Letter from TABC President, Ed Calderone
If you have been a member of TABC for any length of time, then you know me. If not then let me introduce myself to you. I am Ed Calderone, your president. As a man once told me “I don’t fetch, roll over, or play dead”. What I do though is work with a group of men and women from around the State, representatives from several of your local bass clubs, who work their hineys off trying to make this organization what it once was.
Some of you remember when we had so many clubs that we had to have regional tournaments to determine who was going to be in the State top 6. Some of you remember when we had 60+ clubs in East Texas alone. Today, we have 1. As of this writing we have 22 affiliate clubs. However, we represent all bass fishermen throughout the State regardless if they are a member of TABC or not. Our goals do not reflect on only our affiliate clubs but the values of all grass root fishermen throughout this State. Our desires for great habitat for our fisheries are not limited to just the clubs belonging to TABC but we hope everyone who desires to catch a 10 pounder--can: even if he / she is a darn ole bank fisherman with a cane pole. Every board member, yet every club member all belong because we love our sport and frankly we are scared to death that if something is not changed then our children or grandchildren will not be able to do what we are doing today.
After many visits with my board members, I have decided to give you just a little idea what I have dealt with for the past three years and change. Four years ago, I was a member of a representative club called “Tempest” bass club out of Katy Texas. Seven of our eight members were in Temple Texas waiting on our eighth member {Bill Murphy}. Bill never arrived at the tournament. He was killed in a car accident on his way to the tournament. Bill was my personal friend who I had known for probably 25 years and his passion for bass fishing and TABC was contagious. He was also the Director for the Houston area. I was asked by the then President to take Bill’s position for the remainder of the term. The next season brought me into the elected office position of Secretary and I assisted in putting a tournament on Sam Rayburn (this was a last minute change because Richland Chambers Reservoir was dry). It was at this tournament that the then President told me that he was retiring and I decided to run for President. Boy, he made it look so easy. I thought anyone can do this. So, there I was: Elected at President, staring at a shortage of everything from people, to money, to sponsors, to equipment—you know everything. I was lucky though; I had people like Frank Goll, Edward Parten, and Randi Wayland. People like Dave Cole, Ginger Reynolds and Stan Foltz. At Rayburn I had me two wonderful people Allen and Glenda Summers who not only became great friends but a director and my new Treasurer when Stan left. These folks along with Don Pierce, Ralph Looney, and Chuck Sharpe make up my staff. I am truly blessed to have all of these folks as are each of you.
Well, my first full year as President came to a climax when we held our State Tournament on Falcon Lake. I’m sure we all can remember the mistakes we make. Like taking a Chamber of Commerce members word that we had a contract. That tournament cost TABC every dime we had in the bank to pay for our inattention to detail and procure a written contract. We left Zapata with our tails tucked, broke and disgusted with tournament. Our reputation was blackened to say the least. Vowing to do better, we went to Lakes Belton and Stillhouse with our heads held high feeling like we had all of the answers. Again, the Chamber of Commerce failed to come through as we had hoped. Again our fault. IF you are interested in knowing all of the particulars, look me up at the Rayburn tournament. I will be happy to explain. While we did get some concession from Belton, if we had not had Larry Petrozanni and his family cooking our meal we would not had broken even. All this time I am learning that following someone else is not always good.
Finally we are up to this year and because of two people from the No Name Bass Club (Bernie and Chuck) we had the opportunity to meet with the Angelina Tourist Bureau and we have a solid contract with them for out State Tournament this year on Rayburn. I know that some of you don’t like the choice of lakes, and others the end of the lake we are fishing but please if we are ever going to begin to rebuild and grow this organization we have to be willing to participate where ever we are asked to participate at. This years tournament will be under a new format. It is as follows:
Tournament Site Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Launch/Weigh-in Site Cassells-Boykin on left just before you cross 147 bridge out of Zavala
Tournament Format Two Lake Format (1/2 the team north of 147 bridge
and the other ½ south of the 147 bridge. Teams will
switch the second day)
Tournament Headquarters Lufkin Texas Expo Inn
I am asking each of you to participate this year. Stay in Lufkin at one of the hotels, hopefully the Expo Inn. We are registering in Lufkin, eating our Saturday meal in Lufkin and staying at the Expo Inn in Lufkin. Please support the people of the Lufkin community. I believe that if we do our business properly, we can establish a relationship and for years to come grow this organization and tournament.
I will bring this thing to a close by reminding each of you of our national sponsors. American Rodsmiths continues year after year to step up and provide championship rods. After all, they are champions providing equipment to champions. Please support these folks. This year we have MinnKota back along with YETI coolers and Stanley Lures. Please thank our sponsors.
I look forward to seeing each of you at Rayburn. I believe 2010 will be our best year yet. We have some great new ideas to throw out to the membership and please take the time to respond. For those of you who I have visited with I thank you and promise you better communication, no more PaPa caps and a really great organization. After all, how can it not be? We all are part of it.
Good Fishing
Ed Calderone
