The HSV Anglers Club is one of the oldest organized clubs in the Village. It all started back in 1973 when some village men fished with the Jessieville Bass Club. This small group decided to start a fishing organization in the Village. It is important to note that membership includes female anglers. The purpose of the club is to promote fellowship through fishing, improve fishing skills and support improvement of village lakes. You do not need a boat to be a member

Monthly meeting – 1st Tuesday of the month – Coronado Center – 7:00pm with a guest speaker and generally a tips & tricks presentation. No meetings are scheduled for July or December.

15 Tournaments per year (with some out of the Village)

We are a Catch & Release club fishing for bass only in tournaments. 

Annual Christmas Dinner 

Annual Fish Fry

We build and place fish habitat in Village Lakes

Assist Village POA in lake improvement projects (docks, lighting, cleanup, brush piles, etc.).

Take blind people fishing

Participate in Village Pride Day 

Provide volunteers to support the FLW Tournaments held in the area.

Membership is $25/year (until 7/1) and $15 (after 7/1)

Club History

The HSV Anglers Club is one of the oldest organized clubs in the Village. It all started back in 1973 when some village men fished with the Jessieville Bass Club. This small group decided to start a fishing organization in the Village.

The new club met at the Village Fire House and since Lake DeSoto was just being formed, all of the tournaments were held on Lake Ouachita at the Three Sisters Landing. Those tournaments lasted a full eight hours. Many of the fish caught in those Lake Ouachita tournaments were transported to Lake DeSoto to get the new lake off to a good start.

During 1977, when Wyman Hammon was President, it was decided that the club needed a charter. In 1979, with John Stewart as President, the State of Arkansas awarded the Anglers Club Articles of Incorporation. The meeting place was changed to the Coronado Center and meetings were held on the first Tuesday of each month.

Bass tournament rules were established. Bass 12 inches or longer were weighed in and there was a limit of ten bass per man. A contestant would get a point for each pound of fish and the weight was used to determine the winners in each tournament. Records were kept to determine the most successful fisherman of the year.

A traveling trophy was awarded to the Fisherman of the Year and anyone winning three years in a row could keep the trophy. Records tell us that angler Rex Crane won the award in three consecutive years in the mid-70's and was allowed to retain the trophy. Records also tell us that in 1978 member Orin Swingle weighed in the heaviest tournament bass with a catch of a nine pound, 12 ounce beauty.

During the mid 90's, bass tournament rules were changed to minimize the impact of tournament fishing on the village bass population. The 12-inch minimum size limit is still in affect, but the maximum number of fish to be “weighed-in” is now three. And there is now no actual “weighing” of the fish. Each fish is measured in the boat and club policy states that it should be immediately released. This is especially important during the spawning season.

The length of each qualifying bass is then converted to a weight by use of a “bump board”. One point is assigned to each ounce of bass caught and tournament winners are determined in this way. Individual bass tournament records are accumulated for the entire season to determine the winner of the Fisherman of the Year Award.

The club currently holds 18 bass tournaments a year plus one walleye and one crappie tournament. Tournaments usually last five hours. Most bass tournaments are held on Village Lakes with the balance usually being held on Lakes Ouachita and Hamilton. Members not owning boats are matched by a drawing with boat owners for tourneys.

Important changes were made to tournament rules for 2001. Rules allow each angler to “weigh in” five bass and the minimum length was changed to 11 inches. Also, there have been two angler categories established, both with the same prizes. They are Angler (boat owner) and Co-Angler (rider). Of note is that two women were elected as officers--a "first" for the club--in the year 2001.

Prizes for a tournament are awarded for first, second, and third place in each category. A big bass prize is awarded in each category and the team prize goes to the two anglers in the boat with the heaviest catch of bass. Special prizes may be won for the largest striper, crappie and walleye caught during a tournament in each category. All prizes have minimal monetary value but provide high personal satisfaction.

In 1996, member Dallas Middlekauff won his third consecutive Fisherman of the Year Award. Dallas won again in '97 and '98 for a record five years in a row. Dallas chose to not keep the trophy and donated it to the club. The trophy is now on display in the Coronado Center with all Fishermen of the Year Award winners acknowledged. During a 1997 tournament on Lake DeSoto, member Dick Paulsen landed a 25-1/2 inch, 10 pound, 1 ounce bass, which now is the current club record for a tournament bass.

There have been other changes. The club has grown significantly since 1973 when the original membership numbered 31. In 1991, the membership totaled 60 members and it has since grown to 135 members in 2002. It is important to note that membership includes female anglers. The club has become more civic minded and more involved in lake management. Primarily due to club efforts, the POA agreed in 1995 to finance the addition of nutrients into Lake Balboa and the club successfully lobbied for the hiring of a professional lake consultant that year and a full time POA Lakes Manager in 1996.

Anglers Club members spend many hours on Village lakes building and placing fish-friendly brush piles and assisting the Lakes Manager in adding nutrients. In 1996, the Anglers Club established a Lake Improvement Fund. This fund is currently financed through the collection of donated grocery receipts from the Village Super Center. Using money from this fund, the club has placed benches and picnic tables on the shores of village lakes. In 2000 club built a fishing pier on Angler Island on Lake Coronado. The pier was dedicated and presented to the Property Owners Association for the 30th Anniversary of HSV. A second fishing pier was purchased and donated to the POA in 2001. This floating fishing pier was placed at the West end of Lake DeSoto.

1999 activities resulted in a Fishing Expo and a Boating Safety Course, both for the benefit of all Villagers. Another Fishing Expo was held in 2000. During 2002 the club held an all-day fishing class open to the general public. It was well attended and was a great success. The club also organizes various informal fishing trips for those who wish to “get away” for a night or two and fish more distant lakes. Many members and their spouses consider the club's Annual Fish Fry and the Awards Dinner/Christmas Party the two highlights of the year.

From the above history, it is clear that the Anglers Club is steadfast in meeting the goals established by its Constitution, which reads, “The purpose of the club is to promote fellowship through fishing. The club will provide members a means to learn more about fishing and improve their fishing skills. The club will also actively support the improvement of village lakes and the quality of fishing in Hot Springs Village.”

HSV ANGLERS CLUB OFFICERS 1974-2007