August 1999

     Waino Anderson and Ron Wolfe bounce back from a disappointing 1998 by winning the first event of  the '99 season held on June 27, 1999 at Liberty Reservoir. Their winning limit of 8 fish tipped the scales at 21.36 pounds and was anchored by the largest fish of the tournament, a 4.44 pound largemouth.

     Waino and Ron, determined not to have a repeat of 1998 which saw them winless for the first time in several seasons, wasted no time in serving notice this year would be different. "We have a good bag of fish. Twenty-one pounds or better." Anderson said when their boat powered by twin Ray motors reached the weigh-in site.

     The second place team of Bruce Corbin and Rob Corbin succeeded in catching an eight fish limit weighing 19.06 pounds on that hot and humid summer day. Finishing in third place, Rob Bertazon and Larry Herdegen brought a limit of fish weighing 18.19 pounds to the scales.

     The top five was rounded out by the team of  Scott Erisman and Kim Rutley with eight fish at 14.84 pounds and Larry Barger and Bill Wilson with a limit weighing 14.35 pounds.

     In an unusual occurrence, all five of the top finishers fished in the Nicodemus Branch of Liberty Reservoir. The top three teams from this event are now eligible for the Tournament of Champions at the conclusion of this season.

     Trophies presented to the top three places were sponsored by Washington Homes, Inc., Dale Davis, and the Bond Transfer Company, Inc.  Other prizes given away to our members included a 12 volt trolling battery courtesy of  Exide Batteries through Beck's Gunsmithing and a Falcon Rod courtesy of Tollgate Tackle. Several others received Kalin hats donated by Tollgate Tackle and everyone enjoyed refreshments courtesy of The Finishing Touch.

     Ray Electric Outboards, Inc., season sponsor of the Metro Reservoir Anglers, Inc. tournament trail, should be pleased to know the first, second and fourth place finishers proudly fish boats propelled by Ray motors.

Fowbles' Claim Loch Raven Title

Last  season,  Ralph  Fowble and Glen Fowble finished second in two qualifying tournaments only to cap it off with a victory at the Tournament of Champions. Could this year be even better?  It certainly could be. Especially after the father and son team claimed a victory at Loch Raven Reservoir on July 11, 1999.

     Not even a broken foot, which relegated Ralph to the rear of the boat and made Glen man the bow mount, could stop the Fowble charge. An eight fish limit weighing 12.61 pounds put them over the top. Another competitor fishing in close proximity to Ralph and Glen said: "At one point it was like watching a Bassmasters program, they were boating fish so quickly."

     The team of Larry Hill and Randy Hill finished in second place with an eight fish limit weighing 12.22 pounds. The Hill brothers ground out a tough limit of fish from some "skinny" water on the opposite end of the lake from the Fowbles.  Another team of brothers Bruce Corbin and Rob Corbin secured third place with an eight fish limit weighing 12.16 pounds.

     Fourth place was claimed by the team of Joe Stokes and David Wilder whose limit weighed 12.10 pounds. Incredibly, only two ounces separated second place from fourth place! The fifth  place  team  of  Gary Lippa and Ed Meushaw had eight fish that totaled 11.65 pounds.

   The largest fish of the tournament belongs to the team of Paul "Croc" Haugan and Lou Smith with a largemouth that weighed 3.83 pounds.

     The three  teams qualifying for the Tournament of Champions from this event are Fowble and Fowble, Hill and Hill and Stokes and Wilder. The team of Corbin and Corbin had qualified in the first tournament.

     Thanks to our tournament sponsor Buddy's Pool Service, Inc. for hosting this event. Also we wish to thank Mega Power East, Inc. for kindly sponsoring all of the trophies for this tournament. Thank you Exide Batteries who through Beck's Gunsmithing gave a 12 volt battery to one lucky member. Also we wish to acknowledge Hunt Valley Motor Coach and Limousine Service who gave away two pairs of tickets for a bus trip to Atlantic City. Everyone enjoyed the doughnuts and sodas sponsored by Manufactured Housing Concepts, Inc. Also we wish to thank the staff at the Loch Raven Fishing Center for their help in hosting this event

     And most  appreciated is the support of our season sponsor, Ray Electric Outboards, Inc. We are pleased to announce that the first place and third place finishers from this event, as do the majority of boats in this organization, proudly use Ray Electric Outboards to get the job done. Two events in 1999, two victories for Ray Motors!

Corbin and Corbin Too Hot to Handle

     Bruce Corbin and Rob Corbin continued to sizzle this season by seizing the title for the August 8, 1999 tournament at Prettyboy Reservoir. With a second and a third place finish already under their belts this year, Bruce and Rob chalked up their first career victory by catching a limit of fish weighing 18.69 pounds. It came as a surprise to most that the Corbin brothers, consistent finishers for several seasons, had never previously won a tournament.

     Close many times, it took a trip to their home lake and the familiar waters in and around  Graves Run to put them over the top. That familiarity came in handy when Team Corbin had to go to their second choice spot after they found other competitors had beaten them to their first choice.

     Second place was taken by the team of Rob Bertazon and Larry Herdegen with eight fish measured at 16.16 pounds. Their second visit to the top three this season was courtesy of the fish in the Hoffmanville area of the lake.

The third place team of Mike Farrell and Paul Koontz will qualify for this seasons  Tournament of Champions thanks to their eight fish limit that weighed in at 13.80 pounds. Also qualifying will be the fourth and fifth place finishers due to repeats by the first two finishers.

     Bobby Clark and Ed Naill weighed only four fish. However, their 13.43 pounds of fish were enough to get them into fourth place! Fifth place went to Charlie Gochnour and Larry Penny whose five fish weighed 13.29 pounds.

     The Prettyboy Lunker belongs to the team of Jim Lark and Gary Stahler. Their 4.50 pound largemouth currently stands as the largest fish of the Metro Reservoir Anglers, Inc. trail this season.

     We wish to acknowledge the support of our Tournament Sponsors.  Many thanks to Hunt Valley Motor Coach and Limousine Service, Inc. and DuPont for hosting this event. Thanks to the Rebel Bassmasters for sponsoring all our trophies for this event.  Thanks again to Hunt Valley Motor Coach for donating two more pairs of tickets for a trip to Atlantic City New Jersey! Thank you to Exide Batteries for giving away a certificate for a 12 volt trolling battery redeemable at Beck's Gunsmithing. Once again let us thank The Finishing Touch furniture restoration experts for sponsoring our doughnuts and sodas at this event.

     And of course, our deepest gratitude to our Season Sponsor Ray Electric Outboards, Inc. Ray Motors, leaders in the industry, continue to lead in the Metro Reservoir Anglers, Inc. circuit. Chalk up another first, third, fourth, and fifth place finish to Ray Motors.  The leading motor of the M.R.A.I. Tournament Trail. Three tournaments in 1999, three victories for Ray Motors!

Lakes Levels Fall To Lowest In  Recent Memory

     The lack of rain and summer heat have combined to bring two of the three Baltimore Watershed Reservoirs down to their lowest levels in many years.  The low levels are impacting the ability of boaters to launch and retrieve their crafts and could force the rescheduling of at least one of our remaining tournaments.

     While Loch Raven Reservoir has remained adequately stable, only dropping approximately 6 feet from full pool, Liberty and Prettyboy Reservoirs have been dramatically lowered. With Liberty Reservoir twenty eight feet from crest as August  dwindles and Prettyboy thirty feet down, the drought of 1999 is beginning to take its toll on the boaters.

     As of this writing, Prettyboy is virtually inaccessible to all but a car top boat. Several trucks have been towed from the ramp area after trying to retrieve boats from the silt that has accumulated below the end of the ramp.

     Extreme caution should be exercised if you plan on attempting to launch a trailered boat  at Prettyboy.  If you do try to launch, it is advised to make certain there will be another vehicle around to help you get out when you retrieve your boat.

     Should lake levels not rise in the next couple weeks, it is probable our remaining tournament at Prettyboy Reservoir scheduled for October 10, 1999 will have to be moved to another lake. We will make an announcement at the September 26th tournament as to the status of  Prettyboy and our plans at that time.

     Liberty Reservoir still enjoys a safe launch and retrieval of  boats thanks to the original Liberty Road that runs across  the lake bed. However, the parking is limited and the crowds are heavier than normal with Prettyboy being virtually shut down. Be certain to follow the posted no parking signs at the Liberty ramp. Violators have been receiving tickets for parking outside of the gated area!

     A bit of good news from this bad situation comes from the City of Baltimore. The City has plans to permanently extend the ramp at Prettyboy and the main launch at Liberty Reservoirs. Construction is hoped to begin soon on the projects that will see the ramps extended to current water levels, however, no exact time frame can be given. While it may not happen fast enough to help this season, it is good to know the City of Baltimore is planning improvements that will benefit us for many years to come!

Fishing Rodeo a Great Success

   Many thanks to all of our members who joined together to make this years' Fishing Rodeo a great success. Eighty four children received expert advice from our volunteers on a spectacular June morning at the County Home Park in Timonium.

     Our members were on hand to provide instruction on setting  up basic fishing rigs, tying knots, casting and retrieving, and handling fish for release. In addition, we measured fish to determine age group winners for a "Big Fish" contest and we conducted a casting accuracy contest.

     Numerous bluegill were caught by the youngsters as were several largemouth bass. However, the show was stolen by a few catfish that measured up to twenty five inches! You can just imagine the excitement of the children as these "whiskered fish" pulled them around the bank of the lake.

     Even more rewarding was showing the kids the value of "catch and release". One distinctly marked catfish won the big fish award in two age groups. That's right, he was caught twice within a fifteen minute period. And I'm sure he hooked two kids into a lifetime of angling in the process!

     Please join us next year, as we will again be helping the Lutherville-Timonium Rec. Council. As always, they gladly pay one of our tournament fees at Loch Raven in return for the generous gift of our time and knowledge to the children.

Website Keeps Getting Better

     Slowly but surely the best place to get information and news about the Metro Reservoir Anglers, Inc. keeps improving. If you have not visited lately, check out the M.R.A.I. website, at www.metroreservoiranglers.com.

     All the tournament results are available, as are the current entry lists for the remaining tournaments and the Tournament of Champions Qualifying list. The schedule of events is also there so you to check out what is in store for us.

     You can even read this newsletter online. Our visitors can see who has been kind enough to sponsor our circuit and hopefully, patronize their businesses in return for their sponsorship. You can even link to other fishing related websites right from our page.

     Coming soon there will be areas where you can list items for trade or sale, hook up with a friend to schedule a fishing trip and view pictures from our members and  our events.

     Craig Gordon, one of our members, has been generous with his time and effort in getting this site going. He has had to juggle work, family and fishing, yet still has found time to get us this far. He is committed to expanding this project and making the site more informative and enjoyable. The sky is the limit!

Participation is Excellent in 1999

     Halfway through the 1999 season, we are pleased to see that our members have been loyally participating in the tournaments. We have a total of forty four, two-person teams this season and have averaged almost thirty nine boats per event. What is even more impressive is that due to reasons beyond their control, three teams have been unable to fish any of the tournaments.

     The Metro Reservoir Anglers, Inc. is, through our by-laws, limited to a maximum of  forty-five teams. Having a close knit group of tournament anglers has many benefits.

     The greatest benefit is being able to get to know all the people with whom you fish. Rarely is there found an fishing tournament organization where most of the members know each other on a first name basis.

     A second benefit is that with a smaller group, the anglers are more likely to share their knowledge and skill with the other members. This in turn, makes the group better fisherman and helps increase their enjoyment of the sport. As a result, more information is shared, enjoyment increases more, and participation continues to grow!

     Third, a small group is able to change and adapt more quickly than a small one. Last season, we were able to conduct an informal survey of our members and made some changes to our organization as a result. Many times, a larger organization takes too long to hear the voices of their members, and the group suffers as a result.

     We hope that the participation levels reflect the strength of our organization. We pledge to continue to listen our members, and hope to make this organization even better in the future.

Are You Ready To Serve?

     As the summer prepares to give way to autumn and our tournament season heads into the home stretch, our nomination committee is beginning to look for members that want to serve on the M.R.A.I. Board of Directors. There will be three positions up for election this year.

     If you feel that you would like an opportunity to serve on the Board, contact Dana Seipp at (410) 374-9296. He will be happy to talk about the responsibilities of being a Board member.
The amount of time that the position requires is very small and the reward to the group is so very great.

Livewell Additive Canisters Needed

     Please remember to return your livewell additive containers at the end of each tournament. The only way we can have them ready for the next tournament is to collect them all at the end of each event.  You can return them at the weigh-in station at the end of the day.

     Likewise, if you have any extra 35mm film canisters, we will be happy to take as many as you can spare. That way should someone need to leave before the weigh-in, or forget to return their container, we can have a supply of spares. Just bring them with you to the next event and give them to Rob. Thanks for all of your help!