President’s Message

                                                                              Late August 2006

It has been six plus months since we left B.A.S.S. and put our full support behind The Bass Federation (TBF) and joining FLW Outdoors and BassFan. To date, 42 states have joined TBF bringing the total to over 22 thousand members. Federations have formed in all states except NEV , NM, CO, IA, SD and NY. The Collegiate Bass Anglers Association (CBAA) has joined and will provide a training ground for future anglers. Disabled angler groups and many youth will be joining as soon as appropriate programs are created. We also have a new TBF/FLW (Nations Capitol) logo patch, which the state team will be wearing in New Jersey at the Mid-Atlantic regional tournament in Late September.

Our membership rosters have been updated and all members have been advised to get individual FLW cards ($15) by going to www.flwoutdoors.com.  There are many benefits in belonging to the FLW including priority entry into all of their tournaments and access to their many programs and events. There are discounts on cell phones, health and boat insurance, clothing, TV’s and many other items at the online store (25% off). The TBF will have a minimum of four pages in the FLW magazine. We also have unparalleled web page coverage and support. We NEVER had that kind of partner support from the previous association. If you are a NCBF member participating in any activity promoting conservation, youth or the environment, let me know about the event and I will forward it to the FLW and BassFan for publication. This especially applies to our NCBF members that are not active on the tournament trail. There are funds available for conservation projects through the National Guard.

            Benefits for the Nations Capitol Bass Federation are:

  1. Financial support to sponsor kids so they can compete nationally as Jr. Anglers and in a new form of casting kids. This year we received $800 toward the travel cost from TBF, before the event.
  2. Liability Insurance and an Accidental Death/Dismemberment policy.
  3. Un-paralleled Web page coverage and support at www.flwoutdoors.com and www.BassFan.com.
  4. Support for NCBF tournaments with banners, gifts, equipment and sponsors, plus other discounts as mentioned above.

Benefits for tournament anglers are:

  1. If you attend one (1) NCBF meeting annually, work two (2) approved projects and fish at least two (2) of our three (3) Qualifying tournaments, you are eligible to qualify for our twelve (12) person NCBF State Team.
  2. The State Team will fish the Mid Atlantic Divisional consisting of seven (7) states in September each year. This year the Mid Atlantic Divisional is in New Jersey and next year it will be in Delaware on the Naticoke River .
  1. The top two (2) from each state at the Mid Atlantic Divisional (one each boater and non boater) will fish the $100,000 TBF Federation National Championship.
  2. The top two Mid Atlantic Divisional anglers from the TBF National Championship will advance; all expenses paid, to the BFL, All American ($1 million payout).
  3. The top two Federation Anglers from the TBF Federation National Championship will advance to the FLW Forrest Wood Cup (First place $500,000 plus contingencies).
  4. There is a path from the Mid Atlantic Divisional to the BassFan Weekend Warrior Championship to be defined before May 2007 for the 2nd place boater/non boater, all expenses paid.
  5. All of the above comes with categories exclusives with FLW sponsors, except for the NCBF and TBF tournaments. The TBF will also be working with companies outside of the FLW group.

As we move on to the year’s end, I think we made a very sound move to associate NCBF with TBF. Alan Mullis is responsible for teaching me the value of putting the NCBF first in all decisions and the membership next. That’s important because we all have priorities when its time to putting our money and time into this “hobby” of fishing. We are a good group of men and women with plenty of kids to back us up. Our closeness is unparalleled nationwide because of our small number of members. We communicate, challenge each other, respond to the needs of the Federation, and have the smarts to put our issues on the table and work them out before they become problems. There are several challenges to be addressed, such as fishing waters other then the Potomac , raising the necessary funds to cut back on fees, developing new leadership and continued improvement of the program for the kids.

In closing, I remain available to discuss this letter or other issues regarding the NCBF, the TBF and FLW

Sincerely,

Chuck Walker, President

Nations Capitol Bass Federation

301-977-5282

ncbfchuckwalker@earthlink.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Open Letter to all Nations Capitol Bass Federation Members, Past and Present

 

January 30, 2006

 

At the January 21, 2006 meeting of the Nations Capitol Bass Federation (NCBF) a unanimous vote was taken to reaffirm support for The Bass Federation, Inc. (TBF).

Based on this vote, the NCBF is no longer affiliated with B.A.S.S. The NCBF is now affiliated with TBF, Forrest L. Wood (FLW) and BassFan and all that those organizations have to offer. Having been a B.A.S.S. member since 1984, a founding member of NCBF and president of NCBF since 2004, this was a difficult personal decision, and one not taken lightly.

 

In 2001 B.A.S.S. was purchased by ESPN with the intent to make us another NASCAR. The presidents of the state federations throughout the country began to notice changes in that direction within the B.A.S.S. organization. Our efforts to keep B.A.S.S. the grass roots fishing organization as it had been over the past 30 years were unsuccessful. BASS/ESPN implemented changes without consulting the local federations, violated local bylaws, contacted the youth and conservation directors of the local federations without going through proper channels as well as other instances too numerous to mention.

 

In an effort to promote better relations with BASS/ESPN, the state federations decided to elect a single representative for each of the six regions to represent them. These six volunteer representatives formed TBF and were directed to act for our mutual benefit in all matters with BASS/ESPN. It became clear ESPN failed to understand they did not buy each of the federations when they purchased BASS. The federations are owned and operated by the individual members and governed by their approved by-laws.

 

It became clear that BASS/ESPN had no intention of discussing any of the federations’ concerns and they set about re-writing the Federation. The first hint of this was dues were raised without discussion and without regard to local by-laws. With a membership of 500,000 BASS members, it became clear that the 42,000 Federation members were of little concern to BASS/ESPN. Raising dues without discussion finally pushed everyone over the edge. We all can afford the new dues, but it clearly was mandated we pay it.

It was at this point the TBF asked if we wanted to talk to the FLW at the Nationals tournament. The FLW proposed to support the Federations, our youth and conservation programs with top to bottom funding. This support and funding would come from companies like Kellogg’s, Wal-Mart, Ranger and many others.

The TBF/FLW will bring national sponsors to the Federations with the money, support and recognition we have not had since ESPN purchased BASS. Our growth, our commitment to the sport and our youth programs will benefit from the relationship. In the coming months we will continue to be given new information, new ideas and new sponsors and most of all, a new route to move up in the sport through the tournament trail.

 

The NCBF dues are $75.00, $15.00 of which will be sent to TBF. The FLW dues are $25.00, which will be billed directly to you, except for those who are already members. These costs are equivalent to those incurred as a B.A.S.S. member before the dues increase. As an added benefit, BassFan will provide a dedicated website to the national federations, at no cost. Our youth programs, other NCBF projects and winners of tournaments will be interviewed for inclusion on the website along with photos provide by the local federations.

 

FLW/TBF will have an on line store for clothing, electronics, cell phones, credit cards with any fees and commissions going to the Federation; $1 per member will be donated to each youth program and $1 for the conservation program; and lots more coming back to the Federations in the form of cash and credit. The doors are wide open for many more opportunities for the TBF and the members.

 

The men and women in the NCBF deserve to be recognized for all the work that they do for the kids, the solidarity we share and the good name we have in the community. The Executive Board has committed to make NCBF even stronger in spite of the turmoil that comes with change. As early as last month, we were willing to stand without a national organization and go it alone, but the FLW/TBF has provided a new way to pursue our love of the sport. I am heartened by the show of support for this new direction of NCBF.

 

I remain available to discuss this or any other issue regarding NCBF. We are looking for many of you to come on back and rejoin. Give us this year to show how we will benefit from the relationship. Check out the FLW and BassFan websites.

 

Chuck Walker, President

Nations Capitol Bass Federation

301-977-5282

ncbfchuckwalker@earthlink.net