3rd Annual SSFFF Fundraising Dinner

[Duskydaze]

On April 16, 2010 the SSFFF will be holding its 3rd Annual Fundraising Dinner and Chinese Auction. The event will be held from 7:00pm to 11:00pm at Crystal Point Caterers, Pt Pleasant, NJ. The cost is $75.00 per person and includes hors derves, salad, choice of prime rib, stuffed sole, or capon, dessert and coffee. The Chinese Auction is second to none and includes various party and charter boat trips, plenty of tackle, autographed sports memorabilia, Guy Harvey Art, and lots of other goodies. Tickets may be purchased online at: www.ssfff.net (http://www.ssfff.net) or by stopping by The Reel Seat Tackle Shop in Brielle. Its a GREAT TIME for a GREAT CAUSE.

[finchaser]

I'm in, this will be my third year attending the dinner. Besides helping to assure we get to keep fishing for fluke it's the greatest Chinese auction out there plus good food .:thumbsup: Come out and support a great cause :fishing:

[DarkSkies]

A chance to meet legendary surf sharpie Finchaser?

That's worth the price of admission alone... ;) :HappyWave:

[Duskydaze]

A chance to meet legendary surf sharpie Finchaser?

That's worth the price of admission alone... ;) :HappyWave:

Hope to see you there!

[DarkSkies]

On April 16, 2010 the SSFFF will be holding its 3rd Annual Fundraising Dinner and Chinese Auction. The event will be held from 7:00pm to 11:00pm at Crystal Point Caterers, Pt Pleasant, NJ. Its a GREAT TIME for a GREAT CAUSE.


Hope to see you there!


The SSFFF, the scientist it hired, and the resulting scientific and anecdotal evidence has allowed the SSFFF to become one of the principal groups representing fishermen fluke interests. We would not have the quota we now have without their efforts.

The SSFFF is a good cause to get behind and support. Whether you consider coming to the dinner, or you just feel more comfortable with a donation of $10 or $20, they're working every day to fight for fishermen rights and deserve a few :clapping::clapping:.

I'll be there to support them, even though I don't fish for fluke much. I do support the positive strides they're making for fishermen, though. :thumbsup:

Please consider supporting this great group, or at least consider going to
www.ssfff.net (http://www.ssfff.net)

to learn more about them. Thanks, people. :HappyWave:

[DarkSkies]

There was a thread about this dinner at another site. Someone posted some good thoughts about it and I responded. Thought I would share that here:

Quote:
Originally Posted by ******* http://www.thebassbarn.com/forum/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.thebassbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2228673#post2228673)
I am a bit suprised to not see much interest in this thread. Tons of belly aching and wiening but when it comes time to step up you don't hear a peep. Sad very sad. Same thing when it came to the march in DC. If half the people that complianed on the Internet showed up we would of had ten times the buses. The ssfff is the reason we had a season last year. Without thier hard work and research we would have been shut out after subtracting overages. No bs of politics just facts and good science. The ssfff is doing more for us fisherman through science and research than any other group. Time to put a few bucks where the mouth is. I have not doubt my donations are being put to good use.




Thanks for your observations ********. I think you said it well. We only get involved in things when we perceive them to be a direct conflict to our specific interests. That's human nature, but I also feel sad about it at times.

I was at the Fishermens march on Washington also. There were more comm than rec guys there, that was an eye-opener, especially since there are millions of us recs in the coastal areas.

Now you have a real hot bass bite in S Jersey. Guys are fishing for them on the weekends, but also the weekdays. I know some of the guys down there, and they're retired, they have lots of time.

But some are taking off from work, calling in sick, taking vacation days. Hey, they're entitled to do that, we all want in on a hot bass bite, or the hot cod bite out of Montauk or RI.

Yet if you suggested to some of those same people that we could have used more people in Washington for that rally to represent the Recs, you would get all kinds of excuses why they couldn't get off work to get down there.

No problem getting off work to get in on the bite now, is there? :moon: :D

I say these things not to attack any one group of fishermen, but to try to bring in the spotlight the things like SSFFF and other fishermen activist groups are doing for us. As ******** said, they're doing the work that many of us don't have the time, or the incentive, to be involved in.

We all have our priorities and our financial troubles. No one is pointing the finger at anyone asking them specifically to do more. There are many out there who already generously give of their time, and the spare dollars they can afford. :clapping:

This post is intended for others who may not be aware of these groups, or never got around to making a contribution, but thought about it.

Please consider the scope of things these groups do for us, as ******** said. A contribution to them will help to ensure that people like Dave from the Reel Seat, Capt TB, and others keep pushing and fighting for us. :argue:

We can't do it alone by writing letters or ranting on the internet, we need politically savvy groups who will press for change in regulations, and demand change.

Thanks for considering donating to them.
*******, thanks for your support as well, and taking the day off to make that historical trek to Washington. :thumbsup:

[rip316]

I will send a donation to ssfff. I do not have $150.00 to spend right now. My wife just got fired as of 6/30. I am watching my pennies as best I can. I also have a boat that I would like to use this year if I have the money. Times are tough for a lot of people right now. I understand what this organization stands for and I applaud there efforts. FIN. If the effin gov't wasn't so eeffed up we wouldn't be having this conversation. IMO. I WILL BE SENDING A DONATION TOMORROW. Thanks to all the people that have the time and money to run the SSFFF. We all salute you.

[gjb1969]

way to go guys i hope that the fluke are around in good numbers if i had the money i would go have a good time guys:):clapping:

[DarkSkies]

JOIN RFA-NJ AT 3RD ANNUAL SSFFF FUNDRAISER

April 16th Dinner & Auction To Support Summer Flounder Science

On Friday, April 16, 2010 from 7 until 11 p.m., the Save The Summer Flounder Fishery Fund (SSFFF) will host their third annual fund-raising dinner and auction at the Crystal Point Yacht Club at 3900 River Road in Point Pleasant. The festivities begin with hors d'oeuvres served butler style, followed by a fantastic sit-down dinner with choice of boneless breast of capon, roast prime rib of beef or stuffed sole.
Tickets are just $75, which also includes appetizers and dessert platter to follow, with all proceeds going to support the ongoing efforts of the SSFFF in helping secure better statistical information on summer flounder along the coast, while also helping efforts to promote Rep. Frank Pallone's Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act (HR 1584, with Senate version S1255 sponsored by Sen. Charles Schumer of New York).
Once again in 2010 as with the years prior, SSFFF volunteers have worked hard to put together an impressive array of top quality fishing tackle for prize giveaways and auctions. Click here (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103288841009&s=10015&e=001GTEeRIBQ35AEKbQPOd_O-5LfrtbRhW8hJD2x3QAc7b54HfBMFflPh88rDrn3n_7jQFEcrvB qu5KVjZ4auXgf1t9rDKd9X-hRTVl-x-6cuoYPSo2-ctmdhid7wR3ZDwqQ)to purchase tickets today, and be sure to bring a few extra dollars with you next Friday the 16th, and perhaps you'll be walking away with a portion of the thousands of dollars of fishing gear being raffled off to help support the SSFFF efforts.
Enjoy a great dinner, lively conversation, an amazing fishing raffle, and support efforts to improve our fluke fishery for the future!

Learn more at www.ssfff.net. (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103288841009&s=10015&e=001GTEeRIBQ35BAnW0VX-42rj6fFu46WMjxFjDdrLZnkDBk0bJk7MpqBvDWj-1N3zuIpI8fDDLy0IThkiT5BEmlxmPelirmoEDpF9aXjjGU6UpR TGxwUX61pg==)

[DarkSkies]

Fishing Column: SSFFF fundraiser set for Friday



By JOHN OSWALD • STAFF WRITER • April 12, 2010





The Save The Summer Flounder Fishery Fund (SSFFF) will host its third annual fundraising dinner and auction this Friday evening at Crystal Point Yacht Club in Point Pleasant.




The dinner is the most important event of the year for the SSFFF, which has been instrumental in ensuring that New Jersey anglers continue to have a summer flounder fishery.

The SSFFF played a critical role in securing the 2009 fluke season when research it funded proved that summer flounder stocks were in much better shape than fishery managers had calculated.
The SSFFF is also funding an independent study by HDR Engineering to re-examine the Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey (MRFSS) data, which has already been determined to be "fatally-flawed" by the National Research Council. Unfortunately, the faulty MRFFS data lies at the heart of most fisheries management decisions.

"Without this fishery, many businesses and livelihoods will be lost," said Greg Hueth, one of the founders of the SSFFF. "And it can be shut down at any time."

One only needs to look at what happened to black sea bass to know that a closure is not out of the realm of possibility.
The dinner starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $75 with all proceeds going to support the SSSFF's research efforts.

The SSFFF is also deeply involved in efforts to pass the Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act introduced by Rep. Frank Pallone.
As in years past, the SSFFF has put together a wide selection of top quality fishing tackle for prize giveaways and auctions. For more information, visit www.ssfff.net (http://www.ssfff.net).



Not that you could be enticed into going to a SSFFF fund raiser solely due to the auction, but I hear the SSFFF Chinese auction is one of the most talked-about among fishing fanatics. Allegedly thousands of dollars worth of primo gear, custom plugs, and fishing trips have been donated to this worthy cause.


And I'm asking again for donations to the SSFFF to anyone who can spare a few dollars despite this terrible economy. A small gift of even $5 or $10 is not meaningless, and will help these guys to fund scientific studies.

My angle here is...even though bass are my primary target, I realize that the more restrictions put on sea bass, flounder, and fluke, the more pressure will be put on striped bass.

Thanks for reading, people.

[DarkSkies]

It was a very nice dinner, well worth it. :clapping::clapping:

For anyone who couldn't attend, it was a great dinner, great time. Lots of $$ raised.

For people who like attendance stats, it was an increase over last year, somewhere around 200 donors, give or take. After paying for the premium dinners, SSFFF will have some nice funding to continue fighting for fishermen.

However, the donors, realizing that scientific studies and lobbying efforts cost big bucks, were even more generous in the Chinese auction. I had the pleasure of sitting at a table with Finchaser and some of his old-time fishin buddies. What a great group, hardcore fshermen, the kind who consider a half-day of fishing to be "only" 12 hours. ;) The kind who make fun of each other every chance they get, but for some reason they love Fin. "Fin is Fin" they told me over and over again. :lookhappy:

These guys were extremely generous in buying tickets for the Chinese Auction's premium prizes, and many of the other premium prize packages, charters, etc, all generously donated by supporters of the cause. :thumbsup:

I also saw some tables where a few of the surf fishing clubs were represented, among them the Spring Lake Liveliners and the Shark River Surf Anglers.

There were many thousands of dollars worth of assorted merchandise and trips up for auction. :bigeyes:

It was a privelege and honor to meet some of the guys in the fishing world I han't had a chance to run into.

There were great appetizers, a formal sit down dinner with attentive servers, great food, good times.

Then it was time for the seriousness, and Capt Tony Bogan got up to speak about the SSFFF, the progress made, and efforts by Dave A of the Reel Seat
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=6019
to raise funds and awareness.

Dave was mentioned more than once. I understand that this dinner is his job to organize, and he put on a very well-run affair. It seems his tireless efforts and diplomaticically presenting the issues over and over have won him a lot of admirers in the fishing world. :clapping::clapping: :thumbsup::thumbsup:

It was interesting to meet with a group of fishermen who understood and support the power of PACS.

Then Rep Pallone got up to speak, as usual asking for more support. There are mixed emotions about the guy, like maybe he should be getting more concrete results for fishermen. I don't know about any of that, just know that it was interesting to see how fishing and politics mix at that level.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to meet the people I did. It's always beneficial to have different perspectives when learning about fishermen issues.

Although I had to promise I wouldn't "interview" anyone, I did have some nice fisheries management conversations with Diane Gooch, Republican Candidate for Congress, and her husband Mickey. Nice meeting you folks, I'll try to research some of your positions and maybe comment on them at a later date.

In all, it was a great time, and a chance to contribute to a worthy cause. I even won some nice prizes myself, which made it well-worth the dinner donation and the tickets I bought.

[DarkSkies]

Many fishermen don't care about dinners like this, I understand that. This is especially true because fluke season hasn't even started yet. Most fishermen have striped bass on their minds.

I really wanted to bring my camera in and take shots of some of the prizes. Because I tend to be a little compulsive when I do that, I was encouraraged not to. :rolleyes:

But I can tell you guys and girls about the most awesome prize of the evening, almost $3000 in retail value in custom wood and plugs donated by some of the most well known plug makers out there, all for a good cause.

Plugs and lures from Superstrike, Gibbs, Fish-on8, Ryan's Rigs, Guppy, After Hours, Aok, RM Smith and many more well-known names. :thumbsup:

Additionally, hard to get, non-commercially available plugs that most surf fishermen only dream of owning, among them some amazing creations by Chumbucket (Matt) and some other custom stuff that you can't get unless you know the builder. :dribble:

These were all solicited and collected by Scotty from Lex Lures, who did an amazing job of pleading, cajoling, and "guilting" a cross- section of the area's best builders to throw in a few for the SSFFF cause, 60 in total.

Fin and I got to help Scotty arrange those plugs for maximum drool potential. :drool:


:clapping::clapping: to Scotty for his untiring efforts at putting that package together for a good cause.

(The winner of the package was Scotty's girlfriend, I think) That caused some to grumble, but of course we were all jealous that he won. At the end, we realized that he increased his chances of winning that package by buying $300 worth of tickets specifically for that auction.

Hey, power to ya Scotty, you won that package fair and square. :thumbsup:





**********
Now for the sales pitch at the end...

Although a good amount of coin was raised, there still remains a lot of fighting and lobbying to do.

If you don't fish for fluke, or really care, please consider that when pressure is put on other fisheries by restrictions, that pressure also increases on striped bass as well. Most of the charter captains are now fishing for striped bass because fluke season won't open till May, and the sea bass issue hasn't been fully resolved. That puts lots of pressure on the bass, maybe more than they can handle....


So please consider a contribution to www.ssfff.net (http://www.ssfff.net) today. Even a contribution of $5 or $10 can make a difference. Thanks for reading, people. :thumbsup:

And Dusky Daze, thanks for all you do, and the abuse and apathy you patiently put up with, to try to enlighten people as to what you see out there. :clapping::clapping: