The Mississippi County Bassmasters are in their second year
as a bass club. Members are from Blytheville, Gosnell, Osceola,
and Manila, Ark. We joined the Arkansas Bass Federation one
month after forming. Each year we hold a B.A.S.S. Casting Kids
Contest in May during the Blytheville Kiwanis Club Youth Fishing
Rodeo.
We meet the first Thursday of each month at McDonald’s on
East Main at 7 p.m. At each meeting a member will give a class
on fishing techniques, casting, pitching, flipping, tying knots
or help with any other problem a member may be having.
The lucky angler who wins the tournament gets to explain to
the members what lures and presentation he used to catch his
limit. We then pick the lakes we are going to fish that month go
over old and new business and draw for door prizes which consist
of fishing lures and line. We fish two tournaments a month—March
through September. Only one tournament is fished in February and
October. February starts our tournament season and October is
our end of the year Classic.
Tournament fees are $10 a person. This goes to the club to
buy trophies and pay for other club expenses. We have an
optional side pot of $25. Dues for the club are $50 a year. Dues
breakdown is $10 for the Bass Club, $20 for the Arkansas Bass
Federation, and $20 for the B.A.S.S. Federation. The Classic
tournament fee is $50 with a 100 percent payback.
We have a points system we use to decide Angler of the Year.
First place is worth 100 points; second, 95 points; and third,
90 points; and it goes on accordingly.
Our 2005 and 2006 Angler of the Year is Lance Byford.
Trophies are given for Angler of the Year and first through
third place in each tournament.
Since we are a member of the B.A.S.S. Federation, our club
tournaments are not buddy tournaments. The club picks the
boaters partner before each tournament.
The lone exception is an open buddy tournament we have to
make extra money for club functions.
Officers in the Mississippi County Bassmasters are: Lance
Byford, president and tournament director; Ted Smith,
vice-president and assistant tournament director; Wayne Shaw,
secretary; Jess Cooper, treasure; Tony Jefferson, youth
director; and Michael Williams, conservation.
We have both boaters and non-boaters in our club and we are
looking for new members. Anyone interested in joining can
contact Lance Byford at (870) 763-9369 or email
rbyford@hotmail.com or
Ted Smith at 870-532-6263.
