Pell’s pond party epitomizes what TASS stands for

Tight Lines

June 22, 2012

Pell’s pond party epitomizes what TASS stands for

Correspondent Rick Goines The Daily Southerner Fri Jun 22, 2012, 12:08 PM EDT

TARBORO — Imagine you have a beautiful home in the country outside of Tarboro. Visualize the centerpiece of that lovely spread is an almost 2-acre picturesque pond stocked with Largemouth Bass, Crappie, and Bream. Now imagine you generously host a pond party for local children and adults to enjoy a wonderful evening of fishing fun followed by refreshments.

That is exactly what Pell and Lisa Guill do annually with their Pell’s Pond Party. In my opinion, no event on the TASS (Tarboro Association of Saltwater Sportsman) calendar epitomizes what TASS stands for better than Pell’s Pond Party.

Each child was greeted at the welcome table with a fully rigged Zebco 202 Rod & Reel, and crickets and worms to use for bait. The rod & reel was theirs to keep for future fishing adventures, and every child received from NCWRC a plastic children’s tackle box that include everything a youthful fisherman needs to get started on some serious light tackle fishing.   It was instant fishing and fun, brought to you by the Guills and TASS.

  With the fish on the line, each child went to the Welcome Tent, had their picture proudly made with their fish, then were presented a florescent green t-shirt designed by Caroline’s Creations that said, “Pell’s Pond Party” on the front, and “I got one at Pell’s Pond Party” on the back, then each gently released the fish.

The evening was topped off with good eats: pizza, hot dogs, chips, and soft drinks. Current TASS President, David Mears, was the chief hot dog cooker, and did his usual fine job whenever he gets behind a grill.

Approximately 45 children and accompanying adults enjoyed the festivities. The grounds and pond were in immaculate condition. You could tell Pell and Lisa had been working hard to make this a special outing, as always.

The event was free.   No money needed, but I did see some million dollar smiles when those young folks caught a fish.

In the course of the evening, Jimmy Dupree, Jr. was able to sign-up 30-plus youngsters for the ongoing NCWRC statewide drawing for a whole bunch of great prizes, including several lifetime fishing licenses.

First and foremost, gracious hosts Pell and Lisa Guill top the list, so, thank you!   TASS officers and members can always be depended on to roll up their sleeves, and help whenever needed. Pizza Inn of Tarboro supplied the pizza, and Marrow-Pitt Ace Home Center donated the bait.

As they say, a good time was had by all.

July 4th is a free fishing day in North Carolina

A recent news release from NCWRC invites new and old fishermen to take advantage of a license-free day of fishing in North Carolina waters.

“July 4 is your one chance each year to get hooked on fishing — for free! From 12:01 a.m. until 11:59 p.m., everyone in North Carolina — resident and non-residents alike — can fish in any public body of water, from mountain trout waters to coastal waters, without purchasing a fishing license or additional trout fishing privilege.

Although no fishing license is required to fish on July 4, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission reminds anglers that all other fishing regulations, such as size and creel limits and lure restrictions, still apply.

To give anglers a better chance of catching fish, the Commission stocks a variety of fish in waters across the state — including trout and channel catfish. The agency also provides free access to fishing sites across the state, including public fishing areas and boating access areas. A list of more than 500 fishing areas open to the public is on the Commission’s website, www.ncwildlife.org/fishing. “

Care to share? You’re fishing success stories and pictures are welcome at CarolinaAngler@Gmail.com. We’ve got a good one to share with you next week.

See you on the water, my friend!

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Tight Lines

Banner Day at Battle Park
Sunday was Mother’s Day. I am not a mother, but I played one in a school play years ago, so I figured that entitled me to go fishing on Mother’s Day. Need an excuse or rationalization to go fishing? Check with me, I’ve got plenty!
After suffering through 2-3 days of a rain induced swollen, unfishable Tar River at Battle Park in Rocky Mount, it was jackpot time on Sunday. Without a doubt, I had my best white shad fishing day ever, fishing from sunrise to early evening. Action was good all day, with a little lull for about 2-hours in the heat of the afternoon.
I am proud to report to you that I enjoyed a 50-fish day. I caught a personal best 46 white shad, 3 hickory shad, and foul-hooked a very angry, upset 3-foot gar. I thought I had two large white shad, or maybe a big rockfish, so I was a little surprised to see Mr. Gar. It was like reeling in an uncooperative 2x4 piece of lumber.

May 17, 2013
NCWRC enforcement officers doing a great job
North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission has two enforcement officers assigned to each county. That’s 200 dedicated, educated, and highly trained individuals protecting our North Carolina environment and natural resources. To become an enforcement officer applicant, one must participate in a highly competitive selection process. A typical candidate is required to pass extensive background and psychological screening. Also included is a vigorous 19-week training academy that is patterned after a military boot camp, with an emphasis on physical fitness.

May 10, 2013
Tight Lines declares Ginger Perry of Nashville the shad queen
One of my favorite places to bank fish is the boat ramp at Battle Park in Rocky Mount. I have met a lot of interesting people there. Three or four times this season, I have watched this amazing lady, Ginger Perry, fishing with her friend, Big Kelly, for white shad. Simply put, she is one good angler! She casts and retrieves like a pro, and always catches her fair share of fish. Maybe a few more than her fair share! This lady can flat-out fish!

April 19, 2013
Time for the John Cherry Rockfish Rodeo on the Tar river
Tarboro Association of Saltwater Sportsman (TASS) presents the annual John Cherry Rockfish Rodeo on the Tar on Saturday, April 27th. Entry fee is $100 per boat.
Registration and information is available daily at Roberson & Dupree Shoe Store, Main Street, Tarboro. The absolute registration deadline is Friday, April 26, by 8 p.m., at the boat landing on River Road, or when the maximum limit 40 boats have been signed-up. Attendance at the Captain’s meeting Friday night, 7 p.m. at the boat landing on River Road, is highly recommended. Rules will be read, questions answered, and you will receive your Captain’s Bag, tournament t-shirt, and other goodies. Each boat is allowed to weigh-in 2 of their largest rockfish, as chosen by the Captain.

April 12, 2013
Sign-up this Saturday for John Cherry Rockfish Rodeo
One of the TASS premier events that local anglers always enjoy is the annual John Cherry Rockfish Rodeo. Registration is limited to the first 40 boats. Full grown men, me included, will be standing in line like giddy teeny-boppers looking concert tickets early Saturday morning waiting for Roberson & Dupree Shoe Store to open at 9 am to plunk down that registration fee.

April 5, 2013
Bottoms Up! Greg Bottoms Wins TASS Shad Tournament
To my knowledge, Greg Bottoms does not smoke or drink, but he does have another habit, and an enviable one at that. Greg wins fishing tournaments. He won the Fall Speckled Trout Tournament, and last week claimed top honors in the shad tournament. Obviously, the man knows his way around a rod & reel. Greg is a skilled angler, and a nice guy, deserving of that success.

March 29, 2013
Shad Tournament participants weighing-in some good fish
All indications are that this will be a banner year for the 12th Annual TASS Hickory
Shad Tournament. The timing is perfect because the shad “bite” has turned on
considerably everywhere. At the halfway point through the week-long tournament, the leader board is already showing some impressive fish weights. Charles Strickland leads the top tier adult category with a healthy 2.56 Hickory Shad. That will be a hard “Hick” to beat!

March 22, 2013
Time to sign-up for the 12th Annual Hickory Shad Tournament
The TASS Twelfth Annual Hickory Shad Tournament week is one of my favorite weeks of the year. This year’s tournament dates are Saturday, March 16th through Noon, Saturday, March 23.
Entry fee is only $10, but you must sign-up before 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 15, if you wish to be involved. You do not need to be a member of TASS to participate, but you must be a member of TASS to receive TASS bonus-money. Registration is at Roberson & Dupree Shoe Store, 418 Main Street, in downtown historic Tarboro.

March 8, 2013
Anglers kindness and generosity never fail to amaze me
The “Shad Hole” on River Road in Tarboro functions not only as a great place to fish, but also a good place to meet and greet like-minded fishing enthusiasts. An informal group usually congregates at the “Shad Hole” nightly during shad season to wet a hook, or simply to exchange pleasantries. These “Shad Hole” friends come in different ages, and walks of life. These are salt-of-the-earth type guys. If it ever comes down to “Us” versus ‘Them,’ I want these guys in my foxhole watching my back.

March 1, 2013
Martin Marietta Materials plans to dump into Blounts Creek
Martin Marietta Materials has applied for a discharge permit to dump groundwater and stormwater directly into Blounts Creek. One person close to the situation tells me we are talking about 12 million gallons of discharge a day. I don’t profess to be an expert on the matter, but that doesn’t sound really healthy, or harmless, for the environment, and specifically Blounts Creek. (Filed documents say the average discharge would be about 9 million gallons a day, but could increase to 11 million on some days.)

February 22, 2013
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