| Fall Conference News
Breaking news: From president Tom Clay
Oct. 15, 2011
As the wind pounded over the side of the boat I knew I was no longer on my little lake back in the confines of home,
but on the open water of Cave Run Lake. Located outside Morehead, Kentucky Cave Run has been the home of KOPA
for the past several years during our fall meeting. Each year the food gets better the accommodations remain
first class & the outdoor communicators seem to have a terrific time.
I want to thank all the members that chose to spend some time with us this year on the lake & hope you got
what you needed to turn out a story. This year Mike Mainhart joined KOPA and we where tickled to have him
drive in from Ohio to be part of our weekend festivities. I want to thank Soc Clay for the very informative
photography session during this years meeting. It was not only a highlight but most informative.
The auction, according to Wanda Clay was another smashing success and I would like to thank all that
participated. We thank the good folks of Scott's Creek Marina for letting us have use of the facilities.
Once again I have to save the biggest shout out for Morehead Tourism's Terri Alderman. How refreshing it
is to have someone such as her that realizes the valuable importance of a group like KOPA coming to an area
like Cave Run. For the past several years Terri has been a wonderful asset to
Morehead Tourism & a great friend to KOPA.
Tom Clay
Secretary Report:
Minutes of the Fall business meeting.
The meeting was called to order by President Tom Clay at 12:45 Oct. the 15th 2011
Tom asked for the reading of last year's minutes, at that time Secretary Chris Erwin read
the minutes of last year's meeting, Soc. Clay then made a motion that the minutes be accepted as
read. Ottie Snyder seconded the motion and the motion carried.
Tom Clay then ask that the Treasure report be read into the record, at that time Wanda Clay read
the treasure report, and ask if the members would like to put 5,000 dollars in a short term CD. Chris Erwin
at that time made a motion that we put 5,000 dollars into a 6 month cd, Ottie Snyder seconded the
motion and the motion carried.
Tom Clay then ask that the treasure report be accepted as read,
Ottie Snyder second the motion and the motion carried.
Chris Erwin then made a motion that all outstanding bills be paid, a short summery
of bill was discussed and then a second to the motion was made by
Tom Clay and the motion carried.
At that time President Tom Clay asks if there was any other old business, after a minute of
silence he then elected to move on to new business.
He then asks New member Mike Mainheart to introduce himself and tell us a little about his involvement
in the outdoor communication world, after a short introduction,
the membership welcomed Mike Mainheart to the KOPA family.
At that time Tom Clay said he wanted to talked to members about the direction of KOPA
that some members had voiced some concerns about the activities of KOPA and he want to
addressed that and ask the members if any of them want to make any suggestions or changes
that they felt would benefit the membership. At that time the membership assured Tom Clay
that they were happy with the direction that KOPA was headed, at the conclusion of that
discussion Clay asked that we elect officers.
Chris Erwin at that time made a motion that Tom Clay be re-elected as president, the motion was second
by Ottie Snyder and the motion carried.
Clay then asks that the position of Vice President be filled and the floor was open for notations, Soc Clay notated
Bob Danner, the notation was seconded by Wanda Clay with no others notated Tom ask for Ya's and Na's the Ya's carried
and Bob Danner was elected Vice President.
Tom Clay made a motion that Chris Erwin be re-elected as Secretary the motion was second by Ottie Snyder and the motion carried.
Tom Clay asked that we fill the position of treasurer, Ottie Snyder made a motion that Wanda Clay be re-elected as treasurer
the motion was seconded by Bob Danner and host of members, the motion carried.
Clay asks to moving on to Board members, Chris Erwin made a motion that Pat Roberson be re-elected to the board of directors,
the motion was seconded by Tom Clay and the motion carried.
Clay calls for the seconded board member position to be filled, Chris Erwin notated Ottie Snyder the notation was
seconded by Bob Danner, Clay calls for Ya's and Nay's the Ya's have it. Ottie Snyder is elected as a board member.
At the conclusion of elections Wanda Clay asked for the floor, at that time she recognizes Jodi Maddox for her
work and support in providing us with refreshments and hospitality supplies.
Tom Clay takes back the floor and asks that Sam Piatt please step forward at that time KOPA presented
him with the Cutting Edge Award plaque that wasn't ready during the spring meeting when Sam received his
Cutting Edge award and knife from Buck Knives and KOPA.
Tom then asks Soc Clay to step to the front, at that time he was presented with his Cutting Edge Award for
his continued contributions to outdoor communications.
Tom Clay at that time made a motion that we close the meeting, the motion was seconded by Ottie Snyder the
motion was carried and the meeting was closed at 1:45 Oct 15th 2011.
Chris Erwin
KOPA Dues
KOPA memberships are due on January 1 of each year. KOPA starts collecting dues at the
annual fall meeting for the upcoming year. If you didn't attend the meeting or haven't
mailed in your dues. We are collecting them now.
Dues have not changed they are $10.00 and $20.00 for supporting members. You can send them to.
The treasure Report will be posted in the members only section very shortly
Wanda Clay
POB 515
South Shore, KY 41175
(ph-fax) (606) 932-4126
KOPA Conference held at Cave Run
Eastern Kentucky writers Soc Clay, Sam Piatt honored
By Chris Erwin
(editors note: this article appeared in the Greater Ashland Beacon)
MOREHEAD Every year the Kentucky Outdoor Press Association selects a location
for their annual conference were outdoor writers from across Kentucky, Indiana,
Tennessee, and Ohio come together to improve their craft
and promote the selected location.
This year was no exception. Approximately 30 outdoor writers spent three days exploring
the outdoor opportunities that the Daniel Boone National Forest and Cave Run Lake have
to offer to anyone coming to the area.
The writers were hosted by the Morehead Tourism group and Scotts Creek Marina. KOPA held
its annual business meetings, but the agenda left plenty of time for its writers to fish,
hunt, and hike while photographing the local area.
Mike Mainheart, an outdoor writer from Ohio, said the area was rich with local culture,
along with being one of the most beautiful areas to photograph that he’s seen in a while.
This was his first trip to Cave Run. He drove more than 500 miles to visit the area.
He told me he was looking forward to coming back and spending more time fishing
and photographing the area.
Bob Epstein, a Tennessee writer, made his second trip to the area. Epstein has traveled
across the world as a travel writer and spends a lot of time in the Florida Keys where
he guides fishing trips. He expressed his desire to return to Kentucky to try to hook
into the giant toothy critters that lurk in the waters of Cave Run Lake.
Crash and Justin Mullins, who own and operate one of the guide services on the lake also
attended the conference. The pair also host a TV fishing show that, which they told me
will soon get national syndication.
One of the highlights of the conference was the presentation of the Cutting Edge Awards,
which were presented to two of our local writers. The Cutting Edge Award is given to
outstanding writers who have made continued contributions to outdoor communication.
The award is sponsored by both KOPA and Buck Knives. Only three of these awards have
been given in the last 10 years, and for two of our local writers to
receive this award was an outstanding event.
The first award went to Sam Piatt, of South Shore, Ky. Piatt is a 50-year award-winning
veteran of outdoor writing and has been published in magazines and daily newspapers
all along the Ohio River. He was cited for a half century of excellence in journalism.
Piatt is recognized nationally as one of the most notable outdoor journalists in America.
A founding member of KOPA, one of the oldest outdoor media groups in North America; He
is also a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and
the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association.
The second Cutting Edge Award went to Soc Clay also of South Shore Ky. A veteran outdoor
photojournalist with nearly 50 years of writing and still photography experiences under
his belt, Clay is considered by many of his peers to be an icon in the outdoor communication
industry. As a full-time freelance outdoor photojournalist, Soc Clay’s byline and photo
credits have appeared in every major publication in North America that covers outdoor
recreation. Over the years, he has served as a masthead editor for a variety of publications,
including Outdoor Life, Fins & Feathers, Bassin, Ohio Fisherman, Fishing Facts, Action Bass,
Ohio Sportsman and many others.
We have some wonderful sponsors & I would like to thank them all for sending merchandise for our auction.
A great big thank you to Tom Ables and all the gang at Buck Knifes. They are the sponsor of our cutting edge award.
TC
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In this issue:
• Breaking news from the President
• Secretary Report
• Late Fall Musky Dynamite from Below
• Eastern Kentucky writers Soc Clay, Sam Piatt honored
KOPA Website Links
• Home Page
• Members Page
• Officers
• KOPA Blog
• Supporting members
Late Fall Musky Dynamite from Below
By Chris Erwin
The sky was clear, not a cloud to be seen,
as I put my boat in the water at the Poppin Rock Ramp just two weeks ago. I couldn't
wait to get out on the lake and cast my offering to whatever might be lurking in the
shadows of the standing trees, rocks, and everything else that looked like it could
be holding fish.
I planned to stay the week, so there was plenty of time to hone
in on what the fish were doing.
I would be fishing with my daughter this week. For the last few years, this
has been my time to fish with her since the rest of the family has been
busy working and going to school.
While all my family loves the outdoors, my daughter Christy and my son Scott managed
to get the fishing bug. Some would call it an affliction, while others might be kind
and call it a passion. Whatever you call it, the three of us seem to share it.
For the first two days, the weather was beautiful. The days were warm and the sky
was as blue as the ocean. The sun warmed your face and soon had you in your shirt
sleeves, while the mild breeze only added a zest to the air that made the
day a joy to be on the water.
The bass fishing was good! We quickly realized that the shad were in the coves and the outside bends of
the river. Only minutes passed between strikes as our deep diving Bandit lures were striking home.
The sight of thrashing fish breaking the water, as we fought them to the boat, only added more
excitement to glass calm water. The reflection of the fiery colors of the fall trees burned
into my memory as I watched the light begin to fade, and the orange-red and yellow sky gave
way to the darkness. We found ourselves staying until the last visible light slipped into the sunset.
It all sounds too good to be true and while it's all true, the weather was about to change and so was the fishing.
Wednesday started out like the days before, but quickly turned into an overcast windy afternoon.
The fish seemed to be only sparsely holding on our pattern and while we continued to catch fish,
the numbers were falling fast and the time between strikes' increased as the afternoon turned to evening.
Thursday brought the rains and overcast skies. The bass quit biting. Our pattern was no longer working,
so it was time to try something else. With those conditions, it was time to start fishing for musky.
We switched lures, tying on buzzbaits, AC shiners 7 inch model, and inline Bearclaw magnum spinnerbaits,
but we kept our crankbait tied on one rod to hit the spots we felt might still be holding bass.
Overcast raining weather is the condition that the toothy muskies seem to enjoy. They become active under
these conditions. To catch them, we moved to the flats and creek heads. While the bass tend to stage
in the trees, the musky gravitate to the flat edges and feeder creeks.
Christy drew the first strike. I heard her make this little squeal sound as she leaned back and set the
hook. For the next few seconds the musky ripped line from her reel, and then the fish cleared the water
making a 360 degree gainer. The beast was a small one, maybe 25 inches or so but the fight was anything
but small. She managed to get the fish to the boat, and I slipped it in to the net. After a quick measurement,
back in the water the little, angry, toothy critter went.
The rain stopped, but the overcast day was getting colder as we moved up the river heading for the next flat.
When casting and working the flat, it is sometimes hard to keep your focus because many times you're casting
to open water with no real target to help build your confidence. I saw my buzzbait chopping across the top
and a small swirl forming behind my bait. I commented to Christy, "I think there is a bass trying to
take my bait." So, I reached down and picked up my little crankbait and cast it just pass the swirl.
Two cranks on the reel and - bam! The fish hits. As she did she broke out of the water like she had been
shot out of a cannon, and it wasn't a bass! I could see the crankbait hanging from the musky's jaw.
My drag was smoking as the fish ran off the flat heading for deep water!
At this point all I could do was hang on! Holding my rod high so the shock of the fish didn't pull out my hooks,
the fish turned and started heading in my direction. Now I was reeling like mad to keep a tight line. She broke
the surface again, buckling in a ball, water flying in every direction, as I prayed the hooks didn't pull out.
I stopped reeling and just hung on as the fish dove under the boat.
I slowly started reeling in line as the fish seem to settle down. I told Christy, "Get the net ready,
she is coming up!" The fish popped up by the rear of the boat. I was not fighting her at this point
instead I was leading her, trying to keep her head up. Christy slipped the net under the fish's'
head as she dove deep into the net. I'm not sure who was shaking the most, me or Christy,
but the fish was in the boat!
We would go on to catch one more musky that day. The cold temperature didn't seem to be anything that we
thought of and as the day came to a close we were pumped.
Friday I pulled the boat out of the water
to head for the main lake to meet up with other outdoor writers attending the
Kentucky Outdoor Press Association conference.
Cave Run lake is located near Morehead Kentucky just minutes from I-64 if you would like to visit
the area you can contact Morehead Tourism at 1-800-654-1944 or 1-606-780-4342 for more information.
Scott Creek Marina, 606-784-9666, Scott Creek Marina
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