By George Doucette
The Massachusetts Striped Bass Association is one of the oldest fishing clubs in the United States. And although we love everything that comes with fishing, that’s not all MSBA is about. Over 500 members are working to give back to local charities at this year’s expo.
On April 2nd and 3rd at the University Sports Complex on Route 53 in Hanover, MA, we will hold the largest saltwater fishing show in Massachusetts. With over 50,000-sqare feet of fishing related vendors, boats, trucks, manufactures, dealers and much more, this is one expo you can’t afford to miss. In addition to all the fish talk, we will be running raffles for our clubs many community projects. This includes Homes for Our Troops, an organization that builds mortgage free homes for severely injured veterans (visit hfotusa.org for more information). It also includes projects like Making Strides – Boston, where communities team up and help raise funds to enable the American Cancer Society to continue breast cancer research. The community walk takes place along the Charles River every October and touches the lives of many.
Come visit us at our show in April for a fun weekend geared to the fisherman. Our raffle tables have dozens of prizes you can take a chance on, including rods, reels, lures, kayak, coolers, Raymarine Electronics, and much more.
MSBA was founded 66 years ago in 1950. Over the years, we have taught many kids to fish in our Striper Swipers Junior Anglers program. This program matches young anglers, up to the age of 16, with adult club members. Today, many of those former junior anglers are fishing with their own children. MSBA is a mix of surf and boat anglers, both recreational and professional charter captains. We will be donating raffle prizes on charter trips to Making Strides Boston, as well as Homes for Our Troops to help raise money for these worthy charities.
Come join us in our fundraising efforts. For more information on our organization, go to msba.net, or visit us on Facebook. If interested, contact Captain George Doucette by emailing fishboat44@comcast.net, or calling 617-365-6314.
Our show owes a lot of it’s support to our members and our volunteers. We also would like to thank our sponsors: Jannell Motors Ford of Hanover, Raymarine Electronics, West Marine, Eagle Marine, On the Water Magazine, and Coastal Angler Magazine.