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

[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

[Stripercoast1]

I was fortunate to have known and fished with Bob Pond when I was a youngster.
I lost out in a bidding war for Atom when Bob sold the company in the mid 90's.
On the last day he owned it, I was invited to join a select group of guests to bid the folks farewell.
Bob loaded all the molds, and handed each of us a plug hot from the steam jackets.
Mine was an Atom 40.
It was literally the last plug Bob ever made.
When it cooled I asked him to sign, I was the only one.

[bababooey]

What an awesome memory! You're a lucky guy,congrats.

[albiealert]

It was literally the last plug Bob ever made.
When it cooled I asked him to sign, I was the only one.

Do you still have that plug? A one of a kind item like that, many guys would have turned right around and sold it on e-bay after he passed away. I admire the respect you had for the guy not to do that. Great story!

[Stripercoast1]

If I had to sell everything I owned to survive, that plug would be in the pillow case under my head while I slept in a Maytag box in an alley.
Bob had a big part in why I am the conservationist I am today.
It used to **** me off when I would hear one of the old timers call him, "Chicken Little" when they saw him coming.
It was one of the greatest honors of my life to have shared Striper water with him.

[surfstix1963]

It doesn't get any better than that.Every time you see that plug it must bring back awesome memories of days gone by.

[DarkSkies]

Bob had a big part in why I am the conservationist I am today.
It used to **** me off when I would hear one of the old timers call him, "Chicken Little" when they saw him coming.
It was one of the greatest honors of my life to have shared Striper water with him.

There's still a lot of that going on, Gunny.

For every one like you and some others out there who talks about how things used to be, and tries to warn what could happen if all we do is take and take.... there are 10 guys who will stand up and tell you how "you don't know what you are talking about, there are more bass around than there ever were, etc, etc". They point to a good season in the last year or 2 as "evidence" to back their claims.

You try to tell them about the consistent decline in the YOY studies, some of the other data that has surfaced in the last 4 years, and they tell you the figures, data, and anecdotal evidence is a figment of someone's imagination.

You, my friend, along with others who talk about conservation, are still in the minority.
The one postive thing I can say is that it seems when Bob Pond was preaching to people, he was one of a handful.
And, as you said, he was ridiculed, until people saw that "Chicken Little's" predictions came through, and we we had to endure a striped bass moratorium.

The momentum of data and long-time fishermen may be enough at this time to get people to hear the voices. As for listening to the words, hell, we all know that many guys only listen to half of any conversation anyway...

Only time will tell.
I want people to know if they have any doubts, they can contact you any time, and you'll back up your observations with data and years of observations from your logs.

Best wishes to you and your family for a Happy New Year, and thanks for sharing the stories...

[Marylee]

Russ Wilson is my Dad. It is so nice to see that people still remember him after all these years. Thank you for the "nomination" and the kind words and memories. Fishing was his love. I remember him taking me to school and there was a live well in the back of his VW minivan to keep his bait fresh, just in case those stripers were running.

[finchaser]

Russ Wilson is my Dad. It is so nice to see that people still remember him after all these years. Thank you for the "nomination" and the kind words and memories. Fishing was his love. I remember him taking me to school and there was a live well in the back of his VW minivan to keep his bait fresh, just in case those stripers were running.

Your father was a great man and a friend, he is truly missed

[baitstealer]

Wow Marylee you were lucky to have a Dad like that. Not a lot of people in my family fish, so I am the pioneer, learning as I go along. I read some of the posts you all put up here, and it seems that the times in the past were reallly great compared to what we have now. Thanks for sharing, this is a real nice thread.

[DarkSkies]

Russ Wilson is my Dad. It is so nice to see that people still remember him after all these years. Thank you for the "nomination" and the kind words and memories. Fishing was his love. I remember him taking me to school and there was a live well in the back of his VW minivan to keep his bait fresh, just in case those stripers were running.

Marylee, hello. Glad you enjoyed the posts.

It was a pleasure to do the research on your Dad. It was inspired by talks with Finchaser, and some other folks here. I couldn't have done it without the stories they told me.

I truly regret that I didn't meet your Dad while he was alive, as he sounded like such a character.

I am happy to have been some small part of the memories. Feel free to contact me at any time if you have any other questions. Welcome!

[Marylee]

Wow Marylee you were lucky to have a Dad like that. Not a lot of people in my family fish, so I am the pioneer, learning as I go along. I read some of the posts you all put up here, and it seems that the times in the past were reallly great compared to what we have now. Thanks for sharing, this is a real nice thread.

This is a great thread!! Thank you for the kind words. My Dad was an avid fisherman and loved the ocean, lakes, streams and rivers of NJ. He spent many a day out on the water and as we grew older got the kids and grandkids of the neighborhood, as well as his own, into fishing. He doled out tackle to them like Halloween candy and I recently connected with some of them and they tell me he is the reason they love to fish today! I hope you love it and pass it on...there is nothing like a day of fishing!!

[Marylee]

Your father was a great man and a friend, he is truly missed

Thank you all for keeping his memory alive and doing what he loved... I miss my father every day and it is so nice to know that other do also. he loved and lived for fishing, after my Mom and his kids and grand kids. i remember growing up, he made his own weights, lures, flies and even his own rods...we all had our own tackle and when we were old enough our own row boat to fish on the Shark River...mostly though, we caught his bait, seining the Shark River for spearing or killies so he had live bait to fish with. The headstone is etched with a picture of him in his 18ft aluminum row boat fishing. He didn't limit himself to the river in that boat he went out the inlet to the ocean, never missing an opportunity to fish where they were running.

[DarkSkies]

One more time for Russ Wilson. Every tiime I use the word dillydock I owe the man some credit. RIP Russ.

[fishinmission78]

Good read. Miss some of these guys. Thanks for bringing to the top.

[seamonkey]

Very informative and entertaining. Thanks for posting about these guys.

[BassBuddah]

A heads up that Jack Yee has passed July 13. RIP Jack.

[DarkSkies]

Three plugs that I count on the most in the Fall? .......


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.

Some interesting things Al Bentsen was saying about jointed plugs.....they may be a PITA to cast but they can produce some action when the fish are not feeding aggressively.