3/07/09 AMSA Sportsman's Expo Salisbury Maryland

[DarkSkies]

Took a ride down to the Wicomo youth & civic center in Salisbury today to check out the show.

Right off the bat, we met Cookie and some other guys from the LIBBA to show support for AMSA and the other beach buggy groups. Nice meetin some guys from our area all the way down there. Also ran into some of the reps from the NJBBA.

The show was set up nice, but we must have picked a bad day to go. It was like a ghost town. The weather was beautiful and maybe everyone was out fishing instead. The bad economy may have had something to do with it also.



It was a good chance to meet some of the local groups down there, see what they were about, and get a chance later to enjoy the beautiful surf at Ocean City Maryland. It's almost time to go fishin down there, and their water is a lot warmer than ours.

For any of the people who live in that area, it seems from the conversations I had that AMSA is a good bunch of people doing all the right things, helping out the kids by taking them fishing, and marshalling the support it can to keep beach access open for fishermen. Check out their booth if you go there on Sunday.

For those on the fence about going, it's only $6 to get in, and there are a bunch of tackle shops and other vendors. There's a pretty large selection of campers and RVs, some boats in the parking lot, and some of the area's charter captains with booths. If that's your focus, you will be happy.

For me, I'm used to seeing a lot more vendors at these shows, that's why I said it felt like a ghost town in there.

If anyone was going there looking for a deal, they might be negotiable on prices of some of the stuff, you should go there and give it a shot. This economy really is terrible for everyone, and all the people I know who want to do business are makin deals. I hope things get better for everyone.

I'll post some more and put up some pics after I get a chance to download them.

[DarkSkies]

(Ill load more later when I get time.)

[DarkSkies]

Met Floyd Morton, one of the head guys of the DMS. Nice guy. They're also affiliated with the UMS, which is an umbrella group of all mobile surf fishermen along the East Coast. Nice to have groups like this in the fishermens' corner.

He and the rest of his members are working hard to keep acess open to fishermen, taking kids fishing, and other public awareness fishing issues.














www.dmsclub.net

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DMS:
In the summer of 1958, a group of like minded fishermen, gathered in the garage of Russell “Chocup” Hudson in order to discuss the formation of a new fishing club. These fishermen were a group of friends who liked getting together to camp, fish or just gather and shoot the bull. Along with them were members of the Massachusetts Beach Buggy Association who were asked to attend to help organize a new Club.

On that day the Delaware Beach Buggy Association, as it was know then, was founded. Its BY-LAWS were taken from those of the Massachusetts Beach Buggy Association, and remain in effect to this day.

A lot of things were different in the early days. The beaches were under the control of the Department Transportation, and no permits of any kind were required to access the beaches. Fishermen would go out on Fridays and stay till Sunday. Bond fires were held on Saturday evenings where all the kids from the group would cook hot dogs and roast marshmallow’s until time for bed. The adults may stay up till midnight or later talking about fishing or whatever. In those days there may be 40 to 50 campers on the beach from the Club fishing and just having fun.

The residents from Stockley Center were taken fishing every year as one of the Clubs functions. Some times there were more than 50 residents out on the beach. They really looked forward to the outing.

When the National Guard trained with live fire in Bethany, The members would go down the beach and watch them shoot drones out of the sky, or fire at the target being towed.

The cook shack was taken to the beach on coast day and sold clams, hot dogs and burgers.
There was a campsite behind the present location of Old Inlet Bait and Tackle, which the Club would obtain the use of every summer for about 10 years, until it was bought by the State of Delaware. It was at this site the original Crab Feast (Fall Feast) was held. They started with clams and then clams and crabs. Everyone really looked forward to the Feast.

A lot of damage was done to the Dune System by disrespectful drivers. There was a lot of angry residents and legislators who wanted to stop this wanton destruction and close the beaches to all but walk on use.

To avoid the anger of some residents, and the bad name that “Beach Buggy’s” were acquiring the, Club changed its name to Delaware Mobile Surf-Fishermen and Incorporated into a not for profit organization it is today.

The DMS has cooperated with the State to get new laws passed to protect the beaches and users thereof. Thanks in part to the efforts of DMS, the Delaware Legislators, as well as others, we still have the privilege of driving on our beaches.

This privilege is under threat at all times and the DMS must remain ever vigilant to protect this privilege. Other organizations think the beaches should be left to the wildlife and closed to not only vehicles, but everyone. Fishermen and bathers included.

[DarkSkies]

"A national organization comprising organizations such as ours from many other states on the East Coast:

Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Delaware, Maryland (Assateague), North Carolina and New Jersey. They meet three times a year, each organization taking turns at hosting such meetings."


http://www.umsnet.com/

Representing 28 Organizations With Over 75,000 Members


The UMS Mission Statement
"To Join In Formal Organization, All Associations That Partake Of Mobile Sport Fishing In Coastal, Tidal Or Inland Waters Of The North American Continent,

To Work For The Conservation And Preservation Of The Above Stated Areas;

To Preserve And Encourage The Sport Of Salt Water Fishing And Sport Fishing Vehicle Operations.

To Insure For Succeeding Generations The Right Of Access To All Of The Above Stated Areas.

To Educate And Promote Better Relations With The
Public In General.

In Effecting These Purposes To Work For The Benefit Of All Sport Fishermen And Sport Fishing Vehicle Operators.


And To Work With All Local, State, And Federal Agencies And Officials In Advancing The Above Stated Purposes."

[DarkSkies]

I feel like I let people down on this report, there wasn't much that grabbed my interest. I did meet a few interesting people, but found the lack of vendors and traffic tough to deal with. That's how it is sometimes, I hope they did better on Sunday than Sat when we went.

[DarkSkies]

Buck's Place, 11848 Assateague Rd, Berlin Maryland

www.bucksplaceonline.com

Here's an interesting story:

Met up with the owner of Buck's Place, Shannan. Her grandparents started this tackle, bait, and all around camping and outdoors supply store many years ago. She was working in it since she was 5. They passed away, and now Shannan runs it by herself, working 7 days a week to serve the needs of people going to Assateague and surrounding areas.

She's one of the main places around that stocks rigs and tackle made by Dale Timmons of Assateague Tackle Co. Stop in and say hello when you're drivin down Assateague Rd.


(Do ya ever take a vacation, Shannan?) Nice meetin ya!

[DarkSkies]

Assateague wildlife


The owl is blind in one eye

[DarkSkies]

Maryland Bowhunters Society, 32 years and still going strong.

www.marylandbowhunterssociety.org

John, Sadie, and Bobby, at their table, nice meetin ya.

[DarkSkies]