Operation North State

STATE Forums North Carolina
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Anyone with Thursday April 20th off here’s a chance to take a Veteran fishing. I’ve done it 3 or 4 times and it’s a lot of fun giving back to the Vets.

Hello Lake Norman Top Shelf Fishin’ Festival Potential Host Boaters,

Mark your calendar and help if the can. Thursday, April 20 is the 3rd Annual Lake Norman Top Shelf Fishin’ Festival. The wounded warriors and DVets are so excited to be returning this year.

Note: All the wounded warriors and DVets spots are already confirmed for this year’s Festival!!! In fact, all eight of our Fishin’ Festivals for this year are filled with wounded warriors and DVets – awesome. I have attached the Festival’s flyer; let’s get it out into to the community to help bring in host boaters, door prizes and cash donations.

2017 Top Shelf Fishin’ Festivals Schedule Overview:
· It’s probably the most comprehensive fishing outings schedule for wounded warriors and DVets in the country; we know of no other.
· We are adding one new Fishin’ Festival in 2017 which brings us to eight! It’s in Morehead City aboard the Carolina Princess in early-November - an all-day, off-shore outing.
· Four Fishin’ Festivals are being hosted in the Piedmont and four down East
· Five Fishin’ Festivals are in the spring; we take the summer off due to the heat and then host three more Festivals in the fall.
· Collectively, all eight Fishin’ Festivals offer 700 spots to wounded warriors and DVets – Incredible!!!
· Wounded warriors and DVets are fishing in the Festivals from NC, VA, SC, TN and GA.
· Each Fishin’ Festival provides $35,000 to $40,000 in retail value to our wounded warriors and DVets which ONS and the Festivals’ planning committees achieve with just $5,000 in cash and incredible grassroots and community support!!!

To register, send a 1-2 sentence message to Operation North State at [email protected] stating that you would like to participate. The information we need is your name, telephone number, town you live in and boat info (make, length and horsepower). Please share the attached flyer with your fishing buddies and folks that may be able to assist with a door prize, the dinner, snacks, etc. Collectively, the Fishin’ Festivals and you are changing and even saving the lives of our wounded warriors and DVets; not my words but theirs!

And, those of you that have sponsorships, contacts and relationships with state, regional and national fishing and outdoors equipment providers, please reach out to them and request their assistance as well. They will be in great company!

Thanks,
Terry

Terry Snyder
Founder/Chairman/Proud Volunteer
Operation North State
151 Windemere Ct.
Winston-Salem, NC 27127
office: 336.764.5967
cell: 336.406.3459

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Terry Synder is looking for Host boaters for April 27th Thursday for Badin Lake.
You are required to have liability insurance on your boat. They still need 17 boaters they already have the Vets Disabled Vets signed up to fish so please step up and help these guys get out for a day of fishing.
You can fish for anything Bass, Stripers, Crappie, Catfish. they guys don’t care what they fish for

You’ll get a t shirt and meal for your trouble

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We had a great turn out yesterday, lots of fish caught lots of smiles all around. At Badin Lake for Operation North State
We were looking for Crappie, after the rain the West side of the lake looked a mud flat, the East side was still fishable. We tight lined around till we got a bite and spot locked on that bite. We spent 3 hours pulling perch out often doubles, we ran out of bait by 11 and ran back for more bait. Never got on them as good when we came back. MY Vet was tired we were tired, we all had a great time on the water.

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The dates for the fishing events are as follows…
April 20 Friday Lake Norman @ Pinnacle Point Ramp
April 28th Thursday Badin Lake @ the Circle Dr ramp
May 22nd Tuesday Randleman @Adams Farm Rd The Park is closed , only open for us that day,
September 14th New Bern @ Lawson Ramp, never been to that one, a long drive for me
These events take wounded warriors and disabled Veterans out for a day of fishing and fun. Snacks are provided and a meal in the afternoon, all kinds of prizes. A chance to meet some fine people who served our country.
You need to have liability insurance on your boat and have rods/reels and associated tackle/bait for these guys to use. You can fish for any thing Crappie, Green Carp, Stripers, Cat fish.
Don’t forget the life jackets they are required to wear them while on the water. i’ll be at all the events except the New Bern one as long as I can walk to the boat look forward to meeting more of the CDC North Carolina fisher persons

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Grady, How you set for a crew on April 20 ? May can get that day off and crew for ya.

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Put me down for all your dates. I don’t work so any day is good for me. I will get my info to the correct people. If I can help in any other way give a PM so I can get you my cell number.

Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

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Jig Puller, contact Terry Synder 366 406 3459 he’s the organizer and will give you all the info you need.
I know you will enjoy the trips, Sometimes I have 1 Vet other times I’ll have 5 people fishing with us. My Toon will haul a crowd.
Look forward to seeing you at Norman. I’ve got to get up there before hand to look for fish.
Grady

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Hey Terry April 27 is on Friday do you mean April 26?

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Just got an email from Terry, a good read and reminder that we still need some boats for Friday the 20th. If you can help out it would be great!

We have you confirmed; we are down from needing 19 host boaters last Thursday to 14 now. The message below is exactly why Operation North State hosts its 8 Fishin’ Festivals throughout the state each year. We receive these messages often – your efforts as a host boater makes these life changes moments possible.

“Hey Terry. James and I got out on Falls Lake today and had a good ole time. No giant fish but we both caught em decent, trash talked back and forth, traded fishing stories and enjoyed the day.

James told me what fishing with ONS had done for him and some of the other guys he knows to improve their situations greatly. It is one thing to hear you talk about what ONS does in front of a big crowd or camera but hearing the success story of a guy that lived it was just amazing. I am sure there are many more guys out there with similar success stories who changed their course in life. It is good to know that our efforts to give back pay off. Look forward to fishing some more with ONS in the future.”

SPREAD THE WORD!
Thanks,
Terry

Terry Snyder
Founder/Chairman/Proud Volunteer
Operation North State
151 Windemere Ct.
Winston-Salem, NC 27127
office: 336.764.5967
cell: 336.406.3459
Operation North State - Home

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Here’s a letter Terry received for oner of the Vets we fish with.

“Good Morning Terry

Life has gotten a lot brighter and enjoyable thanks to Operation North State. I am a Disabled Veteran that served 23 years 2 months and 11 days. I was an artilleryman. Living my dream of serving my country. Since I can recall all I ever wanted was to be a Soldier began playing war with my GI Joe figures and bunch of green soldiers. I enjoyed my time in the military and was Gun Ho always ready for anything that came up. I never felt better than when I was in. I was in excellent shape, great work team and contributed to the planning and executions of training and combat operations. While I was thriving on dreneling and felt at home with the comradery of being in a good unit. Having served 4x combat tours to Iraq, 1x Kosovo and 1x Korea. These assignments exposed me to war and many wearing injuries. After my last deployment in 2011 I could go on needed medication for my PTSD and back and knees were almost to the point I needed surgery. Had to get shots every 6 months and daily pain meds to keep up with the push forward. The doctors told me I am being referred to medical board and was medically retired. My life came to a screeching halt. No more team was not in charge anymore and had 15 oral prescriptions and 4 ointments to digest and apply and couldn’t sleep without them and using a CPAP to help me breath well and comfort my sleep. That made my problems more intense as I started to isolate myself at home became very irritable towards my wife and children. I was feeling frustrated and sad didn’t have to much going on. Would go to church; volunteered with fellow church members but still didn’t motivate me enough. I was introduced to Operation North State by the Wounded Warrior Battalion at Fort Bragg which was where I ended up transitioning out though. They informed me of a fishing opportunity with fellow Veterans. I was not sure as I didn’t care much for counseling sessions or being around big groups. I gave it a shot because I had never been fishing and didn’t know anything about it other than I thought it was boring. After my first experience participating with Operation North State I felt welcomed and it was enjoyable contrary to what I thought. After going on a second fishing opportunity I started to socialize more with other fellow combat Veterans and the conversations we’re good about fishing tips bragging and challenging each other. Little did I know this was the therapy I needed it felt good gave me something to look forward to and enjoyed being around people again and not so uptight. I learned to fish; met some great people and now I look forward to going fishing every moment I can. Operation North State provided a tool, pass time, cure, and hobby I can pass on to my boys and rest of my family and friends. I enjoy meetings with Gunny, Maytag, and James to name a few fellow Veterans and these are some of my comrades that been to combat and travel from across the state to participate and we always smile and give each other a firm handshake before the bragging takes over. Thanks to Terry Snyder for putting in all the time, planning, and energy it takes to keep the ONS family strong and going. Some fellow Veterans have shared that they are less dependent on some of their medications and show some happiness as this is infectious due in part to the nucleus that Operation North State has created. I have taken my family fishing on a boat with Brad Holder excellent fishing guide and this is something I could of never done had it not been for what has grown out of the good that keeps giving from my Operation North State family. I am busy and ready to go fishing cleaning my gear which has been given to us by wonderful donors. I have a calendar with things I am looking forward to doing and I have some great friend boaters that will take my family and me fishing. That is worth a million bucks and better for me and fellow Veterans than any medications. I am forever grateful to Operation North State. “

Respectfully
Steve Gomez

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Sept 28th Operation North State will need host boaters at Lake Jordon, check your calanders and take a Vet fishing. You can fish for what ever you’d like. You need to have liability insurance

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We are still in need of 14!host boater’s for this event.You will have a great day…And Randallman is.fullnof Crappie that are still biting

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Sent from my XT1080 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

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Here’s the schedule for 2020
Jordan lake March26th
Lake Norman Apr 16th
Badin Lake Apr 30th
Randleman lake May 19th
New Bern June 2nd
High Rock Sept 24th
Ocean Crest Pier Oct 16th
Carolina Princess Nov 6th
If you can take a Vet fishing contact terry Snyder <[email protected]>
You need gear for the Vet bait/tackle and insurance on your boat.
Doing this will give you a warm feeling in your heart.

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Im all in for all except Norman this year Grady

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Glad you can make them all. My wife has our travel schedule full for the year, I’ll make a couple and hopefully more next year

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ONS needs some host boaters at Randleman, here’s the info:Hello Host Boaters –

Hope all is well with you – no sense in going into great discussions regarding COVID-19, we are all having to deal and manage to these crazy times. The virus forced cancelations to all eight of the ONS’ Top Shelf Fishin’ Festivals for 2020. What a bummer for us all - especially our wounded warriors / DVets. ONS has however been most fortunate in that we have been able to provide 71 one-on-one fishing outings so far in 2020 due to the support from numerous Host Boaters. To All Those ONSers - Thank You!

Now for the Good News. We are bringing back one Top Shelf Fishin’ Festival for 2020 in a limited - fashion. It will be held at Randleman Lake on Tuesday, September 15. This outing is SO, SO, SO needed to give our wounded warriors / DVets the opportunity to get on the water. I hear from them daily as to “is there any way we can have a Fishin’ Festival this year?”.

Thank You Randleman Lake and the Randleman Regional Reservoir Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority for stepping up. They really want to provide our veterans and all participants an enjoyable day. They are providing the lake/venue, staffing and some goodies. And, the launch fees are being waived for the Host Boaters. The general public won’t be on the lake – just the participating Host Boaters. Also, Smithfield (the “meats” company) has let us hold on to their $5,000 Badin Lake Title Sponsor donation even though the Badin Lake Top Shelf Fishin’ Festival was canceled this year. They are allowing ONS to “use the funds as we see fit”. We will use some of those funds for the Randleman Top Shelf Fishin’ Festival.

There will be NO DINNER this year at Richard Petty’s due to the virus; there will be NO event T-Shirt due to limited financial resources. We will offer HEAVY SNACKS. We will practice social distancing in a big way. The Festival will feature two launch periods: 6:00 – 7:00 and 7:00 – 8:00am. And, we will stagger coming off the water as well from 1:30 – 3:00 pm. These staged periods aren’t what we want but they at least enable us to provide the opportunity to get 50 - 65 wounded warriors / DVets on the water. They Are So Ready! We already have all the wounded warriors / DVets confirmed and a long, long waiting list.

More details to follow but for now, I need to get our Host Boaters confirmed. And, let me know which staggered launch time works best for you.

The goodies will be a little less this year; there will be no dinner; but, the heart-felt smiles and good times will probably be the best ever. We don’t have sponsor dollars to host the event this year but we can still make it happen. The facility and generosity of Randleman Lake is locked down; but, the event doesn’t happen without our Host Boaters. Lend a hand if you can.

Note: Operation North State is also working on hosting a crappie fishing outing on High Rock this fall; and, some pier fishing and a head boat deep sea fishing outing as well at the NC coast.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks!

Terry

Terry Snyder
Founder/Chief Asking Officer/Proud Volunteer
Operation North State
151 Windemere Ct.
Winston-Salem, NC 27127
office: 336.764.5967
cell: 336.406.3459
Operation North State – Operation North State