NJ shore Memories and Old-time fishermen from the past...

[skinner]

The ultimate beach buggy, back before they had air conditioning. Thanks for posting that.

[DarkSkies]

Captain Colvin's B&T was one of those places where you would go after a hard night's fishin. All the old salts would be there warming their cold fingers up.....warming their toes....comparing notes...and tellling fish stories and tall fish tales.

It was a great place to be while it was there. All sorts of fishermen passed through his doors, some famous, some not so famous.

I found this article on the NJBBA site.
http://www.njbba.org/i/newsletters/07May.pdf


We also have a promotional thread telling you about them and what a NJBBA membership offers.
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...read.php?t=643


Read the story, and visit their site as well. They could always use a few good members, and will be at most of the major shows this Spring.

Cap Colvins Bait and Tackle Shop, Seaside Park


Pencil Popper – The Beginning
By: Bob Lick

Today any caster and
cranker worth his salt likely
has at least one Pencil Popper
in his plug bag. To my
knowledge, I am the first
person to ever cast a Pencil
Popper in Jersey waters. Let
me explain.

During the late 1950’s I
kept my old 1929 Model A
Ford beach buggy behind
Cap Colvin’s Bait and Tackle
Shop in Seaside Park. Cap’s
was considered headquarters
by many in the Seaside
area.

As I was only twenty
years old I was a less experienced
“regular.” In those
years Barnegat Bay would
often come alive with bass
from late April into early
June. Bucktails were the
primary lure used until the
original Rebel plug hit the
scene.

Despite their easily straightened
hooks the Rebel, along
with the bucktail, became
S.O.P. on the flats behind
Island Beach where I would
fish in a 14 foot plywood hull
skiff.

One day, after fishing a slow
morning session, my partner
Hal and I returned to Cap’s
for a late breakfast and to
bemoan the slow fishing.

While we were engaged in
“regular talk” a large man
walked through the door. No
one in attendance knew the
gentleman except Cap who
greeted him warmly. Cap
then introduced his
“regulars” to Stan Gibbs.

Since a very early age, I had
been reading my Dad’s copies
of Saltwater Sportsman
from almost issue number 1,
so my brain went, “Wow, Stan
Gibbs!”

Stan was on a sort of plug
marketing visit to Cap’s. After
general fishing conversation
he pulled out a funny looking
plug he said he was developing.
It was white, skinny, and
about 5-6 inches long. He
said he was thinking of calling
it a “Pencil Popper.”

Stan went on to explain you
could only work the plug correctly
if tied directly to the
line and you were able to pat
the top of your head and rub
your belly at the same time.
His instructions were to whip
the rod tip rapidly while reeling
slowly.

What happened next is one
of the highlights of my fishing
life. Stan held out his prototype
lure and gave it to me.
Why he chose me, I’ll never
know. Maybe he felt like helping
a young guy out.

Later that day Hal and I
were again on the water casting
the normal bucktails and
Rebels, again without much
success.

I got the idea to
experiment with the “Pencil
Popper.” You wouldn’t believe
what happened. On almost
every cast I had bass attacking
the lure while Hal went
fishless using the normal
offerings.

Feeling sorry for
him, I let him use the lure
after I had quickly caught my
limit of ten. He proceeded to
limit out.

Seeing our action a
Seaside Park resident friend
motored near us and hollered
over, “Bob, what the
hell are you using?” I responded,
“Pencil Popper.”

His response was, “What the
hell is a “Pencil Popper?”

From that day on my nickname
among the gang was
“Pencil Popping Bob” which
lasted a long time. We would
joke: “if you put a Pencil
Popper in Barnegat Bay the
bass would come from
Sandy Hook to jump on it.”

Stan Gibbs and I stayed in
contact via phone reporting
on each others fishing successes,
or lack thereof.

Years later he loved to hear
me tell him of some of my
great wet suiting nights in
Montauk using his Darters or
Bottle Plugs. Stan was a fine
gentleman, and I describe
him thus: “If you don’t like
Stan Gibbs, you don’t like
anybody.”
I consider myself fortunate
to have known him.

[DarkSkies]

Butch Colvins worked out of his Dad's place (Cap Colvins B&T) when he was a teenager. He went on to become a respected and knowledgable fly fishing guide in the area. He was one of the Co-founders of the American Fly fishing School with his good friend Capt Mike Corblies. He was well-known in the Ocean county and Barnegat Bay area during that time.

His contributions are part of NJ fishing history.

Sadly, he passed away in 2002, leaving behind a legacy of good memories and great stories. I heard some good stories about him from some old-time anglers.

RIP, Butch.

Here is a little about his life, from his friend Capt Mike Corblies'
flyfishing site:
http://www.americanflyfishingschools...orialpage.html

Coastal Guides
Butch Colvin Memorial Page

Butch Colvin age 63, Master Guide and Fly Tier passed away during Christmas of 2002. Butch was a pioneer in our sport, having been a member of the original Salt Water Flyrodders of America Club that was formed in Seaside Park, N.J. in the 1960's.

To the best of my knowledge Butch was the first person to guide fly fishermen in saltwater for hire, any place north of Florida.

He started his career as a teenager working out of his Dad's tackle shop the legendary (Cap Colvin's) and guided on Barnegat Bay for many of the early fly fishing experts that were seeking stripers, blues and weakfish.

Notable anglers including Joe Brooks, Stu Apte, Lee Wulff, Leon Chandler, Lefty Kreh and many others enjoyed fishing with him. Butch's fly tying skills and original patterns became finally well known in the Nineties when he became a featured tier at some of the National Fly Shows.

Through many years of unselfish personal lessons, casting clinics and classes at our School, he introduced hundreds of people to saltwater fly fishing and passed on his love for the outdoors and the sport to them. Several of those who learned from him have gone on to become well known professionals including Bob Popovichs and Jeff Mancini.

All that had the pleasure to know him will miss Butch's great common sense and his twinkling smile. I am sure if there is a flyrodders heaven than Butch Colvin has eaned a good spot on one of it's jetties. We all miss you my friend...

Capt. Mike Corblies

Below is Capt Mike to the left, and Butch Colvin to the right.

Here is a link to the home page if anyone wants to learn more about Capt Mike's site and possibly inquire as to a flyfishing trip or scheduled events:

http://www.americanflyfishingschools.com/homepage.html

[cowherder]

amazing article

[storminsteve]

[voyager35]

Great find on the Cap Colvins story, Darkskies. There are times when I wish I could go through a time machine to visit these places. Threads like this keep the memories alive.


Picture of the Miss Take II.

[DarkSkies]

Some people know of PizzaJoe and Jim Cousins.
Maybe some don't.
Today I ran into "Chuckwagon" Chuck and he shared some stories with me. Most very cool, some embarassing, but all good.

I'll try to post more when I get time.

Anyone who wants to share some memories of some other old-time NJ fishermen, feel free to post up.

[DarkSkies]

Some people know of PizzaJoe and Jim Cousins.
Maybe some don't.
Today I ran into "Chuckwagon" Chuck and he shared some stories with me. ...Anyone who wants to share some memories of some other old-time NJ fishermen, feel free to post up.

5-24 pm
...I was getting ready to fish that area when a stranger came by and we started comparing that day's fishing notes. (It was ironic because a few friends and I had just mentioned him 2 hours earlier as I met up with them on the rocks...and I had mentioned him just before I left to go fishing.)

Turned out to be Jim Cousins.

Spent the next 1 1/2 hours talking about everything under the sun, and even some fishin stories.

It was an honor to finally meet ya, Jim!

It was ironic, for sure. Sometimes things happen for a reason.

Whatever the reason was, I was honored to meet Jim. We talked about a wide variety of subjects, from the old days fishin the Hook, fishing rigged eels, the endless bass blitzes of the 70's and the big fish they landed, how the current crop of internet fishermen probably couldn't catch a fish without the seminars and internet How-to articles, while these guys did it the old fashioned way by putting their time in.

Too many more to mention, some other old timers he used to fish with, the dedication they used to have, and some of his interesting views on politics and disgust with the current political system. His knowledge of his subject matter had me hanging on every word.

Yep, for once I was almost speechless.

It was truly an honor and a privelege to get to talk to him about so many things. For anyone else who wants to meet a guy who represents a part of NJ surf history, he's working Mondays at Giglio's in Sea Bright.

Stop in and buy some stuff, and ask Jim your best strategic questions about fishin. He'll have an interesting answer for ya! If ya go on another day than Monday, try to ask Ernie Giglio some questions, but be prepared for honest, candid answers from both of these guys.

I'm gonna visit him at Giglio's when I get a chance and ask for permission to post some of the things he was talking about.

Until then, stop in Giglio's for some honest advice and a link to how fishin was in NJ in it's heyday.
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ead.php?t=4033

[DarkSkies]

Ran into Aaron this morning when I was trying to confirm a report of some bass under the RB blues last night. Some of the members here know the other kid who got one bass, 38", around 22#.

A quick walk of the area found that there was another guy who got a bass as well.

His bass was 39 1/2", about 23#.

Background:
Aaron, originally from Montego Bay, Jamaica, 69 years young.
He's been fishin since he was 6, which puts his total years fishing at 63.
He started out fishing for yellowtail, grouper, and snook, using shrimp for bait.


He graduated to spearfishing when he was 7, using a rubber banded spear gun as the fishing weapon.
They used to go underwater, find the hole where the fish lived, and then drop a bloodworm into the hole, and sometimes pull out a big fish.
cool memory :
Diving on the reefs for lobster, and the world's biggest shark coming by and wanting to eat Aaron for a snack.

Occupation:
'I had many jobs in life, I can do almost anything...landscaper, construction, painting, etc. If I retire I will run out of money, and then I die.
I was a cook in a restaurant until I was 65"




Family and Taking kids fishing:
" I think we should take kids fishing every chance we get. I am always trying to teach the kids something. I have one daughter, but she lives down South. So whenever other kids come here by the pier, I try to teach them what I know."

[DarkSkies]

Life Philosophy:
"If you gave me a million dollars and told me to take the money and stop fishing, I would tell you to keep your money... I will never stop fishing. I was born in saltwater, raised in saltwater, and will die in saltwater...."

[DarkSkies]

Favorite Music:
Bob Marley, but I like all music!


Favorite fish:
Blackfish, grouper, yellowtail, bluefish, striped bass, pilotfish.

I asked him:
"Aaron, how do ya cook a pilotfish, are they good eating?"

Aaron:
"I can't tell ya, cause it's my secret!"



Biggest fish:
"For 2010 so far my biggest fish was the 39 1/2" striper caught on bunker. I got bigger ones last year, and this year I got some big bluefish, they were devils, 36 to 39". I also got a doormat fluke on Tuesday but had to throw him back because the season was not open.

In 2009 I caught a tuna from shore, he was 38 pounds! Capt John went and gaffed him for me, he has the pics."

[* Note, I haven't yet talked to Capt John to confirm the tuna catch so I'll report more on that as I get confirmation. However, some of the old-timers on the pier said it was true. I remain skeptical, but I've learned that sometimes what seems impossible is probable given the right circumstances.]




Great to meet ya Aaron, John, and all the old-timers down there who shared some stories with me.

I was supposed to meet him last night so I could see some of his fishin pics he was bringing down for me to look at. I ran out of steam, and crashed early. I'll hook up with him soon and hope to post up some more pics.

[DarkSkies]

There are a lot of great stories out there about Pizza Joe. Some are amazing, some embarassing, but all good, as he was one of the old-timers who left his mark as part of NJ surf fishing history.

I'm gathering a few stories, but for now I thought I would just write a brief background.

Last week I met "Chuckwagon Chuck" who spent a lot of time fishin with him in his later years. I heard some good stories.

A lot of guys knew and fished with PizzaJoe...Sea Bright Freddie, Chuckwagon Chuck, Jim Cousins, some of the top club guys, and scores of other dedicated fishermen.

Back when they fished that area, the Sea Bright wall and the herring runs were legendary. Sea Bright was so popular that there were 3 B&T shops in that small town, Giglio's being one of them.

[DarkSkies]

Thought I would post some up.

[DarkSkies]

some more

[DarkSkies]

They told me this bench was dedicated to Pizza Joe, in honor of all the time he spent sitting in that area and fishin.


Fisherman's prayer

[ledhead36]

Morgan/Cheesequake

[DarkSkies]

Angelo was asking me to find this thread for him. (posts 20-23)

Some personal things are going on with him now and he isn't fishing much anymore for now. I thought I would bump up this thread to cheer him up.

Hang in there, buddy.

[DarkSkies]

^FYI: For those who know him, the guys who hang out at Leonardo and the Hook, Angelo is doing a little better now, I just talked to him the other day. He's not fishin much, but at least he's OK.



***************

A Shark River Sharpie -
Met a guy the other day as he was taking his wife to the Dr. We started talking about kayaks and kayaking. Turns out he's a kayak fanatic, and long-time fisherman.
He's also one of the oldest members of the Shark River Fishing Club, and shared some stories with me.





The story of Ben Stanek and the 60# bass that got away:
Here's the story as he related it to me. I'll try to post pics and some other stuff when I get the chance to interview him. Even without that it's quite a story, here goes...

It was August 8, 1958. He was fishing on one of the jetties in the Long Branch area, late at night. The jetty he fished off of was near the Long Branch Fishing pier and is no longer there.

Ben was fishing eels, and he was tired. He had gone quite a while without a fish. Any fishermen out there can identify with this, sometimes your mind wanders...
And his mind was wandering, a little, when he got hit by a monster bass. It nailed his eel and took off. Ben fished every chance he could, and was no stranger to catching large bass. But this one was different, this one was a huge cow, he could feel the weight as she pulled drag, and he tried to turn her.

Finally he did, and got her near the jetty. She made one more small run, but he got her in close to the jetty rocks.

Just when he went to leader her in, his line broke. He got to see the fish, and estimated it was 60lbs minimum. Some fishermen are prone to exaggeration, this is a given. But Ben had caught quite a few big fish in his lifetime, and never one this big. He was sure in his heart, after seeing the fish, that she was a 60 or better.

So there you have it folks, the story of the big one that got away. He went back for a few nights after trying to find a fish that big, but he never did. The memory of that fish will always be with him.

Ben says he regrets losing that fish, as they were giving a new Cadillac away in a promotion to the angler catching the biggest bass. When he brought the fish in, all he could think of was how it would be to drive that sweet Cadillac.

Big fish don't just break your line, sometimes they break your heart (and your Cadillac dreams) as well...


(Note: this was also reported in the Newark Evening News by Henry Schaeffer, and later written about by John Geiser.


I'll try to bring more details up when I go down to interview him.

[cowherder]

Big fish don't just break your line, sometimes they break your heart (and your Cadillac dreams) as well...

They break your heart and your cadillac dreams, that's funny right there! Thanks for posting that I enjoyed reading it.

[baitstealer]

God grant that I may fish until my dying day.
And when it comes to my last cast, then I most humbly pray.
When in the Lord's safe landing net, I'm peacefully asleep.
That in His mercy I be judged big enough to keep.


Wow what an awesome prayer that was, thanks for taking that picture DS!