 The Lanier Striper Club was formed in 2000. Its 50 plus members are dedicated to promoting fellowship, conservation and education among Lake Sidney Lanier Striped Bass Anglers. The Club meets the first Tuesday of every month at the Dam store on Buford Dam Road and has a monthly fishing outing the first Saturday of the month (following the Tuesday meeting). Committed to being “Green,” in 2008, the Lanier Striper Club saved 3,000 pounds of fish – fish caught are always put back into the lake whenever possible.
The Lanier Striper Club brings in professional guest
speakers at monthly meetings who cover a variety of topics – no matter
if you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced fisherman. The Club
works closely with the Department of Natural Resources on increasing the
amount of fish in Lake Lanier. They also support the Corps of Engineers
on keeping the lake safe
and productive now and in the future.
OFFICERS
- Dan Saknini, President
- Bob Benson, Vice President
- Steve Sitton, Secretary
- Butch Mingione, Treasurer
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
<To All Members, Lanier Striper Club
From a single
idea earlier this year, the 2009 Lanier Striper Club Funfest grew to 50
boats and over 200 participants. As we began exploring the
possibilities of having an open tournament sponsored by the club, four
members – myself, Steve Sitton, Joe Kuhr, and Tom Blackburn started
brainstorming. After spending a good bit of time shaping concepts into
reality, we made a presentation to the club. With the overwhelming
support of our members, we began planning in earnest. The planning
committee grew to include Chuck Kizina, Bob Benson, Ken West, Buck
Cannon, Lee Weldon, and Butch Mingione.
By involving and
organizing sponsors for the event, Steve Sitton played a key role in the
success of the Funfest. Our Presenting Sponsors were AT&T and
Samsung. Our supporting sponsors were LG, Motorola, Nokia, Pantech, and
Sony Ericsson. Many thanks to our key sponsors. We also appreciate
the support of our Angler Sponsors: Lowrance, Oakwood Bait &
Tackle, Hammond’s, The Dam Store, Captain Mack’s, Check-It Stick, Motor
Guide, Minn Kota, Navionics, and many others.
The
organizational skills and experience provided by Caroline Crowe
(AT&T) greatly enhanced the organizing committee’s effectiveness.
Thanks also to Kay Kocher and Dawn Benton with AT&T for their
involvement, and behind the scenes, thanks to Ricky Mitchell
(AT&T).
I also want to thank all the Lanier Striper Club members
who assisted in the myriad number of details required to make this event
a success
Nine captains were chosen to host our sponsors on
their boats the day of the event: Don Brown hosted LG. David Duncan
hosted Motorala. Buck Cannon hosted Nokia. Lee Weldon hosted Pantech.
Terri & Pat Titsworth hosted Samsung. Butch Mingione hosted Sony
Ericsson. Bob Benson hosted AT&T. Mike Ferrell hosted AT&T.
My special thanks to every hosting captain. .
Our club was
especially honored by the participation of Ralph de la Vega, AT&T
President and CEO; Paul Roth, AT&T President, Retail Sales &
Service; and Dale Sohn, Samsung Telecommunications America President,
who were hosted by Steve Sitton and I – and what an honor it was for me
to spend a day on the lake with these fine men! It was a blast!
Special
thanks to Ken Sturdivant for acting as master of ceremony and also to
Captain Mack Farr as guest speaker at the Captain’s Dinner. Thanks also
to Captain Bill Carson for his involvement with our Angler Sponsors.
This
event brought in a list of “Who’s Who” Striper Captains on Lake
Lanier: Ken West, Mack Farr, Clay Cunningham, Randy Dover, Robert
Edson, Jayson Hammond, Bill Carson, John Mark Thorne, Allen Silver,
Woody English, Ralph English, Mike Maddalena, Warren Turner, Jeff Blair,
Mike Green,and Tim Adrien, to name a few. We also appreciate the
involvement of all the local striper clubs - The North Georgia Striper
Club and the Oakwood Striper Club – thanks for your support!
Positive
feedback is continuing to pour in. Captain Mack summarized it
eloquently: “Lanier Striper Club has raised the bar and set a new
standard for future tournaments everywhere.” THANK YOU, Lanier Striper
Club for helping to create and support this event – from the Captain’s
Dinner Friday night, to the shotgun start with our national anthem and
prayers for our troops on Saturday morning to the post-tournament party
and awards on Saturday afternoon, the Funfest was an unqualified
success. The First Annual Lanier Striper Club Fun Fest accomplished its
goal to promote fellowship, conservation, education and recreational
competition among Lake Lanier Striped Bass Anglers. THANK YOU TO ALL
INVOLVED – Looking forward to next year’s Funfest!
DAN SAKNINI
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August 13 2010
