A Blast From the Past by Pint Kline

BLAST FROM THE PAST
February 2018
Keep a Tight Line
By Jim "Pint" Kline

I've decided to start penning some articles for MBN's new website. The trip down memory lane that I will take you on of events that happened in the past is actually part of the history of the Maryland Bass Nation. I am privileged and honored to share some interesting articles with you and hope everyone enjoys reading them.

How about let's start out with the year 1978, which happens to be 40 years ago. Wow! Imagine that! There are still some guys around from back then. I have over 30 years as a member, but I wasn't around then.

There were 28 active clubs.

The Central Region was formed by a vote taken by 13 club delegates present at a meeting; LaMonte Hugh was President.

In 1978 it was voted on by the membership to rotate the Maryland Mr. Bass Tournament and that the Western Region would host the 1979 tournament for Mr. Bass. The Western Region decided to hold the tournament at Slackwater on the Upper Potomac. Again, wow! Now here it is, 40 years later, and I would like to suggest that Slackwater would be an ideal place for a return visit for the Mr. Bass tournament (or SQT or Tournament Trail). Food for thought. (Oh, I will let you know how that visit to Slackwater went back in 1979 in a future article.)

Neal Peacock of Howard County Bassmasters won the 1978 6th Annual Mr. Bass Tournament with a weight of 21 pounds 5 ounces (8 fish). This tournament was held on the Susquehanna on April 29-30. Twenty-three clubs were represented at this tournament.

The 1978 State Qualifying Tournament was held on Deep Creek Lake on May 19-20, with 140 anglers from 25 clubs. Charlie Garst of Fredericktowne Bassmaster brought five fish to the scales, weighing 20 lbs. 8 oz. The six-man team of Neal Peacock, Charlie Garst, J.R. Robertson, Mike Birmingham, Dan Brand, and Dan Thompson fished the National Championship at Lake Eufaula. Maryland finished 31st out of 36 participating states with a total weight of 7 lbs. 13 oz.

I've included a picture from the cover of the publication from 1978. The cost of the magazine was a whopping seventy-five cents!

Since taking on this assignment of reporting some of the interesting things about our long-running great organization, I would like to make this a little interesting for those who will actually read my articles. I will be offering a free leather Maryland Bass keychain for the first correct answer to a specific question I ask from time to time. For example - who was the only angler in the 1978 SQT to be in the top 10 both days? No, J.R. Robertson, you are not allowed to answer this one. (Answer: J.R. Robertson. I kind of gave that one away; right?) Now that you know how this works, stay tuned to my next article where there will be a real question for a real keychain.

Till then, may your rods be heavy, and your hearts be light.