Alabama Scale Blazers Newsletter
Alabama Bowfishing Club Volume 1, Issue 1 6/24/2014
Alabama Scale Blazers We would like to welcome everyone to the Alabama Scale Blazers, official bowfishing club for the state of Alabama. Our goal is the promotion and protection for the sport of bowfishing in Alabama. In 2014, a group of dedicated bowfishermen in the state of Alabama decided to create a group to help support the sport in our state. We wanted to make this club free for everyone and provide some great benefits to members. We also wanted to have a collective voice for the sport. We believe a collective voice for the sport is crucial for its protection. In just the first three months, we have over 250 members and one of the largest bowfishing organizations in the United States. Thanks to everyone that has joined so far. We are looking forward to growing the club and providing even more benefits to our members.
Fish Dumping at Boat Ramps Dumping of fish at our state boat ramps continues to be a problem. Disposing of your bowfishing catch is as important as the harvest itself. If you have fish you’re not going to eat, then there are plenty of ways to properly dispose of the excess. Our game and fish laws are liberal in regards to our harvest, because most of the fish we target are invasive species. So it’s up to us to properly utilize what we get. READ MORE INSIDE...
Inside this issue: Our website
2
Bowfishing Tournaments
2
Member Benefits
2
Bowfishing Records
3
News
4
Upcoming Events
5
New Products
6
Alabama Scale Blazers Newsletter
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Our Website - www.bowfishingalabama.org Have you checked out our our website! Website features:
Join the club
Read about the club’s mission and officers
Read the latest club news
Check out what species are legal for bowfishing in Alabama
View the latest bowfishing records
Submit bowfishing records
See our sanctioned tournament schedule Learn how our points system works for Alabama Bowfisherman of Year, Bowfisherwoman of the Year, and team of year
Submit your entries for the trophy fish club
View your intstagram pictures on our brag board
Visit our club sponsors
Read over our bowfishing ethics policy
Contact club officials
View our members photo gallery
Apparel coming soon!
Volume 1, Issue 1
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Bowfishing Tournaments Here’s a list of our ASB sanctioned tournaments for 2014. Some of the tournaments have already passed and some still remain. Sanctioned tournaments allow you to accrue team and individual points towards Alabama Bowfishing Team of the Year, Bowfisherman of the Year, and Bowfisherwoman of the Year. Check out our website for more details.
Muzzy Classic – Apr 26 (Guntersville AL) www.muzzy.com
Wheeler Big 10 Shoot – May 31 (Wheeler Lake, Decatur AL) Hosted by Shoot to Thrill Bowfishing on Facebook
Copperhead’s/Backwater Outdoors Fun Five Tournament – Jun 28th (Register at Copperhead’s Outdoors or Backwater Outdoors) www.copperheadsoutdoors.com
Backwater Big Fish Challenge – Aug 16 (Register at Backwater Outdoors, trailer to any public water) www.backwateroutdoors.com
Bloody Boat Adventures Eufaula Bowfishing Tournament – July 26th (Lake Eufaula, AL) Andy, Bloody Boat Adventures on Facebook
Copperhead/Backwater Outdoors Breast Cancer Charity Shoot (ASB Championship) – Oct 4th (Register at Copperhead’s Outdoors or Backwater Outdoors) www.copperheadsoutdoors.com
Don’t forget the Backwater Outdoors and Copperheads Outdoors monthly tournament series as well.
Past winners of the Backwater Outdoors Big Fish Bowfishing Challenge
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Alabama Scale Blazers Newsletter
Member Benefits Join ASB today! Membership is open to all United States residents, officers and directors must be from the state of Alabama Members will receive the following: Membership to Alabama’s official bowfishing club and a voice in the promotion and protection for the sport of bowfishing in Alabama Participation in ASB points systems for ASB sanctioned tournaments and individual awards (through team points for ASB Team of the Year and individual points for ASB Bowfisherman of the Year) Participation in ASB’s Alabama Bowfishing Records for state bowfishing records keeping. This allows members to submit fish for state records. Participation in the ASB Big Fish Club for members to submit qualifying fish to receive a recognition certificate, individual points, and featured on the ASB website and Facebook page Semi-Annual Email Newsletter with everything going on in the world of bowfishing in Alabama More benefits will be added for the future as well
Send us your pictures and stories... We are always looking for interesting bowfishing pictures and stories from our state for our newsletter and website. If you have an interesting bowfishing adventure and would like to share it with us, email it to contact@bowfishingalabama.org You might see it featured here or on our website!
Volume 1, Issue 1
Don’t Dump Your Fish! Dumping of fish dumping at our state boat ramps continues to be a problem. Disposing of your bowfishing catch is as important as the harvest itself. If you have fish you’re not going to eat, then there are plenty of ways to properly dispose of the excess. Our game and fish laws are liberal in regards to our harvest, because most of the fish we target are invasive species. So it’s up to us to properly utilize what we get. We have several methods of disposal in our area. Turtle and hog farmers will readily take your catch. There are several rendering plants in state including Birmingham Hide and Tallow (www.bhtonline.com) that will utilize the fish for animal feed and other items. Fish taken by bowfishing make excellent fertilizer and composting material. Try posting an advertisement on CraigsList.com offering free, organic fertilizer & compost material – you’ll be surprised at the amount of responses you’ll get! Gardeners and farmers are often more than happy to take your fish and make good use of them. Create your own local network of individuals interested in taking your fish, this way you’ll always have a place to drop off your fish every time you go out on the water! Contact local composting and fertilizer companies to use the fish for commercial grade fertilizer and compost that is both organic and environmentally beneficial. The Alabama Scale Blazers are also looking into placing signs at state boat ramps to let bowfishermen know that dumping is not only a black eye to our sport but also illegal by state law. The bottom line is sometimes we can be our worst enemy in this sport. We must preserve our sport for future generations and the best way is to police ourselves and take care of the resources we’ve been provided. If you know of any fish dumping issues please contact your club officers. -Bryan Hughes, ASB President
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Alabama Scale Blazers Newsletter
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Alabama State Bowfishing Records The Alabama Scale Blazers have begun a new Alabama bowfishing records keeping system for the state of Alabama. All you need to do is email a clear picture of your fish and a clear picture of your fish on the scales with the weight visible, and the body of water it was taken on and complete the record application form and scan and email it in. The scales do not need to be certified. Fish must be taken in Alabama waters. Email your pic and form to records@bowfishingalabama.org for submission. You must be an Alabama Scale Blazers member to submit for a record. You can join after submitting your entry.
How to submit a record
You must be a member of the Alabama Scale Blazers Email a signed, scanned copy of the form to records@bowfishingalabama.org along with a good photo of you and your fish, and the fish on the scales with the weigh clearly shown. Or you can fill out the form and take a picture of it and email it, along with your fish photos. Or fill out, sign and mail the record form to the ASB at the address listed on the form. SAVE/SCAN A COPY OF THIS BEFORE MAILING. Record form available on our website. Once we receive and verify your submission, your record will be posted on the ASB website. Here are a few of our records Longnose Gar – 23.8 lbs (59) Scott Jennings
Receive your certificate for records! Blue Catfish – 71.4 lbs Blake Helton/Dakota Garner
Bowfin – 4.9 lbs Hunter Lister
Large Mouth Buffalo – 68.1 lbs Robby Elliott
Volume 1, Issue 1
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Carpsucker/Quillback -4.29 lbs Cole Coultas
Hogsucker -1.49 lbs Cole Coultas
Spotted Sucker – .88 lbs Cole Coultas
Common Carp - 37.19 lbs Evan Shaver
White Amur (Grass Carp) – 62.8 lbs Scott Jennings/Coy Arrowwood
Goldfish – 2.14 lbs Ken Lister
Koi Carp – 11.14 lbs Max Anderson
Freshwater Drum – 12.8 lbs Madison Browning
Alabama Bowfishing Club
Alabama Scale Blazers 6239 Hwy 72 E Gurley, AL 36749 contact@bowfishingalabama.org Www.bowfishingalabama.org
Protecting and promoting the sport of bowfishing in Alabama
Alabama Scale Blazers Newsletter
New Muzzy Bowfishing Reel From Mark Land at Muzzy: The 1st production sample is in my hands and it is sweet! After approval we will be able to start production on the reels and are hoping we can have some available by July. Thanks for your patience and we apologize for the long delay in getting these done, but wanted to make sure everything was as I wanted it before we finalized the design and tooling. We thickened up the mounting bracket and it is stout, no bending issues there, we also improved the switch design and it works very well, a end result of the switch, with the fact that it locks the rotor cover forward, is that is moves the rotor cover more forward and exposes more of the reel spool which should make the new reel have even smoother line flow and more distance then the original. The extended cone shape hood already is going to smooth the line flow out with
reliable line retrieval but exposing the spool more just decreases the amount of resistance for the line coming off the spool so this reel should really sing with the smaller lines and be able to handle larger line diameters as well. The attachment is rock solid on the bow with the large, SS socket head cap screw and along with the inner tooth lock washer it will not move or shift when tightened properly. The complete reel with 150# spectra installed is approximately 1.4lbs as compared to the standard reel with 150# spectra line and our reel seat which weighs around 1.6lbs. so this setup is noticeably lighter but much more compact and mounts closer to the riser as well. One bolt and an allen wrench is all that is required to mount and remove the reel.
Also the threaded mounting block inside the mount bracket under the reel will accommodate most rods and accessories as well. I truly believe that once people get use to the switch design, which only required a flip of your little finger,(to the left is free spool and to the right is engaged) will love this reel and of course new spinner users are going to learn much quicker and get accustomed much easier to using this reel as it does eliminate a lot of the problems new and long term users have with the button issue and accidentally hitting the handle and engaging the reel. I think we have a winner and look forward to finally getting these reels to our customers and getting some feedback as well.
New Muzzy Bowfishing Reel Pro XD