March General Meeting:

The March general meeting is on March 17th at Sheridan Park Community Center in Bremerton. Doors open at 6:30 pm, meeting starts at 7:00 pm.

We will have pizzas, please BYOB.

2026 Elections:

Board elections will occur during the March 17th meeting.

We thank Ron Kirkland for his long tenure as a Poggie Board Member, Ron has expressed interest in a retirement of sorts, allowing his board position to be up for election. Thus, we currently have two board positions open for nominations and we will elect two new board members during the March 17th meeting. The board holds one additional monthly meeting separate from Poggie General Meetings, typically at 7:00 pm at Art Bruner’s residence. Joining the board is a great way to learn and become more involved with the Kitsap Poggie Club and supporting our community and family-focused programs.

Salmon in the Classroom:

The release dates in the spring, when students will visit Jarstad Park to release their salmon, are:

• 3/27
• 3/30
• 3/31
• 4/2
• 4/3

We will need several volunteers during the salmon release days as we typically have a few fun and educational stations including salmon autopsy, stream scent game, fish feeding and fin clipping and presentations from local libraries. If you are interested in volunteering with Salmon in the Classroom, get in touch with Louie Morton at 360.689.0118 or sign up at a meeting.

Fly Tying and Rod Building Classes:

Our fly tying and rod building classes are coming to an end. Thank you to our instructors Jerry Tomeo and Randy Fox!

2026 Kid’s Fishing Party:

The date for the 2026 Kid’s Fishing Party is Saturday April 25th, 2026, see flyer below. There is plenty to do, so please join at a general meeting to get involved.

Some important dates are:

• 3/21 at 10:00 am (tentative): Prep rods, reels, etc. at Louie Morton’s shop.
• 4/18 at 9:00 am (tentative): Poggies ground maintenance and raceway barriers setup at hatchery
• 4/23 at 9:00 am: Trout arrive at hatchery, Poggies setup shade structures
• 4/25 at 9:00 am: Kid’s Fishing Party starts
• 4/26 at 9:00 am: Poggies remove trout and clean up at the hatchery

2026 Winter Blackmouth Derby:

Pending any changes to the regulations, we are planning to have a members-only winter blackmouth derby on 4/4. The hours are from sunrise to 2 pm. Contact Randy Fox at 360-519-9941 to purchase tickets.

Hatchery Volunteering:

This time of the year our hatchery work is typically related to transferring salmon between ponds at Gorst Hatchery as well as some trips transferring salmon to net pens. If you have volunteered at the hatcheries recently, Lou may contact you as these volunteering opportunities arise.

The tribes require a background check in order to volunteer and this year there will be a new process for all volunteers, regardless of background checks completed in previous years. The tribe has given us the process for registering as a volunteer and completing the background check. If you’d like to learn more and get involved, please talk to Lou Rodriguez at a meeting.

Kitsap Water Festival:

Kitsap Water Festival is on Tuesday, May 12th, at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds. We typically host a booth playing the salmon lifecycle game as well as having a small aquarium holding salmon. We will need 4-6 volunteers to attend Kitsap Water Festival. If you’d like to get involved, please sign up at a meeting and you can learn more here: https://www.kitsap.gov/pw/pages/edwaterfest.aspx

Camp Easter Seals:

We are extremely grateful to Hank Altenburg for his work over many years with the Camp Easter Seals trips. As Hank hands off our Camp Easter Seals program Poggie Howard Kauffman has stepped in to continue our effort towards the program. If you would like to get involved please learn more at a meeting.

We are planning six trips at Camp Easter Seals on:

• 7/3
• 7/18
• 8/1
• 8/5
• 8/15
• 8/29

During the month of June, we will need volunteers to help prepare and launch the boat at Camp Easter Seals. Since the boat flooring needs repair, we are requesting that anyone in the club with access to a deck sander please call Griffin at 425-281-0771 to borrow one.

We will need 3-4 Poggie volunteers per trip, typically meeting at Camp Easter Seals at 8 am and staying until around 1 pm. If you would like to volunteer, please sign up at a meeting.

Poggie Merch:

Since Poggie jackets are custom-ordered, please contact kitsappoggieclub@gmail.com if you are interested in getting a Poggie Jacket.

Board Meeting:

March 11th 7 PM at Art Bruner Residence. The next board meeting is on April 15th, 2026.

Dues:

Please make sure you are up to date on your 2026 annual dues. Dues serve the community through camp scholarships, salmon in the classroom, Kid’s fishing party, etc. You can pay on the web at https://kitsappoggieclub.com/about/membership-application/, you can pay by mail at the address below, you can pay at a meeting.

Kitsap Poggie Club
C/O Louie Morton
PO Box 561
Silverdale, Wa. 98383-9998

Don’t forget to invite your friends and family to our events and recruit them to join!

Club needs:

• Salmon in the classroom volunteers, especially for release days at Jarstad Park
• Kitsap Water Festival volunteers
• Kid’s Fishing Party volunteers
• Camp Easter Seals volunteers and deck sander rental

Upcoming events:

• 3/17: March General Meeting
• 3/21: Rod preparation for Kid’s Fishing Party
• 3/27: Salmon In The Classroom release day
• 3/30: Salmon In The Classroom release day
• 3/31: Salmon In The Classroom release day
• 4/2: Salmon In The Classroom release day
• 4/3: Salmon In The Classroom release day
• 4/4: Winter Blackmouth Derby
• 4/18: Poggie ground maintenance and raceways for Kid’s Fishing Party
• 4/23: Trout arrival day for Kid’s Fishing Party
• 4/25: 2026 Kid’s Fishing Party
• 4/26: Kid’s Fishing Party clean up day
• 5/12: Kitsap Water Festival
• 8/8: Summer Picnic