a quarterly newsletter (well, almost) March 2002

Tobiason and Clark Honored at Banquet
Toby Tobiason was named the Top Sports Angler at the club's annual awards banquet held last November. Toby's 110 Lb blue marlin, his light tackle award and his first place tag and release helped this long-time member to rack up points for the coveted award.
Al Clark was chosen as the recipient of the Dick Dutton Memorial Award. In presenting the award, Mrs. Jean Dutton commended Al for his years of service to the club. During his years of membership, Al has held almost every office, hosts a cookout each year, and has lent his expertise to many an angler through his informative tech nights. Congratulations to both these club members.
The banquet was held at the Elks Club and was ably set up by Joe Williams. The annual club trophies were announced by Jimmy Jones and Bill Wargo. A list of winners appears in this newsletter.

Happy Hour Starts Season with a Bang
The club's social season kicked off to a rousing start with a February happy hour hosted by the board members. Over seventy members enjoyed fellowship and heavy hors d'ouvres. Art Seemann, the newly appointed vice commodore, did a great job of organizing the event. Many of the members voiced their approval of the happy hour format and suggested that it done again.

Chef Robert Lewanda WOWS 'Em Again!
Once again, Robert Lewanda set the taste buds a tingle at the February cookout. Robert and Carol used their culinary expertise to dish up a mouth-watering roast pork dinner rounded out by individually cooked packets of onions and potatoes, savory mushrooms, and tossed salad. Robert's cookouts are always a gourmet delight, and this one was no exception. Homemade desserts provided by several of the wives were a delicious finish to the evening.

The Cobia Overnight Trip Set for April 27-28
Commodore Ed Presson reports the following information for the Cobia overnight trip which is set for April 27-28: The overnight location will be at the Seville Harbor which is located approximately 1/4 mile east of Palafox Harbor, last year's location. Contact Heather at 850-432-9620 for any unique requirements. Facilities are similar to last year. Reservation forms for Seville Harbor are at the Sailfish Club.
Lodging is available at the Seville Inn on Garden Street for $44.95 Single/ 49.95 Dbl. Call 850-433-8331 for reservations and mention you are from the FWBSC for the group rate. The motel is about five blocks away from the harbor. Taxis are available for transportation. The Club will provide a dockside party consisting of a seafood boil of shrimp, potatoes, onions, corn, and sausage. The club will provide sodas, beer, wine, plates and utensils. Bring your own lawn chairs. The meal is free for members. The price for guests is $10.
Ed advises all members to inspect their gaffs carefully prior to departing home port. Good advice!!!!

Website Undergoes Extensive Renovation
Webmaster Russ Marion has been hard at work making changes to the club's website. If you haven't visited it lately, you're in for a treat. The site features a comprehensive calendar for the year with the most current event highlighted. Also featured on the site are club minutes, tournament fishing rules, recent fishing reports, rosters complete with e-mail addresses and phone numbers, pictures, a place to file a float plan, and links to many related fishing sites. You can even obtain registration and weigh informs. Member information is password protected. The user name and password needed to access member information is posted at the clubhouse and can be furnished by any board member or the webmaster. Russ asks for your input. Photos, and fishing reports, Visit the site at www.fwbsailfishclub.org

A Fishing Club with a Social Problem
Have you taken a look at the club calendar? It's packed with social events that provide a little something for everyone. From happy hours, to picnics, to raft-ups, to dinner cruises, it's a great mixture. Our cookouts have turned out to be great parties and even our membership nights have become more social with the addition of the delicious food prepared by vice commodore Art Seemann. Be sure to join us for these social events. They'll be lots of fun.

Discounts Benefit Club Members
Show your club card for discounts on gas, gear, tackle, and maintenance. An up to date list of participating businesses will be published in the clubhouse. Also, new membership cards will be available soon.

Welcome Aboard New Members
The club is proud to have a large group of new members since the beginning of the year. Be sure to get to know them and make them welcome. The most recent members are Richard Meredith, Bob Carter, Doe Mahan, Fred Cardet, Edward Mandel, Steven Peterson, Chris Christensen, and John Sabatka.
Club membership is holding up well, but new members are always welcome. Vice President Jason Marquardt commented on the great people and fine fishermen who make up the club.   The character of the club is molded by the diversity of its members. Each of us has a good friend or fishing partner that would both benefit and contribute to the club as a new member. So, invite them to a club function as an introduction for potential membership. You must be a member for six months before you may propose a member. Candidates for membership must attend a Wednesday night meeting and be voted upon by the board of directors.

Club Calendar Boasts Eighty Events
Sam Smith and Woody Kimsey have put together an impressive calendar of events for the club. The following lists tech nights, social events, and fishing events. A full listing all club activities is available online and at the clubhouse.

Tech Nights:
3/20 "Cobia Fishing" Doug Reed
4/17 `Bottom Fishing" Jimmy Jones and Bob Taylor
5/8 "King Fishing" John Sullivan
5/22 "Offshore/Boat Rigging"
5/29 "Tackle Rigging Offshore"
6/12 "Offshore Bait Rigging" Sam Smith
7/10 "Tarpon Fishing" Jason Marquardt
7/24 "Scalloping" Jimmy Jones
9/18 "Fish Cleaning and Cooking" Jimmy and Bess Jones
10/9 "Pier Fishing" Jerry Abrams
12/18 "Fishing Gear Maintenance"

Season's Fist Cobia Caught on St. Paddy's
Some folks may have been green with envy as the first Cobia made its appearance on St. Patrick's Day. Caught from the 0kaloosa Island Pier, the scout weighed in at twenty pounds. This was the first cobia caught on the entire coast.
Jerry Abrams reported that anglers spotted eight cobia from the pier on March 19. Some of these were estimated to be in the fifty pound range. Anglers also reported spotting blackfin tuna.

Cookout Host Needed
At this time, the July cookout is still open. If you would like to host this cookout, please let a board member know. Do we have any budding chefs ready to step up to the grill?

New Bylaws and Rules
Bill Wargo, chairman of the Bylaws and Rules Committee reports that copies of the new Bylaws and the new tournament regulations are available at the club. This information is also available online.

2001 Annual Club Tournament Results

Top Sports Angler Toby Tobiason
Top Boat Captain Jim Roberson
Top Small Boat Captain Jason Marquardt
1^st Place Tag and Release Toby Tobiason
2^nd Place Tag and Release Jason Marquardt
3^rd Place Tag and Release Charlie McFatter
Light Tackle Toby Tobiason
Top Small Fry Jacob Roberson
1^st Place Blue Marlin Charlie McFatter
2^nd Place Blue Marlin Toby Tobiason
1^st Place Sailfish Jason Marquardt
1^st Place Dolphin Josh Grace
2^nd Place Dolphin Bob Taylor
1^st Place Wahoo Doug Reed
2^nd Place Wahoo Jason Marquardt
1^st Place King Mackerel Jerry Abrams
2^nd Place King Mackerel Anna Lewanda
1^st Place Jack Crevalle Joe Williams
1^st Place Red Snapper Glen Best
2^nd Place Red Snapper Jimmy Jones
1^st Place Grouper Bob Taylor
2^nd Place Grouper Mac McPeak
1^st Place Yellow Fin Tuna Josh Grace
2^nd Place Yellow Fin Tuna Buddy Smith
1^st Place Black Fin Tuna. Charlie Saleeby
2^nd Place Black Fin Tuna Jacob Roberson
1^st Place Cobia Bill Wargo
2^nd Place Cobia Frank Kane
1^st Place Amberjack Glen Best
1^st Place Red Fish Jerry Abrams
2^nd Place Red Fish Kyle Saleeby
1^st Place Sea Trout Robert Kolmetz
2^nd Place Sea Trout Debbie Kolmetz

Fish Bytes & Bits
"One thing becomes clearer as one becomes older and one's fishing experience increases, and that is the paramount importance of one's fishing companions."
John Ashley Cooper

"There are always greater fish than you have caught, always the lure of greater task and achievement, always the inspiration to seek, to endure, to find."
Zane Grey

"Fishermen are an optimistic class or they would not be fishermen."
Herbert Hoover

"A good game fish is too valuable to be caught only once."
Lee Wulff

President's Tackle Box
As most of us know, the success of most organizations is not the influence of one person, but the contributions of many. I want to take this opportunity to share with our membership the efforts put forth by your Club Officers, Directors, and Volunteers to make our club a great place to belong. Most of the work these members do goes unrecognized, and that surely should not be the case. To begin with, our Club Offers and Directors wear two hats. They not only perform the duties for which they were elected, but also chair club committees, which provide for club continuity and stabilization. Our Vice President, Jason Marquardt heads up the membership committee, a vital part to the Club’s existence. Our membership is in better shape than ever. Don Brown, Club Secretary and Peacemaker has done a super job in disseminating club information, assisting the rewrite of club bylaws and maintaining job descriptions for all committee chairmen. Dean Preston, Treasurer heads up the finance committee; he guards the club's wealth and recommends the next year's club operating budget for board approval. Bill Wargo, our Weigh Master, is also the Bylaws and Rules chairman. Bill's longevity in the club is a blessing. Bill has been instrumental in the rewrite of both our club bylaws and the Tournament rules. In addition to these duties, Bill is also responsible for awards and honors at our annual Awards Banquet. Believe me when I say this is no small task. Ed Presson is Mr. Commodore, and chairman of Club renovations and Repairs and of course, The "MAN" in charge of the feast for our annual Cobia Tournament. Because of the workload placed on the Commodore, we now have a Vice Commodore. Arthur Seemann wears this hat and what a job he had done. From the outstanding standup buffet in January to the super snacks he provides at our monthly membership meeting, it's no wonder that Art was selected to chair our cookouts committee. Our Past President Jimmy Jones continues to work behind the scenes in many ways to make our club a success. You can always count on Jimmy. He serves as our Fishmeister chairman and provides timely and productive fishing reports. Sam Smith, a 2 year Director wears two additional hats. He chairs the Inter-club Tournaments and along with Woody Kimsey, also a 2 year Director, our Social Committee. Thanks to Sam, this year our club has a detailed club calendar with some eighty scheduled events. He and Woody have put together a great year of fun and fishing. Jerry Abrams, a 1 year Director, better known as "Tech Man" has used a lot of his own personal experience to chair our Tech Nights and Programs. If you have not attended one of Jerry's Tech nights, you're missing out. Frank Kane is serving as a 1 year Director and chairs our Publicity committee. Frank has the mission to let everyone know about the good things happening in our club. Frank is the point of contact to which all information is directed for use in our website and quarterly newsletter. Frank's plate is full. All of us know that our club would fall short in many ways without the help of our Volunteers. There are so many we could acknowledge, but at this writing I want to thank just a few who are always there when we need them. What would we do without the pretty, smiling faces of Gloria Fundis and Becky Bowen as they serve drinks at our cookouts. And of course, the publisher of our quarterly newsletter, Bess Jones. As a retired English teacher and great writer, who is more qualified to help with this monumental task? Thanks, Bess, for keeping our members in the know. Another volunteer who has dedicated so much time and effort is our Website manager, Russ Marian. What a superb job he had done with the site and there is much more to came. If you have not looked at the site, do so. What a benefit for all members. I want to personally thank each of the members mentioned in this writing, and I encourage all members to show your appreciation the next time you see them. Remember, these are the people that help make our club what it is today and what it will become tomorrow.

Tight lines,
Ben Williams