Semper Fi, Marine — Mac McDermott will be missed!

Mac McDermott — Mac may be gone to us now but he will never, ever be forgotten. A true friend to those of us who knew him through the years. He was a giant, respected by all of us for his caring, his never-ending knowledge. He was always happy to share for us to remember and practice so others can learn as well as we continue through life. We can thank Mac for the terrific effect he had on all of us. Mac and his wife Bobbi taught us well!

For now, his and Bobbi’s creation — Desert Bass Anglers — will patiently wait until a better time to continue their legacy of “fishing fun” for all of us. Yuma’s fishing community along with others who called him “friend” are in shock with his passing, but I’m hoping, along with many others in Yuma, that Mac’s “Fun Fishing” will eventually continue as a true tribute to him and all he did for us.

• Letter from Bob La Londe, Yuma bassman and owner of CNC Molds ‘N Stuff wrote: “Mac McDermott passed away in the evening of 25 June, 2019. I was out fishing last night when I received the message. Bobbi let me know this morning that they will be planning a memorial service at a later date. I wasn’t particularly close to Mac, but I liked him very much and have huge amounts of respect for him. We have mutual friends who are very close to both Mac and myself, and I am profoundly moved by how much his life and his passing has affected them. I care more than I thought I would, because of how much they care. I find myself moved to tears while writing.

“Many people know he was a respected Marine. A lot know he was one of the more highly decorated Marines in the area with awards from both the U.S. and the South Vietnamese, not the least of which was more than one Purple Heart. Others who know more can comment on his military accomplishments as a real life Sgt. Rock.

Jean Wilson Yeah, just like in the comic books. I’ve fished with Mac and heard him tell a story, or two, that made the short hairs all over my body stand on end.

“As an angler, nobody loved the sport of bass fishing more than Mac. He (along with Bobbi) were the push behind Desert Bass since 1988. For the years I have known them, nobody was more fair and had the most consistent and loyal following in the fishing community. I was once chastised for an informal protest over my boating in one of his tournaments. He had me feel chastised without feeling attacked. It is a rare gift to do that, and from the number of people who continued to fish with them over the years, it is a degree of fairness and respect that he seemed to give everybody.

“As a person and member of the community, I would think it’s a rare person in Yuma who has not been affected in a positive way by Mac McDermott and his wife Bobbi directly or indirectly. Just the people I know who have been helped, mentored, guided, and pushed by Mac and Bobbi have made a positive impact on others because of them.

“I don’t know what else to say. There is a lot, but perhaps it’s not my place to say it. I can’t begin to express the positive impact he has had on the lives of so many, myself included.

“Mac McDermott, I am very happy and proud to have known you. More I think now that you are gone than I really knew.”

• Other comments from fellow bass fishermen: “Mac will be well remembered. He was blessed with many days of fishing, Jim (bassmanjim); Yuma Outdoorsman wrote, “Extremely terrible news. Mac was a great guy. I will miss joking around with him on the water and will always miss him calling us out in each Desert Bass tournament. Part of the excitement of the Desert Bass tournaments to me was when the morning boat numbers were being called out. I send my deepest condolences to Mrs. Bobbi and family. I am sorry for your loss and I will cherish my memories with Mac and be grateful for the time I had talking and shooting the bull with him.”

• Another from a fellow bass fisherman: “I met Mac the first time many years ago fishing the ABA that Dave use to run. I remember me and my partner found a tackle bag floating in the current in front of Fishers. It turned out to be his bag that had fallen off their boat. He was always a piece of Yuma bass fishing and will be missed.”

• Bill Rose, novice fisherman write, “Mac will truly be missed. My thoughts and prayers are with Bobbi and family. Semper Fi!!!”

Check next week’s column for more about Mac and how his fellow fishermen felt about him, all testimonials in Mac’s honor.

Fish findings

• The Safe Boating Campaign shares these important boating safety reminders: Always wear a life jacket. Drowning is the reported cause of death in 76% of all boating fatalities — and 84.5% of drowning victims in recreational boating accidents were not wearing a life jacket in 2017. Wearing a life jacket at all times while boating is the simplest safety step a boater can take, just like wearing a seat belt in a vehicle. Boaters can choose from a variety of U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets appropriate for their water activity. Never boat under the influence. Boating under the influence is the leading contributing factor in recreational boater deaths. The side effects of alcohol or drug use, such as impaired judgment, reduced balance and poor coordination, are magnified while boating. Impairment can be even more dangerous for boaters than for drivers, since most boaters have less experience and confidence operating a boat than they do driving a car. The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, a partner of the Safe Boating Campaign, coordinated Operation Dry Water that began July 5-7 in every U.S. state and territory to raise awareness about BUI dangers. Ordinarily not included in boating safety examples is to use an engine cut-off device. An engine cut-off device is a proven safety device to stop the boat’s engine should the operator unexpectedly fall overboard. In 2017, the U.S. Coast Guard reported 172 accidents in which at least one person was struck by a propeller. These accidents resulted in 31 deaths and 162 injuries, which may have been prevented if the boat operator was wearing an engine cutoff device.

Find more boating safety tips at safeboatingcampaign.com. The Safe Boating Campaign is produced under a grant from the Sports Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund and administered by the U.S. Coast Guard. All statistics are from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Fishing clubs

• Desert Bass Anglers “The Fun Way to Fish”: A lot of bass fishermen in Yuma wonder about the future of Desert Bass Anglers. We all hope it can continue. I’ll gladly share any news I get about this great organization.

• Yuma Valley Rod and Gun Club: Check next week for results of this year’s Big Bass Derby or call Robby Ballew at 919-2453. Attend the July meeting at 7 p.m. at American Legion Post 19 this Wednesday (changed from the first Wednesday due to the 4th of July).

• Desert Pro/Am Draw Series: Our next tournament will be July 20 — keep fishing to stay in practice to catch the big one. Tournament details will be forthcoming or call Michael at 928-750-7081.

• Visit the Hideaway (previously Sportsman’s Hideaway): The shop is now located where Mitch’s Bait Shop had been — you’ll be surprised at all they have. Meet the new owners Danny Woods and Blake Hash as well as Edgar, will be on hand to assist with your every fishing need. Check out the YVRGC bass board while there — you might decide to join the club and get in on the fishing action.

• Yuma High School Bass Fishing Club: A great way for any high schooler, both boys and girls, to learn about fishing for bass with members of both the Yuma Valley Rod and Gun Club and Desert Bass Anglers assisting the kids in providing them with boats and equipment as well as guidance as they learn — it is an exciting year so far for our next generation of anglers at Fisher’s Landing/Martinez Lake. Interested high schoolers can call Terry Hurt, school sponsor, at 580-6567 or visit StudentAnglerFoundation.com to get started.

Hunt happenings

• Important letter we all need to consider: In the latest newsletter of the Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife Conservation, Jim Unmacht, executive director of the organization, wrote a letter that we all need to consider seriously. “Have you ever played chess? Do you know anything about it? For the record, sportsmen and women, hunters, anglers, shooters and outdoor recreationists are in a chess game, even though some of you may not realize it.

“Chess is a game of strategy and thinking ahead. You don’t want to lose your king or queen if at all possible, but you may lose some chess pieces in the process. We have to minimize our losses. We must be knights and bishops protecting the royalty; the kings and queens (hunting, angling, shooting, wildlife management, etc.)

“The anti-hunters, anti-anglers, animal rightists and enviro-litigants despise all we do. Yes, as some among us suggest, they are chipping away at our passions, no argument there. But what is our end game? Predator contests are on the table right now. Predator hunters are not happy. I don’t blame them. For the record, I can’t personally defend the contests, however, I can defend predator management and predator hunting. Yes, there is a social component at play here, but folks, if we aren’t playing the wildlife management chess game smart and strategically, we’re going to be done in a few moves. Whether we like it or not, the social piece has become a major component of the ‘game.’”

A couple of years ago, many of us suggested the non-hunting public made up approximately 60-70% of the voters. If ‘we’ made up 20% of the voting populace, and by some miracle all our like-minded friends voted, we would still need 30-40% of the non-hunting public to vote with us. Maricopa County was once again named the fastest growing county in the United States, and I would venture to say the majority of those new residents do not hunt or fish. Do you think we have some education hurdles ahead of us?

Back to the contests — who will buck up the money to defend them, or fight them? National groups? Most of them were AWOL when we were dealing with the wildcat ballot initiative last year. The list of organizations that ponied up funds to fight HSUS on that issue was pretty small. I am not advocating that we cast off portions of our outdoor passions, but I am suggesting we be smart about what we like to do, what we can do and what’s important that we need to save. The Arizona Game & Fish Commission has proposed a rule change that would eliminate contests, which it defines as a ‘competition among participants where participants must register or record entry and pay a fee and prizes or cash are awarded to winning or successful participants.’ By doing this, they are maintaining their authority over all wildlife management, are continuing to manage predators, and are continuing to afford hunters the opportunity to hunt predators. In my opinion, the elimination of contests as proposed by the Commission is a much more palatable solution than losing predator management and predator hunting altogether by some other means.

I’ll suggest a legislative solution, which we’ve heard was imminent if the Commission didn’t act, is not an option we would want to see, like in New Mexico, Nevada and Oregon. I’ll also suggest we do not want an anti-hunting group to come up with a ballot initiative that might not only eliminate contests, but might take predator management and predator hunting with it at the same time. The non-hunting public might fail to recognize any differences! (The deadline may have ended for our comments to Game and Fish about the contests and rule changing) but, as Jim said in his letter, “We all need to begin looking strategically at the big picture here. And like the game of chess, we need to be thinking ahead with our next moves. We can no longer afford to simply reach to the anti’s next target, we have to mitigate and eliminate their perceived opportunities. That’s the view from here. Jim Unmacht, executive director.”

Shooting sports

• Bowhunter happening 3D shoot at Mormon Lake July 19-21: Family fun 3D animal target archery shoot with 7 courses including 1 extreme and 1 kids course. There will be raffle prizes for both the novelty long shot and aerial archery trap shoot plus many general raffle items (bows, backpacks, optics, coolers) at the Mormon Lake Rodeo Grounds, hosted by AZ Bowhunters Assoc. Pre-register online at arizonabowhunter.org. Information, Hunter Wall, 480-529-3781, hunter.wall@cox. net.

• 4-H Shooting Sports: The Yuma County 4-H shooting sports is open to any 4-H youth ages 9-19. Call the Yuma 4-H office at 726-3904 or Stan Gourley at 344-0740 with questions or if you have a youngster who might want to join a 4-H club and get in on the shooting sports at the Ware Farm in Gila Valley.

• Renegade Archers of Yuma: Archers are always welcome to shoot with the club, so let me hear from you if you’d like to enjoy shooting the 3D trail shoots. Call 726-0953 and we’ll be glad to set up the trail for your shooting enjoyment. We are glad to assist anyone in their learning as well with free archery instructions. The practice range area is open (use is free) daylight hours all week for archers practice and enjoyment. It is best to bring your own target for use at the practice range.

• Yuma Trap and Skeet Club: Anyone interested in trap and skeet? Shoot 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays and Sundays at Adair Park, located off Highway 95, 15 miles east of Yuma, turning west onto Adair Range Road, 1st range on the right. Range fees are $1 to sign up with $6 nonmember fee per round of 25 targets. Member’s fee $4 per round with 5 shooting fields available — field 1 & 2 skeet, field 3 wobble trap, field 4 & 5 trap. Eye and hearing protection required. Annual dues $30 per calendar year. Call Bob Avila at 928-919-0622.

• The Yuma Young Guns with the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP): The program, open to ages 9-25 still in school, will continue with a team of Arizona Game and Fish Department certified instructors assisting. Call head coach H. McNutt at 928-580-0918 or John Gross at 580-1836 if with questions.

• Yuma Territorial Longrifles Club: Get in on the open black powder matches at the Adair Park range, 1st and 3rd Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. Call Roger Bickel at 726-7453 with questions or to ask about .22 matches.

• Cholla Gun Club: Club NRA approved matches (NRA membership not required) will resume in November at Adair Park. Call Rick Kelley 928-502-0736. The range will remain open to the public for safe shooting practice through the summer.

• High Power Rifle and Pistol Club of Yuma: All shooters are welcome to shoot with the club. Call Joseph Murek at 928-627-4556 with questions. Shooting activities are also available for club junior “Whipper Snipers” for all ages as well. Check club matches as well as Whipper Snipers news listed on the club website at hprifleyuma.net.

• Yuma Matchmasters: A variety of matches are offered each month at the range, all open to shooters at 7 a.m. with the steel challenge the 1st Saturday, multi-gun matches the 1st Sunday, IPSC combat matches the 2nd Sunday with the cowboy fast draw the 3rd Saturday. SASS cowboy fast draw matches have moved from Saturday to the 4th Sunday. Interested in cowboy action shooting? Call Irene Snyder at 209613-4598 or Bob Wiles at 920-2158 with questions.

• Southwest Bowhunters Archery Club at Adair Park: Archery is offered Sundays with the practice range open all week. Call Keith Parsels at 782-1086 with questions.

Contact Jean Wilson at jeanrenegade@ gmail.com or call 247-4450.