Ok so i got the go on the Conference.. I got a few questions though.. Do i need to bring anything? Beer? Food? Fishing pole? you know the basics lol.. Really do i need to bring anything. As far as the rooming goes whats everyones suggestions? Cabins? rooms? Cheap? whats your thoughts and experiences? And what else can anyone else tell me thats been? Please fill me in a little here guys i hate walking into something blind and showing up totally unprepared
Also feel free to PM me if you dont wanna mention something in the thread..
BGK,
The days are filled with all sorts of informative presentations and even several outdoor activities to give you some "hands on" experiences.
Last year, Shawn Banks electro-fished a pond and the students (and Sue Cruz' daughter) from South Dakota State University did lavage on some of the fish shocked up to see the stomach contents. Bob Lusk and Chris Steelman seined an area.... Some fish were aged by cutting out the otolith(?) and counting rings like on a tree trunk. The next day, several Aeration systems and fountains, porcupine attractors and other things were in operation and on display around the pond...even Pro B.A.S.S fisherman Stacey King was there to talk with attendees, courtesy of Bass Pro (his sponsor).
After all the pond learning, we made and renewed friendships around the bar or lodge grounds till we were ready to drop (stagger). There is tons of things for the family to do in Branson if not attending the conference. My family went to the WW museum and memorial and took out a couple free lodge canoes on the lake.
My wife even stepped in a soft spot after a rain, broke her ankle and the Lodge staff were incredible in taking care of her...even well after we were back home. This is definitly a top rate place!
Anyone attending will have a blast and learn a lot from some of the best leaders in the industry!
Is the Thursday a must? I might not be able to get down til Friday or late Thursday..
There's a convenience store just off the main highway on the road that leads to Big Cedar.
They've got a good beer selection to stock up your room.
I'll be clearing them out of all the Peroni they have.
I've never even heard of peroni must be high dollar stuff.. Well I'll be there for sure.. Hope there's some partyers there
.. There is definately alot of faces I wanna put on these screen names. I might be one of the younger unknowledgable ones at the party but I wanna learn as much as possible and meet people like me so what better place..
BGK...the Peroni IS pretty smooth.
Thursday isn't a must, but a heck of a lot of fun for the Fishing Tournement and the Ice Breaker/meet-n-greet is also a great way to get to know everyone right away.
You'll love the Conference...no need to feel out of place. It is a learning/teaching opportunity for everyone regardless of how much knowledge everyone has...it's NOT a mutual back-patting get together...lol
I'll be there thirsty Thursday..
What's details on the fishing tournament, singles allowed? Cost? Rules?
I'm not sure what the entry fee will be this year. All entrants register individually and teams/boats are drawn at random. We went out in teams of two plus our guide. ALL rods, reels, bait, etc is provided and part of the ~$150 entry fee...The only other thing you'll need to provide is your fishing license which can be purchased on site where we muster for the tourney.
I think we fished for 4 hours last year and for the first year of this, it was nearly flawless. Sue Cruz with Vertex Water Features did a phenominal job putting everything together and everyone had a great time....well until JHAP tried to bring down a bridge by intentionally ramming the pilings with the party barge.
So I quess I don't need to bring my bass boat? Do you have to use supplied rod and reels? And it was $150 entry fee for the tournament? From what I've read JHAP could be a bad influence lol
I don't know if JHAP's actions were intentional.
He has a severe daydreaming issue.
From what I've read JHAP could be a bad influence lol
I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about.
I don't know if JHAP's actions were intentional.
He has a severe daydreaming issue.
I never day dream!
I do however, occasionally take periodic vacations from reality.
JHAP...your last post was enlightening...wasn't your reply to the first qoute simply verified in the reply to the second qoute?
So I quess I don't need to bring my bass boat? Do you have to use supplied rod and reels? And it was $150 entry fee for the tournament? From what I've read JHAP could be a bad influence lol
Back to the subject at hand you animals..
Also is it an additional $150 for the fishing tourney
Everything for the fishing tournement is included in the entry fee except the fishing License. The whole thing is as fair as it can be and designed to be more for fun than as a real competition.
Also is it an additional $150 for the fishing tourney
Yep, it was a completely seperate event before the Conference last year.
Man this is shaping up to be a $1000 trip..
And worth every penny!!!!
We've not been before and am extremely excited to be attending! Don't know what to expect but I'm game for the festivities! It's going to be a "vacation" to remember! We look forward to meeting all the people we've come to know and be friends with here. I hope to go fishing,too!
Anyone have any suggestions for what to experience in Branson? I hope to go at least a day earlier to be a tourist...
Can't wait to meet you guys!
Stacy
Stacy: I wrote the following before the first conference at Big Cedar. Some of it may be out of date, but will give you an idea of what Branson is like. bring lots of Stubby Steves:
For those of you who are not sure whether you want to attend the Pond Boss conference at Big Cedar Lodge please think about making the conference a vacation event for the family, or since school will already be in attendance, a get away for you and your spouse.
Big Cedar is a part of the Bass Pro Shops family of companies and is located just out side of Branson Mo. It is a fabulous resort with its own boat dock, guide service, boat rental, etc.
Branson is one of the nations top vacation locations and offers many features for all family members. I am an Illinois resident, but lived for many years in St. Louis, which is about 220 miles from Branson, and visited the Branson, Table Rock, Springfield Mo area hundreds of times. There were several years when I fished Table Rock 15 to 20 times a year.
Here are some of the features that you should consider to convince yourself or others to make the Pond Boss Conference a part of a must event in 2009.
The lodge itself has an excellent golf course and other courses are nearby. It is located in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri near the Arkansas border and offers beautiful, scenic views of Table Rock Lake and the Ozark Mountains.
Table Rock Lake, Beaver Lake, Lake Tannecomo, Truman Lake, Pomme de Terre, Stockton and Bull Shoals are all nearby and offer some of the best bass fishing in America, and, Lake Tannecomo offers excellent trout fishing. You can even fish for Trout off of a public dock in downtown Branson. Non-Resident fishing permits are less than $10.00 ($7.00 I think) per day;
Bass Pro Shops has a shop in Branson with an emphasis on trout fishing;
Bass Pro Shops world headquarters is located about 50 miles from Branson, in Springfield MO. If you are driving to the conference from the north or east, you pass within four miles of the store just off of Highway 65 and Interstate 44. This Bass Pro Shop is by far the largest shop in their chain, and the home to one of the finest outdoor museums in the country. I made a quick tour of the museum last year and left after four hours with only seeing about ¾ of it;
Branson is famous for live country music shows. Just Google Branson shows for a list, but it includes permanent theaters for Mickey Gilley, Jim Stafford, the Baldknobbers, The Presley Family and many others. Dick Clark’s American Bandstand theater, The Lawrence Welk Theater and others feature other styles of music. Groups and performers like The Oak Ridge Boys, Andy Williams, Mel Tillis, Pam Tillis, Fabian, The Coasters, Bobby Vee and countless others make frequent appearances in Branson’s theaters.
Silver Dollar City is a theme park that is consistently recognized as one of the most family oriented parks in America.
The School Of The Ozarks, just a few miles from the lodge has an outstanding Americana museum. It hosts a huge collection of firearms and also one of the best big game taxidermy anywhere. It even has the car the Beverly Hillbillies used to “move away from here to Beverly Hills.”
Tracker Boats are made locally and it is a great place to pick up a new boat and save shipping charges.
The area has several outlet malls, and dozens of craft and antique shops.
Bluegillkiller and Stacy4Stubby - so glad you are coming this year!! It will be well worth the money ~ an event where you learn about what you love and you love what you learn and where you will connect with so many friends! If you can make it, the Fishing Tournament is the best way to kick off the conference. It starts at 1pm. Partners are randomly chosen ahead of time (I'll post them on this forum), and put with a guide and his boat ~ everything is included except the fishing license, but you can take care of that when you register for the tournament with Gayle. We will have trophies for the winners and T-shirts for everyone who competes.
Thank you for the info, Bing! And for the warm welcome from you and Ms. Cruz. Lots of Stubby Steve's coming, of course
!
Just the resort looks like a "vacation spot"! They must be proud of how beautiful it is. There are so many things we're looking forward to!
Is there a place for me to make my "famous" trout patties?
I will be getting everything lined up this week for me and my posse from Illinois. We are coming down a day or two early and really look forward to dethroning Bruce at the fishing tournament! Also gonna actually drink one adult beverage with Sunil, stock the pool for Bruce to fulfill his addiction while mingling, and attend the womens cooking seminar day so I can eat some of Connie's cooking.
Is there a conference attending thread anywhere so we know who is coming and who we need to convince on coming while there is still time?
The pool is heated and the hot tubs at Big Cedar are the size of pools. I was there last april at the exact same time with my fam and we swam alot!
OK... Here are the details ~ the link to the registration and announcement are on the Vertex Water Features Facebook page and should be up soon on the Pond Boss Home Page. http://www.facebook.com/#!/VertexWaterFeatures
2011 Pond Boss Fishing Tournament
Sponsored by Vertex Water Features
Calling all pond meisters ~ register now to be a part of the 2011 Pond Boss Fishing Tournament! Let’s kick off the 4th Annual Pond Boss Convention with a tournament like no other!
Table Rock Lake at Big Cedar Lodge is known for excellent Bass fishing and this will be a great opportunity for you to show off your angling skills!
LET ME AT 'EM!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When: Thursday April 14th 1-4:30pm
Where: The marina on Table Rock Lake at Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri
Cost: $175 per angler and that includes a guide, the boat, fuel, and fishing equipment.
A fishing license must be purchased separately and can be done so at the marina for $7
RULES AND REGULATIONS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.All registrations and fees must be sent in to the Pond Boss Headquarters no later than April 1st
2.Teams will consist of (2) anglers per boat plus the guide
3.Fishing partners will be randomly selected and announced after April 4th.
This will level the playing field and add to the excitement
4.One team member must check in for weigh-in no later than 4:30pm sharp
5.Only 5 bass per boat are to be turned in for weigh-in
6.Large and small mouth bass must be alive and 15” or longer to be counted - no exceptions!
PRIZES
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.1st place – total combined weight
2.2nd place – total combined weight
3.Heaviest individual bass
SIGN ME UP!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.Download the form
2.Save it to your computer
3.Follow the directions
4.Send it in
◦Mail it with payment to Pond Boss, P.O. Box 12, Sadler, TX 76264
◦Fax the file with credit card info to 903-564-5173
◦Email the file with credit card information to tonya@pondboss.com
◦Call us at 800.687.6075 and we'll help you by phone
Let’s be safe, play fair and HAVE FUN!!!!
Is there a conference attending thread anywhere so we know who is coming and who we need to convince on coming while there is still time?
Did this get put up? Because I'd like to add my name to the list! Woohoo! A little excited here...
Get as many people as you can to come.