July / August 2016 Newsletter
In This Edition
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Club Board Members
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Committee Chairs
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Lake Clean-up
Cindy Turlington Club Photographer Bob Rowe Joe's Coffee Joe Wolf Christmas Party Rick Boettcher Tournaments Steve Nagel |
Upcoming Meetings & Events
Unless otherwise noted, Club meetings are held at 7 pm, the 1st Friday of each month at the Moneta Community Center - in the back-side, lower-level of the Pharmacy building on Rucker Rd, just off VA-122. Visitors and New Members are always welcome.
July Club Meeting - 7/1
Fish Fry - We'll be kicking off the Holiday Weekend by holding our annual Club Fish Fry. We did not have many fish turned in during the recent tournament, so we're a little light on fish - so if you have some spare in the freezer or catch a few this week that you can contribute, please contact Steve Nagel to check with him on what we may still need. We also ask that you bring a side dish / dessert to share as well. Drinks will be provided.
August Club Meeting - 8/5 - Speaker TBD - Watch the Club Website & Facebook page for updates
September Club Meeting - 9/2 - Speaker TBD - Watch the Club Website & Facebook page for updates
July Club Meeting - 7/1
Fish Fry - We'll be kicking off the Holiday Weekend by holding our annual Club Fish Fry. We did not have many fish turned in during the recent tournament, so we're a little light on fish - so if you have some spare in the freezer or catch a few this week that you can contribute, please contact Steve Nagel to check with him on what we may still need. We also ask that you bring a side dish / dessert to share as well. Drinks will be provided.
August Club Meeting - 8/5 - Speaker TBD - Watch the Club Website & Facebook page for updates
September Club Meeting - 9/2 - Speaker TBD - Watch the Club Website & Facebook page for updates
President's Corner
1/2 the year has slipped passed us already and Summer is in full-swing. This is a time that many back off some on striper fishing to avoid the heat and crowds, while others are just getting into the swing of it as the fish school up and friends and family come to the lake. It's important that you understand the impact of warm water on stripers when releasing - take special note of the article on this topic later in the newsletter.
I wanted to send a personal THANK YOU to Steve Nagel for coordinating our recent "Fun in the Sun" tournament / outing. This was a well run event and those that participated all had a great time - those of you that didn't make it missed out . I wish we could see stronger participation from our Club members in these type of events - after all, we are a FISHING club. I realize the date being Father's Day weekend may have created conflicts for some - though others took it as an opportunity to create father/son (and grandson) memories.
By the time you read this, stocking for 2016 should be compete or very close to complete for the year. It's always good for us a Club members to continue to educate the public that stripers in our lake do not reproduce and have to be stocked year-on-year to ensure a strong fishery. With increased fishing pressure on the lake in the last several years which has come from a recovering fishery an improving economy, and lower gas prices, we need to continue to stay in close, collaborative contact with DGIF on the management of our fishery. We need your input on what you're seeing - angler logs are a CRITICAL part of this management - catch rates (and more importantly those skunks) are critcial to help keep tabs on what's going on with our striper fishery and what adjustments may need to be made in the coming years. We continue to see a disappointing level of returned fish diaries as a percentage of Club members - let's work to improve this in the 2016.
Fish On! - Mike Ward
I wanted to send a personal THANK YOU to Steve Nagel for coordinating our recent "Fun in the Sun" tournament / outing. This was a well run event and those that participated all had a great time - those of you that didn't make it missed out . I wish we could see stronger participation from our Club members in these type of events - after all, we are a FISHING club. I realize the date being Father's Day weekend may have created conflicts for some - though others took it as an opportunity to create father/son (and grandson) memories.
By the time you read this, stocking for 2016 should be compete or very close to complete for the year. It's always good for us a Club members to continue to educate the public that stripers in our lake do not reproduce and have to be stocked year-on-year to ensure a strong fishery. With increased fishing pressure on the lake in the last several years which has come from a recovering fishery an improving economy, and lower gas prices, we need to continue to stay in close, collaborative contact with DGIF on the management of our fishery. We need your input on what you're seeing - angler logs are a CRITICAL part of this management - catch rates (and more importantly those skunks) are critcial to help keep tabs on what's going on with our striper fishery and what adjustments may need to be made in the coming years. We continue to see a disappointing level of returned fish diaries as a percentage of Club members - let's work to improve this in the 2016.
Fish On! - Mike Ward
May & June Meeting Summaries
In May we enjoyed a hot-dog dinner followed by an overview on bait-casting reels by Joel Janeck and then we stretched our legs with a casting competition and cast-net demonstrations.
In June, David Cepelnik from the Virginia State Police's dive & recovery team came to ill speak with us about their experiences at SML and other areas - their team gets involved not just in water-base rescue & recovery, but also on land-based searches. He shared some interesting stories including what it is like to dive on SML amongst the submerged forest with zero visibility.
In June, David Cepelnik from the Virginia State Police's dive & recovery team came to ill speak with us about their experiences at SML and other areas - their team gets involved not just in water-base rescue & recovery, but also on land-based searches. He shared some interesting stories including what it is like to dive on SML amongst the submerged forest with zero visibility.
Member Catches
SMSC Members have been getting it done this Spring! It's great to be able to share and enjoy these images of others catching fish - please submit yours - you can post them to the Club Facebook page, or send them to [email protected].
SMSC Donates to the Friends of the State Park
Joel Janecek, past President of the SMSC presents Charlie Locke of the Friends of the SML State Park with a check for $50 and a SMSC shirt to benefit the upcoming Aspiring Anglers youth fishing derby. Joel also has donated his time to take the winner out on a striper fishing trip
Bedford Youth Fishing Clinic
Club members, led by Marshall Smith and his lovely bride, once again fed the masses at the Bedford Youth Fishing Clinic in May. Over 100 youth plus parents and adult volunteers attended the event this year. Thanks to all those that came out to help!
Summer Catch & Release Awareness
(reprinted from the July/August 2014 issue)
It is that time of year again and the "Dog Days of Summer" are approaching. Water temperatures are rising - here at the end of June as I draft this July/August newsletter we have already seen late afternoon surface temps around 86 degrees, and in mid-June you had to get down to 20' in order to find water at or under 70 degrees.
Multiple studies have been conducted that show an increased mortality rate on release striped bass as the water temperature increases. Now, these studies may have variables that could result in one arguing their applicability on Smith Mountain Lake, but there is sufficient data to clearly indicate mortality rate increases as temperature increases.
Certainly factors such as the size of the fish, the depth caught, the duration of the fight, and others come in to play. Smaller fish (4- 5 lbs or less) will release better than larger fish. Fish caught in 20-30' of water, brought up with little fight and released straight back into the deeper, cooler water will have a better chance of survival than fish caught and then fought for an extended duration in the hotter, upper surface waters, or fish caught trolling with artificial plugs or umbrella rigs. Likewise, fish caught from "deep" (let's define deep as >40' for purposes of this discussion), will be less likely to survive release due to the expansion of their air bladders during the rapid ascent to the surface and their inability to retreat upon release to the deeper, cooler water (and in general, air bladder deflating tools are NOT recommended for use on striped bass).
So as we enter the summer season, please keep the above factors in mind when targeting striped bass with elevated temperatures - it could be that you good intentions of releasing all your fish are having more of an impact on the fishery then you realize. During this time of year it is recommended you catch your limit, harvesting only that which you, family or friends could consume in a reasonable period of time; switch fishing for a species more tolerant of warm water release; or stop for the day, enjoying other water activities that the lake has to offer.
However, if you do plan to catch & release, then it is important that you adjust your fishing methods to minimize the impact - use sufficiently heavy tackle so as to minimize the fight and the associated stress on the fish; downsize your bait or suspend the use of larger shad to reduce the potential of that large striper attempting to make a meal on that large bait; identify and target schools of smaller fish that will more readily survive a release; use proper release techniques to rapidly get the fish back down to that cooler water (do not try and "revive them" on the surface - rather "torpedo" them by by pointing them head first and propelling down downwards with a rapid motion); and consider suspending trolling that results in the fish being subjected to the hot, upper layers of water for extended durations due to the fish being pulled to the boat across a distance of the upper water layer over 100 or more feet.
As long as you are fishing within the regulations that exist, this ultimately comes down to what you as an angler feel is ethical and right. But it is important that you are informed as to the factors that come into play to help you make that decision. Hopefully, this helps in that education and we ask that you pass this along to other fellow anglers so that we all can be the best stewards of our fishery as possible.
It is that time of year again and the "Dog Days of Summer" are approaching. Water temperatures are rising - here at the end of June as I draft this July/August newsletter we have already seen late afternoon surface temps around 86 degrees, and in mid-June you had to get down to 20' in order to find water at or under 70 degrees.
Multiple studies have been conducted that show an increased mortality rate on release striped bass as the water temperature increases. Now, these studies may have variables that could result in one arguing their applicability on Smith Mountain Lake, but there is sufficient data to clearly indicate mortality rate increases as temperature increases.
Certainly factors such as the size of the fish, the depth caught, the duration of the fight, and others come in to play. Smaller fish (4- 5 lbs or less) will release better than larger fish. Fish caught in 20-30' of water, brought up with little fight and released straight back into the deeper, cooler water will have a better chance of survival than fish caught and then fought for an extended duration in the hotter, upper surface waters, or fish caught trolling with artificial plugs or umbrella rigs. Likewise, fish caught from "deep" (let's define deep as >40' for purposes of this discussion), will be less likely to survive release due to the expansion of their air bladders during the rapid ascent to the surface and their inability to retreat upon release to the deeper, cooler water (and in general, air bladder deflating tools are NOT recommended for use on striped bass).
So as we enter the summer season, please keep the above factors in mind when targeting striped bass with elevated temperatures - it could be that you good intentions of releasing all your fish are having more of an impact on the fishery then you realize. During this time of year it is recommended you catch your limit, harvesting only that which you, family or friends could consume in a reasonable period of time; switch fishing for a species more tolerant of warm water release; or stop for the day, enjoying other water activities that the lake has to offer.
However, if you do plan to catch & release, then it is important that you adjust your fishing methods to minimize the impact - use sufficiently heavy tackle so as to minimize the fight and the associated stress on the fish; downsize your bait or suspend the use of larger shad to reduce the potential of that large striper attempting to make a meal on that large bait; identify and target schools of smaller fish that will more readily survive a release; use proper release techniques to rapidly get the fish back down to that cooler water (do not try and "revive them" on the surface - rather "torpedo" them by by pointing them head first and propelling down downwards with a rapid motion); and consider suspending trolling that results in the fish being subjected to the hot, upper layers of water for extended durations due to the fish being pulled to the boat across a distance of the upper water layer over 100 or more feet.
As long as you are fishing within the regulations that exist, this ultimately comes down to what you as an angler feel is ethical and right. But it is important that you are informed as to the factors that come into play to help you make that decision. Hopefully, this helps in that education and we ask that you pass this along to other fellow anglers so that we all can be the best stewards of our fishery as possible.
2016 Stocking Update
Stocking for 2016 is underway. There is a new hatchery manager in place and he is managing things a bit differently than in the past in order to help maximize the health and survival of the fish - unlike in past years when they would make two trips to SML and then multiple stops at various ramps on each trip, this year they are making multiple trips, with just enough fish to stock at one or a few site at a time. This lessens the time that the fish are on the truck, as well as removes any crowding, but it creates logistic challenges with respect to having members of the SMSC be present to oversee the stocking, though Ken Ulrich was able to oversee at least one stocking so far. However, we've been assured that the new hatchery manager goes above and beyond to ensure the survival of these fish and that is what he's put in place these procedures that add to their required manpower.
We did receive word that this has not be a "great" year in terms of the hatch & grow-out - likely due to some of the weather we've had and the ability for the grow-out ponds to sustain the fish with sufficient algae. We will be receiving fish from both Brookneal but also the King & Queen hatchery. We will be monitoring this situation and the final total outcomes.
As of 6/27, the stocking information we've received is as follows below.... note that stocking is suposed to continue with additional fish from King & Queen and when we get the final tally we'll pass that along.
Date Site # Stocked
6/11/16 Penhook (Blackwater) 8,590
6/14/16 Scruggs (Blackwater) 31,240 (spread across the sites below)
Camp Kilowatt (Blackwater)
Rt 655 (Blackwater)
Our Place Marina (Craddock Creek)
6/14/16 Anthony Ford (Roanoke) 31,240
6/25/16 State Park (Roanoke) 30,915
6/25/16 Hales Ford Bridge (Roanoke) 30,915
6/16/16 Indian Point (Roanoke) 27.643 (spread across Indian & Pleasure Point)
Pleasure Point (Roanoke)
6/16/16 Moormans (Roanoke) 31,240
Total stocked as of 6/25 - 191,783
We did receive word that this has not be a "great" year in terms of the hatch & grow-out - likely due to some of the weather we've had and the ability for the grow-out ponds to sustain the fish with sufficient algae. We will be receiving fish from both Brookneal but also the King & Queen hatchery. We will be monitoring this situation and the final total outcomes.
As of 6/27, the stocking information we've received is as follows below.... note that stocking is suposed to continue with additional fish from King & Queen and when we get the final tally we'll pass that along.
Date Site # Stocked
6/11/16 Penhook (Blackwater) 8,590
6/14/16 Scruggs (Blackwater) 31,240 (spread across the sites below)
Camp Kilowatt (Blackwater)
Rt 655 (Blackwater)
Our Place Marina (Craddock Creek)
6/14/16 Anthony Ford (Roanoke) 31,240
6/25/16 State Park (Roanoke) 30,915
6/25/16 Hales Ford Bridge (Roanoke) 30,915
6/16/16 Indian Point (Roanoke) 27.643 (spread across Indian & Pleasure Point)
Pleasure Point (Roanoke)
6/16/16 Moormans (Roanoke) 31,240
Total stocked as of 6/25 - 191,783
2016 Annual Fun in the Sun Outing
On Saturday, June 4th we held our 2nd annual "Fun in the Sun" outing. The format of this outing was a two-fish per person, total weight, with no fish under 20" format with lines-in at 5:30 am, followed by weigh-in, lunch & awards from 1-2 at Crazy Horse Marina. 25+ members, guest & youth participated and all who entered received a raffle ticket and each fish submitted yeilded an additional ticket to up your chances at winning. we had some nice prizes including a nice Abu Garcia reel and a nice rod - along with gift certificates to Captain's Quarters, and other fishing related items - everyone who came out walked away with a prize. Congrats to the winners of our 2016 Fun in the Sun tournament - it proved to be a tough bite with only one entry submitting two fish. Good thing for the adults that the youth and adult category are separate as only Dylan Witte brought 2 fish to the scales..... Congrats Dylan (and Ray)!
Youth:
1st - Dylan Witte - 12.16 lbs (2 fish total) - grandson of member Ray Witte
2nd - Harleigh Bradley - 8.38 lbs (1 fish total) - daughter of member Khris Bradley
Adults:
1st - Mike Ward - 9.76 lbs (1 fish total)
2nd - Tommy Currie - 8.70 (1 fish total) - guest of member Mike Ward
3rd - Kevin Currie - 7.62 (1 fish total) - guest of member Mike Ward
Thanks to all that came out - and a special thanks to Tournament Director Steve Nagle for coordinating it all and putting on a fun event for our members Also, thanks to Marshall Smith, Joe P and others for cooking lunch.
Youth:
1st - Dylan Witte - 12.16 lbs (2 fish total) - grandson of member Ray Witte
2nd - Harleigh Bradley - 8.38 lbs (1 fish total) - daughter of member Khris Bradley
Adults:
1st - Mike Ward - 9.76 lbs (1 fish total)
2nd - Tommy Currie - 8.70 (1 fish total) - guest of member Mike Ward
3rd - Kevin Currie - 7.62 (1 fish total) - guest of member Mike Ward
Thanks to all that came out - and a special thanks to Tournament Director Steve Nagle for coordinating it all and putting on a fun event for our members Also, thanks to Marshall Smith, Joe P and others for cooking lunch.
2016 Fish Ladder
A few new entries onto the ladder since our last newsletter - Ray Witte upgraded his status while Macky May climbed into the ladder. When fishing, take a picture of our catch on a measuring device and submit the pic via Facebook, e-mail or bring it to the Club meeting to secure your spot - remember, you can always "upgrade" throughout the year.
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Fishing Outlook for July & August
Well, you guys tell me :) The last few months have been "off" and the fish just have not seem to be in their normal late Spring patterns - not sure if that is a result of the up and down weather, rain, the fact we have a stronger bait population in the upper ends of the lake or what - but it's been tough out there for most folks.
However, we're starting to hear some reports of better action and seeing sonar shots of good strong schools - so perhaps things are getting "back to normal" - For July that means fish will begin to school and in general move out of the upper ends of the lake into the mid-reaches. Targeting main creek mouths - but don't ignore the mid-portions of the creek or even shallow points/flats early in the mornings. Live-bait with light-lines fished around 20' and downlines fished 20-30' should produce. On the artificial front, trolling umbrella rigs can put fish in the boat and jigging 1/4 - 1/2 oz jig heads with flukes is always a good option.
As we move into the heat of August, the fish should further school - though often running on pods. Downlines and jigging are going to be your highest potential producers. Just keep in mind as the fish move deeper that releasing a fish caught below 40' or so is one that most likely will not return successfully - so either do not target fish at those depths or plan to keep your limit and call it a morning - it gets hot very quick this time of year anyway.......
However, we're starting to hear some reports of better action and seeing sonar shots of good strong schools - so perhaps things are getting "back to normal" - For July that means fish will begin to school and in general move out of the upper ends of the lake into the mid-reaches. Targeting main creek mouths - but don't ignore the mid-portions of the creek or even shallow points/flats early in the mornings. Live-bait with light-lines fished around 20' and downlines fished 20-30' should produce. On the artificial front, trolling umbrella rigs can put fish in the boat and jigging 1/4 - 1/2 oz jig heads with flukes is always a good option.
As we move into the heat of August, the fish should further school - though often running on pods. Downlines and jigging are going to be your highest potential producers. Just keep in mind as the fish move deeper that releasing a fish caught below 40' or so is one that most likely will not return successfully - so either do not target fish at those depths or plan to keep your limit and call it a morning - it gets hot very quick this time of year anyway.......
Tackle Tip for July - Big Spoons
Flukes and spoons are yearly go-to baits in the summer - and this lure has produced good striped bass on other lakes in the south-east. The "Ben Parker" spoons came into vogue in the bass community in the last few years and have been used successfully with striper as well - these 8" spoon with 3/0 trebles seem huge, but are around the size of a dollar-bill shad or a large blueback / alewife - and with the large number of large alewifes / bluebacks showing up on SML this spring, it feels like this spoon could be a good "match the hatch" lure.
The spoon is recommended to be rigged with a stinger hook to help increase hook-up rates - fished by either vertically jigging or casting / retrieving with pauses. This spoon as some incredible action and flash at speed as well and would have to make a great trolling spoon.
Disclaimer - I fished one a few times last summer but honestly did not fish it long or hard enough to say it did not work - but I plan to have it back out there in the coming weeks. You never know if you don't give it a try....
The spoon is recommended to be rigged with a stinger hook to help increase hook-up rates - fished by either vertically jigging or casting / retrieving with pauses. This spoon as some incredible action and flash at speed as well and would have to make a great trolling spoon.
Disclaimer - I fished one a few times last summer but honestly did not fish it long or hard enough to say it did not work - but I plan to have it back out there in the coming weeks. You never know if you don't give it a try....
Stripers - Not Strippers - 6/10/16
Weather: starting around 70, rising to low 80's by 11 am; overcast skies till late morning; light winds from NW
Water: 81, visibility of a few feet - lots of debris / trash in some of the areas we were fishing due to the lake being at full pond and stuff flushing off the banks
Techniques: 12-rod spread - Downlines w/ alewifes (2), Freeline planers with 10"+ gizzards (2), freeline planers with a 10" bluebacks or cured out money-maker gizzards (2), light-lined planer with larger ales or smaller moneymaker gizzards (2), light-lines with ales (3), free-line float with larger ale (1)
Sunday was the main event (for this weekend) - Tyler's "bachelor party" of sorts - all but one of the groomsmen in his wedding party were going out to fish the morning, then rendezvous with the remaining groomsman for lunch. I purged the bait from Fri/Sat with the exception of a 1/2 dozen gizzards and a few good looking ales,and emptied 90% of the water and reset the tank (more on this later) - and headed out in between thunderstorm lines about 10:30 Saturday night to reload on bait for Sunday AM. Stopped at a light close to home and on my first throw I got a dozen decent ales but the next throw drew a blank, so I moved on down the lake to the go-to light. First throw there yielded some, and I ping-ponged between two lights. A little while after 11 the bait started to move in thicker - though I was gilling a lot of baits even using a 5/8" mesh (made them mistake the night before of breaking out the 1/2" - that was a disaster......) the "shake and pick" cycles after a throw allowed the bait to re-collect under the light before the next throw.
I had around 36 good ales in the tank, but no big bluebacks yet - texted Tyler and asked him how many he thought we needed - he said 12 dozen so... next throw I met his goal Maybe not quite but had more than plenty, cleaned out the net again and headed for the house, getting inside just before the next rain-bands arrived.
Water: 81, visibility of a few feet - lots of debris / trash in some of the areas we were fishing due to the lake being at full pond and stuff flushing off the banks
Techniques: 12-rod spread - Downlines w/ alewifes (2), Freeline planers with 10"+ gizzards (2), freeline planers with a 10" bluebacks or cured out money-maker gizzards (2), light-lined planer with larger ales or smaller moneymaker gizzards (2), light-lines with ales (3), free-line float with larger ale (1)
Sunday was the main event (for this weekend) - Tyler's "bachelor party" of sorts - all but one of the groomsmen in his wedding party were going out to fish the morning, then rendezvous with the remaining groomsman for lunch. I purged the bait from Fri/Sat with the exception of a 1/2 dozen gizzards and a few good looking ales,and emptied 90% of the water and reset the tank (more on this later) - and headed out in between thunderstorm lines about 10:30 Saturday night to reload on bait for Sunday AM. Stopped at a light close to home and on my first throw I got a dozen decent ales but the next throw drew a blank, so I moved on down the lake to the go-to light. First throw there yielded some, and I ping-ponged between two lights. A little while after 11 the bait started to move in thicker - though I was gilling a lot of baits even using a 5/8" mesh (made them mistake the night before of breaking out the 1/2" - that was a disaster......) the "shake and pick" cycles after a throw allowed the bait to re-collect under the light before the next throw.
I had around 36 good ales in the tank, but no big bluebacks yet - texted Tyler and asked him how many he thought we needed - he said 12 dozen so... next throw I met his goal Maybe not quite but had more than plenty, cleaned out the net again and headed for the house, getting inside just before the next rain-bands arrived.
4 hours of sleep later and I was up and headed down to pick up the guys a bit after 5:30am. We were at our fishing spot about 6 am and I think we had fish in the boat by 6:15am Got two fairly quick off the bat - one on a light-line ale and the other on the freeline float. Things got slow so we doubled back over the area, pulled through way too much trash in the water - and then switched sides of the channel. I forget what came where but we worked that general area - both sides of the channel and picked up three more fish - all were roughly in the same 6-9 lb range - maybe topping out at 29" or so. Got one one a planer and one on the float line as I was letting it back out after re-baiting with a free bait - I was playing out the line and noticed the float pulling over at an odd angle so set the hook into it.
Tackle Tip for August - Downline Tips
Downlines are a go-to technique during the late summer months as striper school together and move deeper due to the water temperatures. A typical down-line rig has a 2 oz weight and 4-6' of leader. It is critical to use as light of a leader and as small of a hook as you can get away with, especially when fishing smaller baits - you need the bait to be able to move as freely as natural as possible. A large hook will weigh down alewifes and a heavy pound test will restrict their movement. We typically use a 1/0 Gamakatsu Octopus Circle hook on alewives and no more than 15 lb test on our downlines. If the fish seem especially finicky, try using a smaller hook - a size 2 or 1 if available - just be careful that you're going to have to play the fish more to avoid bending open the fish - also try dropping to lighter test leader - acknowledging that some the fish may take you into the trees. Another tip is to mix up your weights - use some 2 oz, but also some 1 or 1.5 oz - just place your rods with the heavier weights forward - lighter backwards to help keep them from tangling.
Please Support our Club Sponsors & Advertisers
Our Club Sponsors and Advertisers provide a valuable support to the Smith Mountain Striper Club and our membership. When in need of goods or services, please give our sponsors consideration and also let them know that you appreciate their support of the Club.
Smith Mountain Striper Club members receive a 10% Discount
Call or e-mail for details. [email protected] / (304) 928-7653 www.rockcreekplaners.com/planer-boards/ |
Check us out on the net at www.castnets.com or call us at (800) 332-6387 ext. 100 and tell them you a member of the Smith Mountain Striper Club to order your nets and receive a 50% discount of list prices.
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