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Dan Draz

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About Dan Draz

  • Birthday 01/27/1961

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  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    Naperville
  • Interests
    Fishing (Obviously!). Bass (LM & SM), Salmon, Steelhead & Sturgeon. Saltwater and Freshwater.

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Dan Draz's Achievements

ISA Member

ISA Member (4/4)

  1. So, really what Eric's putting out there with the "what's your product" question is "what's ISA's brand?" There are going to be marketing folks in this group who will certainly do far more justice to this question than I will... but in pondering that question, a couple things immediately come to mind when I describe ISA to people I'm speaking with and I put it into three buckets: 1) Targeted Information: ISA's a group of dedicated smallmouth anglers, with specialized skills, who promote the species/sport and in doing so willingly share (reliable and actionable) information with others interested in the same activity. While we don't knowingly divulge spots, I've yet to run into anyone who won't have an honest conversation with me about techniques, baits, etc. (that flat out work) which has made me better a better river/stream smallmouth angler. While there are alot of boards out there where people are "allegedly sharing reliable" information, how credible is the information really? I was on one the other day and saw a post from Scott Ferguson. My first reaction was WORD!! I know that information is reliable and straight up. However, I've heard from credible sources that a number of the people on non ISA boards, who are promoting their angling expertise, are as much about spreading fishing "disinformation" as they are in providing real, accurate, and useful information. I.e. I'm catching all my fish on a hard to find, purple, polka dot, 7 inch, Bulgarian rip baits with a chartreuse trailer when it was actually a green tube. My point? Until information is deemed to be credible you have to take most things you get on boards, and in life, with a "grain of salt" because the source hasn't been determined to be "reliable." I won't go so far to say that that's never happened in an ISA forum, or that no ISA member has ever gone so far as to spread purposeful lure or technique disinformation, but that's not been my experience. I don't have time for those kinds of games! Everyone I've ever reached out to at ISA with a question has been straight up and transparent. And I can count on the fact that the information put out by ISA publications, in person get togethers, floats, newsletters, etc is from credible sources who are providing credible information to others in furtherance of the sport and helping them enjoy the sport. That information, in turn helps me be a better smallmouth angler, increases my chances of being successful on the water and adds to the enjoyment of the experience when I get out. 2) Active Conservation: Promoting stream development, stream restoration, pollution mitigation/remediation and species awareness to protect waterway resources, habitat and the smallmouth species for anglers in IL and future generations to enjoy. Conservation is baked into ISA's DNA. In today's environment that speaks to organizational character. If it's true that "you are who you associate with" (and it is) then this speaks volumes for the character of ISA members and the organization's mission statement. 3) Organized Angling Camaraderie: How many times do anglers on random boards (lacking a common cause) ACTUALLY get together in person in furtherance of that cause? Not very often I have to believe. So, when it comes to differentiating our brand from others, I believe we have a lot to offer that others clearly do not and all this is worth more than the $20 membership! Organizationally, we provide a lot of value from where I sit!
  2. I wrote this post because given the events of last week I started thinking about the situation that organized (fishing) groups face these days not only to bring in new members but to survive and thrive which is imperative to the future of their mission. The realization of the situation is the first step and that definitely hit home for me last week. So, I decided to throw this topic out there and try to not only generate some open dialog about it but increase the awareness of the challenges we're all facing. To avoid the inevitable, we need to try and drive interest in ISA from diverse age groups so that it remains vital year over year. Any ideas are good ideas and no one's judging anyone for the thoughts, ideas or suggestions they share. Whether it's 1:1 conversations via phone, e-mail, IM, or chatting with someone while standing in the water or in a tackle store, grass roots efforts or organized initiatives, it's all pointing in the right direction. Doesn't have to be high pressure or annoying, just nudge people in the right direction and eventually they'll want to come see what this very cool organization is all about! Then, they're "hooked" (pun intended)! Remember: It all starts with 1!
  3. The Background This week I received a wakeup call about the existence of fishing organizations. I've been a member of a very strong West Coast fishing organization with a strong conservation bend (ring a bell with anyone?) for 25 years now. The organization has 10 chapters - the one I belonged to was in the largest metropolitan area with the biggest population base and demographic of people who have money and can afford to fish, fish destinations, buy boats, and buy tackle. Should be vibrant - all good, right? Think again. I just received a notice that this chapter was shuttering operations and would no longer be in existence. The Contributing Factors There were a number of prevalent reasons but the main two had to do with declining membership and the age of the members. The inability to bring in younger members, infuse the group with new blood and and "revitalize" the organization eventually catches up with all organizations (fishing or otherwise). And absent a continual influx of new members eventually organizations just meet their eventual demise. I started looking at pictures from their other area chapter meetings. Same age demographic. 10 chapters are now in the same eventual demise cycle. Let me bring this a bit closer to home. The other day, I started looking at some pictures of local Chicago area fishing groups from their meetings. Suffice it to say there wasn't a person in the room under 60 years old. The number might actually have been closer to 70 but let's go with 60 for discussion sake. Given the same set of circumstances and inability to bring in a younger demographic - these organizations will, in the not too distant future, meet their eventual demise as well. Part of the challenge in getting younger members into fishing organizations is that younger people have to be out fishing. We know that getting kids into the outdoors is not what it used to be pre Internet given all the distractions associated with the electronic age. Secondly, if you think about why people join fishing organizations there are two prevalent reasons: 1) Associate with like minded people and 2) learn new techniques. Well, given YouTube (the prevalence of online fishing instructional videos) and the ability to join like minded groups online, #'s 1 & 2 might not be as big a draw for some people as it used to be 50 years ago before the online revolution. Call to Action Let's get real for a minute. This was a real wakeup call. It's a sign of the times. ISA is an uber cool organization and I'd like to see it be sustainable and survive year over year. But for that to occur, given what I saw this week, there has to be a continual influx of new (and younger) members. We need to get more young people into the outdoors and away from electronic distractions We need to get more young people into the sport of fishing We need to make conservation a priority for younger demographics We need to give them a place (like ISA) to belong - where all that ties together I'll intentionally have an 18 and a 25 year old with me at the Blowout next month. I'm taking them and their friends fishing, we're doing fishing related travel trips, sharing techniques and conservation information to help a younger demographic learn the sport, catch fish and treat the outdoors with respect. And a handful of times a year I've been giving away tackle to the younger demographic to get them interested in the sport. We ALL need to do something... otherwise, the writing is on the wall for quite a few fishing (long time) orgs as I saw this week. What's your plan?
  4. What's fascinating to me is that using live goldfish as bait is illegal in more states than it's legal. LOL You know, introducing "invasive species" and all that! You can't even take a crawdad from one body of water to another one across the street without someone preaching about "rusty crayfish" amd this guys dropping goldfish? The bait isn't the ones who should be "panicking," it's the guy in the boat who should be looking over his shoulder wondering if the DNR in the state he resides in is about to come around and write him a big ticket! Humor
  5. Gordo: That was HUGE!! Epic stuff. I have to share this little anecdote. And for those of you who have difficulty with when it's appropriate to use the word "antidote" vs. "anecdote," Ron White nailed it when he said "I never had much of a vocabulary. In fact, my friend Bob Schneider would still be alive today if I'd known the difference between "antidote" and "anecdote". He got bitten by a copperhead, and I'm telling him funny stories out of Reader's Digest. His head started to swell, I said "This ain't working." 😂 Okay, that comedic moment aside, many years ago someone on a fishing board post in the Chicago area (which one shall remain nameless) was asking about fishing organizations. I casually mentioned ISA in a few places as a group that they might like to affiliate with. Only to later notice that the people running the board arrogantly substituted the word ISA with the phrase "Secret Squirrel Society!" Come to find out that their reason for doing so is that we won't go on open forums and put a GIANT FREAKIN "X" Marks the Spot on a map so that 93,000,000 people (most all of whom have buckets) can go there and deplete that spot of every living thing with a fin on it! I then discovered that any time someone on the board mentioned ISA they auto programmed the phrase to substitute for the name of our organization. Of course, I felt compelled to tell the moderator of the board that they were suffering from a well-known medical condition known as "Rectal Cranial Inversion!" I guess all of this is really about the word "point." I'm more than happy to encourage and educate people so that they succeed in the sport of fishing. Giving it back, or paying it forward, however you want to look at it, actually gives me a tremendous amount of satisfaction considering what others have done for me in this sport. That said, I will happily "point" people in the right direction as in fishing on the DuPage but I will not "pin-point" a location by putting GPS coordinates on a map much to the dismay of several administrators of a well- known Chicago fishing board. Speaking of GPS, BTW, if the geographical landmarks in your pictures don't give the spot away, the location services features on your iphone just might if you have that function turned on! As in, here are the GPS coordinates where I was standing when I caught the fish. Technology isn't always your friend! Data, in the form of pictures, gives away many clues.
  6. Well, to your first point, I got where you were going and I actually thought about the "less is more" model which would certainly eliminate the conundrum, and that's definitely a viable option given the rods that I have. But then I started thinking about being versatile while on the water and having different baits ready to throw for different situations in conjunction with then factoring in how many times do I want to be retying while standing in the middle of the river. As for the treble hook protectors, again not a bad idea but having those on takes the hook keeper out of play on my rods. Unless, of course, one could attach a clip to the treble hook protectors then clip on to the hook keeper. A lure wrap around the bait allows me to use the hook keeper so the bait isn't flopping around but covers it thus taking the "getting poked" or "hooked to skin or clothing" out of play. I guess the only other side of the treble hook protectors that I contemplated is not inadvertently having them end up falling into the river, which I'd like to avoid for pollution avoidance reasons.
  7. The premise of this is that you're wading with 3 rods, all of which are pre-rigged. Two are in a 3rd grip (Yes, I still have one) - no issue there. The challenge I'm trying to solve for involves not getting hooked with the rods that are off my side or behind me. Not only painful... but detrimental to your clothing, waders and skin. Enter commercial lure wraps. I've tried a few and the hooks either get stuck in the fabric type material OR they pierce the material and the result is back to the conundrum above. No bueno. I'm sure they're good for keeping hooks from getting tangled in cars of boats but thus far haven't proven to be good for keeping hooks away from clothing or skin. Neoprene is obviously out for the same reasons - haven't tried a heavier grade canvas material yet which might work. I'm thinking the solution in not having hooks puncture the material, or getting stuck in it, lies in some type of heavy plastic of which there are some on the market. But again, in looking at them, not sure the design is optimal for folks wading in rivers. As we head towards wading season, wondering what creative solutions anyone's experimented with, found commercially available where hooks don't get stuck in the wrap (or puncture it), or any DIY hacks out there which would solve the issue. Silly question I know, but bring on the insights.... Tight lines, Dan
  8. So, a couple smallie pictures hit my inbox this morning (thanks to my friend Keith who always finds the obscure angling stories!). Given the Internet, don't know if it was caught two days ago or two years ago... (apologies if everyone's already seen these - I hadn't) but the catch came from the Muskegon River out of Newaygo and I saw the same pics on the guys FB page. We've made 30 trips over there since 2006 fishing with Jon Kolehouse of Riversbend Guide Service but we're targeting Spring and Fall run Steelhead and I've never drifted that river for smallies although Jon does. Pigment condition is called Xanthochromism and there are quite a few pics on the net of people catching fish with this condition. My claim to fame in the pigment challenged fish catching arena is an "Albino Catfish" that I caught many moons ago in a SoCal lake - it was all white with red eyes. Pretty freaky! I have a pic somewhere (actual film - remember that? - when I find it someday I'll post it). What's your weird fish story? Tight lines, Dan
  9. Times have certainly changed in that regards... Were I to ask my wife to put on a dress to go fishing... it would be smart to stand farther away from her than "arms length" as a black eye, or worse, is likely forthcoming! 😂
  10. I've seen historical photos like this of long rods like these being used to catch Tuna in the Pacific Ocean and Salmon on the Columbia River in Oregon/Washington around the same time frame. However, everyone looks at photos differently. My first thought when I saw this had nothing to do with the size of the rod, or the type of fishing they were doing but the formal APPAREL people were fishing in. Guys were wearing coats and ties, and women were wearing dresses and hats - something everyone does these days when heading out for a day on the water, don't they?! lol
  11. Gordon, In the words of Jeff Foxworthy, "I think it means you should stop eating Chili after 9pm!" Tight Lines,
  12. Many many years ago.... In a land far, far away.... I had a commercial crayfish trapping permit with the California Department of Fish and Game. For about three years my fishing partner and I supplied crayfish, often 2000-3000 @ a time to tackle stores in our area for sale to fisherman using live bait where it was allowed by state law. Running 60-80 traps on days we went out, it was not uncommon for us to have 25,000 crawdads in our tanks at a time. We used to get a variety of different colors including blue, red, orange, brown, yellow and green in addition to a variety of sizes ranging from small to lobster-esque which NO fish in its right mind would ever take on no matter how big it was. Oh the things one experiences when sneakin around @ 2:00 a.m. setting crawdad traps so no one steals them. Some experiences I'll never forget like the time a truck ran a red light as i was entering the intersection with a load of dads on the way to several tackle stores. After slamming on my brakes to avoid the collision I had 8000 crawdads flying by my face. Imagine trying to pick up thousands of angry/pissed off crawdads FROM THE INSIDE OF YOUR CAR that want nothing more than to pinch you until you bleed! Get to the tackle store and the employee says "Dan, whats up with the dads? They seem a bit AGITATED!!" LOL
  13. It speaks to the growing movement of those who feel compelled to share with everyone else how far they've run (Err… suffered). Someone asked me the other day if I ran? To which I replied "the ONLY time I run is when being c-h-a-s-e-d!" And not that fast, I might add. You know the old adage "Sometime you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you?" The bear would definitely get me! Dan
  14. I want to personally thank everyone for their generous support of my memorial fisheries tribute (Funds for Fish) to Don LaBrose, the former DuPage County Forest Preserve fisheries biologist who influenced my Eagle Scout project. As everyone may know from the Forest Preserve District's release about the event, today's the big day! The Forest Preserve District's stocking the hybrid bluegills, purchased with money from donations through Go Fund Me and the Forest Preserve Giving Site, and I'll be on hand with many others to watch this new breed of fish get introduced into local waters! Don will definitely be smiling when someday a kid fishing catches a 5lb bluegill in waters he managed! Thanks again to everyone for all your support. I couldn't have done it without you. Quinn
  15. For anyone interested in the Funds for Fish (hybrid bluegill) project that I started with the DuPage County Forest Preserve District and the progress that we're making on it, here's a bit of an update: the campaign's now pushing the 90% mark of the original campaign funding goal I set given several recent donations from folks in the local fishing community which is totally appreciated! I've been working with the FPD and will be wrapping up the campaign effort on August 31st. Donations made which exceed the original funding goal will result in more fish being stocked so I'm hopeful to not only meet the original goal but to exceed it! There are also some local press interviews scheduled with support from local fishing personalities. The FPD is interested in purchasing the fish and stocking them this year! Very cool! Quinn
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