Sportsman club celebrates 60 years

By John Cross
Free Press Staff Writer

June 21, 2009 01:16 am

— Entry from German and Jefferson Lake Sportsman’s Club minutes, May 23, 1949:
Organized May 23, 1949. Motion by M. Casper that membership be $1 with assessment if necessary. Motion made by C. Hoffman seconded by M. Casper that meeting be held on the first Tuesday of every month.
A lot of water has run through the channel that links German and East Jefferson lakes since a group of sportsmen with an eye to improving outdoor recreation opportunities in and around the two Le Sueur County lakes gathered to formally organize the German and Jefferson Lake Sportsman’s Club.
Actually, say longtime members, an informal group of outdoors enthusiasts from the area had been meeting for years prior before officially forming as a club.
Six decades later, they’re still at it. In keeping with the added cost of doing business, membership dues have climbed to a lofty five bucks, 10 if you want a club decal for your pickup. Several years ago, monthly scheduled meetings were switched to Mondays and during the summer months were dispensed altogether.
“We’ve never really had a mission statement,” said longtime club member Myron Wolf. A member since the early 60s, he said the clubs goals have been focused on making lakes in the area more accessible and user friendly and, of course, better places to fish.
Entry from club minutes, Nov. 14, 1950: Motion made by Dollard Hobson seconded by Christ Hoffman that German and Jefferson Lakes go on record to close all lakes to dark house fishing or none. Carried Unanimously. It was decided that each member shoot one pheasant for the Veterans feed to be turned in at Beaver Dam Lodge for shipment.
Clayton Block believes he attended the original meeting of the club held so many years ago at Beaver Dam. “I’m not sure, I was pretty young then and wasn’t too interested in sitting in a meeting too long,” he said. While he has never held an elected office in the club, for years, he has been the unofficial caretaker of the club’s northern pike rearing pond that the club oversees each spring and that has provided the German-Jefferson Lake chain with a healthy population of the toothsome predators.
Entry from club minutes, April 7, 1953: Report on the amount of rough fish removal by Blum and Granseth the last winter in German Lake totaled almost 200,000 pounds. A discussion on removal of bullheads from both lakes was held. ... Motion made and seconded that the state start removing bullheads from traps on both lakes providing the state will restock with sunfish. A vote was taken with 20 votes yes and 17 votes no. Due to the closeness of the vote it was decided to delay final action until next meeting.
Depending on the time of the year, anywhere from a dozen to as many as forty members will show up for the monthly meetings. “The meetings are much smaller in the fall when the harvest is going on,” said LeRoy McCollum, a 30-year member. He said active members in the club number around 40 but that the total membership is around 80 or so. In years past, membership has climbed has high as 125.
“A lot of guys just mail their $5 in with the money for the fishing contest tickets they sell,” said Stan Ziebarth, a relative youngster who became a member 20 years ago. “We’re starting to see a few more younger guys in their 20s who are joining.”
Entry from club minutes, Feb. 6, 1961: Financial report given by the sec. showed to date a balance of $405.25 on hand besides $500 CD in bank. Motion was made and seconded that we leave the fox bounty as is ... Motion was made to send a letter of thanks to Kato Brewing and Don Bluhm ... Motion was made, seconded that we leave fishing licenses as has been for resident and nonresident.
Club activities over the years and which continue include an annual ice fishing contest each February, their major source of funds, a club members’ spring bullhead feed and fall wild game feed.
“We used to have our Christmas party every year at the Kato Brewery,” Wolf said. More recently, the club treasury has been augmented with proceeds from charitable gambling.
Entry from club minutes , April 6, 1964: Mr. Vee, Key City Conservation Club president, Mr. Bersaw, vice-president, gave a good talk on a report of Lake Washington and a control dam at Kasota ... Motion was made and seconded that we join the Southern Minn. Club ... Motion made that Albert Zimmerman and Maynard Vaughn go to July meeting.
The club still continues to operate its northern rearing pond. In addition, the club maintains and operates two aeration systems on Scotch Lake, maintains the floating fishing pier on West Jefferson, and has made it handicapped-accessible. The club also purchased property for a public parking area at the site and had it paved. The club also places and maintains docks, bathroom facilities and lighting at area lake accesses.
Entry from club minutes, Dec. 4, 1967: Game warden Fred Hammer explained the option the state was taking from the club on property purchased from Bob Geldner ... Bob Weller from the state fisheries headquarters at Waterville gave a report on what they had done the past summer. He said that there were 3,500 northerns removed from Zimmerman Lake, but there were more to get .. He reported they were having good success in reclaiming lakes for sport fish by poisoning rough fish with chemicals, the only trouble being they are short of funds.
Over the last 60 years, the club has managed to acquire some 100 acres of land including a 40-acre wetland, all of which are open to public activities. “We tend to get the biggest meetings when we are talking about buying land,” said Wolf. “Guys with hunting dogs and who don’t own land really push for that ... it’s kind of what we’re all about.” The club also offers financial support to annual gun safety training and snowmobile classes.
Entry from club minutes, July 2, 1973: A motion was made by Bill Hankens, seconded by Francis Zimmerman that the club should buy 2 acres of land more but no less for $1000 per acre from Ray Ballman to add to the size of the north public access on German Lake.
Block said the subject of building a club house has been raised over the years but that concerns over vandalism have prevented members from doing so. “A club over by Waterville built their own club house and every year, there’s vandalism,” he said.
Instead, during the last 60 years, meetings traditionally have been held at Beaver Dam Lodge or Hobson’s Resort, both of which now are closed.
Nowadays, the back room of the Legion in Cleveland has served as the club’s monthly meeting place.
Be assured, the beer there is just as cold.

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