersey Hawg Hunters member Steve Steinmetz passed away today after suffering a stroke a week ago and then a series of heart attacks this evening. Steve fished with us (partnered with Mike Wright, then Chris Brower) from 2006 through 2012. Steve was also a long-time tournament director for the South Jersey Bass Club Association. Steve was famous for his bright yellow clothing. He was a hard-working dedicated officer for the SJBCA and will be missed.

Club Get-Together & Pre-Season Meeting Scheduled - 12/25/2014
We've scheduled a combined end-of-the-season get-together and pre-season meeting for Saturday, January 17. It'll be at member Larry Summer's home in Pitman. More details to come.

Tentative 2015 Tournament Schedule Announced - 12/25/2014
Our tentative schedule for 2015 has been drafted. It'll be reviewed and finalized at our pre-season meeting. We'll fill two of the tournament dates with suggestions from the club at the meeting (subject to tournaments already listed on the SJBCA's Conflict List).

Bass Bowl Tournament Canceled - 10/19/2014
The SJBCA's annual Bass Bowl tournament, scheduled for the North East River in Maryland was canceled due to unsafe boating conditions (very high winds). At this point there are no plans to reschedule it. Thanks to our six guys who were prepared to fish it.

Bass Bowl Team Set - 10/10/2014
The six-man team that will represent our club at the South Jersey Bass Club Association's "Bass Bowl" on October 19 will be: Bill Duckardt, Orie Summers, Fred Lentz, Al Franchetta, Jim Miller and Mike Miller Jr. They'll be fishing the Susquehanna Flats area in Maryland, launching at the North East River. Good luck guys!

Miller & Miller Take Classic; Zellman & Schoonover Secure Championship - 10/05/2014

Jim Miller & Mike Miller Jr took advantage of a bad Day 2 by the Day 1 leaders Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth and took the win at this year's Hawg Hunters Classic. Fred & Joe had a nice 10.36 lb five-bass limit at Lake Lenape, but failed to bring in any keepers at Salem Canal. Jim & Mike built on their Day 1 second place standing (which included Jim's nice 5.51 lb Day 1 lunker winner) with a four-bass 3.96 lb bag at the Canal that was enough to put them over the top. Jim's lunker winner was a club record for that lake. Fred & Joe's Day 1 weight was still good enough to give them a second place finish.
Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers came in third with a total of seven bass for 8.51 lbs. Chris Oeser & Ken Merlock finished in fourth place with a total of five bass for 8.28 lbs, including Ken's 2.61 lb lunker winner on Day 2. In fifth place was Dennis Snyder & Greg Lentz with a total of five bass for 6.94 lbs. Ten teams participated in the no-entry-fee tournament. Zeke Zellman & Wade Schoonover sealed their second club championship in the past four years (which was pretty much decided prior to the tournament). The teams of Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers and Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth finished in a tie for second place for the season. These three teams qualified to represent our club at this year's SJBCA Bass Bowl on October 19.

Lenape Still a GO for Classic Day 1 - 10/03/2014
As of noon Friday, October 3, the water level was sufficient to launch boats so we're ON for fishing there on Saturday the 4th.

Lenape Water Level Being Monitored - 9/29/2014
The water level at Lake Lenape, planned site of Day 1 of our Hawg Hunters Classic, is very low due to an opening of the dam. (It was opened in anticipation of heavy rains mid-week last week.) We are monitoring the situation and if we find there's a need to move the location we'll send an email out to club members and post a note here. We are considering Malaga Lake as the alternative to Lenape. More info to come.

Only Small Ones at Hammonton - 9/27/2014
Twenty-three bass were brought to the scales at our Hammonton Lake tourney, but only one topped the pound and a half mark (and not by much). Dennis Snyder & Greg Lentz took the win with a five-bass limit weighing 4.96 lbs. Zeke Zellman & Wade Schoonover pretty much sealed their season championship with a second place four-bass bag that weighed 4.02 lbs. Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth came in third with three bass for 3.75 lbs, including Fred's 1.55 lb lunker winner. Ten teams participated in the tournament (nine brought in at least one keeper).

Union Lake Stingy to Most Teams - 9/20/2014
Only 18 keepers were weighed in by the ten teams that participated in our Union Lake tournament. Al Franchetta & Jenn Stubbins brought in the only five-bass limit, which weighed exactly 8.00 lbs, to take the win. Jenn's 3.06 lb kicker fish took the lunker prize. Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth weighed in four bass for 7.02 lbs to finish in second. Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers had three keepers for 4.14 lbs to take third place. Only one smallmouth was weighed in -- Chris Oeser's 1.51 lb "hump-backed" bass.

Lots of Limits at Bargaintown Lake - 9/13/2014
Nine teams brought five-bass limits to the scales at our Bargaintown Lake tournament. That tied a club record. Sean Summers and sub partner Adam Satanoff took the win with 10.11 lbs, including Sean's 2.66 lb lunker winner. Only three hundredths of a pound behind were Chris Oeser & Ken Merlock with 10.08 lbs. Pat Childs & Evan Childs took third place with their 9.27 lb bag. They were followed by four teams with bags weighing in the 8+ pound range. The tournament was followed by our annual club barbecue at Chris & Jessica Oeser's home. Although a steady rain fell during the festivities, a good time was had by all.

A Bunch of Bass at DOD Lake - 9/6/2014
Eight of the nine participating teams brought in at least two keepers at our DOD Lake tournament. Joe Nemeth, fishing with sub-partner Sam Garcia, took first place with a five-bass limit that weighed 7.95 lbs (a club record for five-bass tournaments at that lake). Their bag was anchored by Joe's 3.70 lb lunker winner. Zeke Zellman & Wade Schoonover were close behind in second with a limit weighing 7.75 lbs. Dennis Snyder & Greg Lentz finished in third with a hefty three-bass bag that weighed 7.47 lbs. Twenty-eight keepers were weighed in.

Not a Lot at the Canal - 8/23/2014
Keeper sized bass were hard to locate for most teams at our second Salem Canal tournament of the season. Dave Lloyd and sub-partner John McCloskey were able to douse out a five-bass limit and took first place with 6.91 lbs. Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers came in second with four bass for 6.52 lbs. Steve Barrett & Steafen Barrett took third place with their four-bass 6.22 lb bag. Larry Summers took the lunker prize with a nice 3.15 lb bass. Eight teams participated in the tournament.

August 23 Tourney Moved to Salem Canal - 8/19/2014
Due to ongoing parking lot construction at Newton Lake, our August 23 tournament has been moved to Salem Canal. Tourney times will be the same 6:00 am to 12:30 pm.

Everybody Gets Some at East Creek - 8/17/2014
Eleven teams showed up for our East Creek Pond tournament and all of them brought in at least one keeper. Six teams had five-bass limits. Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth took the win with their 6.34 lb limit. Rod Blomdahl & Dave Reeves came in second with a 5.93 lb limit that included Rod's 2.01 lb lunker winner. Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers took third place with 5.50 lbs, edging out Jim Miller & Mike Miller Jr who had 5.45 lbs. A total of 45 keepers were weighed in, our best one-day total so far this season.

Slow Day for Most at Stewart - 8/2/2014
Most teams reported a very slow bite during our Stewart Lake tournament. Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers were able to put together a working pattern, however, and brought in a nice 10.06 lb five-bass limit to take the win. All other bags brought in were one or two fish. Zeke Zellman, fishing solo, took second place with two bass for 5.35 lbs, anchored by his nice 3.49 lb lunker winner. Jim Miller & Mike Miller Jr took third with two bass for 4.43 lbs. Nine teams participated in the tourney.

Duckardt & Summers Take Scramble - 7/26/2014
Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers had their good start at this year's Scramble tournament hold up for the second portion of the event and took first place. They followed up their 7.90 lb bag at Clarks Pond with a 3.88 lb bag at Shaws Mill Pond for the 11.78 lb win. Orie had the Clarks Pond lunker winner with a 2.69 lb bass. Jim Miller and Mike Miller Jr took second place with a two-pond total of 10.21 lbs. Zeke Zellman & Wade Schoonover took third with a total of 8.73 lbs. Al Franchetta took the Shaws Mill Pond lunker with a 1.72 lb bass. Eight teams participated in the tournament.

Scramble Part 1 Moved to Clarks Pond - 7/24/2014
Due to low water conditions at Cedarville Pond, the first portion of our July 26 scramble tournament will take place at Clarks Pond WMA. The times for the first part are 5:30 am to 9:00 am. The second portion will still be held at Shaws Mill Pond WMA.

Slow Action for Most at the Canal - 7/19/2014
Most of the teams reported fairly slow fishing action at our Salem Canal tournament. Zeke Zellman & Wade Schoonover brought in the only five-bass limit which weighed 7.02 lbs. That was enough to take first place, their fourth win of the season. Second place was taken by Scott Bowen & Bill Ridel who had three bass for 5.05 lbs. In third place was Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers who had two bass for 4.90 lbs, including Orie's 3.85 lb lunker winner. Eleven teams participated in the tourney; ten of them weighed in at least one keeper.

Everybody Gets Some at Malaga - 7/12/2014
All eight teams that participated in our Malaga Lake evening tournament brought in at least two keepers. Jim Miller & Mike Miller Jr took the win with a five-bass limit weighing 7.59 lbs. Their bag was anchored by Mike Jr's 1.88 lb lunker winner. Zeke Zellman & Wade Schoonover took second place with a limit weighing 6.58 lbs. Joe Nemeth & sub-partner Sam Garcia weighed in three bass for 4.01 lbs to take third place.

Lotta Keepers at Rainbow - 6/28/2014
Ten of the eleven teams that participated in our Rainbow Lake tournament weighed in keepers and four teams had five-bass limits. Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth culled up to a nice 11.25 lb limit to take the win. Fred's 3.76 lb kicker fish took the lunker prize. Finishing in 2nd place was Al Franchetta & Jenn Stubbins whose limit weighed 7.44 lbs, after a dead fish penalty. In 3rd place was Rod Blomdahl with sub-partner Dean Raph, who weighed in a 6.25 lb limit. After the weigh-in many of the club members performed a shoreline and parking lot clean-up. Several full bags of trash were collected.

One Big Bag at Assunpink - 6/21/2014
Most teams had a difficult time finding fish over the 15 inch minimum size at this year's Lake Assunpink tournament, but Zeke Zellman & Wade Schoonover found some good ones patroling the shallows. Their four-bass 14.82 lb bag took first place. Wade's very nice 5.70 lb kicker fish took the lunker prize. Dennis Snyder & Greg Lentz took 2nd place with two bass for 5.78 lbs. Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers only needed their one 3.98 lb bass to take 3rd place. Nine teams participated in the tourney.

Club Trip to Mattawoman Creek - 5/4/2014
For this year's annual club trip, we returned to a location we used to visit every year when the club was first formed many years ago -- Mattawoman Creek on the Potomac River in Maryland. Six boats attended. There was a horrendous rainstorm on the day we traveled down there and that left the water muddy during our entire stay. In addition, there was a lot of floating debris on the water which made boating a big dicey. Although the fishing was generally slow, some decent fish were brought in and every boat caught some. Bill Duckardt weighed in a nice 5 lb 3 oz bass for one of our lunker contests and that's our club's new heaviest bass at that location on a club trip. Click here for details and photos from the trip.

Decent Numbers at Newton - 4/12/2014
Eight of the ten teams entered managed to weigh in at least one keeper at our Newton Lake tournament. Dave Lloyd & Mario Circone brought in four keepers for 9.06 lbs to take the win. Their bag was anchored by Mario's nice 4.76 lb lunker winner. Jim Miller & Mike Miller Jr brought in a five-bass limit for 5.10 lbs to take second place. Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers had three keepers for 3.62 lbs to take third place. A total of 18 keepers were weighed in.

Battle of the One-Pounders at East Creek - 4/5/2014
One of our members pulled a 6+ pounder out of this lake last season (during the summer), but it was a different story this time around at East Creek Pond. In a tight battle of one-pounders, Zeke Zellman & Wade Schoonover took their second tournament in a row with three bass for 3.71 lbs. In second place was Chris Oeser & Ken Merlock with three for 3.56 lbs, including Chris's 1.58 lb lunker winner (which won by .01 lb). Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth took third with two bass for 2.41 lbs. Nine teams participated in the tourney.

Rain and More Rain at Rainbow - 3/29/2014
We spent a miserable day at Rainbow Lake, with a steady rain the entire tournament (and weigh-in), featuring periods of downpour. The bass weren't biting all that well either. Zeke Zellman & Wade Schoonover brought in three keepers for 4.46 lbs to take the win. Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth took second place with two bass for 3.85 lbs including Joe's 2.88 lb lunker winner. They were followed by three teams with single bass in the 1+ pound range. Eight hardy teams participated in the tourney. We agreed to postpone our post-weigh-in shoreline & parking lot clean-up until another day.

One Good Bag at Union - 3/22/2014
With the fishing action a bit better than last weekend's tourney, Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers put together a five-bass limit for 11.85 lbs and won our Union Lake tourney by a wide margin. Orie's 4.23 lb kicker fish took lunker (and would have easily won the tourney by itself). Second through fifh places were taken by single fish in the two pound range. Eleven teams participated in the tourney despite cool air temperatures & high winds which made boating and fishing kind of tough.

Slim Pickins at Parvin - 3/15/2014
Being just a couple of days after an arctic cold front passed through, the fishing at our first club tournament of the year was very tough. Only five keepers (15 inch minimum) were weighed in by the ten teams that participated in our Parvin Lake tourney. Ken Merlock & Chris Oeser managed to find two keepers to take the win with 3.83 lbs. Dave Lloyd & John McCloskey's 2.33 lb bass took 2nd place and lunker. Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth rounded out the top three with their 2.23 lb bass.

Club Apparel Items for Sale - 3/16/2014
Fred still has a couple of club apparel items available. The items available at this time are: T-shirt size XL (two available). We may do another order later in the year if there's enough interest.

Pre-Season Meeting Held - 2/8/2014
Our pre-season meeting was held as scheduled and the following items were discussed & approved:
* Dues were increased to $10 per person.
* Team members for the upcoming season were declared and dues were paid.
* All current officers and back-up weighmasters will continue in those roles.
* Our club's vote for the location of the SJBCA Bass Bowl will be Susquehanna Flats, MD.
* Place points will now be awarded to the top five finishing teams at each tourney (10, 6, 4, 2, 1).
* After some discussion, our 2014 tournament schedule was approved as drafted.
* A new rule was enacted requiring teams to participate in 10 tournaments during the season in order to qualify to fish the Hawg Hunters Classic.
* A new rule was enacted requiring teams to participate in at least half of our club tournaments during the year in order to secure their team's spot for the next season. Any team that doesn't meet that criteria will be at risk of being replaced by a new team.

2014 Pre-Season Meeting Scheduled - 1/24/2014
Our one club meeting of the year will be held at Gleason's Place near Wilson Lake on Saturday, February 8, at 11:30 am. (This is the Saturday following the Super Bowl instead of the usual day prior to the Super Bowl.) At this meeting members will be asked to declare their team members for the upcoming season and pay their dues. We'll also be deciding our club's vote for this year's location of SJBCA Bass Bowl. Additionally we'll be reviewing and finalizing our 2014 club tournament schedule (see below).

2014 Club Fishing/Camping Trip Finalized - 11/25/2013
Our annual club fishing/camping trip for 2014 will be at Mattawoman Creek on the Potomac River (a location our club used to go to frequently in the distant past). We will be staying at Smallwood State Park. The dates are April 30 through May 4 (so 4 nights beginning on April 30). Sites 20 & 21 have already been reserved by members of our club. Tent sites 2, 3, 4 & 6 are nearby. If any members are planning to go along, you'll need to reserve your site very soon.

Tentative 2014 Tournament Schedule Drafted - UPDATED 12/23/2013
This is our TENTATIVE schedule for next season. It will be reviewed and finalized at our pre-season meeting in early February.
[Hammonton & Union tourneys in September were switched to avoid a conflict with another club. Our July Canal tourney may also need to be switched.]

3/15 Parvin Lake

3/22 Union Lake

3/29 Rainbow Lake

4/5 East Creek Pond
4/12 Newton Lake

4/30-5/4 Club trip - Potomac River/Mattawoman Creek @ Smallwood State Park
6/21 Lake Assunpink

6/28 Rainbow Lake

7/5 off

7/12 Malaga Lake (evening)

7/19 Salem Canal

7/26 Scramble - Cedarville/Shaws Mill

8/2 Stewart Lake

8/9 off

8/17 (Sun) East Creek Pond

8/23 Newton Lake

8/30 off

9/6 DOD Lake

9/13 Bargaintown Lake & club barbecue

9/20 Union Lake
9/27 Hammonton Lake

10/4 & 10/5 Hawg Hunters Classic - Lake Lenape / Salem Canal

Good Times at Annual Get-Together - 11/16/2013
Once again we had a good crowd, good food and good times at our annual club get-together at Rick Lentz's home on November 16. Plaques were presented to our Hawg Hunters Classic winners, Champion Team and Lunker of the Year winner. Thanks to Rick & Liz for hosting, to Ryan for bartending all night and to everyone who contributed food & beverages. Click here for photos from the event.

Hawg Hunters Take 4th Place in Bass Bowl - 10/13/2013
Our team at this year's SJBCA Bass Bowl on the Potomac River was met with drizzly, breezy weather and a very tough bite. Sean Summers managed to catch two keepers and Orie Summers got a nice one. Our three bass for 6.37 lbs put us in 4th place out of the six clubs that participated. Click here for detailed results and photos on the SJBCA website.

Hawg Hunters Bass Bowl Team Prepares for Potomac - UPDATED 10/09/2013
The 2013 SJBCA Bass Bowl will take place on the Potomac River in Maryland (launching from Marshall Hall boat ramp) on Sunday, October 13. Representing the Hawg Hunters will be Bill Duckardt, Orie Summers, Jim Miller, Mark Edmeads, Fred Lentz and Sean Summers. This year we'll be paying their tournament entry fee out of our club treasury. Good luck folks!

Duckardt & Summers Take Classic & Championship - 9/29/2013
Although both days of our 2013 Hawg Hunters Classic saw slow fishing for most teams, Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers managed to find decent bags of fish on both days. Their three-bass, 5.49 lb bag at Union gave them the Day 1 lead by more than a pound. Then they sealed the deal with the heaviest bag on Day 2 at Salem Canal. Their five-bass limit at the Canal weighed 8.08 lbs to give them a two-day total of 13.57 lbs and a win by a wide margin.

Zeke Zellman & Wade Schoonover had a two-day total of six bass for 9.89 lbs to take 2nd place. Their total included Zeke's 2.97 lb lunker winner at Salem Canal. Dennis Snyder & Greg Lentz finished in 3rd place with a two-day total of three bass for 5.83 lbs, including Dennis's 3.73 lb Union Lake lunker winner. Nine teams participated and a total of 28 bass were weighed in for 45.07 lbs.

Location & Times of Classic Day 1 Switched - 9/26/2013
Due to dangerous low water conditions at Lake Lenape, we have switched the location of Day 1 of our Hawg Hunters Classic to Union Lake. The tournament times will be a half hour earlier --> 7:00 am to 1:30 pm.

No Limits at DOD - 9/21/2013
This was one of two 10-bass limit tournaments on our schedule, but DOD Lake was a bit stingy with the keepers on this day. With small fish dominating the weigh-in, Zeke Zellman & Wade Schoonover took the win with seven bass for 7.03 lbs. Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth came in 2nd with their five bass 5.89 lb bag. Jim Miller & Mark Edmeads finished in 3rd with four bass for 5.19 lbs. Their bag included Mark's 2.56 lb lunker winner. Eight teams participated in the tournament and brought in a total of 23 bass for 25.29 lbs.

Bargaintown Bonanza & Club Barbecue - 9/14/2013
A nice turnout of eleven teams showed up for our Bargaintown Lake tournament. They were rewarded with a pretty decent bite. Jim Miller fishing with frequent sub partner/brother Mike Miller Jr brought in a limit weighing 12.43 lbs, a club record for that lake. Their nice bag was anchored by Jim's fat 6.12 lb lunker winner. Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth took 2nd place with a limit weighing 8.75 lbs. Al Franchetta & Jenn Stubbins took 3rd place with their 7.18 lb limit. A total of 34 keepers were weighed in. The tournament was followed by our annual club barbecue at Chris & Jessica Oeser's home. Thanks for the hospitality Chris!

Muddy Cooper River - 9/7/2013
We encountered somewhat muddy conditions at Cooper River this year, which didn't help the fishing action. Still, six of the eight teams that participated managed to find keeper fish. Steve Barrett & Steafen Barrett brought in a three fish bag that weighed 6.41 lbs to take the win. Steve took the lunker prize with his nice 2.91 lb bass. Sean Summers and sub partner Orie Summers took second place with their three-fish bag weighing 4.54 lbs. Jim Miller and sub partner Mike Miller Jr finished in third place with two solid bass for 4.43 lbs.

First Time at Stone Tavern - 8/24/2013
Our first trip to Stone Tavern Lake found the lake to be very heavily covered with vegetation. The fishing was slow for most and the average size of the bass quite small. The team of Al Franchetta & Jenn Stubbins managed to find some decent fish and won the tourney with a five-bass limit weighing 7.60 lbs. Al's 2.44 lb kicker fish took the lunker prize. Jim Miller & Mark Edmeads also brought in a limit and, although weighing only 4.57 lbs, it was good enough for a solid 2nd place finish. Rod Blomdahl, fishing with sub partner Chris Oeser, brought in three bass for 3.40 lbs to take 3rd. Scott Bowen & Bill Ridel finished a tenth of a pound out of the money with three bass for 3.30 lbs. Ten teams made the trip up to Central Jersey.

Back to Slow Fishing, at Stewart - 8/18/2013
Although a couple of teams were able to find a quantity of keepers, in general the fishing was very slow and the average bass was very small at our Stewart Lake tourney. Eighteen keepers were weighed in by the nine teams that participated. The average weight per fish was 1.28 lbs. Dave Lloyd, fishing with sub partner Terry Collier, took the win with a four-bass bag weighing 5.44 lbs. Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers took 2nd place with their five-bass limit weighing 5.41 lbs (three hundreths of a pound out of first). Jim Miller & Mark Edmeads finished in 3rd place with a three-bass bag that weighed 5.12 lbs. That included Mark's 2.77 lb lunker winner.

Better Results at East Creek - 8/10/2013
After several tournaments where the fishing was slow for most teams, our East Creek Pond tournament had lots of fishing action and a record setting lunker. Five limits were brought to the scales by the nine teams that participated. Zeke Zellman & Wade Schoonover won with a limit weighing 9.63 lbs. Close behind them were Chris Oeser & Ken Merlock who had a five-bass limit for 9.30 lbs. Dennis Snyder & Greg Lentz finished in third place with their 7.90 lb limit. Scott Bowen demolished our 14-year-old lunker record for this lake with his 6.23 lb kicker fish. (Our previous record for this pond was 5 lbs 8 oz by Bill Duckardt in August of 1999.)

First Time at SVP a Little Slow - 8/3/2013
Our club's first ever tournament at relatively small South Vineland Park Pond produced only a few keepers on a very slow morning of fishing. Jim Miller, fishing with sub partner Mike Miller Jr, took the win with two bass weighing 4.30 lbs. Their bag was anchored by Jim's 3.02 lb lunker winner. Rod Blomdahl, fishing with sub partner Bryan Tochterman, finished in second with four bass for 3.57 lbs. Dave & Jerrod Lloyd took third with two bass weighing 1.91 lbs. Twelve keepers were weighed in by the eight teams that participated.

Not Many at Cedarville/Shaws Mill Scramble - 7/27/2013
Our annual Scramble tournament, where we launch, load & weigh-in at two different ponds, is supposed to be a ten bass tournament, but not many teams got close

to that number this year. Zeke Zellman & Wade Schoonover totalled seven keepers for 9.54 lbs to take the win. Rod Blomdahl & Dave Reeves took second with four keepers for 8.27 lbs, including Rod's 2.70 lb lunker winner (tie) at Cedarville. Bill Duckardt, fishing solo, took third place with three keepers weighing 5.41 lbs. Chris Oeser tied for the lunker win at Cedarville with his2.70 lb bass. Dave Lloyd took the lunker prize at Shaws Mill with his 1.69 lb entry. Ten teams participated in the tournament where 26 of a possible 100 fish (10 teams x 10 keepers) were weighed in. A special thanks to Rod "the candy man" Blomdahl for the chocolate-covered blueberries at the weigh-in.

Lotsa Keepers at the Canal - 7/20/2013
A season high of thirty-six keepers were weighed in at our Salem Canal tournament and five teams brought in five-bass limits. Al & John Franchetta took their second consecutive win with their limit weighing 8.85 lbs. They were followed close behind by second place finishers Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers whose limit weighed 8.35 lbs. Duck's 3.25 lb kicker fish took the lunker prize. Third place was taken by Chris Oeser, fishing solo, with a limit that weighed 8.25 lbs. Ten teams participated in the tourney. The weigh-in was followed by Greg Lentz's annual hot dog lunch. Thanks Greg!

Feast or Famine at Malaga - 7/13/2013
Three teams managed to bring in five-bass limits at our Malaga Lake evening tournament, but only four other keepers were weighed in. Al & John Franchetta had a limit weighing 7.04 lbs to take the win. Greg Lentz & sub partner Orie Summers took second place with a limit weighing 6.53 lbs. Zeke Zellman & Wade Schoonover had a limit weighing 6.18 lbs (after a dead fish penalty) to take third place. Orie Summers' 1.62 lb kicker fish took the lunker prize. Nine teams participated.

Duckardt/Summers Take 3rd Win, at Rainbow - 6/29/2013
At Rainbow Lake, Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers took their third win of the season with their five-bass limit weighing 11.44 lbs. They were followed by Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth, whose limit weighed 8.57 lbs. Third place was taken by Jim Miller & sub partner Mike Miller Jr with three bass for 8.13 lbs. Their bag was anchored by Jim's 4.49 lb lunker winner. Twelve teams participated in the tourney with eleven of them bringing in at least one keeper. After the weigh-in, members performed a shoreline and parking lot clean-up.

Good Quantity at Assunpink - 6/22/2013
Lake Assunpink gave up a fair number of fish for us this year. The thirteen teams that participated weighed in a total of 30 bass over the 15 inch minimum. Zeke Zellman and sub partner Nick Remchuk brought in five bass weighing 10.26 lbs to take the win. They were followed close behind by Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers who had three bass for 9.67 lbs. Jim Miller & Mark Edmeads took third with five bass for 9.03 lbs, followed closely by Fred Lentz & Joe Nemeth who had four keepers for 8.79 lbs. Orie Summers took the lunker prize with a 3.96 lb bass.

Kerr Trip Pix Posted - 6/1/2013
Photos from our club trip to Kerr Reservoir in Virginia have now been posted. If anyone who went on the trip has additional photos they want to contribute, please send them to Fred.

Lloyds Take Third Flats Tourney - 5/11/2013
Jerrod & Dave Lloyd continued their dominance at the Susquehanna Flats (launching out of Anchor Marina) by taking first place by a wide margin and the lunker prize. Their winning five-bass bag weighed 17.34 lbs which breaks their previous club record taken last year at the Flats. Jerrod's lunker winner weighed 3.75 lbs. They have won and taken lunker at all three of our tourneys there. Sixteen keepers (15" minimum) were weighed in by the five teams that participated.

Lake Lunker Record & Decent Bags at Newton - 4/13/2013
Our club's tournament results took another step for the better at Newton Lake as the eight teams that participated brought 24 keepers to the scales and every team had at least one keeper. Sean Summers, fishing with sub partner Orie Summers, brought in a winning four-bass bag that weighed 12.18 lbs. Their bag included a club Newton lunker record 5.26 lb bass and another one in the upper fours. Finishing second was Al & John Franchetta with a nice 8.85 lb five-bass limit. And very close behind them was Zeke Zellman & Wade Schoonover with an 8.71 lb five-bass limit.

A Little Better at Lenape - 4/7/2013
After some pretty poor results at our first three club tournaments, Lake Lenape treated us slightly better. The twelve teams that participated brought in fourteen keepers and four teams had multiple fish. Al & John Franchetta took the win with three bass for 5.67 lbs. They were followed by Dennis Snyder & Greg Lentz who had two bass for 4.18 lbs (anchored by Greg's 3.10 lunker entry). In third place was Bill Duckardt & Orie Summers with three bass for 3.97 lbs. The lunker prize was taken by Dave Reeves with a nice 3.27 pounder.

Well That Kinda Sucked - 3/30/2013
After setting club records for most five-bass limits and most total keepers in last year's Wilson Lake tourney, expectations were somewhat high for this year. Unfortunately the lake returned to its usual stingy self and only gave up one small keeper bass. Zeke Zellman & Wade Schoonover took the place and lunker payouts with Zeke's 1.13 lb bass. A special pickerel side pot was won by John Franchetta with a 1.64 lb pick. Nine teams participated.

Didn't Get a Limit at Rainbow - 3/23/2013
The ten teams that participated in our special ten-bass tournament at Rainbow Lake didn't bring in ten keepers as a group. On a very tough cold windy day, Bill Duckardt with sub partner (and former club member) Orie Summers weighed in two solid keepers for 5.74 lbs. This was Duck's team's second win in a row. Joe Nemeth & Fred Lentz also brought in two bass to take 2nd place with 4.72 lbs. Joe's 3.54 lb kicker took the lunker prize (2nd lunker winner in a row for this team). Only three other keepers were weighed in. Continuing the recent trend of club members from the past making appearances, not only did Orie Summers fish, but Dave Sprigg Sr also fished as a sub partner. Following the tournament, club members worked on cleaning up the trash in the parking lot and along the shoreline. Some photos of that effort are posted below the tournament results.

Duckardt & Summers Take Parvin Tourney - 3/16/2013
Bill Duckardt & sub partner (and former club member) Sean Summers took first place at our season kick-off tournament at Parvin Lake. Their three-bass bag weighed 7.87 lbs. Al & John Franchetta took second with a two-bass 5.31 lb bag. Fred Lentz's 3.63 lb lunker winner gave him and Joe Nemeth third place. A total of ten keepers (15" minimum) were weighed in by the eleven teams that participated. In addition to long-time-ago club member Sean Summers fishing, past member Roy Henry also made a guest appearance.

Pre-Season Meeting Held - 2/2/2013
Our annual pre-season meeting was held a Gleason's Place sports bar on February 2. These are the items that were discussed and decided on:
* Teams declared their members and paid their dues. (I still need dues money from a few teams.) We're losing at least one team and gaining two teams with former members (Dave Sprigg Jr & Tom Fowler and Bryan Tochterman & David Flynn).

* Fred will continue as President/Secretary and Duck will continue as Tournament Director/Weighmaster. Same back-up weighmasters as in past years.

* Our club's vote for the location of the 2013 SJBCA Bass Bowl will be Potomac River. This was decided after a run-off vote between Potomac and Union.

* We decided that the club will pay the $45 entry fee for our team in the SJBCA Bass Bowl each year. This will save Fred the trouble of tracking the team members down to collect the money.

* The 2013 tournament schedule was discussed and approved after the following changes...

-- April 13 will be Newton Lake instead of Malaga Lake.

-- Susquehanna Flats tourney will be May 11 from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm.

-- August 3 will be South Vineland Park instead of Newton Lake.

The updated tournament schedule is posted on the club website.

* Miscellaneous -- Fred will look into the current status of being able to hold livewell tournaments at Alloway Lake, for future reference.

-- Fred will looking into compiling a reference card with club members' cell phones so that members can call one another in the event of an emergency. Members can "opt out" of being included on the card. It is understood that the card will only be used for important tournament business.

Club Members Win SJBCA Awards - 1/22/2013
The South Jersey Bass Club Association announced the winners of its 2012 Fishing Excellence Awards and some of our club members were again among them. Mark Edmeads won the heaviest bass with his 6.66 lb Bargaintown Lake fish and Zeke Zellman & Wade Schoonover won the heaviest six-bass tournament with their 8.85 lb bag at Lake Assunpink. They'll be presented plaques at the February 20 SJBCA member meeting.

Club Winter Tackle Shopping Trip - 1/22/2013
Our annual winter club trip to the Baltimore area was held on January 19. Six members and three friends of the club stopped at Cracker Barrel for breakfast, then Bass Pro Shops for some tackle shopping. Most of the group then traveled to Max's Taphouse in Baltimore for beverages and then Chap's Pit BBQ for a late lunch. Some photos from the trip are posted in the Photo Gallery section.

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