Pond Boss

We have a spectacular offer for Forum Members only! Many of you contacted us, asking for the opportunity to participate in the Silent Auction that benefits the Jesse West Research Endowment at SDSU. Last year’s proceeds from the endowment went to Melissa Wuellner to buy observation tanks for her work on walleye and smallmouth bass interactions. Melissa will be one of the speakers at the annual conference this year. We’ve also used those tanks for work on the endangered pallid sturgeon. This year’s proceeds went to Justin VanDeHey, who is working on a cool new technique to assess food habits from fish tissue, fin clips, and scales. It turns out that different diets will create a different “signature” in the fish. We’ll have Justin come to next year’s conference and report on his results. However, we are hoping for a very exciting research opportunity. We think we can go back and get walleye scale samples from 20 years ago, before smallmouth bass were introduced, and then compare their diet signatures with current walleye samples after the smallies have been introduced. If this works, how cool will that be??

THE OFFER: Grand Pondmeister Bob Lusk agreed that a Forum-only auction would be a good idea. As you read earlier, he offered to provide four slots for people to spend the night with Debbie and him on July 13 at Lusk Lodge II. That is the day following the 2nd Annual Pond Boss Conference and Expo in Dallas. Dr. Bruce Condello, one of our Forum Moderators and a master angler, will also be at the house. You can arrive Sunday morning, July 13, and spend the day with Bruce, Debbie and Bob catching big bluegill, bass and catfish from several of the 8 ponds at Lusk Lodge II. Then, Bob will cook some of the fish for lunch and create another great meal that night. From personal experience, I can assure you that his meals are on the master-chef level! Monday morning will bring more fishing and visiting as everyone basks in the afterglow of the Pond Boss Conference and Expo.

PROCEDURE FOR BIDDING: We will use this Forum topic/thread for bids. If you are interested, please post your bid for Seat 1, Seat 2, Seat 3, or Seat 4. The auction will be open through noon (Forum time, which is eastern time) on May 23, 2008. Non-bidding forum members are highly encouraged to kibitz, and keep up the pressure on the bidders. Wait, I didn’t really have to say that, did I? I couldn’t stop that from happening, even if I wanted to do so.

At the end of the bidding, the four winners will be asked to send checks to Dave Willis, Box 2140B, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007. Please make checks payable to “SDSU Foundation” and in the memo line of the check, please write “Jesse West Research Endowment.”

Thanks to all Forum members for your interest in the two auctions. We sincerely appreciate your assistance, and we’ll continually update you on the good works of the endowment through the magazine, forum, etc.

I guess after rereading a few times this is the beginning of the bidding? I was wondering if I should make flight arrangements for my longer stay in Texas?

Bob, Stock up the fridge! I can eat a tremendous amount of food in 2 days.

Bruce, Get ready to hand over your heavy weight pond boss fishing crown.

Seat 1 - $262.65

Dr. Dave, I have two items to donate for the on-line Forum auction:

Item #1: I will feature the highest bidder (and/or their pond) in a fictional news article, custom written for the PB Forum. The winner can expect to be the subject of envy, respect, and ridicule. I present the following threads as my bona fides: POND BOSS NEWS, POND BOSS NEWS: CHRISTMAS EDITION, and Cormorantophobia. This service has a value of over $50; if the winning bid exceeds that amount I will guarantee the inclusion of custom doctored photos/artwork from the Von Trapp Family Idiots.

Item #2: I will promise to NEVER feature the highest bidder (and/or their pond) in a fictional news article, custom written for the PB Forum. The winner will only receive future ridicule due to his/her own merits. I present the following threads as evidence of what you can avoid while helping a wonderful cause: POND BOSS NEWS, POND BOSS NEWS: CHRISTMAS EDITION, and Cormorantophobia. This service has a value of over $500.

Thanks, Nate! Sorry about the confusion over whether the bidding had started. Didn't think to add both a start date and an end date. Theo should have been taking care of me.

Hopefully, your bid will let folks know that the "auction" is underway.

Theo - how could ANYONE resist those opportunities??

seat #2 bid of $200

The highest bidder gets their choice of beds, (top bunk, bottom bunk), first in line to eat (behind Debbie), first shot to fish...aw heck..just bring on the bids! The Jesse West Scholarship is worthy!

Seat #3 bid of $100

From 7:30 to 8:10, caught 22 bluegill from 6-9" long. It took longer to pinch off a hunk of nightcrawler and put on a hook under a bobber than it did to catch a fish. But, it only took two whole nightcrawlers to catch 22 fish.
Keep those bids coming!
Chris has been here. He knows what it's like.

Don't forget to bid on the 4th slot. That bunk was Cody's; he left the keys to the Space Shuttle under the mattress.

Bob,
Maybe you should try using a small jig tipped with a waxworm under a bobber. Probably could have caught 5-6 more fish with the time saved. Also your hands would stay alot cleaner too.

They don't sell waxworms at the baitshops here. Nightcrawlers and red wigglers, that's it here.

www.wormman.com 1000 wax worms will cost $28.87 delivered to LL2. Also I highly recommend mealworms too. Fish love them and no wasted time or messy fingers.

oops! I have to drop my bid. I forgot to check first to see if I can even go. I can't

I am bidding on seat number four and I can't even make it. I bid $150 for seat number four. If I win whoever buys me the most beer will get it.

OK, this is what I see so far

Seat 1 - 262.65
Seat 2 - Open
Seat 3 - 100
Seat 4 - 150

I'll bid 125 X2 for seats 2 and 3, and we won't even stay the night, just for the morning fishing fun and lunch! The little man loves to fish, but probably wouldn't make for a very good bunkmate.

Compared to Sunil?

You beat me to it Theo!

I was going to say that Shawn's boy couldn't be any worse than you, Condello, and Cody. I thought I was at a lumberjack convention.

Thanks, Shawn!!

Chris,
You need to either out bid heybud, or buy him a ton of beer. Either way, it would be cool if you came!

That's my plan.

Heybud, how many cases do you want?

Chris, It may be cheaper to outbid me than buy me beer.

Since it doesn't appear that I will make it this year due to a planned trip to the East coast, I would like to donate $75 on Chris's behalf in order to save Heybud the "anticipated" hangover. He will still have one anyway, if he is anywhere near our friend from PA(newest MOD).

Seat #4 is now worth $175.

BarO

BarO -- you can be certain that your donation on behalf of Chris will result in a quantum leap in his education by spending time with Lusk!

Chris -- I'll warn you, when I was at Bob's I didn't even fish. Too busy with Bob showing me around, and me picking his brain!

OK, here are the current standings, to the best of my capabilities.

Seat 1: $262.65, n8ly
Seat 2: $125, Shawn Roberts
Seat 3: $125, Shawn Roberts
Seat 4: $175, assuming that Chris wants to move his $100 here to accept the gracious offer of the additional $75 from Bar0.

This auction ends Friday, May 23, at noon Pond Boss Forum time (eastern, that is).

$300. Wife gave me permission to have a fishing day!