South Jersey Kayak Bass Fishing Club
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SJKBFC Meeting Minutes

2026 SJKBFC Meeting Minutes

Meeting was called to order at 7:10 pm with the following members in attendance: John Goss, Alex Bronsky, Mike LaChance, Josh Mazzeo, Ben Bullaro, Vic Carapucci, Chris Califano, Stephen Bonham, Bill Bentliff, Chris Castro, Jim Dick, Mary Lou Gicker, Jim Larson, Matt Zappile, Juan Cuevas and Guests Anglers Shawn Helms and Daniel Thomas.

Alex Bronsky – President/Treasurer/Social Media Director:

Membership Dues
Alex collected membership dues for the 2026 season. If you have not paid dues, please contact Alex.

Members in Good Standing / Not in Good Standing
The club discussed members who ARE and ARE NOT in good standing after the 2025 season. As a reminder, all members must five at least five (5) tournaments and attend four (4) meetings + events to be in good standing. The following (previously) not-in-good-standing members were voted back into the club: Ben Bullaro, Chris Califano, Gary Parsons, Josh Mazzeo, Juan Cuevas, Mary Lou Gicker, Matt Zappile, Mike Behre, Paul Heger, Robert Gheysens, and Stephen Bonham.

SJKBFC Bank Account
As of February, we have $1,316 in the checking account. Need to maintain a $500 minimum balance.

Fishing Flea Market Lure Donations
Thank you to all anglers who brought lures for the SJBCA Fishing Flea Market. This helps generate funds for the mothership.

Preseason Tournament Location Change
The preseason tournament must be moved due to a regatta on Cooper River Lake. The club discussed various options and settled on STEWARTS LAKE as the new preseason tournament lake. Same time (9am-3pm). Website will be updated.

2026 Rule Changes
The club discussed potential rule changes for the 2026 season, specifically for a motors-allowed one-year trial period after Vic sent a proposal via GroupMe last month. After hearty discussion and lots of back and forth, motion was made and the bylaw amendment PASSED.

Beginning with the preseason tournament on March 21st at Stewarts Lake, the club will commence the one-year trial period with motors. Full details of the motion can be found in the GroupMe or by reaching out to Executive Staff, and will be posted to the website shortly.

Executive Staff Elections
Elections were held for 2026 Executive Staff. The following members were voted into the respective positions. Congrats and thank you to all!

  • President/Social Media Director/Treasurer: Alex Bronsky
  • Vice President: Matt Zappile
  • Secretary: John Goss to remain Secretary until June, when he will pass off to Interim Secretary Ben Bullaro
  • Tournament Directors: Vic + Jim

John Goss, Vice President/Secretary:

SJKBFC Forms:

Membership Application/Renewals
ALL CURRENT + PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS must complete the membership application/renewal form for 2026 season. They are available on the website for download and can be sent electronically to me at john.goss15@gmail.com

Tournament Waivers (Liability Forms)
ALL CURRENT + PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS must complete the Tournament Waiver for 2026 season in order to fish in any tournament. They are available on the website for download and can be sent electronically to me at john.goss15@gmail.com

Website Profile Information Forms
These are optional if you’d like to create a profile on the website, or update the information on there currently.

Reminder on 2026 Classic Qualifying (Tournaments + Meetings)
Reminder, members need to fish eight (8) tournaments and attend four (4) meetings/events in order to qualify for the 2026 SJKBFC Classic.

Jim Dick & Vic Carapucci, Tournament Directors:

New Entry Fees
REMINDER – we have new entry fees for the 2026 season: $25 for members, $40 for guests. We still need to determine payouts as we now have to recalculate due to issues with spare change/non-whole numbers.

​Meeting was adjourned at 8:32pm.

Meeting was called to order at 7:10 pm with the following members in attendance: John Goss, Ben Bullaro, Daniel Rodriguez, Alex Bronsky, Jim Dick, Jim Larson, and Mary Lou Gicker, Robert Gheysens, Stephen Bonham, and Matt Zappile. Guest anglers in attendance included Neil Tomarchio, Sal Leonardo, Shawn Helms, and Daniel Thomas.

Alex Bronsky – President/Treasurer/Social Media Director:

Membership Dues
Alex collected membership dues for the 2026 season. If you have not paid dues, please contact Alex.

Members in Good Standing / Not in Good Standing
Club discussed any members not in good standing or who wanted to re-join the club.

Membership Roster Update
We are currently at 17 paid + forms members, we anticipate getting to 23 by the first tournament. ALL MEMBER ANGLERS MUST PAY ALEX, AND COMPLETE BOTH THE TOURNAMENT WAIVER AND MEMBERSHIP FORM FOR 2026 BEFORE YOU CAN FISH WITH THE CLUB. All Guest Anglers must complete the tournament waiver.

Tournament Permits
Alex has been in contact w/ Round Valley for our tournament permit. We are penciled in for 7/18. No tournament fee is required. There are multiple ramps and we must launch at the NJ F&W boat ramp. Bring your licenses, whistles, and PFD’s.

Alex submitted and paid Manasquan tournament fee + application. We still need to determine if there’s an additional ramp fee for each angler. We believe it’s a $7 ramp fee for kayaks. If you’re using motors they’ll ask if you have your safety certification.

Alex checked Mullica River and because the tournament is after Labor Day they won’t charge a ramp fee. They do require trailer permit registrations for the boat ramp there for anyone looking to bring a trailer.

John paid and submitted Alloway permits, still waiting to hear back. No concern.

# of OPENs Needed to Join the Club
Last year we changed to only 2 OPENs needed to join the club, normally we require 3 OPENs to join. We discussed whether to change back to 3 for this year knowing we are at 17-23 members when the season starts. The club decided to go back to the original 3 tournaments needed to join the club.

Angler of the Year Methodology
Club discussed whether to change the AOY methodology such as “throwing out” the worst three tournaments of an angler’s season. Club decided not to make any changes, we are keeping the same methodology.

New Trophies Discussion
Due to the massive increase in cost from our usual trophy vendor (under new ownership) we are evaluating different trophy providers. We still will use current vendor for belts, but for medals and trophies we are researching other options and open to suggestions if anyone has ideas.

AI Photos of Fish on Boards
Guest angler Danny Thomas sent a picture of someone that used to fish in our club, took a picture of a bass on a board, and manipulated the photo with AI. This is obviously unacceptable and something we need to be on the lookout as TD’s and just members of the club.

John Goss, Secretary:

SJKBFC Forms

Membership Application/Renewals
ALL CURRENT + PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS must complete the membership
application/renewal form for 2026 season. They are available on the website for download and can be sent electronically to me at john.goss15@gmail.com

Tournament Waivers (Liability Forms)
ALL CURRENT + PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS + ANY GUEST ANGLERS must complete the Tournament Waiver for 2026 season in order to fish in any tournament. They are available on the website for download and can be sent electronically to me at john.goss15@gmail.com

Website Profile Information Forms
These are optional if you’d like to create a profile on the website, or update the
information on there currently.

Reminder on 2026 Classic Qualifying (Tournaments + Meetings)
Reminder, members need to fish eight (8) tournaments and attend four (4) meetings/events in order to qualify for the 2026 SJKBFC Classic.

Zoom Meetings
The club discussed changing some meetings to be virtual/Zoom meetings as many members struggle with distance, availability, and more. Zoom free membership only comes with 45 mins, we are determining if Teams can be longer. John has Zoom Pro via work which is unlimited, but he is moving in June.

Motion was made to make TWO (2) Meetings per year virtual-only meetings. Motion passed. We will make two meetings this year virtual-only meetings – dates TBD. Members must actively participate in these virtual meetings (e.g. camera on, participating in discussion, etc.).

Jim Dick & Vic Carapucci, Tournament Directors:

New Entry Fees
REMINDER – we have new entry fees for the 2026 season: $25 for members, $40 for guests.

Club discussed how to break down the new prize totals. The updated entry fees bring the issue of fractional payouts (e.g. cents) if we use the same formula.

We discussed the idea of doing a raffle for tournament prizes for all anglers who participate in the tournament to potentially win. Like a door prize just for coming. Alex proposed 50% of the increased tournament fee to go to prizes, 50% to go to the 1 st place winner. Zapp proposed $1 extra for 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd , and $2 for the club (aka 60% to payouts, 40% to the club). Club decided to
go with Zapp’s option, so for each additional $5 per member angler in fees vs 2025, $1 extra goes to each place (e.g. 1 st , 2 nd , and 3 rd and then $2 goes to the club to use on prizes (i.e. 60% payouts, 40% club).

Triple Crown
Club discussed Triple Crown award methodology. Club decided if there are multiple triple crown awards, the tiebreaker will go to the person with the biggest Lunker bass. If there’s a tie between Lunker bass, the next tiebreaker is person with largest five (5) bass limit.

Rookie of the Year
Club discussed Rookie season definition, as currently a member’s rookie season aligns with when they become members, not when they realistically fish their first full season. This causes issues w/ Rookie of the Year, Rookie records, etc. and creates unfair scenarios. Motion was made to make an angler’s Rookie season be his/her first season fishing 8+ tournaments in a given season – OR –
if you start the season as a full member. Motion passed unanimously. Effective immediately, an angler’s Rookie Season is by definition his/her first season fishing 8+ tournaments in a season – OR – if he/she starts the season as a full member.

Stewart Lake Preview
Club previewed the preseason tournament. Reminders, MAKE SURE YOU ARE AT THE RAMP WITH PLENTY OF TIME TO CHECK-IN AND BE READY BY 8:30AM. Weather should be ok, slight wind and up to 60’s.

​Meeting was adjourned at 8:19pm.

Meeting was called to order at 7:06 pm with the following members in attendance: John Goss, Daniel Rodriguez, Vic Carapucci, Bill Bentliff, Ben Bullaro, Jim Dick, Josh Mazzeo, Juan Cuevas, and Jim Larson. Also Guest Anglers in attendance included Sal Leonardo, Jason Ryan, Bob Cattawet, and Dave Micha.

Alex Bronsky – President/Treasurer/Social Media Director:

Banquet Date/Location
We are working to secure the Alpha Gun Club in Atco again for our banquet. We have penciled in either Sat. Nov 7th or Sat. 14th and will determine if either date is available, and then decide on which we’d like to choose.

Picking Two Meetings to be Virtual
In order to provide more convenience in attending meetings the club decided to make two (2) meetings virtual this year. A motion was made to make the June 18th meeting and August 13th meetings into Zoom meetings. Motions passed unanimously. The June and August meetings will be virtual only. More information to come and will be shared on GroupMe.

Lake Audrey Clean-Up
SJKBFC sponsors Lake Audrey and is responsible for keeping the ramp area and surrounding habitat clean of trash, debris, etc. Each year we host an annual clean-up, followed by an (unofficial) team tournament. Participating in this clean-up counts towards a member’s “meetings” for the year. After reviewing the calendar, a motion was made to set the Lake Audrey clean up for August 8th . Motion passed unanimously. The Lake Audrey Clean-Up + Team Tournament will be held on Sat. August 8th . Details to come in June meeting.

Tournament Permits
The Alloway Lake permit + post-tournament report form arrived and was given to TD Vic Carapucci.

Tournament Prizes
The club discussed ideas for raffle prizes we would like to implement at tournaments this year. Ideas included bags of lures, and gift card(s) to Blackwater tackle shop. The club agreed to focus on Member Only tournaments for prizes. The club needs to review the treasury and make some projections / calculations around how much we can afford, and how many tournaments we would like to include prizes at.

Manasquan Ramp Fee
There is a $7 ramp fee for ALL anglers fishing in the Manasquan tournament. We will remind the club and include on social media post prior to the tournament.

Matt Zappile – Vice President: No Report

John Goss – Secretary:

Membership Update
The club currently stands at 20 members. We anticipate reaching 25+ members within the next 60 days. There are still open spots for any anglers who wish to join the club!

Attendance Update
The following anglers have already satisfied their four (4) meetings/events requirement for the 2026 season: Alex Bronsky, Ben Bullaro, Bill Bentliff, Jim Dick, Jim Larson, John Goss, Josh Mazzeo, Juan Cuevas, Mary Lou Gicker, Vic Carapucci. We encourage all members continue to participate in meetings.

Jim Dick & Vic Carapucci – Tournament Directors:

Rainbow Lake Recap/Newton Lake Preview/New Signs
The TD’s provided a recap of Rainbow Lake and a preview of Newton Lake. Reminder to make sure you are at the lake with plenty of time for check-in and to set up. The club thanks the TD’s for the brand new signs for the 2026 season!

Meeting was adjourned at 7:50pm.

2025 SJKBFC Meeting Minutes

Meeting was called to order at 7:10pm with the following member anglers in attendance: Alex Bronsky, Bill Bentliff, Megan McCafferty, Jim Dick, Ryan Hannah, Bob Gheysens, John Goss, and Vic Carapucci, plus guest angler Harold Eckett Jr.

Alex Bronsky, Vice President:

2025 Season Preview/Off-Season Review
Alex discussed the offseason including a group of members leaving the club. The club now has open spots, and we are excited to bring in some new members.

SJKBFC Forms

Membership Application/Renewals/Tournament Waivers
ALL ANGLERS MUST COMPLETE THE 2025 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FORM AND THE 2025 TOURNAMENT WAIVER FORM BEFORE THEY CAN COMPETE. These can be downloaded off the website and sent to the Secretary at john.goss15@gmail.com. We will also have physical forms at meetings and tournaments to complete if needed.

Website Profile Information Forms
Members who wish to update their Membership Profile information may also complete the Website Profile Information Form. You can update your photo by sending it along with the form to President Alex Bronsky at ab08330@gmail.com

Membership Dues
$50 Annual Membership Dues MUST BE PAID BEFORE fishing your first tournament. We are extending a grace period until the first tournament and angler will fish.

Members in Good Standing / Not in Good Standing
The club discussed any anglers not in good standing who we thought might wish to return in 2025. The executive board will be in contact with this angler.

Angler Probation
Club held open discussion if there was any need to place any members on probation, or if there were otherwise any problems between club members. Club agreed there were no problems between any members and the discussion ended there. In light of recent events the club encourages open dialogue between members.

SJKBFC Bank Account
We’re in a good place financially, all of our fees are paid outside the Alloway permit which is going in the mail next week. Club balance is north of $800.

Tournament Items

Making tournaments OPENs
In order to secure additional funds and anglers for tournaments considering our
lower overall membership numbers heading into the season, we are considering
making more tournaments OPENs. We need to confirm with SJBCA that no
other clubs have OPENs on the same day as that’s an SJBCA rule. President or
Vice President will review with SJBCA. We are then likely to make multiple
additional tournaments OPENs this season.

Lowering Requirements for Membership
Motion was given to lower the OPEN tournament requirement for membership
from 3 to 2 tournaments. Motion was unanimously approved. Guest anglers
now only need to fish TWO OPENS to be considered for membership.

Alloway permits
Alloway permit and fee is going in the mail this week for approval.

Catching Same Fish Twice
A vote was taken to restrict the “can’t catch the same fish twice rule” to be only
applicable March – June to better align with the spirit of the rule of preventing
abusing bed fishing. The idea is to not catch the same fish multiple times on a
bed, as opposed to preventing the random occurrence of catching the same
fish twice who wasn’t on a bed.

Ketch boards
Alex placed link on website for ketch boards. Because we’re on limited membership this year and we want most of the money to go back to members
for the banquet, it was suggested we don’t buy a bunch of ketch boards to
have on hand for tournaments. We will have 1-2 extra from spare 2024
inventory, but we don’t want to spend needed funds on Ketch Boards vs other
initiatives. We will leave to the responsibility of the angler. Should membership
increase we will reconsider.

Switching Union Lake tournament date
As President and Vice President cannot make the June 7 th tournament at Union, we explored switching this tournament date. However we ran into conflict with SJBCA and other tournament schedules. We will continue to review but otherwise we will need member anglers to step up and support this OPEN
tournament.

September 6th Scramble conflict
The Lake Lenape permit for our Sept. 6 th scramble tournament was denied due
to another tournament on Lenape that day.

A vote was taken and Willow Grove Lake was decided as the third lake for the
scramble, replacing Lenape. Willow Grove Lake now replaces Lenape for
the Sept. 6th scramble.

Wristbands
Alex to check w/ past Tournament Directors for a bulk pile of wristbands, otherwise we need to order more for tournaments.

Fishing Flea Market
Due to other priorities with the club’s busy offseason we will not be participating in the Fishing Flea Market this year.

Banquet
Last year the SJKBFC Banquet awarded 17 medals… in order to save cost it was motioned to change medal requirement from 200 inches to Top 10 AOY Standings. Motion was made to change to Top 10. Motion passed unanimously. Medals at the banquet will now be awarded to Top 10 AOY Standings.

Executive Staff Elections
Elections were held for the board. This year we will need a strong group effort considering the lower membership. This may include some anglers acting as tournament directors even though they do not hold that title.

After votes were taken, the below anglers were voted into Executive Board positions:

  • President: Alex Bronsky
  • Vice President: John Goss
  • Secretary: (OPEN)
  • Treasurer: (OPEN)
  • Tournament Director #1: Jim Dick
  • Tournament Director #2: (OPEN)
  • Social Media Director: Alex Bronsky

Congrats to all who were elected to the Exec Board! We still have an opening for Secretary, Treasurer, and one more Tournament Director. Alex and John are prepared to take on Treasurer and Secretary responsibilities if needed, but also welcome any member who wants to participate as an Exec Board member – including Tournament Director. This is a great way to get involved with the Club.

John Goss, Secretary:

SJKBFC Forms
Reminder you can download the required forms and send them to me electronically at john.goss15@gmail.com

Reminder on 2025 Classic Qualifying (Tournaments + Meetings)
All anglers must fish over half the scheduled tournaments and attend at least four (4)

SJKBFC Meetings
SJKBFC events such as Youth Outdoor Day also count toward meeting attendance.

2024 Banquet Attendance
Secretary will be confirming attendance of all who went to the 2024 SJKBFC Banquet. Banquet attendance counts towards 2025 Classic Eligibility.

​Meeting was adjourned at 8:15pm.

Meeting was called to order at 7:05pm with the following member anglers in attendance: John Goss, Anthony Coco, Vic Carapucci, Matt Zappile, Jim Dick, Josh Mazzeo, Ben Bullaro, Chris Castro, Alex Bronsky, and Guest Anglers Mike LaChance and Harold Eckett.

Alex Bronsky – President/Treasurer/Social Media Director:

SJKBFC Forms

Membership Application/Renewals/Tournament Waivers
ALL ANGLERS MUST COMPLETE THE 2025 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FORM AND THE 2025 TOURNAMENT WAIVER FORM BEFORE THEY CAN COMPETE. These can be downloaded off the website and sent to the Secretary at john.goss15@gmail.com. We will also have physical forms at meetings and tournaments to complete if needed.

Website Profile Information Forms
Members who wish to update their Membership Profile information may also complete the Website Profile Information Form. You can update your photo by sending it along with the form to President Alex Bronsky at ab08330@gmail.com

Membership Dues
$50 Annual Membership Dues MUST BE PAID BEFORE fishing your first tournament. We are extending a grace period until the first tournament an angler fishes.

Members in Good Standing / Not in Good Standing
The club discussed members not in good standing. These members will be GUEST anglers and can work their way towards returning to full member status if they choose.

Executive Staff Openings
Treasurer, Secretary, and Tournament Director openings were discussed. Victor Carapucci stepped up and expressed interest to be a Tournament Director. Victor was nominated, and then unanimously elected to be Tournament Director. Congrats to Victor!

Treasury Report
We are in a good place with the treasury. Ben Bullaro expressed he knows a fellow angler who creates/manages websites and is going to see if we can get a better deal for a website should want to make a switch on domain provider and save money, or come time for renewal.

Banquet Date
The club discussed and selected Sat. November 15th for our annual Banquet. We will work to book Alpha Gun Club in Atco, NJ at 4pm. More details to follow.

Tournament Items

First Tournament – Kirkwood
Alex won’t be making tournament so John will be primary POC. Jim and Vic are
Tournament Directors. Tournament is from 9am – 3pm. We will have additional
Membership Application forms and Tournament Waivers onsite for members and GUESTS who have not completed them.

Rainbow Tournament
Discussion was had surrounding pushing Rainbow Lake tournament later in the
morning due to concerns over sunlight. First light is 5:58am so it was decided we are ok with 6am-12pm and keeping tournament at the same time.

Making tournaments OPENs
The club again reviewed how many tournaments should be made OPEN’s in light of smaller membership numbers this year. The goal of making more tournaments OPEN’s is to increase membership more quickly than in typical years. A motion made to make roughly the first half of season (through Carnegie) OPEN’s… Motion was seconded, and then unanimously APPROVED. ALL TOURNAMENTS KIRKWOOD THROUGH CARNEGIE WILL BE OPENS PENDING APPROVAL FROM SJBCA. We will evaluate membership once we get closer to Carnegie and decide if we need/want additional OPENs or not. The website will be updated.

Wristbands
Alex dispersed extra wristbands to the Tournament Directors, VP, and Zapp so multiple members have some on hand for tournaments.

Alloway permit meeting
Alloway permit is being reviewed today, March 20th . We anticipate quick approval from Alloway and will keep club updated.

Mirror Lake Permits
Alex working on securing parking permits for Mirror. More to come.

Place Boards
Considering getting new 1 st /2 nd /3 rd place and Lunker boards for the Club as the current boards are starting to look a little worn. Zapp has a connection and will report back with estimated cost, so the Club can then evaluate at future meeting.

​John Goss – Vice President, Secretary:

SJKBFC Forms
Reminder you can download the required forms and send them to me electronically at john.goss15@gmail.com.

Recruiting new members
Club held general discussion around recruiting new members. We should each challenge ourselves to recruit one angler to an OPEN. We’re confident we can recruit members but being open to chatting up anglers you see on the water while fun fishing will go a long way. Encourage anglers to visit our website and Facebook page.

Update on Oct. 2024 Meeting Counting towards 2025 Classic Eligibility
After reviewing the bylaws it was determined previous administrations were not fully crediting the annual October meeting towards the following year’s attendance/Classic eligibility. This has been rectified, and any anglers who attended the October meeting in 2024 now have an additional meeting towards 2025 Classic eligibility under their belt.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:04pm

Meeting was called to order at 7:00pm with the following member anglers in attendance: John Goss, Alex Bronsky, Chris Califano, Jim Larson, Bill Bentliff, Harold Eckett, Daniel Rodriguez Sr, Daniel Rodriguez Jr, Jim Dick, Megan McCafferty, and Chris Castro, as well as Guest Anglers Gary Parsons and Mike LaChance.

Alex Bronsky – President/Treasurer/Social Media Director:

Welcome New Members
A special welcome to new members Jim Larson, Chris Califano, Gary Parsons, and Mike LaChance! Jim and Chris were voted into the club immediately after the Prospertown tournament, and Mike and Gary were voted into the club at tonight’s meeting.

SJKBFC Forms

Membership Application/Renewals/Tournament Waivers
ALL ANGLERS MUST COMPLETE THE 2025 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FORM AND THE 2025 TOURNAMENT WAIVER FORM BEFORE THEY CAN COMPETE. These can be downloaded off the website and sent to the Secretary at john.goss15@gmail.com. We will also have physical forms at meetings and tournaments to complete if needed.

Website Profile Information Forms
Members who wish to update their Membership Profile information may also complete the Website Profile Information Form. You can update your photo by sending it along with the form to President Alex Bronsky at ab08330@gmail.com

Membership Dues
$50 Annual Membership Dues MUST BE PAID BEFORE fishing your first tournament. We are extending a grace period until the first tournament an angler fishes.

Anglers Eligible for Membership
For any anglers who have now fished two tournaments with the club (e.g. Kirkwood and Prospertown) you are now eligible to be voted into the club. If you wish to join the club reach out to Alex, John, Jim, or Vic and we will get you voted in at the next tournament or meeting you attend. Also remember to complete the Membership Application form available online at sjkbfc.com and bring $40 for Membership Dues (assuming you fished two tournaments as a
Guest Angler this season).

Add New Members to GroupMe
Alex will texts links to join our GroupMe for new members who need to be added.

Banquet Hall RSVP
Price for the banquet hall went from $300 to $400, banquet date already secured 11/15. Ben thinks he can get his company to sponsor the event and potentially pay for half the price. Much appreciated!

Treasury Report
Club balance $1,380+ after paying Mirror Lake parking permits. We are in a good place.

Tournament Items

Alloway Lake Permits
Permits for both tournaments were approved.

Mirror Lake Permits
We are just waiting on the required parking permits.

Prospertown WMA Status
We need to fill out the post-tournament WMA report for Prospertown. Megan filled it out for us as she works for NJ F&W. Thank you Megan!

New Place Board Signs
Matt Zapp might be able to get us new place holder signs. Likely $30-$40 total for the signs. The current ones are getting a little beat up. We might still be sponsored by Blackwater, Alex to talk with Jeff at Blackwater. If we are sponsored, all SJKBFC anglers receive a 10% discount at Blackwater. Alex will confirm.

Lake Audrey Clean-Up
Our club sponsors Lake Audrey for cleaning up trash, we have an annual clean-up day as part of the Club. This also counts as a meeting/club event towards Classic eligibility and membership standing. Great for those who can’t regularly attend meetings. Considering June 14 th first, then May 17 th or August 9 th for Audrey Clean-Up. Alex to check w/ Layne to make sure no SJBCA tournaments at Audrey on any of those days, then we can decide. 9am – 3pm would be the total time. We typically clean for an hour or so until it’s spotless, then we fish a fun buddy tournament (doesn’t count towards any SJKBFC standings).

Sportsman’s Jamboree
Held by NJ Sportsmans’ Federation on April 26th … same location as SJ YOD. Chair of the council wanted us to come by and put kayaks on display. Event is from 9am-5pm. We probably wouldn’t be able to get there until 2pm due to our Newton tournament on the same day so Megan will contact the chair and gauge interest. Could be a good event for next year and would count as a meeting/club event.

Social Media Report
Getting a lot of attention on the club’s facebook page, let’s keep engaging with the platform. Prospertown results video has 700+ views already. Kirkwood has 600+ views. Tournament results themselves both over 35 likes.

John Goss – Vice President, Secretary:

SJKBFC Forms
Reminder you can download the required forms and send them to me electronically at john.goss15@gmail.com.

Classic Eligibility Update
4 anglers already have 4 meetings under their belt for Classic eligibility purposes: Alex, John, Harold, and Vic.

SJBCA Meeting Update
John gave an update on SJBCA… same restrictions as 2024 are likely for Menantico in 2025, F&W is repairing roads into Winslow and then DOD, they are considering demolishing the pavilion at Elmer Lake and adding more parking, and the SJBCA Bass Bowl will be held on Delaware River.

Jim Dick and Vic Carapucci – Tournament Directors:

Tournament Results
Appreciate everyone’s patience at check-in, feel like we have a great system for TD’s right now. Payouts and check-in have been quick. Thank you to Jim and Vic for a great start as TD’s.

Rainbow Lake – Weather
Tournament Directors will get together and determine if there is any need to reschedule or delay Rainbow due to weather. TD’s will make a determination on Friday. As of now, plan to fish and dress warm.

Pickerel Pot – Feedback
Going to continue the pickerel pot as it gets more anglers involved with a chance to win the money. Good feedback thus far.

Meeting was adjourned at 7:55pm.

Meeting was called to order at 7:13pm with the following member anglers in attendance: John Goss, Alex Bronsky, Jim Dick, Chris Califano, Bill Bentliff, Juan Cuevas, Josh Mazzeo, Jim Larson, and Chris Castro.

Alex Bronsky – President/Treasurer/Social Media Director:

Welcome New Members
A special welcome to new members Juan Cuevas, Mike Behre, and Paul Heger! Lake Audrey Clean-Up and Team Tournament

Overview/Timing
Tournament will be from 9am-3pm, be there by 8:00am sharp (or earlier if you need time to set up your kayak)

Clean Up/Supplies
Thank you to Alex who bought all the clean up supplies we will need. No need to bring your own.

Tournament (Fees, Prizing, Team Selection)
Tournament will be 5 biggest fish total between teammates – winner takes all. We will also have a Lunker and Pickerel Pot. We will draw teams out of a hat after clean-up but before the tournament.

Weather
Looks fine. Always potential for a scattered shower but unlikely.

South Jersey Youth Outdoor Day & Farrington Tournament
SJ YOD got scheduled (well after we finalized our schedule) for the same day as our Farrington Tournament. The SJ YOD is an important event for our club, and so we discussed moving the Farrington Tournament to a different day so we can support this youth-oriented event. A motion was given to move the Farrington Tournament to July 19th and seconded.

Motion was approved. Vote was taken and passed. The Farrington Lake Tournament is now moved to July 19th. Website will be updated.

Tournament Items

Members Only Tournaments / OPEN Tournaments

Club had discussion about adjusting the remaining tournaments to OPENs. No motion was made to change the remaining tournaments to MEMBERS ONLY, so the schedule remains as is currently constructed. We still have several OPEN tournaments and look forward to guests joining these events.

Lunker Pot
Discussion was had around creating a lunker “tiebreaker”, aka moving to the next biggest fish to award a single Lunker winner. After discussion, it was decided NOT to make any changes, no “tiebreaker” rule was motioned.

Increasing Tournament Fees
Discussion around increasing tournament fees from $20 to something larger like $30 to keep up with inflation and create bigger pots. This would be a rule change for NEXT SEASON. We don’t want to turn away any anglers who don’t typically place by charging an additional $10 per tournament, but also the costs of upkeeping the club are rising.

This is a grassroots club and not a money-making venture. But increased fees would allow for some creative ways to get more anglers prizes. Just discussion for now, but an idea that will be raised again after the season.

Prizes
Slay Nation gives away prizes at tournaments, discussion was had if we increased tournament fees next season, could we throw in some prizes for tournaments, maybe just specific tournaments, especially towards the end of the year when participation drops off or tournaments that are far away. E.g. $50 Blackwater Gift Cards, a rod, etc.

We could distribute raffle tickets to every angler at the tournament so even if you didn’t catch many bass, you have a chance to win something.

Mirror Lake permits
Permits are in the mail for parking at Mirror Lake. Done.

New Signs/Sponsorships? Pickerel Sign?
We talked about new signs and a pickerel sign, we don’t have sponsorships per se. Matt Z said he would make the signs for us.

Alex suggested making the pickerel pot a permanent fixture and should be recognized. Alex to contact Matt about new signs and also a pickerel or miscellaneous sign.

Blackwater Sponsorship
Sponsorship only includes the banquet, we individually do not get a 10% discount we go shop on our own.

Treasury Update
In a good place, just below last year’s total, just below $1700. Still haven’t deposited last two tournaments, which should be another $200 or so.

Rainbow Lake Weather
Discussion was had about the weather we endured for the Rainbow tournament. It was too cold, sleeting, windy, and generally unsafe. We could have moved it to the following weekend and should have, because in that weather, if someone falls in, they could get hypothermia in minutes. We also only had 11 anglers. The forecast wasn’t as bad as the weather turned out to be, but moving forward, we must think safety first, especially with an open weekend just 7 days later.

John Goss, Vice President/Secretary:

Classic Eligibility Update
John provided the current attendance and conferred with anglers on any discrepancies. Please reach out if you want a status update on your attendance.

Lake Audrey Clean-Up + South Jersey YOD Reminders
Reminder that Lake Audrey Clean-Up and SJ Youth Outdoor Day count as “meetings” for Classic eligibility.

John is moving to Nebraska next May or June and encouraged those in the club interested in stepping up to an Officer position to do so. He is happy to help before he leaves with any transitions, sharing forms, etc. New members this year, don’t be afraid to step up as these are the best way to have a stake in the club’s future and really not overly difficult.

Jim Dick & Vic Carapucci, Tournament Directors

Big thank you to Jim and Vic for being great tournament directors and stepping up this year. They are pleased with the system and have made a great team.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:13pm.

Meeting was called to order at 7:02pm with the following member anglers in attendance: John Goss, Alex Bronsky, Paul Heger, Mike LaChance, Vic Carapucci, Bill Bentliff, Jim Larson, Jim Dick, and Guest Angler Mary Lou Gicker.

Alex Bronsky – President/Treasurer/Social Media Director:

Scramble Tournament – Sept. 6th
We are keeping Alloway/Willow Grove/Audrey as the Scramble lakes.

Logistics, Meeting Location(s): All anglers can go directly to their preferred lake of choice. We will share an identifier code before the tournament on GroupMe.

Entry Fee: Anglers can pay their dues for the Scramble at Audrey OR at Cooper before the Scramble. If an angler ISN’T fishing either Audrey or Cooper, they can Venmo Alex. Payouts will be made the following tournament.

Scoring: After discussion, a motion was made for anglers to just send photos to TD’s for scoring submission so we don’t have to all meet up after in a central location. Seconded, and approved. Anglers will be able to post photos on GroupMe or send to both TD’s directly via text.

Identifiers: We will distribute wristbands at Audrey and Cooper. Anglers need to bring a Sharpie or pen to the Scramble to write their code down. Code doesn’t have to be on a wristband, but it needs to be in the photo somewhere. We will send the code on GroupMe the morning of the tournament.

SJKBFC Branded Banner for Club Events, Sponsors (e.g. South Jersey YOD, etc.)
Club discussed making a banner we can put up at tournaments or club events. Would be an easy way to promote the club. We will contact Zapp and see where we’re at at the end of the year in funds.

SJKBFC Signs/Stickers
Alex has the original high-res file, looking into Shutterfly or a website. Mike LaChance knows someone whose job is making signs/stickers as well. We need a Miscellaneous Pot sign and to refresh current signs that are getting beat up.

AOY Standings Update + Awards Update

  • Danny and Zapp are tied with a 21” lunker for Lunker of the Year.
  • Jim Larson is leading Rookie of the Year and within ~60” of breaking the Rookie record.
  • AOY race is tight between Alex, Danny, and Matt
  • Alex is leading Most Improved Angler of the Year
  • Alex is leading Golden Rule Award for Lenape bag

John Goss – Vice President/Secretary:

The following anglers have already qualified for the SJKBFC Classic: Alex Bronsky, Bill Bentliff, Daniel Rodriguez, Harold Eckett Jr, Jim Dick, Jim Larson, John Goss, and Vic Carapucci.

As a reminder, members must compete in at least 8 tournaments and at least 4 meetings/club events to qualify for the Classic.

Jim Dick & Vic Carapucci – Tournament Directors:

Rulings for Incorrectly Placed Fish on Board
Nothing on the website right now about what to do if a fish is incorrectly placed on the board, ruling was probably lost during the website transfer. TD’s believe DQ for incorrectly placed fish is too harsh. However, if the head is completely covered, that is still a DQ. Also, if the identifier isn’t visible, that’s still a DQ. Alex to draft language and put on website. A 2” deduction was motioned and approved. Any fish incorrectly placed on a board will take a 2” deduction in length. If the face is covered where it meets the board, or the identifier isn’t in the photo, that’s still a DQ.

​Meeting was adjourned at 8:03pm.

Meeting was called to order at 7:09pm with the following member anglers in attendance: John Goss, Alex Bronsky, Paul Heger, Vic Carapucci, Chris Castro, Gary Parsons, Jim Dick, Mary Lou Gicker, Chris Califano, Jim Larson, and Ben Bullaro.

Alex Bronsky – President/Treasurer/Social Media Director:

Alex reviewed the season, including award winners, rookies, and significant moments/achievements in the club.

2025 Classic – Sept. 27th and 28th
Day 1 at Audrey, Day 2 at Union. Combined 5 biggest fish for both days. $10 buy in per day, Lunker is the only payout.

If you’re fishing the Classic and don’t show up on Day 1, it’s generally frowned upon to fish Day 2 as you don’t likely have a chance to win and could be taking fish from anglers that do have a chance to win. Come out to Audrey Day 1!

Championship Belt – Still need to order off Amazon, and then we have a local trophy place put placards and emblems on it.

Banquet Planning
The 2025 SJKBFC Banquet is at Alpha Gun Club, Atco, NJ – Nov. 15th – 4:00pm. We discussed food for the banquet. Last year we ordered pizzas with leftover funds from the club. This year we are going back to bringing our own food. John will create a live spreadsheet for members to put their name down next to dish(es) and supplies to bring. Everyone be a good sport and bring something!

Set-Up/Break-Down Volunteers: We’ll need some volunteers to set up/break down. Appreciate anyone who assists.

+1: Reminder: members are able to bring a +1 to the Banquet!
Medals: This year we are only doing medals for the Top 10 finishers in AOY. Last year we did 200”+ and handed out 17 medals, so this will also help reduce this expense.

Awards/Budget: Last year’s awards were $476, which included the 17 medals, this year should be less expensive. Most awards are updated on the website, except Classic champion and Most Improved.

Lure Exchange: We do a $25 Lure Exchange at the Banquet. You buy $25 of tackle, put it in a bag, and then bring it to the Banquet, where you can then take a bag from someone else.

Door Prizes – Blackwater: We do a raffle and hand out prizes from Blackwater at the Banquet again. Everyone typically goes home with something – we even give out rods and reels. We’ll see how much budget is left over after upcoming expenses.

Gifts for Wives/Partners/Guests: Last year we did flowers, we’ll think of something again this year. Flowers are always a good gift. Alex’s girlfriend works with a florist, and we got a significant discount.

10-Year Jackets: Don’t think anyone is eligible this year, so that is another expense we don’t need to incur.

Lake Selection Meeting Oct. 16th
The 2026 Lake Selection Meeting is our next meeting, October 16th! VERY important meeting to attend.

Submitting Top 5: Between now and the October 16th meeting, members need to
submit their Top 5 lakes to John (314-315-7121 or GroupMe). Put an * next to your TOP lake, and it will receive two votes. Keep in mind any lakes that we’ve discussed we want to fish but haven’t recently (e.g. Manasquan, Salem Canal) or those up North (Round Valley, Spruce Run, etc.). Alex will compile an exhaustive list of lakes we have fished or want to fish to help anglers select their Top 5.

Voting Procedure: John will count all the lake submissions, tabulate in order from most to least selected, and create a final list of the lakes. At the Oct. meeting, we then go down lake by lake from the top and vote on each lake, as well as the Classic. We also set a tentative schedule for these tournaments to share w/ Mothership and seek approval.

Also, a reminder the Oct meeting counts towards your 2026 meetings, including 2026 Classic Eligibility.

Treasury Update
We have $3000 in the treasury account and are in a good place YoY.

2026 South Jersey Youth Outdoor Day:
Next year’s YOD is already set for July 11th. We will not set a tournament for that date.

John Goss – Vice President/Secretary:

Classic Eligibility + Attendance Update + Vote
Ben, Gary, Paul, and Juan all attended tonight’s meeting and were voted into the Classic. We gave some leniency this year on Classic qualification due to lower membership numbers.

Jim Dick & Vic Carapucci – Tournament Directors:

Potential Rule Changes for Next Season (Discussion Only)
Club held an earnest discussion around allowing motors next year. Lots of pros and cons to consider. This would be a bylaw change, so no vote was held at the meeting, and plenty of advance notice (minimum two weeks) would be given of any upcoming vote – most likely at the Oct. or Feb meeting.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:32pm

Meeting was called to order at 7:11 pm with the following members in attendance:

Alex Bronsky – President/Treasurer/Social Media Director:

2025 Classic Recap
Alex and Jim reviewed the 2025 Classic. Jim walked through his winning baits + techniques at Audrey and Union. Congrats to Jim Dick!!

Banquet Planning
The 2025 SJKBFC Banquet is at Alpha Gun Club, Atco, NJ – Nov. 15th – 4:00pm.

Set-Up/Break-Down Volunteers: Looking for volunteers to help set up. We will send a post in the GroupMe closer to banquet time.

+1: Reminder members are able to bring a +1 to the Banquet! Alex will send out a request for a headcount in the GroupMe.

Medals/Awards/Budget: Medals and awards have been ordered. Price seems to have gone up, also, the trophy shop is under new ownership, so been working to get everything ordered correctly.

Working on a new surprise award to be revealed at the banquet. If anyone has photos of their trophies or awards, send them to Alex so the trophy guy can make them similar.

Lure Exchange: If you want to participate in the lure exchange, bring approx. $25 of unopened lures in a bag to the banquet. You are welcome to spend more, but $25 is our typical amount spent per bag.

Door Prizes – Blackwater: Each banquet we give out raffle tickets to the members. We draw from a hat, and typically everyone is able to win a prize. Thank you to anglers who have also donated gear!

Gifts for Wives/Partners/Guests: The club decided on flowers again for our +1’s. Alex will order as he has a contact in the flower business.

2026 Tournament Entry Fees
With the costs of running the club all rising significantly (website, awards, trophies, etc.), the club discussed raising the tournament entry fees. The entry fees have been $20 since the inception of the club. Jim mentioned that for OPEN tournaments the fees are typically significantly higher than club tournaments. After discussing various amounts to raise the entry fees, a motion was submitted to raise MEMBER entry fees to $25 and guest angler fees for OPENS to$40. We have to consider the miscellaneous pot as well. Motion passes unanimously. New entry fees for the 2026 Season are $25 for Members, $40 for guest anglers. This does not include the $5 optional miscellaneous pot.

2026 Meeting Schedule
Our 2026 meeting schedule is set, it’s going to be close to emulating this year, but Feb and March will be on Tuesdays due to the library having conflicts. We are open to meeting somewhere else as well and can discuss closer to that date.

Lake Selection
Thank you to all member who submitted their Top 5 lakes. We first discussed available dates and set the tentative schedule subject to SJBCA approval. We then went down the list of submitted lakes and voted on each. After going through all of the submitted lakes, we ended up 1 short of 15. We also had not selected a lake for the preseason tournament. It was said Kirkwood was smaller than we would like. A motion was made to make Cooper River Lake the preseason tournament, 2nd ’d, and was unanimously approved. A motion was made to make the Mullica River the 15th tournament lake selected. 2nd ’d, and motion passed. The club then went down the selected dates and began pairing lakes to each date. We then decided Members Only or OPEN for each of the tournaments. After votes, the following fisheries are on the 2026 schedule: Cooper (Preseason), Rainbow, Newton, Lenape, Assunpink, Manasquan, Union, Davis Mills, Prospertown, Round Valley, Salem Canal, Carnegie, D.O.D., Alloway, Mullica River, Audrey. We then voted on which two lakes would be the Classic lakes. After votes were counted, Lenape (Day 1) and Newton
(Day 2) were selected as the two Classic lakes.

Next year’s YOD is already set for July 11th. We will not set a tournament for that date.

John Goss – Vice President/Secretary:

Oct Meeting + Banquet Attendance Reminder for 2026 Eligibility
Reminder that this meeting and the Banquet count as meetings for next season’s eligibility.

2026 Executive Board Elections – Feb Meeting
Reminder that next year we will have openings for multiple executive positions and will vote in the February meeting. Come prepared!

Jim Dick & Vic Carapucci – Tournament Directors:

Sponsorship Outreach
We are working to procure one or multiple sponsors of the club. We are ideating on sponsorship assets, but are considering social media posts, inclusion on the website, a tent/banner displayed at tournaments/events, and more. Thank you to Vic for leading this!

Meeting was adjourned at 8.59pm.