2012 Tournament
A Surprising Success
By Lou Snow
Wow! The 16th Annual Save Rodman Bass Tournament has come and gone, and what a day! The early morning started out with everyone very nervous because there were only 48 pre-registrations and rain was predicted for the day.
The girls at the sign-in table were watching the clock as a few fishermen signed up here and there and the clock was heading towards 5 AM. But then all heck broke loose!
Everyone showed up at the same time as the vehicles with trailers lined up all the way to the highway waiting to sign in!
It was so crazy that the
fishermen were told to just get their boats in and take off as soon as they
registered and launched.
The few that got here early had a chance to get a good hot breakfast and a chance to let their eggs, grits and sausage settle before the start of the tournament. In all there were 131 boats!! It was fantastic to see the number of people dedicated to helping save our fabulous Rodman.
At safe first light the tournament started.
On the lake there was some serious fishing.
As the day moved on the rain clouds hovered here and there, opened up a little for a few minutes, and then held up on the rain until after the checks were given out. The weather was great: not too hot, not windy (like last year), and no rain.
After the tournament is underway, the tournament staff takes down and stows the temporary lighting and gets ready for the fishermen's return. The preparations don't take too long so there is a lot of socializing and waiting.
Emcee Mike Ditto and assistant Amanda Pace conducted the weigh-in. They are a good team and Mike's humor adds to the program.
Winners awards followed the weigh-in:
The biggest bass caught was 8.65 pounds. Most pounds caught was 23.28 pounds. While everyone waited for the weigh-in we enjoyed Jerry Stalvey's usual delicious BBQ and ogled over the best collection of raffle prizes ever.
There was the usual generous donation of a trolling motor from S&A Leisure plus a Power Pole from Miller's Boating Center
at the high end to a generator, coolers, grills, camp chairs, fishing reels and poles, all kinds of fishing gear, to the goody bags filled with visors, flashlights, beads and you name it. Plus, Miller's donated TWO gift certificates worth $250 each to be used on Minn Kota or Hummingbird equipment!
Art Pina, Jr. is the proud new owner of the trolling motor. It was presented to him by Scott Smith, owner of S&A Leisure. Wally Grant of L&S Auto Trim and Gary's Tackle Box were again the sponsors of the Small Boat Competition. North Florida Regional Bass Association again made a $250 donation.
Local guide, Sean Rush, also made a substantial donation in memory of another Rodman guide, Nelson Hulvey.
We appreciate our many longtime supporters, including all who so generously buy raffle tickets! Thanks to all of you.
Then the clean-up! Supporters of all kinds hung out until the end of the awards to help! Never have there been so many helping hands folding chairs and tables and helping load the trailer. And then the rain came! It poured as the tents came down and everyone was soaked! But a good time was had by all 51; and now there is next year to look forward to with better weather, more boats, more and better raffle prizes, and more and bigger fish.
Thanks to all the fishermen and fisherwomen who came to support Save Rodman, to those who gave generously to the raffle, and to the many volunteers who came to help make sure the tournament went smoothly and was a success. The fight is still on in full force, and, hopefully, one of these days the powers that be will recognize how valuable our lake is and ensure that we will have it for the next generations to enjoy.
Rodman Kids
By Kae Andry
One of the enjoyable things about the tournament is watching all the children. Each year there are more children fishing and what fun to watch them bring their catch to the scales. Mike Ditto does an outstanding job of making them feel important and teaching them how to hold their fish for the camera.
Some of these youngsters have been fishing for several years and we get to watch them grow. There are also more girls fishing - some starting at a very young age. It is great to get the kids started early and we commend the adults who are building these wonderful memories.
Of course, not all the kids fish. There was a very young boy who came with his Fish & Game father to help release the fish back into Rodman.
The Jr. Anglers have helped carry the fish back to the release boat every year and do an outstanding job even with the heavy bags!
Then there were the teen-agers, Brandon, Tricia, and Delaney, who were a big help. This year as they were waiting for the boats to return, they even invented a new game called "Rodman Poker with worms (as chips)".
They also put in the boat stakes, helped set up, sold soft drinks, worked at the raffle and helped clean-up. Amanda Pace gave up a Saturday to help Mike emcee the weigh-in. Great kids!
Then there are the kids who just enjoy the tournament with their family. They eat bar-b-que, get big eyes when they see the fish, check out the numbers on raffle tickets and carry home a memory of a very special day.
| 2012 Tournament Results | ||
|
Boats Registered |
131 |
|
|
Boats Weighed in Fish |
83 |
|
|
Five Fish Limits |
62 |
|
|
Total Fish |
351 |
|
|
Total Pounds of Fish |
990.81 |
|
|
Fish Released |
372 |
|
|
Dead Fish |
16 |
|
|
1st Place |
Boat 069 |
23.28 Pounds |
|
2nd Place |
Boat 46 |
22.47 Pounds |
|
3rd Place |
Boat 108 |
21.10 Pounds |
|
1st Big Fish |
Boat 105 |
8.65 Pounds |
|
2nd Big Fish |
Boat 123 |
8.35 Pounds |
|
1st Small Boat |
Boat 49 |
15.58 Pounds |
|
2nd Small Boat |
Boat 84 |
14.33 Pounds |
|
Place |
Boat |
BOATER |
|
PARTNER |
|
CATCH |
|
|
# |
1st Name |
Last Name |
1st Name |
Last Name |
Pounds |
|
1 |
Chris | Keith | Shawn | Keith |
23.28 |
|
|
2 |
46 |
Brandon | Bragg | Brandon | Owens |
22.47 |
|
3 |
108 |
Larry | Cahan | David | Cahan |
21.10 |
|
4 |
Lee | Kitchens | Marcus | Parker | 19.66 | |
|
5 |
Larry | Reynolds | Heath | Arnold | 18.47 | |
|
6 |
Mike | Jackson | Dale | Cohen | 17.87 | |
|
7 |
Johnny | Key | Justin | Bennett | 17.72 | |
|
8 |
Danny | Taylor | Bert | Geiger | 17.05 | |
|
9 |
Shawn | Jannotti | Pete | Jannotti | 16.79 | |
|
10 |
Kurt | Jaeger | George | Jaeger | 16.22 | |
|
11 |
John | Keene | Mike | Whitehead | 16.14 | |
|
12 |
Brian | Smith` | Daniel | Smith | 15.93 | |
|
13 |
Perry | Joshue | Mark | Grether | 15.82 | |
|
14 |
Eric | Hartman | Rick | Herman | 15.70 | |
|
15 |
Kris | Kadlec | C. K. | Ryan | 15.70 | |
|
16 |
Robert | Griner | Aaron | Griner | 15.67 | |
|
17 |
Chuck | Foster | Nick | Foster | 15.58 | |
|
18 |
Terry | Mullis | Kim | Mullis | 15.47 | |
|
19 |
Dennis | Hart | Lake | Hart | 15.33 | |
|
|
|
SMALL |
BOAT |
WINNERS |
|
|
|
1 |
49 | Chuck | Foster | Nick | Foster |
15.58 |
|
2 |
84 | Robbie | Mumford | Dwayne | Mumford |
14.33 |
|
|
|
BIG |
FISH |
WINNERS |
|
|
|
1 |
105 | Lee | Kitchens | Marcus | Parker |
8.65 |
|
2 |
123 | Mike | Jackson | Dale | Cohen |
8.35 |
| SMALLEST |
FISH |
WINNER | ||||
| Jason | Parrish | Payton | Parrish |
1.75 |
2012 TOURNAMENT CONTRIBUTORS
Millers Boating Center (Ocala)
$1200 Power Pole Package
Two $250 Gift Certificates toward any Hummingbird or Minn Kota Product.
Jerry's Pawn & Gun (Ocala)
Sapphire and Diamond Pendent& Assorted Prizes
 |
2011 TOURNAMENT THANKS TO THE HELPING HANDS |  |
| Our sincere thanks to all the Save Rodman supporters who worked so very hard to make our Thirteenth Annual Bass Tournament a success. Here are the names of some of these dedicated folks. |
Tournament Director: Ed Taylor
Security & Traffic Control:
Park Maintenance: Merry, Brad; Ranger, Greenways & Trails,
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Tournament Registration
|
Boat Inspection
|
Breakfast
|
|
Photographer
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Bar-B-Que
|
|
|
Awards Presentation Ed Taylor Amanda Pace (All American Southeast Teen)
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Clean-Up
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