Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss AFS Award for Norm Kopecky

OK, I can now post this without letting the cat out of the bag! Most of the northern PB Forum members either know or know of Norm Kopecky. Norm manages a nice property just south of Sioux Falls, SD. His largest pond is well-designed to accomodate anglers with various types of challenges, such as wheelchair access.

Well, next week (Mar 22-24), Norm will receive a Special Recognition Award from the Dakota Chapter of the American Fisheries Society during their annual meeting out in Spearfish, SD. He was nominated by the SD Game, Fish and Parks biologists for his good work. Norm was planning to attend the chapter meeting, so we were going to surprise him. However, just this week, he had to cancel on us. Thus, we had to tell him about the darn award! As a result, it's now ok for me to post the announcement on the Forum a little ahead of time. By the way, I think they talked him into attending the meeting.

Following is the nomination form that was submitted. I thought many of you would like to read it. Congratulations to Norm!!!

Nomination of Norm Kopecky for Dakota Chapter �Special Recognition� Award

Dakota Chapter member, Norm Kopecky, is deserving of special recognition for his efforts to provide fishing opportunity for disadvantaged anglers. Kopecky�s 4-acre pond has served as a fishing destination for about 200 to 250 anglers annually for several years. Anglers include participants in programs such as Dakota Abilities and School for the Visually Handicapped as well residents of nursing homes and disadvantaged individuals. Anglers can expect fast fishing (10+ fish each hour) for a wide variety of fish species including smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, wipers, walleye, goldeye, various sunfish and a host of other species. Anglers can fish from a 32 foot long covered dock with safety railings. Another popular fishing location is on a bridge leading to one of the seven islands scattered around the pond. Kopecky provides the tackle and bait and requires a volunteer to personally assist each angler. He insists on using circle hooks to minimize hooking mortality.

Kopecky, a native of Bellwood, Nebraska, grew up fishing and hunting and was always interested in natural diversity. He received his BS in Biology from the University of Nebraska (finished up at UNO), an MS in Business from Troy State University in Alabama, and an MS in Psychological Counseling from Ball State University in Indiana. Kopecky served as a seasonal at Jewel Cave and as a naturalist at both the Fontenelle Forest near Bellevue, Nebraska and Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. He spent 25 years working for the U.S. Post Office as a clerk and has two kids, one who is raising reptiles. He currently likes to collect wildflower seed and manage his ponds for fishing. He has been a member of the Dakota Chapter for about 10 years and has attended several of the annual meetings. His ponds have been featured in two articles in the Pond Boss Magazine including one that highlighted a study on fish condition conducted by Dakota Chapter members, Tom Bacula, Kris Edwards and Dr. Dave Willis.

Just yesterday, I received another call from an angler inquiring why we were not going to stock one of his favorite walleye lakes this year. It is refreshing when someone who loves biotic diversity and outdoor activities takes steps to provide opportunities for those who might not otherwise get to participate, thus giving something back rather than asking what is in it for me. As a natural resource organization, I feel it is in our best interest to recognize this type of behavior.

Submitted by Dave Lucchesi, Fisheries Biologist

A well deserved award for an outstanding individual.

Kudos for Norm.

He doesn't seem to come around anymore which is our loss.

+1

Great recognition for an even greater guy. Way to go, Norm.
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I knew years ago that Norm was going to be our guiding beacon of naturalistic light. That's why I named my bottomscaping after him.

You guys know just a little about Norm's many contributions. Another fact for you. Norm and family collected food , water , cloths etc. and over a couple years traveled from SD to the Gulf Coast several times to take the items to hurricane victims and do construction work on rebuilding. My guess is they devoted at least 6 full months of efforts over the time period.

You want a role model - look at Norm's life.

Yep Norm is a great guy. I got to meet him at the first Pond Boss Convention. He must be too busy to post here though as I can't remember the last time I saw him on here?

Not since Aug 9, 2008.

We miss ya, Norm.

I also miss Norm.

The rest of us get conditioned fish that won't bite. At Norms place, the fish still bite after being caught MULTIPLE times. I've often had the idea that Norm's fish understood the mission and cooperated.

He is a very special person.

I think Norm, from time to time, got put off by some of the more non-pond related postings.

We can safely blame JHAP for that.

yeah!

I can't believe this forum would ever get off track...

Holy Moly, way to make a guy feel guilty. May all your February beers taste skunky.



Norm's story is inspiring. He manages his fishery for catch rates. He doesn't care about trophy anything, he just wants folks to come out at catch a fish. He designed features on his property to allow folks to fish that would not otherwise be able to. This,is one of the finest examples of Pond Meistering that I can think of.

For those of you that don't know anything about Norm, here is a thread in which he describes his pond management philosophy in his own words...




By the way this thread that this quote came from is an interesting read...Thread, Hi Diversity vrs. low diversity species in ponds

Norm has every kind of freshwater fish imaginable in his pond. More like a real natural lake. I also think he got impatient with all the bantering and political innuendos.(dont do it, Theo).

AH HA!!!! I rarely if ever engage in political bantering and innuendo (pretty much ever thing else is fare game for me though) so I don't see how I can be blamed for Norms disappearance.

I'm thinking it was Cecil Baird, in the library, with the candlestick.

If the innuendo doesn't fit you must acquit.

ok guys. I am getting a big card and signing a bunch of PB names on it. Going to send it to Dave Willis to give to Norm at the meeting. Let me know if you want your name on it. --

Yep.

Please.

Yes, please




Mongo

Well deserved award

Brettski; keeper of Norm's Ditch

Thank you for all of the kind comments. I haven�t posted for a while but still follow the forum but not as much as in the past. Like many of you, there are so many other things that I want to do in life. My absence definitely isn�t because I was put off by anything.

Dave Lucchesi tricked me into this. He said he wanted to publish an article for the American Fisheries Society about private people using their ponds for the disadvantaged.
Two other people around Sioux Falls are doing much more than I.

John Alvarez was in a car accident and suffered sever brain damage. He can�t drive or stand loud sounds. John built a pond that is 50 ft. wide and 15 ft. long. That�s swimming pool size. He has over 500 people a year fish his pond. Not only do they fish but also have a picnic afterwards.

Loren Christensen has a 3/4th acre pond and also has over 500 people a year fishing it. Loren�s family gardens a lot and they also have a picnic stressing whatever is ripe at the time.

None of us let other people fish except for the kids or grandkids of close friends or relatives. I�ve become very good at saying no.

As many people on this forum have discovered, it is much more fun to help others fish than it is to catch the fish ourselves. There are so many opportunities to do more of this. Not just with our own ponds but on ponds owned by church groups, scouts, the Isaac Walton League etc.

Again, thank you for all of your kind thoughts and I will do a better job of keeping in contact.

Since this is the first post I heave read of yours Norm, may I say it's an honor. If all men were like you, the world would be a much better place. Thank you for being a man of compassion and integrity. I appreciate your pond management philosophy as well.

Nice try Norm, but you're being overly modest. Remember, some of us have known you since the previous web site.

Hope to hear from you more often.