OBFN Youth Blog

I hope everyone is taking advantage of the break between events and making sure to get plenty of practice in at Deer Creek Lake.  Thanks to the great fishing at Alum last month, the points race for the State Champions is as close as it’s ever been going into the last event.  I can’t wait to see the outcome!

For those of you that have never been to Deer Creek before, it’s a great “numbers” fishery.  The lake does not give up a lot of big fish but she hands out a lot of fish around the 12-14 inch mark.  My guess is that it going to take a limit weighing in around 9 pounds to win the overall event from both age groups.

Deer Creek offers a variety of fishing, so somewhere on the lake you should be able to put a pattern together that fits you’re favorite style.  Even though there’s not a ton of shoreline cover, if you’re favorite style of fishing is “Flippin”, you should be able to keep a bait wet all day doing so.  Deer Creek known for giving up a lot of crankbait & topwater fish, while at the same time it also has a lot of offshore structure.  The lake is usually drawn down around the 14 foot mark every year for winter pool.  This allows all the local anglers to build new and rebuild all the old structure on a yearly basis.  I’m not saying that all the off-shore structure is at the 14 foot mark, what I am saying is that the majority of the structure is going to be less than 14 foot.  If you’re a Carolina Rigger, you may want to keep this in mind!

Take the time to visit the ODNR’s website to research the lake a little more.  Make sure to spool up that reel with some fresh line and get those hooks good & sharp, cause this one’s going to be a good one!

Todd Thompson
OBFN Youth Director

Okay you junior anglers, I have a bone to pick with some of you! I’m not going to mention any names but if you did not get my last email, that either means one of two things!

First, it means that you must not have taken the time to write your email address down on your roster form.

Secondly and unfortunately, some of you took the time to write your address down BUT your hand writing is AWFUL! I checked and double checked your email address as I typed them in my address book, so it’s not my fault. Some of you guys and gals, I couldn’t even enter your address because it looked like you put the pen between your toes to write. A couple of you may have been filling the form out while your older sister was learning to drive on an old country road or maybe some of you guys drank way to much Red Bull for breakfast. I don’t know but what I do know is that if you are not recieving emails from me, it’s because I can’t read whatever language you wrote it in! So, if you’re reading this and you are telling yourself that Todd must be talking about me because I haven’t seen any of his emails, then email me your address so I can put you on the list. There’s no way possible you can scribble on the keyboard!!!!!!

For those of you with good penmanship, thanks for sending in your photos and stories about your recent fishing trips. They are being posted on the “On the Water” Blog on the front page of the website. I’m going to ask Bret, to start posting them on the Youth Director Blog also. Instead of mailing out your prizes for posting your pictures, I’m going to hand them out in front of everyone at our tournaments. This may help me with getting some of the other junior members to post too. That’s right, you sloppy handwriting, no fish catching, Grandma kissing, Sponge Bob watching, Junior Anglers! There’s prizes for turning in a story and picture!!!!!!!!!!!

PS: Ryan Thomas must have had his girlfriend write his because I could read it!!!!!

Todd Thompson

Todd Thompson
471 Sherwood Downs Road S.
Newark, OH 43055
740-403-2140
bbskeeterteam@windstream.net 

Hopefully by now the majority of the OBFN anglers are familiar with my face. Those of you that know me well, know that during my tenure as OBFN President that my love for the organization has stemmed from my enjoyment of working with the junior program. As the new Youth Director, I look forward to working even more with our juniors, helping them become better anglers, students and stewards of the great outdoors.

Although our junior membership is at a pretty good level, we are still seeking interested young anglers between the ages of 11 and 18 years old to either join one of our existing youth clubs, or create a NEW club with the help and guidance of our Federation Nation. With today’s juniors looking elsewhere for their entertainment other than outdoor sports, it’s more important than ever that our adult chapters take a vital role in sponsoring and mentoring our youth back to the sport of fishing. Whether your club decides to host a youth fishing event or sponsor a junior chapter, you will be introducing people to bass fishing and you will be increasing public awareness for your club and our great sport.

For those that are not aware, the Ohio BASS Federation Nation youth clubs fish club and federation tournaments throughout the year. We’ve taken great pride in offering numerous state qualifying events during each tournament season. The Junior Elite Trail is set almost identical to our adult Trail where our junior anglers accumulate points throughout a three event scoring system. At the final junior event of the fishing season, the junior from each age group with the highest point total will be awarded a state team position. They will compete at the BASS Northern Divisional right along side their adult mentors. The BASS Northern Divisional competitors will consist of anglers from Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, South Dakota and Italy. At the end of the Divisional, the top angler from each age group will be awarded the chance to compete at the BASS Federation National Championship in the Junior World Championship.

On a national level, the OBFN Youth Program is at an above average size. With this in mind, let’s talk about some of the things we have managed to do over the past three years. Since 2006, our Junior Elite Trail has sponsored over 385 fishing trips from a boat for our junior anglers. We have also handed out over $22,000 in prizes and saving bonds, along with over 150 plaques for our top junior anglers. Along with these top finishers, we have had one junior angler actually win the Co-Angler division at last years Mosquito Lake event. Results like these only come from increased adult mentoring whether it comes from parents or organization volunteers like the members of the OBFN. The OBFN has proudly partnered with Aqua Ohio, hosting their United Way event in Youngstown where we have hosted Casting Kids events along with Kids fishing derbys. This partnership has helped raise over $60,000 since our involvement in 2006! This paragraph helps to describe a phrase we like to use frequently in the OBFN, BASS CLASS!!

Junior Chapters provide a venue where our youth can continue to improve their skills, exchange fishing knowledge, learn teamwork and build on their sportsmanship qualities. I ask our junior members to pass along their excitement for the sport! Share your involvement with your classmates, teachers and anyone you come in contact with on a daily basis. Take the time and talk with your Principal and ask how you may start a fishing club within your own school. If getting your school to support the club can’t be done for some reason, ask if you can use the school as a contact point to gather members for your club by posting flyers, verbally addressing your classmates during a function or maybe even using the PA system during morning announcements. Use your imagination on how you can reach out and share the Junior Elite Program and I’m sure we will be looking at quite a few new faces this coming year! Make sure to contact me anytime if you need assistance in anyway, I’d love to help!

What’s new for 2009? This season we will be holding 2 Junior Elite Trail events. Our first will be May 3rd at Alum Creek Lake. We should be hitting Alum at the perfect time for our junior anglers for some really big weights! The second event will take place on June 14th. I am still waiting to hear back from the Parks Department for the location permit, so as of now the site is to be announced at a later date. Make sure to check the youth page frequently for the site posting! A couple other things I am working on for this year is: a youth conservation project and a summer fishing camp. Again, as soon as the details on these projects are set, I’ll have them posted immediately!

For the clubs that are already hosting junior chapters I say, “BASS CLASS” and we thank you for your support! If your club is not hosting a junior club, then now’s the time to start making a difference! Maybe your clubs to small or just can’t find the time to fulfill the obligations needed, there’s other ways you can help out. Help the OBFN support the youth program by donations and volunteering your time at an event. If you would like more information on sponsoring a junior chapter, please contact me! You’ll be surprised on how little it takes and how much enjoyment you’ll get out of it!

Once again, I would like to say how excited I am about working with everyone in 2009, parents too!

If you are a current OBFN Junior angler and I do not have your email information (which is most of you), please drop me a note so that we can keep in touch.

BASS CLASS
Todd Thompson
OBFN Youth Director