Bass Lake Association Newsletter
Spring 2015
Greetings Hello to all Bass Lake Association members!! Well, the winter wasn't too bad this year, and the ice went off
the lake on April 4th this year; nearly a full month earlier than last year. Many residents already have their
docks in and a number of cabin owners have opened up their cabins. The DNR even has the dock at the
landing in so we can easily launch our boats and pontoons. I think its fair to say all are looking forward to
another great summer on Bass Lake.
Important DatesThe next Bass Lake Association Business Meeting will be held at Camp Friendship at the new DeGross
Center on Saturday, June 6th from 9:00 to 11:30 AM. We had a great business meeting last year, and we hope
to have a good turnout again this year. Coffee and donuts will be provided.
We are planning to have three social gatherings at the Hitching Post at Lake Center once again this year. The
dates we have chosen are June 20th, July 18th, and August 29th. We usually try to meet around 6:30 PM. For
those of you who haven't been to the Hitching Post this year, the owners remodeled over the winter, so stop
by and see the new surroundings. These gatherings are a great way to reconnect with your Bass Lake
neighbors and meet new friends on the lake.
Although it's early to be thinking of our annual picnic, it has been scheduled for Saturday, August 8th. We
will hold it at Camp Friendship from 3-5 PM in the afternoon. Look for reminders to appear in your mail
boxes or screen doors the weekend before the business meeting and our summer picnic.
Association MembershipLast year we had 59 dues-paying members which is down slightly from the last couple of years. We would
like to remind everyone to get their dues in to Penny Nesbitt as soon as possible. We will provide a full
summary of our membership roster and participation in our Healthy Lakes Conservation fund at our business
meeting in June.
Wild Life UpdateBoard members have reported seeing a few muskrats on the lake once again this year, and it's likely that we'll
take steps to trap them for property owners who are experiencing property damage. If you have seen
muskrat runs along your shoreline, kindly notify Craig Laing or Ray Sawicky. We will engage Denny
Rassett once again this Spring if needed.
All Bass Lake residents are encouraged to be on the lookout for Carp which became a bit of a problem last
year during the high water season. While we haven't seen any yet this year, we want to make sure they don't
become a problem over the next few years.
It appears that Bass Lake will once again have a nesting pair of loons this year. Our loon nest platform was
placed at its usual place on Saturday, April 18th, and we hope our loons will have a successful hatch this year.
Special thanks to Craig Laing, Tom Pitra, Ray Sawicky, and Doug Crane for helping to transport and set up
the loon nest platform this year.
DNR RegulationsWe want to make sure that everyone continues to follow DNR regulations with regard to transporting your
boats with the drain plugs removed and live wells emptied. Failure to remove a drain plug can result in a
$175 fine.
Boaters are also reminded to check for and remove lake weeds from boats, trailers, and props before
transporting boats or pontoons from one lake to the next. And, if you've been on a lake with Zebra Mussels,
make sure you power wash your boat before launching on another lake. We encourage everyone to make
sure they have a current license for all watercraft. We also want to remind/inform everyone that residents
should have a permit number for any swim platforms they place on the lake. Licenses and permits can be
obtained from the license bureau at City Hall in Annandale this year.
Fishing RegulationsAnglers are encouraged to review the new fishing regulations when they get their fishing licenses again this
year. Limits for daily catches, sizes, and “in-possession limits” may have changed from last year depending
on the species. We have had reports that the number of Northern Pike in the lake are definitely on the
increase, so we are encouraging anglers to keep any Northern Pike they may catch, even the small ones.
While the fishing opener starts on May 9th this year, Bass Season doesn't begin until May 23rd. Current daily
catch limits for various fish include:
•
Northern – 3 ea. – nothing over 40”
•
Crappies – 10 ea.
•
Sunnies – 20 ea.
•
Bass – 3 ea.
After consultation with the DNR about the potential stocking of Walleyes in Bass Lake, the Board has
decided to not to proceed with this action for now. There were several overriding considerations including
the following:
•
Due to the lack of structure as well as having a high population of Bass and Northerns in the lake and
a low population of Perch, long term survival rates of Walleye fingerlings are likely to be very low.
•
Short term viability would cause additional fishing pressure on the lake and increase the likelihood of
introducing additional invasive species.
Invasive Species UpdateThe Board has decided to forgo any additional treatment for Curly Leaf Pondweed this year, as it appears
that last year's treatment was quite successful. The Board met with Mike Norton of Lake Restoration
Services this Spring to discuss our lake weed treatment program and we hope that a periodic preventive
treatment may be adequate for our on-going needs. Furthermore, the Point Intercept Survey conducted in
September by Freshwater Scientific indicated a healthy population of desirable lake weeds, and we will
continue to monitor overall water quality as well as the need for additional lake weed treatment throughout
the summer. More information will be provided to association members during our business meeting in June.
Slow/No Wake RestrictionsWith water levels being somewhat lower this Spring, the Board does not see the need to have a Slow/No
Wake Restriction to be put in place for this year. Should we have an usually rainy month of May or June, the
Board may change its position on the need for this restriction. We will solicit as well as provide additional
information on this topic to association members during our business meeting in June.
Bass Lake Board MembersA number of new Board members joined the association board last fall. Current board members include the
following:
Jim Dvorak, President
Craig Laing, Vice President
Penny Nesbitt, Treasurer
Lorene Force, Secretary
Connie Crane
Martha Reger
Ray Sawicky
Tom Pitra
That's about it. If you have questions or concerns kindly call or write one of the Bass Lake Association
Board members. We look forward to meeting with everyone at our Board meeting in June and we want to
wish everyone a wonderful summer 2015 on Bass Lake!!
Best regards,
Jim Dvorak
President, Bass Lake Association
Cell phone: 612-205-3430
Email: [email protected]
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2015 Association Dues
Enclose your check for $35.00 made payable to Bass Lake Association.
Please enclose this form with your payment. Send to: Bass Lake Association,
P.O. Box 491, Annandale, MN 55302 or Penny Nesbitt, 6362 Wild Oaks Terrace, Prior Lake,
MN 55372. In order to update our Bass Lake Directory in time for the meeting, Penny needs
this information by June 1, 2015. Thank you.
Name(s) ________________________________________________
Lake Address: _______________________________ Lake Phone: _____________________
______________________________(city/zip) Cell Phone: ____________________
Home Address _____________________________ Home Phone: ____________________
_______________________(city/state/zip)
Email Address ____________________________________________
Optional $35 donation to our Healthy Lake Fund enclosed _______