Legends of the Salt... Saltwater Hall of Fame thread

[DarkSkies]

When we think about the evolution of surf fishing, many legendary characters come to mind.

From the humble beginnings of their heavy surf sticks paired with conventional reels and a few bucktails and tin squids, surf fishermen have come a long way.

If there was such Hall of Fame for East Coast surfcasters, who would be in it?

Who would you like to see in it?

Who stands out in your mind as a character who either contributed to surf fishing in some significant way or was one of the remarkable surf fishermen of his time?

[DarkSkies]

I want this thread to be something people might get enjoyment from for years to come. The focus of this thread will be the Saltwater Legends who are no longer with us.

Even though just posting the guys' name would be fine, I would like this thread to be something more than that. I would like it to be a legacy tribute to some of the most notable surfcasters out there.

Even though they're no longer with us, their memories can live on forever. If you want to post about a guy, please do us and family members who might see this someday a favor and try to include some research about them.

Some ways you might do that:

1. Post up an article that was written about them, with appropriate references.

2. Post up a paragraph or 2 or what you feel they brought to the surf fishing world, their technique, method, personality, record catches, or anything else you think might inspire future anglers to follow in their footsteps.

3. Post up a few words how you feel their achievements or efforts at conservation have set the bar for others to follow.

4. Don't limit yourself to my suggestions. Think outside the box. Be creative.

5. Don't limit yourself to just one post. Post a series of posts if the info you're bringing to the screen is lengthy. Try to break up articles with one/ post so people are more inclined to read them.

6. Of course, if ya just wanna post up and say "I nominate Mr XYX because he did a, b, and c....
feel free. This is about who you guys feel should be up here. Your opinion counts just as much as anyone else's.



Best post, or series of posts on a Saltwater legend who has passed on, wins a plug at the end of the year. Winner to be chosen by Pebbles.






Let's hear what you guys and girls think.

[DarkSkies]

I'll kick this thing off by nominating Bob Pond. I wasn't fortunate enough to meet him, but some of his ways have inspired me to try a little harder this year. Thank you Mr Pond.



Hoping the work of Bob Pond will inspire others
Here's a little more about Bob and the things he was involved in:

Stripers Forever members - some of you may have read about the recent passing of Bob Pond of Attleboro, MA, the creator of the Atom plug. We can quickly count at least half of Stripers Forever's board who were members of the now defunct Stripers Unlimited organization which Bob Pond founded. **** Russell, author of Striper Wars, was an old friend of Bob's and consulted him while he wrote that book. **** sent us these words about Bob Pond to share with our membership.

"The passing of Bob Pond at 92 is a great loss, for he was the true pioneer of striped bass conservation. Without Bob's sounding the alarm about the striper population in the mid-1960s, long before anyone else thought there was a problem, this magnificent fish would likely have disappeared from Atlantic coastal waters. After creating the legendary Atom plug used with success by so many anglers, Bob devoted his life to preserving striped bass for future generations. It is our job now to carry his legacy forward. Thank you, Bob Pond, and may you rest in peace. - **** Russell."

We at Stripers Forever share those sentiments

Picture below of Bob Pond from Attleboro, MA newspaper

[DarkSkies]

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[baitstealer]

My Dad used to talk about Frank Woolner all the time. A guy from the New England states. He served in the military, was hunter and great fisherman. He wrote several books. From what I understand he had great knowledge about the fishing world. I found this article about him. He should be put in the Fishing World Hall of Fame.



FRANK WOOLNER
- A Biographic Sketch -
In World War II, Woolner saw frontline combat action during 1944 as a reconnaissance sergeant with the 703rd Tank Destroyer Bn of the 3rd Armored Division (3AD) through France and Belgium. He also served as the Battalion's chief writer for press & historical purposes, as he had during 1942-44 during the 703rd's training in the States and England.

On Sept. 13, 1944, the day after the 3AD first entered wartime Germany, Woolner was promoted to the Division Headquarters G-2 Section (intelligence & public affairs). There, he went to work for Lt. Col. Andrew Barr and Major Haynes Dugan as, in his own words, a war correspondent, junior grade historian, observer, and a scribbler of things world shaking.

When the war ended in May, 1945, Sgt. Woolner stayed in occupied Germany with a headquarters production staff to research and publish the 3AD history chronicle "Spearhead in the West." Woolner was the author of the main narrative of the book, which would become a military classic and is a collector's item today. He returned to the States in the fall of 1945.


In civilian life, Woolner, born in 1916 and a native New Englander from Shrewsbury, Mass., would eventually became a nationally recognized expert on ocean and fresh-water sport fishing. He was also an authority on hunting, natural history, and conservation in New England. Woolner was a newspaper columnist; the Editor of Salt Water Sportsman Magazine of Boston for over twenty years; and wrote or co-wrote seven books on fishing and hunting. He also co-hosted a weekly TV show in the Boston area for a number of years with his brother Jack called "Woolner Brothers Outdoors."

Books by Frank Woolner
(all post-WWII)

• Spearhead in the West (with Maj. Murray H. Fowler)
• My New England
• Modern Saltwater Sport Fishing
• Grouse Hunting
• Tackle Talk (with Henry Lyman)
• The Complete Book of Striped Bass Fishing (with Henry Lyman)
• The Complete Book of Weakfishing (with Henry Lyman)
• The Sportsman's Companion (with Henry Lyman, E. C. Janes, and Clyde Ormond)

[finchaser]

My old dear friend Russ Wilson of Shark River Hills NJ

[Dreaminofishin]

I remember Russ Wilson. He wrote a column in the Fisherman Magazine called "The Tackle Doctor"
I went to some seminars that he taught in New Jersey. Good choice.

[DarkSkies]

Very thoughtful post on Frank Woolner, Baitstealer. Nicely done.

[DarkSkies]

My old dear friend Russ Wilson of Shark River Hill's NJ

Russ Wilson background:

Russ was a hardcore fisherman from the time he was little. As he fished more and more, he ran into certain guys every day, and they all became friends...Finchaser, Joe Melillo, Paulie Rubino, and a host of other cronies and fishin buddies.

Fishing was the glue that bound them together, but it wasn't the only thing. These bonds lasted for years. There were many stories of big fish, late nights, lost sleep, a few drunken arguments, and good natured pranks that friends play on each other.

Russ got a job as a writer covering fishing, and started getting more work as people liked the way he wrote.

[DarkSkies]

Slice of life timeline:

1. 2010 fond references to Russ are still turning up everywhere, even in E-bay auctions:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Rigged-Eel-J&J-T...20232003r28997

"The 11 inch J&J TACKLE signature eel is my personal favorite....before there were plastic eels.....we would search long and hard.....looking for...potting....and fishing for just such eels.....
The late (GREAT) Russ Wilson.....a life long friend used to call them "cupcakes"......because according to Russ....that is how large fish thought of...and treated them.......They swallow them as if they are cupcakes.....Other old timers called them "shoe string" eels.....regardless of the name.....they are deadly."



2. Russ was a prolific writer. He wrote for the NJ Fisherman, Bergen Record, and others:

A. Date: 10-25-96
RUSS WILSON
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
SANDY HOOK BAY FILLED WITH STRIPERS
By RUSS WILSON
Date: 10-25-1996, Friday
Section: SPORTS
Saltwater anglers who are hooked on striped bass should take
advantage of the outstanding action that's on tap in lower Sandy Hook Bay.
Bayshore tackle shop owners and party boat and charter boat skippers who are on the water daily say the lower bay is loaded with bass, and most of them are big enough to keep.




B Date: 06-04-1993, Friday
RUSS WILSON
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
06-04-1993
SANDY HOOK A HOT SPOT FOR FLUKE AND BLUEFISH
By RUSS WILSON

Column: SALTWATER FISHING
Area saltwater anglers planning a trip to the Jersey shore this
weekend will have ample opportunity for a good catch of bluefish or
fluke.







1990 SWS seminar:
http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/15/sp...l?pagewanted=1

"If you are still a bit uncertain about how to woo various species of marine fish, you may want to attend a session of the Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series, which comes to the Northeast this month and next.
The series has a staff of well-known angler-authors whose offerings are augmented by local experts at each seminar location.
A seminar is scheduled for Feb. 24 in the Montclair (N.J.) High School auditorium .... In Montclair, they will be assisted by Russ Wilson, Gary Caputo and Pete Barrett...



1980's fishing off Roosevelt Ave in Long Branch (as told by Finchaser)
"Russ and I used to take live herring from the flume, run it down to Roosevelt in our station wagons with small tanks set up.

We would fish the herring to the right of where that famous graffiti is on the old CG station. Right off the sand, sitting on the backs of our station wagons, waiting for the hit. Russ was a great guy. We had lots of good times.:

[DarkSkies]

It seems Russ was known for his from-the-hip statements and direct talk...

"That's as big a size as this fish gets."

A lot have wondered about how that quote came to be. Back in the 70's and 80s, there were terms far worse than googan. "Googan" hadn't even been invented in NJ yet.

There were people who would wander down to the docks with fishin poles, but they never seemed to catch. Since they were dilly dallying at the docks so much, they were called "Dillydocks".

This term still exists today among the old-school guys.


There was always a lot of goofing going around back then. If one of the surf guys was fishin somewhere and caught a fish, some of the questions the dillydocks would ask would be:


Wow, how old is that fish?
Old-timer answer...It's as old as it's gonna get!

When Russ was asked
Wow, how big does that fish get?

His answer was...It's as big as it's gonna get!

(Russ was known for bein a little GROUCHY sometimes. Some even said that he and Finchaser were like 2 peas in a pod. )



Good times.



RIP Russ

[clamchucker]

Yes, Russ and the Tackle Doctor columns. I miss them and him.

[7deadlyplugs]

I nominate Al Bentsen. I never got a chance to fish with him but heard a lot about him. He was legendary for using rigged eels and faking people out as to where he was fishing. There is a rigged eel chapter on Al in Secrets of Surf Fishing at night by Muller. I think he died Oct 8 2009.
There is a video on utube, you can see him at 18secs, 1:00, and 1:50. He caught some huge cows!



I took this from an article in the Fisherman.


Three plugs that I count on the most in the Fall? Well that’s easy for me because I only carry three different plugs when I fish. You see, unlike Bill, I don't fish all over Long Island . Over the course of a season, I like to fish no further than 30 minutes from my home. I live in Freeport and that puts me geographically between Fire Island and Rockaway beach and of course all the bays in between. I prefer fishing in the back bays because there is never a night I can't fish. In any wind, any tide, any high water condition, I can always find a comfortable, productive spot to fish. I only fish at night between dusk and dawn. Let’s get down to the wood! I only fish Beachmaster plugs. They are made by two expert surf fishermen who have specifically designed them for action, castability and durability. The first plug and the one I fish the most is their Atom Junior swimmer. It carries two hooks, one in the belly and one in the tail. I use a 5/0 treble in the belly and a 7/0 Siwash in the tail with some bucktail tied on it. It's an underwater swimmer and depending on the speed of your retrieve, it goes from one to three feet down.


Since all my plugs have a split ring with a swivel up front to tie to I don't change plugs too often. I haven't used a color on this plug that didn't work. The first one I bought years ago was yellow and on that plug I must have taken a couple of hundred bass. Then one night a boat crossed my line and cut it off! I also like to use brown. This is a very hard color to find because fishermen don't buy dull looking plugs. The color isn't attractive enough for them. I find that brown prolongs the catching ability of the plug into daylight hours when bass usually turn off other colors at first light. The action on this plug is serpentine. It swims like a snake rigged with the size hooks the way I described. I use a slow retrieve on this plug.


The second plug is the Beachmaster Eely, a jointed plug that's a smaller version of the giant Cheek Chub Jointed Pikie. Several years ago, I had to send away to a tackle shop in Connecticut to get several of these plugs. I do not know when they are planning to manufacture this plug again. The Eely Plug has a lot of action although it doesn't swim like an eel or anything in the ocean but the bass love it. It does a jitter bug when you reel it in. It's a surface swimmer and like all surface swimmers it extends your fishing time from before dark into daylight hours. Of course it works well at night. The big plus is that because it is a surface swimmer, it isn't prone to gather a lot of weed on the retrieve. I always use this plug or the Danny plug described below when a lot of weed is around. My most memorable catch on this plug was a big blue I estimated at about 23 pounds. He was an easy release so back he went. The color I use is black with 3/0 treble hooks and I use a slow retrieve.

The third plug is the Beachmaster Danny plug. I don't know why but the color I prefer is white. This plug is almost weed-less because it swims on or near the surface. It also has the ability to extend your fishing time into day light hours. When there is a lot of weed, I will use this or the Eely during the night time hours. Again I use a slow retrieve on this plug. I use two 4/0 hooks in the belly and a 7/0 Siwash with buck tail on the tail. All of these plugs weigh between 2 and 2 1/2 ounces and I fish them all with conventional tackle"

[rockhopper]

Very cool choice 7dp, thanks for posting that. My uncle said he saw Al fishing a few times. Al supposably kept to himself and was kind of a loner as a fisherman, but he knew how to catch large.

[paco33]

Stan Gibbs

REQUIEM FOR A SURFMAN
By FRANK PINTAURO
Photography By Ed Poore
PUBLISHED IN THE MAY/JUNE 2004 EDITION
OF HUNTING & FISHING COLLECTIBLES MAGAZINE




I Remember the night like it was yesterday; it was the first night of the down-side of the moon in early November of 1976. The tide was just beginning to ebb, and the wind was from the north at 10-15 mph. The wind would be against the tide just the way we liked it.

My friend, Al Daniels, and I were setting up to troll a small secret rip just east of Gardiner's Island, New York. We were Particularly excited that night as we had just gotten our hands on a bunch of Stan Gibbs GTS-3's and would be trying them out for the first time….. Four hours later we had caught six bass weighing between 33-51 pounds and lost half a dozen other fish that we could just not control.

Since that night more than 25 years ago, I have never been without some type of Gibbs CAST-A-LURE in my trolling or surf bag. They are that good! And so it is with great regret that we report that Cape Cod's legendary fisherman and luremaker, Stan Gibbs, passed away in early February at the age of 89. His death comes at a time when the popularity of his lures he produced from 1946-1972 has never been higher with collectors and fishermen.

Gibbs was born in North Easton, Massachusetts in August of 1914 and lived there through World War II, working in the Hingham Shipyard. After the war, he and his wife moved to Buzzards Bay; and Stan pursued fishing for striped bass with a passion, supplementing his fishing efforts by trapping and hunting mink, otter, and muskrats in the off-season.
It was there at Buzzard's Bay in 1946 that Stan first began to whittle popper plugs for his own use. (His tools at the time consisted of a jack-knife and red fingernail polish!) The first ones were crude, but the caught lots of stripers; and pretty soon people were taking notice and asking him to make them some. Stan figured that he made 400 lures that first winter and 1200 the winter after. By then he knew he was onto something.

Those first few post-World War II years were an exciting time for fishermen as they were discovering the thrill of surf fishing which, up to that point, had been a recreational activity that only the rich could enjoy. A host of lure makers, from up and down the coast, Like Charlie Russo, Charlie Murat, Bob Pond, Jerry Ferron and Stan, began to cater to this new fishing crowd. But few had the staying power of Stan Gibbs CAST-A-LURE !

After his initial success, Gibbs worked on developing more models for fishermen to choose from so that they could match their tackle with the fishing conditions they would face. The Darter was designed for Cape fishing, but it was the rips and currents of Montauk Point (Long Island), N.Y. that brought out the best of the lure's erratic side-to-side action. Under the lighthouse at Montauk, lure selection was so simple that by the 1960s all the guys carried in their surf bag was a collection of big yellow Darters and 3 oz. Casting Swimmers.

The "bottleplug" or GS Swimmers, had been made famous in October of 1958 when Ralph Gray, fishing with famed outdoor writer Frank Woolner from a tin boat in Provincetown, Massachusetts waters, caught a 68-½ pound striper on a Gibbs GS-2 model. At that time it was the largest striper caught in over 45 years!

It did not take long for Gibbs' reputation as a lure innovator to spread up and down the striper coast. Living next door to the "greatest research tank in the world,"-the Cape Cod Canal with its powerful currents on one side and the legendary sandy beaches of the outer Cape on the other - Gibbs was able to experiment on the most important striper ground known to man.

And what an experimental time it was! Stan's designs were opening up new methods and new concepts in lure making and fishing. Frank Woolner, in an early 1950s SALT WATER SPORTSMAN MAGAZINE article titled, "The Mighty Midgets," praised Stan's efforts in pioneering light "artificials" for schoolie bass fishing.

In a 1958 catalog, Gibbs wrote: "First we test them- Next we prove them - Only then do we make them." These words would prove to be prophetic as Gibbs was about to embark on the most creative period of his lure-making career.




While there were a number of designs that would not make it into production in the near term, Gibbs would unveil one great innovation after another. This time period yielded:
· The Pencil Popper (PP) Probably one of the most widely copied lures ever made. The sleek tapered design minimized wind resistance and added extra distance to the cast. The PP had an incredible ability to raise fish when nothing else would work. Stan also designed a 5 ¼ oz. PP that was used exclusively in the Cape Cod Canal.

· The Polaris (POL) It cast like a rocket but had the dual ability to swim underwater as well as on the surface.
· The Copy Cat (CC) -It was made to compete with Rebel and Rapala. It caught lots of fish but was proved to be impractical to produce and thus was discontinued very quickly (which is why they are so hard to find).
· The Gibbs Trolling Swimmer (GTS)- It was produced in a variety of sizes. Stan had observed that more and more surf men were taking to tin boats and that trolling was becoming more popular all the time. His Line of lures had become so successful that he decided to market them to the Great Lakes Region.

By 1972 Gibbs' production had reached a peak; but his wife, Celia, was sick, and Stan sold the business. His son John signed an agreement to stay on as a manager. Five years later, the business was sold again, with John staying on board one more time. Then, Finally, in 1982 John Gibbs bought the business back and really "brought it home"

In the early 1990s Stan had another creative renaissance and began carving miniature fish - specializing in striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, and some popular freshwater species. He unveiled them in 1992 at a fishing show in Buzzard's Bay, Massachusetts' and they sold like hot cakes. He had done it again. He always knew what the fishermen wanted! Gibbs would always remind his customers to EXPERIMENT… "Fill your tackle bag with good tricks as well as good lures!" he said repeatedly.



http://www.anglersattic.net/gibbs/requiem.html