February 8th, 2012
To all the Presidents and Directors of the Federation Nation:
I want to start off by saying Happy New Year, Merry Christmas, Happy Thanksgiving and even for some of you, Happy Birthday! Its crazy to think that all these celebrations have passed since I last saw you guys at the Federation Championship. It goes without saying that this is a letter that I have wanted to write for quite some time. I could blame my delay in writing this on some of the holidays I have already mentioned, but to be honest, mainly I’ve been busy trying to catch little green fish. Oh ya, and I’m also very lazy.
Enough about me – this letter is about you guys. I wanted to thank you all for your kind words and support at the Federation Championship. When I was given the opportunity to emcee that event, I jumped at it because I have always truly believed that the Federation is the backbone of B.A.S.S. My main motivation at being there was simply to get to know the anglers that would be qualifying for the upcoming Classic so that we would be comfortable with each other on stage in Shreveport. After the event I realized that my time with those anglers, although it was great, really seemed secondary to the time I had with all the Federation members. I was truly inspired by how dedicated, driven, and committed each and every one of you are to simply growing and sharing the sport of bass fishing. If you ask me, the passion and drive that many of you have, truly makes our sport how great it is.
Once again, I cannot thank you enough for being so welcoming, supportive and inspiring to me. For those of you that will be at the Classic, hopefully we get a chance to see each other again. As I’m sure you understand, I will be running around like a maniac like I always do, so don’t be afraid to holler at me so we can say hello.
Regards,
David Mercer -
Dave Mercer Outdoors Inc.
Office: (905) 626-4331
Fax: (888) 671-8223
Email: dave@factsoffishing.com
www.factsoffishing.com
The Arkansas B.A.S.S. State Federation Nation (ABSFN) is the state organization for B.A.S.S. affiliated clubs throughout the State of Arkansas. We invite you to visit our web site often. As you move through the web-site you will see pages that deal with the condition of the bass fishing environment in Arkansas. We will discuss the activities of the ABSFN and affiliated clubs including the 2 major bass tournaments that the Federation hosts each year; THE ARKANSAS B.A.S.S. STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT and THE ARKIE CUP. You will have the opportunity to learn more about our youth program and about the issues of environmental protection as it relates to the fisheries habitat.
We will provide you with the ability to quickly link with various local, state, and national organizations that have impact on the state of the Bass fisheries in Arkansas. Members of our Federation can follow their dream of competing against the best bass anglers in the world, they start by competing against anglers from their own club, then against anglers from all of the clubs in the Arkansas State Championship Tournament, where they qualify to represent Arkansas in a Central Divisional Tournament that will pit them against the best anglers from 7 surrounding states with the opportunity to advance to the National Championship Tournament and finally culminating with a trip to compete in the most prestigious Bass Tournament the BASSMASTERS CLASSIC.
If you would like to join a local club or start a local club just contact one of the Officers listed on our contact page and you will receive quick assistance in your efforts. Please visit our site often as we continue to update our presence on the Web and report on the state of the Federation in Arkansas and the State of the Bass Fisheries in Arkansas.
2011-2 Okuma ABFN Team
Back row: Josh Wray, Randy Reehm, Mark Hensiek, Kevin Thompson, Brock Bertrand, Hoyt Akins, Roger Hackman,
Jason Denney, Roy Brunson, Jim Alexander
Front row: Ralston Lusby, Dustin Bryant, Larry Dugger, Don Douglas, Roger Morris, Corey Thompson
