I was at the Spokane Walleye Club's (SWC) budget meeting last night. I was there to audit the treasure's books, (which where in prefect order). And since I am no longer a board member, I thought I would stay and listen to the board and budget meeting. (this all happens at White's Outdoors in Spokane)

Lets see.... $5500 for the hatchery at Ringold, providing the state can get some help matching that number. ($11,000 total). This is for holding tanks for the fish, something to do with zebra muscles on imported warm water fish.

$1600 for a solar light at the Sprague lake launch. They want a light for the launch that the SWC helped paid for. There is also some talk about putting a dock there, I think the SWC will probably pay for that since they've already bought numerious handicap docks for the state.(Those docks are $500o--$6000 apiece)

$1000 for the EWU Fish Biologist scholarship award. Someone in the program gets some funtickets. Actually, I think we (SWC) just credits there bill for school. If my memory is correct.......some people that went to EWU.... work on the west side's Dept of fish and Game. Is that correct Larry P.???? ( I use to fish with Larry until he moved to Seattle area to work on the Salmon rehab program on the west coast. He is THE GREASTEST SALMON AND STEELHEAD FISHERMAN IN THE WORLD!!! ( That will give him a cubby!)

Hummmm.....$5000 or $5500 for a tagging program on Lake Rosevelt. This is for a loction, and a number count of fish on that water. Basically they are tagging 1000 fish, 500 tags are worth $10 apiece if you report the correct tag.

$200 for the light bill at Loon Lake. The SWC pays for the light at the launch there. So the fisherpeople fishing for kokane can find the launch at nightime.


Give credit where credit is due...$1500 was budgeted for "cast for kids" and "kid's fishing" These are probably the best things the SWC and the Kettle Falls Walleye Club does. Cast of Kid's is at Deer Lake WA., and they take handicap children out fishing. (If you have "little B_@$^*$D children" this is for you! You can take your kids there and make them stand on the dock when they put these kid's and there familys in the boats. You could even help lift the wheel chairs, and oxygen tanks, and other medical equipment into the boats, so these kids who are not expected to be on earth in a year or two, can go catch a perch or two. And then go eat hot dogs at the park there. It is a VERY Humbling Time. It brings a tear to my eye just writing this. This is chaired by George Allen, he works at the Western States in Colfax, so if you drive by there, honk the horn and do a thumb's up to him.

So where is this going..... You say to yourself "I don't fish for Walleye". Ok, I fished for walleye 3 days last year! Thats all, I fished for steelhead for 6 months! I fished for salmon for 2 months, I went to Alaska and fished for 9 days, and no, that wasn't a Walleye on the end of my hook! I've been on the board of Directers for the SWC for 4 years, 2 years as a board member, 1 year as vice president, 1 year as the secretary, and I fished for warm water fish (walleye and smallmouth bass) for 3 days. 1,2,3. 3 days. Again, 1,2,3. Now you're thinking, "this guy is in a walleye club and he hardly fishes for walleye, and look at all the things that club does for everybody else"

So where is this going again?..... Are you a member of any fishing club? Are you a member of any club? Do you enjoy fishing, or hunting, or anything...... Are you a member of that club? There was post the other day about poaching, it is wrong, but do you think anything has changed since then? (the ending of poaching) No, nothing has changed, they will be back. Did everyone who posted on that thread, join the "Wild Steelhead Colition" that has a link on the top of this forum? NO, no one did. Do you think anything will change if you just post your thoughts on this forum and just complain about the problem? No, nothing will change.

Several years ago, people in the Zipper lake area use to fish for walleye at a certain time of the year. The walleye move into this area in their pre-spawn season. The fisherman would bank fish along the Zipper Road at night. They would harvest LARGE female walleye all night long. They were not sport fishing, they were meat hunting! (very tastie meat I might add). As I stated in the fisrt sentence of this paragraph, "use to fish", now that area along Zipper lane is "CLOSED". Why is it closed? Because I signed a patition to close that streach of Zipper Lane, along with members from every walleye club in the state of Washington. You see, we are all linked together with the help of "Walleye Unlimited Northwest". WU links together all of the walleye clubs in the state of Washington, and Oregon, and Idaho.

Do you remeber the $5 warm-water enhancement that you had to have to fish warmwater fish in the state of Wa. a few years ago? Do you think the state came up with this idea? No, the state didn't. All the walleye clubs in Wa did. With the help and organization of WUN. You see, 1 person by themselves is not going to get anything done. But when you link several groups of people together, you can make things happen.

So where is this going..... You're probably thinking that this guy is talking about walleye on a salmon, trout, steelhead forum. "How dumb is he!". Well, here is some things to ponder on. Several years ago Lake Roosevelt needed $2500 to repair their net pens for raising trout. The SWC said " Order the nets and send use the bill". Walleye enjoy eating trout for dinner! At Loon lake there was a person who raised trout in a net pen. He funded this by himself, and released the fish in the lake for everyone else. What a nice guy! The SWC told him to send use the food bill, we'll pay for it! WOW!

What you are reading, are entirely my thoughts. Any negative thoughts or comments should be directed to myself, Jon M. Thompson. This is written without the permission of the SWC or from anyother club.

Now is my time to step on your toes. Are you join your local fishing club? Are you going to join your local hunting club? Are you going to join any club? No, probably not.... Do you remeber the advertisement for going to the dentist? "Ignore your teeth, they'll go away".

Get off your arse!

What did your club do last night?

Wow, are you finished. I just about gave on up on you as a wacko before getting through your rope, I mean thread. I'm not the best salmon and steelhead fisherman in the world, just better than you. This post should get an interesting response. I guess the high water on the Ronde must have given you too much time for thinking. It appears to me the clubs on the Wet Side of the state are very organized. They have and are donating a great deal of time and money for a variety of causes. I'm not sure one club is better than another, they just have a different agendas. I would agree with Jon that being organized has advantages. But the problem I see with may sportsman who belong to a club is that they have nothing better to do. In fact many don't fish. So if you decide to give your money to a club, many with very clear agendas, make sure your supporting a cause you believe in.



While at EWU I didn't receive a penny from SWC.