Forum

Ken,

Out here in NM, we've been at it since 2009, and have been hanging around 50 members for a few years. I've served on the MI59 board in various ways since 2009, and prior to that, I was a member of a few different chapters (22,16,44) depending on where I lived at the time. From what I've seen in most of these chapters, your biggest challenge isn't starting the chapter but will be maintaining enthusiasm and involvement after the first year or so. I think there's a number of factors in this, but I've seen many guys that were new to muskie fishing get all excited, join for a year or so, and then disappear when they realize how hard it is to actually catch fish consistently. Also, people sink a bunch of effort into the club and get burned out, so you'll need at least 10 really involved people to really make it work, and make sure that you're bringing up the next generation of leadership; life changes, and people will come and go. Assuming the 80/20 rule holds here to (and it does), that means you need at least 50 members to make a go of it.

Honestly, unless you're certain you can get a critical mass, I think you're better off trying to make a go of it with MI50. These guys are pretty well-established, have been doing a lot of great things, and love the river too. My opinion is that the region is better off with one really strong chapter than with two smaller ones. By the way, there was a Bloomsburg Chapter once, but it was gone by the time I joined MI 17 years ago.

I don't mean to discourage, but make sure you have the energy and people to pull it off. Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck.

Chris